Provisional Tic Disorder: What to tell parents when their child first starts ticcing.

Science.gov (United States)

Black, Kevin J; Black, Elizabeth Rose; Greene, Deanna J; Schlaggar, Bradley L

2016-01-01

The child with recent onset of tics is a common patient in a pediatrics or child neurology practice. If the child's first tic was less than a year in the past, the diagnosis is usually Provisional Tic Disorder (PTD). Published reviews by experts reveal substantial consensus on prognosis in this situation: the tics will almost always disappear in a few months, having remained mild while they lasted. Surprisingly, however, the sparse existing data may not support these opinions. PTD may have just as much importance for science as for clinical care. It provides an opportunity to prospectively observe the spontaneous remission of tics. Such prospective studies may aid identification of genes or biomarkers specifically associated with remission rather than onset of tics. A better understanding of tic remission may also suggest novel treatment strategies for Tourette syndrome, or may lead to secondary prevention of tic disorders. This review summarizes the limited existing data on the epidemiology, phenomenology, and outcome of PTD, highlights areas in which prospective study is sorely needed, and proposes that tic disorders may completely remit much less often than is generally believed.

Provisional Tic Disorder: What to tell parents when their child first starts ticcing

Science.gov (United States)

Black, Kevin J; Black, Elizabeth Rose; Greene, Deanna J.; Schlaggar, Bradley L.

2016-01-01

The child with recent onset of tics is a common patient in a pediatrics or child neurology practice. If the child’s first tic was less than a year in the past, the diagnosis is usually Provisional Tic Disorder (PTD). Published reviews by experts reveal substantial consensus on prognosis in this situation: the tics will almost always disappear in a few months, having remained mild while they lasted. Surprisingly, however, the sparse existing data may not support these opinions. PTD may have just as much importance for science as for clinical care. It provides an opportunity to prospectively observe the spontaneous remission of tics. Such prospective studies may aid identification of genes or biomarkers specifically associated with remission rather than onset of tics. A better understanding of tic remission may also suggest novel treatment strategies for Tourette syndrome, or may lead to secondary prevention of tic disorders. This review summarizes the limited existing data on the epidemiology, phenomenology, and outcome of PTD, highlights areas in which prospective study is sorely needed, and proposes that tic disorders may completely remit much less often than is generally believed. PMID:27158458

Effect of provisional cements on shear bond strength of porcelain laminate veneers.

Science.gov (United States)

Altintas, Subutay Han; Tak, Onjen; Secilmis, Asli; Usumez, Aslihan

2011-08-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of three provisional cements and two cleaning techniques on the final bond strength of porcelain laminate veneers. The occlusal third of the crowns of forty molar teeth were sectioned and embedded in autopolymerizing acrylic resin. Dentin surfaces were polished and specimens were randomly divided into four groups (n=10). Provisional restorations were fabricated and two provisional restorations were cemented onto each tooth. Restorations were fixed with one of three different provisional cements: eugenol-free provisional cement (Cavex), calcium hydroxide (Dycal), and light-cured provisional cement (Tempond Clear). Provisional restorations were removed with either a dental explorer and air-water spray, or a cleaning bur (Opticlean). In the control group, provisional restorations were not used on the surfaces of specimens. IPS Empress 2 ceramic discs were luted with a dual-cured resin cement (Panavia F). Shear bond strength was measured using a universal testing machine. Data were statistically analyzed by ANOVA, Tukey's HSD and Dunnett tests. Surfaces were examined by scanning electronic microscopy. Significant differences were found between the control group and both the light-cured provisional cement groups and the eugenol-free provisional cement-cleaning bur group (Pprovisional cement showed the lowest bond strength values. Selection of the provisional cement is an important factor in the ultimate bond strength of the final restoration. Calcium hydroxide provisional cement and cleaning with a dental explorer are advisable.

Truth telling in medical practice: students' opinions versus their observations of attending physicians' clinical practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Woung-Ru; Fang, Ji-Tseng; Fang, Chun-Kai; Fujimori, Maiko

2013-07-01

Truth telling or transmitting bad news is a problem that all doctors must frequently face. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to investigate if medical students' opinions of truth telling differed from their observations of attending physicians' actual clinical practice. The subjects were 275 medical clerks/interns at a medical center in northern Taiwan. Data were collected on medical students' opinions of truth telling, their observations of physicians' clinical practice, students' level of satisfaction with truth telling practiced by attending physicians, and cancer patients' distress level when they were told the truth. Students' truth-telling awareness was significantly higher than the clinical truth-telling practice of attending physicians (pmedical students' opinions on truth telling and attending physicians' actual clinical practice. More research is needed to objectively assess physicians' truth telling in clinical practice and to study the factors affecting the method of truth telling used by attending physicians in clinical practice. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Implant rehabilitation of the atrophic edentulous maxilla including immediate fixed provisional restoration without the use of bone grafting: a review of 1-year outcome data from a long-term prospective clinical trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Toljanic, Joseph A; Baer, Russell A; Ekstrand, Karl; Thor, Andreas

2009-01-01

The literature suggests that predictable integration can be achieved when dental implant placement is combined with immediate fixed provisional restoration in a variety of clinical situations. Fewer data are available, however, regarding outcomes for immediate provisional restoration of implants in the edentulous maxilla. This report presents 1-year data acquired from a long-term prospective clinical trial designed to assess outcomes following the immediate provisional fixed restoration of implants in the atrophic edentulous maxilla without the use of bone augmentation. Fifty-one subjects diagnosed with an atrophic edentulous maxilla received a total of 306 implants (six implants per subject) followed by fixed provisional restoration within 24 hours of implant placement. No subjects underwent grafting to enhance bone volume in preparation for implant treatment. Data acquired included bone quantity and quality, implant dimensions, implant locations, and implant placement stability. Subjects returned for 1-year follow-up examinations to assess implant integration and restoration function. Periapical radiographs were obtained and compared to baseline images to assess marginal bone height maintenance. At the 3-month follow-up examination, 294 of 306 implants placed in 51 subjects were found to be integrated. This represents a cumulative implant survival rate of 96%. At the 1-year follow-up examination, mean marginal bone loss of 0.5 mm was noted, with no further loss of implants. These results support the contention that predictable long-term outcomes may be obtained for the atrophic edentulous maxilla when treated with an implant rehabilitation protocol that includes immediate fixed provisional restoration without the use of bone grafting. This strategy offers a promising treatment alternative for the patient with an atrophic edentulous maxilla.

Occlusal wear of provisional implant-supported restorations.

Science.gov (United States)

Santing, Hendrik J; Kleverlaan, Cornelis J; Werner, Arie; Feilzer, Albert J; Raghoebar, Gerry M; Meijer, Henny J A

2015-02-01

Implant-supported provisional restorations should be resistant to occlusal wear. The purpose of this laboratory study was to evaluate three-body wear of three indirect laboratory composite resins, five chair side bis-acryl resin-based materials, and two chair side methacrylate-based materials used to fabricate provisional implant-supported restorations. The materials were handled and cured according to the manufacturers' instructions. The three-body wear was measured 1 day, 3 days, 7 days, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks after curing using the ACTA wear device. Wear rate decreased significantly after 8 weeks compared with the first day for all tested materials, except for Estenia C&B. The three-body wear of two indirect laboratory composite resins, that is, Estenia C&B and Solidex, was significantly less compared with all other tested materials used for fabricating provisional implant-supported restorations. Of the chair side materials, the wear rate of Protemp Crown Paste was significantly less compared with the others materials used to fabricate chair side provisional implant-supported restorations. The methacrylate-based materials, Temdent Classic and Trim, showed extreme high wear rates. Based on the results of this laboratory study on long-term wear, the use of indirect composite resin is preferred over chair side methacrylate-based materials when the provisional implant-supported restoration has to be in service for a long period of time. Of the investigated materials, only Estenia C&B and Solidex showed wear rate comparable with posterior resin composites. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A Second Opinion: A Case Narrative on Clinical Ethics Mediation.

Science.gov (United States)

Weinstein, Michael S

2015-01-01

Contrasting traditional and common forms of ethics consultation with bioethics mediation, I describe the case of a "second opinion" consultation in the care of a patient with advanced cancer for whom treatment was futile. While the initial ethics consultation, performed by a colleague, led to a recommendation that some may deem ethical, the process failed to involve key stakeholders and failed to explore the underlying values and reasons for the opinions voiced by various stakeholders. The process of mediation ultimately led to creative solutions in which all stakeholders could reach consensus on a plan of care. Copyright 2015 The Journal of Clinical Ethics. All rights reserved.

Agitation in cognitive disorders:International Psychogeriatric Association provisional consensus clinical and research definition

OpenAIRE

Cummings, Jeffrey; Mintzer, Jacobo; Brodaty, Henry; Sano, Mary; Banerjee, Sube; Devanand, D. P.; Gauthier, Serge; Howard, Robert; Lanctôt, Krista; Lyketsos, Constantine G.; Peskind, Elaine; Porsteinsson, Anton P.; Reich, Edgardo; Sampaio, Cristina; Steffens, David

2015-01-01

Background: Agitation is common across neuropsychiatric disorders and contributes to disability, institutionalization, and diminished quality of life for patients and their caregivers. There is no consensus definition of agitation and no widespread agreement on what elements should be included in the syndrome. The International Psychogeriatric Association formed an Agitation Definition Work Group (ADWG) to develop a provisional consensus definition of agitation in patients with cognitive diso...

Media hype, diagnostic fad or genuine disorder? Professionals' opinions about night eating syndrome, orthorexia, muscle dysmorphia, and emetophobia.

Science.gov (United States)

Vandereycken, Walter

2011-01-01

Many "new" syndromes have been proposed for inclusion in the DSM-V. Some disorders acquired popularity through the Internet, but will they be taken seriously and get accepted by the scientific community? We organized an opinion poll among professionals in the field of eating disorders by presenting them a provisional set of diagnostic criteria of four "new" disorders: Night Eating Syndrome, Orthorexia, Muscle Dysmorphia, and Emetophobia. In general, the opinions did not differ much according to the characteristics of the 111 respondents. Among these professionals, Orthorexia is the best known and Night Eating Syndrome the least. Although the majority is familiar with the concept of Muscle Dysmorphia, it is most often viewed as a creation of the popular media and rarely observed in daily practice. In contrast, the other three disorders seem to be taken more seriously in the sense of "genuine" syndromes, which should receive more attention in research and clinical practice. Emetophobia appears to be the least "fashionable" of the four. The findings are discussed in the light of medialization and medicalization.

Immediate functional loading of provisional implants in the reconstructed atrophic maxilla: preliminary results of a prospective study after 6 months of loading with a provisional bridge.

Science.gov (United States)

Lenssen, O; Barbier, L; De Clercq, C

2011-09-01

Implant-prosthetic rehabilitation of atrophic maxillae remains a challenging problem. The aim of this paper is to describe a novel treatment for functional rehabilitation of the atrophic maxilla and to discuss preliminary results of this treatment protocol. A prospective pilot study was carried out in 10 patients who underwent bony reconstruction of atrophic maxillae under general anaesthesia, with autologous calvarial bone grafts and simultaneous placement of six provisional implants. The provisional implants were loaded with a provisional acrylic bridge 1 day after surgery. After 6 months, the provisional implants were removed and final implants were placed under local anaesthesia, again in an immediate loading concept with a provisional bridge, followed by a final bridge after another 6 months of healing. The bone grafts integrated well in all 10 patients without infectious complications. The prosthetic survival of the provisional bridge at the time of placing the implants was 100%. All final implants could be placed and immediately loaded with a second provisional bridge. Patient satisfaction was high due to limited postoperative inconvenience and immediate fixed prosthetic rehabilitation. The preliminary results of this pilot study demonstrate that this treatment protocol is a well tolerated treatment for patients with maxillary atrophy desiring dental rehabilitation. Copyright © 2011 International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of eliminating administrative radiographs on patient exposure and accuracy of provisional treatment plans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kantor, M.L.; Slome, B.A.

1987-01-01

Published reports and recommendations suggest that radiographs are often ordered because of administrative policies during the screening and selection of patients for dental school clinics. This study examined the prescription of radiographs for two groups of patients: those who were radiographically examined according to an administrative policy and those whose radiographic needs were determined by a clinical examination. The provisional treatment needs assessment based on the screening examination was compared to the final treatment plan based on a complete diagnostic workup for both groups of patients to assess the effect of a change in school policy. Clinicians ordered half the number of panoramic radiographs as would have been ordered by administrative policy. There was no significant difference in the agreement between the provisional and final treatment plans under the two policies. These results suggest that dental schools can comply with federal recommendations against administrative radiographs without compromising patient selection

19 CFR 210.58 - Provisional acceptance of the motion.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Provisional acceptance of the motion. 210.58 Section 210.58 Customs Duties UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION INVESTIGATIONS OF UNFAIR PRACTICES IN IMPORT TRADE ADJUDICATION AND ENFORCEMENT Temporary Relief § 210.58 Provisional acceptance of...

The effect of provisional restoration type on micromovement of implants.

Science.gov (United States)

Holst, Stefan; Geiselhoeringer, Hans; Wichmann, Manfred; Holst, Alexandra Ioana

2008-09-01

The osseointegration or fibrous encapsulation of immediately loaded dental implants depends largely on the extent of implant micromovement. The impact of acrylic resin or metal-reinforced acrylic resin provisional restorations on this movement is currently unknown. The purpose of this study was to isolate and measure the effect of provisional restoration type on the vertical displacement of adjacent implants under load at 2 locations. Vertical loads ranging from 10-200 N were applied to polymethyl methacrylate resin (n=56) or metal-reinforced acrylic resin provisional restorations (n=56) supported by 4 implants inserted into homogenous artificial bone in a "u-shaped" alignment. Provisional restorations were first loaded in the anterior segment where the provisional restoration was supported by a mesial and distal implant, followed by loading on an extension 8 mm distal to the last implant. Vertical displacement of the 2 implants nearest the load application was measured and recorded using an optical image correlation technique based on photogrammetric principles. Data were subjected to a nonparametric multivariate analysis (generalized Wilcoxon test) and a Mann-Whitney test with a 2-tailed P value (alpha=.05). There was no significant difference in the vertical implant displacement of the 2 provisional restoration groups when they were loaded in the anterior segment. However, when loads were applied to the distal cantilever, metal reinforcement resulted in less vertical displacement of the next-to-last implant. The mean vertical displacement of the next-to-last implant when supporting an acrylic resin provisional restoration increased from 20 microm +/-3 microm (pooled loads of 10-50 N) to 130 microm +/-21 microm (pooled loads of 160-200 N), while the vertical displacement of the implant when retaining a metal-reinforced acrylic resin provisional restoration increased from 10 microm +/-2 microm to 69 microm +/-13 microm under the same loads (Pprovisional

Anterior provisional restorations used to determine form, function, and esthetics for complex restorative situations, using all-ceramic restorative systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Reshad, Mamaly; Cascione, Domenico; Kim, Tae

2010-02-01

A technique is proposed for the restoration of a large and visible maxillary anterior defect. The importance of proper diagnosis, treatment planning, and communication is emphasized. Irreversible treatment should only be rendered once patient approval has been obtained through objective evaluation with provisional restorations. The techniques presented in this article use a combination of ceramic systems currently available to satisfy functional demands while achieving acceptable esthetics. A controlled series of steps, where the provisional restorative components are being replaced by the definitive ones is planned. The only difference between the provisional and definitive restorative components is the material used. The definitive restorations consisted of an implant-supported zirconium oxide framework. Individual pressed porcelain restorations were luted to the framework and a natural tooth. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE Provisional restorations allow an objective form of communication. Vertical and horizontal transitional lines can be effectively masked with appropriate treatment planning and a skilled ceramist. Many traditional dental laboratory steps may be eliminated or simplified without compromising the definitive restorations.

Flapless postextraction socket implant placement in the esthetic zone: part 1. The effect of bone grafting and/or provisional restoration on facial-palatal ridge dimensional change-a retrospective cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Tarnow, Dennis P; Chu, Stephen J; Salama, Maurice A; Stappert, Christian F J; Salama, Henry; Garber, David A; Sarnachiaro, Guido O; Sarnachiaro, Evangelina; Gotta, Sergio Luis; Saito, Hanae

2014-01-01

The dental literature has reported vertical soft tissue changes that can occur with immediate implant placement, bone grafting, and provisional restoration ranging from a gain or loss of 1.0 mm. However, little is known of the effects of facial-palatal collapse of the ridge due to these clinical procedures. Based upon treatment modalities rendered, an ensuing contour change can occur with significant negative esthetic consequences. The results of a retrospective clinical cohort study evaluating the change in horizontal ridge dimension associated with implant placement in anterior postextraction sockets are presented for four treatment groups: (1) group no BGPR = no bone graft and no provisional restoration; (2) group PR = no bone graft, provisional restoration; (3) group BG = bone graft, no provisional restoration; and (4) group BGPR = bone graft, provisional restoration. Bone grafting at the time of implant placement into the gap in combination with a contoured healing abutment or a provisional restoration resulted in the smallest amount of ridge contour change. Therefore, it is recommended to place a bone graft and contoured healing abutment or provisional restoration at the time of flapless postextraction socket implant placement.

Bacterial adhesion of porphyromonas gingivalis on provisional fixed prosthetic materials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mustafa Zortuk

2010-01-01

Conclusion : The quantity of bacterial adhesion and surface roughness differed among the assessed provisional fixed prosthodontic materials. The light-polymerized provisional material Revotek LC had rougher surface and more bacterial adhesion compared with the others.

Redesign of a fixture mount to be used as an impression coping and a provisional abutment as well

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Glenn Hsuan-Chen Chang

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose: An integrated fixture mount/impression coping/ temporary abutment can provide many advantages for immediate loading of dental implants, such as simpler procedure, less chair time, cost reduction, and comfort for the patients. Materials and Methods: A newly designed dental implant fixture mount (DIFMA can be used as an impression coping for taking an immediate impression. An immediate load provisional prosthesis can then be fabricated shortly after implant placement to immediately load the implants. This fixture mount can also serve as a temporary abutment for immediate chair-side fabrication of provisional prosthesis. Two clinical cases are presented. Results: A clinical case utilizing the fixture mount abutment (DIFMA/implant assembly is presented. The precision of fitting between the impression copings and implants is secured with this system. The chair time for taking an immediate impression is greatly reduced. Less cost for the restoration is provided and patient comfort is delivered. Conclusions: More patient satisfaction can be conferred by employing the fixture mount in the process of immediate impression taking and as an immediate provisional abutment.

In vitro color stability of provisional restorative materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Jalali, Hamid; Dorriz, Hassan; Hoseinkhezri, Farzaneh; Emadian Razavi, S F

2012-01-01

Discoloration of provisional restorations can result in esthetic problems which are critically important in, for example, anterior areas and may compromise the acceptability of the restoration. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of tea on provisional restorative materials. This study was designed to measure the degree of color change of three acrylic resin provisional materials, before and after immersion in artificial saliva and artificial saliva-tea solution for 2 and 4 weeks. Three types of acrylic provisional materials (duralay, tempron, acropars TRP), were studied. Twenty disks (20 ± 0.1 mm by 2 ± 0.05 mm) were fabricated from each material. Specimens were polished with acrylic bur using pumice and diamond polishing paste. Base line color was measured using a spectrophotometer. Ten disks were stored in artificial saliva and 10 were stored in a solution of artificial saliva and tea at room temperature. Color measurements were made after 2 and 4 weeks of immersion. Differences in color changes were compared by two way ANOVA, across the six groups, followed by a Turkey-Kramer's multiple comparison test. For specimens immersed in artificial saliva, the color change of methyl methacrylate materials; duralay (ΔE=4.94) and tempron (ΔE=6.54), was significantly more than butyl methacrylate material; acropars (ΔE=4.10). After immersion in an artificial saliva- tea solution, tempron exhibited less color change (ΔE=8.50) compared to duralay (ΔE=10.93) and acropars (ΔE=15.64). Color stability of methyl methacrylate is higher than butyl methacrylates so if provisional materials are used for extended periods of time; tempron is preferred.

German second-opinion network for testicular cancer: sealing the leaky pipe between evidence and clinical practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Zengerling, Friedemann; Hartmann, Michael; Heidenreich, Axel; Krege, Susanne; Albers, Peter; Karl, Alexander; Weissbach, Lothar; Wagner, Walter; Bedke, Jens; Retz, Margitta; Schmelz, Hans U; Kliesch, Sabine; Kuczyk, Markus; Winter, Eva; Pottek, Tobias; Dieckmann, Klaus-Peter; Schrader, Andres Jan; Schrader, Mark

2014-06-01

In 2006, the German Testicular Cancer Study Group initiated an extensive evidence-based national second-opinion network to improve the care of testicular cancer patients. The primary aims were to reflect the current state of testicular cancer treatment in Germany and to analyze the project's effect on the quality of care delivered to testicular cancer patients. A freely available internet-based platform was developed for the exchange of data between the urologists seeking advice and the 31 second-opinion givers. After providing all data relevant to the primary treatment decision, urologists received a second opinion on their therapy plan within testicular cancer patient in Germany were submitted to second-opinion centers. Second-opinion centers can help to improve the implementation of evidence into clinical practice.

Immediate Implant Placement and Provisionalization Using the Patient's Extracted Crown: 12-Month Follow-Up.

Science.gov (United States)

Deliberador, Tatiana Miranda; Begnini, Gilmar José; Tomazinho, Flávia; Rezende, Carlos Eduardo Edwards; Florez, Fernando Luis Esteban; Leonardi, Denise Piotto

2018-03-01

Immediate placement and provisionalization of implants in fresh sockets has been previously demonstrated to be a predictable treatment in the restoration of non-recoverable teeth in the anterior regions of the maxilla. This article reports a clinical case in which an immediate implant placement protocol was used in combination with two distinct and sequential grafts (bovine bone and connective tissue, respectively) followed by immediate implant provisionalization using the patient's crown of an extracted tooth. Physical, clinical, and image examinations of the patient (female, 23 years old) revealed a maxillary central incisor (tooth No. 8) with slight mobility due the presence of extensive cervical resorption. The treatment proposed was the atraumatic extraction of the tooth followed by immediate implant placement and provisionalization. Two grafts (bovine bone and connective tissue) were used due to the presence of a very thin maxillary bone plate associated with a thin gingival biotype. The use of the extracted crown as a temporary crown after immediate implant placement resulted in immediate attainment of an esthetically pleasing outcome and long-term favorable results. The treatment protocol proposed can be efficiently used to immediately restore the patient's esthetics and function while maintaining the health, volume, and contours of gingival tissues over a 12-month follow-up period. Anterior teeth extractions typically require the execution of single-unit prostheses using dental materials of synthetic origin (such as polymers), which often are incapable of achieving the esthetic and physiological results patients expect. The use of the patient's own crown was demonstrated, which allowed good clinical results to be achieved and the natural shape and function of tissues to be maintained.

Provisional matrix: A role for versican and hyaluronan.

Science.gov (United States)

Wight, Thomas N

2017-07-01

Hyaluronan and versican are extracellular matrix (ECM) components that are enriched in the provisional matrices that form during the early stages of development and disease. These two molecules interact to create pericellular "coats" and "open space" that facilitate cell sorting, proliferation, migration, and survival. Such complexes also impact the recruitment of leukocytes during development and in the early stages of disease. Once thought to be inert components of the ECM that help hold cells together, it is now quite clear that they play important roles in controlling cell phenotype, shaping tissue response to injury and maintaining tissue homeostasis. Conversion of hyaluronan-/versican-enriched provisional matrix to collagen-rich matrix is a "hallmark" of tissue fibrosis. Targeting the hyaluronan and versican content of provisional matrices in a variety of diseases including, cardiovascular disease and cancer, is becoming an attractive strategy for intervention. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Gathering Opinions on Depression Information Needs and Preferences: Samples and Opinions in Clinic Versus Web-Based Surveys.

Science.gov (United States)

Bernstein, Matthew T; Walker, John R; Sexton, Kathryn A; Katz, Alan; Beatie, Brooke E

2017-04-24

There has been limited research on the information needs and preferences of the public concerning treatment for depression. Very little research is available comparing samples and opinions when recruitment for surveys is done over the Web as opposed to a personal invitation to complete a paper survey. This study aimed to (1) to explore information needs and preferences among members of the public and (2) compare Clinic and Web samples on sample characteristics and survey findings. Web survey participants were recruited with a notice on three self-help association websites (N=280). Clinic survey participants were recruited by a research assistant in the waiting rooms of a family medicine clinic and a walk-in medical clinic (N=238) and completed a paper version of the survey. The Clinic and Web samples were similar in age (39.0 years, SD 13.9 vs 40.2 years, SD 12.5, respectively), education, and proportion in full time employment. The Clinic sample was more diverse in demographic characteristics and closer to the demographic characteristics of the region (Winnipeg, Canada) with a higher proportion of males (102/238 [42.9%] vs 45/280 [16.1%]) and nonwhites (Aboriginal, Asian, and black) (69/238 [29.0%] vs 39/280 [13.9%]). The Web sample reported a higher level of emotional distress and had more previous psychological (224/280 [80.0%] vs 83/238 [34.9%]) and pharmacological (202/280 [72.1%] vs 57/238 [23.9%]) treatment. In terms of opinions, most respondents in both settings saw information on a wide range of topics around depression treatment as very important including information about treatment choices, effectiveness of treatment, how long it takes treatment to work, how long treatment continues, what happens when treatment stops, advantages and disadvantages of treatments, and potential side effects. Females, respondents with a white background, and those who had received or felt they would have benefited from therapy in the past saw more information topics as very

Provisional Tic Disorder: What to tell parents when their child first starts ticcing [version 1; referees: 2 approved

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kevin J Black

2016-04-01

Full Text Available The child with recent onset of tics is a common patient in a pediatrics or child neurology practice. If the child’s first tic was less than a year in the past, the diagnosis is usually Provisional Tic Disorder (PTD. Published reviews by experts reveal substantial consensus on prognosis in this situation: the tics will almost always disappear in a few months, having remained mild while they lasted. Surprisingly, however, the sparse existing data may not support these opinions. PTD may have just as much importance for science as for clinical care. It provides an opportunity to prospectively observe the spontaneous remission of tics. Such prospective studies may aid identification of genes or biomarkers specifically associated with remission rather than onset of tics. A better understanding of tic remission may also suggest novel treatment strategies for Tourette syndrome, or may lead to secondary prevention of tic disorders. This review summarizes the limited existing data on the epidemiology, phenomenology, and outcome of PTD, highlights areas in which prospective study is sorely needed, and proposes that tic disorders may completely remit much less often than is generally believed.

VSRR Provisional Drug Overdose Death Counts

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — This data contains provisional counts for drug overdose deaths based on a current flow of mortality data in the National Vital Statistics System. National...

Effect of Provisional Cements on Shear Bond Strength of Porcelain Laminate Veneers

OpenAIRE

Altintas, Subutay Han; Tak, Onjen; Secilmis, Asli; Usumez, Aslihan

2011-01-01

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of three provisional cements and two cleaning techniques on the final bond strength of porcelain laminate veneers. Methods: The occlusal third of the crowns of forty molar teeth were sectioned and embedded in autopolymerizing acrylic resin. Dentin surfaces were polished and specimens were randomly divided into four groups (n=10). Provisional restorations were fabricated and two provisional restorations were cemented onto each to...

The provisional matrix: setting the stage for tissue repair outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Barker, Thomas H; Engler, Adam J

2017-07-01

Since its conceptualization in the 1980s, the provisional matrix has often been characterized as a simple fibrin-containing scaffold for wound healing that supports the nascent blood clot and is functionally distinct from the basement membrane. However subsequent advances have shown that this matrix is far from passive, with distinct compositional differences as the wound matures, and providing an active role for wound remodeling. Here we review the stages of this matrix, provide an update on the state of our understanding of provisional matrix, and present some of the outstanding issues related to the provisional matrix, its components, and their assembly and use in vivo. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Provisional prostheses during ridge augmentation and implant dentistry.

Science.gov (United States)

Livada, Rania; Hottel, Timothy L; Shiloah, Jacob

2013-01-01

Recent advancements in ridge augmentation and bone regeneration have expanded the pool of patients that could benefit from dental implants. However, providing the patient with a temporary prosthesis during the wound healing phase without impairing the process is a challenging task. This article summarizes available information pertaining to provisional prostheses, both tooth-supported and soft tissue-supported, that may meet the patient needs. The advantages and disadvantages of each class of prosthesis, along with indications and contraindications, were taken into consideration to aid the restorative dentist in choosing the optimal provisional for their patients.

In vitro color stability of provisional restorative materials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hamid Jalali

2012-01-01

Aims: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of tea on provisional restorative materials. Setting and Design: This study was designed to measure the degree of color change of three acrylic resin provisional materials, before and after immersion in artificial saliva and artificial saliva-tea solution for 2 and 4 weeks. Materials and Methods : Three types of acrylic provisional materials (duralay, tempron, acropars TRP, were studied. Twenty disks (20±0.1 mm by 2±0.05 mm were fabricated from each material. Specimens were polished with acrylic bur using pumice and diamond polishing paste. Base line color was measured using a spectrophotometer. Ten disks were stored in artificial saliva and 10 were stored in a solution of artificial saliva and tea at room temperature. Color measurements were made after 2 and 4 weeks of immersion. Statistical analysis used: Differences in color changes were compared by two way ANOVA, across the six groups, followed by a Turkey-Kramer′s multiple comparison test. Results: For specimens immersed in artificial saliva, the color change of methyl methacrylate materials; duralay (ΔE=4.94 and tempron (ΔE=6.54, was significantly more than butyl methacrylate material; acropars (ΔE=4.10. After immersion in an artificial saliva- tea solution, tempron exhibited less color change (ΔE=8.50 compared to duralay (ΔE=10.93 and acropars (ΔE=15.64. Conclusion: Color stability of methyl methacrylate is higher than butyl methacrylates so if provisional materials are used for extended periods of time; tempron is preferred.

Development of a provisional essential medicines list for children in Canada: consensus process.

Science.gov (United States)

Woods, Hannah; Oronsaye, Efosa; Bali, Anjli; Rajakulasingam, Yathavan; Lee, Taehoon; Umali, Norman; Cohen, Eyal; Finkelstein, Yaron; Offringa, Martin; Persaud, Nav

2018-03-26

Worldwide, many countries have developed a list of essential medicines for children to improve prescribing. We aimed to create an essential medicines list for children in Canada. We adapted the previously created preliminary list of essential medicines for adults in Canada and the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines for Children to create a provisional list of essential medicines for children in Canada. Canadian clinicians made suggestions for changes. Literature relevant to each suggestion was presented to clinician-scientists, who used a modified nominal group technique to make recommendations on the suggestions. Ontario Public Drug Programs prescription data were reviewed to identify commonly prescribed medications missing from the list. Literature relevant to these medications was shared with a clinician-scientist review panel to determine which should be added, and a revised list was developed. A total of 76 items were removed from the list of essential medicines for adults in Canada because they were not indicated for use in children or were not relevant in the Canadian health care context; 7 medications were added to the child list based on Ontario Public Drugs Programs prescribing data and clinician-scientist review. Suggestions to add, remove or substitute medications were made by peer-reviewers and resulted in removal of 1 medication and replacement of 1 medication. The process produced a provisional list of 67 essential medications for children. A provisional list of 67 essential medicines for children was created through a peer-reviewed, multistep process based on current clinical evidence, Canadian clinical practice guidelines and historical prescribing data. It is publicly posted at http://cleanmeds.ca/. The list should be further developed based on wider input and should be continuously revised based on emerging evidence of the safety and effectiveness of these medicines in all pediatric age groups. Copyright 2018, Joule Inc. or its licensors.

An indirect technique for assuring simplicity and marginal integrity of provisional restorations during full mouth rehabilitation.

Science.gov (United States)

Al Jabbari, Youssef S; Al-Rasheed, Abdulaziz; Smith, Jesse W; Iacopino, Anthony M

2013-01-01

Full mouth rehabilitation with fixed prosthodontics can be a time- and labor-intensive process. The use of provisional restorations allows the treating clinician to determine the functional and esthetic requirements of the definitive prostheses. However, in the case of full mouth rehabilitation, the individual preparation of provisional restorations for multiple teeth may complicate the provisional phase and increase the treatment time. This article describes a method to simplify the indirect fabrication of provisional restorations for full mouth reconstruction. Provisional restorations may be easily achieved by splinting the provisional restorations in sextants, trimming them according to red pencil marks around the prepared margins as guidelines, and fitting them in the laboratory, utilizing a second set of solid casts for the prepared teeth.

In vitro comparative evaluation of the effect of two different fiber reinforcements on the fracture toughness of provisional restorative resins

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vaibhav D Kamble

2012-01-01

Clinical Implications: On the basis of this in--vitro study, the use of Glass and Polyethylene fibers tested may be an effective way to reinforce resins used to fabricate fixed provisional restorations.

A predictive approach to selecting the size of a clinical trial, based on subjective clinical opinion.

Science.gov (United States)

Spiegelhalter, D J; Freedman, L S

1986-01-01

The 'textbook' approach to determining sample size in a clinical trial has some fundamental weaknesses which we discuss. We describe a new predictive method which takes account of prior clinical opinion about the treatment difference. The method adopts the point of clinical equivalence (determined by interviewing the clinical participants) as the null hypothesis. Decision rules at the end of the study are based on whether the interval estimate of the treatment difference (classical or Bayesian) includes the null hypothesis. The prior distribution is used to predict the probabilities of making the decisions to use one or other treatment or to reserve final judgement. It is recommended that sample size be chosen to control the predicted probability of the last of these decisions. An example is given from a multi-centre trial of superficial bladder cancer.

Production of a Fixed Provisional Restoration Using an Acrylic Denture: Technique and Case Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Kocaagaoglu, Hasan

2015-07-01

The damage or loss of anterior teeth causes a negative impact on the patient in many ways. In adolescents and young patients, the provisional replacement with artificial teeth may minimize this impact. Many approaches have been described for provisional restorations. This article discusses about a chairside fixed provisional restoration technique that was adjusted into the edentulous area of a 15-year-old girl.

The provisional ACR/EULAR definition of remission in RA : a comment on the patient global assessment criterion

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vermeer, Marloes; Kuper, Hillechiena H.; van der Bijl, Arie E.; Baan, Henriette; Posthumus, Marcel D.; Brus, Herman L. M.; van Riel, Piet L. C. M.; van de Laar, Mart A. F. J.

Objectives. The provisional ACR/European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) definition of remission in RA requires a score of 41 on the patient global assessment (PGA, 0-10 scale). We explored the relation between the PGA criterion and the patient's clinical disease state in an observational dataset.

Microleakage of Glass Ionomer-based Provisional Cement in CAD/CAM-Fabricated Interim Crowns: An in vitro Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Farah, Ra'fat I; Al-Harethi, Naji

2016-10-01

The aim of this study was to compare in vitro the marginal microleakage of glass ionomer-based provisional cement with resin-based provisional cement and zinc oxide non-eugenol (ZONE) provisional cement in computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM)-fabricated interim restorations. Fifteen intact human premolars were prepared in a standardized manner for complete coverage of crown restorations. Interim crowns for the prepared teeth were then fabricated using CAD/CAM, and the specimens were randomized into three groups of provisional cementing agents (n = 5 each): Glass ionomer-based provisional cement (GC Fuji TEMP LT™), bisphenol-A-glycidyldimethacrylate (Bis-GMA)/ triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA) resin-based cement (UltraTemp® REZ), and ZONE cement (TempBond NE). After 24 hours of storage in distilled water at 37°C, the specimens were thermocycled and then stored again for 24 hours in distilled water at room temperature. Next, the specimens were placed in freshly prepared 2% aqueous methylene blue dye for 24 hours and then embedded in autopolymerizing acrylic resin blocks and sectioned in buccolingual and mesiodistal directions to assess dye penetration using a stereomicroscope. The results were statistically analyzed using a nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis test. Dunn's post hoc test with a Bonferroni correction test was used to compute multiple pairwise comparisons that identified differences among groups; the level of significance was set at p provisional cement demonstrated the lowest microleakage scores, which were statistically different from those of the glass ionomer-based provisional cement and the ZONE cement. The provisional cementing agents exhibited different sealing abilities. The Bis-GMA/TEGDMA resin-based provisional cement exhibited the most effective favorable sealing properties against dye penetration compared with the glass ionomer-based provisional cement and conventional ZONE cement. Newly introduced glass

Provisional reporting of polytrauma CT by on-call radiology registrars. Is it Safe?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Briggs, R.H., E-mail: robbriggs@hotmail.co.u [Department of Radiology, Leeds General Infirmary, Leeds (United Kingdom); Rowbotham, E.; Johnstone, A.L.; Chalmers, A.G. [Department of Radiology, Leeds General Infirmary, Leeds (United Kingdom)

2010-08-15

Aim: To assess the accuracy of provisional reporting and the impact on patient management. Materials and methods: Over a 6 month period, 137 polytrauma computed tomography (CT) examinations were performed by on-call registrar radiologists at our institution. After exclusions, 130 cases were analysed. Discrepancies between registrar and consultant reports were reviewed and classified as either major or minor dependent on potential impact on patient safety. The relationship between seniority of reporting registrar and likelihood of a missed finding was analysed using the Chi-square test. Results: Of the 130 patients, 46 (35%) had a serious injury, 36 (28%) a minor injury, and 48 (38%) no identifiable injury on CT. There were 32 (25%) patients with discrepancies of which 24 (18%) had missed or significantly under-reported findings and eight (6%) overcalled findings. There were six misses classified as major; the remaining 18 were classified as minor. No association was found between the seniority of reporting registrar and the likelihood of a miss (p = 0.96). Conclusion: The incidence of major discrepancies between the provisional and final report was low and did not lead to any significant clinical deterioration. Our study provides a reference of the commonly missed injuries. We conclude that registrar provisional reporting of polytrauma is safe; however, note that a large proportion of examinations are normal and that further work is required to produce robust criteria given the radiation risk to a young population group scanned in trauma.

Provisional reporting of polytrauma CT by on-call radiology registrars. Is it Safe?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Briggs, R.H.; Rowbotham, E.; Johnstone, A.L.; Chalmers, A.G.

2010-01-01

Aim: To assess the accuracy of provisional reporting and the impact on patient management. Materials and methods: Over a 6 month period, 137 polytrauma computed tomography (CT) examinations were performed by on-call registrar radiologists at our institution. After exclusions, 130 cases were analysed. Discrepancies between registrar and consultant reports were reviewed and classified as either major or minor dependent on potential impact on patient safety. The relationship between seniority of reporting registrar and likelihood of a missed finding was analysed using the Chi-square test. Results: Of the 130 patients, 46 (35%) had a serious injury, 36 (28%) a minor injury, and 48 (38%) no identifiable injury on CT. There were 32 (25%) patients with discrepancies of which 24 (18%) had missed or significantly under-reported findings and eight (6%) overcalled findings. There were six misses classified as major; the remaining 18 were classified as minor. No association was found between the seniority of reporting registrar and the likelihood of a miss (p = 0.96). Conclusion: The incidence of major discrepancies between the provisional and final report was low and did not lead to any significant clinical deterioration. Our study provides a reference of the commonly missed injuries. We conclude that registrar provisional reporting of polytrauma is safe; however, note that a large proportion of examinations are normal and that further work is required to produce robust criteria given the radiation risk to a young population group scanned in trauma.

The use of definitive implant abutments for the fabrication of provisional crowns: a case series.

Science.gov (United States)

Bilhan, Hakan; Geckili, Onur; Mumcu, Emre

2011-10-01

The anterior region is a challenge for most clinicians to achieve optimal esthetics with dental implants. The provisional crown is a key factor in the success of obtaining pink esthetics around restorations with single implants, by soft tissue and inter-proximal papilla shaping. Provisional abutments bring additional costs and make the treatment more expensive. Since one of the aims of the clinician is to reduce costs and find more economic ways to raise patient satisfaction, this paper describes a practical method for chair-side fabrication of non-occlusal loaded provisional crowns used by the authors for several years successfully. Twenty two patients (9 males, 13 females; mean age, 36,72 years) with one missing anterior tooth were treated by using the presented method. Metal definitive abutments instead of provisional abutments were used and provisional crowns were fabricated on the definitive abutments for all of the patients. The marginal fit was finished on a laboratory analogue and temporarily cemented to the abutments. The marginal adaptation of the crowns was evaluated radiographically. The patients were all satisfied with the final appearance and no complications occurred until the implants were loaded with permanent restorations. The use of the definitive abutments for provisional crowns instead of provisional abutments reduces the costs and the same results can be obtained.

The provisional ACR/EULAR definition of remission in RA: a comment on the patient global assessment criterion

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vermeer, M.; Kuper, Hillechina H.; van der Bijl, Arie E.; Baan, H.; Posthumus, Marcel D.; Brus, Herman L.M.; van Riel, Piet L.C.M.; van de Laar, Mart A F J

2012-01-01

Objectives. The provisional ACR/European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) definition of remission in RA requires a score of ≤1 on the patient global assessment (PGA, 0–10 scale). We explored the relation between the PGA criterion and the patient's clinical disease state in an observational dataset.

Bacterial Adhesion of Porphyromonas Gingivalis on Provisional Fixed Prosthetic Materials

OpenAIRE

Zortuk, Mustafa; Kesim, Servet; Kaya, Esma; Özbilge, Hatice; Kiliç, Kerem; Çölgeçen, Özlem

2010-01-01

Background: When provisional restorations are worn for long term period, the adhesion of bacteria becomes a primary factor in the development of periodontal diseases. The aims of this study were to evaluate the surface roughness and bacterial adhesion of four different provisional fixed prosthodon-tic materials. Methods: Ten cylindrical specimens were prepared from bis-acrylic composites (PreVISION CB and Protemp 3 Garant), a light-polymerized composite (Revotek LC), and a polymethyl metha...

Immediate loading versus immediate provisionalization of maxillary single-tooth replacements: a prospective randomized study with BioComp implants

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lindeboom, Jerome A.; Frenken, Joost W.; Dubois, Leander; Frank, Michael; Abbink, Ingmar; Kroon, Frans H.

2006-01-01

PURPOSE: The aim of this prospective randomized study was to evaluate the clinical outcome of immediately loaded solid plasma sprayed (TPS) BioComp (BioComp Industries BV, Vught, The Netherlands) implants versus immediate provisionalized but non-loaded BioComp implants in the anterior and premolar

Gingival recontouring by provisional implant restoration for optimal emergence profile: report of two cases.

Science.gov (United States)

Son, Mee-Kyoung; Jang, Hyun-Seon

2011-12-01

The emergence profile concept of an implant restoration is one of the most important factors for the esthetics and health of peri-implant soft tissue. This paper reports on two cases of gingival recontouring by the fabrication of a provisional implant restoration to produce an optimal emergence profile of a definitive implant restoration. After the second surgery, a preliminary impression was taken to make a soft tissue working cast. A provisional crown was fabricated on the model. The soft tissue around the implant fixture on the model was trimmed with a laboratory scalpel to produce the scalloped gingival form. Light curing composite resin was added to fill the space between the provisional crown base and trimmed gingiva. After 4 to 6 weeks, the final impression was taken to make a definitive implant restoration, where the soft tissue and tooth form were in harmony with the adjacent tooth. At the first insertion of the provisional restoration, gum bleaching revealed gingival pressure. Four to six weeks after placing the provisional restoration, the gum reformed with harmony between the peri-implant gingiva and adjacent dentition. Gingival recontouring with a provisional implant restoration is a non-surgical and non-procedure-sensitive method. The implant restoration with the optimal emergence profile is expected to provide superior esthetic and functional results.

DK mini-culotte stenting in the treatment of true coronary bifurcation lesions: a propensity score matching comparison with T-provisional stenting.

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Lin; Chen, Lianglong; Luo, Yukun; Zhang, Linlin; Zhong, Wenliang; Lin, Chaogui; Chen, Zhaoyang; Peng, Yafei; Zhen, Xingchun; Dong, Xianfeng

2016-03-01

The conventional culotte technique remains not to be widely used for the treatment of coronary bifurcation lesions due to its inherent drawbacks. Here, we developed a double kissing mini-culotte stenting (DK mini-culotte) and assessed its efficacy and safety by a propensity score matching comparison (PSM) with T-provisional stenting. From June 2010 to June 2012, a total of 223 consecutive patients with true coronary bifurcation lesions (TCBLs) were treated with DK mini-culotte (91 patients with 92 lesions) or T-provisional stenting (132 patients with 135 lesions). We performed a PSM to correct the confounders from clinical and lesion's characteristics. The primary endpoint was cumulative major adverse cardiac event (MACE) at 1 year including cardiac death, myocardial infarction, and target vessel revascularization or target lesion revascularization (TVR/TLR). The secondary endpoint was the rate of side branch (SB) restenosis at 12 months. After a PSM, there were 66 patients in each group. Additional SB stenting in the T-provisional group was performed in 10 (15.2 %) lesions. The incidence of 1-year cumulative MACE was 4.55 % for the DK mini-culotte versus 13.6 % for T-provisional stenting (P = 0.127), the rate of TVR/TLR was 1.52 % for DK mini-culotte versus 12.12 % for T-provisional stenting (P = 0.033). The SB binary restenosis rate was 5.6 % in the DK mini-culotte group and 22.4 % in the T-provisional group (P = 0.014). In summary, despite that there is no difference in MACE between groups, DK mini-culotte significantly reduce TVR/TLR and SB restenosis in the treatment of true coronary bifurcation lesions.

Comparative in vitro evaluation of CAD/CAM vs conventional provisional crowns

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adil Othman ABDULLAH

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Objective This study compared the marginal gap, internal fit, fracture strength, and mode of fracture of CAD/CAM provisional crowns with that of direct provisional crowns. Material and Methods An upper right first premolar phantom tooth was prepared for full ceramic crown following tooth preparation guidelines. The materials tested were: VITA CAD-Temp®, Polyetheretherketone “PEEK”, Telio CAD-Temp, and Protemp™4 (control group. The crowns were divided into four groups (n=10, Group1: VITA CAD-Temp®, Group 2: PEEK, Group 3: Telio CAD-Temp, and Group 4: Protemp™4. Each crown was investigated for marginal and internal fit, fracture strength, and mode of fracture. Statistical analysis was performed using GraphPad Prism software version 6.0. Results The average marginal gap was: VITA CAD-Temp® 60.61 (±9.99 µm, PEEK 46.75 (±8.26 µm, Telio CAD-Temp 56.10 (±5.65 µm, and Protemp™4 193.07(±35.96 µm (P0.05. Conclusions CAD/CAM fabricated provisional crowns demonstrated superior fit and better strength than direct provisional crowns.

75 FR 26939 - Target Corporation: Provisional Acceptance of a Settlement Agreement and Order

Science.gov (United States)

2010-05-13

... CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION [CPSC Docket No. 09-C0037] Target Corporation: Provisional...(e). Published below is a provisionally-accepted Settlement Agreement with Target Corporation..., Target Corporation (``Target '') and the staff (``Staff '') of the United States Consumer Product Safety...

VSRR - Quarterly provisional estimates for infant mortality

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — Provisional estimates of infant mortality (deaths of infants under 1 year per 1,000 live births), neonatal mortality (deaths of infants aged 0-27 days per 1,000 live...

Nursing Students' Opinion on the Use of Smartphone Applications (Apps) in Clinical Education and Training: A Study Protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Connor, Siobhan; Andrews, Tom

2016-01-01

Nurse educators are exploring different mobile technologies to provide additional support to nursing students in clinical practice. However, the view of nursing students on the use of smartphone applications (apps) to enhance clinical education has not been explored. This proposed study will use a self-reported questionnaire to examine the opinions of nursing students on the current and potential use of smartphone apps when training in clinical settings. Descriptive and inferential statistics will be performed on the quantitative data. Qualitative data from open ended questions will be thematically analysed using the framework approach. This will be the first study to examine the use of smartphone apps as a support in clinical teaching from a students' perspective. Their opinion is vital if the right mobile technology is to be designed and implemented.

VSRR - Quarterly provisional estimates for selected birth indicators

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — Provisional estimates of selected reproductive indicators. Estimates are presented for: general fertility rates, age-specific birth rates, total and low risk...

Occlusal wear of provisional implant-supported restorations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Santing, Hendrik J.; Kleverlaan, Cornelis J.; Werner, Arie; Feilzer, Albert J.; Raghoebar, Gerry M.; Meijer, Henny J. A.

BACKGROUND: Implant-supported provisional restorations should be resistant to occlusal wear. PURPOSE: The purpose of this laboratory study was to evaluate three-body wear of three indirect laboratory composite resins, five chair side bis-acryl resin-based materials, and two chair side

Creating Esthetic Harmony with Nonloading, Fixed Provisional Restoration using Extracted Teeth after Immediate Implant Placement.

Science.gov (United States)

Satwalekar, Parth; Satwalekar, Tanushree; Bondugula, Vasanthi; Bhuvaneshwari, B; Harshavardhan, K V; Pasula, Kiran

2016-04-01

To make use of fiber-reinforced composite and the patient's own extracted teeth in fabricating a provisional restoration following immediate implant placement. Fiber-reinforced composites offer various possibilities in temporization of osseointegrating implants in the esthetic zone. In this chairside technique, the patient's own extracted teeth with fiber-reinforced composite were used to fabricate a provisional restoration after immediate implant placement. A putty index was made before extracting the teeth and placing the implants as planned. The index and crowns of the extracted teeth were used to make a nonloading, esthetic, chair-side provisional restoration after immediate implant placement. By using the patient's own teeth for pro-visionalization immediately after implant placement, acceptance is greatly enhanced.

Provisional Peer-Reviewed Toxicity Values for Acrolein

Science.gov (United States)

Provisional Peer-Reviewed Toxicity Values (PPRTV) assessments are developed for use by the Agency’s Office of Land and Emergency Management (OLEM) to support informed decisions in the Superfund program and at hazardous waste sites when a values is not available in the Integrated ...

Alleviating gizzard erosion with Hepasan ® - Provisional ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Log in or Register to get access to full text downloads. Username, Password, Remember me, or Register. DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT Open Access DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT Subscription or Fee Access. Alleviating gizzard erosion with Hepasan® - Provisional Communication. K Boa-Amponsem, A Osei-Somuah. Full Text:.

Provisional Peer-Reviewed Toxicity Values for Aluminum

Science.gov (United States)

Provisional Peer-Reviewed Toxicity Values (PPRTV) assessments are developed for use by the Agency’s Office of Land and Emergency Management (OLEM) to support informed decisions in the Superfund program and at hazardous waste sites when a values is not available in the Integrated ...

Provisional Peer-Reviewed Toxicity Values for Lewisite

Science.gov (United States)

Provisional Peer-Reviewed Toxicity Values (PPRTV) assessments are developed for use by the Agency’s Office of Land and Emergency Management (OLEM) to support informed decisions in the Superfund program and at hazardous waste sites when a values is not available in the Integrated ...

45 CFR 264.70 - What makes a State eligible to receive a provisional payment of contingency funds?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... provisional payment of contingency funds? 264.70 Section 264.70 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public... Contingency Fund? § 264.70 What makes a State eligible to receive a provisional payment of contingency funds? (a) In order to receive a provisional payment of contingency funds, a State must: (1) Be a needy...

Increasing Immunization Compliance by Reducing Provisional Admittance

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Wendy S.; Varni, Susan E.; Barry, Sara E.; Frankowski, Barbara L.; Harder, Valerie S.

2016-01-01

Students in Vermont with incomplete or undocumented immunization status are provisionally admitted to schools and historically had a calendar year to resolve their immunization status. The process of resolving these students' immunization status was challenging for school nurses. We conducted a school-based quality improvement effort to increase…

Use of Resin-Based Provisional Material to Create the Posterior Palatal Seal in Complete Denture Definitive Impressions.

Science.gov (United States)

de Souza Batista, Victor Eduardo; Vechiato-Filho, Aljomar José; Pellizzer, Eduardo Piza; Verri, Fellippo Ramos

2017-11-17

The purpose of this article was to present an alternative procedure using resin-based provisional material to create the posterior palatal seal (PPS). This method offers more practicality in clinical routine and increased control for addition of material to create the PPS when compared to traditional techniques such as the use of impression wax. © 2017 by the American College of Prosthodontists.

Microleakage of different provisionalization techniques for class I inlays

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Selim Erkut

2013-03-01

Conclusion: The microleakage in class I inlay cavities could be reduced by the application of dentin-bonding agents after cavity preparation followed by the placement of light-polymerized provisional restorative materials.

Comparative evaluation of marginal leakage of provisional crowns cemented with different temporary luting cements: In vitro study.

Science.gov (United States)

Arora, Sheen Juneja; Arora, Aman; Upadhyaya, Viram; Jain, Shilpi

2016-01-01

As, the longevity of provisional restorations is related to, a perfect adaptation and a strong, long-term union between restoration and teeth structures, therefore, evaluation of marginal leakage of provisional restorative materials luted with cements using the standardized procedures is essential. To compare the marginal leakage of the provisional crowns fabricated from Autopolymerizing acrylic resin crowns and bisphenol A-glycidyl dimethacrylate (BIS-GMA) resin crowns. To compare the marginal leakage of the provisional crowns fabricated from autopolymerizing acrylic resin crowns and BIS-GMA resin crowns cemented with different temporary luting cements. To compare the marginal leakage of the provisional crowns fabricated from autopolymerizing acrylic resin (SC-10) crowns cemented with different temporary luting cements. To compare the marginal leakage of the provisional crowns fabricated from BIS-GMA resin crowns (Protemp 4) cemented with different temporary luting cements. Freshly extracted 60 maxillary premolars of approximately similar dimensions were mounted in dental plaster. Tooth reduction with shoulder margin was planned to use a customized handpiece-holding jig. Provisional crowns were prepared using the wax pattern fabricated from computer aided designing/computer aided manufacturing milling machine following the tooth preparation. Sixty provisional crowns were made, thirty each of SC-10 and Protemp 4 and were then cemented with three different luting cements. Specimens were thermocycled, submerged in a 2% methylene blue solution, then sectioned and observed under a stereomicroscope for the evaluation of marginal microleakage. A five-level scale was used to score dye penetration in the tooth/cement interface and the results of this study was analyzed using the Chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U-test, Kruskal-Wallis H-test and the results were statistically significant P provisional crowns cemented with three different luting cements along the axial walls of

Evaluation of Vertical Marginal Adaptation of Provisional Crowns by ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2018-01-30

Jan 30, 2018 ... Department of Prosthetic Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, ... discrepancies compared to dimethacrylates, some of ... whereas one study shows bis‑acryl composite resin to .... The provisionals were finished with acrylic.

Physiologically-based pharmacokinetic model for Fentanyl in support of the development of Provisional Advisory Levels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shankaran, Harish; Adeshina, Femi; Teeguarden, Justin G.

2013-01-01

Provisional Advisory Levels (PALs) are tiered exposure limits for toxic chemicals in air and drinking water that are developed to assist in emergency responses. Physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling can support this process by enabling extrapolations across doses, and exposure routes, thereby addressing gaps in the available toxicity data. Here, we describe the development of a PBPK model for Fentanyl – a synthetic opioid used clinically for pain management – to support the establishment of PALs. Starting from an existing model for intravenous Fentanyl, we first optimized distribution and clearance parameters using several additional IV datasets. We then calibrated the model using pharmacokinetic data for various formulations, and determined the absorbed fraction, F, and time taken for the absorbed amount to reach 90% of its final value, t90. For aerosolized pulmonary Fentanyl, F = 1 and t90 50 human datasets. • Model predictions are in good agreement with the available pharmacokinetic data. • The model can be used for extrapolating across routes, doses and exposure durations. • We illustrate how the model can be used for developing Provisional Advisory Levels

Provisional Peer-Reviewed Toxicity Values for Picric Acid

Science.gov (United States)

Provisional Peer-Reviewed Toxicity Values (PPRTV) assessments are developed for use by the Agency’s Office of Land and Emergency Management (OLEM) to support informed decisions in the Superfund program and at hazardous waste sites when a values is not available in the Integrated ...

Provisional Peer-Reviewed Toxicity Values for O-Aminophenol

Science.gov (United States)

Provisional Peer-Reviewed Toxicity Values (PPRTV) assessments are developed for use by the Agency’s Office of Land and Emergency Management (OLEM) to support informed decisions in the Superfund program and at hazardous waste sites when a values is not available in the Integrated ...

Provisional Peer-Reviewed Toxicity Values for N-Heptane

Science.gov (United States)

Provisional Peer-Reviewed Toxicity Values (PPRTV) assessments are developed for use by the Agency’s Office of Land and Emergency Management (OLEM) to support informed decisions in the Superfund program and at hazardous waste sites when a values is not available in the Integrated ...

Provisional Peer-Reviewed Toxicity Values for Guanidine Nitrate

Science.gov (United States)

Provisional Peer-Reviewed Toxicity Values (PPRTV) assessments are developed for use by the Agency’s Office of Land and Emergency Management (OLEM) to support informed decisions in the Superfund program and at hazardous waste sites when a values is not available in the Integrated ...

Provisional Peer-Reviewed Toxicity Values for Guanidine Chloride

Science.gov (United States)

Provisional Peer-Reviewed Toxicity Values (PPRTV) assessments are developed for use by the Agency’s Office of Land and Emergency Management (OLEM) to support informed decisions in the Superfund program and at hazardous waste sites when a values is not available in the Integrated ...

Provisional Peer-Reviewed Toxicity Values for Diundecyl Phthalate

Science.gov (United States)

Provisional Peer-Reviewed Toxicity Values (PPRTV) assessments are developed for use by the Agency’s Office of Land and Emergency Management (OLEM) to support informed decisions in the Superfund program and at hazardous waste sites when a values is not available in the Integrated ...

Provisional energy balance of France for 2002

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-01-01

A provisional energy accounting in France for 2002 is presented. Statistical data and diagrams are provided to detail and discuss the economical and energy context, the primary energy consumption, the national production and the energy dependence, the primary energy consumption for each energy source, the sectorial analysis of the energy consumption and the carbon dioxide emissions. (A.L.B.)

VSRR - Quarterly provisional estimates for selected indicators of mortality

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — Provisional estimates of death rates. Estimates are presented for each of the 15 leading causes of death plus estimates for deaths attributed to drug overdose, falls...

Immediate Implant Placement of a Single Central Incisor Using a CAD/CAM Crown-Root Form Technique: Provisional to Final Restoration.

Science.gov (United States)

Vafiadis, Dean; Goldstein, Gary; Garber, David; Lambrakos, Anthony; Kowalski, Bj

2017-02-01

Preserving soft and hard tissues after extraction and implant placement is crucial for anterior esthetics. This technique will show how the information gathered from a cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scan of the maxillary left central incisor and an intra-oral digital impression can be merged to fabricate a CAD/CAM crown-root matrix to be used as an immediate provisional restoration that mimics the natural anatomy. Due to trauma, a left central incisor appeared to be fractured and was scheduled for extraction and implant placement. The crown-root configuration captured by the CBCT scan was merged with the digital files from an intra-oral digital impression. A CAD/CAM crown-root matrix was fabricated. Because the matrix shell was fabricated with the exact anatomy of the natural tooth, it replicated the position and three dimensional anatomy of the soft and hard tissue. It was connected to the implant with a customized provisional abutment. A digital impression of a coded healing abutment was made to fabricate the final implant abutment and final restoration. Throughout the treatment time and 36 months after completion, the thickness of tissue, emergence profile, and adjacent papilla was analyzed by clinical evaluation and photography and seemed to be maintained. The use of a pre-operative intra-oral digital scan of the clinical crown-root architecture and the CBCT scan of the bone/root anatomy, can be used together to fabricate a CAD/CAM crown-root form provisional matrix. This digital design helps in the preservation of the 3D tissue topography, as well as the final restoration. The preservation of soft and hard tissue after extraction and implant placement has always been paramount for ideal anterior implant esthetics. Using the information from digital files from CBCT scans and intra-oral scans may help the clinician identify critical anatomical features that can be replicated in the provisional and final CAD/CAM restoration. (J Esthet Restor Dent 29

Provisional host catalogue of Fig wasps (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wiebes, J.T.

1966-01-01

INTRODUCTION In this catalogue — entitled "provisional" because our knowledge of the subject is still so evidently incomplete — all species of Ficus mentioned as hosts of fig wasps, are listed with the Hymenoptera Chalcidoidea reared from their receptacles. The names used for the Agaonidae are in

Immediate provisional restoration of an implant placed in a fresh primary maxillary canine extraction socket: a case report.

Science.gov (United States)

Turkyilmaz, Ilser; Shapiro, Vladimir

2011-01-01

This study describes a clinical case in which a primary maxillary canine with both mobility and root resorption was replaced with an immediately restored dental implant placed into the fresh extraction socket. The implant achieved high primary stability, as determined by resonance frequency analysis, and it was immediately restored with a provisional acrylic resin crown with no centric occlusion. An all-ceramic permanent crown replaced the provisonal crown four months after implant surgery. The implant was stable and no periapical radiolucencies, bleeding on probing, or pathologic probing depth were recorded after one year. The peri-implant soft tissue level appeared stable, and the interdental papillae were preserved, contributing to an optimum final esthetic result. This case supports the use of single implants for the replacement of extracted primary teeth, especially in areas where esthetics is a high priority. The immediate provisional crown maintained soft tissue contours and papillary height.

Comparative in vitro evaluation of CAD/CAM vs conventional provisional crowns.

Science.gov (United States)

Abdullah, Adil Othman; Tsitrou, Effrosyni A; Pollington, Sarah

2016-01-01

This study compared the marginal gap, internal fit, fracture strength, and mode of fracture of CAD/CAM provisional crowns with that of direct provisional crowns. An upper right first premolar phantom tooth was prepared for full ceramic crown following tooth preparation guidelines. The materials tested were: VITA CAD-Temp®, Polyetheretherketone "PEEK", Telio CAD-Temp, and Protemp™4 (control group). The crowns were divided into four groups (n=10), Group1: VITA CAD-Temp®, Group 2: PEEK, Group 3: Telio CAD-Temp, and Group 4: Protemp™4. Each crown was investigated for marginal and internal fit, fracture strength, and mode of fracture. Statistical analysis was performed using GraphPad Prism software version 6.0. The average marginal gap was: VITA CAD-Temp® 60.61 (±9.99) µm, PEEK 46.75 (±8.26) µm, Telio CAD-Temp 56.10 (±5.65) µm, and Protemp™4 193.07(±35.96) µm (PCAD-Temp® 124.94 (±22.96) µm, PEEK 113.14 (±23.55) µm, Telio CAD-Temp 110.95 (±11.64) µm, and Protemp™4 143.48(±26.74) µm. The average fracture strength was: VITA CAD-Temp® 361.01 (±21.61) N, PEEK 802.23 (±111.29) N, Telio CAD-Temp 719.24 (±95.17) N, and Protemp™4 416.40 (±69.14) N. One-way ANOVA test showed a statistically significant difference for marginal gap, internal gap, and fracture strength between all groups (p0.05). CAD/CAM fabricated provisional crowns demonstrated superior fit and better strength than direct provisional crowns.

Influence of immediate loading on provisional restoration in dental implant stability

Science.gov (United States)

Ikbal, M.; Odang, R. W.; Indrasari, M.; Dewi, R. S.

2017-08-01

The success of dental implant treatment is determined by the primary stability at placement. One factor that could influence this stability is occlusal loading through provisional restoration. Two types of loading protocols are usually used: immediate and delayed loading. However, some controversies remain about the influence of occlusal loading on implant stability. Therefore, the influence of immediate loading on implant stability must be studied. An animal study was conducted by placing nine dental implants in the mandibular jaw of three Macaca fascicularis. Provisional restorations with various occlusal contacts (no, light, and normal contact) were placed on the implant. The implant stability was measured using the Ostell ISQ three times: immediately (baseline) and at the first and second months after implant placement. The implant stability between implants with no and normal occlusal contact as well as light and normal occlusal contact showed significant differences (p implant placement. However, no significant increase (p > 0.05) in implant stability was seen at the baseline and the first and second months after implant placement for all occlusal contact groups. Immediate loading influenced the implant stability, and provisional restoration of implant without occlusal contact showed the highest implant stability.

Effect of different provisional cement remnant cleaning procedures including Er:YAG laser on shear bond strength of ceramics

OpenAIRE

Zortuk, Mustafa; Gumus, Hasan Onder; Kilinc, Halil Ibrahim; Tuncdemir, Ali Riza

2012-01-01

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of provisional cement removal by different dentin cleaning protocols (dental explorer, pumice, cleaning bur, Er:YAG laser) on the shear bond strength between ceramic and dentin. MATERIALS AND METHODS In total, 36 caries-free unrestored human third molars were selected as tooth specimens. Provisional restorations were fabricated and cemented with eugenol-free provisional cement. Then, disc-shaped ceramic specimens were fabricated and...

10 CFR 903.21 - Completion of rate development; provisional rates.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... business principles. The rates shall be submitted promptly to the FERC for confirmation and approval on a..., Southwestern, and Western Area Power Administrations § 903.21 Completion of rate development; provisional rates...

Provisional Peer-Reviewed Toxicity Values for Isopropanol (Isobutyl Alcohol)

Science.gov (United States)

Provisional Peer-Reviewed Toxicity Values (PPRTV) assessments are developed for use by the Agency’s Office of Land and Emergency Management (OLEM) to support informed decisions in the Superfund program and at hazardous waste sites when a values is not available in the Integrated ...

Remediation of the Provisional Storage of Radioactive Waste near Zavratec

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zeleznik, N.; Mele, I.

1998-01-01

In 1996 the remediation of the provisional storage situated near village Zavratec in western part of Slovenia started. In this storage radioactive waste contaminated with radium has been stored for many decades The RAO Agency organized remedial works, in which these activities inventorying and repacking of radioactive waste were carried out. Simultaneously with these activities a detailed programme for covering public relations was prepared and implemented. On the basis of the experimental results and general storage conditions relocation of radioactive waste to the Slovenian central storage was recommended and it is planned to be concluded by the end of 1998. In this paper main remedial activities in the provisional storage of radioactive waste near Zavratec are presented. An important and most challenging part of these activities represent PR activities. (author)

Clinical formulas, mother's opinion and ultrasound in predicting birth weight

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Regina Torloni

Full Text Available CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Accurate fetal weight estimation is important for labor and delivery management. So far, there has not been any conclusive evidence to indicate that any technique for fetal weight estimation is superior to any other. Clinical formulas for fetal weight estimation are easy to use but have not been extensively studied in the literature. This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of clinical formulas for fetal weight estimation compared to maternal and ultrasound estimates. DESIGN AND SETTING: Prospective study involving 100 full-term, cephalic, singleton pregnancies delivered within three days of fetal weight estimation. The setting was a tertiary public teaching hospital in São Paulo, Brazil. METHODS: Upon admission, the mother's opinion about fetal weight was recorded. Symphyseal-fundal height and abdominal girth were measured and two formulas were used to calculate fetal weight. An ultrasound scan was then performed by a specialist to estimate fetal weight. The four estimates were compared with the birth weight. The accuracy of the estimates was assessed by calculating the percentage that was within 10% of actual birth weight for each method. The chi-squared test was used for comparisons and p < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: The birth weight was correctly estimated (± 10% in 59%, 57%, 61%, and 65% of the cases using the mother's estimate, two clinical formulas, and ultrasound estimate, respectively. The accuracy of the four methods did not differ significantly. CONCLUSION: Clinical formulas for fetal weight prediction are as accurate as maternal and ultrasound estimates.

Application of the 2-piece orthodontic C-implant for provisional restoration with laser welded customized coping: a case report.

Science.gov (United States)

Paek, Janghyun; Ahn, Hyo-Won; Jeong, Do-Min; Shim, Jeong-Seok; Kim, Seong-Hun; Chung, Kyu-Rhim

2015-03-25

This article presents the application of laser welding technique to fabricate an orthodontic mini-implant provisional restoration in missing area after limited orthodontic treatment. A 15-year-old boy case is presented. Two-piece orthodontic C-implant was placed after regaining space for missing right mandibular central incisor. Due to angular deviation of implant, customized abutment was required. Ready-made head part was milled and lingual part of customized abutment was made with non-precious metal. Two parts then were laser welded (Master 1000, Elettrolaser Italy, Verona, Italy) and indirect lab composite (3 M ESPE Sinfony, St. Paul, MN, USA) was built up. The patient had successful result, confirmed by clinical and radiographic examinations. Before the patient is ready to get a permanent restoration later on, this provisional restoration will be used. This case shows that a two-piece orthodontic C-implant system can be used to maintain small edentulous space after orthodontic treatment.

Gap analysis between provisional diagnosis and final diagnosis in government and private teaching hospitals: A record-linked comparative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Chatterjee, Sudeshna; Ray, Krishnangshu; Das, Anup Kumar

2016-01-01

1. To identify the extent of clinical gaps at the context of knowledge, practice and systems. 2. To formulate necessary intervention measures towards bridging the gaps. Comparative, cross-sectional and non-interventional study. It is retrospective, record-based study conducted upon inpatients ( n = 200) of major disciplines of two teaching hospitals. Major outcome variables were to observe the matching and un-matching of final and provisional diagnosis by using ICD-10 criteria. Comparative analysis of specific and selective gaps were estimated in terms of percentage (%). Pilot observation showed the existence of gaps between provisional and final diagnosis in both private and government institution. Both knowledge and skill gaps were evident in caregivers and gap in documentation was existent in medical records. The pilot data is may be an eye-opener to public and private governance systems for understanding and revising the process service planning and service delivery. Necessary intervention measures may be contemplated towards enhancing diagnostic skill of doctors for quality hospital care.

21 CFR 81.1 - Provisional lists of color additives.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS AND GENERAL RESTRICTIONS FOR PROVISIONAL COLOR ADDITIVES FOR USE IN FOODS, DRUGS... not to be construed as a listing for surgical suture use unless color additive petitions have been... the color additive for such use. The color additives listed in paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) of this...

Prediction of solubility and permeability class membership: provisional BCS classification of the world's top oral drugs.

Science.gov (United States)

Dahan, Arik; Miller, Jonathan M; Amidon, Gordon L

2009-12-01

The Biopharmaceutics Classification System (BCS) categorizes drugs into one of four biopharmaceutical classes according to their water solubility and membrane permeability characteristics and broadly allows the prediction of the rate-limiting step in the intestinal absorption process following oral administration. Since its introduction in 1995, the BCS has generated remarkable impact on the global pharmaceutical sciences arena, in drug discovery, development, and regulation, and extensive validation/discussion/extension of the BCS is continuously published in the literature. The BCS has been effectively implanted by drug regulatory agencies around the world in setting bioavailability/bioequivalence standards for immediate-release (IR) oral drug product approval. In this review, we describe the BCS scientific framework and impact on regulatory practice of oral drug products and review the provisional BCS classification of the top drugs on the global market. The Biopharmaceutical Drug Disposition Classification System and its association with the BCS are discussed as well. One notable finding of the provisional BCS classification is that the clinical performance of the majority of approved IR oral drug products essential for human health can be assured with an in vitro dissolution test, rather than empirical in vivo human studies.

Effect of nightguard vital bleaching gel on the color stability of provisional restorative materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Bajunaid, Salwa Omar

2016-01-01

To assess the hypothesis that there was no difference in effect of 10% and 15% tooth bleaching agents on color stability of materials used for provisional fixed dental prosthesis. Fifteen samples from two materials used for provisional fixed dental prosthesis: methacrylate-based and composite-based materials and 15 preformed polycarbonate crowns soaked in bleaching gel or distilled water. Spectrophotometer recorded color of specimens at baseline, after 3, 7, and 14 days. Data were statistically analyzed using two-factor ANOVA test to compare the color stability of tested materials. Methyl-based provisional material exhibited statistically higher color change when exposed to 10% and 15% bleaching gel (delta EFNx01: 9.0 and 11.1, respectively) as compared to distilled water (delta EFNx01: 2.9). Delta EFNx01 of composite-based material specimens exposed to distilled water was statistically higher (6.3) than specimens exposed to 10% and 15% bleaching gel (1.5 and 1.1, respectively). Polycarbonate crowns showed a statistically lower color change when exposed to 15% (0.9) than to 10% bleaching gel (5.1) or distilled water (5.5). Composite-based provisional material showed highest color stability when exposed to vital tooth bleaching gel, whereas methacrylate-based material was the least color stable. Polycarbonate crowns were more color stable when exposed to 15% bleaching gel as opposed to 10% bleaching gel.

Effects of postpolymerization microwave irradiation on provisional dental acrylics: physical and mechanical properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Ozkomur, Ahmet; Fortes, Carmen Beatriz Borges

2016-07-26

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of microwave irradiation on the physical and mechanical properties of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) provisional resins. Twenty bars and 20 disc-shaped specimens were fabricated for each selected provisional restorative material (Dencor and Duralay). Test groups were subjected to microwave irradiation (3 minutes at 600 W) after polymerization. Bar specimens were subjected to a flexural strength test. Disc-shaped specimens were used to evaluate microhardness. Backscattered Raman spectroscopy was employed for each group to define the degree of conversion of the monomer/polymer. The frequency bands corresponding to C = C and C = O groups were used to determine the conversion of methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomers into polymers. Glass transition temperature was determined using a differential scanning calorimeter. Microwave irradiation of both tested autopolymerizing PMMA provisional materials resulted in a statistically significant increase in microhardness, degree of conversion and glass transition temperature values. Also, the results demonstrated a significant increase in flexural strength after postpolymerization microwave irradiation for the Dencor specimens. It is concluded that mechanical and physical properties are positively influenced by microwave irradiation.

The Provisional Staff Regulations of the Agency

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1959-06-22

In accordance with Article VII.E of the Statute and of the general principles approved by the General Conference in resolution GC.1(S)/RES/13, the Board of Governors has established 'the terms and conditions on which the Agency's staff shall be appointed, remunerated and dismissed.' The Provisional Staff Regulations thus approved and amended by the Board up to 15 January 1959 are reproduced in this document for the information of all Members of the Agency.

The Provisional Staff Regulations of the Agency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1959-01-01

In accordance with Article VII.E of the Statute and of the general principles approved by the General Conference in resolution GC.1(S)/RES/13, the Board of Governors has established 'the terms and conditions on which the Agency's staff shall be appointed, remunerated and dismissed.' The Provisional Staff Regulations thus approved and amended by the Board up to 15 January 1959 are reproduced in this document for the information of all Members of the Agency

European dental students' opinions on their local anaesthesia education

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brand, H.S.; Tan, L.L.S.; van der Spek, S.J.; Baart, J.A.

2011-01-01

Objective: To investigate students’ opinion about theoretical and clinical training in local anaesthesia at different European dental schools. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire was designed to collect information about local anaesthesia teaching. Students’ opinion was quantified with five-point

Regulation E 67-13. Opinion of acceptance for the clinical use of medical equipment using radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-01-01

The objective of this regulation is to establish the regulatory requirements for the granting of the 'Act of Acceptance for the clinical use of radiation Medical Equipment employing' complementing the provisions of the 'Regulations for the Evaluation and State Control of Medical Equipment' and aims help to improve the legal basis of the Regulatory technical Medical Equipment Program. The provisions of this regulation is aimed at any institution of the National Health System, hereinafter applicant required an Opinion of Acceptance for the clinical use of a medical team that uses radiation to authorization of use in humans.

3D printed versus conventionally cured provisional crown and bridge dental materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Tahayeri, Anthony; Morgan, MaryCatherine; Fugolin, Ana P; Bompolaki, Despoina; Athirasala, Avathamsa; Pfeifer, Carmem S; Ferracane, Jack L; Bertassoni, Luiz E

2018-02-01

To optimize the 3D printing of a dental material for provisional crown and bridge restorations using a low-cost stereolithography 3D printer; and compare its mechanical properties against conventionally cured provisional dental materials. Samples were 3D printed (25×2×2mm) using a commercial printable resin (NextDent C&B Vertex Dental) in a FormLabs1+ stereolithography 3D printer. The printing accuracy of printed bars was determined by comparing the width, length and thickness of samples for different printer settings (printing orientation and resin color) versus the set dimensions of CAD designs. The degree of conversion of the resin was measured with FTIR, and both the elastic modulus and peak stress of 3D printed bars was determined using a 3-point being test for different printing layer thicknesses. The results were compared to those for two conventionally cured provisional materials (Integrity ® , Dentsply; and Jet ® , Lang Dental Inc.). Samples printed at 90° orientation and in a white resin color setting was chosen as the most optimal combination of printing parameters, due to the comparatively higher printing accuracy (up to 22% error), reproducibility and material usage. There was no direct correlation between printing layer thickness and elastic modulus or peak stress. 3D printed samples had comparable modulus to Jet ® , but significantly lower than Integrity ® . Peak stress for 3D printed samples was comparable to Integrity ® , and significantly higher than Jet ® . The degree of conversion of 3D printed samples also appeared higher than that of Integrity ® or Jet ® . Our results suggest that a 3D printable provisional restorative material allows for sufficient mechanical properties for intraoral use, despite the limited 3D printing accuracy of the printing system of choice. Copyright © 2017 The Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Second Opinion: A Case Narrative on Clinical Ethics Mediation.

Science.gov (United States)

Weinstein, Michael S

2015-01-01

Contrasting traditional and common forms if ethics consultation with bioethics mediation. I describe the case of a "second opinion" consultation in the care of a patient with advanced cancer for whom treatment was futile. While the initial ethics consultation, performed by a colleague, let to a recommendation that some may deem ethical, the process failed to involve key stakeholders and failed to explore the underlying values and reasons for the opinions voiced by various stakeholders. The process of mediation ultimately led to creative solutions in which all stakeholders could reach consensus on a plan of care.

The Provisional Staff Regulations of the Agency

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1975-11-06

The Provisional Staff Regulations of the Agency, as amended up to 19 September 1975 by the Board of Governors, are set forth in this document for the information of all Members of the Agency. When an individual provision of the Regulations and the Annexes thereto has been amended since their approval by the Board in 1957, this is indicated by a footnote giving the date on which the current text became effective. There is a subject index at the end of the document.

The Provisional Staff Regulations of the Agency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1975-01-01

The Provisional Staff Regulations of the Agency, as amended up to 19 September 1975 by the Board of Governors, are set forth in this document for the information of all Members of the Agency. When an individual provision of the Regulations and the Annexes thereto has been amended since their approval by the Board in 1957, this is indicated by a footnote giving the date on which the current text became effective. There is a subject index at the end of the document

Memoranda by A.P. Uspensky to the Council of Ministers of the Provisional Siberian government

OpenAIRE

Sukhanov Aleksandr

2015-01-01

This publication offers a previously unknown memoranda by representative of the diocesan assembly of deputies of the clergy and laity of the Tomsk diocese A. P. Uspensky, addressed to the Council of Ministers of the Provisional Siberian government in July 1918. A.P. Uspensky solicited for formation of the Ministry of confessions in the Provisional Siberian government. Memoranda are initiative documents to the Statute on the Chief Administration of religious denominations adopted by the Council...

The use of definitive implant abutments for the fabrication of provisional crowns: a case series

OpenAIRE

Bilhan, Hakan; Geckili, Onur; Mumcu, Emre

2011-01-01

Purpose The anterior region is a challenge for most clinicians to achieve optimal esthetics with dental implants. The provisional crown is a key factor in the success of obtaining pink esthetics around restorations with single implants, by soft tissue and inter-proximal papilla shaping. Provisional abutments bring additional costs and make the treatment more expensive. Since one of the aims of the clinician is to reduce costs and find more economic ways to raise patient satisfaction, this pap...

Comparative Evaluation of Flexural Strength of Provisional Crown and Bridge Materials-An Invitro Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Ankita; Garg, Sandeep

2016-08-01

Provisional restorations serve a key role as a functional and esthetic try-in for the design of the final prosthesis. During selection of materials for this restoration, clinicians must consider physical properties, ease of handling, cost and patient satisfaction and approval. To evaluate and compare the flexural strength of provisional crown and bridge materials available commercially. This in-vitro study was done to compare the flexural strength of six temporary crown and bridge materials available commercially at 24 hours, 8 days and after repair. Three poly methyl methacrylate based materials (DPI, SC10 and Trulon) and three bis-acrylic based composite resins (Protemp, Cooltemp and Luxatemp) were selected. A total of 72 specimens of dimensions 64mm×10mm×2.5mm were prepared from these materials (12 from each material) and divided into two groups (n=36). Specimens were stored in artificial saliva and were fractured after 24 hours and 8 days using Universal Testing Machine. The fractured samples from the 8 days study were then subjected to repair. A uniform space of 2mm and a 450 bevel was maintained for all the repaired samples for better distribution of forces. Flexural strength of these repaired samples was recorded using the same machine. RESULTs were recorded and statistically analysed by one-way Anova and Post hoc tests. RESULTs revealed that there was decrease in flexural strength for all the materials tested from 24 hours to 8 days, though flexural strength between poly methyl methacrylate and bis-acrylic resins was similar at 24 hours and 8 days time interval. A substantial decrease was noticed in the strength of bis-acrylic composite resins after repair. From the current study it can be suggested that though there is decrease in flexural strength for all the materials from 24 hours to 8 days, both can be used to fabricate the provisional restorations. However, in the event of a fracture of a bis-acrylic provisional restoration, it may be more

OpinionFlow: Visual Analysis of Opinion Diffusion on Social Media.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Yingcai; Liu, Shixia; Yan, Kai; Liu, Mengchen; Wu, Fangzhao

2014-12-01

It is important for many different applications such as government and business intelligence to analyze and explore the diffusion of public opinions on social media. However, the rapid propagation and great diversity of public opinions on social media pose great challenges to effective analysis of opinion diffusion. In this paper, we introduce a visual analysis system called OpinionFlow to empower analysts to detect opinion propagation patterns and glean insights. Inspired by the information diffusion model and the theory of selective exposure, we develop an opinion diffusion model to approximate opinion propagation among Twitter users. Accordingly, we design an opinion flow visualization that combines a Sankey graph with a tailored density map in one view to visually convey diffusion of opinions among many users. A stacked tree is used to allow analysts to select topics of interest at different levels. The stacked tree is synchronized with the opinion flow visualization to help users examine and compare diffusion patterns across topics. Experiments and case studies on Twitter data demonstrate the effectiveness and usability of OpinionFlow.

Effect of different provisional cement remnant cleaning procedures including Er:YAG laser on shear bond strength of ceramics.

Science.gov (United States)

Zortuk, Mustafa; Gumus, Hasan Onder; Kilinc, Halil Ibrahim; Tuncdemir, Ali Riza

2012-11-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of provisional cement removal by different dentin cleaning protocols (dental explorer, pumice, cleaning bur, Er:YAG laser) on the shear bond strength between ceramic and dentin. In total, 36 caries-free unrestored human third molars were selected as tooth specimens. Provisional restorations were fabricated and cemented with eugenol-free provisional cement. Then, disc-shaped ceramic specimens were fabricated and randomly assigned to four groups of dentin cleaning protocols (n = 9). Group 1 (control): Provisional cements were mechanically removed with a dental explorer. Group 2: The dentin surfaces were treated with a cleaning brush with pumice Group 3: The dentin surfaces were treated with a cleaning bur. Group 4: The provisional cements were removed by an Er:YAG laser. Self-adhesive luting cement was used to bond ceramic discs to dentin surfaces. Shear bond strength (SBS) was measured using a universal testing machine at a 0.05 mm/min crosshead speed. The data were analyzed using a Kolmogorov Smirnov, One-way ANOVA and Tukey HSD tests to perform multiple comparisons (α=0.05). THE DENTIN CLEANING METHODS DID NOT SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECT THE SBS OF CERAMIC DISCS TO DENTIN AS FOLLOWS: dental explorer, pumice, cleaning bur, and Er:YAG laser. The use of different cleaning protocols did not affect the SBS between dentin and ceramic surfaces.

Gap analysis between provisional diagnosis and final diagnosis in government and private teaching hospitals: A record-linked comparative study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sudeshna Chatterjee

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Aims: 1. To identify the extent of clinical gaps at the context of knowledge, practice and systems. 2. To formulate necessary intervention measures towards bridging the gaps. Settings and Design: Comparative, cross-sectional and non-interventional study. Methods and Material: It is retrospective, record-based study conducted upon inpatients (n = 200 of major disciplines of two teaching hospitals. Major outcome variables were to observe the matching and un-matching of final and provisional diagnosis by using ICD-10 criteria. Statistical Analysis Used: Comparative analysis of specific and selective gaps were estimated in terms of percentage (%. Results: Pilot observation showed the existence of gaps between provisional and final diagnosis in both private and government institution. Both knowledge and skill gaps were evident in caregivers and gap in documentation was existent in medical records. Conclusions: The pilot data is may be an eye-opener to public and private governance systems for understanding and revising the process service planning and service delivery. Necessary intervention measures may be contemplated towards enhancing diagnostic skill of doctors for quality hospital care.

Immediate provisional restoration of a single-tooth implant in the esthetic zone: A case report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Po-Sung Fu

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Immediate implant restoration of single implants may demonstrate a positive effect on peri-implant soft tissue. Placement of a provisional restoration following implant surgery can create soft tissue contours that resemble normal gingival topography before placement of the definitive prosthesis. This article describes a staged approach of the mandibular permanent right central incisor, which was congenital missing. The proper space for restoration of the missing incisor was created through orthodontic treatment. The scheduled implant site was reconstructed using autogenous bone harvested from the chin region. After a healing period of four months, an implant was installed with the connection of a fixed provisional crown to a prefabricated temporary abutment. The soft tissue around the implant healed according to the contours of the provisional restoration and the emergence profile was used to duplicate the definitive restoration. Peri-implant esthetics was achieved through the staged approach and immediate restoration of the implant.

Provisional versus elective two-stent strategy for unprotected true left main bifurcation lesions: Insights from a FAILS-2 sub-study.

Science.gov (United States)

Kawamoto, Hiroyoshi; Chieffo, Alaide; D'Ascenzo, Fabrizio; Jabbour, Richard J; Naganuma, Toru; Cerrato, Enrico; Ugo, Fabrizio; Pavani, Marco; Varbella, Ferdinando; Boccuzzi, Giacomo; Pennone, Mauro; Garbo, Roberto; Conrotto, Federico; Biondi-Zoccai, Giuseppe; D'Amico, Maurizio; Moretti, Claudio; Escaned, Javier; Gaita, Fiorenzo; Nakamura, Sunao; Colombo, Antonio

2018-01-01

This study sought to investigate the optimal percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) strategy for true unprotected left main coronary artery (ULMCA) bifurcations. The FAILS-2 was a retrospective multi-center study including patients with ULMCA disease treated with second-generation drug-eluting stents. Of these, we compared clinical outcomes of a provisional strategy (PS; n=216) versus an elective two-stent strategy (E2S; n=161) for true ULMCA bifurcations. The primary endpoint was the incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) at 3-years. We further performed propensity-score adjustment for clinical outcomes. There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of patient and lesion characteristics. 9.7% of patients in the PS group crossed over to a provisional two-stent strategy. MACEs were not significantly different between groups (MACE at 3-year; PS 28.1% vs. E2S 28.9%, adjusted p=0.99). The rates of target lesion revascularization (TLR) on the circumflex artery (LCX) were numerically high in the E2S group (LCX-TLR at 3-years; PS 11.8% vs. E2S 16.6%, adjusted p=0.51). E2S was associated with a comparable MACE rate to PS for true ULMCA bifurcations. The rates of LCX-TLR tended to be higher in the E2S group although there was no statistical significance. This study sought to compare the clinical outcomes of a provisional strategy (PS) with an elective two-stent strategy (E2S) for the treatment of true unprotected left main coronary artery bifurcations. 377 Patients (PS 216 vs. E2S 161 patients) were evaluated, and 9.7% in the PS group crossed over to a two-stent strategy. E2S was associated with a similar major adverse cardiac event rate at 3-years when compared to the PS strategy (PS 28.1% vs. E2S 28.9%, p=0.99). However, the left circumflex artery TLR rate at 3-year tended to be higher in the E2S group (PS 11.8% vs. E2S 16.6%, p=0.51). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Paediatric Rheumatology International Trials Organisation provisional criteria for the evaluation of response to therapy in juvenile dermatomyositis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ruperto, Nicolino; Pistorio, Angela; Ravelli, Angelo; Rider, Lisa G; Pilkington, Clarissa; Oliveira, Sheila; Wulffraat, Nico; Espada, Graciela; Garay, Stella; Cuttica, Ruben; Hofer, Michael; Quartier, Pierre; Melo-Gomes, Jose; Reed, Ann M; Wierzbowska, Malgorzata; Feldman, Brian M; Harjacek, Miroslav; Huppertz, Hans-Iko; Nielsen, Susan; Flato, Berit; Lahdenne, Pekka; Michels, Harmut; Murray, Kevin J; Punaro, Lynn; Rennebohm, Robert; Russo, Ricardo; Balogh, Zsolt; Rooney, Madeleine; Pachman, Lauren M; Wallace, Carol; Hashkes, Philip; Lovell, Daniel J; Giannini, Edward H; Gare, Boel Andersson; Martini, Alberto

2010-11-01

To develop a provisional definition for the evaluation of response to therapy in juvenile dermatomyositis (DM) based on the Paediatric Rheumatology International Trials Organisation juvenile DM core set of variables. Thirty-seven experienced pediatric rheumatologists from 27 countries achieved consensus on 128 difficult patient profiles as clinically improved or not improved using a stepwise approach (patient's rating, statistical analysis, definition selection). Using the physicians' consensus ratings as the "gold standard measure," chi-square, sensitivity, specificity, false-positive and-negative rates, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, and kappa agreement for candidate definitions of improvement were calculated. Definitions with kappa values >0.8 were multiplied by the face validity score to select the top definitions. The top definition of improvement was at least 20% improvement from baseline in 3 of 6 core set variables with no more than 1 of the remaining worsening by more than 30%, which cannot be muscle strength. The second-highest scoring definition was at least 20% improvement from baseline in 3 of 6 core set variables with no more than 2 of the remaining worsening by more than 25%, which cannot be muscle strength (definition P1 selected by the International Myositis Assessment and Clinical Studies group). The third is similar to the second with the maximum amount of worsening set to 30%. This indicates convergent validity of the process. We propose a provisional data-driven definition of improvement that reflects well the consensus rating of experienced clinicians, which incorporates clinically meaningful change in core set variables in a composite end point for the evaluation of global response to therapy in juvenile DM. Copyright © 2010 by the American College of Rheumatology.

Memoranda by A.P. Uspensky to the Council of Ministers of the Provisional Siberian government

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sukhanov Aleksandr

2015-06-01

Full Text Available This publication offers a previously unknown memoranda by representative of the diocesan assembly of deputies of the clergy and laity of the Tomsk diocese A. P. Uspensky, addressed to the Council of Ministers of the Provisional Siberian government in July 1918. A.P. Uspensky solicited for formation of the Ministry of confessions in the Provisional Siberian government. Memoranda are initiative documents to the Statute on the Chief Administration of religious denominations adopted by the Council of Ministers of the Russian government on December 27, 1918.

Soft Tissue Augmentation Techniques in Implants Placed and Provisionalized Immediately: A Systematic Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rosa Rojo

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of techniques for soft tissue augmentation in the placement of immediate implants with and without provisionalization and to assess the quality of the reports in the literature. Randomized clinical trials, prospective clinical trials, and case series were included in this review. Clinical questions were formulated and organised according to the PICOS strategy. An electronic search was performed in PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Scopus, and ISI Web up until June 2016. Interexaminer agreement on eligibility (k=0.842; p=0.103 and quality (k=0.933; p<0.001 was high. Methodological approaches were assessed using criteria based on design related forms designed by the Dutch Cochrane Collaboration. Finally, 14 papers were identified. In two studies, the implant survival was 90%; for the rest of the studies it was 100%. All studies reported favourable aesthetic, biological, and radiographic outcomes. Surgical and biomechanical complications of this technique were not relevant. This technique effectively compensates for the expected loss of volume of the oral soft tissues and maintains high success rates with good aesthetic results over time.

Occupying Iraq: A History of the Coalition Provisional Authority

Science.gov (United States)

2009-01-01

Provisional Authority have pointed guns at CF, including following CF vehicles with their tank tubes .”143 While CPA officials believed that the PKK was a...making loans available to individuals who operate small businesses. In October, CHF International was awarded a $7 million grant for microfinance ...activities in Baghdad Governorate and ACDI/VOCA was given a $5 million grant for microfinance activities in the northern governorates.46 In

VSRR - State and National Provisional Counts for Live Births, Deaths, and Infant Deaths

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — NOTES: Figures include all revisions received from the states and, therefore, may differ from those previously published. Data are provisional and are subject to...

Characteristics associated with requests by pathologists for second opinions on breast biopsies.

Science.gov (United States)

Geller, Berta M; Nelson, Heidi D; Weaver, Donald L; Frederick, Paul D; Allison, Kimberly H; Onega, Tracy; Carney, Patricia A; Tosteson, Anna N A; Elmore, Joann G

2017-11-01

Second opinions in pathology improve patient safety by reducing diagnostic errors, leading to more appropriate clinical treatment decisions. Little objective data are available regarding the factors triggering a request for second opinion despite second opinion consultations being part of the diagnostic system of pathology. Therefore we sought to assess breast biopsy cases and interpreting pathologists characteristics associated with second opinion requests. Collected pathologist surveys and their interpretations of 60 test set cases were used to explore the relationships between case characteristics, pathologist characteristics and case perceptions, and requests for second opinions. Data were evaluated by logistic regression and generalised estimating equations. 115 pathologists provided 6900 assessments; pathologists requested second opinions on 70% (4827/6900) of their assessments 36% (1731/4827) of these would not have been required by policy. All associations between case characteristics and requesting second opinions were statistically significant, including diagnostic category, breast density, biopsy type, and number of diagnoses noted per case. Exclusive of institutional policies, pathologists wanted second opinions most frequently for atypia (66%) and least frequently for invasive cancer (20%). Second opinion rates were higher when the pathologist had lower assessment confidence, in cases with higher perceived difficulty, and cases with borderline diagnoses. Pathologists request second opinions for challenging cases, particularly those with atypia, high breast density, core needle biopsies, or many co-existing diagnoses. Further studies should evaluate whether the case characteristics identified in this study could be used as clinical criteria to prompt system-level strategies for mandating second opinions. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Immediate placement and provisionalization of maxillary anterior single implant with guided bone regeneration, connective tissue graft, and coronally positioned flap procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

Waki, Tomonori; Kan, Joseph Y K

2016-01-01

Immediate implant placement and provisionalization in the esthetic zone have been documented with success. The benefit of immediate implant placement and provisionalization is the preservation of papillary mucosa. However, in cases with osseous defects presenting on the facial bony plate, immediate implant placement procedures have resulted in facial gingival recession. Subepithelial connective tissue grafts for immediate implant placement and provisionalization procedures have been reported with a good esthetic outcome. Biotype conversion around implants with subepithelial connective tissue grafts have been advocated, and the resulting tissues appear to be more resistant to recession. The dimensions of peri-implant mucosa in a thick biotype were significantly greater than in a thin biotype. Connective tissue graft with coronally positioned flap procedures on natural teeth has also been documented with success. This article describes a technique combining immediate implant placement, provisionalization, guided bone regeneration (GBR), connective tissue graft, and a coronally positioned flap in order to achieve more stable peri-implant tissue in facial osseous defect situations.

20 CFR 404.1592e - How do we determine provisional benefits?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... equal to the higher of the benefits payable. (4) If you request reinstatement for more than one benefit..., but are not limited to— (1) If you are a prisoner under § 404.468; (2) If you have been removed... your provisional benefits unless you give us permission. We can recover Medicare premiums you owe from...

Evaluation of surface physical properties of acrylic resins for provisional prosthesis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sérgio Paulo Hilgenberg

2008-09-01

Full Text Available Acrylic resins used for provisional prostheses should have satisfactory superficial characteristics in order to ensure gingival health and low bacterial attachment. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the superficial roughness and contact angle after two types of polishing and the Vickers hardness of three acrylic resins (Duralay - G1, Dencrilay - G2, and Dencor - G3, all shade 66, indicated for provisional fixed prostheses. Five 20 x 3 ± 1 mm diameter discoid specimens were obtained for each group. One side of the specimens was subjected to standard polishing (pumice and whiting slurry, and the opposite side was polished with special tips. The mean roughness and contact angles of the materials were measured. The specimens were subjected to the Vickers microhardness test, which indicated that standard polishing produced a surface roughness equivalent to that of the special tips. The contact angles obtained with the standard polishing were equivalent to those observed in the special tips group. The microhardness of G1 and G3 resins showed statistical differences.

Biological Effects of Provisional Resin Materials on Human Dental Pulp Stem Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Jun, S-K; Mahapatra, C; Lee, H-H; Kim, H-W; Lee, J-H

This study investigated the in vitro cytotoxicity as well as the proinflammatory cytokine expression of provisional resin materials on primary cultured human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs). Five commercially available provisional resin materials were chosen (SNAP [SN], Luxatemp [LT], Jet [JE], Revotek LC [RL], and Vipi block [VB]). Eluates that were either polymerizing or already set were added to hDPSCs under serially diluted conditions divided into three different setting times (25% set, 50% set, and 100% set) and incubated for 24 hours with 2× concentrated culture media. Cell cytotoxicity tests were performed by LDH assay and live and dead confocal microscope images. The expression of proinflammatory cytokines in SN and VB was measured using cytokine antibody arrays. Data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) or ANOVA followed by the Tukey post hoc test at a significance level of pprovisional resin materials during polymerization (SN, LT, and JE) were cytotoxic to hDPSCs and may adversely affect pulp tissue.

Eliciting expert opinion for economic models: an applied example.

Science.gov (United States)

Leal, José; Wordsworth, Sarah; Legood, Rosa; Blair, Edward

2007-01-01

Expert opinion is considered as a legitimate source of information for decision-analytic modeling where required data are unavailable. Our objective was to develop a practical computer-based tool for eliciting expert opinion about the shape of the uncertainty distribution around individual model parameters. We first developed a prepilot survey with departmental colleagues to test a number of alternative approaches to eliciting opinions on the shape of the uncertainty distribution around individual parameters. This information was used to develop a survey instrument for an applied clinical example. This involved eliciting opinions from experts to inform a number of parameters involving Bernoulli processes in an economic model evaluating DNA testing for families with a genetic disease, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The experts were cardiologists, clinical geneticists, and laboratory scientists working with cardiomyopathy patient populations and DNA testing. Our initial prepilot work suggested that the more complex elicitation techniques advocated in the literature were difficult to use in practice. In contrast, our approach achieved a reasonable response rate (50%), provided logical answers, and was generally rated as easy to use by respondents. The computer software user interface permitted graphical feedback throughout the elicitation process. The distributions obtained were incorporated into the model, enabling the use of probabilistic sensitivity analysis. There is clearly a gap in the literature between theoretical elicitation techniques and tools that can be used in applied decision-analytic models. The results of this methodological study are potentially valuable for other decision analysts deriving expert opinion.

Reliability of the Suicide Opinion Questionnaire.

Science.gov (United States)

Rogers, James R.; DeShon, Richard P.

The lack of systematic psychometric information on the Suicide Opinion Questionnaire (SOQ) was addressed by investigating the factor structure and reliability of the eight-factor clinical scale model (mental illness, cry for help, right to die, religion, impulsivity, normality, aggression, and moral evil), developed for interpreting responses to…

77 FR 42702 - Battat Incorporated, Provisional Acceptance of a Settlement Agreement and Order

Science.gov (United States)

2012-07-20

... reports of magnet liberation and two consumer reports of children ingesting non- magnetized steel balls... request, Staff enclosed two in-depth investigation reports of consumer reports describing magnets... CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION [CPSC Docket No. 12-C0007] Battat Incorporated, Provisional...

Establishing the pharmaceutical quality of Chinese herbal medicine: a provisional BCS classification.

Science.gov (United States)

Fong, Sophia Y K; Liu, Mary; Wei, Hai; Löbenberg, Raimar; Kanfer, Isadore; Lee, Vincent H L; Amidon, Gordon L; Zuo, Zhong

2013-05-06

The Biopharmaceutical Classification System (BCS), which is a scientific approach to categorize active drug ingredient based on its solubility and intestinal permeability into one of the four classes, has been used to set the pharmaceutical quality standards for drug products in western society. However, it has received little attention in the area of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM). This is likely, in part, due to the presence of multiple active components as well as lack of standardization of CHM. In this report, we apply BCS classification to CHMs provisionally as a basis for establishing improved in vitro quality standards. Based on a top-200 drugs selling list in China, a total of 31 CHM products comprising 50 official active marker compounds (AMCs) were provisionally classified according to BCS. Information on AMC content and doses of these CHM products were retrieved from the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. BCS parameters including solubility and permeability of the AMCs were predicted in silico (ACD/Laboratories). A BCS classification of CHMs according to biopharmaceutical properties of their AMCs is demonstrated to be feasible in the current study and can be used to provide a minimum set of quality standards. Our provisional results showed that 44% of the included AMCs were classified as Class III (high solubility, low permeability), followed by Class II (26%), Class I (18%), and Class IV (12%). A similar trend was observed when CHMs were classified in accordance with the BCS class of AMCs. Most (45%) of the included CHMs were classified as Class III, followed by Class II (16%), Class I (10%), and Class IV (6%); whereas 23% of the CHMs were of mixed class due to the presence of multiple individual AMCs with different BCS classifications. Moreover, about 60% of the AMCs were classified as high-solubility compounds (Class I and Class III), suggesting an important role for an in vitro dissolution test in setting quality control standards ensuring consistent

21 CFR 81.10 - Termination of provisional listings of color additives.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... FOODS, DRUGS, AND COSMETICS § 81.10 Termination of provisional listings of color additives. (a) Ext. D&C... has been observed in all groups fed at the 0.5 percent diet and above. (3) Groups of 4 dogs are being... dogs on the 2 percent dosage level died before 32 weeks; the other is living. Three of the dogs on the...

Cancer patients seeking a second surgical opinion: results of a study on motives, needs, and expectations.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mellink, W.A.M.; Dulmen, A.M. van; Wiggers, TH.; Spreeuwenberg, P.M.M.; Eggermont, A.M.M.; Bensing, J.M.

2003-01-01

Purpose: To explore the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of cancer patients seeking a second-opinion consultation and to analyze their second opinion-related motives, needs, and expectations. Patients and methods: In 212 consecutive patients seeking a second opinion at the Surgical

Effect of water temperature on the fit of provisional crown margins during polymerization: An in vitro study

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Vivekanandan Ramkumar

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Aim: To evaluate the effect of water temperature on the marginal fit of bis-acrylic composite provisional crown during resin polymerization. Materials and Methods: Precisely machined 10 brass master dies were designed to simulate molar teeth. Five brass dies were selected and precisely machined to simulate all ceramic crown preparation. An acrylic jaw replica was made in which brass dies were arranged equidistant from each other. A custom-made metallic tray was fabricated on the acrylic jaw replica to make polyvinyl siloxane impression matrix. Bis-acrylic composite resin provisional crowns were made using polyvinyl siloxane impression matrix. Provisional crowns were polymerized at room temperature (Group I direct technique, on dental stone cast; Group I indirect technique crowns and at different water temperatures (Group II direct technique crowns. The vertical marginal gap between all the provisional crown margins and the finish line of brass dies was measured using a Research Stereomicroscope System. Results: The results were statistically analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA test and Newman-Keul′s test. The results showed that crowns polymerized in 20°C and 30°C water had marginal gap approximately three times smaller than those polymerized in 30°C air, due to the reduced polymerization shrinkage. Conclusion: This study shows that crowns polymerized in 20°C and 30°C water had mean vertical marginal gap approximately three times smaller than those polymerized in 30°C air. It was approximately closer to that of crowns fabricated by indirect technique. Warmer water also supposedly hastens polymerization.

Effect of water temperature on the fit of provisional crown margins during polymerization: An in vitro study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramkumar, Vivekanandan; Sangeetha, Arunachalam; Kumar, Vinaya

2012-08-01

To evaluate the effect of water temperature on the marginal fit of bis-acrylic composite provisional crown during resin polymerization. Precisely machined 10 brass master dies were designed to simulate molar teeth. Five brass dies were selected and precisely machined to simulate all ceramic crown preparation. An acrylic jaw replica was made in which brass dies were arranged equidistant from each other. A custom-made metallic tray was fabricated on the acrylic jaw replica to make polyvinyl siloxane impression matrix. Bis-acrylic composite resin provisional crowns were made using polyvinyl siloxane impression matrix. Provisional crowns were polymerized at room temperature (Group I direct technique, on dental stone cast; Group I indirect technique crowns) and at different water temperatures (Group II direct technique crowns). The vertical marginal gap between all the provisional crown margins and the finish line of brass dies was measured using a Research Stereomicroscope System. The results were statistically analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test and Newman-Keul's test. The results showed that crowns polymerized in 20°C and 30°C water had marginal gap approximately three times smaller than those polymerized in 30°C air, due to the reduced polymerization shrinkage. This study shows that crowns polymerized in 20°C and 30°C water had mean vertical marginal gap approximately three times smaller than those polymerized in 30°C air. It was approximately closer to that of crowns fabricated by indirect technique. Warmer water also supposedly hastens polymerization.

Distraction by smartphone use during clinical practice and opinions about smartphone restriction policies: A cross-sectional descriptive study of nursing students.

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Sumi; Lee, Eunjoo

2016-05-01

Smartphone use in healthcare settings may distract healthcare providers and disrupt patient care. Moreover, it may lead to adverse events, thereby threatening patient safety. This study assessed nursing students' smartphone use as a source of distraction in clinical practice and identified their opinions about policies restricting smartphone use during patient care. A cross-sectional descriptive design was used with convenience sampling. Third-year nursing students (n=312) from two nursing schools in the Republic of Korea completed the survey in 2012. A self-report questionnaire-based on addiction theories for problem behaviors and literature on the distraction caused by cellular phone use-was used to assess smartphone use, experiences of distraction caused by smartphone use, and opinions about restriction policies on smartphone use during clinical practice. Nearly half (46.2%) of the nursing students used smartphones at least sometimes during clinical practice and about a quarter of the respondents (24.7%) were at least sometimes distracted by smartphones during clinical practice. The majority of the respondents (83.7%) had witnessed nurses using smartphones at least sometimes during their work. A few respondents (15.7%) agreed or strongly agreed with the policy for restricting smartphone use in hospitals. Students who used smartphones more often tended to disagree with restriction policies for smartphone use in hospitals. Awareness about the risks of smartphone use, especially regarding patient safety, is necessary for nursing students in school and hospital settings. Educators and faculty of nursing schools need to develop policies that encourage intelligent and safe use of smartphones during clinical practice. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

38 CFR 17.65 - Approvals and provisional approvals of community residential care facilities.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... approvals of community residential care facilities. 17.65 Section 17.65 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL Community Residential Care § 17.65 Approvals and provisional approvals of community residential care facilities. (a) An approval of a facility meeting all of...

The Provisional Staff Regulations of the Agency. Amendment to Regulation 5.04(a)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1973-01-01

On 20 February 1973 the Board of Governors approved the substitution of the figure '1500' for '1000' in the second sentence of Provisional Staff Regulation 5.04(a) as set forth in document INFCIRC/6/Rev.2/Mod.1, thus amending that Regulation to read

Characterization and human gingival fibroblasts biocompatibility of hydroxyapatite/PMMA nanocomposites for provisional dental implant restoration

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jingchao; Liao, Juan; Mo, Anchun; Li, Yubao; Li, Jidong; Wang, Xuejiang

2008-11-01

The aim of this study was to determine nHA/PMMA composites (H/P) in an optimal ratio with improved cytocompatibility as well as valid physical properties for provisional dental implant restoration. 20 wt.%, 30 wt.%, 40 wt.% and 50 wt.% H/P were developed and characterized using XPS, bending strength test and SEM. Human gingival fibroblasts cultured in extracts or directly on sample discs were investigated by fluorescent staining and MTT assay. Chemical integration in nHA/PMMA interface was indicated by XPS. Typical fusiform cells with adhesion spots were detected on H/P discs. MTT results also indicated higher cell viability in 30 wt.% and 40 wt.% H/P discs ( P provisional fixed crowns (PFC) is 0.4:1.

Leader's opinion priority bounded confidence model for network opinion evolution

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Meixia; Xie, Guangqiang

2017-08-01

Aiming at the weight of trust someone given to participate in the interaction in Hegselmann-Krause's type consensus model is the same and virtual social networks among individuals with different level of education, personal influence, etc. For differences between agents, a novelty bounded confidence model was proposed with leader's opinion considered priority. Interaction neighbors can be divided into two kinds. The first kind is made up of "opinion leaders" group, another kind is made up of ordinary people. For different groups to give different weights of trust. We also analyzed the related characteristics of the new model under the symmetrical bounded confidence parameters and combined with the classical HK model were analyzed. Simulation experiment results show that no matter the network size and initial view is subject to uniform distribution or discrete distribution. We can control the "opinion-leader" good change the number of views and values, and even improve the convergence speed. Experiment also found that the choice of "opinion leaders" is not the more the better, the model well explain how the "opinion leader" in the process of the evolution of the public opinion play the role of the leader.

The Provisional Staff Regulations of the Agency. Amendments to Annexes II and III

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1971-08-06

On 8 June 1971 the Board of Governors made amendments to Annexes II and III to the Provisional Staff Regulations which superseded the earlier amendments to those Annexes set forth in document INFCIRC/6/Rev. 2/Mod. 1. Paragraphs 2-4 of that document are accordingly modified.

Provisional Crown Dislodgement during Scuba Diving: A Case of Barotrauma

OpenAIRE

Gulve, Meenal Nitin; Gulve, Nitin Dilip

2013-01-01

Changes in ambient pressure, for example, during flying, diving, or hyperbaric oxygen therapy, can lead to barotrauma. Although it may seem that this issue was neglected in dental education and research in recent decades, familiarity with and understanding of these facts may be of importance for dental practitioners. We report the case of a patient who experienced barotrauma involving dislodgement of a provisional crown during scuba diving. Patients who are exposed to pressure changes as a pa...

Antonio Maceo: Agent General of the Provisional Revolutionary Government to the Cuban emigration (I

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José Antonio Navarro Álvarez

2009-03-01

Full Text Available This article describes the role of paramount importance played by Antonio Maceo y Grajales as General Agent of the Provisional Government, one of the less studied and known roles of this preeminent patriot of our wars of independence.

Comparative Computed Flow Dynamic Analysis of Different Optimization Techniques in Left Main Either Provisional or Culotte Stenting.

Science.gov (United States)

Rigatelli, Gianluca; Dell'Avvocata, Fabio; Zuin, Marco; Giatti, Sara; Duong, Khanh; Pham, Trung; Tuan, Nguyen Si; Vassiliev, Dobrin; Daggubati, Ramesh; Nguyen, Thach

2017-12-01

Provisional and culotte are the most commonly used techniques in left main (LM) stenting. The impact of different post-dilation techniques on fluid dynamic of LM bifurcation has not been yet investigated. The aim of this study is to evaluate, by means of computational fluid dynamic analysis (CFD), the impact of different post-dilation techniques including proximal optimization technique (POT), kissing balloon (KB), POT-Side-POT and POT-KB-POT, 2-steps Kissing (2SK) and Snuggle Kissing balloon (SKB) on flow dynamic profile after LM provisional or culotte stenting. We considered an LM-LCA-LCX bifurcation reconstructed after reviewing 100 consecutive patients (mean age 71.4 ± 9.3 years, 49 males) with LM distal disease. The diameters of LAD and LCX were modelled according to the Finnet's law as following: LM 4.5 mm, LAD 3.5 mm, LCX 2.75 mm, with bifurcation angle set up at 55°. Xience third-generation stent (Abbot Inc., USA) was reconstructed and virtually implanted in provisional/cross-over and culotte fashion. POT, KB, POT-side-POT, POT-KB-POT, 2SK and SKB were virtually applied and analyzed in terms of the wall shear stress (WSS). Analyzing the provisional stenting, the 2SK and KB techniques had a statistically significant lower impact on the WSS at the carina, while POT seemed to obtain a neutral effect. In the wall opposite to the carina, the more physiological profile has been obtained by KB and POT with higher WSS value and smaller surface area of the lower WSS. In culotte stenting, at the carina, POT-KB-POT and 2SK had a very physiological profile; while at the wall opposite to the carina, 2SK and POT-KB-POT decreased significantly the surface area of the lower WSS compared to the other techniques. From the fluid dynamic point of view in LM provisional stenting, POT, 2SK and KB showed a similar beneficial impact on the bifurcation rheology, while in LM culotte stenting, POT-KB-POT and 2SK performed slightly better than the other techniques, probably

[Giving medico-legal opinions in cases with suspicion of medical mistake.part 1. between medicine and justice.

Science.gov (United States)

Chowaniec, Czesław; Chowaniec, Małgorzata; Wilk, Mateusz

2017-01-01

Creating medico-legal opinion is a sophisticated investigative, analytical, decision-making and creative process. Forensic medicine specialist in cooperation with clinical medicine consultants, on the basis of evidence analysis, which was gathered during procedures and contained in the acts has to create an objective and essential opinion. This opinion is a vital, very important and irreplaceable proof in every case. Judicial body consults with forensic medicine specialist or specialists if there are circumstances for settlement of which there is a need of classified informations - art. 193 of Penalty Code. Forensic medicine specialists face many difficulties which may have effect on quality, positiveness of opinion, compliance with the deadline, increasing expectancy of judicial body or sides. It is very difficult to find clinical specialists which except their clinical knowledge have basic knowledge about law, the role and duties of an court expert. In this article we discuss creating-opinion problems, role and position of court expert in confrontation with expectations of judicial body and the Justice with particular emphasis on medical mistakes and assessment of medical proceedings. We show the complexity of creating of medical opinions, especially these institutional.

Effect of nightguard vital bleaching gel on the color stability of provisional restorative materials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Salwa Omar Bajunaid

2016-01-01

Conclusions: Composite-based provisional material showed highest color stability when exposed to vital tooth bleaching gel, whereas methacrylate-based material was the least color stable. Polycarbonate crowns were more color stable when exposed to 15% bleaching gel as opposed to 10% bleaching gel.

Elicitation of expert prior opinion: application to the MYPAN trial in childhood polyarteritis nodosa.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lisa V Hampson

Full Text Available Definitive sample sizes for clinical trials in rare diseases are usually infeasible. Bayesian methodology can be used to maximise what is learnt from clinical trials in these circumstances. We elicited expert prior opinion for a future Bayesian randomised controlled trial for a rare inflammatory paediatric disease, polyarteritis nodosa (MYPAN, Mycophenolate mofetil for polyarteritis nodosa.A Bayesian prior elicitation meeting was convened. Opinion was sought on the probability that a patient in the MYPAN trial treated with cyclophosphamide would achieve disease remission within 6-months, and on the relative efficacies of mycophenolate mofetil and cyclophosphamide. Expert opinion was combined with previously unseen data from a recently completed randomised controlled trial in ANCA associated vasculitis.A pan-European group of fifteen experts participated in the elicitation meeting. Consensus expert prior opinion was that the most likely rates of disease remission within 6 months on cyclophosphamide or mycophenolate mofetil were 74% and 71%, respectively. This prior opinion will now be taken forward and will be modified to formulate a Bayesian posterior opinion once the MYPAN trial data from 40 patients randomised 1:1 to either CYC or MMF become available.We suggest that the methodological template we propose could be applied to trial design for other rare diseases.

Opinion and Persuasion

OpenAIRE

Ioan Constantin Dima; Daniela Gîfu

2014-01-01

The research proves that persuasion has two types of objectives. Its main objective is the change of opinion. Its fundamental and foundational objectives are the change in attitude, generic conduct and situational behaviour. The main objective controls the fundamental objectives. The change in attitudes and conduct/behaviour is presided by changes in opinion. Persuasion is thus shown to be primarily and ultimately a matter of opinion. As such, its mechanism to manage and generate ...

76 FR 6453 - Raynor Marketing, Ltd., Provisional Acceptance of a Settlement Agreement and Order

Science.gov (United States)

2011-02-04

... CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION [CPSC Docket No. 11-C0003] Raynor Marketing, Ltd., Provisional..., Raynor Marketing, Ltd. and the staff (``Staff'') of the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission... Street, Suite 205, McLean, VA 22101. Counsel for Raynor Marketing, Ltd. U.S. Consumer Product Safety...

Radiation safety of crew and passengers of air transportation in civil aviation. Provisional standards

Science.gov (United States)

Aksenov, A. F.; Burnazyan, A. I.

1985-01-01

The purpose and application of the provisional standards for radiation safety of crew and passengers in civil aviation are given. The radiation effect of cosmic radiation in flight on civil aviation air transport is described. Standard levels of radiation and conditions of radiation safety are discussed.

Preparation and provisional certification of NBL Spectrographic Impurity Standards, CRM 123 (1-7) and 124 (1-7)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santoliquido, P.M.

1983-09-01

This report describes the design, production, and provisional certification of two new certified reference materials (CRMs): CRM No. 123 (1-7), U 3 O 8 containing 18 trace elements, and CRM No. 124 (1-7), U 3 O 8 containing 24 trace elements. The elements to be included and concentrations to be used were decided on the basis of information gathered from users of a previous CRM of this type, CRM No. 98 (1-7). The new CRMs were prepared by the addition of trace elements to high purity U 3 O 8 . Provisional certification was accomplished by an interlaboratory program in which four different laboratories analyzed the materials by carrier distillation dc arc emission spectrography

Immediate implant placement and provisionalization with simultaneous guided bone regeneration in the esthetic zone

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chih-Long Chen

2011-03-01

Full Text Available The procedure for immediate implant placement and provisionalization is time-saving, possibly with only one surgical intervention required, although allowing maximal preservation of peri-implant tissues. In this case, we extracted a fractured maxillary right central incisor of a 46-year-old woman with high esthetic expectations, and a transmucosal implant was immediately installed. Simultaneous guided bone regeneration was performed to correct the defects at the facial side of the socket and augment the alveolar ridge horizontally. Primary stability of the implant body and wound closure without tension were confirmed. Connection of a 15° angled abutment and fabrication of a provisional acrylic resin crown without occlusal contact were also completed in the same appointment. After intensive follow-up and soft-tissue molding for 6 months, the customized zirconia abutment and all-ceramic crown were definitively fabricated. During the 18-month follow-up period, the patient was satisfied with the esthetic and functional results.

Opinion dynamics in activity-driven networks

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Dandan; Han, Dun; Ma, Jing; Sun, Mei; Tian, Lixin; Khouw, Timothy; Stanley, H. Eugene

2017-10-01

Social interaction between individuals constantly affects the development of their personal opinions. Previous models such as the Deffuant model and the Hegselmann-Krause (HK) model have assumed that individuals only update their opinions after interacting with neighbors whose opinions are similar to their own. However, people are capable of communicating widely with all of their neighbors to gather their ideas and opinions, even if they encounter a number of opposing attitudes. We propose a model in which agents listen to the opinions of all their neighbors. Continuous opinion dynamics are investigated in activity-driven networks with a tolerance threshold. We study how the initial opinion distribution, tolerance threshold, opinion-updating speed, and activity rate affect the evolution of opinion. We find that when the initial fraction of positive opinion is small, all opinions become negative by the end of the simulation. As the initial fraction of positive opinions rises above a certain value —about 0.45— the final fraction of positive opinions sharply increases and eventually equals 1. Increased tolerance threshold δ is found to lead to a more varied final opinion distribution. We also find that if the negative opinion has an initial advantage, the final fraction of negative opinion increases and reaches its peak as the updating speed λ approaches 0.5. Finally we show that the lower the activity rate of individuals, the greater the fluctuation range of their opinions.

Valuation of provisional and cultural services of a Ramsar site: A preliminary study on Rudrasagar lake, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moitree Taran

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Rudrasagar lake, a Ramsar site in India offers a variety of ecosystem services. The contribution of Rudrasagar lake to the society has not been estimated so far. The preliminary study aims to provide an economic valuation of the provisional and cultural services of the Rudrasagar lake. Official records of revenue collected by the Tourism Department of Tripura and a socio- economic survey was the source of information used in the economic valuation of the lake. The main provisional services provided by the lake are food (aquatic plants and fishes, fuel wood and timber whereas, the cultural services provided were boat raiding and tourism due to its historical importance. The provisioning and cultural services provided by the Rudrasagar lake are 40810 US$ and 33929.33 US$ per year respectively during the period of 2010-2015. The main threats to the wetland identified are increasing silt loads due to deforestation, expansion of agricultural land and land conversion due to population pressure. To alleviate the anthropogenic stress on the lake, better monitoring, planning and management are essential. By proper conservation and management it will be possible to enjoy the provisional and cultural services of the lake in a sustainable way.

Fracture Strength and Failure Mode of Maxillary Implant-Supported Provisional Single Crowns : A Comparison of Composite Resin Crowns Fabricated Directly Over PEEK Abutments and Solid Titanium Abutments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Santing, H.J.; Meijer, Henny J.A.; Raghoebar, G.M.; Ozcan, M.

2012-01-01

Background: Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) temporary abutments have been recently introduced for making implant-supported provisional single crowns. Little information is available in the dental literature on the durability of provisional implant-supported restorations. Purpose: The objectives of this

75 FR 1356 - RC2 Corporation, Provisional Acceptance of a Settlement Agreement and Order

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-11

... primarily at toy stores and various retailers nationwide, and secondarily through RC2's e-commerce websites... various retailers nationwide, and secondarily through RC2's e-commerce Web sites or as `sub-components' of...(e). Published below is a provisionally-accepted Settlement Agreement with RC2 Corporation...

Coronal leakage of provisional restorative materials used in endodontics with and without intracanal medication after exposure to human saliva

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P Udayakumar

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Aim: To determine the coronal leakage of various provisional restorations with and without intracanal medication over time after being exposed to human saliva. Materials and Methods: This study investigated Coltosol F, Cavit, Ketac Molar, and IRM as provisional restorative material. Calcium hydroxide and chlorhexidine were used as an intracanal medicament. Ninety-eight single rooted teeth were randomly selected and then mounted in an apparatus that isolated the crown portion of the tooth. Provisional restorative materials were placed in the access cavity following manufacturer guidelines after placement of intracanal medicament. Human saliva and brain heart infusion broth in 3:1 ratio were applied to the samples, incubated at 37°C, and results were tabulated over the course of 4 weeks by the appearance of turbidity in the lower part of the apparatus. Statistical Analysis: The data were statistically analyzed using proportional Z-test. The level of significance was set at 0.05. Results: Coltosol F and Cavit could significantly prevent the bacterial leakage up to a period of 7 days with a P value of 0.01 and 0.005, respectively. Bacterial recontamination was relatively less in the samples treated with intracanal medicaments up to 14 days. After 14 days, however, all materials leaked in over half of the samples. Conclusion: No provisional restorative material can be considered superior in providing a reliable seal after 14 days. Inter-appointments schedule should not extend beyond 2 weeks and after endodontic therapy final restoration should be completed within 1 week.

Comparison of the color stability of provisional restorative materials after storing in different drinks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Merve Bankoğlu Güngör

2016-05-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: The objective of the present study was to compare the color stability of provisional restorative materials after stroring in different drinks. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Thirty specimens (10 mm in diameter and 2 mm in thickness were prepared from three different materials (Temdent, TRIAD ve TelioCAD. Specimens were divided into six groups according to drinks (distilled water, coffee, tea, cola, red wine and fruit juice; n=5. Specimens were stored in these drinks at 37 °C for 48 hours. The L*, a*, b* values of the specimens were measured with a spectrophometer and recorded before and after storing in drinks. Then ΔE* values were calculated. The data were statistically analyzed using two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA and Tukey’s HSD post hoc tests (α=0.05. RESULTS: Difference between the ΔE* values of specimens stored in different drinks was statistically significant (p<0.05. Color change of TelioCAD specimens was smallest in cola drink and greatest in red wine. Color change of Temdent specimens was smallest in fruit juice and greatest in coffee. For TRIAD specimens, greater color change was observed in coffee, red wine, and tea, in descending order. When the results of storing in the same drink were compared, TRIAD showed the greatest values of color change in coffee and red wine in comparison to the other provisional materials (p<0.05. CONCLUSION: Color stability changed according to the type of the provisional material and the drink. When the drinks were evaluated, greater color changes were observed in coffee, and when the materials were evaluated greater color changes were observed in TRIAD.

Travel opinion leaders and seekers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yoo, Kyung-Hyan; Gretzel, Ulrike; Zach, Florian

2011-01-01

While opinion leadership has been recognized as important in tourism, there has been very little empirical research investigating the phenomenon. Given new developments in social media technologies, it is especially important to understand whether travel opinion leadership and seeking are drivers...... of specific social media perceptions and behaviours. Based on an online survey of US online travellers, this paper seeks to identify travel opinion leaders and seekers and their characteristics. Further, the research conducted investigated linkages between travel opinion leadership/seeking and travel social...... media use. The findings suggest that travel opinion leadership and seeking are distinct but connected. Both opinion leaders and seekers are technology savvy, young, educated, involved in travel planning and engaged in social media use for travel. What distinguishes opinion leaders is their greater...

76 FR 61042 - Modification of Regulations Regarding the Practice of Accepting Bonds During the Provisional...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-10-03

... Department of Commerce (the Department) is amending its regulations governing the effect of an affirmative... that explains the effects of an affirmative preliminary determination). This amendment reflects the... no hierarchy between cash and bond requirements for provisional measures, and that allowing the...

Maintenance of marginal bone support and soft tissue esthetics at immediately provisionalized OsseoSpeed implants placed into extraction sites: 2-year results.

Science.gov (United States)

Noelken, Robert; Neffe, Bettina Anna; Kunkel, Martin; Wagner, Wilfried

2014-02-01

Placement of implants into extraction sockets targets the maintenance of peri-implant hard and soft tissue structures and the support of a natural and esthetic contour. The main advantages of immediate implant insertion in comparison with delayed implant placement protocols are as follows: a reduced treatment time, less number of sessions, and, thus, the less invasive procedure. This study examines the clinical performance (survival rate, marginal bone levels and Pink Esthetic Score [PES]) of OsseoSpeed implants placed into extraction sockets with immediate provisionalization in the anterior maxilla after a follow-up of at least 12 months. Twenty patients received a total number of 37 OsseoSpeed implants which were immediately inserted into extraction sockets with or without facial bone deficiencies of various dimensions. A flapless procedure was applied, and the implants were immediately provisionalized with temporary crowns without occlusal contacts. Facial gaps between implant surface and facial bone or the previous contour of the alveolar process were grafted with autogenous bone chips. Implants in diameters 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, and 5.0 with lengths of 11-17 mm were used in the study. During the course of the study, interproximal marginal bone levels, the thickness of the facial bony wall, implant success rate according to the criteria established by Buser, and the PES were assessed per implant. One patient with three implants did not continue the study after prosthesis delivery, the remaining 34 implants were still in function at the final follow-up (survival rate: 100%). The mean follow-up period was 27 months (range, 12-40 months). Marginal bone height at the level of the implant shoulder averaged -0.1 ± 0.55 mm (range, -1.25 to 1.47 mm) at the final follow-up. The mean PES ratings were 11.3 ± 1.8 (range, 6-14) at the final follow-up. In 78% of the patients, the PES was preserved or even improved. Success rates, marginal bone levels, and esthetic results suggest

Osteogenic potential of mesenchymal cells embedded in the provisional matrix after a 6-week healing period in augmented and non-augmented extraction sockets: an immunohistochemical prospective pilot study in humans.

Science.gov (United States)

Heberer, Susanne; Wustlich, Alexander; Lage, Hermann; Nelson, John J; Nelson, Katja

2012-01-01

The aim of the present clinical study was the evaluation of the osteogenic potential of mesenchymal cells embedded in the provisional matrix of non-augmented and with Bio-Oss collagen-augmented human extraction sockets after 6 weeks of healing time. Twenty-five patients with 47 extraction sites participated in the present study. After tooth removal, the extraction sockets were augmented with Bio-Oss collagen or not augmented. At implant placement, bone biopsies of the extraction sockets were obtained. The immunohistochemical analysis of the osteogenic potential of the mesenchymal cells in the provisional matrix was performed using three monoclonal antibodies: core-binding factor α1 (Cbfa1)/runt-related protein (Runx)2, osteonectin (OSN/secreted protein acidic and rich in cyst [SPARC]) and osteocalcin (OC). The statistical analysis was performed using two-factorial analysis for repeated measures, Mann-Whitney U-test and Spearman's rank-order correlation coefficient. Of 47 extraction sockets examined, 17 sockets demonstrated an almost complete ossification. Hence, the provisional matrix of the 30 remaining extraction sockets (21 non-augmented, 9 augmented) was immunohistochemically investigated. No evidence of acute or chronic inflammation was noted in any of the specimens. In the provisional matrix of the non-grafted socket, the median amount of Cbfa1/Runx2-positive cells was 72.3%, of OSN (SPARC) 66.9% and of OC 23.4%, whereas in the grafted sockets the median rate of immunopositive cells staining with Cbfa1/Runx2 was 73.3%, of OSN (SPARC) 61.4% and of OC 20.1%. There was no significant difference in the proportion of positive cells expressed by Cbfa1/Runx2, OSN/SPARC and OC between the grafted and non-grafted socket. Furthermore, the cell density did not correlate to the quantity of stained cells independent of the used proteins. After a 6-week healing period, the provisional matrix was demonstrated to have a high proportion of cells displaying a maturation of

Quantification of informed opinion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rasmuson, D.M.

1985-01-01

The objective of this session, Quantification of Informed Opinion, is to provide the statistician with a better understanding of this important area. The NRC uses informed opinion, sometimes called engineering judgment or subjective judgment, in many areas. Sometimes informed opinion is the only source of information that exists, especially in phenomenological areas, such as steam explosions, where experiments are costly and phenomena are very difficult to measure. There are many degrees of informed opinion. These vary from the weatherman who makes predictions concerning relatively high probability events with a large data base to the phenomenological expert who must use his intuition tempered with basic knowledge and little or no measured data to predict the behavior of events with a low probability of occurrence. The first paper in this session provides the reader with an overview of the subject area. The second paper provides some aspects that must be considered in the collection of informed opinion to improve the quality of the information. The final paper contains an example of the use of informed opinion in the area of seismic hazard characterization. These papers should be useful to researchers and statisticians who need to collect and use informed opinion in their work

A Collaborative Project to Bridging the Gap between Basic and Clinical Teachers: The Opinion of Medical Students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mariano Sentí

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The organization of medical curricula with a clear distinction between basic and clinical subjects makes it difficult for teachers to collaborate and teach students in an integrated way. We designed a new subject, Integrated Medicine, to overcome such limitations. Here, we describe the evaluation of the first three years of running the experience, as well as the opinion of the first group of students in their sixth year. Three cohorts of first-year medical students (n=158 and eight teachers, as well as a group of students of sixth year (n=41, participated in the experiment. Students worked following the problem-based learning approach. Their satisfaction, their subjective improvement of content knowledge in basic and clinical fields, and their belief about the accomplishment of educational objectives were evaluated. The results showed a high level of satisfaction, increased content knowledge, and improvement in solving problems, searching for relevant information, team working, and oral and written communication skills. Students of sixth year agreed that the subject helped them to better understand the clinical manifestations of disease, the diagnosis process, and therapeutic approaches. In conclusion, experiences such as Integrated Medicine may enhance the integration of knowledge by the joint work of basic and clinical teachers.

[Psychiatric expert opinions on asylum seekers in Germany].

Science.gov (United States)

Sieberer, Marcel; Ziegenbein, Marc; Eckhardt, Gudrun; Machleidt, Wielant; Calliess, Iris T

2011-01-01

To investigate the frequency of traumatisation, suicidality and given diagnoses in expert opinions on asylum seekers and to describe the sociodemographic characteristics of this population. The psychiatric expert opinions on asylum seekers, furnished in an 8-year-period at Hannover Medical School, were analysed retrospectively for qualitative and quantitative characteristics. 62 psychiatric expert opinions on asylum seekers were included in this study. The asylum seekers originated from 18 different countries, mainly from Turkey and former Yugoslavia. Most expert opinions were given in secondary asylum procedures, i. e. after the initial asylum request had been rejected. The asylum seekers reported on traumatisation in 82.3 %. The most frequently reported forms of traumatisation were rape in female, and torture in male persons. According to ICD-10 or DSM-IV-R criteria posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was the most frequent diagnosis (74.1 %) in this study. The second most common diagnoses were depressive disorders (ICD-10: F32.x in 33.9 % and ICD-10: F33.x in 25.9 %). Suicidal tendency was found in 56.5 % of the asylum seekers. Cultural differences, language barriers, a heavy burden by psychological symptoms, and clinical severity are difficulties in the process of psychiatric assessment of refugees in legal asylum procedures. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

76 FR 58784 - Bad Boy Enterprises, LLC, Provisional Acceptance of a Settlement Agreement and Order

Science.gov (United States)

2011-09-22

... CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION [CPSC Docket No. 11-C0011] Bad Boy Enterprises, LLC... 1118.20(e). Published below is a provisionally-accepted Settlement Agreement with Bad Boy Enterprises..., Bad Boy Enterprises, LLC (``Bad Boy'') and staff (``Staff'') of the United States Consumer Product...

Public opinion polls on nuclear energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heller, E.D.

1980-07-01

Future developments in the attitude towards nuclear energy can not be predicted on account of this public opinion survey. The survey shows just how many different factors influence the attitude towards issues of public and political interst. For this reason in particular, it would be desirable to include such aspects into future surveys. The survey shows that public opinion polls quite often investigate on the ordering party's opinion rather than the pollees opinion. The attempt at making public opinion polls a means of forming political opinions, implying a certain desired opinion to be the majority opinion has brought those polls into disrepute. If real results are not required and manipulation prevails, results are prevented, which must not be blamed on the principle of public opinion polls as such. (orig.) [de

Opinion Integration and Summarization

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Yue

2011-01-01

As Web 2.0 applications become increasingly popular, more and more people express their opinions on the Web in various ways in real time. Such wide coverage of topics and abundance of users make the Web an extremely valuable source for mining people's opinions about all kinds of topics. However, since the opinions are usually expressed as…

Provisional-Ideal-Point-Based Multi-objective Optimization Method for Drone Delivery Problem

Science.gov (United States)

Omagari, Hiroki; Higashino, Shin-Ichiro

2018-04-01

In this paper, we proposed a new evolutionary multi-objective optimization method for solving drone delivery problems (DDP). It can be formulated as a constrained multi-objective optimization problem. In our previous research, we proposed the "aspiration-point-based method" to solve multi-objective optimization problems. However, this method needs to calculate the optimal values of each objective function value in advance. Moreover, it does not consider the constraint conditions except for the objective functions. Therefore, it cannot apply to DDP which has many constraint conditions. To solve these issues, we proposed "provisional-ideal-point-based method." The proposed method defines a "penalty value" to search for feasible solutions. It also defines a new reference solution named "provisional-ideal point" to search for the preferred solution for a decision maker. In this way, we can eliminate the preliminary calculations and its limited application scope. The results of the benchmark test problems show that the proposed method can generate the preferred solution efficiently. The usefulness of the proposed method is also demonstrated by applying it to DDP. As a result, the delivery path when combining one drone and one truck drastically reduces the traveling distance and the delivery time compared with the case of using only one truck.

Double Kissing Crush Versus Provisional Stenting for Left Main Distal Bifurcation Lesions: DKCRUSH-V Randomized Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Shao-Liang; Zhang, Jue-Jie; Han, Yaling; Kan, Jing; Chen, Lianglong; Qiu, Chunguang; Jiang, Tiemin; Tao, Ling; Zeng, Hesong; Li, Li; Xia, Yong; Gao, Chuanyu; Santoso, Teguh; Paiboon, Chootopol; Wang, Yan; Kwan, Tak W; Ye, Fei; Tian, Nailiang; Liu, Zhizhong; Lin, Song; Lu, Chengzhi; Wen, Shangyu; Hong, Lang; Zhang, Qi; Sheiban, Imad; Xu, Yawei; Wang, Lefeng; Rab, Tanveer S; Li, Zhanquan; Cheng, Guanchang; Cui, Lianqun; Leon, Martin B; Stone, Gregg W

2017-11-28

Provisional stenting (PS) is the most common technique used to treat distal left main (LM) bifurcation lesions in patients with unprotected LM coronary artery disease undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. The double kissing (DK) crush planned 2-stent technique has been shown to improve clinical outcomes in non-LM bifurcations compared with PS, and in LM bifurcations compared with culotte stenting, but has never been compared with PS in LM bifurcation lesions. The authors sought to determine whether a planned DK crush 2-stent technique is superior to PS for patients with true distal LM bifurcation lesions. The authors randomized 482 patients from 26 centers in 5 countries with true distal LM bifurcation lesions (Medina 1,1,1 or 0,1,1) to PS (n = 242) or DK crush stenting (n = 240). The primary endpoint was the 1-year composite rate of target lesion failure (TLF): cardiac death, target vessel myocardial infarction, or clinically driven target lesion revascularization. Routine 13-month angiographic follow-up was scheduled after ascertainment of the primary endpoint. TLF within 1 year occurred in 26 patients (10.7%) assigned to PS, and in 12 patients (5.0%) assigned to DK crush (hazard ratio: 0.42; 95% confidence interval: 0.21 to 0.85; p = 0.02). Compared with PS, DK crush also resulted in lower rates of target vessel myocardial infarction I (2.9% vs. 0.4%; p = 0.03) and definite or probable stent thrombosis (3.3% vs. 0.4%; p = 0.02). Clinically driven target lesion revascularization (7.9% vs. 3.8%; p = 0.06) and angiographic restenosis within the LM complex (14.6% vs. 7.1%; p = 0.10) also tended to be less frequent with DK crush compared with PS. There was no significant difference in cardiac death between the groups. In the present multicenter randomized trial, percutaneous coronary intervention of true distal LM bifurcation lesions using a planned DK crush 2-stent strategy resulted in a lower rate of TLF at 1 year than a PS�

Evaluation of the Luting Cement Space for Provisional Restoration by using Various Coats of Die Spacer Materials-An Invitro Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiramana, Sandeep; Siddineni, Krishna Chaitanya; Jyothula, Ravi Rakesh Dev; Gade, Phani Krishna; Bhupathi, Deepthi; Kondaka, Sudheer; Hussain, Zakir; Paluri, Geetha Bhavani

2014-09-01

The present study was to evaluate the space provided for the temporary luting cement, after the application of various coats of die spacers, during the fabrication of provisional crowns and bridges. A total of 50 specimens of dental stone with provisional crowns on all these samples were prepared and were divided into five groups based on the application of various coats of different die spacers. Later these specimens were sectioned buccolingually and were observed using a stereomicroscope under 100X magnification. The images thus obtained were evaluated and noted for the amount of space between the inner surface of the provisional crown and the specimens at five different locations using Image Pro 6.0 Express software and the values were subjected to one-way ANOVA test, and unpaired t-test. There was a significant increase of luting space thickness with various die spacer applications than the specimens of control group. Specimens of double coat applications of silver and gold die spacers showed higher luting cement space than the separating media application specimens.

76 FR 23225 - Modification of Regulations Regarding the Practice of Accepting Bonds During the Provisional...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-26

... online at http://www.Regulations.gov and on the Department's Web site at http://www.trade.gov/ia/ . Any questions concerning file formatting, document conversion, access on the Internet, or other electronic... system, for the provisional measure period an estimated antidumping or countervailing duty rate is...

Breast Imaging Second Opinions Impact Surgical Management.

Science.gov (United States)

Spivey, Tara Lynn; Carlson, Kjirsten Ayn; Janssen, Imke; Witt, Thomas R; Jokich, Peter; Madrigrano, Andrea

2015-07-01

Breast surgeons often see women for second opinions for abnormalities found on breast imaging. For second opinions, these images are submitted for review and interpretation by dedicated breast imagers. This study evaluated the conformity of results among interpretation of imaging submitted from outside hospitals both from tertiary care centers, as well as community programs, in an attempt to evaluate the utility of this practice for the sake of clinical management and resource utilization. A retrospective chart review was conducted on all breast patients that submitted outside imaging films for the years 2011 to 2013 at Rush University Medical Center (RUMC). The radiologic diagnosis and each patient's proposed management plan was collected and evaluated for concordance between the outside institutions and RUMC. A total of 380 patients who presented for second opinions with an interpretation of outside exams were evaluated. In 47.4 % [95 % confidence interval (CI) 42.4-52.4] of cases there was distinct variance in radiologic impression. For 53.5 % (95 % CI 48.4-58.5) of patients, there was a change in recommended management plan, which included recommendations for either additional imaging or need for additional biopsy. In total, this changed the overall surgical management in 27.1 % (95 % CI 22.8-31.9) of cases. In six patients, the reinterpretation of outside imaging detected new malignancies not previously identified. Overall, 83.7 % (95 % CI 79.7-87.1) of patients who submitted imaging from outside institutions chose to complete the remainder of their treatment at RUMC. The practice of second opinion review changed overall definitive management at our specialty center in more than one in four cases. In addition, the review identified six previously unrecognized malignancies. Given this data, the practice of second opinions and interpretation of outside exams should continue despite the additional resources required.

Evaluating the opinions of staff and health care service provision of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Objective: Zimbabwe has an incidence of STD/HIV infection and measures are needed to explore the efficiency of clinics in providing adequate patient care. To explore the views or opinions of the currently employed staff of an STD/HIV clinic, and suggest a means for improvement thereof. Methods: A current position ...

The Paediatric Rheumatology International Trials Organisation provisional criteria for the evaluation of response to therapy in juvenile dermatomyositis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ruperto, Nicolino; Pistorio, Angela; Ravelli, Angelo

2010-01-01

To develop a provisional definition for the evaluation of response to therapy in juvenile dermatomyositis (DM) based on the Paediatric Rheumatology International Trials Organisation juvenile DM core set of variables....

Expert opinion vs. empirical evidence

OpenAIRE

Herman, Rod A; Raybould, Alan

2014-01-01

Expert opinion is often sought by government regulatory agencies when there is insufficient empirical evidence to judge the safety implications of a course of action. However, it can be reckless to continue following expert opinion when a preponderance of evidence is amassed that conflicts with this opinion. Factual evidence should always trump opinion in prioritizing the information that is used to guide regulatory policy. Evidence-based medicine has seen a dramatic upturn in recent years sp...

Expert opinion vs. empirical evidence

Science.gov (United States)

Herman, Rod A; Raybould, Alan

2014-01-01

Expert opinion is often sought by government regulatory agencies when there is insufficient empirical evidence to judge the safety implications of a course of action. However, it can be reckless to continue following expert opinion when a preponderance of evidence is amassed that conflicts with this opinion. Factual evidence should always trump opinion in prioritizing the information that is used to guide regulatory policy. Evidence-based medicine has seen a dramatic upturn in recent years spurred by examples where evidence indicated that certain treatments recommended by expert opinions increased death rates. We suggest that scientific evidence should also take priority over expert opinion in the regulation of genetically modified crops (GM). Examples of regulatory data requirements that are not justified based on the mass of evidence are described, and it is suggested that expertise in risk assessment should guide evidence-based regulation of GM crops. PMID:24637724

Fracture strength and failure mode of maxillary implant-supported provisional single crowns: a comparison of composite resin crowns fabricated directly over PEEK abutments and solid titanium abutments.

Science.gov (United States)

Santing, Hendrik Jacob; Meijer, Henny J A; Raghoebar, Gerry M; Özcan, Mutlu

2012-12-01

Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) temporary abutments have been recently introduced for making implant-supported provisional single crowns. Little information is available in the dental literature on the durability of provisional implant-supported restorations. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the fracture strength of implant-supported composite resin crowns on PEEK and solid titanium temporary abutments, and to analyze the failure types. Three types of provisional abutments, RN synOcta Temporary Meso Abutment (PEEK; Straumann), RN synOcta Titanium Post for Temporary Restorations (Straumann), and Temporary Abutment Engaging NobRplRP (Nobel Biocare) were used, and provisional screw-retained crowns using composite resin (Solidex) were fabricated for four different locations in the maxilla. The specimens were tested in a universal testing machine at a crosshead speed of 1 mm/minute until fracture occurred. The failure types were analyzed and further categorized as irreparable (Type 1) or reparable (Type 2). No significant difference was found between different abutment types. Only for the position of the maxillary central incisor, composite resin crowns on PEEK temporary abutments showed significantly lower (p Provisional crowns on PEEK abutments showed similar fracture strength as titanium temporary abutments except for central incisors. Maxillary right central incisor composite resin crowns on PEEK temporary abutments fractured below the mean anterior masticatory loading forces reported to be approximately 206 N. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

[Opinions and attitudes of clinical staff on systems for the assessment and treatment of children's pain].

Science.gov (United States)

Ullan, A M; Fernández, E; Badia, M; Lorente, F; Malmierca, F; Zapatero, I

2013-08-01

Many factors affect the assessment and treatment of pain, among them being the knowledge and attitudes of clinical staff. The goal of this work was to determine the opinions and attitudes of clinical staff from two hospitals on the different aspects of the assessment and treatment of children's pain. A cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire issued to clinical staff. The questionnaire was given to the professionals, doctors, and nursing staff of the paediatric services of two hospitals, and to an incidental sample of paediatric doctors. Of the 146 questionnaires sent out, 105 were completed. Participants indicated that standardised scales and physiological recordings were the least frequently used methods to assess children's pain. Participants considered that pharmacological techniques for the treatment of pain were used more frequently than non-pharmacological techniques, at all ages. Participants acknowledged being significantly more knowledgeable about pharmacological methods to relieve paediatric pain than about non-pharmacological methods. There is margin for improvement in systems for the assessment and treatment of children's pain as regards the more frequent and standardised use of techniques and standardised tools for the assessment of pain, and the greater administration of non-pharmacological strategies for its treatment. Copyright © 2012 Asociación Española de Pediatría. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

78 FR 36571 - North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83) Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Provisional Official...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-06-18

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Ocean Energy Management [MMAA104000] North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83) Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Provisional Official Protraction Diagram (OPDs) AGENCY... OPDs. SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that effective with this publication two NAD 83-based OCS...

The success rate of narrow body implants used for supporting immediate provisional restorations: a pilot feasibility study.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hom-Lay; Okayasu, Kozue; Fu, Jia-Hui; Hamerink, Howard A; Layher, Mary G; Rudek, Ivan Elimar

2012-12-01

Implants were first designed to be used in the reconstruction of edentulous mandibles. However, with the technological advancement, enormous changes were made to improve the implant design and surface characteristics leading to the wide use of implants in the replacement of missing teeth. During the transition from an edentulous span to a fixed prosthesis, narrow body implants (NBIs) have been proposed to enhance patient comfort and function. Therefore, this study was aimed at investigating the survival and success rates of NBIs used for supporting immediately nonfunctional loaded provisional fixed partial denture (PFPD). Either 2.2- or 2.4-mm-diameter dental implants were placed transmucosally into the edentulous ridges of 10 partially edentulous patients. PFPD of self-cured bis-acryl composite material were made using either a vacuform template chairside or a relined prefabricated PFPD. Occlusal adjustments were made to ensure that there was no functional loading on the provisional restorations before they were secured onto the transitional implants. At 1 year, the implant success and survival rates were 38.7% and 93.5%, respectively, with a mean percentage of bone loss of 9.46% (0%-40%) and a mean bone loss of 1.19 mm (range: 0-3.5 mm). With a favorable implant survival rate, the use of NBIs to support provisional restorations seemed to be a feasible treatment option. In addition, there is merit for research on the long-term use of NBIs-supported final prostheses.

TOOL: The Open Opinion Layer

OpenAIRE

Masum, Hassan

2002-01-01

Shared opinions drive society: what we read, how we vote, and where we shop are all heavily influenced by the choices of others. However, the cost in time and money to systematically share opinions remains high, while the actual performance history of opinion generators is often not tracked. This article explores the development of a distributed open opinion layer, which is given the generic name of TOOL. Similar to the evolution of network protocols as an underlying layer for many comput...

Development of criteria for evaluating clinical response in thyroid eye disease (CRI-TED) using a modified Delphi technique

Science.gov (United States)

Douglas, Raymond S.; Tsirbas, Angelo; Gordon, Mark; Lee, Diana; Khadavi, Nicole; Garneau, Helene Chokron; Goldberg, Robert A.; Cahill, Kenneth; Dolman, Peter J.; Elner, Victor; Feldon, Steve; Lucarelli, Mark; Uddin, Jimmy; Kazim, Michael; Smith, Terry J.; Khanna, Dinesh

2014-01-01

To identify components of a provisional clinical response index for thyroid eye disease (CRI-TED) using a modified Delphi technique. The International Thyroid Eye Disease Society (ITEDS) conducted a structured, 3-round Delphi exercise establishing consensus for a core set of measures for clinical trials in TED. The steering committee discussed the results in a face-to-face meeting (nominal group technique) and evaluated each criterion with respect to its feasibility, reliability, redundancy, and validity. Redundant measures were consolidated or excluded. Criteria were parsed into 11 domains for the Delphi surveys. Eighty four respondents participated in the Delphi-1 survey, providing 220 unique items. Ninety- two members (100% of the respondents from Delphi 1 plus eight new participants) responded in Delphi-2 and rated the same 220 items. Sixty-four members (76% of participants) rated 153 criteria in Delphi-3 (67 criteria were excluded due to redundancy). Criteria with a mean greater than 6 (1 least appropriate to 9 most appropriate) were further evaluated by the nominal group technique and provisional core measures were chosen. Using a Delphi exercise, we developed provisional core measures for assessing disease activity and severity in clinical trials of therapies for TED. These measures will be iteratively refined for use in multicenter clinical trials. PMID:19752424

Physiologically-based pharmacokinetic model for Fentanyl in support of the development of Provisional Advisory Levels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shankaran, Harish, E-mail: harish.shankaran@pnnl.gov [Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Group, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352 (United States); Adeshina, Femi [National Homeland Security Research Center, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC 20460 (United States); Teeguarden, Justin G. [Systems Toxicology Group, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352 (United States)

2013-12-15

Provisional Advisory Levels (PALs) are tiered exposure limits for toxic chemicals in air and drinking water that are developed to assist in emergency responses. Physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling can support this process by enabling extrapolations across doses, and exposure routes, thereby addressing gaps in the available toxicity data. Here, we describe the development of a PBPK model for Fentanyl – a synthetic opioid used clinically for pain management – to support the establishment of PALs. Starting from an existing model for intravenous Fentanyl, we first optimized distribution and clearance parameters using several additional IV datasets. We then calibrated the model using pharmacokinetic data for various formulations, and determined the absorbed fraction, F, and time taken for the absorbed amount to reach 90% of its final value, t90. For aerosolized pulmonary Fentanyl, F = 1 and t90 < 1 min indicating complete and rapid absorption. The F value ranged from 0.35 to 0.74 for oral and various transmucosal routes. Oral Fentanyl was absorbed the slowest (t90 ∼ 300 min); the absorption of intranasal Fentanyl was relatively rapid (t90 ∼ 20–40 min); and the various oral transmucosal routes had intermediate absorption rates (t90 ∼ 160–300 min). Based on these results, for inhalation exposures, we assumed that all of the Fentanyl inhaled from the air during each breath directly, and instantaneously enters the arterial circulation. We present model predictions of Fentanyl blood concentrations in oral and inhalation scenarios relevant for PAL development, and provide an analytical expression that can be used to extrapolate between oral and inhalation routes for the derivation of PALs. - Highlights: • We develop a Fentanyl PBPK model for relating external dose to internal levels. • We calibrate the model to oral and inhalation exposures using > 50 human datasets. • Model predictions are in good agreement with the available

Opinion competition dynamics on multiplex networks

Science.gov (United States)

Amato, R.; Kouvaris, N. E.; San Miguel, M.; Díaz-Guilera, A.

2017-12-01

Multilayer and multiplex networks represent a good proxy for the description of social phenomena where social structure is important and can have different origins. Here, we propose a model of opinion competition where individuals are organized according to two different structures in two layers. Agents exchange opinions according to the Abrams-Strogatz model in each layer separately and opinions can be copied across layers by the same individual. In each layer a different opinion is dominant, so each layer has a different absorbing state. Consensus in one opinion is not the only possible stable solution because of the interaction between the two layers. A new mean field solution has been found where both opinions coexist. In a finite system there is a long transient time for the dynamical coexistence of both opinions. However, the system ends in a consensus state due to finite size effects. We analyze sparse topologies in the two layers and the existence of positive correlations between them, which enables the coexistence of inter-layer groups of agents sharing the same opinion.

Competing opinion diffusion on social networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Haibo

2017-11-01

Opinion competition is a common phenomenon in real life, such as with opinions on controversial issues or political candidates; however, modelling this competition remains largely unexplored. To bridge this gap, we propose a model of competing opinion diffusion on social networks taking into account degree-dependent fitness or persuasiveness. We study the combined influence of social networks, individual fitnesses and attributes, as well as mass media on people's opinions, and find that both social networks and mass media act as amplifiers in opinion diffusion, the amplifying effect of which can be quantitatively characterized. We analytically obtain the probability that each opinion will ultimately pervade the whole society when there are no committed people in networks, and the final proportion of each opinion at the steady state when there are committed people in networks. The results of numerical simulations show good agreement with those obtained through an analytical approach. This study provides insight into the collective influence of individual attributes, local social networks and global media on opinion diffusion, and contributes to a comprehensive understanding of competing diffusion behaviours in the real world.

Non-consensus Opinion Models on Complex Networks

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Qian; Braunstein, Lidia A.; Wang, Huijuan; Shao, Jia; Stanley, H. Eugene; Havlin, Shlomo

2013-04-01

Social dynamic opinion models have been widely studied to understand how interactions among individuals cause opinions to evolve. Most opinion models that utilize spin interaction models usually produce a consensus steady state in which only one opinion exists. Because in reality different opinions usually coexist, we focus on non-consensus opinion models in which above a certain threshold two opinions coexist in a stable relationship. We revisit and extend the non-consensus opinion (NCO) model introduced by Shao et al. (Phys. Rev. Lett. 103:01870, 2009). The NCO model in random networks displays a second order phase transition that belongs to regular mean field percolation and is characterized by the appearance (above a certain threshold) of a large spanning cluster of the minority opinion. We generalize the NCO model by adding a weight factor W to each individual's original opinion when determining their future opinion (NCO W model). We find that as W increases the minority opinion holders tend to form stable clusters with a smaller initial minority fraction than in the NCO model. We also revisit another non-consensus opinion model based on the NCO model, the inflexible contrarian opinion (ICO) model (Li et al. in Phys. Rev. E 84:066101, 2011), which introduces inflexible contrarians to model the competition between two opinions in a steady state. Inflexible contrarians are individuals that never change their original opinion but may influence the opinions of others. To place the inflexible contrarians in the ICO model we use two different strategies, random placement and one in which high-degree nodes are targeted. The inflexible contrarians effectively decrease the size of the largest rival-opinion cluster in both strategies, but the effect is more pronounced under the targeted method. All of the above models have previously been explored in terms of a single network, but human communities are usually interconnected, not isolated. Because opinions propagate not

76 FR 77981 - Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc., Provisional Acceptance of a Settlement Agreement and Order

Science.gov (United States)

2011-12-15

... CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION [CPSC Docket No. 12-C0004] Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc... 1118.20(e). Published below is a provisionally-accepted Settlement Agreement with Build-A-Bear Workshop..., Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. (``Build-A-Bear'') and staff of the United States Consumer Product Safety...

Provisional energy balance of France for 2002; Bilan energetique provisoire de la France pour 2002

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2003-07-01

A provisional energy accounting in France for 2002 is presented. Statistical data and diagrams are provided to detail and discuss the economical and energy context, the primary energy consumption, the national production and the energy dependence, the primary energy consumption for each energy source, the sectorial analysis of the energy consumption and the carbon dioxide emissions. (A.L.B.)

Fashion clothing involvement, opinion leadership and opinion seeking amongst black generation Y students / Pulaki Joseph Tshabalala

OpenAIRE

Tshabalala, Pulaki Joseph

2014-01-01

Opinion leadership and opinion seeking are central constructs in academic studies of new product innovations. Fashion opinion leaders as those individuals who accelerate the fashion maturity process by legitimising a fashionable trend and influence other consumers to adopt the new innovative style as a replacement for the current accepted one. Consumers who accept information and adopt new style innovations are called opinion seekers and are important to the diffusion of new fashions because ...

Formal reporting of second-opinion CT interpretation: experience and reimbursement in the emergency department setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeffers, Adam B; Saghir, Amina; Camacho, Marc

2012-06-01

The purpose of this study is to describe a system for formally reporting second-opinion interpretations of CT imaging exams accompanying patients transferred emergently to a tertiary care center. Second-opinion interpretations of cross-sectional imaging exams rendered in the emergency department setting over 6 months spanning 22 September 2009 to 22 March 2010 were reviewed and tallied by two radiologists and a research assistant, with a focus on professional fee reimbursement rates. A more in depth review was performed of those exams for which a clinical referral request form was available, detailing such information as the clinical history, content and source of available initial interpretation, and congruity of the initial interpretation with clinical data. Discrepancies between outside and second-opinion interpretations were also assessed. This quality assurance exercise was reviewed by our institutional review board, which waived formal informed consent. Formal second-opinion interpretation was rendered for 370 exams on 198 patients (mean age, 53.5 years; 45.1% female), received from 50 referring facilities. Head CT was the most common imaging exam referred for second opinion. Forty-one of 370 exams (11%) were submitted for self-pay, and 43 (12%) were written off as free care. The remaining 286 exams (77%) were submitted for reimbursement of the professional fee only. Ultimately, of the 286 exams submitted, 260 (91%) were reimbursed for professional fees, 199 (70%) on the initial submission. Of 29 health plans contracted with our facility, 22 ultimately approved all claims made. Three plans denied all claims submitted. The largest payer was Medicare, which reimbursed 88 of 90 submitted claims. Clinical intake forms were available for 184 exams on 107 patients (mean age, 52.7 years, 43.0% female). Trauma was the most common indication, or history, provided (55% of 184 exams, 40% of 107 patients). An outside report of some form was available for 112 of the 184

Effects of surface treatment and artificial aging on the shear bond strength of orthodontic brackets bonded to four different provisional restorations.

Science.gov (United States)

Al Jabbari, Youssef S; Al Taweel, Sara M; Al Rifaiy, Mohammed; Alqahtani, Mohammed Q; Koutsoukis, Theodoros; Zinelis, Spiros

2014-07-01

To evaluate the combined effects of material type, surface treatment, and thermocycling on the bond strength of orthodontic brackets to materials used for the fabrication of provisional crowns. Four materials were included in this study (ProTemp, Trim Plus, Trim II, and Superpont C+B). Sixty cylindrical specimens (1 × 3 cm) were prepared from each material and equally divided into three groups. The first group was ground with silica carbide paper, the second was polished with pumice, and the last group was sandblasted with 50-µm aluminum oxide particles. Stainless-steel maxillary central incisor brackets (Victory Series, 3M) were bonded to the provisional material specimens with Transbond XT light-cured composite resin, and half of the specimens from each group were thermocycled 500 times in 5°C and 55°C water baths. Then the brackets were debonded with shear testing, and the results were statistically analyzed by three-way analysis of variance and Tukey's multiple-comparison tests at α  =  0.05. Adhesive Remnant Index (ARI) was also identified. Before and after thermocycling, ProTemp materials showed the highest shear bond strength with orthodontic brackets (10.3 and 13.1 MPa, respectively). The statistical analysis indicated an interaction among the three independent variables (P < .05) and statistically significant differences in bond strength among provisional materials (P < .001), surface treatments (P < .001), and thermocycling (P < .05). According to the ARI, most groups demonstrated adhesive failure. The provisional material type, surface treatment, and artificial aging have a significant effect on bond strength. Sandblasting treatment exerts a beneficial effect on shear bond strength.

Final remediation of the provisional storage near Zavratec

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zeleznik, N.; Mele, I.

2000-01-01

In the Western part of Slovenia near the village of Zavratec radioactive waste from the decontamination of the Oncological Institute has been stored in an old abandoned military barracks for many decades. The ARAO Agency had been assigned to remediate this provisional storage. In 1996 the first phase of the remediation was concluded, in which the measurements, inventorying and repacking of radioactive waste were carried out. At the end of this phase the waste was restored. After three years of suspension, the remedial work continued in autumn 1999 with the separation of radioactive from non-radioactive waste and transportation of all radioactive waste to the Slovenian central storage for small producers near Ljubljana. At the beginning of the year 2000 the old storage near Zavratec was completely decontaminated to be released for unrestricted use. The preparation for and the implementation of remedial actions are presented in the paper. (author)

Immediate occluding definitive partial fixed prosthesis versus non-occluding provisional restorations - 4-month post-loading results from a pragmatic multicenter randomised controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Heinemann, Friedhelm; Grufferty, Brendan; Papavasiliou, George; Dominiak, Marzena; García, Jaime Jiménez; Trullenque-Eriksson, Anna; Esposito, Marco

2016-01-01

To compare the clinical outcome of dental implants restored with definitive occluding partial fixed prostheses within 1 week, after implant placement with immediate non-occluding provisional restorations, which were to be replaced by definitive prostheses after 4 months. Fifty partially edentulous patients treated with one to three dental implants, at least 8.5 mm long and 4.0 mm wide inserted with a torque of at least 35 Ncm, were randomised in two groups of 25 patients each, to be immediately loaded with partial fixed prostheses. Patients of one group received one definitive screw-retained metal-ceramic prosthesis in occlusion within 1 week after placement. Patients of the other group received one non-occluding provisional acrylic reinforced prosthesis within 24 h after implant placement. Provisional prostheses were replaced after 4 months by definitive ones. The follow-up for all patients was 4-months post-loading. Outcome measures were prosthesis and implant failures, any complications, peri-implant marginal bone level changes, aesthetic evaluation by a clinician, patient satisfaction, chair time and number of visits at the dental office from implant placement to delivery of definitive restorations. No patient dropped out. Two immediately occlusally loaded implants with their related definitive prostheses (8%) failed early (difference in proportions = 0.08; 95% CI: -0.03 to 0.19; P = 0.490). Four complications occurred in the occlusal group versus one in the non-occlusal group; (difference in proportions = 0.12; 95% CI: -0.04 to 0.28; P = 0.349). Four months after loading, patients subjected to non-occlusal loading lost an average of 0.72 mm of peri-implant bone versus 0.99 mm of patients restored with occluding definitive partial fixed prostheses. There were no statistically significant differences for marginal bone level changes between the two groups (mean difference = -0.27 mm; 95% CI: -0.84 to 0.30; P = 0.349). The differences for aesthetic scores showed

Immediate provisionalization in the esthetic zone: 1-year interim results from a prospective single-cohort multicenter study evaluating 3.0-mm-diameter tapered implants.

Science.gov (United States)

Kolinski, Martin; Hess, Pablo; Leziy, Sonia; Friberg, Bertil; Bellucci, Gionata; Trisciuoglio, Davide; Wagner, Wilfried; Moergel, Maximilian; Pozzi, Alessandro; Wiltfang, Jörg; Behrens, Eleonore; Zechner, Werner; Vasak, Christoph; Weigl, Paul

2018-07-01

The aim of this interim analysis of a 5-year prospective multicenter study is to evaluate clinical and radiological performance of immediately provisionalized 3.0-mm-diameter tapered implants. Patients needing implant rehabilitation of maxillary lateral incisors or mandibular lateral and central incisors were treated with 3.0-mm-diameter implants placed in extraction or healed sites and immediately provisionalized. Clinical and radiographic examinations were performed at implant insertion, 6 months thereafter, and are ongoing. Marginal bone levels and changes, complications, the papilla, plaque, and bleeding indices, and the pink esthetic score (PES) were evaluated at each follow-up visit. Of 112 enrolled patients, 77 patients (91 implants) met the inclusion criteria. Seventy-one patients with 82 implants completed the 1-year follow-up. Three implants failed yielding a CSR of 96.7%. All failures occurred within the first 3 months after implant insertion. Marginal bone level changes from insertion to 6 months was - 0.57 ± 1.30 mm (n = 75) and from insertion to 12 months - 0.25 ± 1.38 mm (n = 72). Fifteen non-serious complications were recorded. Papilla index score and PES improved at the 1-year follow-up. Plaque formation and bleeding-on-probing showed no statistically significant differences between the 6-month and the 1-year visit. This 1-year analysis demonstrated high survival, stable bone levels, and healthy soft tissue with 3.0-mm-diameter implants. Narrow diameter implants are a safe and predictable treatment option in patients with limited bone volume and/or limited interdental space and eligible for immediate loading protocols.

Plutonium - the ultrapoison? An expert's opinion about an expert opinion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stoll, W.; Becker, K.

1989-01-01

In an expert opinion written by Professor H. Kuni, Marburg, for the North Rhine-Westphalian state government, plutonium is called by far the most dangerous element in the Periodic Table. The Marburg medical expert holds that even improved legal instruments are unable to warrant effective protection of the workers handling this material, in the light of the present standards of industrial safety, because of radiological conditions and measuring problems with plutonium isotopes. In this article by an internationally renowned expert in the field, the ideas expressed in the expert opinion about the toxicity of plutonium, the cause-and-effect relationship in radiation damage by plutonium, and recent findings about the toxicity are subjected to a critical review. On the basis of results of radiation protection and of case studies, the statements in the expert opinion are contrasted with facts which make them appear in a very different light. (orig./RB) [de

Can an ethics officer role reduce delays in research ethics approval? A mixed-method evaluation of an improvement project

Science.gov (United States)

Dixon-Woods, Mary; Foy, Chris; Hayden, Charlotte; Al-Shahi Salman, Rustam; Tebbutt, Stephen; Schroter, Sara

2016-01-01

Objective Frustration continues to be directed at delays in gaining approvals for undertaking health research in the UK. We aimed to evaluate the impact of an ethics officer intervention on rates of favourable opinions (approval) and provisional opinions (requiring revision and resubmission) and on the time taken to reach a final opinion by research ethics committees (RECs), to characterise how the role operated in practice, and to investigate applicants' views. Design Mixed-method study involving (i) a 2-group, non-randomised before-and-after intervention study of RECs assigned an ethics officer and a matched comparator group; (ii) a process evaluation involving a survey of applicants and documentary analysis. Participants 6 RECs and 3 associated ethics officers; 18 comparator RECs; REC applicants. Results Rates of provisional and favourable opinions between ethics officer and comparator RECs did not show a statistically significant effect of the intervention (logistic regression, p=0.26 for favourable opinions and p=0.31 for provisional opinions). Mean time to reach a decision showed a non-significant reduction (ANOVA, p=0.22) from 33.3 to 32.0 days in the ethics officer RECs compared with the comparator RECs (32.6 to 32.9 days). The survey (30% response rate) indicated applicant satisfaction and also suggested that ethics officer support might be more useful before submission. Ethics officers were successful in identifying many issues with applications, but the intervention did not function exactly as designed: in 31% of applicants, no contact between the applicants and the ethics officer took place before REC review. Limitations This study was a non-randomised comparison cohort study. Some data were missing. Conclusions An ethics officer intervention, as designed and implemented in this study, did not increase the proportion of applications to RECs that were approved on first review and did not reduce the time to a committee decision. PMID:27580832

Provisional Crown Dislodgement during Scuba Diving: A Case of Barotrauma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meenal Nitin Gulve

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Changes in ambient pressure, for example, during flying, diving, or hyperbaric oxygen therapy, can lead to barotrauma. Although it may seem that this issue was neglected in dental education and research in recent decades, familiarity with and understanding of these facts may be of importance for dental practitioners. We report the case of a patient who experienced barotrauma involving dislodgement of a provisional crown during scuba diving. Patients who are exposed to pressure changes as a part of their jobs or hobbies and their dentists should know the causes of barotrauma. In addition, the clinician must be aware of the possible influence of pressure changes on the retention of dental components.

Seeking a second medical opinion: composition, reasons and perceived outcomes in Israel.

Science.gov (United States)

Shmueli, Liora; Davidovitch, Nadav; Pliskin, Joseph S; Balicer, Ran D; Hekselman, Igal; Greenfield, Geva

2017-12-08

Seeking a second-opinion (SO) is a common clinical practice that can optimize treatment and reduce unnecessary procedures and risks. We aim to characterize the composition of the population of SO seekers, their reasons for seeking a SO and choosing a specific physician, and their perceived outcomes following the SO. A cross-sectional national telephone survey, using a representative sample of the general Israeli population (n = 848, response rate = 62%). SO utilization was defined as seeking an additional clinical opinion from a specialist within the same specialty, for the same medical concern. We describe the characteristics of respondents who obtained SOs, their reasons for doing so and their perceived outcomes: (1) Satisfaction with the SO; (2) Experiencing health improvement after receiving a SO; (3) A difference in the diagnosis or treatment suggested in the first opinions and the second opinions; (4) Preference of the SO over the first one. Most of the respondents who sought a SO (n = 344) were above 60 years old, secular, living with a partner, perceived their income to be above average and their health status to be not so good. For the patients who utilized SOs, orthopedic surgeons were sought out more than any other medical professional.Reasons for seeking a SO included doubts about diagnosis or treatment (38%), search for a sub-specialty expert (19%) and dissatisfaction with communication (19%). SO seekers most frequently chose a specific specialist based on a recommendation from a friend or a relative (33%). About half of the SO seekers also searched for information on the internet. Most of the respondents who sought a SO mentioned that they were satisfied with it (84%), felt health improvement (77%), mentioned that there was a difference between the diagnosis or treatment between the first opinion and the SO (56%) and preferred the SO over the first one (91%). Clinical uncertainty or dissatisfaction with patient-physician communication

Evaluation of bond strength between grooved titanium alloy implant abutments and provisional veneering materials after surface treatment of the abutments: An in vitro study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gowtham Venkat

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Titanium has become the material of choice with greater applications in dental implants. The success of the dental implant does not only depend on the integration of the implant to the bone but also on the function and longevity of the superstructure. The clinical condition that demands long-term interim prosthesis is challenging owing to the decreased bond between the abutment and the veneering material. Hence, various surface treatments are done on the abutments to increase the bond strength. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the bond strength between the abutment and the provisional veneering materials by surface treatments such as acid etching, laser etching, and sand blasting of the abutment. Materials and Methods: Forty titanium alloy abutments of 3 mm diameter and 11 mm height were grouped into four groups with ten samples. Groups A, B, C, and D are untreated abutments, sand blasted with 110 μm aluminum particles, etched with 1% hydrofluoric acid and 30% nitric acid, and laser etched with Nd: YAG laser, respectively. Provisional crowns were fabricated with bis-acrylic resin and cemented with noneugenol temporary luting cement. The shear bond strength was measured in universal testing machine using modified Shell–Nielsen shear test after the cemented samples were stored in water at 25°C for 24 h. Load was applied at a constant cross head speed of 5 mm/min until a sudden decrease in resistance indicative of bond failure was observed. The corresponding force values were recorded, and statistical analysis was done using one-way ANOVA and Newman–Keuls post hoc test. Results: The laser-etched samples showed higher bond strength. Conclusion: Among the three surface treatments, laser etching showed the highest bond strength between titanium alloy implant abutment and provisional restorations. The sand-blasted surfaces demonstrated a significant difference in bond strength compared to laser-etched surfaces. The results of this

Evaluation of Bond Strength between Grooved Titanium Alloy Implant Abutments and Provisional Veneering Materials after Surface Treatment of the Abutments: An In vitro Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Venkat, Gowtham; Krishnan, Murugesan; Srinivasan, Suganya; Balasubramanian, Muthukumar

2017-01-01

Titanium has become the material of choice with greater applications in dental implants. The success of the dental implant does not only depend on the integration of the implant to the bone but also on the function and longevity of the superstructure. The clinical condition that demands long-term interim prosthesis is challenging owing to the decreased bond between the abutment and the veneering material. Hence, various surface treatments are done on the abutments to increase the bond strength. This study aimed to evaluate the bond strength between the abutment and the provisional veneering materials by surface treatments such as acid etching, laser etching, and sand blasting of the abutment. Forty titanium alloy abutments of 3 mm diameter and 11 mm height were grouped into four groups with ten samples. Groups A, B, C, and D are untreated abutments, sand blasted with 110 μm aluminum particles, etched with 1% hydrofluoric acid and 30% nitric acid, and laser etched with Nd: YAG laser, respectively. Provisional crowns were fabricated with bis-acrylic resin and cemented with noneugenol temporary luting cement. The shear bond strength was measured in universal testing machine using modified Shell-Nielsen shear test after the cemented samples were stored in water at 25°C for 24 h. Load was applied at a constant cross head speed of 5 mm/min until a sudden decrease in resistance indicative of bond failure was observed. The corresponding force values were recorded, and statistical analysis was done using one-way ANOVA and Newman-Keuls post hoc test. The laser-etched samples showed higher bond strength. Among the three surface treatments, laser etching showed the highest bond strength between titanium alloy implant abutment and provisional restorations. The sand-blasted surfaces demonstrated a significant difference in bond strength compared to laser-etched surfaces. The results of this study confirmed that a combination of surface treatments and bond agents enhances the

The analysis of specialists’ opinion on the implementation of concept of risk management in clinical trials of drugs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. A. Zupanets

2016-06-01

Full Text Available At the modern stage of the pharmaceutical industry development quality risk management becomes an integral part of all the processes of drug development and clinical trials (CT. Aim of paper is to study the opinion of competent experts in the field of CT of drugs and formation of strategic ways of risk management at the clinical site as well as to identify possible complications in the practical implementation of these approaches. Materials and methods: the survey of the expert group (17 people to select the indicators and the parameters measuring the risks of CT at clinical site, as well as their acceptable levels. The assessment of survey results was done using non-parametric statistics methods. Results of research. There were established the differences of various stakeholders’ notion of conceptual content and practical importance of quality management and the application of risk-oriented approaches at the clinical site in relation to CT quality that can become an obstacle to their implementation. The introduction of risk-based monitoring into the system for CT management at the clinical site corresponds to the interests of all stakeholders involved in the study. General concernment of the customer’s representatives, regulatory authority and researchers should be an important basis for the implementation of the risk-based management at the clinical site. So, it is necessary to create a common understanding of the terminology, objectives and expected outcomes of risk management at the clinical site, as well as a clear allocation of the duties and responsibilities of each side. Conclusions. The expediency of the concept of risk management application at the clinical site, practical orientation, as well as the need to develop scientific and methodological approaches for its implementation, contributing to the formation of a common basis for action and coordinated interaction of stakeholders involved in the management of CT were proved.

Evidence-based provisional clinical classification criteria for autoinflammatory periodic fevers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Federici, Silvia; Sormani, Maria Pia; Ozen, Seza; Lachmann, Helen J; Amaryan, Gayane; Woo, Patricia; Koné-Paut, Isabelle; Dewarrat, Natacha; Cantarini, Luca; Insalaco, Antonella; Uziel, Yosef; Rigante, Donato; Quartier, Pierre; Demirkaya, Erkan; Herlin, Troels; Meini, Antonella; Fabio, Giovanna; Kallinich, Tilmann; Martino, Silvana; Butbul, Aviel Yonatan; Olivieri, Alma; Kuemmerle-Deschner, Jasmin; Neven, Benedicte; Simon, Anna; Ozdogan, Huri; Touitou, Isabelle; Frenkel, Joost; Hofer, Michael; Martini, Alberto; Ruperto, Nicolino; Gattorno, Marco

2015-01-01

The objective of this work was to develop and validate a set of clinical criteria for the classification of patients affected by periodic fevers. Patients with inherited periodic fevers (familial Mediterranean fever (FMF); mevalonate kinase deficiency (MKD); tumour necrosis factor

[Medical students and psychiatry. A survey of students' opinion].

Science.gov (United States)

Giberti, F; Corsini, G; Rovida, S

1994-06-01

In the last years research on the didactics of Psychiatry and opinions of medical students on Psychiatry has gained great interest. The authors think that this research could be useful for the improvement of didactics, for better understanding the meanings of professional choice, the identity of psychiatrist and their relationship with colleagues in other medical field. The goal of this research work was a preliminary survey of Genoese University Medical Student's opinions about psychiatry didactics, and choice of specialization. A questionnaire was submitted to all the students who passed Clinical Psychiatry examination in the period from November 1987 to December 1988. The students were divided in two randomized groups: the first group of students (224) was submitted to the questionnaire immediately after Clinical Psychiatry examination; while to the second group of students (66) the questionnaire was mailed. The aim of the questions was to assess the student's opinions on psychiatry, psychoanalysis, psychotherapy, the career they wanted to take up, and the difficulties of studying psychiatry: 69% of the students of the first group and 42% of the students of the second group answered the questionnaire. Female students answered that they preferred psychiatric specialization more than their male colleagues did, but the difference has no statistical importance. In most cases, the students who answered that they have taken into account psychiatry as a choice of specialisation, are more interested in medical specialties (primary care, etc.) than in surgical specialties. Most of the medical students declare some emotional troubles (anxiety, sleeplessness, problem in social relations).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Public opinions and antinuclear contestations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silveira, P.R.N. da

1978-01-01

With the aim of demonstrating the importance of public opinion in the development of a nuclear program, a historical analysis of the different forms of anti-technological reactions is shown, starting with a study of the general aspects of mass communication and public opinion. The world-wide communication strategy adopted in the implantation of nuclear programs is discussed and, finally, the nuclear energy issue and public opinion in Brazil are analysed. (F.E.) [pt

Choice Shift in Opinion Network Dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Gabbay, Michael

Choice shift is a phenomenon associated with small group dynamics whereby group discussion causes group members to shift their opinions in a more extreme direction so that the mean post-discussion opinion exceeds the mean pre-discussion opinion. Also known as group polarization, choice shift is a robust experimental phenomenon and has been well-studied within social psychology. In opinion network models, shifts toward extremism are typically produced by the presence of stubborn agents at the extremes of the opinion axis, whose opinions are much more resistant to change than moderate agents. However, we present a model in which choice shift can arise without the assumption of stubborn agents; the model evolves member opinions and uncertainties using coupled nonlinear differential equations. In addition, we briefly describe the results of a recent experiment conducted involving online group discussion concerning the outcome of National Football League games are described. The model predictions concerning the effects of network structure, disagreement level, and team choice (favorite or underdog) are in accord with the experimental results. This research was funded by the Office of Naval Research and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency.

Opinion dynamics with confirmation bias.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Armen E Allahverdyan

Full Text Available Confirmation bias is the tendency to acquire or evaluate new information in a way that is consistent with one's preexisting beliefs. It is omnipresent in psychology, economics, and even scientific practices. Prior theoretical research of this phenomenon has mainly focused on its economic implications possibly missing its potential connections with broader notions of cognitive science.We formulate a (non-Bayesian model for revising subjective probabilistic opinion of a confirmationally-biased agent in the light of a persuasive opinion. The revision rule ensures that the agent does not react to persuasion that is either far from his current opinion or coincides with it. We demonstrate that the model accounts for the basic phenomenology of the social judgment theory, and allows to study various phenomena such as cognitive dissonance and boomerang effect. The model also displays the order of presentation effect-when consecutively exposed to two opinions, the preference is given to the last opinion (recency or the first opinion (primacy -and relates recency to confirmation bias. Finally, we study the model in the case of repeated persuasion and analyze its convergence properties.The standard Bayesian approach to probabilistic opinion revision is inadequate for describing the observed phenomenology of persuasion process. The simple non-Bayesian model proposed here does agree with this phenomenology and is capable of reproducing a spectrum of effects observed in psychology: primacy-recency phenomenon, boomerang effect and cognitive dissonance. We point out several limitations of the model that should motivate its future development.

Trendwatch combining expert opinion

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hendrix, E.M.T.; Kornelis, M.; Pegge, S.M.; Galen, van M.A.

2006-01-01

In this study, focus is on a systematic way to detect future changes in trends that may effect the dynamics in the agro-food sector, and on the combination of opinions of experts. For the combination of expert opinions, the usefulness of multilevel models is investigated. Bayesian data analysis is

Second-opinion interpretations of gynecologic oncologic MRI examinations by sub-specialized radiologists influence patient care

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lakhman, Yulia; Vargas, Hebert Alberto; Sosa, Ramon E.; Hricak, Hedvig; Sala, Evis; D'Anastasi, Melvin; Micco, Maura; Scelzo, Chiara; Nougaret, Stephanie; Chi, Dennis S.; Abu-Rustum, Nadeem R.

2016-01-01

To determine if second-opinion review of gynaecologic oncologic (GynOnc) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) by sub-specialized radiologists impacts patient care. 469 second-opinion MRI interpretations rendered by GynOnc radiologists were retrospectively compared to the initial outside reports. Two gynaecologic surgeons, blinded to the reports' origins, reviewed all cases with discrepancies between initial and second-opinion MRI reports and recorded whether these discrepancies would have led to a change in patient management defined as a change in treatment approach, counselling, or referral. Histopathology or minimum 6-month imaging follow-up were used to establish the diagnosis. Second-opinion review of GynOnc MRIs would theoretically have affected management in 94/469 (20 %) and 101/469 (21.5 %) patients for surgeons 1 and 2, respectively. Specifically, second-opinion review would have theoretically altered treatment approach in 71/469 (15.1 %) and 60/469 (12.8 %) patients for surgeons 1 and 2, respectively. According to surgeons 1 and 2, these treatment changes would have prevented unnecessary surgery in 35 (7.5 %) and 31 (6.6 %) patients, respectively, and changed surgical procedure type/extent in 19 (4.1 %) and 12 (2.5 %) patients, respectively. Second-opinion interpretations were correct in 103 (83 %) of 124 cases with clinically relevant discrepancies between initial and second-opinion reports. Expert second-opinion review of GynOnc MRI influences patient care. (orig.)

Best Practices and Provisional Guidelines for Integrating Mobile, Virtual, and Videogame-Based Training and Assessments

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

videogame -based platforms, 2) role of assessments and how they can be implemented within these platforms, or 3) benefits or challenges of the...Technical Report 1334 Best Practices and Provisional Guidelines for Integrating Mobile, Virtual, and Videogame -Based Training and...Virtual, and Videogame -Based Training and Assessments 5a. CONTRACT OR GRANT NUMBER W5J9CQ-11-D-0002 5b. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 622785

OpinionSeer: interactive visualization of hotel customer feedback.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Yingcai; Wei, Furu; Liu, Shixia; Au, Norman; Cui, Weiwei; Zhou, Hong; Qu, Huamin

2010-01-01

The rapid development of Web technology has resulted in an increasing number of hotel customers sharing their opinions on the hotel services. Effective visual analysis of online customer opinions is needed, as it has a significant impact on building a successful business. In this paper, we present OpinionSeer, an interactive visualization system that could visually analyze a large collection of online hotel customer reviews. The system is built on a new visualization-centric opinion mining technique that considers uncertainty for faithfully modeling and analyzing customer opinions. A new visual representation is developed to convey customer opinions by augmenting well-established scatterplots and radial visualization. To provide multiple-level exploration, we introduce subjective logic to handle and organize subjective opinions with degrees of uncertainty. Several case studies illustrate the effectiveness and usefulness of OpinionSeer on analyzing relationships among multiple data dimensions and comparing opinions of different groups. Aside from data on hotel customer feedback, OpinionSeer could also be applied to visually analyze customer opinions on other products or services.

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2016-01-01

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

Child abuse consultations initiated by child protective services: the role of expert opinions.

Science.gov (United States)

McGuire, Lindsay; Martin, Kimberly D; Leventhal, John M

2011-01-01

To describe consultations provided by child abuse pediatricians for cases referred by child protective services (CPS); compare the opinions of the likelihood of child maltreatment of the initial physician, CPS, and the child abuse pediatrician; and examine predictors of the experts' opinions. Cases were referred by CPS for consultations between March 1, 1998, and June 30, 2005, to 2 child abuse pediatricians at Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital. We abstracted demographic and clinical information and the opinions of the initial physician, CPS, and the child abuse expert, each coded using a 5-point scale from definite maltreatment to definite benign cause (eg, accident). Of 187 cases, 50.3% occurred in children younger than 1 year of age. Children's most serious injuries were fractures (50.8%), burns (16.6%), and bruises/abrasions (15.0%). The child abuse experts' opinions were 47.6% definite or probable maltreatment, 8.6% uncertain, and 43.9% definite or probable benign. Of the 119 cases with opinions from all 3 assessors, the expert agreed with the physician in 57.1% of cases (κ = 0.34) and with CPS in 64.7% (κ = 0.42). The best predictor of the expert's opinion that the injury was due to maltreatment was agreement between the physician and CPS that maltreatment had occurred. Levels of agreement were fair to poor between the child abuse expert and either the physician or CPS. Child abuse experts' opinions have important value in selected cases to confirm previous assessments by the physician and/or CPS, or to change the opinion of the case. Copyright © 2011 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Functioning of primary health care in opinion of managers of primary health care units.

Science.gov (United States)

Bojar, I; Wdowiak, L; Kwiatosz-Muc, M

2006-01-01

The aim of the research is to get to know opinions of primary health care managers concerning working of primary health care and concerning quality of medical services offered by family doctors out-patient clinics. The research among managers of primary health care units took place in all out-patient clinics in Lublin province. Research instrument was survey questionnaire of authors own construction. Results were statistically analyzed. From 460 surveys sent, 108 questionnaires were accepted to analysis. Majority of managers of out-patient clinics of primary health care is satisfied with the way and the quality of work of employed staff. In opinion of 71.3% of managers access to family doctor services is very good. Availability of primary health care services is better estimated by managers of not public units. The occupied local provide comfortable work for the staff in opinion of 78.5% of surveyed managers of out-patient clinics. Managers estimate the level of their services as very good (37.96%) and good (37.96%) comparing to other such a subjects present in the market. Internal program of improving quality is run in 22% of out-patient clinics, which were investigated. Managers of primary health care units assess the quality of their services as good and very good. They estimate positively the comfort and politeness in serving patients as well as technical status of equipment and the lodging. They assess availability of their services as very good. Large group of managers of family doctors practices recognizes neighborhood practices as a competitors.

Opinion formation models on a gradient.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael T Gastner

Full Text Available Statistical physicists have become interested in models of collective social behavior such as opinion formation, where individuals change their inherently preferred opinion if their friends disagree. Real preferences often depend on regional cultural differences, which we model here as a spatial gradient g in the initial opinion. The gradient does not only add reality to the model. It can also reveal that opinion clusters in two dimensions are typically in the standard (i.e., independent percolation universality class, thus settling a recent controversy about a non-consensus model. However, using analytical and numerical tools, we also present a model where the width of the transition between opinions scales proportional g(-1/4, not proportional g(-4/7 as in independent percolation, and the cluster size distribution is consistent with first-order percolation.

Requirements on the provisional safety analyses and technical comparison of safety measures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-04-01

The concept of a Geological Underground Repository (SGT) was adopted by the Swiss Federal Council on April 2 nd , 2008. It fixes the goals and the safety technical criteria as well as the procedures for the choice of the site for an underground repository. Those responsible for waste management evaluate possible site regions according to the present status of geological knowledge and based on the safety criteria defined in SGT as well as on technical feasibility. In a first step, they propose geological repository sites for high level (HAA) and for low and intermediate level (SMA) radioactive wastes and justify their choice in a report delivered to the Swiss Federal Office of Energy. The Swiss Federal Council reviews the choices presented and, in the case of positive evaluation, approves them and considers them as an initial orientation. In a second step, based on the possible sites according to step 1, the waste management institution responsible has to reduce the repositories chosen for HAA and SMA by taking into account safety aspects, technical feasibility as well as space planning and socio-economical aspects. In making this choice, safety aspects have the highest priority. The criteria used for the evaluation in the first step have to be defined using provisional quantitative safety analyses. On the basis of the whole appraisal, including space planning and socio-economical aspects, those responsible for waste management propose at least two repository sites for HAA- and SMA-waste. Their selection is then reviewed by the authorities and, in the case of a positive assesment, the selection is taken as an intermediate result. The remaining sites are further studied to examine site choice and the delivery of a request for a design license. If necessary, the requested geological knowledge has to be confirmed by new investigations. Based on the results of the choosing process and a positive evaluation by the safety authorities, the Swiss Federal Council has to

Chronic low back pain: patients' experiences, opinions and expectations for clinical management.

Science.gov (United States)

Liddle, Sarah Dianne; Baxter, G David; Gracey, Jacqueline H

2007-12-30

To explore the experiences, opinions and treatment expectations of chronic low back pain (LBP) patients in order to identify what components of treatment they consider as being of most value. Three stand-alone focus groups were convened. All participants were experiencing chronic non-specific LBP (>3 months). Each group was facilitated by an independent moderator, and guided by a series of pre-determined questions. Participants were encouraged to freely air their personal opinions during the discussion. Transcribed data were organized into a series of 'categories' using the Qualitative Solutions for Researchers Nudist 6 package from which five common themes emerged. Each participant had typically experienced a variety of failed treatment approaches. Whilst the value of advice and exercise was recognized, participants typically questioned the appropriateness of such treatment given the fact that a precise diagnosis was rarely given, and symptoms often recurred. As a result, poor adherence with advice and exercise appeared to be a key factor limiting the potential effectiveness of long-term self-management strategies. Participants considered appropriate exercise (despite pain) and activity modification as important components for effective long-term self-management of symptoms. To enhance treatment effectiveness, participants welcomed the introduction of individually tailored advice and exercise programmes, with supervision and follow-up support, along with a better understanding of the physical and emotional impact of chronic LBP by practitioners.

[Medical data security in medico-legal opinioning].

Science.gov (United States)

Susło, Robert; Swiatek, Barbara

2005-01-01

Medical data security can be approached in medico-legal opinioning in three main situations: security of medical data, on which the opinion should be based, opinioning itself and whether the medical data security was properly ensured and ensuring medical data security during medico-legal opinion giving. The importance of medical data security, during collecting, processing and storing, as well in medical as in legal institutions, is of major importance for the possibility of providing a proper medico-legal opinion. Theoretically speeking, it is possible to give a proper medico-legal opinion using incorrect data, but the possibility is low. When the expert is given improper, unreadable, incomplete or even bogus in part or in the whole medical data it is extremely possible, that he fails in giving his opinion. The term "medical data" was defined and subsequently there was a brief review of medical data storing methods made and specific threats bound with them, based on modern literature. The authors also pointed out possible methods of preventing the threats. They listed Polish as well as international regulations and laws concerning the problem, accenting the importance of preserving medical data for the purposes of medico-legal opinioning.

Comparison of a priori versus provisional heparin therapy on radial artery occlusion after transradial coronary angiography and patent hemostasis (from the PHARAOH Study).

Science.gov (United States)

Pancholy, Samir B; Bertrand, Olivier F; Patel, Tejas

2012-07-15

Systemic anticoagulation decreases the risk of radial artery occlusion (RAO) after transradial catheterization and standard occlusive hemostasis. We compared the efficacy and safety of provisional heparin use only when the technique of patent hemostasis was not achievable to standard a priori heparin administration after radial sheath introduction. Patients referred for coronary angiography were randomized in 2 groups. In the a priori group, 200 patients received intravenous heparin (50 IU/kg) immediately after sheath insertion. In the provisional group, 200 patients did not receive heparin during the procedure. After sheath removal, hemostasis was obtained using a TR band (Terumo corporation, Tokyo, Japan) with a plethysmography-guided patent hemostasis technique. In the provisional group, no heparin was given if radial artery patency could be obtained and maintained. If radial patency was not achieved, a bolus of heparin (50 IU/kg) was given. Radial artery patency was evaluated at 24 hours (early RAO) and 30 days after the procedure (late RAO) by plethysmography. Patent hemostasis was obtained in 67% in the a priori group and 74% in the provisional group (p = 0.10). Incidence of RAO remained similar in the 2 groups at the early (7.5% vs 7.0%, p = 0.84) and late (4.5% vs 5.0%, p = 0.83) evaluations. Women, patients with diabetes, patients having not received heparin, and patients without radial artery patency during hemostasis had more RAO. By multivariate analysis, patent radial artery during hemostasis (odds ratio [OR] 0.03, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.004 to 0.28, p = 0.002) and diabetes (OR 11, 95% CI 3 to 38,p patent hemostasis is maintained. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Opinion evolution in different social acquaintance networks

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xi; Zhang, Xiao; Wu, Zhan; Wang, Hongwei; Wang, Guohua; Li, Wei

2017-11-01

Social acquaintance networks influenced by social culture and social policy have a great impact on public opinion evolution in daily life. Based on the differences between socio-culture and social policy, three different social acquaintance networks (kinship-priority acquaintance network, independence-priority acquaintance network, and hybrid acquaintance network) incorporating heredity proportion ph and variation proportion pv are proposed in this paper. Numerical experiments are conducted to investigate network topology and different phenomena during opinion evolution, using the Deffuant model. We found that in kinship-priority acquaintance networks, similar to the Chinese traditional acquaintance networks, opinions always achieve fragmentation, resulting in the formation of multiple large clusters and many small clusters due to the fact that individuals believe more in their relatives and live in a relatively closed environment. In independence-priority acquaintance networks, similar to Western acquaintance networks, the results are similar to those in the kinship-priority acquaintance network. In hybrid acquaintance networks, similar to the Chinese modern acquaintance networks, only a few clusters are formed indicating that in modern China, opinions are more likely to reach consensus on a large scale. These results are similar to the opinion evolution phenomena in modern society, proving the rationality and applicability of network models combined with social culture and policy. We also found a threshold curve pv+2 ph=2.05 in the results for the final opinion clusters and evolution time. Above the threshold curve, opinions could easily reach consensus. Based on the above experimental results, a culture-policy-driven mechanism for the opinion dynamic is worth promoting in this paper, that is, opinion dynamics can be driven by different social cultures and policies through the influence of heredity and variation in interpersonal relationship networks. This

Survey Methods, Traditional, Public Opinion Polling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Elmelund-Præstekær, Christian; Hopmann, David Nicolas; Pedersen, Rasmus Tue

2017-01-01

Traditional public opinion polls are surveys in which a random sample of a given population is asked questions about their attitudes, knowledge, or behavior. If conducted properly, the answers from such surveys are approximately representative of the entire population. Traditional public opinion...... polling is typically based on four different methods of data gathering, or combinations hereof: face-to-face, postal surveys, phone surveys, and web surveys. Given that opinion polls are based on a sample, we cannot be sure that the sample reflects public opinion perfectly, however—even if randomness...... is perfect. Moreover, responses may be highly dependent on the contextual information provided with the question. Also, it may be difficult to capture past or complex causes of attitudes or behavior. In short, surveys are a precise way of measuring public opinion, but they do not come without challenges....

Overview of Provisional Peer-Reviewed Toxicity Values (PPRTVs), Alternative Methods in Human Health Risk Assessment, and the RapidTox Dashboard

Science.gov (United States)

This poster provides an overview of three key lines of ongoing work at EPA/ORD/NCEA-CIN: Provisional Peer-Reviewed Toxicity Values (PPRTVs), Alternative Methods in Human Health Risk Assessment, and the RapidTox Dashboard collaboration.

Opinion Change: Information or Partisanship?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Justesen, Mogens K.; Klemmensen, Robert; Leavitt, Thomas

Currently two paradigms seek to explain how voters change their opinion when they are confronted with new information. One school argues that voters are bayesian updaters who rationally change their opinion. Another school argues that voters are inherently biased in their evaluation of new...... information. According to this line of thought voters are more likely to accept information that con_rms their opinion compared to information that contradict their point of view. Using a quasi experiment we investigate the extent to which voters rely on bayesian updating or on motivated reasoning when...

Exploring the opinions of registered nurses working in a clinical transfusion environment on the contribution of e-learning to personal learning and clinical practice: results of a small scale educational research study.

Science.gov (United States)

Cottrell, Susan; Donaldson, Jayne H

2013-05-01

To explore the opinions of registered nurses on the Learnbloodtransfusion Module 1: Safe Transfusion Practice e-learning programme to meeting personal learning styles and learning needs. A qualitative research methodology was applied based on the principles of phenomenology. Adopting a convenience sampling plan supported the recruitment of participants who had successfully completed the e-learning course. Thematic analysis from the semi-structured interviews identified common emerging themes through application of Colaizzis framework. Seven participants of total sample population (89) volunteered to participate in the study. Five themes emerged which included learning preferences, interactive learning, course design, patient safety and future learning needs. Findings positively show the e-learning programme captures the learning styles and needs of learners. In particular, learning styles of a reflector, theorist and activist as well as a visual learner can actively engage in the online learning experience. In an attempt to bridge the knowledge practice gap, further opinions are offered on the course design and the application of knowledge to practice following completion of the course. The findings of the small scale research study have shown that the e-learning course does meet the diverse learning styles and needs of nurses working in a clinical transfusion environment. However, technology alone is not sufficient and a blended approach to learning must be adopted to meet bridging the theory practice gap supporting the integration of knowledge to clinical practice. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Optimizing anterior esthetics of a single-tooth implant through socket augmentation and immediate provisionalization: A case report with 7-year follow-up

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Po-Sung Fu

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Tooth extraction inevitably accompanies alveolar ridge resorption with loss of pre-existing tissue morphology. Replacing missing teeth with dental implants has become popular, but restoring anterior teeth with implant-supported restorations is a technique-sensitive task and poses challenges for dentists. With the progress of implant dentistry, the demand for optimal esthetics has become linked with the desire for faster, easier techniques that shorten treatment time and also satisfy patients. Immediate provisionalization of a single-tooth implant provides significant benefits compared with traditional delayed protocols, such as aiding the contouring of peri-implant soft tissue and enhancing patient comfort and satisfaction. This article describes a meticulous approach to a hopeless maxillary central incisor with root fracture. The defect in the extraction socket was reconstructed using autogenous bone harvested from the chin. Four months later, an implant was installed and immediately restored. After another healing period of 6 months, the peri-implant soft tissue had been shaped and matured according to the contours of the provisional restoration. The emergence profile was used to duplicate the definitive restoration. Peri-implant esthetics was achieved through socket augmentation and immediate provisionalization of the implant. This treatment modality attained predictable and maintainable outcomes, both functionally and esthetically.

Opinion Summarizationof CustomerComments

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Miao; Wu, Guoshi

Web 2.0 technologies have enabled more and more customers to freely comment on different kinds of entities, such as sellers, products and services. The large scale of information poses the need and challenge of automatic summarization. In many cases, each of the user-generated short comments implies the opinions which rate the target entity. In this paper, we aim to mine and to summarize all the customer comments of a product. The algorithm proposed in this researchis more reliable on opinion identification because it is unsupervised and the accuracy of the result improves as the number of comments increases. Our research is performed in four steps: (1) mining the frequent aspects of a product that have been commented on by customers; (2) mining the infrequent aspects of a product which have been commented by customers (3) identifying opinion words in each comment and deciding whether each opinion word is positive, negative or neutral; (4) summarizing the comments. This paper proposes several novel techniques to perform these tasks. Our experimental results using comments of a number of products sold online demonstrate the effectiveness of the techniques.

Immediate Loading of Implants in the Edentulous Maxilla with a Fixed Provisional Restoration without Bone Augmentation: A Report on 5-Year Outcomes Data Obtained from a Prospective Clinical Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Toljanic, Joseph A; Ekstrand, Karl; Baer, Russell A; Thor, Andreas

2016-01-01

Successful immediate loading of implants in the edentulous maxilla has been previously reported. The purpose of this 5-year prospective study was to further assess long-term outcomes following immediate loading of implants in the edentulous maxilla with fixed provisional restorations without the use of bone augmentation procedures. Subjects with edentulous maxillary arches each received six implants placed in native bone without augmentation. Where insufficient posterior bone volume existed, angled implant placement was employed. Fixed provisional restorations were delivered within 24 hours of implant placement. Implant placement locations, insertion torque values, and implant dimensions were recorded. Definitive fixed prostheses were placed within 24 weeks following implantation. Baseline implant site marginal bone levels were measured using periapical radiographs. Baseline peri-implant plaque and bleeding scores were obtained. Subjects were examined 6 months after implant placement and then annually for 5 years with follow-up periapical radiographs and plaque/bleeding scores obtained. Fifty-one subjects received a total of 306 implants. Forty subjects with 232 implants returned for the final follow-up appointment representing a 5-year implant survival proportion of 93% with a mean marginal bone loss of 0.44 ± 1.25 mm for this group. Thirty-nine of these 40 subjects continued to function with fixed restorations with the remaining subject functioning with a non-implant-retained removable prosthesis. Within the limitations of this study, predictable long-term implant rehabilitation outcomes were demonstrated for the edentulous maxilla using an immediate loading protocol without bone augmentation.

Provisional standards of radiation safety of flight personnel and passengers in air transport of the civil aviation

Science.gov (United States)

1977-01-01

Provisional standards for radiation affecting passenger aircraft are considered. Agencies responsible for seeing that the regulations are enforced are designated while radiation sources and types of radiation are defined. Standard levels of permissible radiation are given and conditions for radiation safety are discussed. Dosimetric equipment on board aircraft is delineated and regulation effective dates are given.

Provisional standards of radiation safety of flight personnel and passengers in air transport of the civil aviation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Provisional standards for radiation affecting passenger aircraft are considered. Agencies responsible for seeing that the regulations are enforced are designated while radiation sources and types of radiation are defined. Standard levels of permissible radiation are given and conditions for radiation safety are discussed. Dosimetric equipment on board aircraft is delineated and regulation effective dates are given

A Self-Categorization Explanation for Opinion Consensus Perceptions

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jinguang; Reid, Scott A.

2013-01-01

The public expression of opinions (and related communicative activities) hinges upon the perception of opinion consensus. Current explanations for opinion consensus perceptions typically focus on egocentric and other biases, rather than functional cognitions. Using self-categorization theory we showed that opinion consensus perceptions flow from…

Clinical manifestations in patients with computerized tomography diagnosis of neurocysticercosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pfuetzenreiter, Marcia Regina; Avila-Pires, Fernando Dias de

1999-01-01

A survey was conducted in the urban area of Lages using patients who had been submitted to a computed tomography of the skull in the period of March-December, 1996, for different reasons. Forty-two patients with a provisional diagnosis of neurocysticercosis, and 57 negatives were personally interviewed by one of the authors (Pfuetzenreiter), using a semi-structured procedure. More individuals with a provisional diagnostic of neurocysticercosis reported clinical manifestations related to this infection than those found negative. this difference is more marked among women, except in relation to convulsions, more frequently reported by men (19.05%) than by women (7.14%). The greater percentage of inactive forms (83.33%0 and a longer history of perceived symptoms among those positives suggest that the condition is not new. (author)

Anisotropic opinion dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Neirotti, Juan

2016-07-01

We consider the process of opinion formation in a society of interacting agents, where there is a set B of socially accepted rules. In this scenario, we observed that agents, represented by simple feed-forward, adaptive neural networks, may have a conservative attitude (mostly in agreement with B ) or liberal attitude (mostly in agreement with neighboring agents) depending on how much their opinions are influenced by their peers. The topology of the network representing the interaction of the society's members is determined by a graph, where the agents' properties are defined over the vertexes and the interagent interactions are defined over the bonds. The adaptability of the agents allows us to model the formation of opinions as an online learning process, where agents learn continuously as new information becomes available to the whole society (online learning). Through the application of statistical mechanics techniques we deduced a set of differential equations describing the dynamics of the system. We observed that by slowly varying the average peer influence in such a way that the agents attitude changes from conservative to liberal and back, the average social opinion develops a hysteresis cycle. Such hysteretic behavior disappears when the variance of the social influence distribution is large enough. In all the cases studied, the change from conservative to liberal behavior is characterized by the emergence of conservative clusters, i.e., a closed knitted set of society members that follow a leader who agrees with the social status quo when the rule B is challenged.

Opinion evolution in different social acquaintance networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xi; Zhang, Xiao; Wu, Zhan; Wang, Hongwei; Wang, Guohua; Li, Wei

2017-11-01

Social acquaintance networks influenced by social culture and social policy have a great impact on public opinion evolution in daily life. Based on the differences between socio-culture and social policy, three different social acquaintance networks (kinship-priority acquaintance network, independence-priority acquaintance network, and hybrid acquaintance network) incorporating heredity proportion p h and variation proportion p v are proposed in this paper. Numerical experiments are conducted to investigate network topology and different phenomena during opinion evolution, using the Deffuant model. We found that in kinship-priority acquaintance networks, similar to the Chinese traditional acquaintance networks, opinions always achieve fragmentation, resulting in the formation of multiple large clusters and many small clusters due to the fact that individuals believe more in their relatives and live in a relatively closed environment. In independence-priority acquaintance networks, similar to Western acquaintance networks, the results are similar to those in the kinship-priority acquaintance network. In hybrid acquaintance networks, similar to the Chinese modern acquaintance networks, only a few clusters are formed indicating that in modern China, opinions are more likely to reach consensus on a large scale. These results are similar to the opinion evolution phenomena in modern society, proving the rationality and applicability of network models combined with social culture and policy. We also found a threshold curve p v +2p h =2.05 in the results for the final opinion clusters and evolution time. Above the threshold curve, opinions could easily reach consensus. Based on the above experimental results, a culture-policy-driven mechanism for the opinion dynamic is worth promoting in this paper, that is, opinion dynamics can be driven by different social cultures and policies through the influence of heredity and variation in interpersonal relationship networks. This

The Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice on Kosovo's Declaration of Independence

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Besnik MURATI

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The question raised by Serbia at the ICJ that, “Is the unilateral declaration of independence by the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government of Kosovo in accordance with international law?”, is my main focus in this study. The purpose of the paper is the study and analysis of the advisory opinion of the ICJ on Kosovo's declaration of independence. In the beginning, I will make a brief chronology of the process up to the Declaration of Independence, offering historical and legal facts that this way of declaration of independence was the only option for Kosovo. Later, I will focus on contesting the declaration of independence from Serbia at the ICJ of UN. After contesting the Declaration of Independence, will analyze the review and its judgment the ICJ, whether ICJ had jurisdiction in the treatment and trial of the case, countries with their statements that were in support of Kosovo and countries which they were against it and in favor of Serbia. After review and trial at the ICJ, I would analyze the decision of the ICJ that Kosovo's declaration of independence was in accordance with International Law? In conclusion, I would summarize the whole of the paper, the process through which Kosovo went during this period. Was also an undeniable fact that the Declaration of Independence was the only remaining option for Kosovo and its people?

How Public Opinion is Formed

Science.gov (United States)

Block, Edward M.

1977-01-01

Investigates the evolution of the definition of public relations by examining cultural and personal determinants of public opinion. Outlines functions of communicators and opinionmakers in forming and influencing public opinion. Available from: Public Relations Review, Ray Hiebert, Dean, College of Journalism, University of Maryland, College Park,…

Development of criteria for evaluating clinical response in thyroid eye disease using a modified Delphi technique

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Douglas, Raymond S; Tsirbas, Angelo; Gordon, Mark

2009-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To identify components of a provisional clinical response index for thyroid eye disease using a modified Delphi technique. METHODS: The International Thyroid Eye Disease Society conducted a structured, 3-round Delphi exercise establishing consensus for a core set of measures for clinical...... parsed into 11 domains for the Delphi surveys. Eighty-four respondents participated in the Delphi 1 survey, providing 220 unique items. Ninety-two members (100% of the respondents from Delphi 1 plus 8 new participants) responded in Delphi 2 and rated the same 220 items. Sixty-four members (76......% of participants) rated 153 criteria in Delphi 3 (67 criteria were excluded because of redundancy). Criteria with a mean greater than 6 (1 = least appropriate to 9 = most appropriate) were further evaluated by the nominal group technique and provisional core measures were chosen. CONCLUSIONS: Using a Delphi...

Can an ethics officer role reduce delays in research ethics approval? A mixed-method evaluation of an improvement project.

Science.gov (United States)

Dixon-Woods, Mary; Foy, Chris; Hayden, Charlotte; Al-Shahi Salman, Rustam; Tebbutt, Stephen; Schroter, Sara

2016-08-31

Frustration continues to be directed at delays in gaining approvals for undertaking health research in the UK. We aimed to evaluate the impact of an ethics officer intervention on rates of favourable opinions (approval) and provisional opinions (requiring revision and resubmission) and on the time taken to reach a final opinion by research ethics committees (RECs), to characterise how the role operated in practice, and to investigate applicants' views. Mixed-method study involving (i) a 2-group, non-randomised before-and-after intervention study of RECs assigned an ethics officer and a matched comparator group; (ii) a process evaluation involving a survey of applicants and documentary analysis. 6 RECs and 3 associated ethics officers; 18 comparator RECs; REC applicants. Rates of provisional and favourable opinions between ethics officer and comparator RECs did not show a statistically significant effect of the intervention (logistic regression, p=0.26 for favourable opinions and p=0.31 for provisional opinions). Mean time to reach a decision showed a non-significant reduction (ANOVA, p=0.22) from 33.3 to 32.0 days in the ethics officer RECs compared with the comparator RECs (32.6 to 32.9 days). The survey (30% response rate) indicated applicant satisfaction and also suggested that ethics officer support might be more useful before submission. Ethics officers were successful in identifying many issues with applications, but the intervention did not function exactly as designed: in 31% of applicants, no contact between the applicants and the ethics officer took place before REC review. This study was a non-randomised comparison cohort study. Some data were missing. An ethics officer intervention, as designed and implemented in this study, did not increase the proportion of applications to RECs that were approved on first review and did not reduce the time to a committee decision. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not

28 CFR 80.8 - Attorney General opinion.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Attorney General opinion. 80.8 Section 80.8 Judicial Administration DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (CONTINUED) FOREIGN CORRUPT PRACTICES ACT OPINION PROCEDURE § 80.8 Attorney General opinion. The Attorney General or his designee shall, within 30 days after...

The Provisional Irish Republican Army and the Development of Mortars

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Gary Ackerman

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA repeatedly showed itself to be one of the most inventive and adaptive of all the violent non-state actors who operated in the latter part of the twentieth century. Among its most innovative exploits was the PIRA’s successful development and fielding – spanning almost its entire operational lifetime – of improvised mortar systems. This chapter will trace the sustained development of mortars, including the underlying motivations for pursuing mortars as a complex engineering effort, the process by which the development took place and the underpinnings of its success. The discussion will show that the PIRA’s mortar development program was born out of tactical necessity but enabled by good organizational practices and the organization’s access to materials, expertise and places in which to leverage these.

[Discussion on professor SHAO Jing-Ming's academic opinion of focusing spirit].

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Qiao-Lin; Gao, Xi-Yan; Shao, Su-Ju; Shao, Su-Xia; Hu, Bin

2014-06-01

During professor SHAO Jing-ming's academic research and medical practice, his academic opinion of focusing spirit is gradually developed. In terms of nurturing the spirit, attention should be paid on persistence as well as everyday health maintenance and exercise to nurture the spirit of physician. In terms of clinical diagnosis and treatment, patients' psychology, employment and life status should be observed and experienced, which could bring more methods to take essential care of patients' spirit. The treatment should work with psychological counseling, advocating that based on patients' qi and spirit, various forms of treatment methods should be properly used, such as acupuncture or moxibustion or combination of acupuncture and medicine, along with simple acupoint selection and harmony medication. Before clinical treatment of acupuncture, calming the mind is critically emphasized to make a clear diagnosis. During the acupuncture, calming and focusing the mind is necessary as well as emphasizing the details, so acupuncture could be integrated with Chi Gong to create a new warming-sensation technique. In a word, the academic opinion of focusing spirit is shedding an inspiring light upon further study.

Immediate provisionalization of dental implants placed in healed alveolar ridges and extraction sockets: a 5-year prospective evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Cooper, Lyndon F; Reside, Glenn J; Raes, Filiep; Garriga, Joan Soliva; Tarrida, Luis Giner; Wiltfang, Jörg; Kern, Matthias; De Bruyn, Hugo

2014-01-01

This 5-year prospective multicenter study compared implant survival and success, peri-implant health and soft tissue responses, crestal bone level stability, and complication rates following immediate loading of single OsseoSpeed implants placed in anterior maxillary healed ridges or extraction sockets. Individuals requiring anterior tooth replacement with single implants were treated and immediately provisionalized. Definitive all-ceramic crowns were placed at 12 weeks. Implant survival, bone levels, soft tissue levels, and peri-implant health were monitored for 5 years. One hundred thirteen patients received implants in fresh sockets (55) and healed ridges (58). After 5 years, 45 and 49 patients remained for evaluation, respectively. During the first year, three implants failed in the extraction socket group (94.6% survival) and one implant failed in the healed ridge group (98.3% survival); this difference was not significant. No further implant failures were recorded. After 5 years, the interproximal crestal bone levels were located a mean of 0.43 ± 0.63 mm and 0.38 ± 0.62 mm from the reference points of implants in sockets and healed ridges (not a significant difference). In both groups, papillae increased over time and peri-implant mucosal zenith positions were stable from the time of definitive crown placement in sockets and healed ridges. Compared to flap surgery for implants in healed ridges, flapless surgery resulted in increased peri-implant mucosal tissue dimension (average, 0.78 ± 1.34 mm vs 0.19 ± 0.79 mm). After 5 years, the bone and soft tissue parameters that characterize implant success and contribute to dental implant esthetics were similar following the immediate provisionalization of implants in sockets and healed ridges. The overall tissue responses and reported implant survival support the immediate provisionalization of dental implants in situations involving healed ridges and, under ideal circumstances, extraction sockets.

Identifying Opinion Leaders to Promote Behavior Change

Science.gov (United States)

Valente, Thomas W.; Pumpuang, Patchareeya

2007-01-01

This article reviews 10 techniques used to identify opinion leaders to promote behavior change. Opinion leaders can act as gatekeepers for interventions, help change social norms, and accelerate behavior change. Few studies document the manner in which opinion leaders are identified, recruited, and trained to promote health. The authors categorize…

Multifactorial analysis of variables influencing the fracture strength of repair joints for provisional restorative materials using the statistically based Taguchi method

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Chun-Jen Cheng

2010-06-01

Conclusion: Within the limitations of this study, these four design factors had different contributions to the fracture strength of repaired provisional restorations. Clinicians must be aware of the sequence of importance in determining better problem-solving methods.

UK Public Opinion Review - Working Paper - An overview of public opinion polls since the Edward Snowden revelations in June 2013

OpenAIRE

Cable, Jonathan

2015-01-01

This document charts public opinion of the Edward Snowden leaks and associated issues\\ud since June 2013. This includes people’s opinions on surveillance, the intelligence services\\ud and personal privacy. Since the Snowden leaks there have been 38 opinion polls on these\\ud topics concerning public opinion in the UK and conducted by large polling organisations,\\ud such as YouGov, ComRes and Ipsos MORI among others.

[First results of a German second opinion program show high patient satisfaction and large discrepancies between initial therapy recommendations and second opinion].

Science.gov (United States)

Weyerstraß, Jan; Prediger, Barbara; Neugebauer, Edmund; Pieper, Dawid

2018-02-23

Although legally anchored, there are no empirical results from German second opinion programs. In this study, various aspects within a population of a second opinion program are examined. In this study patients were analyzed who sought a second opinion in the period from August 2011 to December 2016. Differences in patient characteristics, differentiated by agreement of first and second opinion, were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression. Patients' satisfaction and quality of life were examined one, three and six months after obtaining the second opinion. In total, 1,414 patients sought a second opinion. Most frequent medical indications were the knee (38.7 %), the back (26.8 %), the hip (11.7 %), and the shoulder (10.2 %). Except for the indication (p=0.035), no patient characteristic had influence on the conformation of the second opinion. Approximately two out of three initial recommendations were not confirmed by the specialists. 89 % of the patients were satisfied or very satisfied with the second opinion and the service offered. The second opinion offers patients the opportunity to seek an additional independent medical opinion and thus provide support for decision making. Further research is needed to examine the reasons for the high discrepancies between the first and second opinions. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

Opinion survey on energy and climate in 2013

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, Jean-Philippe

2013-08-01

This issue comments the results of a survey on the opinion of French people on the reality of climate change (for the whole population and with respect to age), on the opinion of French people on nuclear energy (in relationship with the opinion on climate change, globally in terms of benefit or drawback with evolution of the opinion since 1994), on the feeling of having suffered from the cold during the winter of 2012-2013, on the dwelling temperature in winter, and on the opinion on energy price

An update on implant placement and provisionalization in extraction, edentulous, and sinus-grafted sites. A clinical report on 3200 sites over 8 years.

Science.gov (United States)

Petrungaro, Paul S

2008-06-01

Provisionalization of dental implants at placement has become more prominent in the field of implantology over the past several years, especially in the esthetic zone. The benefits of this treatment option include immediate tooth replacement, formation and maintenance of esthetic soft-tissue contours, containment for bone-grafting and tissue-regenerative procedures, and an improved sense of the patient's perception of the implant process. The blending together of the surgical and prosthetic/esthetic phase has never been more important as implant systems, abutment options, and surgical techniques have helped optimize procedures that can be accomplished at the surgical visit. This article reviews the guidelines for surgical success first described by the author in 2003 and expands upon those results. This article highlights the results of more than 3200 immediately restored implants placed in edentulous, fresh extraction sockets, and sinus-grafted sites, over an 8-year period, and presents a case for each area of placement.

Osteoid osteoma masquerading tubercular arthritis or osteomyelitis on MRI: Case series and review of literature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, Jatinder Pal; Srivastava, Smita; Singh, Dharmendra

2015-01-01

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans for osteoid osteoma could be misleading and can be misinterpreted as tuberculosis, especially when used as the principal modality of investigation. We retrospectively reviewed cases presenting to our institute for second opinion and selected six cases that were referred to our institute with a provisional diagnosis of tubercular arthritis or osteomyelitis and were identified to have osteoid osteoma. We reviewed the literature on typical and atypical clinical and radiological presentations of osteoid osteoma depending upon their location and present radiological features on MRI that should alert the radiologists toward a correct diagnosis

Evaluating the opinions of staff and health care service provision of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Evaluating the opinions of staff and health care service provision of an std/Hiv clinic in Africa – Indications for recovery. RG Cooper ... Data were analysed according to gender, using a two-sample t-test and chi-square tests. Yates' correction was made for continuity of smaller samples. A value of p<0.05 was taken a ...

Dietitians' opinions regarding refeeding syndrome, clinical guidelines and extended scope of practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Matthews, Kylie L; Palmer, Michelle A; Capra, Sandra M

2018-04-30

Refeeding syndrome (RFS) prevalence rates vary across studies depending on the criteria used for assessment and identification. For registered dietitians, the assessment and management of RFS is highly reliant on daily serum electrolyte values; however, registered dietitians working within Australia do not currently possess laboratory test ordering privileges. We aimed to examine the opinions of registered dietitians regarding RFS identification, management and guidelines and the option of using extended scope of practice to order electrolyte monitoring autonomously. A multi-method action research approach was used, incorporating two projects. The first was a survey examining Australian registered dietitians' (n = 187) opinions regarding RFS identification, management and guidelines, and autonomous electrolyte monitoring. To establish if results were similar internationally, an interview was conducted with 22 registered dietitians working within 10 different countries. Data were analysed using chi-square tests and thematic analysis. Australian registered dietitians (75%) identify patients at risk of RFS at a high rate of more than once per fortnight, with 74% reporting that they have previously worked with a patient diagnosed with RFS. Results varied internationally, with respondents from eight countries reporting that RFS is a problem within acute care versus respondents from five countries having never treated a patient with RFS. The majority (≥89%) of registered dietitians desire new guidelines and the option to order patient electrolyte monitoring autonomously. Our findings suggest that more stringent tools for the identification of RFS are necessary. There was limited uniformity across countries, and updated practice guidelines are needed. © 2018 Dietitians Association of Australia.

Applications of flow-networks to opinion-dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Tupikina, Liubov; Kurths, Jürgen

2015-04-01

Networks were successfully applied to describe complex systems, such as brain, climate, processes in society. Recently a socio-physical problem of opinion-dynamics was studied using network techniques. We present the toy-model of opinion-formation based on the physical model of advection-diffusion. We consider spreading of the opinion on the fixed subject, assuming that opinion on society is binary: if person has opinion then the state of the node in the society-network equals 1, if the person doesn't have opinion state of the node equals 0. Opinion can be spread from one person to another if they know each other, or in the network-terminology, if the nodes are connected. We include into the system governed by advection-diffusion equation the external field to model such effects as for instance influence from media. The assumptions for our model can be formulated as the following: 1.the node-states are influenced by the network structure in such a way, that opinion can be spread only between adjacent nodes (the advective term of the opinion-dynamics), 2.the network evolution can have two scenarios: -network topology is not changing with time; -additional links can appear or disappear each time-step with fixed probability which requires adaptive networks properties. Considering these assumptions for our system we obtain the system of equations describing our model-dynamics which corresponds well to other socio-physics models, for instance, the model of the social cohesion and the famous voter-model. We investigate the behavior of the suggested model studying "waiting time" of the system, time to get to the stable state, stability of the model regimes for different values of model parameters and network topology.

Discrepancy and Disliking Do Not Induce Negative Opinion Shifts

Science.gov (United States)

Flache, Andreas; Mäs, Michael

2016-01-01

Both classical social psychological theories and recent formal models of opinion differentiation and bi-polarization assign a prominent role to negative social influence. Negative influence is defined as shifts away from the opinion of others and hypothesized to be induced by discrepancy with or disliking of the source of influence. There is strong empirical support for the presence of positive social influence (a shift towards the opinion of others), but evidence that large opinion differences or disliking could trigger negative shifts is mixed. We examine positive and negative influence with controlled exposure to opinions of other individuals in one experiment and with opinion exchange in another study. Results confirm that similarities induce attraction, but results do not support that discrepancy or disliking entails negative influence. Instead, our findings suggest a robust positive linear relationship between opinion distance and opinion shifts. PMID:27333160

Prospective evaluation of a new protocol for the provisional use of perfusion imaging with exercise stress testing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Duvall, W.L. [Hartford Hospital, Division of Cardiology (Henry Low Heart Center), Hartford, CT (United States); Mount Sinai Medical Center, Division of Cardiology (Mount Sinai Heart), New York, NY (United States); Savino, John A.; Levine, Elliot J.; Croft, Lori B.; Henzlova, Milena J. [Mount Sinai Medical Center, Division of Cardiology (Mount Sinai Heart), New York, NY (United States); Hermann, Luke K. [Mount Sinai Medical Center, Department of Emergency Medicine, New York, NY (United States)

2014-11-04

Previous literature suggests that myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) adds little to the prognosis of patients who exercise >10 metabolic equivalents (METs) during stress testing. With this in mind, we prospectively tested a provisional injection protocol in emergency department (ED) patients presenting for the evaluation of chest pain in which a patient would not receive an injection of radioisotope if adequate exercise was achieved without symptoms and a negative ECG response. All patients who presented to the ED over a 5-year period who were referred for stress testing as part of their ED evaluation were included. Patients considered for a provisional protocol were: exercise stress, age <65 years, no known coronary artery disease, and an interpretable rest ECG. Criteria for not injecting included a maximal predicted heart rate ≥85 %, ≥10 METs of exercise, no anginal symptoms during stress, and no ECG changes. Groups were compared based on stress test results, all-cause and cardiac mortality, follow-up cardiac testing, subsequent revascularization, and cost. A total of 965 patients were eligible with 192 undergoing exercise-only and 773 having perfusion imaging. After 41.6 ± 19.6 months of follow-up, all-cause mortality was similar in the exercise-only versus the exercise plus imaging group (2.6 % vs. 2.1 %, p = 0.59). There were no cardiac deaths in the exercise-only group. At 1 year there was no difference in the number of repeat functional stress tests (1.6 % vs. 2.1 %, p = 0.43), fewer angiograms (0 % vs. 4.0 %, p = 0.002), and a significantly lower cost (65 ± 332 vs 506 ± 1,991, p = 0.002; values are in US dollars) in the exercise-only group. The radiation exposure in the exercise plus imaging group was 8.4 ± 2.1 mSv. A provisional injection protocol has a very low mortality, few follow-up diagnostic tests, and lower cost compared to standard imaging protocols. If adopted it would decrease radiation exposure, save time and decrease health-care costs

Prospective evaluation of a new protocol for the provisional use of perfusion imaging with exercise stress testing.

Science.gov (United States)

Duvall, W Lane; Savino, John A; Levine, Elliot J; Hermann, Luke K; Croft, Lori B; Henzlova, Milena J

2015-02-01

Previous literature suggests that myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) adds little to the prognosis of patients who exercise >10 metabolic equivalents (METs) during stress testing. With this in mind, we prospectively tested a provisional injection protocol in emergency department (ED) patients presenting for the evaluation of chest pain in which a patient would not receive an injection of radioisotope if adequate exercise was achieved without symptoms and a negative ECG response. All patients who presented to the ED over a 5-year period who were referred for stress testing as part of their ED evaluation were included. Patients considered for a provisional protocol were: exercise stress, age heart rate ≥85%, ≥10 METs of exercise, no anginal symptoms during stress, and no ECG changes. Groups were compared based on stress test results, all-cause and cardiac mortality, follow-up cardiac testing, subsequent revascularization, and cost. A total of 965 patients were eligible with 192 undergoing exercise-only and 773 having perfusion imaging. After 41.6 ± 19.6 months of follow-up, all-cause mortality was similar in the exercise-only versus the exercise plus imaging group (2.6% vs. 2.1%, p = 0.59). There were no cardiac deaths in the exercise-only group. At 1 year there was no difference in the number of repeat functional stress tests (1.6% vs. 2.1%, p = 0.43), fewer angiograms (0% vs. 4.0%, p = 0.002), and a significantly lower cost ($65 ± $332 vs $506 ± $1,991, p = 0.002; values are in US dollars) in the exercise-only group. The radiation exposure in the exercise plus imaging group was 8.4 ± 2.1 mSv. A provisional injection protocol has a very low mortality, few follow-up diagnostic tests, and lower cost compared to standard imaging protocols. If adopted it would decrease radiation exposure, save time and decrease health-care costs without jeopardizing prognosis.

Prospective evaluation of a new protocol for the provisional use of perfusion imaging with exercise stress testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duvall, W.L.; Savino, John A.; Levine, Elliot J.; Croft, Lori B.; Henzlova, Milena J.; Hermann, Luke K.

2015-01-01

Previous literature suggests that myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) adds little to the prognosis of patients who exercise >10 metabolic equivalents (METs) during stress testing. With this in mind, we prospectively tested a provisional injection protocol in emergency department (ED) patients presenting for the evaluation of chest pain in which a patient would not receive an injection of radioisotope if adequate exercise was achieved without symptoms and a negative ECG response. All patients who presented to the ED over a 5-year period who were referred for stress testing as part of their ED evaluation were included. Patients considered for a provisional protocol were: exercise stress, age <65 years, no known coronary artery disease, and an interpretable rest ECG. Criteria for not injecting included a maximal predicted heart rate ≥85 %, ≥10 METs of exercise, no anginal symptoms during stress, and no ECG changes. Groups were compared based on stress test results, all-cause and cardiac mortality, follow-up cardiac testing, subsequent revascularization, and cost. A total of 965 patients were eligible with 192 undergoing exercise-only and 773 having perfusion imaging. After 41.6 ± 19.6 months of follow-up, all-cause mortality was similar in the exercise-only versus the exercise plus imaging group (2.6 % vs. 2.1 %, p = 0.59). There were no cardiac deaths in the exercise-only group. At 1 year there was no difference in the number of repeat functional stress tests (1.6 % vs. 2.1 %, p = 0.43), fewer angiograms (0 % vs. 4.0 %, p = 0.002), and a significantly lower cost (65 ± 332 vs 506 ± 1,991, p = 0.002; values are in US dollars) in the exercise-only group. The radiation exposure in the exercise plus imaging group was 8.4 ± 2.1 mSv. A provisional injection protocol has a very low mortality, few follow-up diagnostic tests, and lower cost compared to standard imaging protocols. If adopted it would decrease radiation exposure, save time and decrease health-care costs

Immediate provisionalization of immediate implants in the esthetic zone: a prospective case series evaluating implant survival, esthetics, and bone maintenance.

Science.gov (United States)

Levin, Barry P; Wilk, Brian L

2013-05-01

This prospective study evaluates immediately placed and immediately provisionalized implants in the esthetic zone. All implants were TiO2-blasted, fluoride-modified, grade 4 titanium, with a coronal microthread design. Bone grafting and guided bone regeneration (GBR) was performed at all sites, and screw-retained temporary restorations were delivered on the day of surgery. All of the provisional crown(s) were out of occlusal function and remained in place for at least 8 weeks prior to initiation of definitive restorative therapy. Bone maintenance (BM) was considered successful if radiographs demonstrated proximal bone levels even or coronal to the implant platform. Of the 29 implants placed, 25 (86 percent) achieved bone maintenance at least 12 months post-loading with the final restorations. This study was considered successful, with 100 percent implant survival after at least 1 year loading of the final restoration, and 100 percent of patients were satisfied with the esthetics of their implant treatment.

Hyperprolactinemia with normal serum prolactin: Its clinical significance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manika Agarwal

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Amenorrhea and infertility with an added feature of galactorrhea makes a provisional diagnosis of hyperprolactinemia. But again, normal serum prolactin with all clinical features of hyperprolactinemia might question the diagnosis and further management. The answer lies in the heterogeneity of the peptide hormone - the immunoactive and the bioactive forms. This has been further illustrated with the help of a case which had been treated with cabergoline.

'Quicksand' of public opinion - trust in nuclear after Fukushima

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gieci, Adam; Maly, Stanislav; Palecek, Milos

2012-01-01

The following public opinion surveys are described: public opinion on nuclear power plants by the end of 2010; first public opinion polls after Fukushima in the US, UK and France; and public opinion and the future of nuclear in Japan. The following issues are discussed: Has nuclear any perspective after Fukushima? Will public opinion change after the Fukushima accident like it did after the TMI event? Will public opinion change after the Fukushima accident like it did after the oil spill accident in the Gulf of Mexico? In conclusion the new approaches to the fight for public confidence after Fukushima are described. (orig.)

Discrete Opinion Dynamics on Online Social Networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu Yan-Li; Bai Liang; Zhang Wei-Ming

2013-01-01

This paper focuses on the dynamics of binary opinions {+1, −1} on online social networks consisting of heterogeneous actors. In our model, actors update their opinions under the interplay of social influence and self- affirmation, which leads to rich dynamical behaviors on online social networks. We find that the opinion leading to the consensus features an advantage of the initially weighted fraction based on actors' strength over the other, instead of the population. For the role of specific actors, the consensus converges towards the opinion that a small fraction of high-strength actors hold, and individual diversity of self-affirmation slows down the ordering process of consensus. These indicate that high-strength actors play an essential role in opinion formation with strong social influence as well as high persistence. Further investigations show that the initial fraction of high-strength actors to dominate the evolution depends on the heterogeneity of the strength distribution, and less high-strength actors are needed in the case of a smaller exponent of power-law distribution of actors' strength. Our study provides deep insights into the role of social influence and self-affirmation on opinion formation on online social networks. (general)

Discrete Opinion Dynamics on Online Social Networks

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Yan-Li; Bai, Liang; Zhang, Wei-Ming

2013-01-01

This paper focuses on the dynamics of binary opinions {+1, -1} on online social networks consisting of heterogeneous actors. In our model, actors update their opinions under the interplay of social influence and self- affirmation, which leads to rich dynamical behaviors on online social networks. We find that the opinion leading to the consensus features an advantage of the initially weighted fraction based on actors' strength over the other, instead of the population. For the role of specific actors, the consensus converges towards the opinion that a small fraction of high-strength actors hold, and individual diversity of self-affirmation slows down the ordering process of consensus. These indicate that high-strength actors play an essential role in opinion formation with strong social influence as well as high persistence. Further investigations show that the initial fraction of high-strength actors to dominate the evolution depends on the heterogeneity of the strength distribution, and less high-strength actors are needed in the case of a smaller exponent of power-law distribution of actors' strength. Our study provides deep insights into the role of social influence and self-affirmation on opinion formation on online social networks.

Opinion data mining based on DNA method and ORA software

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Ru-Ya; Wu, Lei; Liang, Xiao-He; Zhang, Xue-Fu

2018-01-01

Public opinion, especially the online public opinion is a critical issue when it comes to mining its characteristics. Because it can be formed directly and intensely in a short time, and may lead to the outbreak of online group events, and the formation of online public opinion crisis. This may become the pushing hand of a public crisis event, or even have negative social impacts, which brings great challenges to the government management. Data from the mass media which reveal implicit, previously unknown, and potentially valuable information, can effectively help us to understand the evolution law of public opinion, and provide a useful reference for rumor intervention. Based on the Dynamic Network Analysis method, this paper uses ORA software to mine characteristics of public opinion information, opinion topics, and public opinion agents through a series of indicators, and quantitatively analyzed the relationships between them. The results show that through the analysis of the 8 indexes associating with opinion data mining, we can have a basic understanding of the public opinion characteristics of an opinion event, such as who is important in the opinion spreading process, the information grasping condition, and the opinion topics release situation.

Evaluation of the effect of various beverages and food material on the color stability of provisional materials - An in vitro study.

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Gaurav; Gupta, Tina

2011-07-01

THIS STUDY EVALUATED THE COLOR STABILITY OF FOUR PROVISIONAL MATERIALS: 1) Poly-methyl methacrylates (DPI); 2) Bis-acryl composite (ProtempTM II - 3M ESPE); 3) Bis-acryl composite (Systemp® c and b - Ivoclar Vivadent) and 4) Light polymerized composite resin (Revotek LC- GC). The color and color difference of each specimen after immersion in different staining solutions i.e. 1) tea and artificial saliva, 2) coffee and artificial saliva, 3) Pepsi and artificial saliva, 4) turmeric solution and artificial saliva was measured using reflectance spectrophotometer with CIELAB system before immersion and after immersion at 2, 5 ,7 , 10 and 15 days. Revotek LC- GC (light polymerized composite resin) was found to be the most color stable provisional restorative material followed by Protemp II (Bis-acryl composite), Systemp (Bis-acryl composite) and DPI (Methylmethacrylate resin). Turmeric solution had the maximum staining potential followed by coffee, tea and Pepsi.

Getting a Second Opinion Before Surgery

Science.gov (United States)

... for a second opinion before surgery. When your doctor says you have a health problem that needs surgery, you have the right to: • Know and understand your treatment choices • Have another doctor look at those choices with you (second opinion) • ...

Social opinion dynamics is not chaotic

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Chjan; Zhang, Weituo

2016-08-01

Motivated by the research on social opinion dynamics over large and dense networks, a general framework for verifying the monotonicity property of multi-agent dynamics is introduced. This allows a derivation of sociologically meaningful sufficient conditions for monotonicity that are tailor-made for social opinion dynamics, which typically have high nonlinearity. A direct consequence of monotonicity is that social opinion dynamics is nonchaotic. A key part of this framework is the definition of a partial order relation that is suitable for a large class of social opinion dynamics such as the generalized naming games. Comparisons are made to previous techniques to verify monotonicity. Using the results obtained, we extend many of the consequences of monotonicity to this class of social dynamics, including several corollaries on their asymptotic behavior, such as global convergence to consensus and tipping points of a minority fraction of zealots or leaders.

Elution of Monomers from Provisional Composite Materials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simon Daniel Schulz

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to evaluate the elution of substances from different materials used for the manufacturing of temporary indirect restorations, after storage in saliva and ethanol 75%. 10 samples of three chemically cured materials (Protemp 3 Garant, Systemp.c&b, and Trim and one light-cured material (Clip F were stored in saliva and ethanol 75% for 24 h, 7, and days 28 days. From the storage media at each time period, samples were prepared and analysed by LC-MS/MS, in order to access the elution of monomers. The results differed among the materials (P ≤ 0.05. No monomers were detected in the samples of Protemp 3 Garant and Clip F. Substances were detected only in ethanol samples of Systemp.c&b and Trim. The amount of BisGMA, TEGDMA, and UDMA 2 released from Systemp.c&b was higher compared to Trim. Storage time affected the release of substances (P ≤ 0.05. The highest release was observed within the first 24 h. It can be concluded that provisional resin composite materials do not show high release of monomers and this release is material dependent. However, the detection of additional peaks during the analysis, suggesting the formation of by-products of the eluted substances, may not be in favour of these materials with respect to their toxicity.

A comparative evaluation of the marginal accuracy of crowns fabricated from four commercially available provisional materials: An in vitro study

Science.gov (United States)

Amin, Bhavya Mohandas; Aras, Meena Ajay; Chitre, Vidya

2015-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate and compare the primary marginal accuracy of four commercially available provisional materials (Protemp 4, Luxatemp Star, Visalys Temp and DPI tooth moulding powder and liquid) at 2 time intervals (10 and 30 min). Materials and Methods: A customized stainless steel master model containing two interchangeable dies was used for fabrication of provisional crowns. Forty crowns (n = 10) were fabricated, and each crown was evaluated under a stereomicroscope. Vertical marginal discrepancies were noted and compared at 10 min since the start of mixing and then at 30 min. Observations and Results: Protemp 4 showed the least vertical marginal discrepancy (71.59 μ), followed by Luxatemp Star (91.93 μ) at 10 min. DPI showed a marginal discrepancy of 95.94 μ while Visalys Temp crowns had vertical marginal discrepancy of 106.81 μ. There was a significant difference in the marginal discrepancy values of Protemp 4 and Visalys Temp. At 30 min, there was a significant difference between the marginal discrepancy of Protemp 4 crowns (83.11 μ) and Visalys Temp crowns (128.97 μ) and between Protemp 4 and DPI (118.88 μ). No significant differences were observed between Protemp 4 and Luxatemp Star. Conclusion: The vertical marginal discrepancy of temporary crowns fabricated from the four commercially available provisional materials ranged from 71 to 106 μ immediately after fabrication (at 10 min from the start of mix) to 83–128 μ (30 min from the start of mix). The time elapsed after mixing had a significant influence on the marginal accuracy of the crowns. PMID:26097348

Are public opinion polls self-fulfilling prophecies?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David Rothschild

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Psychologists have long observed that people conform to majority opinion, a phenomenon sometimes referred to as the ‘bandwagon effect’. In the political domain people learn about prevailing public opinion via ubiquitous polls, which may produce a bandwagon effect. Newer types of information – published probabilities derived from prediction market contract prices and aggregated polling summaries – may have similar effects. Consequently, polls can become self-fulfilling prophecies whereby majorities, whether in support of candidates or policies, grow in a cascading manner. Despite increased attention to whether the measurement of public opinion can itself affect public opinion, the existing empirical literature is surprisingly limited on the bandwagon effects of polls. To address this gap, we conducted an experiment on a diverse national sample in which we randomly assigned people to receive information about different levels of support for three public policies. We find that public opinion as expressed through polls affects individual-level attitudes, although the size of the effect depends on issue characteristics.

Monte Carlo simulations of a model for opinion formation

Science.gov (United States)

Bordogna, C. M.; Albano, E. V.

2007-04-01

A model for opinion formation based on the Theory of Social Impact is presented and studied by means of numerical simulations. Individuals with two states of opinion are impacted due to social interactions with: i) members of the society, ii) a strong leader with a well-defined opinion and iii) the mass media that could either support or compete with the leader. Due to that competition, the average opinion of the social group exhibits phase-transition like behaviour between different states of opinion.

Building legitimacy by criticising the pharmaceutical industry: a qualitative study among prescribers and local opinion leaders.

Science.gov (United States)

Pittet, Anne-Laure; Saraga, Michael; Stiefel, Friedrich

2015-01-01

The literature has described opinion leaders not only as marketing tools of the pharmaceutical industry, but also as educators promoting good clinical practice. This qualitative study addresses the distinction between the opinion-leader-as-marketing-tool and the opinion-leader-as-educator, as it is revealed in the discourses of physicians and experts, focusing on the prescription of antidepressants. We explore the relational dynamic between physicians, opinion leaders and the pharmaceutical industry in an area of French-speaking Switzerland. Qualitative content analysis of 24 semistructured interviews with physicians and local experts in psychopharmacology, complemented by direct observation of educational events led by the experts, which were all sponsored by various pharmaceutical companies. Both physicians and experts were critical of the pharmaceutical industry and its use of opinion leaders. Local experts, in contrast, were perceived by the physicians as critical of the industry and, therefore, as a legitimate source of information. Local experts did not consider themselves opinion leaders and argued that they remained intellectually independent from the industry. Field observations confirmed that local experts criticised the industry at continuing medical education events. Local experts were vocal critics of the industry, which nevertheless sponsor their continuing education. This critical attitude enhanced their credibility in the eyes of the prescribing physicians. We discuss how the experts, despite their critical attitude, might still be beneficial to the industry's interests.

Public opinion on atomic energy after JCO accident

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okamoto, Koichi; Miyamoto, Sosuke; Ishikawa, Masayori; Shimomura, Hideo; Hori, Hiromoto; Suzuki, Yasuko; Kamise, Yumiko

2004-04-01

JCO accident happened on September 30, 1999. This book deals with the public opinion of atomic energy after JCO accident in Japan and comparison with that of USA and France. The analysis of public opinion structure is also shown. The important chapter is the eighth chapter a n opinion survey after the accident , of which sampling areas consisted of three areas such as JCO accident area, the nuclear power plants and the general cities. The analytical results of data showed that the public opinion in Tokai-mura and Naka-machi, the JCO accident area, indicated moderate opinions. It is the interesting results were obtained that the moderate tendency of opinion was in order JCO accident area, the nuclear power plants and the general cities. People's attitude toward nuclear energy related to their social values. Abstract of JCO accident, JCO structure, the effects of accident on the environment and news stories about the accident are reported. (S.Y.)

The Provisional Staff Regulations of the Agency. An Amendment to Annex II

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1960-11-30

On 17 June 1960 the Board of Governors amended Annex II, part B, paragraph 4 to the Provisional Staff Regulations of the Agency to read: '4. The Director General shall establish rules by which an extra payment may be made to a staff member in the General Service category who passes an appropriate test and demonstrates continued proficiency in the use of either two or more official languages, or in one official language and in the language of his duty station if that language is not his mother tongue. Such payment shall be equivalent to an additional step increment and may extend beyond the maximum salary of the grade of the staff member concerned.' and decided that this amendment should be effective as from 1 January 1960.

The Provisional Staff Regulations of the Agency. An Amendment to Annex II

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1960-01-01

On 17 June 1960 the Board of Governors amended Annex II, part B, paragraph 4 to the Provisional Staff Regulations of the Agency to read: '4. The Director General shall establish rules by which an extra payment may be made to a staff member in the General Service category who passes an appropriate test and demonstrates continued proficiency in the use of either two or more official languages, or in one official language and in the language of his duty station if that language is not his mother tongue. Such payment shall be equivalent to an additional step increment and may extend beyond the maximum salary of the grade of the staff member concerned.' and decided that this amendment should be effective as from 1 January 1960

Expert Opinion Is Necessary: Delphi Panel Methodology Facilitates a Scientific Approach to Consensus.

Science.gov (United States)

Hohmann, Erik; Brand, Jefferson C; Rossi, Michael J; Lubowitz, James H

2018-02-01

Our current trend and focus on evidence-based medicine is biased in favor of randomized controlled trials, which are ranked highest in the hierarchy of evidence while devaluing expert opinion, which is ranked lowest in the hierarchy. However, randomized controlled trials have weaknesses as well as strengths, and no research method is flawless. Moreover, stringent application of scientific research techniques, such as the Delphi Panel methodology, allows survey of experts in a high quality and scientific manner. Level V evidence (expert opinion) remains a necessary component in the armamentarium used to determine the answer to a clinical question. Copyright © 2017 Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

OPINION GIVING SERVICES AS A SOURCE OF CONSUMER INFORMATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joanna Wyrwisz

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The goal of the article is to determine the place and role of opinion giving services in consumer behaviours. The discussion is conducted around the thesis saying that in the information society, opinion giving services constitute an important source of information for consumers in the process of selecting and purchasing both products and services. In the article the research approach based on the theoretical and empirical examinations was presented. The discussion starts with presenting a defi nition and types of opinion giving services which constitute the base for the characteristics of activities and usefulness of web portals collecting consumers opinions. The use of opinion giving services provided in the purchase process was evaluated. An essential interest in other consumers opinions, placed in Internet, was observed together with perceiving them as credible. Positive assessment of the functionality of opinion giving services was noticed.

THE LAWYER`S OPINION IN MODERN CIVIL LAW

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Elena Evgenyevna Dubovaya

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Purpose to define value of freedom and fight of opinions, views and lawyer’s positions in development of science of civil law.Methodology theoretical analysis, inductive and deductive methods.Results It is established that fight of opinions, collision of various positions allows to understand more deeply the discussed problem, to come nearer to truth. So, free expression of opinions is the engine of development of civil law.Practical implications introduction in educational process on disciplines of civil jurisprudence, further research of fight of opinions in civil law.Tendencies of the present stage of development of legal system are characterized by aspiration to fix in the Russian legal system of the beginning of private law, where at the head of a corner – people as a legal entity. Opinions of lawyers on various legal problems, and the attitudes towards these opinions are subject to considerable dynamics. The centuries-old history of development of the right showed that fight of opinions, collision of various positions allows to understand more deeply the discussed problem, to come nearer to truth. The modern civil law widely uses a method of comparative jurisprudence, studying experience of the civilized countries which promoted in development of the civil legislation.

Continuous Opinion Dynamics Under Bounded Confidence:. a Survey

Science.gov (United States)

Lorenz, Jan

Models of continuous opinion dynamics under bounded confidence have been presented independently by Krause and Hegselmann and by Deffuant et al. in 2000. They have raised a fair amount of attention in the communities of social simulation, sociophysics and complexity science. The researchers working on it come from disciplines such as physics, mathematics, computer science, social psychology and philosophy. In these models agents hold continuous opinions which they can gradually adjust if they hear the opinions of others. The idea of bounded confidence is that agents only interact if they are close in opinion to each other. Usually, the models are analyzed with agent-based simulations in a Monte Carlo style, but they can also be reformulated on the agent's density in the opinion space in a master equation style. The contribution of this survey is fourfold. First, it will present the agent-based and density-based modeling frameworks including the cases of multidimensional opinions and heterogeneous bounds of confidence. Second, it will give the bifurcation diagrams of cluster configuration in the homogeneous model with uniformly distributed initial opinions. Third, it will review the several extensions and the evolving phenomena which have been studied so far, and fourth it will state some open questions.

Opinion Dynamics with Heterogeneous Interactions and Information Assimilation

Science.gov (United States)

Mir Tabatabaei, Seydeh Anahita

2013-01-01

In any modern society, individuals interact to form opinions on various topics, including economic, political, and social aspects. Opinions evolve as the result of the continuous exchange of information among individuals and of the assimilation of information distributed by media. The impact of individuals' opinions on each other forms a network,…

Conciliatory and contradictory dynamics in opinion formation

OpenAIRE

Boudin , Laurent; Mercier , Aurore; Salvarani , Francesco

2012-01-01

International audience; In this article, we study, via a kinetic description, the effect of different psychologies on the evolution of the opinion with respect to a binary choice, in a closed group. We show that the interaction between individuals with different reactions regarding the exchange of opinion induces some phenomena, such as the concentration of opinions or the cyclic-in-time behaviour of the distribution function. We provide an existence and uniqueness result for the model and nu...

Analysis and application of opinion model with multiple topic interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiong, Fei; Liu, Yun; Wang, Liang; Wang, Ximeng

2017-08-01

To reveal heterogeneous behaviors of opinion evolution in different scenarios, we propose an opinion model with topic interactions. Individual opinions and topic features are represented by a multidimensional vector. We measure an agent's action towards a specific topic by the product of opinion and topic feature. When pairs of agents interact for a topic, their actions are introduced to opinion updates with bounded confidence. Simulation results show that a transition from a disordered state to a consensus state occurs at a critical point of the tolerance threshold, which depends on the opinion dimension. The critical point increases as the dimension of opinions increases. Multiple topics promote opinion interactions and lead to the formation of macroscopic opinion clusters. In addition, more topics accelerate the evolutionary process and weaken the effect of network topology. We use two sets of large-scale real data to evaluate the model, and the results prove its effectiveness in characterizing a real evolutionary process. Our model achieves high performance in individual action prediction and even outperforms state-of-the-art methods. Meanwhile, our model has much smaller computational complexity. This paper provides a demonstration for possible practical applications of theoretical opinion dynamics.

Psychology Student Opinion of Virtual Reality as a Tool to Educate about Schizophrenia

Science.gov (United States)

Tichon, Jennifer; Loh, Jennifer; King, Robert

2004-01-01

Virtual Reality (VR) techniques are increasingly being used in e-health education, training and in trial clinical programs in the treatment of certain types of mental illness. Undergraduate psychology student opinion of the use of Virtual Reality (VR) to teach them about schizophrenia at the University of Queensland, was determined with reference…

Rise of an alternative majority against opinion leaders

Science.gov (United States)

Tucci, K.; González-Avella, J. C.; Cosenza, M. G.

2016-03-01

We investigate the role of opinion leaders or influentials in the collective behavior of a social system. Opinion leaders are characterized by their unidirectional influence on other agents. We employ a model based on Axelrod's dynamics for cultural interaction among social agents that allows for non-interacting states. We find three collective phases in the space of parameters of the system, given by the fraction of opinion leaders and a quantity representing the number of available states: one ordered phase having the state imposed by the leaders; another nontrivial ordered phase consisting of a majority group in a state orthogonal or alternative to that of the opinion leaders, and a disordered phase, where many small groups coexist. We show that the spontaneous rise of an alternative group in the presence of opinion leaders depends on the existence of a minimum number of long-range connections in the underlying network. This phenomenon challenges the common idea that influentials are fundamental to propagation processes in society, such as the formation of public opinion.

Effects of Groups’ Spatial Segregation on Processes of Opinion Polarization

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Feliciani, Thomas; Flache, Andreas

2015-01-01

We contribute to the literature about processes of opinion formation, investigating theoretically how the spatial segregation of two groups affects opinion polarization as a possible outcome of opinion formation. We focus on two processes of opinion polarization (negative influence and persuasive

CONSIDERATIONS REGARDING PROVISIONAL MEASURES FOR THE PROTECTION OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS IN ROMANIA

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Paul-George BUTA

2014-05-01

Full Text Available The article takes a look at provisions in the Code of Civil Procedure dealing with the provisional measures that can be requested by the intellectual property right-holder in case of apparent infringements of his rights. Starting from the goals of such regulation, as provided by Directive 48/2004, the article examines what could be the hurdles imposed by the Romanian legislator (mostly by not providing sufficiently tailored means in respect of intellectual property rights on the right-holder and proposes that, in light of the problems as reflected in the courts' practice, a legislative intervention be undertaken in order to better adapt the means to the purpose envisaged.

The Effect Of A Provisional Sequestration Order - Does It Impose A Limitation To My Right To Be A Member Of Parliament?

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Leonie Stander

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The question asked in this article is inspired by the recent case of Mr Julius Malema. Why the matter is so important and has enjoyed so much attention, is the fact that it was widely suggested that a final order of sequestration would affect Mr Malema's political career in that it would not be possible for him to continue to serve as Member of Parliament. The question that immediately comes to the fore is whether the provisional order of sequestration would not already result in such an outcome. As stipulated by the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, an unrehabilitated insolvent may not become a member of the National Assembly, National Council of Provinces, or a Provincial Legislator. Do the words "unrehabilitated insolvent" also include a person who is under provisional sequestration? The purpose of this article is to investigate the effect of a provisional order of sequestration and the focus will be on the ability of an insolvent to act as a Member of Parliament. The legal position in the South African law will be compared with the legal position in the United States of America – which is, with regard to the insolvency law, recognized as a very successful, modern, progressive and dynamic legal system. Voluminous changes to the American bankruptcy law system, to adapt to current practical situations and the current economic climate, have been effected as recently as in 2005. Brief reference will also be made to the legal position in the United Kingdom, due to South Africa's historical ties with the UK and the reliance in the past on the English insolvency law and the Bankruptcy Act, 1986.

More than 30 years of opinion of French people on nuclear risks - Special release of the 2012 IRSN opinion survey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El Jammal, Marie-Helene; Rollinger, Francois; Mur, Emmanuelle; Schuler, Matthieu; Tchernia, Jean-Francois

2013-01-01

Illustrated by many graphs and tables, this report comments and discusses the evolution of opinion surveys performed in France on the perception of nuclear risks through thirty annual IRSN opinion surveys. It appears that the opinion on nuclear is rather steady, and that French people have a rather rational perception of risk hierarchy. The first part outlines that unemployment is the main concern for French people, and that environmental concerns depend on current events. The second part analyses the perception of the nuclear risk with respect to other societal concerns and to other risks, and discusses the evolution of opinion from a quantitative to a qualitative sensitivity. The third part addresses the representations people have of nuclear activities and how they challenge the reality: perception of nuclear plants and of radioactive wastes, fear of a serious accident. The last part deals with issues related to responsibilities, abilities and governance: how actors of nuclear risk management are perceived, and expectations in terms of transparency and opinion plurality

Evaluation of complementary-alternative medicine (CAM) questionnaire development for Indonesian clinical psychologists: A pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Liem, Andrian; Newcombe, Peter A; Pohlman, Annie

2017-08-01

This study aimed to evaluate questionnaire development to measure the knowledge of Complementary-Alternative Medicine (CAM), attitudes towards CAM, CAM experiences, and CAM educational needs of clinical psychologists in Indonesia. A 26-item questionnaire was developed through an extensive literature search. Data was obtained from provisional psychologists from the Master of Professional Clinical Psychology programs at two established public universities in urban areas of Indonesia. To validate the questionnaire, panel reviews by executive members of the Indonesian Clinical Psychology Association (ICPA), experts in health psychology, and experts in public health and CAM provided their professional judgements. The self-reporting questionnaire consisted of four scales including: knowledge of CAM (6 items), attitudes towards CAM (10 items), CAM experiences (4 items), and CAM educational needs (6 items). All scales, except CAM Experiences, were assessed on a 7-point Likert scale. Sixty provisional psychologists were eligible to complete the questionnaire with a response rate of 73% (N=44). The results showed that the CAM questionnaire was reliable (Cronbach's coefficient alpha range=0.62-0.96; item-total correlation range=0.14-0.92) and demonstrated content validity. Following further psychometric evaluation, the CAM questionnaire may provide the evidence-based information to inform the education and practice of Indonesian clinical psychologists. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

On the opinion formation of mobile agents with memory

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yunhong; Liu, Qipeng; Wang, Zhenling; Zhang, Siying

2018-02-01

This paper studies the opinion formation problem in a group of mobile agents using a multi-agent modeling method. Suppose that all agents move in a two-dimensional space following a certain rule. The interaction range of each agent is determined by its physical location and its opinion similarity with other agents. Moreover, agents have memory of the opinions of their previous interactive neighbors. We investigate the influence of three factors on the formation of group opinion: moving probability, interactive radius, and population density. Using simulations, we find that an opinion consensus can be achieved easily under a small moving probability and a small interactive radius, which is a relatively counterintuitive phenomenon. We also find that a large interactive radius or the model with memory can facilitate the convergence of opinions in a group to either consensus or clusters.

Current Opinions in Pediatric Septic Shock

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José Irazuzta

2009-11-01

Full Text Available Objectives: Our aim is to describe the current clinical practice related to the management of septic shock (SS. Methods: Review of medical literature using the MEDLINE database. Articles were selected according to their relevancy to the objective and according to the author’s opinion. Summary of the findings: The outcome from SS is dependent on an early recognition and a sequential implementation of time-sensitive goal-directed therapies. The goals of the resuscitation are rapid restoration of micro circulation and improved organ tissue perfusion. Clinical and laboratory markers are needed to assess the adequacy of the treatments. Initial resuscitation involves the use of isotonic solutions (>60ml/kg either crystalloid (normal saline or colloid infusion often followed by vasoactive medications. Altered pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics responses dictate that vasoactive agents should be adjusted to achieve predetermined goals. An assessment of central venous pressure complements clinical and serological findings to tailor therapies. Elective airway instrumentation and mechanical ventilation as well as adjunctive therapy with stress dose of corticosteroid are indicated in selected populations. In neonates, a special attention to the presence of electrolyte imbalance and increase pulmonary vascular resistance needs to be considered early. Conclusions: Septic shock hemodynamic is a changing process that requires frequent assessment and therapeutic adjustments.

Topological evolution of the internet public opinion

Science.gov (United States)

Lian, Ying; Dong, Xuefan; Liu, Yijun

2017-11-01

The Internet forms a platform featured with high liquidity, accessibility and concealment for the public to express their respective views on certain events, thus leading to a large network graph. Due to such environmental features, the public opinions formed on the Internet are different from those on traditional media. Studies focusing on the former area are relatively fewer. In addition, the majority of existing methods proposed for constructing the Internet public opinion topological structure are based on the classic BA model, thus resulting in drawbacks in the range of simplicity and a lack of strict deduction. Therefore, based on the complex networks theory, a model applied to describe the topology of the Internet public opinion is deduced with rigorous derivation in the present paper. Results show that the proposed expression could well reflect the degree distribution of Internet public opinion which follows an analogous power law distribution, and that the peak value and the degree distribution are not correlative to each other. Moreover, it has been also proved that compared to the classic BA model, the proposed model has better accuracy performance in the description of the degree distribution of the Internet public opinion, which contributes to future studies focusing on this area. Thus, an attempt has been made to give the first theoretical description of the Internet public opinion topology in the present paper. In addition, it is also the first paper focusing on the solution of networks degree distribution with an exponential growth form.

Objectification of injuries and consequences in expert medical opinions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miran Vrabl

2007-04-01

Full Text Available Background: Only unequivocal evidence confirming the total extent of injury. Biomechanical analysis, objectifications of permanent consequences after injury and objectification, whether such injuries influence life activities of an injured person, should be the basics for preparation of expert medical opinion. To make a necessary distinction from the previous injuries or illnesses that might have influence on current health state of a patient and its treatment, analysis of all medical records of a certain injured person is needed. Therefore this are inevitable steps in preparation of an expert medical opinion. In cases when medical opinion should explain disability of a patient as a consequence of a certain contractual relationship, the contract should be taken into consideration when such opinions is prepared.Methods: 500 opinions have been retrospectively analysed, selected at random out of 3452 opinions, submitted in claims for damages at Zavarovalnica Maribor, d. d., in the period from January 2001 until January 2006. Thirteen typical data have been analysed and evaluated on the basis of objective evidences.Results: On the basis of analyses it has been established that there is a great difference between principles of objectification and the data in analysed opinions. It has been noticed the most obvious deviation in biomechanical analysis (95 %, in records of decreased life activities (90 %, in all medical records of an injured person (65 % and in objectification of permanent consequences after injuries (55 %.Conclusions: As results of analysis demonstrate, there are significant differences in preparations of expert and medical opinions in Slovenia, particularly when basic principles are analysed that need to be considered when writing such opinions. Irrational avoidance of basic principle of objectification, nomination of experts without licence in certain fields of medicine, avoidance of objectification of subjective statements of injured

Perception of risks by opinion leaders 2011

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-01-01

The authors report a survey made just after the Fukushima accident on a panel of opinion leaders (belonging to political, economical or media sector) in order to compare their perception of risks with that of the public. The questions addressed the perception of risks, the role of scientific experts, the usefulness and breaks on the diffusion of expertise results, the perception of pluralist bodies, and the Fukushima accident. The answers are analysed and discussed with respect to fifteen hazardous situations, to their opinion of expertise, and to their opinion on safety audit and information

cultural variations regarding the nature and determinants of opinion ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

p2333147

Keywords: Opinion leaders, cultural influence, diffusion and determinants of opinion leadership. ABSTRACT. This paper compares the findings from different countries regarding the nature and determinants of opinion leadership. ..... agricultural production among male and female farmers of the Kusenge. Parish in the ...

Social influence and the collective dynamics of opinion formation.

Science.gov (United States)

Moussaïd, Mehdi; Kämmer, Juliane E; Analytis, Pantelis P; Neth, Hansjörg

2013-01-01

Social influence is the process by which individuals adapt their opinion, revise their beliefs, or change their behavior as a result of social interactions with other people. In our strongly interconnected society, social influence plays a prominent role in many self-organized phenomena such as herding in cultural markets, the spread of ideas and innovations, and the amplification of fears during epidemics. Yet, the mechanisms of opinion formation remain poorly understood, and existing physics-based models lack systematic empirical validation. Here, we report two controlled experiments showing how participants answering factual questions revise their initial judgments after being exposed to the opinion and confidence level of others. Based on the observation of 59 experimental subjects exposed to peer-opinion for 15 different items, we draw an influence map that describes the strength of peer influence during interactions. A simple process model derived from our observations demonstrates how opinions in a group of interacting people can converge or split over repeated interactions. In particular, we identify two major attractors of opinion: (i) the expert effect, induced by the presence of a highly confident individual in the group, and (ii) the majority effect, caused by the presence of a critical mass of laypeople sharing similar opinions. Additional simulations reveal the existence of a tipping point at which one attractor will dominate over the other, driving collective opinion in a given direction. These findings have implications for understanding the mechanisms of public opinion formation and managing conflicting situations in which self-confident and better informed minorities challenge the views of a large uninformed majority.

Evaluation of the effect of various beverages and food material on the color stability of provisional materials – An in vitro study

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Gaurav; Gupta, Tina

2011-01-01

Aim: This study evaluated the color stability of four provisional materials: 1) Poly-methyl methacrylates (DPI); 2) Bis-acryl composite (ProtempTM II – 3M ESPE); 3) Bis-acryl composite (Systemp® c and b – Ivoclar Vivadent) and 4) Light polymerized composite resin (Revotek LC- GC). Materials and Methods: The color and color difference of each specimen after immersion in different staining solutions i.e. 1) tea and artificial saliva, 2) coffee and artificial saliva, 3) Pepsi and artificial saliva, 4) turmeric solution and artificial saliva was measured using reflectance spectrophotometer with CIELAB system before immersion and after immersion at 2, 5 ,7 , 10 and 15 days. Results: Revotek LC- GC (light polymerized composite resin) was found to be the most color stable provisional restorative material followed by Protemp II (Bis-acryl composite), Systemp (Bis-acryl composite) and DPI (Methylmethacrylate resin). Turmeric solution had the maximum staining potential followed by coffee, tea and Pepsi. PMID:22025835

Public opinion on water reuse options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bruvold, W.H.

1988-01-01

Public policy on waste water reuse options must be informed by public opinion because it is the public who must pay the cost of developing the option and who will be served by the option in the future. For public policy on reuse, guidance for innovative reuse is not as simple as first believed. It seems that public opinion regarding actual community reuse options is affected by the linkage of several factors, including water conservation, health protection, treatment and distribution costs, and environmental enhancement. Probability sampling was used in 7 studies to select respondents who were queried regarding their opinions on various reclaimed water uses such as ranging from cooling tower water to full domestic use. These 7 are briefly reviewed

Conformity, Anticonformity and Polarization of Opinions: Insights from a Mathematical Model of Opinion Dynamics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tyll Krueger

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Understanding and quantifying polarization in social systems is important because of many reasons. It could for instance help to avoid segregation and conflicts in the society or to control polarized debates and predict their outcomes. In this paper, we present a version of the q-voter model of opinion dynamics with two types of responses to social influence: conformity (like in the original q-voter model and anticonformity. We put the model on a social network with the double-clique topology in order to check how the interplay between those responses impacts the opinion dynamics in a population divided into two antagonistic segments. The model is analyzed analytically, numerically and by means of Monte Carlo simulations. Our results show that the system undergoes two bifurcations as the number of cross-links between cliques changes. Below the first critical point, consensus in the entire system is possible. Thus, two antagonistic cliques may share the same opinion only if they are loosely connected. Above that point, the system ends up in a polarized state.

The precautionary principle as a provisional instrument in environmental policy: The Montreal Protocol case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jacobs, J. Roger

2014-01-01

Highlights: • I examine whether a policy invoked under the Precautionary Principle can move beyond provisional status. • I review the certainty of conclusions based upon the Global Ozone Research and Monitoring Project. • There is high certainty that anthropogenic ozone depletion has health consequences in polar regions. • Current research focuses on long term projections of risk that perpetuates high uncertainty. • Establishment of a community to generate Assessments acts to perpetuate the period of uncertainty. - Abstract: Environmental studies identify possible threats to the health of the public or the environment when the scientific certainty of risk is low, but the potential cost is high. Governments may respond by invoking the Precautionary Principle, holding that scientific certainty is not required to take actions that reduce possible risk. EU guidelines suggest that precautionary measures remain provisional until sufficient scientific certainty is generated. Here I study the Scientific Assessments produced for the Montreal Protocol, and the scientific community that generates them, and ask whether a long-standing program of scientific investigation and monitoring can generate sufficient scientific certainty to move beyond dependence on the Precautionary Principle. When the Montreal Protocol was ratified, many scientists strongly suspected that anthropogenic substances like chlorofluorocarbons were depleting stratospheric ozone. Although the risk was uncertain, the perceived cost to public health of ozone depletion was high. A quarter century after formulating the Montreal Protocol, science can define the conditions for ozone depletion with great certainty, but uncertainty remains in determining the scale and distribution of the attributable increase in damaging ultra-violet (UV) radiation. Organisations, such as NASA, and scientists that contribute to the Scientific Assessments comprise the community in which the scientific consensus of risk is

Drivers of going concern audit opinions: empirical evidence from Indonesia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suroto Lina Rahmawati

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The study of the going concern audit opinions is an important component within the enhancement of firms’ responsibility and stewardship. A going concern audit opinions implies that the independent auditor doubt the future of the firm. This study aimed to examine the drivers of the likelihood of the going-concern audit opinions. Previous studies revealed that there were inconsistent drivers influencing the going-concern audit opinion. This study shows similar results to prior works. The result indicates that firms’ financial condition and profitability significantly affect the likelihood of the going-concern audit opinion, while firms’ size and leverage are not the determinants of the intensity of the going concern audit opinion.

EMOTION BASED ANALYSIS OF TURKISH CUSTOMER OPINIONS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. Kahya-Ozyirmidokuz

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Firms should manage their customer feedback so they can adapt to rapid changes in the environment. They have to interact with their customers to understand them and to turn their opinions into useful knowledge. Understanding customers' feelings about a product gives firmS competitive advantage through continuous market monitoring. They can thus generate improving strategies about the system to change perceptions that drive the behaviours of the customers. Firms can view their customers' happiness as a key tool for decision-making. This study calculates online product happiness by using the average emotional valence values of customer opinions. We analyse Turkish opinions about a product over a period of 3 months. We find the averages of the online emotional valence values of the product per month. We also determined the increase in happiness over time. According to the opinion valence values, we found the relations between the documents.

Opinion Analysis on Rohingya using Twitter Data

Science.gov (United States)

Rochmawati, N.; Wibawa, S. C.

2018-04-01

Rohingya is an ethnicity in Myanmar. Recently there was a conflict in the area between the Rakhine population and the Myanmar army. Many opinions are pro and contra in addressing this issue. There is a critic, there is a support and there is a neutral. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the world public opinion about the case of Rohingya. The opinion data to be processed is taken from twitter. the reason for using twitter is because twitter has become one of the popular social media and includes the most frequently visited social media. Therefore, it would be a lot of data that can be taken from twitter to be processed in the process of sentiment analysis. The grouping of opinions will be divided into 3 parts of positive, negative and neutral. the method used in grouping is the naïve Bayes method.

Correlation between information diffusion and opinion evolution on social media

Science.gov (United States)

Xiong, Fei; Liu, Yun; Zhang, Zhenjiang

2014-12-01

Information diffusion and opinion evolution are often treated as two independent processes. Opinion models assume the topic reaches each agent and agents initially have their own ideas. In fact, the processes of information diffusion and opinion evolution often intertwine with each other. Whether the influence between these two processes plays a role in the system state is unclear. In this paper, we collected more than one million real data from a well-known social platform, and analysed large-scale user diffusion behaviour and opinion formation. We found that user inter-event time follows a two-scaling power-law distribution with two different power exponents. Public opinion stabilizes quickly and evolves toward the direction of convergence, but the consensus state is prevented by a few opponents. We propose a three-state opinion model accompanied by information diffusion. Agents form and exchange their opinions during information diffusion. Conversely, agents' opinions also influence their diffusion actions. Simulations show that the model with a correlation of the two processes produces similar statistical characteristics as empirical results. A fast epidemic process drives individual opinions to converge more obviously. Unlike previous epidemic models, the number of infected agents does not always increase with the update rate, but has a peak with an intermediate value of the rate.

Correlation between information diffusion and opinion evolution on social media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiong, Fei; Liu, Yun; Zhang, Zhenjiang

2014-01-01

Information diffusion and opinion evolution are often treated as two independent processes. Opinion models assume the topic reaches each agent and agents initially have their own ideas. In fact, the processes of information diffusion and opinion evolution often intertwine with each other. Whether the influence between these two processes plays a role in the system state is unclear. In this paper, we collected more than one million real data from a well-known social platform, and analysed large-scale user diffusion behaviour and opinion formation. We found that user inter-event time follows a two-scaling power-law distribution with two different power exponents. Public opinion stabilizes quickly and evolves toward the direction of convergence, but the consensus state is prevented by a few opponents. We propose a three-state opinion model accompanied by information diffusion. Agents form and exchange their opinions during information diffusion. Conversely, agents' opinions also influence their diffusion actions. Simulations show that the model with a correlation of the two processes produces similar statistical characteristics as empirical results. A fast epidemic process drives individual opinions to converge more obviously. Unlike previous epidemic models, the number of infected agents does not always increase with the update rate, but has a peak with an intermediate value of the rate. (paper)

Redesign of a fixture mount to be used as an impression coping and a provisional abutment as well

OpenAIRE

Chang, Glenn Hsuan-Chen; Tian, Chen; Hung, Yuen-Siang

2011-01-01

Purpose: An integrated fixture mount/impression coping/ temporary abutment can provide many advantages for immediate loading of dental implants, such as simpler procedure, less chair time, cost reduction, and comfort for the patients. Materials and Methods: A newly designed dental implant fixture mount (DIFMA) can be used as an impression coping for taking an immediate impression. An immediate load provisional prosthesis can then be fabricated shortly after implant placement to immediately lo...

Public opinion factors regarding nuclear power

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Benson, B.

1991-12-31

This paper is an effort to identify, as comprehensively as possible, public concerns about nuclear power, and to assess, where possible, the relative importance of these concerns as they relate to government regulation of and policy towards nuclear power. It is based on some two dozen in-depth interviews with key communicators representing the nuclear power industry, the environmental community, and government, as well as on the parallel efforts in our research project: (1) review of federal court case law, (2) a selective examination of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) administrative process, and (3) the preceding George Mason University research project in this series. The paper synthesizes our findings about public attitudes towards nuclear power as expressed through federal court case law, NRC administrative law, public opinion surveys, and direct personal interviews. In so doing, we describe the public opinion environment in which the nuclear regulatory process must operate. Our premise is that public opinion ultimately underlies the approaches government agencies take towards regulating nuclear power, and that, to the degree that the nuclear power industry`s practices are aligned with public opinion, a more favorable regulatory climate is possible.

Public opinion factors regarding nuclear power

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Benson, B.

1991-01-01

This paper is an effort to identify, as comprehensively as possible, public concerns about nuclear power, and to assess, where possible, the relative importance of these concerns as they relate to government regulation of and policy towards nuclear power. It is based on some two dozen in-depth interviews with key communicators representing the nuclear power industry, the environmental community, and government, as well as on the parallel efforts in our research project: (1) review of federal court case law, (2) a selective examination of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) administrative process, and (3) the preceding George Mason University research project in this series. The paper synthesizes our findings about public attitudes towards nuclear power as expressed through federal court case law, NRC administrative law, public opinion surveys, and direct personal interviews. In so doing, we describe the public opinion environment in which the nuclear regulatory process must operate. Our premise is that public opinion ultimately underlies the approaches government agencies take towards regulating nuclear power, and that, to the degree that the nuclear power industry's practices are aligned with public opinion, a more favorable regulatory climate is possible.

Public opinion factors regarding nuclear power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benson, B.

1991-01-01

This paper is an effort to identify, as comprehensively as possible, public concerns about nuclear power, and to assess, where possible, the relative importance of these concerns as they relate to government regulation of and policy towards nuclear power. It is based on some two dozen in-depth interviews with key communicators representing the nuclear power industry, the environmental community, and government, as well as on the parallel efforts in our research project: (1) review of federal court case law, (2) a selective examination of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) administrative process, and (3) the preceding George Mason University research project in this series. The paper synthesizes our findings about public attitudes towards nuclear power as expressed through federal court case law, NRC administrative law, public opinion surveys, and direct personal interviews. In so doing, we describe the public opinion environment in which the nuclear regulatory process must operate. Our premise is that public opinion ultimately underlies the approaches government agencies take towards regulating nuclear power, and that, to the degree that the nuclear power industry's practices are aligned with public opinion, a more favorable regulatory climate is possible

the nature and determinants of opinion leadership in lesotho

African Journals Online (AJOL)

p2333147

opinion leadership, 39 percent have been nominated and thus qualify ... It obviously cannot be ruled out that with increased consultations more fields of ... 30. 40. 50. 60. 70. 80. 90. 100. %. >3. 3. 2. 1. Opinion leadership (No. of nominations) .... Frequency distribution per gender. Male. Female. Total. Opinion leadership.

Discrete opinion dynamics on networks based on social influence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu Haibo; Wang Xiaofan

2009-01-01

A model of opinion dynamics based on social influence on networks was studied. The opinion of each agent can have integer values i = 1, 2, ..., I and opinion exchanges are restricted to connected agents. It was found that for any I ≥ 2 and self-confidence parameter 0 ≤ u i ) of the population that hold a given opinion i is a martingale, and the fraction q i of opinion i will gradually converge to (q i ). The tendency can slow down with the increase of degree assortativity of networks. When u is degree dependent, (q i ) does not possess the martingale property, however q i still converges to it. In both cases for a finite network the states of all agents will finally reach consensus. Further if there exist stubborn persons in the population whose opinions do not change over time, it was found that for degree-independent constant u, both q i and (q i ) will converge to fixed proportions which only depend on the distribution of initial obstinate persons, and naturally the final equilibrium state will be the coexistence of diverse opinions held by the stubborn people. The analytical results were verified by numerical simulations on Barabasi-Albert (BA) networks. The model highlights the influence of high-degree agents on the final consensus or coexistence state and captures some realistic features of the diffusion of opinions in social networks

Sentiment Analysis and Opinion Mining

CERN Document Server

Liu, Bing

2012-01-01

Sentiment analysis and opinion mining is the field of study that analyzes people's opinions, sentiments, evaluations, attitudes, and emotions from written language. It is one of the most active research areas in natural language processing and is also widely studied in data mining, Web mining, and text mining. In fact, this research has spread outside of computer science to the management sciences and social sciences due to its importance to business and society as a whole. The growing importance of sentiment analysis coincides with the growth of social media such as reviews, forum discussions

Tropospheric ozone. Formation, properties, effects. Expert opinion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elstner, E.F.

1996-01-01

The formation and dispersion of tropospheric ozone are discussed only marginally in this expert opinion; the key interest is in the effects of ground level ozone on plants, animals, and humans. The expert opinion is based on an analysis of the available scientific publications. (orig./MG) [de

Impotent science, omnipotent public opinion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guillaume, Nathalie

2001-01-01

Full text: Nowadays public opinion has become prominent when political leaders have themselves to vote. Even scientific or economical decisions are often taken more in accordance to these trends than to rational reasons. For a long time it has been widely accepted that a clear and pedagogical explanation was enough to make scientific issues understandable. For nearly 20 years, a true scientific and professional communication has been developed in France towards the general public to make nuclear industry acceptable. Nevertheless today, we notice that the acceptance of the nuclear option has lost many points in public polls. An accident, in the nuclear fields or in another fields, in one point or another of the planet can ruin the work of many years in communication. 1) In order to draw a more precise picture of public opinion, to follow these trends and make them more understandable, the CEA communication direction has built a 'public opinion barometer' dealing with the following fields: - Information on nuclear fields; - The nuclear actors; - The future of nuclear option; - Radioactive waste; - Risks perception; - Nuclear energy and other sources of energy; - Economy and nuclear power; - Image of nuclear. 2) Come and visit our labs to make up your own opinion: As communication methods through the classical media has, up to now, failed in changing public opinion regarding nuclear, the decision was made to offer to people the opportunity to meet searchers at work.400 'Communicating researchers' to day are volunteers to receive the public .They are trained to be able to explain their work to non specialists; they receive documents dealing with current events to help them answer to questions and they are invited to an annual general meeting (last one in January 2001). 85 laboratories are opened (civil and military ones). In 2000, nearly 10,000 visitors have come to us. In 2001, new additional operations will be lead toward young people, teachers, associations. (author)

New protocol for construction of eyeglasses-supported provisional nasal prosthesis using CAD/CAM techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Ciocca, Leonardo; Fantini, Massimiliano; De Crescenzio, Francesca; Persiani, Franco; Scotti, Roberto

2010-01-01

A new protocol for making an immediate provisional eyeglasses-supported nasal prosthesis is presented that uses laser scanning, computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing procedures, and rapid prototyping techniques, reducing time and costs while increasing the quality of the final product. With this protocol, the eyeglasses were digitized, and the relative position of the nasal prosthesis was planned and evaluated in a virtual environment without any try-in appointment. This innovative method saves time, reduces costs, and restores the patient's aesthetic appearance after a disfiguration caused by ablation of the nasal pyramid better than conventional restoration methods. Moreover, the digital model of the designed nasal epithesis can be used to develop a definitive prosthesis anchored to osseointegrated craniofacial implants.

Pre-prosthetic minor tooth movement with elastic separating ring & provisional restoration modification: case report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haneol Shin

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Proximal caries or coronal defect in posterior teeth may result in the loss of proximal space and drifting of neighboring teeth, which makes restoration difficult. Inability to restore proper contours and to align tooth axis properly are commonly encountered problems when planning tooth restoration. Moreover, tilted teeth aggravate periodontal tissue breakdown, such as pseudo-pocket, and angular osseous defect. The purpose of this case presentation is to describe a simple technique for inducing minor tooth movement with orthodontic separating ring and provisional restoration modification. This method was used to create crown placement space on mesially tilted molar. This method is easy, simple and efficient technique which could be used in interproximal space gaining in selected situation.

Current and future perspectives on lumbar degenerative disc disease: a UK survey exploring specialist multidisciplinary clinical opinion

Science.gov (United States)

McGregor, Alison H

2016-01-01

Objectives Despite lumbar degenerative disc disease (LDDD) being significantly associated with non-specific low back pain and effective treatment remaining elusive, specialist multidisciplinary clinical stakeholder opinion remains unexplored. The present study examines the views of such experts. Design A reliable and valid electronic survey was designed to establish trends using theoretical constructs relating to current assessment and management practices. Clinicians from the Society of Back Pain Research (SBPR) UK were invited to take part. Quantitative data were collated and coded using Bristol Online Surveys (BOS) software, and content analysis was used to systematically code and categorise qualitative data. Setting Specialist multidisciplinary spinal interest group in the UK. Participants 38/141 clinically active, multidisciplinary SBPR members with specialist spinal interest participated. Among them, 84% had >9 years postgraduate clinical experience. Interventions None. Outcome measures Frequency distributions were used to establish general trends in quantitative data. Qualitative responses were coded and categorised in relation to each theme and percentage responses were calculated. Results LDDD symptom recurrence, in the absence of psychosocial influence, was associated with physical signs of joint stiffness (26%), weakness (17%) and joint hypermobility (6%), while physical factors (21%) and the ability to adapt (11%) were postulated as reasons why some experience pain and others do not. No one management strategy was supported exclusively or with consensus. Regarding effective modalities, there was no significant difference between allied health professional and medic responses (p=0.1–0.8). The future of LDDD care was expressed in terms of improvements in patient communication (35%), patient education (38%) and treatment stratification (24%). Conclusions Results suggest that multidisciplinary expert spinal clinicians appear to follow UK

Discrete opinion dynamics on networks based on social influence

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hu Haibo; Wang Xiaofan [Complex Networks and Control Lab, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China)

2009-06-05

A model of opinion dynamics based on social influence on networks was studied. The opinion of each agent can have integer values i = 1, 2, ..., I and opinion exchanges are restricted to connected agents. It was found that for any I {>=} 2 and self-confidence parameter 0 {<=} u < 1, when u is a degree-independent constant, the weighted proportion (q{sub i}) of the population that hold a given opinion i is a martingale, and the fraction q{sub i} of opinion i will gradually converge to (q{sub i}). The tendency can slow down with the increase of degree assortativity of networks. When u is degree dependent, (q{sub i}) does not possess the martingale property, however q{sub i} still converges to it. In both cases for a finite network the states of all agents will finally reach consensus. Further if there exist stubborn persons in the population whose opinions do not change over time, it was found that for degree-independent constant u, both q{sub i} and (q{sub i}) will converge to fixed proportions which only depend on the distribution of initial obstinate persons, and naturally the final equilibrium state will be the coexistence of diverse opinions held by the stubborn people. The analytical results were verified by numerical simulations on Barabasi-Albert (BA) networks. The model highlights the influence of high-degree agents on the final consensus or coexistence state and captures some realistic features of the diffusion of opinions in social networks.

Swedish Opinion on Nuclear Power 1986 - 2011

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Holmberg, Soeren

2012-11-01

This report contains the Swedish opinion on Nuclear Power and European Attitudes on Nuclear Power. It also includes European Attitudes Towards the Future of Three Energy Sources; Nuclear Energy, Wind Power and Solar Power - with a focus on the Swedish opinion. Results from measurements done by the SOM Inst. are presented.

French and european opinions about energy questions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-03-01

This paper presents a statistical study of french and european opinions in 1989 about energy questions. The main subjects studied are: qualities of different energy sources (coal, petroleum, natural gas, nuclear energy, renewable energies); perception in public opinion of nuclear industry; energy and environmental effects. 6 figs., 1 tab., 4 appendices

Internet Censorship in Turkey: University Students' Opinions

Science.gov (United States)

Ozkan, Hasan; Arikan, Arda

2009-01-01

The aim of this paper is to study university students' opinions toward online censorship with references to their socio-political and economic variables. Considering the upwards trend and the increasing number of online restrictions in Turkey, the opinions of university students (n=138) are thought to give significant findings. The questionnaire…

[The residents of mental health services in 1994. Population characteristics and its opinions about graduation].

Science.gov (United States)

Agrest, M

1995-09-01

Departing from two surveys that took place during a Mental Health Meeting of the Health Residents from Buenos Aires, the main features and their opinions upon their education and work are analyzed. The results are discriminated by profession. Two problems are highlighted: one of them refers to the general insatisfaction of this group with their theoretical learning; the other, shows the exit of prepared human resources from public hospitals. The data suggest that, despite sharing most of their activities, psychologists and psychiatrists have significant different opinions about the clinic education they think are getting. Further research is suggested in order to have a deeper comprehension of what is going on in these training programs.

Information Filtering Based on Users' Negative Opinions

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Qiang; Li, Yang; Liu, Jian-Guo

2013-05-01

The process of heat conduction (HC) has recently found application in the information filtering [Zhang et al., Phys. Rev. Lett.99, 154301 (2007)], which is of high diversity but low accuracy. The classical HC model predicts users' potential interested objects based on their interesting objects regardless to the negative opinions. In terms of the users' rating scores, we present an improved user-based HC (UHC) information model by taking into account users' positive and negative opinions. Firstly, the objects rated by users are divided into positive and negative categories, then the predicted interesting and dislike object lists are generated by the UHC model. Finally, the recommendation lists are constructed by filtering out the dislike objects from the interesting lists. By implementing the new model based on nine similarity measures, the experimental results for MovieLens and Netflix datasets show that the new model considering negative opinions could greatly enhance the accuracy, measured by the average ranking score, from 0.049 to 0.036 for Netflix and from 0.1025 to 0.0570 for Movielens dataset, reduced by 26.53% and 44.39%, respectively. Since users prefer to give positive ratings rather than negative ones, the negative opinions contain much more information than the positive ones, the negative opinions, therefore, are very important for understanding users' online collective behaviors and improving the performance of HC model.

Opinions about the future of Clinical Trials in Turkey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nüket Büken

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Even though all the rights and obligations of all parties of clinical trial – the researching physician, the volunteering patient, the industry, research institutions- have been assured with ethico-legal regulations, there still exist many problems in the world of clinical research, and suggestions of solutions to the said problems. As a medical ethicist who has been a permanent member of the Hacettepe University Ethical Committee since 2000, I have decided to write a short report that is a general look at the world of clinical research in Turkey. I wanted this report to be one that talks about some of the issues I believe are important about this subject, which include expectations and predictions on it. All of the headlines in this report are without doubt, issues that can be researched and written about widely and with much more details. Especially the process of adjustment to the new regulation of the EU (No 536/2014 of The European Parliament, the condition of non-medicational/non interventional clinical research, transparency in clinical research and budget issues are to me controversial subjects that should be especially and primarily discussed.

A Survey of Key Technology of Network Public Opinion Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Su Ying

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The internet has become an important base for internet users to make comments because of its interactivity and fast dissemination. The outbreak of internet public opinion has become a major risk for network information security. Domestic and foreign researchers had carried out extensive and in-depth study on public opinion. Fruitful results have achieved in the basic theory research and emergency handling and other aspects of public opinion. But research on the public opinion in China is still in the initial stage, the key technology of the public opinion analysis is still as a starting point for in-depth study and discussion.

Multi-lingual Opinion Mining on YouTube

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Severyn, Aliaksei; Moschitti, Alessandro; Uryupina, Olga; Plank, Barbara; Filippova, Katja

In order to successfully apply opinion mining (OM) to the large amounts of user-generated content produced every day, we need robust models that can handle the noisy input well yet can easily be adapted to a new domain or language. We here focus on opinion mining for YouTube by (i) modeling

The spreading of opposite opinions on online social networks with authoritative nodes

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Shu; Tang, Shaoting; Pei, Sen; Jiang, Shijin; Zhang, Xiao; Ding, Wenrui; Zheng, Zhiming

2013-09-01

The study of opinion dynamics, such as spreading and controlling of rumors, has become an important issue on social networks. Numerous models have been devised to describe this process, including epidemic models and spin models, which mainly focus on how opinions spread and interact with each other, respectively. In this paper, we propose a model that combines the spreading stage and the interaction stage for opinions to illustrate the process of dispelling a rumor. Moreover, we set up authoritative nodes, which disseminate positive opinion to counterbalance the negative opinion prevailing on online social networking sites. With analysis of the relationship among positive opinion proportion, opinion strength and the density of authoritative nodes in networks with different topologies, we demonstrate that the positive opinion proportion grows with the density of authoritative nodes until the positive opinion prevails in the entire network. In particular, the relationship is linear in homogeneous topologies. Besides, it is also noteworthy that initial locations of the negative opinion source and authoritative nodes do not influence positive opinion proportion in homogeneous networks but have a significant impact on heterogeneous networks. The results are verified by numerical simulations and are helpful to understand the mechanism of two different opinions interacting with each other on online social networking sites.

Same-sex marriage and other moral taboos : cultural acceptances, change in American public opinion and the evidence from the opinion polls

OpenAIRE

MORINI, Marco

2017-01-01

Published online: 25 January 2017 Creative Commons Licence This article analyzes the evolution of gay and lesbian rights and same-sex marriage in American public opinion. It describes how Obergefell v. Hodges, state-level decisions and the public opinion trends can be considered as the outcome of a grassroots coordinated campaign which began more than a decade ago and was able to conquer the majority of Americans. It also focuses on the American public opinion trends related to moral is...

Updated clinical indications for transcatheter aortic valve implantation in patients with severe aortic stenosis: expert opinion of the Italian Society of Cardiology and GISE.

Science.gov (United States)

Indolfi, Ciro; Bartorelli, Antonio L; Berti, Sergio; Golino, Paolo; Esposito, Giovanni; Musumeci, Giuseppe; Petronio, Sonia; Tamburino, Corrado; Tarantini, Giuseppe; Ussia, Gianpaolo; Vassanelli, Corrado; Spaccarotella, Carmen; Violini, Roberto; Mercuro, Giuseppe; Romeo, Francesco

2018-05-01

: The introduction of percutaneous treatment of severe aortic stenosis with transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) remains one of the greatest achievements of interventional cardiology. In fact, TAVI emerged as a better option than either medical therapy or balloon aortic valvuloplasty for patients who cannot undergo surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) or are at high surgical risk. Recently, increased operator experience and improved device systems have led to a worldwide trend toward the extension of TAVI to low-risk or intermediate-risk patients. In this expert opinion paper, we first discuss the basic pathophysiology of aortic stenosis in different settings then the key results of recent clinical investigations on TAVI in intermediate-risk aortic stenosis patients are summarized. Particular emphasis is placed on the results of the nordic aortic valve intervention, placement of aortic transcatheter valves (PARTNER) 2 and Surgical Replacement and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation Randomized trials. The PARTNER 2 was the first large randomized trial that evaluated the outcome of TAVI in patients at intermediate risk. The PARTNER 2 data demonstrated that TAVI is a feasible and reasonable alternative to surgery in intermediate-risk patients (Society of Thoracic Surgeons 4-8%), especially if they are elderly or frail. There was a significant interaction between TAVI approach and mortality, with transfemoral TAVI showing superiority over SAVR. Moreover, we examine the complementary results of the recently concluded Surgical Replacement and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation trial. This prospective randomized trial demonstrated that TAVI is comparable with surgery (primary end point 12.6% in the TAVI group vs. 14.0% in the SAVR group) in severe aortic stenosis patients deemed to be at intermediate risk. We review the most relevant clinical evidence deriving from nonrandomized studies and meta-analyses. Altogether, clinical outcome available data

20 CFR 416.927 - Evaluating opinion evidence.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... the record as a whole, the more weight we will give to that opinion. (5) Specialization. We generally... “disabled” or “unable to work” does not mean that we will determine that you are disabled. (2) Other... opinions from treating sources, nontreating sources, and other nonexamining sources who do not work for us...

Modeling and Simulation of Polarization in Internet Group Opinions Based on Cellular Automata

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yaofeng Zhang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Hot events on Internet always attract many people who usually form one or several opinion camps through discussion. For the problem of polarization in Internet group opinions, we propose a new model based on Cellular Automata by considering neighbors, opinion leaders, and external influences. Simulation results show the following: (1 It is easy to form the polarization for both continuous opinions and discrete opinions when we only consider neighbors influence, and continuous opinions are more effective in speeding the polarization of group. (2 Coevolution mechanism takes more time to make the system stable, and the global coupling mechanism leads the system to consensus. (3 Opinion leaders play an important role in the development of consensus in Internet group opinions. However, both taking the opinion leaders as zealots and taking some randomly selected individuals as zealots are not conductive to the consensus. (4 Double opinion leaders with consistent opinions will accelerate the formation of group consensus, but the opposite opinions will lead to group polarization. (5 Only small external influences can change the evolutionary direction of Internet group opinions.

Preliminary description of aging cats and dogs presented to a New Zealand first-opinion veterinary clinic at end-of-life.

Science.gov (United States)

Gates, M C; Hinds, H J; Dale, A

2017-11-01

AIMS To conduct a preliminary investigation into the chronic disease conditions and clinical signs present in aging New Zealand companion animals at end-of-life and to describe the timing, circumstances, and manner of death. METHODS The medical records database of a first-opinion, companion animal, veterinary practice in Auckland, New Zealand was searched to identify all canine and feline patients ≥7 years of age that were subjected to euthanasia or cremated in the period between July 2012-June 2014. The free-text medical notes were analysed for information on the circumstances surrounding the death, previous diagnoses of chronic disease conditions, and the presence of clinical signs associated with decreased quality-of-life at the time of euthanasia. RESULTS The median age at death was 15 (max 22) years for the 130 cats and 12 (max 17) years for the 68 dogs in the study sample. Euthanasia at the clinic was carried out for 119/130 (91%) cats and 62/68 (91%) dogs, with the remainder recorded as having an unassisted death. The frequency of deaths was highest during December for both cats and dogs. Cost was mentioned as an issue in the medical records for 39/181 (21.6%) patients that were subjected to euthanasia. At the time of euthanasia, 92/119 (77.3%) cats and 43/62 (69.4%) dogs were recorded as having >1 clinical sign associated with a decreased quality-of-life. Inappetence and non-specific decline were the two most commonly recorded clinical signs for both dogs and cats. Cardiovascular disease (44/130, 34%), renal failure (40/130, 31%), and malignant neoplasia (36/130, 28%) were the most common chronic disease conditions recorded for cats. Degenerative joint disease (22/68, 32%), malignant neoplasia (14/68, 21%), and cardiovascular disease (8/68, 12%) were the most common chronic disease conditions recorded for dogs. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE These preliminary findings highlight that aging companion animals in New Zealand frequently have chronic

Demographic and Social Factors Influencing Public Opinion on ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

macuser

the pressing need for empirical research into these opinions, to inform and make .... understanding public opinion on the issue of prostitution has critical relevance. For ..... prostitution and presented three options for legal reform in South Africa: ...

PageRank model of opinion formation on Ulam networks

Science.gov (United States)

Chakhmakhchyan, L.; Shepelyansky, D.

2013-12-01

We consider a PageRank model of opinion formation on Ulam networks, generated by the intermittency map and the typical Chirikov map. The Ulam networks generated by these maps have certain similarities with such scale-free networks as the World Wide Web (WWW), showing an algebraic decay of the PageRank probability. We find that the opinion formation process on Ulam networks has certain similarities but also distinct features comparing to the WWW. We attribute these distinctions to internal differences in network structure of the Ulam and WWW networks. We also analyze the process of opinion formation in the frame of generalized Sznajd model which protects opinion of small communities.

Cross-correlation patterns in social opinion formation with sequential data

Science.gov (United States)

Chakrabarti, Anindya S.

2016-11-01

Recent research on large-scale internet data suggests existence of patterns in the collective behavior of billions of people even though each of them may pursue own activities. In this paper, we interpret online rating activity as a process of forming social opinion about individual items, where people sequentially choose a rating based on the current information set comprising all previous ratings and own preferences. We construct an opinion index from the sequence of ratings and we show that (1) movie-specific opinion converges much slower than an independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) sequence of ratings, (2) rating sequence for individual movies shows lesser variation compared to an i.i.d. sequence of ratings, (3) the probability density function of the asymptotic opinions has more spread than that defined over opinion arising from i.i.d. sequence of ratings, (4) opinion sequences across movies are correlated with significantly higher and lower correlation compared to opinion constructed from i.i.d. sequence of ratings, creating a bimodal cross-correlation structure. By decomposing the temporal correlation structures from panel data of movie ratings, we show that the social effects are very prominent whereas group effects cannot be differentiated from those of surrogate data and individual effects are quite small. The former explains a large part of extreme positive or negative correlations between sequences of opinions. In general, this method can be applied to any rating data to extract social or group-specific effects in correlation structures. We conclude that in this particular case, social effects are important in opinion formation process.

Opinion of women about elective abortion

OpenAIRE

?akmak, B?lent; Metin, Fulya Zeynep; ?zsoy, Asker Zeki; ??t?l, R?za; ?nder, Yal??n; Y?lmaz Do?ru, Hatice

2014-01-01

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the opinions of women who presented to the hospital for elective abortion. Materials and Methods: This descriptive study was designed and conducted at our university hospital between March 2013-April 2013 by the method of face-to-face interviews with 500 women who presented to the hospital as patient or relatives of patients. Poll consisted of 6 questions about demographic characteristics and 14 questions evaluating the opinions and attitude...

Modeling opinion dynamics: Theoretical analysis and continuous approximation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pinasco, Juan Pablo; Semeshenko, Viktoriya; Balenzuela, Pablo

2017-01-01

Highlights: • We study a simple model of persuasion dynamics with long range pairwise interactions. • The continuous limit of the master equation is a nonlinear, nonlocal, first order partial differential equation. • We compute the analytical solutions to this equation, and compare them with the simulations of the dynamics. - Abstract: Frequently we revise our first opinions after talking over with other individuals because we get convinced. Argumentation is a verbal and social process aimed at convincing. It includes conversation and persuasion and the agreement is reached because the new arguments are incorporated. Given the wide range of opinion formation mathematical approaches, there are however no models of opinion dynamics with nonlocal pair interactions analytically solvable. In this paper we present a novel analytical framework developed to solve the master equations with non-local kernels. For this we used a simple model of opinion formation where individuals tend to get more similar after each interactions, no matter their opinion differences, giving rise to nonlinear differential master equation with non-local terms. Simulation results show an excellent agreement with results obtained by the theoretical estimation.

20 CFR 404.1527 - Evaluating opinion evidence.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... weight we will give to that opinion. (5) Specialization. We generally give more weight to the opinion of... statement that you are disabled. A statement by a medical source that you are “disabled” or “unable to work... other nonexamining sources who do not work for us. (iii) Administrative law judges may also ask for and...

Spiritual well-being and quality of life among Icelanders receiving palliative care: data from Icelandic pilot-testing of a provisional measure of spiritual well-being from the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Asgeirsdottir, G H; Sigurdardottir, V; Gunnarsdottir, S; Sigurbjörnsson, E; Traustadottir, R; Kelly, E; Young, T; Vivat, B

2017-03-01

Palliative care focuses on improving quality of life (QoL). This study examined the feasibility of the Icelandic version of a provisional European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) measure of spiritual well-being (SWB), and explored the relationship between SWB and QoL for palliative care patients in Iceland. Instruments from the EORTC were used: the provisional measure of SWB, which was undergoing pilot-testing in Iceland, and the EORTC QLQ C15-PAL. The correlation between scores was examined and descriptive statistics were used. Structured interviews explored feasibility. Thirty persons participated with average age 72 years. Belief in God or a higher power had the mean 3.33 on a 1-4 scale and the mean for overall SWB was 5.73 on a 1-7 scale. The mean score for global health/QoL was 59.4, physical functioning 48.5 and emotional functioning 78.9 on a 0-100 scale. Overall QoL was positively correlated with SWB showing r(30) = 0.386, P = 0.035. The participants found that answering the provisional EORTC QLQ-SWB prompted an emotional response and took the opportunity to discuss the subject. The provisional SWB measure was found relevant for the Icelandic context, and the study indicates that SWB and QoL are closely connected. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Understanding public opinion regarding transit in southeast Michigan.

Science.gov (United States)

2015-04-01

This report presents findings from a study on public opinion regarding transit in Southeast Michigan. The overall goals of this : study were to assess the nature of public opinion regarding regional transit and to understand its relation to socio-dem...

Development of the Paris definition of early Crohn's disease for disease-modification trials: results of an international expert opinion process.

Science.gov (United States)

Peyrin-Biroulet, Laurent; Billioud, Vincent; D'Haens, Geert; Panaccione, Remo; Feagan, Brian; Panés, Julian; Danese, Silvio; Schreiber, Stefan; Ogata, Haruhiko; Hibi, Toshifumi; Higgins, Peter D R; Beaugerie, Laurent; Chowers, Yehuda; Louis, Edouard; Steinwurz, Flávio; Reinisch, Walter; Rutgeerts, Paul; Colombel, Jean-Frédéric; Travis, Simon; Sandborn, William J

2012-12-01

We report the findings and outputs of an international expert opinion process to develop a definition of early Crohn's disease (CD) that could be used in future disease-modification trials. Nineteen experts on inflammatory bowel diseases held an international expert opinion meeting to discuss and agree on a definition for early CD to be used in disease-modification trials. The process included literature searches for the relevant basic-science and clinical evidence. A published preliminary definition of early CD was used as the basis for development of a proposed definition that was discussed at the expert opinion meeting. The participants then derived a final definition, based on best current knowledge, that it is hoped will be of practical use in disease-modification trials in CD.

An evidential opinion dynamics model based on heterogeneous social influential power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, Xi; Mo, Hongming; Deng, Yong

2015-01-01

Highlights: •We use Dempster–Shafer evidence theory to handle the uncertainty of the communication. •An ice-breaking uncertainty elimination process in opinion evolution is demonstrated. •The influential power of individuals and the feedback mechanism are considered. •The power-law characteristic of the final influential power distribution is depicted. -- Abstract: This paper introduces an evidential opinion dynamics model combing Dempster–Shafer evidence theory to explore the opinion evolution. Our model is an improvement of the Continuous Opinions and Discrete Actions (CODA) model. The process of people updating their opinions is regarded as a decision making process. The unavoidable uncertainty of the opinion evolution is handled by Dempster–Shafer evidence theory. Thereby, a new opinion group, i.e.the neutrals, is introduced into the system. Simulations show the neutral group plays a significant part in the opinion evolution. An opinion ice-breaking process at the early stage of the opinion evolution is observed. It is found that the consensus is not always reached then clusters emerge instead, which depends on the proportions of supporters, neutrals and opponents. The individual’s influential power is taken into account. With the positive feedback mechanism of people’s influential power, the obtained results are in accordance with people’s daily cognition such as the Authority Effect and the Matthew Effect. The final influential power distribution of all individuals in our model presents power-law characteristic

A Framework for a Clinical Reasoning Knowledge Warehouse

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vilstrup Pedersen, Klaus; Boye, Niels

2004-01-01

is stored and made accessible when relevant to the reasoning context and the specific patient case. Furthermore, the information structure supports the creation of new generalized knowledge using data mining tools. The patient case is divided into an observation level and an opinion level. At the opinion......, Knowledge Management Systems and Business Intelligence to make context based, patient case specific analysis and knowledge management. The knowledge base integrates three sources of information that supports clinical reasoning: general information, guidelines and health records. New generalized knowledge...... level, reasoning participants can express their argument based opinions about a patient case, thereby enhancing the knowledge about the state of and plans for the patient. An opinion language that supports expressing a possible imprecise/uncertain opinion based on imprecise...

Do gender and personality traits (BFI-10) influence self-perceived opinion leadership?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sudzina, Frantisek

2016-01-01

. This approach would require to identify opinion leaders. This paper investigates whether gender and personality traits can predict opinion leadership. Methodology/methods: The paper can be perceived as a replication in a loose sense of the term, since it replicates only a part of a previously published model...... and in one's own opinion (two variables). Generalized linear models (GLM) and Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient are used to analyze data. Scientific aim: The aim of the paper is to estimate impact of gender and personality traits on opinion leadership. Findings: Extraversion is the personality...... trait closest related to opinion leadership regardless whether it is self-perceived in the eyes of others or in one's own opinion. Opinion leadership in one's own opinion can be predicted even using neuroticism, and conscientiousness. The three traits are consistent with previous findings. Unlike...

42 CFR 411.382 - CMS's right to rescind advisory opinions.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false CMS's right to rescind advisory opinions. 411.382... Relationships Between Physicians and Entities Furnishing Designated Health Services § 411.382 CMS's right to rescind advisory opinions. Any advice CMS gives in an opinion does not prejudice its right to reconsider...

Does the weather influence public opinion about climate change?

Science.gov (United States)

Donner, S. D.; McDaniel, J.

2010-12-01

Public opinion in North America about the science of anthropogenic climate change and the motivation for policy action has been variable over the past twenty years. The trends in public opinion over time have been attributed the general lack of pressing public concern about climate change to a range of political, economic and psychological factors. One driving force behind the variability in polling data from year to year may be the weather itself. The difference between what we “expect” - the climate - and what we “get” - the weather - can be a major source of confusion and obfuscation in the public discourse about climate change. For example, reaction to moderate global temperatures in 2007 and 2008 may have helped prompt the spread of a “global cooling” meme in the public and the news media. At the same time, a decrease in the belief in the science of climate change and the need for action has been noted in opinion polls. This study analyzes the relationship between public opinion about climate change and the weather in the U.S. since the mid-1980s using historical polling data from several major organizations (e.g. Gallup, Pew, Harris Interactive, ABC News), historical monthly air temperature (NCDC) and a survey of opinion articles from major U.S. newspapers (Washington Post, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Houston Chronicle, USA Today). Seasonal and annual monthly temperature anomalies for the northeastern U.S and the continental U.S are compared with available national opinion data for three general categories of questions: i) Is the climate warming?, ii) Is the observed warming due to human activity?, and iii) Are you concerned about climate change? The variability in temperature and public opinion over time is also compared with the variability in the fraction of opinion articles in the newspapers (n ~ 7000) which express general agreement or disagreement with IPCC Summary for Policymakers consensus statements on climate change (“most of

Peer-to-peer and mass communication effect on opinion shifts

Science.gov (United States)

Kindler, A.; Solomon, S.; Stauffer, D.

2013-02-01

Opinion dynamics is studied through a minimal Ising model with three main influences (fields): personal conservatism (power-law distributed), inter-personal and group pressure, and a global field incorporating peer-to-peer and mass communications, which is generated bottom-up from the faction supporting the new opinion. A rich phase diagram appears separating possible terminal stages of the opinion diffusion, characterizing failure phases by the features of the individuals who had changed their opinion. An exhaustive solution of the model is produced, allowing predictions to be made on the opinion’s assimilation in the society.

Opinion formation driven by PageRank node influence on directed networks

Science.gov (United States)

Eom, Young-Ho; Shepelyansky, Dima L.

2015-10-01

We study a two states opinion formation model driven by PageRank node influence and report an extensive numerical study on how PageRank affects collective opinion formations in large-scale empirical directed networks. In our model the opinion of a node can be updated by the sum of its neighbor nodes' opinions weighted by the node influence of the neighbor nodes at each step. We consider PageRank probability and its sublinear power as node influence measures and investigate evolution of opinion under various conditions. First, we observe that all networks reach steady state opinion after a certain relaxation time. This time scale is decreasing with the heterogeneity of node influence in the networks. Second, we find that our model shows consensus and non-consensus behavior in steady state depending on types of networks: Web graph, citation network of physics articles, and LiveJournal social network show non-consensus behavior while Wikipedia article network shows consensus behavior. Third, we find that a more heterogeneous influence distribution leads to a more uniform opinion state in the cases of Web graph, Wikipedia, and Livejournal. However, the opposite behavior is observed in the citation network. Finally we identify that a small number of influential nodes can impose their own opinion on significant fraction of other nodes in all considered networks. Our study shows that the effects of heterogeneity of node influence on opinion formation can be significant and suggests further investigations on the interplay between node influence and collective opinion in networks.

Public opinion and nuclear power decision-making

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benson, B.

1991-01-01

This document discusses public opinion regarding nuclear power which is particularly difficult to tie down because of five important paradoxes that characterize it: it can be based on sound reason, but also on intense emotion; it is both national and local in perspective; at varying times it has seen nuclear power as both ''clean'' and ''dirty''; it believes nuclear power is both economic, and uneconomic; and nuclear power is perceived as having a fairly safe record, but being potentially unsafe. Equally as complex as the process by which public opinion is formed is the process by which it is converted into public policy. The American political system has numerous checks and balances designed to moderate the power of public opinion. A complex series of legislative, judicial, and executive branch hurdles must be cleared before any idea, however popular, can become day-to-day operating reality in government. As a result, major changes in policy or programs are difficult, and we may expect that nuclear power will be no different; radical change in one direction or the other is unlikely. Nevertheless, carefully focused programs could achieve modest progress, and carefully designed public opinion surveys could support such programs

Abbott Opinions #1-5.

Science.gov (United States)

Education Law Center, Inc., Newark, NJ.

This document contains the following "Abbott Opinions": (1) "Early Childhood Education"; (2) "Adequate School Facilities"; (3) "Supplemental Programs and Whole School Reform in Elementary Schools"; (4) "Supplemental Programs in Middle and High Schools"; and (5) "Planning Programs and Budgets…

Upper lower Cambrian (provisional Cambrian Series 2 trilobites from northwestern Gansu Province, China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jan Bergström†

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Upper lower Cambrian (provisional Cambrian Series 2 trilobites are described from three sections through the Shuangyingshan Formation in the Beishan area, northwestern Gansu Province, China. The trilobite fauna is dominated by eodiscoid and corynexochid trilobites, together representing at least ten genera: Serrodiscus, Tannudiscus, Calodiscus, Pagetides, Kootenia, Edelsteinaspis, Ptarmiganoides?, Politinella, Dinesus and Subeia. Eleven species are described, of which seven are identified with previously described taxa and four described under open nomenclature. The composition of the fauna suggests biogeographic affinity with Siberian rather than Gondwanan trilobite faunas, and the Cambrian Series 2 faunas described herein and from elsewhere in northwestern China seem to be indicative of the marginal areas of the Siberian palaeocontinent. This suggests that the Middle Tianshan–Beishan Terrane may have been located fairly close to Siberia during middle–late Cambrian Epoch 2.

(Miscommunication across the Borders: Politics, Media and Public Opinion in Turkey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Banu Baybars-Hawks

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The American sociologist Charles Horton Cooley defined public opinion "as a process of interaction and mutual influence rather than a state of broad agreement" in 1918. On the other hand, according to the American political scientist V.O. Key, public opinion was "opinions held by private persons which governments find it prudent to heed," in 1961. During the 1990s, advances in statistical and demographic analysis helped the development of an understanding of public opinion as the collective view of a defined population, such as a particular demographic or ethnic group. In this view, the influence of public opinion is not restricted to politics and elections. Public opinion is considered a powerful force in many other spheres, such as culture, fashion, literature and the arts, consumer spending, and marketing and public relations.1 Attitudes and values play a crucial role in the development of public opinion. Different variables embedded in the political, social and media structure of the country also have potential to make an impact on public opinion. These dynamics vary from the economics to the judicial system and democratic principles functioning in that country. On the other hand, public opinion has a power to shape politics and media's priorities in reporting. The interaction among politics, public opinion and media of one country can be better analyzed with the findings of public opinion research administered regularly. In Turkey, the research on and analysis of public opinion are most frequent during the election times. Therefore, it seems necessary to measure the public opinion more regularly to test the relationships among political, public and media agendas. Accordingly, the current study seeks to fill this gap. It is argued that in the absence of timely feedback from public surveys, decisions and policies for improving different services and institutions functioning in the country might not achieve their expected goal. The findings of

Opinion formation on multiplex scale-free networks

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Vu Xuan; Xiao, Gaoxi; Xu, Xin-Jian; Li, Guoqi; Wang, Zhen

2018-01-01

Most individuals, if not all, live in various social networks. The formation of opinion systems is an outcome of social interactions and information propagation occurring in such networks. We study the opinion formation with a new rule of pairwise interactions in the novel version of the well-known Deffuant model on multiplex networks composed of two layers, each of which is a scale-free network. It is found that in a duplex network composed of two identical layers, the presence of the multiplexity helps either diminish or enhance opinion diversity depending on the relative magnitudes of tolerance ranges characterizing the degree of openness/tolerance on both layers: there is a steady separation between different regions of tolerance range values on two network layers where multiplexity plays two different roles, respectively. Additionally, the two critical tolerance ranges follow a one-sum rule; that is, each of the layers reaches a complete consensus only if the sum of the tolerance ranges on the two layers is greater than a constant approximately equaling 1, the double of the critical bound on a corresponding isolated network. A further investigation of the coupling between constituent layers quantified by a link overlap parameter reveals that as the layers are loosely coupled, the two opinion systems co-evolve independently, but when the inter-layer coupling is sufficiently strong, a monotonic behavior is observed: an increase in the tolerance range of a layer causes a decline in the opinion diversity on the other layer regardless of the magnitudes of tolerance ranges associated with the layers in question.

Effect of users' opinion evolution on information diffusion in online social networks

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Hengmin; Kong, Yuehan; Wei, Jing; Ma, Jing

2018-02-01

The process of topic propagation always interweaves information diffusion and opinion evolution, but most previous works studied the models of information diffusion and opinion evolution separately, and seldom focused on their interaction of each other. To shed light on the effect of users' opinion evolution on information diffusion in online social networks, we proposed a model which incorporates opinion evolution into the process of topic propagation. Several real topics propagating on Sina Microblog were collected to analyze individuals' propagation intentions, and different propagation intentions were considered in the model. The topic propagation was simulated to explore the impact of different opinion distributions and intervention with opposite opinion on information diffusion. Results show that the topic with one-sided opinions can spread faster and more widely, and intervention with opposite opinion is an effective measure to guide the topic propagation. The earlier to intervene, the more effectively the topic propagation would be guided.

The Distribution of Climate Change Public Opinion in Canada.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matto Mildenberger

Full Text Available While climate scientists have developed high resolution data sets on the distribution of climate risks, we still lack comparable data on the local distribution of public climate change opinions. This paper provides the first effort to estimate local climate and energy opinion variability outside the United States. Using a multi-level regression and post-stratification (MRP approach, we estimate opinion in federal electoral districts and provinces. We demonstrate that a majority of the Canadian public consistently believes that climate change is happening. Belief in climate change's causes varies geographically, with more people attributing it to human activity in urban as opposed to rural areas. Most prominently, we find majority support for carbon cap and trade policy in every province and district. By contrast, support for carbon taxation is more heterogeneous. Compared to the distribution of US climate opinions, Canadians believe climate change is happening at higher levels. This new opinion data set will support climate policy analysis and climate policy decision making at national, provincial and local levels.

The Distribution of Climate Change Public Opinion in Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Mildenberger, Matto; Howe, Peter; Lachapelle, Erick; Stokes, Leah; Marlon, Jennifer; Gravelle, Timothy

2016-01-01

While climate scientists have developed high resolution data sets on the distribution of climate risks, we still lack comparable data on the local distribution of public climate change opinions. This paper provides the first effort to estimate local climate and energy opinion variability outside the United States. Using a multi-level regression and post-stratification (MRP) approach, we estimate opinion in federal electoral districts and provinces. We demonstrate that a majority of the Canadian public consistently believes that climate change is happening. Belief in climate change's causes varies geographically, with more people attributing it to human activity in urban as opposed to rural areas. Most prominently, we find majority support for carbon cap and trade policy in every province and district. By contrast, support for carbon taxation is more heterogeneous. Compared to the distribution of US climate opinions, Canadians believe climate change is happening at higher levels. This new opinion data set will support climate policy analysis and climate policy decision making at national, provincial and local levels.

Forming of political opinion and decision

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Urban, K.

1980-01-01

Taking the SNR-300 reactor in Kalkar as an example, the process of forming of political opinion and decision is reconstructed in order to get a picture of typical consensus- and conflict patterns in the discussion of safety problems. On this basis, it should be possible to derive a freedom of action for the political and administrative managing of safety matters by means of feed back with social groups. As a crucial point the aspects concerning the steps of the forming of political opinion and decision are examined. (DG) [de

Do Others’ Opinion Matter?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liu, Fei; Xiao, Bo Sophia; Lim, Eric T. K.

2016-01-01

when experiencing dissonance in e-WOM, male consumers value opinionated review over numerical rating and vice versa for their female counterparts. The results of our field survey on a custom developed website with 115 college students empirically validated our hypothesized relationships and also...

MindDigger: Feature Identification and Opinion Association for Chinese Movie Reviews

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Lili; Li, Chunping

In this paper, we present a prototype system called MindDigger, which can be used to analyze the opinions in Chinese movie reviews. Different from previous research that employed techniques on product reviews, we focus on Chinese movie reviews, in which opinions are expressed in subtle and varied ways. The system designed in this work aims to extract the opinion expressions and assign them to the corresponding features. The core tasks include feature and opinion extraction, and feature-opinion association. To deal with Chinese effectively, several novel approaches based on syntactic analysis are proposed in this paper. Running results show the performance is satisfactory.

Examining the provisional guidelines for weight gain in twin pregnancies: a retrospective cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Lutsiv, Olha; Hulman, Adam; Woolcott, Christy; Beyene, Joseph; Giglia, Lucy; Armson, B Anthony; Dodds, Linda; Neupane, Binod; McDonald, Sarah D

2017-09-29

Weight gain during pregnancy has an important impact on maternal and neonatal health. Unlike the Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommendations for weight gain in singleton pregnancies, those for twin gestations are termed "provisional", as they are based on limited data. The objectives of this study were to determine the neonatal and maternal outcomes associated with gaining weight below, within and above the IOM provisional guidelines on gestational weight gain in twin pregnancies, and additionally, to explore ranges of gestational weight gain among women who delivered twins at the recommended gestational age and birth weight, and those who did not. A retrospective cohort study of women who gave birth to twins at ≥20 weeks gestation, with a birth weight ≥ 500 g was conducted in Nova Scotia, Canada (2003-2014). Our primary outcome of interest was small for gestational age (gain were used to categorize women as gaining below, within, or above guidelines. We performed traditional regression analyses for maternal outcomes, and to account for the correlated nature of the neonatal outcomes in twins, we used generalized estimating equations (GEE). A total of 1482 twins and 741 mothers were included, of whom 27%, 43%, and 30% gained below, within, and above guidelines, respectively. The incidence of small for gestational age in these three groups was 30%, 21%, and 20%, respectively, and relative to gaining within guidelines, the adjusted odds ratios were 1.44 (95% CI 1.01-2.06) for gaining below and 0.92 (95% CI 0.62-1.36) for gaining above. The gestational weight gain in women who delivered twins at 37-42 weeks with average birth weight ≥ 2500 g and those who delivered twins outside of the recommend ranges were comparable to each other and the IOM recommendations. While gestational weight gain below guidelines for twins was associated with some adverse neonatal outcomes, additional research exploring alternate ranges of gestational weight gain in twin

Opinion Spreading with Mobility on Scale-Free Networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qiang, Guo; Xing-Wen, Chen; Jian-Guo, Liu; Bing-Hong, Wang; Tao, Zhou; Yu-Hua, Yao

2008-01-01

A continuum opinion dynamic model is presented based on two rules. The first one considers the mobilities of the individuals, the second one supposes that the individuals update their opinions independently. The results of the model indicate that the bounded confidence in c , separating consensus and incoherent states, of a scale-free network is much smaller than the one of a lattice. If the system can reach the consensus state, the sum of all individuals' opinion change O c (t) quickly decreases in an exponential form, while if it reaches the incoherent state finally O c (t) decreases slowly and has the punctuated equilibrium characteristic

Zealotry effects on opinion dynamics in the adaptive voter model

Science.gov (United States)

Klamser, Pascal P.; Wiedermann, Marc; Donges, Jonathan F.; Donner, Reik V.

2017-11-01

The adaptive voter model has been widely studied as a conceptual model for opinion formation processes on time-evolving social networks. Past studies on the effect of zealots, i.e., nodes aiming to spread their fixed opinion throughout the system, only considered the voter model on a static network. Here we extend the study of zealotry to the case of an adaptive network topology co-evolving with the state of the nodes and investigate opinion spreading induced by zealots depending on their initial density and connectedness. Numerical simulations reveal that below the fragmentation threshold a low density of zealots is sufficient to spread their opinion to the whole network. Beyond the transition point, zealots must exhibit an increased degree as compared to ordinary nodes for an efficient spreading of their opinion. We verify the numerical findings using a mean-field approximation of the model yielding a low-dimensional set of coupled ordinary differential equations. Our results imply that the spreading of the zealots' opinion in the adaptive voter model is strongly dependent on the link rewiring probability and the average degree of normal nodes in comparison with that of the zealots. In order to avoid a complete dominance of the zealots' opinion, there are two possible strategies for the remaining nodes: adjusting the probability of rewiring and/or the number of connections with other nodes, respectively.

Opinions and attitudes on the relationship between spirituality, religiosity and health: A comparison between nursing students from Brazil and Portugal.

Science.gov (United States)

Cordero, Rocío de Diego; Romero, Bárbara Badanta; de Matos, Filomena Adelaide; Costa, Emília; Espinha, Daniele Corcioli Mendes; Tomasso, Claudia de Souza; Lucchetti, Alessandra Lamas Granero; Lucchetti, Giancarlo

2018-03-08

To compare the opinions and attitudes of Portuguese-speaking nursing students from Brazil and Portugal on the relationship between religiosity/spirituality and the ability to approach these issues with patients, in their undergraduate training and practice. Although there are studies investigating nursing students' opinions concerning religiosity and spirituality in clinical practice, few have investigated if there are cross-cultural differences between countries. Observational, cross-sectional and multicenter study carried out in 2010 and 2011 in Brazil and in 2016 in Portugal. A total of 260 third and fourth year nursing students (139 from Portugal and 121 from Brazil) from four nursing schools were included. Religious beliefs (Duke Religion Index), attitudes and opinions about spirituality and health (Curlin's questionnaire) were assessed. A comparison between students from both countries was carried out. Significant differences were found between nursing students from Brazil and Portugal, which are countries with the same language, but with different nursing training programs and population characteristics. Brazilian students were more religious and have stronger opinions on the influence and appropriateness of spirituality in clinical practice than Portuguese students. However, both groups of students indicated they should be prepared to address religiosity and spirituality with patients, that these subjects should be included in the curriculum and that they were not properly prepared to address spiritual issues. Although different opinions and attitudes were found between Brazilian and Portuguese nursing students, more training in these issues should be implemented in the undergraduate education. Cross-cultural studies could help fostering a broad discussion in the field. These findings could contribute to raise awareness on the importance of improving the training of relational competencies that prepare students to address the dimension of spirituality and

Impact of gender and personality traits (BFI-10) on opinion leadership

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sudzina, Frantisek; Pavlicek, Antonin

2017-01-01

The paper studies the influence of gender and personality traits on opinion leadership. It tries to partially replicate the study about effect of Big Five Inventory (BFI) personality traits on domain-specific opinion leadership mediated through objective knowledge and generalized opinion leadership...

Expert Opinions on Nutrition Issues in Clinical Dentistry.

Science.gov (United States)

Palmer, Carole A.; And Others

1990-01-01

A survey of 79 experts in dental nutrition sought consensus on the appropriate scope of nutrition in clinical dentistry. Results support the need for greater attention to nutrition issues in dental schools and better models for nutrition interventions in dental practice. (Author/MSE)

42 CFR 1008.31 - OIG fees for the cost of advisory opinions.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false OIG fees for the cost of advisory opinions. 1008.31... SERVICES OIG AUTHORITIES ADVISORY OPINIONS BY THE OIG Advisory Opinion Fees § 1008.31 OIG fees for the cost of advisory opinions. (a) Responsibility for fees. The requestor is responsible for paying a fee...

PENGARUH MODIFIED AUDIT OPINION TERHADAP BORROWING CASH FLOW DAN INVESTMENT CASH FLOW

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Puspita Hardina Cahyaningrum

2013-06-01

Full Text Available This study examines and analyzes the economic consequences of modified audit opinion on borrowing cash flow and investment cash flow. Panel data model was used to observe the research. The sample of this study was 247 companies listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange for the years 2008-2010. The results show that modified audit opinion, except unqualified opinion with explanatory paragraph about going concern, did not affect borrowing cash flow because audit opinion was not the only consideration for granting credit by creditors. Companies receiving modified audit opinion were proven using more operating cash flow for investing shown in investment cash flow, especially companies receiving unqualified opinion with explanatory paragraph about going concern.

An opinion formation based binary optimization approach for feature selection

Science.gov (United States)

Hamedmoghadam, Homayoun; Jalili, Mahdi; Yu, Xinghuo

2018-02-01

This paper proposed a novel optimization method based on opinion formation in complex network systems. The proposed optimization technique mimics human-human interaction mechanism based on a mathematical model derived from social sciences. Our method encodes a subset of selected features to the opinion of an artificial agent and simulates the opinion formation process among a population of agents to solve the feature selection problem. The agents interact using an underlying interaction network structure and get into consensus in their opinions, while finding better solutions to the problem. A number of mechanisms are employed to avoid getting trapped in local minima. We compare the performance of the proposed method with a number of classical population-based optimization methods and a state-of-the-art opinion formation based method. Our experiments on a number of high dimensional datasets reveal outperformance of the proposed algorithm over others.

The effects of information and social conformity on opinion change.

Science.gov (United States)

Mallinson, Daniel J; Hatemi, Peter K

2018-01-01

Extant research shows that social pressures influence acts of political participation, such as turning out to vote. However, we know less about how conformity pressures affect one's deeply held political values and opinions. Using a discussion-based experiment, we untangle the unique and combined effects of information and social pressure on a political opinion that is highly salient, politically charged, and part of one's identity. We find that while information plays a role in changing a person's opinion, the social delivery of that information has the greatest effect. Thirty three percent of individuals in our treatment condition change their opinion due to the social delivery of information, while ten percent respond only to social pressure and ten percent respond only to information. Participants that change their opinion due to social pressure in our experiment are more conservative politically, conscientious, and neurotic than those that did not.

The effects of information and social conformity on opinion change

Science.gov (United States)

Hatemi, Peter K.

2018-01-01

Extant research shows that social pressures influence acts of political participation, such as turning out to vote. However, we know less about how conformity pressures affect one’s deeply held political values and opinions. Using a discussion-based experiment, we untangle the unique and combined effects of information and social pressure on a political opinion that is highly salient, politically charged, and part of one’s identity. We find that while information plays a role in changing a person’s opinion, the social delivery of that information has the greatest effect. Thirty three percent of individuals in our treatment condition change their opinion due to the social delivery of information, while ten percent respond only to social pressure and ten percent respond only to information. Participants that change their opinion due to social pressure in our experiment are more conservative politically, conscientious, and neurotic than those that did not. PMID:29718958

Factors affecting the opinions of family physicians regarding generic drugs – a questionnaire based study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pawel Lewek

2014-12-01

Full Text Available A range of factors are believed to exert a negative influence on opinions of physicians about generic drugs.The aim of this study was to survey the opinions of primary care doctors on generics, and determine the factors which may affect them. A questionnaire comprising thirty eight questions was distributed among primary care doctors working in seventy out-patient clinics of the Lodzkie province, Poland, during the period of January 1, 2010 – December 31, 2010. A total of170 of 183 participants completed the survey (average age 48.5; 70.0% women: a 92.9%response rate. While 38.8% of physicians claimed that generics were worse than brand name drugs, 54.1% considered them to be better. However, 36.5% of the doctors did not choose generics for their own use. Two key opinions were identified among the responses concerning the effectiveness of generic drugs: use of generic drugs by the physician (p<0.001, and their opinion that pharmacists do inform patients about generic drugs (p<0.05. Although existing evidence confirms that generic and brand name drugs are equally effective, many physicians doubt this, which prevents them from being used as cost effective drug therapy. In order to increase healthcare savings through the use of generics, these factors should be addressed: for example, convincing a physician to adopt generics for personal use may be an efficient way to support more cost effective treatment of his patients.

Emergency department external fixation for provisional treatment of pilon and unstable ankle fractures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Craig R Lareau

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Unstable ankle fractures and impacted tibial pilon fractures often benefit from provisional external fixation as a temporizing measure prior to definitive fixation. Benefits of external fixation include improved articular alignment, decreased articular impaction, and soft tissue rest. Uniplanar external fixator placement in the Emergency Department (ED ex-fix is a reliable and safe technique for achieving ankle reduction and stability while awaiting definitive fixation. This procedure involves placing transverse proximal tibial and calcaneal traction pins and connecting the pins with two external fixator rods. This technique is particularly useful in austere environments or when the operating room is not immediately available. Additionally, this bedside intervention prevents the patient from requiring general anesthesia and may be a cost-effective strategy for decreasing valuable operating time. The ED ex-fix is an especially valuable procedure in busy trauma centers and during mass casualty events, in which resources may be limited.

Differing professional views or opinions: 1994 Special Review Panel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-09-01

In July 1994, the Executive Director for Operations of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) appointed a Special Review Panel to assess the Differing Professional View or Opinion (DPV/DPO) process, including its effectiveness, how well it is understood by employees, and the organizational climate for having such views aired and properly decided. An additional area within this review was to address the effectiveness of the DPO procedures as they pertain to public access and confidentiality. Further, the Panel was charged with the review of the submittals completed since the last review to identify employees who made significant contributions to the agency or to the public health and safety but had not been adequately recognized for this contribution. The report presents the Special Review Panel's evaluation of the NRC's current process for dealing with Differing Professional Views or Opinions. Provided in this report are the results of an employee opinion survey on the process; highlights and suggestions from interviews with individuals who had submitted a Differing Professional View or Opinion, as well as with agency managers directly involved with the Differing Professional Views or Opinions process; and the Special Review Panel's recommendations for improving the DPV/DPO process

OGC Precedent Opinion 2-2010

Data.gov (United States)

Department of Veterans Affairs — Osborn v. Nicholson 21 Vet. App. 223 (2007) - Effect on Existing General Counsel Opinions, Application to other Benefit Programs, and Applicability to Series HH U.S....

Nuclear power engineering: Public understanding and public opinion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kryshev, A.I.; Sazykina, T.G.

1998-01-01

Subjective and objective reasons for the formation of public opinion about nuclear power engineering of Russia were analyzed. Some methodological errors in work with the Russian public on the problems of nuclear energy and possible methods of their correction were discussed. The social groups of the general public, which are of greatest importance in forming the attitude towards nuclear power engineering were indicated. The conclusion was reached that opinion of the ordinary population is often indicative of real drawbacks in the work of specialists in the nuclear fuel cycle. Consequently, careful surveys of public opinion about the problems of the nuclear industry should be very useful in organizing research work properly and improving the radiation safety. (author)

[State school children's opinions regarding violence in the media].

Science.gov (United States)

Piedrahita S, Laura E

2009-01-01

To describe the opinion of schoolage children, from a public school, regarding the violence they perceive in the media. Descriptive-exploratory research with a sample, selected according to the child's age in a public school. Quantitative data were collected. There were found common issues related to the child's opinion about the violence present in the media such as frequent exposure to the media violence and lack of parental supervision. Social context and constant exposure to the media violence affect the children's opinion about the violence phenomenon and their predisposition to it.

The importance of opinion leaders in agricultural production among ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The importance of opinion leaders in agricultural production among male and ... farmers do not have adequate access to extension services due to, amongst others, the ... In view of these problems, the role of opinion leaders is important and ...

Parents' knowledge of and opinions about healthcare laws and technology in primary care.

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, Lindsay A; Black, Erik W; Saliba, Heidi; Schentrup, Anzeela M

2012-01-01

Historically, parents have demonstrated poor understanding of adolescent healthcare laws. This study assessed US parents' current knowledge and opinions about technology facilitated physician-adolescent communication and applicable laws to enhance transition to adult health care. A brief survey in two low-income academic paediatric clinics asked parents about their knowledge of health care and laws, and their opinions about technology facilitated contact between physicians and adolescents. Almost all parents (96.7%) have internet access at home, work or via a mobile device. Only 44.1% approved of having a physician directly contact their child about annual examinations, immunisations or to discuss issues of sexuality. Half (55.4%) were aware that adolescents could receive confidential sexuality information and treatment without parents' permission. Only one-third (32.2%) approved of a specific technology for direct communication. Parents are divided about direct physician-adolescent contact. Future plans to engage adolescents to understand their health will require parental education and involvement on the value of physician-adolescent communication.

A survey of attitude and opinions of endodontic residents towards regenerative endodontics

Science.gov (United States)

Utneja, Shivani; Nawal, Ruchika Roongta; Ansari, Mohammed Irfan; Talwar, Sangeeta; Verma, Mahesh

2013-01-01

Aim: The objective of this survey was to study the level of awareness, current state of knowledge and opinions towards regenerative endodontic treatments amongst the endodontic residents of India. Settings and Design: Questionnaire based survey was designed. Materials and Methods: After approval from the organizing committee of 26th Federation of Operative Dentistry of India and 19th Indian Endodontic Society National conference 2011, 200 copies of the questionnaire were circulated amongst the endodontic residents in conservative dentistry and endodontics at various colleges across the country about regenerative endodontic procedures. The survey included profile of the respondents and consisted of 23 questions about their knowledge, attitude and opinions regarding use of these procedures as part of future dental treatment. Results: The survey showed that half the participants (50.6%) had received continued education in stem cells and/or regenerative dental treatments. The majority of participants were of the opinion (86.6%) that regenerative therapy should be incorporated into dentistry, and most of them (88%) were willing to acquire training in learning this new treatment strategy. The results indicated that half of the participants (52.6%) were already using some type of regenerative therapy in their clinical practice; however, with a majority of these limited to use of membranes, scaffolds or bioactive materials. Conclusions: These results reflect that endodontic residents are optimistic about the use of regenerative endodontic procedures; however, a need for more research and training was felt. PMID:23956532

Scientific Opinion on Risk Assessment of Synthetic Biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Epstein, Michelle M; Vermeire, Theo

2016-08-01

In 2013, three Scientific Committees of the European Commission (EC) drafted Scientific Opinions on synthetic biology that provide an operational definition and address risk assessment methodology, safety aspects, environmental risks, knowledge gaps, and research priorities. These Opinions contribute to the international discussions on the risk governance for synthetic biology developments. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison between the public opinion and the image of public opinion on nuclear power generation. From the viewpoint of risk communication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsuda, Toshihiro

2003-01-01

One objective for risk communication is to improve the understanding of public values and concerns. This paper examined the perceptions of nuclear power plant engineers of an electric power company, about public values and concerns regarding nuclear power generation (image of public opinion), and compared them with actual public opinion. The image of public opinion was surveyed by questionnaire method. In the questionnaire, the subjects were asked to estimate the most preferred answer given to questions posed to the Japanese public. For some questions, subjects were asked to estimate the percentage of Japanese who selected a certain answer for a question or the distribution of the answers. The results showed: (1) Nuclear power plant engineers correctly recognized the existence of high anxiety in the public's mind concerning nuclear power generation. (2) Engineers were apt to underestimate the percentage of Japanese who think nuclear power generation is useful in our society. (3) The majority of Japanese assume that when nuclear power plant accidents occur radioactive leakage is so severe that it affects the health of inhabitants. However, the engineers were apt to estimate that the majority of Japanese think radioactive leakage is not so severe. (4) Engineers correctly recognized that the majority of Japanese think it is a realistic option to use the nuclear power generation. However, they incorrectly estimated that only 40% of Japanese think it is a realistic option to use the nuclear power generation when in fact 67% think so. These gaps between public opinion and the image of public opinion by the engineers were classified into two groups, one that stems from the cognitive bias when people estimate public opinion and one that is inherent in the engineers of nuclear power plants. (author)

On the empirical relevance of the transient in opinion models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Banisch, Sven; Araujo, Tanya

2010-01-01

While the number and variety of models to explain opinion exchange dynamics is huge, attempts to justify the model results using empirical data are relatively rare. As linking to real data is essential for establishing model credibility, this Letter develops an empirical confirmation experiment by which an opinion model is related to real election data. The model is based on a representation of opinions as a vector of k bits. Individuals interact according to the principle that similarity leads to interaction and interaction leads to still more similarity. In the comparison to real data we concentrate on the transient opinion profiles that form during the dynamic process. An artificial election procedure is introduced which allows to relate transient opinion configurations to the electoral performance of candidates for which data are available. The election procedure based on the well-established principle of proximity voting is repeatedly performed during the transient period and remarkable statistical agreement with the empirical data is observed.

On the empirical relevance of the transient in opinion models

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Banisch, Sven, E-mail: sven.banisch@universecity.d [Mathematical Physics, Physics Department, Bielefeld University, 33501 Bielefeld (Germany); Institute for Complexity Science (ICC), 1249-078 Lisbon (Portugal); Araujo, Tanya, E-mail: tanya@iseg.utl.p [Research Unit on Complexity in Economics (UECE), ISEG, TULisbon, 1249-078 Lisbon (Portugal); Institute for Complexity Science (ICC), 1249-078 Lisbon (Portugal)

2010-07-12

While the number and variety of models to explain opinion exchange dynamics is huge, attempts to justify the model results using empirical data are relatively rare. As linking to real data is essential for establishing model credibility, this Letter develops an empirical confirmation experiment by which an opinion model is related to real election data. The model is based on a representation of opinions as a vector of k bits. Individuals interact according to the principle that similarity leads to interaction and interaction leads to still more similarity. In the comparison to real data we concentrate on the transient opinion profiles that form during the dynamic process. An artificial election procedure is introduced which allows to relate transient opinion configurations to the electoral performance of candidates for which data are available. The election procedure based on the well-established principle of proximity voting is repeatedly performed during the transient period and remarkable statistical agreement with the empirical data is observed.

Chaotic Modes in Scale Free Opinion Networks

Science.gov (United States)

Kusmartsev, Feo V.; Kürten, Karl E.

2010-12-01

In this paper, we investigate processes associated with formation of public opinion in varies directed random, scale free and small-world social networks. The important factor of the opinion formation is the existence of contrarians which were discovered by Granovetter in various social psychology experiments1,2,3 long ago and later introduced in sociophysics by Galam.4 When the density of contrarians increases the system behavior drastically changes at some critical value. At high density of contrarians the system can never arrive to a consensus state and periodically oscillates with different periods depending on specific structure of the network. At small density of the contrarians the behavior is manifold. It depends primary on the initial state of the system. If initially the majority of the population agrees with each other a state of stable majority may be easily reached. However when originally the population is divided in nearly equal parts consensus can never be reached. We model the emergence of collective decision making by considering N interacting agents, whose opinions are described by two state Ising spin variable associated with YES and NO. We show that the dynamical behaviors are very sensitive not only to the density of the contrarians but also to the network topology. We find that a phase of social chaos may arise in various dynamical processes of opinion formation in many realistic models. We compare the prediction of the theory with data describing the dynamics of the average opinion of the USA population collected on a day-by-day basis by varies media sources during the last six month before the final Obama-McCain election. The qualitative ouctome is in reasonable agreement with the prediction of our theory. In fact, the analyses of these data made within the paradigm of our theory indicates that even in this campaign there were chaotic elements where the public opinion migrated in an unpredictable chaotic way. The existence of such a phase

The relevance of security analyst opinions for investment decisions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gerritsen, D.F.

2014-01-01

Security analysts analyze information regarding publicly traded companies after which they publish their opinion regarding these companies’ stocks. In this dissertation the published opinions of two different types of analysts are analyzed. Technical analysts derive a recommendation to buy, hold, or

Workplace exposure to nanoparticles and the application of provisional nanoreference values in times of uncertain risks

Science.gov (United States)

van Broekhuizen, Pieter; van Broekhuizen, Fleur; Cornelissen, Ralf; Reijnders, Lucas

2012-03-01

Nano reference values (NRVs) for occupational use of nanomaterials were tested as provisional substitute for Occupational Exposure Limits (OELs). NRVs can be used as provisional limit values until Health-Based OELs or derived no-effect levels (DNEL) become available. NRVs were defined for 8 h periods (time weighted average) and for short-term exposure periods (15 min-time weighted average). To assess the usefulness of these NRVs, airborne number concentrations of nanoparticles (NPs) in the workplace environment were measured during paint manufacturing, electroplating, light equipment manufacturing, non-reflective glass production, production of pigment concentrates and car refinishing. Activities monitored were handling of solid engineered NPs (ENP), abrasion, spraying and heating during occupational use of nanomaterials (containing ENPs) and machining nanosurfaces. The measured concentrations are often presumed to contain ENPs as well as process-generated NPs (PGNP). The PGNP are found to be a significant source for potential exposure and cannot be ignored in risk assessment. Levels of NPs identified in workplace air were up to several millions of nanoparticles/cm3. Conventional components in paint manufacturing like CaCO3 and talc may contain a substantial amount of nanosized particulates giving rise to airborne nanoparticle concentrations. It is argued that risk assessments carried out for e.g. paint manufacturing processes using conventional non-nano components should take into account potential nanoparticle emissions as well. The concentrations measured were compared with particle-based NRVs and with mass-based values that have also been proposed for workers protection. It is concluded that NRVs can be used for risk management for handling or processing of nanomaterials at workplaces provided that the scope of NRVs is not limited to ENPs only, but extended to the exposure to process-generated NPs as well.

Workplace exposure to nanoparticles and the application of provisional nanoreference values in times of uncertain risks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Broekhuizen, Pieter van; Broekhuizen, Fleur van; Cornelissen, Ralf; Reijnders, Lucas

2012-01-01

Nano reference values (NRVs) for occupational use of nanomaterials were tested as provisional substitute for Occupational Exposure Limits (OELs). NRVs can be used as provisional limit values until Health-Based OELs or derived no-effect levels (DNEL) become available. NRVs were defined for 8 h periods (time weighted average) and for short-term exposure periods (15 min-time weighted average). To assess the usefulness of these NRVs, airborne number concentrations of nanoparticles (NPs) in the workplace environment were measured during paint manufacturing, electroplating, light equipment manufacturing, non-reflective glass production, production of pigment concentrates and car refinishing. Activities monitored were handling of solid engineered NPs (ENP), abrasion, spraying and heating during occupational use of nanomaterials (containing ENPs) and machining nanosurfaces. The measured concentrations are often presumed to contain ENPs as well as process-generated NPs (PGNP). The PGNP are found to be a significant source for potential exposure and cannot be ignored in risk assessment. Levels of NPs identified in workplace air were up to several millions of nanoparticles/cm 3 . Conventional components in paint manufacturing like CaCO 3 and talc may contain a substantial amount of nanosized particulates giving rise to airborne nanoparticle concentrations. It is argued that risk assessments carried out for e.g. paint manufacturing processes using conventional non-nano components should take into account potential nanoparticle emissions as well. The concentrations measured were compared with particle-based NRVs and with mass-based values that have also been proposed for workers protection. It is concluded that NRVs can be used for risk management for handling or processing of nanomaterials at workplaces provided that the scope of NRVs is not limited to ENPs only, but extended to the exposure to process-generated NPs as well.

Changes in alcohol policies and public opinions in Finland 2003-2013.

Science.gov (United States)

Österberg, Esa; Lindeman, Mikaela; Karlsson, Thomas

2014-05-01

There is a constant and ongoing interplay between public opinions and public policies, alcohol policies being no exception. This article describes the development of public opinions regarding alcohol policy in Finland during a 10-year period between 2003 and 2013. Fluctuations in the alcohol policy opinion climate are put in context by looking at concurrent changes in alcohol policies and in total alcohol consumption. The study is based on data from opinion surveys on alcohol policies commissioned by the National Institute for Health and Welfare and the Finnish Social and Health Association. The opinion polls include questions about the general acceptance of prevailing alcohol policies, appropriate sales channels of different alcoholic beverage categories and opinions about the legal age limits and prices of alcoholic beverages. In the study, changes in alcohol policy during 2003-2013 are surveyed, and their relationship with changes in alcohol policy opinion is examined. There seem to be a strong positive correlation during the study period between the level of alcohol consumption and the share of those wanting a more restrictive alcohol policy in Finland. It seems that an increased level of awareness of alcohol-related issues among the general public created a more restrictive opinion climate on alcohol policy issues after the big alcohol excise duty decrease in 2004. The reverse seems to happen but in a lesser degree when alcohol excise duties has been increased after the year 2007. © 2014 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

Practices and opinions on nitrous oxide/oxygen sedation from dentists licensed to perform relative analgesia in Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daher Anelise

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Relative analgesia (RA, defined as the use of inhalation sedation with nitrous oxide and oxygen, is one of the most common pharmacological behavior management techniques used to provide sedation and analgesia for dental patients. This study aimed to assess RA licensed Brazilian dentists’ practices and opinions about nitrous oxide/oxygen sedation in the dental setting. Methods A cross sectional national survey was conducted with 281 dentists who were certified to perform RA, using an electronically mailed self-administered questionnaire containing closed questions about their practices and opinions regarding RA. Practice and opinion were individually analyzed by descriptive statistics. Non-parametric tests assessed the relationships between RA practice and independent variables. To test the interplay between practices and opinions, a k-means clusters analysis was used to divide the group for statistical comparisons. Results The response rate was 45.2%. Women made up 64.6% of the respondents, the mean age was 39.1 years (SD = 9.8, and the mean time since graduation in dentistry was 16 years (SD = 9.7. Seventy-seven percent of respondents reported the use of RA in clinical practice, most of them ‘sometimes’ (53.5%, and focusing more on adult patients. Patients with certain physical or mental deficiencies were indications associated with RA practice. ‘Equipment acquisition’ (p  Conclusion Most of the RA licensed Brazilian dentists interviewed currently use RA. Current practice of RA and frequency of use determined the degree of favorable opinion about this inhalation sedation among this group of respondents.

Using Spatial, Economic, and Ecological Opinion Data to Inform Gray Wolf Conservation.

Science.gov (United States)

Berry, Meredith S; Nickerson, Norma P; Metcalf, Elizabeth Covelli

2016-09-01

Public opinion can be an influential factor in wildlife management decisions. Evaluating public opinions can help legitimize, or delegitimize, management and facilitate long-term conservation goals. This is especially true for the controversial issues surrounding the management of predators. We surveyed Montana, USA, residents during summer of 2013 to measure public opinion regarding economic and ecological impacts of the gray wolf ( Canis lupus ), and current management of this species. Although opinions were polarized in some areas, a greater percentage of Montanans think that wolves negatively affect the economy, but impact tourism (which contributes to the economy) positively. These differences may reflect the belief that rancher economic losses from wolf predation of cattle is greater than overall tourism gains related to wolves (e.g., wolf-watching), in addition to the perception of wolves negatively affecting big game (e.g., elk [ Cervus canadensis ]). Results also show that a slightly greater percentage of Montanans feel that wolves positively rather than negatively affect the ecosystem. Regarding specific practices, more Montanans than not have a positive opinion of maintaining wolves on the landscape and also support hunting of wolves. More Montanans hold negative rather than positive opinions, however, regarding wolf trapping. This result was most evident in western Montana as assessed by a spatial distribution of opinions by county and has implications for current wolf management and nontarget species. Results of ordinal regression analyses revealed that big game hunters, males, and those who held negative opinions of the effect of wolves on the Montana ecosystem and economy were significantly more likely to support both hunting and trapping practices. Living in western Montana predicted positive opinions of hunting, but alternatively, negative opinions of trapping. These results provide an understanding of public opinion of wolf management by county as

Using Spatial, Economic, and Ecological Opinion Data to Inform Gray Wolf Conservation

Science.gov (United States)

Berry, Meredith S.; Nickerson, Norma P.; Metcalf, Elizabeth Covelli

2018-01-01

Public opinion can be an influential factor in wildlife management decisions. Evaluating public opinions can help legitimize, or delegitimize, management and facilitate long-term conservation goals. This is especially true for the controversial issues surrounding the management of predators. We surveyed Montana, USA, residents during summer of 2013 to measure public opinion regarding economic and ecological impacts of the gray wolf (Canis lupus), and current management of this species. Although opinions were polarized in some areas, a greater percentage of Montanans think that wolves negatively affect the economy, but impact tourism (which contributes to the economy) positively. These differences may reflect the belief that rancher economic losses from wolf predation of cattle is greater than overall tourism gains related to wolves (e.g., wolf-watching), in addition to the perception of wolves negatively affecting big game (e.g., elk [Cervus canadensis]). Results also show that a slightly greater percentage of Montanans feel that wolves positively rather than negatively affect the ecosystem. Regarding specific practices, more Montanans than not have a positive opinion of maintaining wolves on the landscape and also support hunting of wolves. More Montanans hold negative rather than positive opinions, however, regarding wolf trapping. This result was most evident in western Montana as assessed by a spatial distribution of opinions by county and has implications for current wolf management and nontarget species. Results of ordinal regression analyses revealed that big game hunters, males, and those who held negative opinions of the effect of wolves on the Montana ecosystem and economy were significantly more likely to support both hunting and trapping practices. Living in western Montana predicted positive opinions of hunting, but alternatively, negative opinions of trapping. These results provide an understanding of public opinion of wolf management by county as

Opinions of patients with type 2 diabetes about responsibility, setting targets and willingness to take medication: a cross-sectional survey.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gorter, K.J.; Tuytel, G.J.; Leeuw, R.R. de; Bensing, J.M.; Rutten, G.E.H.M.

2011-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To assess opinions and their determinants of patients with type 2 diabetes about responsibility for managing their diabetes, setting treatment targets and willingness taking medication. METHODS: Questionnaire survey carried out in general practices and outpatient clinics across the

Clinical manifestations in patients with computerized tomography diagnosis of neurocysticercosis; Manifestacoes clinicas de pacientes com diagnostico de neurocisticercose por tomografia computadorizada

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pfuetzenreiter, Marcia Regina [Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina (UDESC), Florianopolis, SC (Brazil). Dept. de Medicina Veterinaria Preventiva e Tecnologia]. E-mail: a2mrp@cav.udesc.br; Avila-Pires, Fernando Dias de [Santa Catarina Univ., Florianopolis, SC (Brazil). Dept. de Saude Publica

1999-09-01

A survey was conducted in the urban area of Lages using patients who had been submitted to a computed tomography of the skull in the period of March-December, 1996, for different reasons. Forty-two patients with a provisional diagnosis of neurocysticercosis, and 57 negatives were personally interviewed by one of the authors (Pfuetzenreiter), using a semi-structured procedure. More individuals with a provisional diagnostic of neurocysticercosis reported clinical manifestations related to this infection than those found negative. this difference is more marked among women, except in relation to convulsions, more frequently reported by men (19.05%) than by women (7.14%). The greater percentage of inactive forms (83.33%0 and a longer history of perceived symptoms among those positives suggest that the condition is not new. (author)

Financial and Non Financial Factors on Going-Concern Opinion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Junaidi Junaidi

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Company's ability to survive is a fundamental uncertainty faced in the preparation and auditing financial statements. Provision of going-concern opinion on these financial statements the company is still being debated. Public Accountant Professional Standards in section 341 states that the auditor is responsible for evaluating whether there is a major doubt on the ability of entities in the continued survival of the appropriate period of time, not more than one year from the date of the financial statements being audited. This research analyzed the financial and non financial factors that affected the provision of going-concern opinion. This research used samples of 63 companies with 315 observations, taken from years 2005-2009. The logistic regression analysis showed that the company's financial condition variables, mitigating evidence, and disclosure significantly influence the acceptance of going-concern opinion. Enterprise risk was not significant at propensity of going-concern opinion.

42 CFR 411.380 - When CMS issues a formal advisory opinion.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false When CMS issues a formal advisory opinion. 411.380... Relationships Between Physicians and Entities Furnishing Designated Health Services § 411.380 When CMS issues a formal advisory opinion. (a) CMS considers an advisory opinion to be issued once it has received payment...

Documentation to the NCES Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Universe Survey: School Year 2011-12. Provisional Version 1a. NCES 2014-035

Science.gov (United States)

Keaton, Patrick

2014-01-01

This documentation is for the provisional version 1a file of the National Center for Education Statistics' (NCES) Common Core of Data (CCD) Local Education Agency (LEA) Universe Survey for SY 2011-12. It contains a brief description of the data collection, along with information required to understand and access the data file. The CCD is a…

Dynamics of bounded confidence opinion in heterogeneous social networks: Concord against partial antagonism

Science.gov (United States)

Kurmyshev, Evguenii; Juárez, Héctor A.; González-Silva, Ricardo A.

2011-08-01

Bounded confidence models of opinion dynamics in social networks have been actively studied in recent years, in particular, opinion formation and extremism propagation along with other aspects of social dynamics. In this work, after an analysis of limitations of the Deffuant-Weisbuch (DW) bounded confidence, relative agreement model, we propose the mixed model that takes into account two psychological types of individuals. Concord agents (C-agents) are friendly people; they interact in a way that their opinions always get closer. Agents of the other psychological type show partial antagonism in their interaction (PA-agents). Opinion dynamics in heterogeneous social groups, consisting of agents of the two types, was studied on different social networks: Erdös-Rényi random graphs, small-world networks and complete graphs. Limit cases of the mixed model, pure C- and PA-societies, were also studied. We found that group opinion formation is, qualitatively, almost independent of the topology of networks used in this work. Opinion fragmentation, polarization and consensus are observed in the mixed model at different proportions of PA- and C-agents, depending on the value of initial opinion tolerance of agents. As for the opinion formation and arising of “dissidents”, the opinion dynamics of the C-agents society was found to be similar to that of the DW model, except for the rate of opinion convergence. Nevertheless, mixed societies showed dynamics and bifurcation patterns notably different to those of the DW model. The influence of biased initial conditions over opinion formation in heterogeneous social groups was also studied versus the initial value of opinion uncertainty, varying the proportion of the PA- to C-agents. Bifurcation diagrams showed an impressive evolution of collective opinion, in particular, radical changes of left to right consensus or vice versa at an opinion uncertainty value equal to 0.7 in the model with the PA/C mixture of population near 50/50.

Opinions of professionals about integrating midwife- and obstetrician-led care in The Netherlands.

Science.gov (United States)

Perdok, Hilde; Jans, Suze; Verhoeven, Corine; van Dillen, Jeroen; Batenburg, Ronald; Mol, Ben Willem; Schellevis, François; de Jonge, Ank

2016-06-01

the current division between midwife-led and obstetrician-led care creates fragmentation in maternity care in the Netherlands. This study aims to gain insight into the level of consensus among maternity care professionals about facilitators and barriers related to integration of midwife-led and obstetrician-led care. Integration could result in more personal continuity of care for women who are referred during labour. This may lead to better birth experiences, fewer interventions and better outcomes for both mother and infant. a descriptive study using a questionnaire survey of 300 primary care midwives, 100 clinical midwives and 942 obstetricians. the Netherlands in 2013. 131 (response 44%) primary care midwives, 51 (response 51%) clinical midwives and 242 (response 25%) obstetricians completed the questionnaire. there was consensus about the clinical midwife caring for labouring women at moderate risk of complications. Although primary care midwives themselves were willing to expand their tasks there was no consensus among respondents on the tasks and responsibilities of the primary care midwife. Professionals agreed on the importance of good collaboration between professionals who should work together as a team. Respondents also agreed that there are conflicting interests related to the payment structure, which are a potential barrier for integrating maternity care. this study shows that professionals are positive regarding an integrated maternity care system but primary care midwives, clinical midwives and obstetricians have different opinions about the specifications and implementation of this system. our findings are in accordance with earlier research, showing that it is too early to design a blueprint for an integrated maternity care model in the Netherlands. To bring about change in the maternity care system, an implementation strategy should be chosen that accounts for differences in interests and opinions between professionals. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier

Discrepancy and Disliking Do Not Induce Negative Opinion Shifts

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Takács, Károly; Flache, Andreas; Maes, Michael

2016-01-01

Both classical social psychological theories and recent formal models of opinion differentiation and bi-polarization assign a prominent role to negative social influence. Negative influence is defined as shifts away from the opinion of others and hypothesized to be induced by discrepancy with or

22 CFR 126.9 - Advisory opinions and related authorizations.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

.... 126.9 Section 126.9 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE INTERNATIONAL TRAFFIC IN ARMS REGULATIONS GENERAL POLICIES AND PROVISIONS § 126.9 Advisory opinions and related authorizations. (a) Advisory opinion. Any person desiring information as to whether the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls would be...

49 CFR 604.21 - Special considerations for advisory opinions.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... Desist Orders § 604.21 Special considerations for advisory opinions. Based on new facts involving significant financial considerations, the Chief Counsel may take appropriate enforcement action contrary to an... 49 Transportation 7 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Special considerations for advisory opinions. 604...

Interplay between media and social influence in the collective behavior of opinion dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Colaiori, Francesca; Castellano, Claudio

2015-10-01

Messages conveyed by media act as a major drive in shaping attitudes and inducing opinion shift. On the other hand, individuals are strongly affected by peer pressure while forming their own judgment. We solve a general model of opinion dynamics where individuals either hold one of two alternative opinions or are undecided and interact pairwise while exposed to an external influence. As media pressure increases, the system moves from pluralism to global consensus; four distinct classes of collective behavior emerge, crucially depending on the outcome of direct interactions among individuals holding opposite opinions. Observed nontrivial behaviors include hysteretic phenomena and resilience of minority opinions. Notably, consensus could be unachievable even when media and microscopic interactions are biased in favor of the same opinion: The unfavored opinion might even gain the support of the majority.

Sifting Through Chaos: Extracting Information from Unstructured Legal Opinions.

Science.gov (United States)

Oliveira, Bruno Miguel; Guimarães, Rui Vasconcellos; Antunes, Luís; Rodrigues, Pedro Pereira

2018-01-01

Abiding to the law is, in some cases, a delicate balance between the rights of different players. Re-using health records is such a case. While the law grants reuse rights to public administration documents, in which health records produced in public health institutions are included, it also grants privacy to personal records. To safeguard a correct usage of data, public hospitals in Portugal employ jurists that are responsible for allowing or withholding access rights to health records. To help decision making, these jurists can consult the legal opinions issued by the national committee on public administration documents usage. While these legal opinions are of undeniable value, due to their doctrine contribution, they are only available in a format best suited from printing, forcing individual consultation of each document, with no option, whatsoever of clustered search, filtering or indexing, which are standard operations nowadays in a document management system. When having to decide on tens of data requests a day, it becomes unfeasible to consult the hundreds of legal opinions already available. With the objective to create a modern document management system, we devised an open, platform agnostic system that extracts and compiles the legal opinions, ex-tracts its contents and produces metadata, allowing for a fast searching and filtering of said legal opinions.

Extracting product features and opinion words using pattern knowledge in customer reviews.

Science.gov (United States)

Htay, Su Su; Lynn, Khin Thidar

2013-01-01

Due to the development of e-commerce and web technology, most of online Merchant sites are able to write comments about purchasing products for customer. Customer reviews expressed opinion about products or services which are collectively referred to as customer feedback data. Opinion extraction about products from customer reviews is becoming an interesting area of research and it is motivated to develop an automatic opinion mining application for users. Therefore, efficient method and techniques are needed to extract opinions from reviews. In this paper, we proposed a novel idea to find opinion words or phrases for each feature from customer reviews in an efficient way. Our focus in this paper is to get the patterns of opinion words/phrases about the feature of product from the review text through adjective, adverb, verb, and noun. The extracted features and opinions are useful for generating a meaningful summary that can provide significant informative resource to help the user as well as merchants to track the most suitable choice of product.

Extracting Product Features and Opinion Words Using Pattern Knowledge in Customer Reviews

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Su Su Htay

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Due to the development of e-commerce and web technology, most of online Merchant sites are able to write comments about purchasing products for customer. Customer reviews expressed opinion about products or services which are collectively referred to as customer feedback data. Opinion extraction about products from customer reviews is becoming an interesting area of research and it is motivated to develop an automatic opinion mining application for users. Therefore, efficient method and techniques are needed to extract opinions from reviews. In this paper, we proposed a novel idea to find opinion words or phrases for each feature from customer reviews in an efficient way. Our focus in this paper is to get the patterns of opinion words/phrases about the feature of product from the review text through adjective, adverb, verb, and noun. The extracted features and opinions are useful for generating a meaningful summary that can provide significant informative resource to help the user as well as merchants to track the most suitable choice of product.

Extracting Product Features and Opinion Words Using Pattern Knowledge in Customer Reviews

Science.gov (United States)

Lynn, Khin Thidar

2013-01-01

Due to the development of e-commerce and web technology, most of online Merchant sites are able to write comments about purchasing products for customer. Customer reviews expressed opinion about products or services which are collectively referred to as customer feedback data. Opinion extraction about products from customer reviews is becoming an interesting area of research and it is motivated to develop an automatic opinion mining application for users. Therefore, efficient method and techniques are needed to extract opinions from reviews. In this paper, we proposed a novel idea to find opinion words or phrases for each feature from customer reviews in an efficient way. Our focus in this paper is to get the patterns of opinion words/phrases about the feature of product from the review text through adjective, adverb, verb, and noun. The extracted features and opinions are useful for generating a meaningful summary that can provide significant informative resource to help the user as well as merchants to track the most suitable choice of product. PMID:24459430

Norwegian obstetricians' opinions about cesarean section on maternal request: should women pay themselves?

Science.gov (United States)

Fuglenes, Dorthe; Oian, Pål; Gyrd-Hansen, Dorte; Olsen, Jan Abel; Kristiansen, Ivar S

2010-12-01

to explore obstetricians' opinions on cesarean section (CS) on maternal request in the absence of a medical indication, and the potential to regulate CS on maternal request through financial incentives such as patient co-payment. cross-sectional study. Norway. a total of 507 obstetricians (response rate 71%). Questionnaire covering socio-demographic variables, professional experience and attitudes about CS on maternal request (such as willingness to perform, views on how CS on maternal request should be financed). obstetricians' opinions about CS on maternal request including funding and use of patient co-payments. clinical encounters with CS on maternal request were considered problematic from a clinical viewpoint by 62% of the respondents. While 35% considered the costs of CS on maternal request to be a public responsibility, 40% suggested use of co-payments ranging from €188- €7,500. Male obstetricians less frequently considered CS on maternal request problematic and were more likely to favor public funding than females. Female obstetricians favored use of co-payments more often than males (64% female vs. 37% male obstetricians, χ(2) = 23.94, p gender difference concerning obstetricians' responses to patient requested cesarean section. The results indicate that a substantial proportion of obstetricians welcome some form of constraint concerning cesarean section requests in the absence of a medical indication.

What drives people's opinions of electricity infrastructure? Empirical evidence from Ireland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bertsch, Valentin; Hyland, Marie; Mahony, Michael

2017-01-01

Across the EU, significant infrastructure investment is needed in both generation from renewable energy sources (RES) and the electricity grid to meet the European targets on emission reduction and RES expansion. Experiences show, however, that citizens may object to new energy infrastructure in their localities which may cause delays in achieving the targets. To avoid delays, it is crucial to understand what drives people's opinions. To explore people's opinions of different electricity generation and transmission technologies in Ireland, we conducted a nationally-representative survey. Concerning the drivers, we distinguish between socio-demographics, technology-specific perceptions, and energy policy preferences. Our results show that people generally have positive views of RES technologies. While this indicates that Irish citizens agree to move towards cleaner electricity sources, we find reluctance amongst people to have these technologies located close to their places of residence. We find that, across most technologies, the tradeoff people make between economic and environmental policy objectives drives their opinions of, and their tendencies to oppose, technology developments. The significance of most socio-demographic variables, however, is largely technology-dependent. This highlights that policy makers need to understand how people make tradeoffs between policy objectives and how these tradeoffs relate to their opinions of different technologies. - Highlights: • Conducted a survey to understand drivers of opinions of electricity infrastructure. • Considered socio-demographic, policy-related and technology-specific drivers. • Irish citizens generally have positive opinions of renewable technologies. • Positive opinions don't rule out local opposition. • Tradeoffs on policy objectives shape opinions most consistently across technologies.

Entropy based classifier for cross-domain opinion mining

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jyoti S. Deshmukh

2018-01-01

Full Text Available In recent years, the growth of social network has increased the interest of people in analyzing reviews and opinions for products before they buy them. Consequently, this has given rise to the domain adaptation as a prominent area of research in sentiment analysis. A classifier trained from one domain often gives poor results on data from another domain. Expression of sentiment is different in every domain. The labeling cost of each domain separately is very high as well as time consuming. Therefore, this study has proposed an approach that extracts and classifies opinion words from one domain called source domain and predicts opinion words of another domain called target domain using a semi-supervised approach, which combines modified maximum entropy and bipartite graph clustering. A comparison of opinion classification on reviews on four different product domains is presented. The results demonstrate that the proposed method performs relatively well in comparison to the other methods. Comparison of SentiWordNet of domain-specific and domain-independent words reveals that on an average 72.6% and 88.4% words, respectively, are correctly classified.

Quantifying the Effect of Open-Mindedness on Opinion Dynamics and Advertising Optimization

OpenAIRE

Innes, Clinton R

2014-01-01

Group opinion dynamics shape our world in innumerable ways. Societal aspects ranging from the political parties we support to the economic decisions we make in our daily lives are all directly af- fected in some way by group opinion dynamics. This makes understanding and potentially being able to predict the complex inter-relationships between individuals’ opinions and group opinion dynam- ics invaluable both scientifically and economically. We propose an aggregation model incorporating ingro...

The influence of persuasion in opinion formation and polarization

Science.gov (United States)

La Rocca, C. E.; Braunstein, L. A.; Vazquez, F.

2014-05-01

We present a model that explores the influence of persuasion in a population of agents with positive and negative opinion orientations. The opinion of each agent is represented by an integer number k that expresses its level of agreement on a given issue, from totally against k=-M to totally in favor k = M. Same-orientation agents persuade each other with probability p, becoming more extreme, while opposite-orientation agents become more moderate as they reach a compromise with probability q. The population initially evolves to (a) a polarized state for r=p/q\\gt 1 , where opinions' distribution is peaked at the extreme values k=+/- M , or (b) a centralized state for r < 1, with most opinions around k=+/- 1 . When r \\gg 1 , polarization lasts for a time that diverges as r^M \\ln N , where N is the population's size. Finally, an extremist consensus (k = M or -M ) is reached in a time that scales as r^{-1} for r \\ll 1 .

Oral Abstract Session 3: Orthognathic/Implants

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hartlev, Jens

Immediate Placement And Provisionalization Of Single-tooth Implants Involving A Final Individual Abutment. A 3-year Clinical And Radiographic Retrospektive Study......Immediate Placement And Provisionalization Of Single-tooth Implants Involving A Final Individual Abutment. A 3-year Clinical And Radiographic Retrospektive Study...

Opinions and Knowledge About Climate Change Science in High School Students

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Harker-Schuch, Inez; Henriksen, Christian Bugge

2013-01-01

in national and international schools before and after a lecture in climate change science. The results show that knowledge about climate change science significantly affects opinions about climate change. Students with a higher number of correct answers are more likely to have the opinion that humans......This study investigates the influence of knowledge on opinions about climate change in the emerging adults' age group (16-17 years). Furthermore, the effects of a lecture in climate change science on knowledge and opinions were assessed. A survey was conducted in Austria and Denmark on 188 students...... are causing climate change and that both individuals and governments are responsible for addressing climate change. The lecture in climate change science significantly improved knowledge development but did not affect opinions. Knowledge was improved by 11 % after the lecture. However, the percentage...

Opinion leadership and willingness to pay for residential photovoltaic systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamamoto, Yoshihiro

2015-01-01

According to diffusion theory, opinion leaders play an important role in the diffusion of new technologies through interpersonal communication with potential adopters. This study investigates the role and utility of opinion leadership in photovoltaic (PV) system diffusion. Specifically, the study proposes, examines, and considers the implications of the hypothesis that there is a positive relationship between willingness to pay (WTP) for a PV system and opinion leadership on PV-system adoption. The investigation employed an internet-based questionnaire to assess the use of interpersonal communication in decision-making on adoption, to identify opinion leaders on adoption, and to characterize their WTP. The response pool consisted of 488 individuals who lived in a detached house, owned a residential PV system, and were responsible for making the decision to adopt the system. The results support the hypothesis. Considering that subsidization preferentially incentivizes households with greater WTP to adopt PV systems, this suggests that subsidization is more effective than purchases of PV power under feed-in tariffs in promoting the diffusion of residential PV systems through interpersonal communication. -- Highlights: •Interpersonal communication about the adoption of PV systems is analyzed. •A questionnaire survey is conducted. •Opinion leaders on PV-system adoption are identified. •A relationship is confirmed between willingness to pay and opinion leadership. •Subsidization is more essential than feed-in tariffs from this point of view

Sudden transitions in coupled opinion and epidemic dynamics with vaccination

Science.gov (United States)

Pires, Marcelo A.; Oestereich, André L.; Crokidakis, Nuno

2018-05-01

This work consists of an epidemic model with vaccination coupled with an opinion dynamics. Our objective was to study how disease risk perception can influence opinions about vaccination and therefore the spreading of the disease. Differently from previous works we have considered continuous opinions. The epidemic spreading is governed by an SIS-like model with an extra vaccinated state. In our model individuals vaccinate with a probability proportional to their opinions. The opinions change due to peer influence in pairwise interactions. The epidemic feedback to the opinion dynamics acts as an external field increasing the vaccination probability. We performed Monte Carlo simulations in fully-connected populations. Interestingly we observed the emergence of a first-order phase transition, besides the usual active-absorbing phase transition presented in the SIS model. Our simulations also show that with a certain combination of parameters, an increment in the initial fraction of the population that is pro-vaccine has a twofold effect: it can lead to smaller epidemic outbreaks in the short term, but it also contributes to the survival of the chain of infections in the long term. Our results also suggest that it is possible that more effective vaccines can decrease the long-term vaccine coverage. This is a counterintuitive outcome, but it is in line with empirical observations that vaccines can become a victim of their own success.

Opinion-enhanced collaborative filtering for recommender systems through sentiment analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Wei; Wang, Hongwei

2015-10-01

The motivation of collaborative filtering (CF) comes from the idea that people often get the best recommendations from someone with similar tastes. With the growing popularity of opinion-rich resources such as online reviews, new opportunities arise as we can identify the preferences from user opinions. The main idea of our approach is to elicit user opinions from online reviews, and map such opinions into preferences that can be understood by CF-based recommender systems. We divide recommender systems into two types depending on the number of product category recommended: the multiple-category recommendation and the single-category recommendation. For the former, sentiment polarity in coarse-grained manner is identified while for the latter fine-grained sentiment analysis is conducted for each product aspect. If the evaluation frequency for an aspect by a user is greater than the average frequency by all users, it indicates that the user is more concerned with that aspect. If a user's rating for an aspect is lower than the average rating by all users, he or she is much pickier than others on that aspect. Through sentiment analysis, we then build an opinion-enhanced user preference model, where the higher the similarity between user opinions the more consistent preferences between users are. Experiment results show that the proposed CF algorithm outperforms baseline methods for product recommendation in terms of accuracy and recall.

Motives for seeking a second opinion in orthopaedic surgery.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dalen, I. van; Groothoff, J.; Stewart, R.; Spreeuwenberg, P.; Groenewegen, P.; Horn, J. van

2001-01-01

The number of second opinions in orthopaedic surgery is increading rapidly, yet the grounds on which patients and their doctors decide to seek a second opinion have been little studied. The goal of the study was to identify patient and consultant factors that appeared to contribute to a second

Nursing opinion leadership: a preliminary model derived from philosophic theories of rational belief.

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Christine A; Whall, Ann L

2013-10-01

Opinion leaders are informal leaders who have the ability to influence others' decisions about adopting new products, practices or ideas. In the healthcare setting, the importance of translating new research evidence into practice has led to interest in understanding how opinion leaders could be used to speed this process. Despite continued interest, gaps in understanding opinion leadership remain. Agent-based models are computer models that have proven to be useful for representing dynamic and contextual phenomena such as opinion leadership. The purpose of this paper is to describe the work conducted in preparation for the development of an agent-based model of nursing opinion leadership. The aim of this phase of the model development project was to clarify basic assumptions about opinions, the individual attributes of opinion leaders and characteristics of the context in which they are effective. The process used to clarify these assumptions was the construction of a preliminary nursing opinion leader model, derived from philosophical theories about belief formation. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Tipología de las bibliotecas argentinas desde el período hispánico hasta 1830: Una primera clasificación provisional Typology of the Argentine Libraries since the Hispanic Period to 1830: A First Provisional Classification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alejandro E. Parada

2003-12-01

Full Text Available El presente artículo intenta trazar una breve clasificación de los distintos «tipos» de bibliotecas existentes en el actual territorio argentino durante la dominación hispánica hasta el año 1830. La tipología adoptada es, ante todo, una aproximación provisional y ampliamente perfectible. La contribución se dirige, en líneas generales, a quienes se inician en el estudio de la «Historia del libro, de las bibliotecas y de la lectura» en la Argentina. En este sentido, la bibliografía citada intenta suplir la falta de guías de estudio sobre esta temática. Las bibliotecas identificadas son las siguientes: de instituciones o corporaciones religiosas, particulares, pública catedralicia, pública conventual, pública, de sociedades de extranjeros (societarias, de institutos de enseñanza, circulantes (y gabinetes de lectura, y por encargo u ofrecidas por negociantes.This article tries to outline a brief classification of the different types of existing libraries in the present Argentine territory since the Hispanic domination to 1830. The typology adopted is, above all, a provisional approach greatly rectifiable. The contribution is aimed, in general terms, to whom start the study of the history of the books, libraries, and reading in Argentina. In that sense, the quoted bibliography tries to substitute the lack of study guides on the subject. The identified libraries belong to: institutions or religious corporations; private individuals; foreigners societies (i.e.: belonging to a society; educational institutes; and cathedral public libraries; conventual public libraries; public libraries; circulating libraries (and reading rooms; and libraries made to order or offered by businessmen.

Expert opinion vs. empirical evidence: the precautionary principle applied to GM crops.

Science.gov (United States)

Herman, Rod A; Raybould, Alan

2014-01-01

Expert opinion is often sought by government regulatory agencies when there is insufficient empirical evidence to judge the safety implications of a course of action. However, it can be reckless to continue following expert opinion when a preponderance of evidence is amassed that conflicts with this opinion. Factual evidence should always trump opinion in prioritizing the information that is used to guide regulatory policy. Evidence-based medicine has seen a dramatic upturn in recent years spurred by examples where evidence indicated that certain treatments recommended by expert opinions increased death rates. We suggest that scientific evidence should also take priority over expert opinion in the regulation of genetically modified crops (GM). Examples of regulatory data requirements that are not justified based on the mass of evidence are described, and it is suggested that expertise in risk assessment should guide evidence-based regulation of GM crops.

Investigation on the hematopoietic effect of functional foods using radiation and preparing the provisional product

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Sung Ho; Oh, Heon; Lee, Song Eun; Jeong, Yong Woon [Chonnam National University, Kwangju (Korea)

1999-04-01

We performed this study to determine the effect of several oriental prescriptions as energy tonic (Chinese medical concept: Bu-Qi) or blood building (Chinese medical concept: Bu-Xie) decoction and its major ingredients on jejunal crypt survival, endogenous spleen colony formation, and apoptosis in jejunal crypt cells of mice irradiated with high and low dose of gamma-irradiation. For the study of evaluation on the biological stability of irradiated chinese medical prescriptions, we performed the experiment to determine the effect of irradiated (10kGy) or unirradiated Si-Wu-Tang, Bu-Zhong-Yi-Qi-Tang and San-Ling-Bai-Shu-San in irradiated mice. Further studies are needed to characterize better the protective nature of the total extract and its ingredients and for preparing the provisional product. (author). 61 refs., 3 figs., 21 tabs.

Islamic Work Ethics and Audit Opinions: Audit Professionalism and Dysfunctional

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tulus Suryanto

2016-02-01

Full Text Available This study examines the relationship between Islamic work ethics and auditors' opinion, focusing on the aspects of audit professionalism and dysfunctional behavior  as intervening  variables. The research involved in Internal Auditors working of Islamic Banking industry in Sumatra Island. A questionnaire was used for data collection. The study represents the empirical test employing census sampling. The data collected were analysed using Amos.  The results of the study confirmed the three hypotheses examined: there is a positive corelation between Islamic work ethics and auditors' opinions; auditors’ professionalism is an intervening variable of the correlation between Islamic work ethics and auditors’ opinions and dysfunctional behavior is a negative intervening variable of the correlation between Islamic Work Ethics and auditors' opinionsDOI: 10.15408/aiq.v8i1.1864

Phase Transitions in a Social Impact Model for Opinion Formation

Science.gov (United States)

Bordogna, Clelia M.; Albano, Ezequiel V.

A model for opinion formation in a social group, based on the Theory of Social Impact developed by Latané, is studied by means of numerical simulations. Interactions among the members of the group, as well as with a strong leader competing with the mass media, are considered. The model exhibits first-order transitions between two different states of opinion, which are supported by the leader and the mass media, respectively. The social inertia of the group becomes evident when the opinion of the leader changes periodically. In this case two dynamic states are identified: for long periods of time, the group follows the changes of the leader but, decreasing the period, the opinion of the group remains unchanged. This scenery is suitable for the ocurrence of dynamic phase transitions.

Democracy, the media stage and opinions evaluation. The particular case of nuclear

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ansel, Ph.; Pages, J.P.

1997-01-01

The intention is pointed at the public opinion. The public debate, linked to the political system, is described in the frame where the opinions are expressed in interaction with the media. This debate has a fundamental role in the opinions structuration. Then it is shown how it is possible to introduce it in the way of measuring the opinions. Then, we arrive to the structures of public opinion. The analysis of facts registered during twenty years on nuclear energy allows to illustrate the interest of this global approach: considered from a controversy point of view, it is also a technical object and then it can be considered as a differentiation theme among others ones. (N.C.)

Indicators of opinion leadership in customer networks : self-reports and degree centrality

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Risselada, Hans; Verhoef, Pieter; Bijmolt, Tammo

In this paper, we assess two alternative indicators of opinion leadership, self-reported opinion leadership and degree centrality, on the same dataset. We also investigate the interaction effect of these two indicators and the social network environment on opinion leadership. We use social network

The nature and determinants of opinion leadership in Lesotho ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This research investigates the nature, the occurrence and the factors influencing opinion leadership in Lesotho. The focus is on a typical rural district where 200 maize farmers were randomly selected and their opinion leaders identified by means of sociometric methods with the number of nominations as the major indicator ...

Running retraining to treat lower limb injuries: a mixed-methods study of current evidence synthesised with expert opinion.

Science.gov (United States)

Barton, C J; Bonanno, D R; Carr, J; Neal, B S; Malliaras, P; Franklyn-Miller, A; Menz, H B

2016-05-01

Running-related injuries are highly prevalent. Synthesise published evidence with international expert opinion on the use of running retraining when treating lower limb injuries. Mixed methods. A systematic review of clinical and biomechanical findings related to running retraining interventions were synthesised and combined with semistructured interviews with 16 international experts covering clinical reasoning related to the implementation of running retraining. Limited evidence supports the effectiveness of transition from rearfoot to forefoot or midfoot strike and increase step rate or altering proximal mechanics in individuals with anterior exertional lower leg pain; and visual and verbal feedback to reduce hip adduction in females with patellofemoral pain. Despite the paucity of clinical evidence, experts recommended running retraining for: iliotibial band syndrome; plantar fasciopathy (fasciitis); Achilles, patellar, proximal hamstring and gluteal tendinopathy; calf pain; and medial tibial stress syndrome. Tailoring approaches to each injury and individual was recommended to optimise outcomes. Substantial evidence exists for the immediate biomechanical effects of running retraining interventions (46 studies), including evaluation of step rate and strike pattern manipulation, strategies to alter proximal kinematics and cues to reduce impact loading variables. Our synthesis of published evidence related to clinical outcomes and biomechanical effects with expert opinion indicates running retraining warrants consideration in the treatment of lower limb injuries in clinical practice. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Analysing Customer Opinions with Text Mining Algorithms

Science.gov (United States)

Consoli, Domenico

2009-08-01

Knowing what the customer thinks of a particular product/service helps top management to introduce improvements in processes and products, thus differentiating the company from their competitors and gain competitive advantages. The customers, with their preferences, determine the success or failure of a company. In order to know opinions of the customers we can use technologies available from the web 2.0 (blog, wiki, forums, chat, social networking, social commerce). From these web sites, useful information must be extracted, for strategic purposes, using techniques of sentiment analysis or opinion mining.

The Gap in Knowledge of Clinical Practice Guidelines by Mental Health Residents in Buenos Aires (Argentina

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Javier Fabrissin

2014-05-01

Full Text Available The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate if the residents of psychiatry and clinical psychology from the city of Buenos Aires knew any of the existing mental health Clinical Practice and Treatment Guidelines (CPTGs. We asked residents their opinion about CPTGs and, also, if they followed their recommendations in clinical practice. We asked 59 mental health residents (28 physicians and 29 psychologists with different years of clinical training to fill a questionnaire to know their opinion about CPTGs and also if they follow the CPTG recommendations in their clinical practice. We found that 79.31% of residents did not know any CPTG. Eighty percent of the residents who did know any CPTG have a positive opinion about CPTGs. Finally, the American Psychiatric Association Guidelines were the most known CPTGs. The authors emphasize the need for a clinical guidelines diffusion policy in Buenos Aires city and particularly as a clinical and training resource for mental health residents.

42 CFR 411.386 - CMS's advisory opinions as exclusive.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false CMS's advisory opinions as exclusive. 411.386... Relationships Between Physicians and Entities Furnishing Designated Health Services § 411.386 CMS's advisory... described in § 411.370. CMS has not and does not issue a binding advisory opinion on the subject matter in...

Students' Opinions on Facebook Supported Blended Learning Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Erdem, Mukaddes; Kibar, Pinar Nuhoglu

2014-01-01

The first purpose of this study was to determine students' opinions on blended learning and its implementation. The other purpose was to explore the students' opinions on Facebook integration into blended learning environment. The participants of this study were 40 undergraduate students in their fourth semester of the program.…

Analysis of Primary School Teachers' Opinions on Family Diversity

Science.gov (United States)

Bosch, Alvaro Capano; Massonnier, Natalie; González Tornaría, Maria del L.

2016-01-01

This article aims to do an analysis based on the opinion of primary school teachers on family models that are different from the traditional nuclear family. We worked with 60 teachers from Montevideo and the metropolitan area. They answered the Questionnaire: Teachers' Opinion on Family Diversity (CIDF for its Spanish acronym) (Morgado,…

29 CFR 18.701 - Opinion testimony by lay witnesses.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Opinion testimony by lay witnesses. 18.701 Section 18.701 Labor Office of the Secretary of Labor RULES OF PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE FOR ADMINISTRATIVE HEARINGS... Opinion testimony by lay witnesses. If the witness is not testifying as an expert, the witness' testimony...

Documentation to the NCES Common Core of Data Public Elementary/Secondary School Universe Survey: School Year 2011-12. Provisional Version 1a. NCES 2014-100

Science.gov (United States)

Keaton, Patrick

2013-01-01

The documentation for this provisional version 1a file of the National Center for Education Statistics' (NCES) Common Core of Data (CCD) Public Elementary/Secondary School Universe Survey for SY 2011-12, contains a brief description of the data collection, along with information required to understand and access the data file. The SY 2011-12…

Your opinion on climate change might not be as common as you think

Science.gov (United States)

Leviston, Z.; Walker, I.; Morwinski, S.

2013-04-01

Political and media debate on the existence and causes of climate change has become increasingly factious in several western countries, often resting on claims and counter-claims about what most citizens really think. There are several well-established phenomena in psychology about how people perceive the prevalence of opinions, including the false consensus effect (a tendency to overestimate how common one's `own' opinion is) and pluralistic ignorance (where most people privately reject an opinion, but assume incorrectly that most others accept it). We investigated these biases in people's opinions about the existence and causes of climate change. In two surveys conducted 12 months apart in Australia (n=5,036 n=5,030), respondents were asked their own opinion about the nature of climate change, and then asked to estimate levels of opinion among the general population. We demonstrate that opinions about climate change are subject to strong false consensus effects, that people grossly overestimate the numbers of people who reject the existence of climate change in the broader community, and that people with high false consensus bias are less likely to change their opinions.

Radiologic reports : attitudes, preferred type, and opinion of referring physicians

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Won Young; Hwang, Seong Su; Ahn, Myeong Im and others

2001-01-01

To determine referring physicians' general attitudes, preferred reporting types, and opinions on radiologic reports. A survey questionnaire was distributed to the 315 staff and residents of four university hospitals with 400 to 800 beds, and a total of 228 physicians responded. The questionnaire aimed to determine of the general attitude of referring physicians to radiologic reports, the type of report they preferred, and other opinions and suggestions. The responses elicited, as well as discrepancies among residents, staff, internist, and surgeons, were analyzed. Most referring physicians replied that they read an entire report regardless of its length, and the second majority read the conclusion first and then the remainder of the report only if clarification was required. With regard to report length, physicians answered that reports describing the findings of conventional radiography were often too short, while those dealing with MRI were verbose. The majority experienced occasional confusion when reading a report, the major cause being grammatical errors and incomprehensible sentence structure. When confused, most physicians consulted the radiologist ; staff showed a greater inclination than residents to pursue this option. Most physicians preferred brief phrases or telegraphic-style sentences to a style which stressed completeness and detail, a preference which was statistically higher among residents than staff. Whereas physicians favored a brief radiologic report in cases of normal radiologic findings, conventional radiologic studies or no clinical findings, they wished to see a more detailed report in cases of abnormal radiologic findings, specific radiologic studies (special radiographs, US, CT, or MRI), or positive clinical findings. This need for more detail was expressed more frequently by internists than by surgeons. If implemented, the results of this study can be expected to enhance the quality and comprehensibility of radiologic reports, and may

[Use of ineffective practices in Primary Health Care: professional opinions].

Science.gov (United States)

Domínguez Bustillo, L; Barrasa Villar, J I; Castán Ruíz, S; Moliner Lahoz, F J; Aibar Remón, C

2014-01-01

To estimate the frequency of ineffective practices in Primary Health Care (PHC) based on the opinions of clinical professionals from the sector, and to assess the significance, implications and factors that may be contributing to their continuance. An on line survey of opinion from a convenience sample of 575 professionals who had published articles over the last years in Atención Primaria and Semergen medical journals. A total of 212 professionals replied (37%). For 70.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 64.5 to 73.3) the problem of ineffective practices is frequent or very frequent in PHC, and rate their importance with an average score of 7.3 (standard deviation [SD]=1.8) out of 10. The main consequences would be endangering the sustainability of the system (48.1%; 95% CI, 41.2 to 54.9) and harming patients (32.1%; 95% CI, 25.7 to 38.5). These ineffective practices are the result of the behaviour of the patients themselves (28%; 95% CI, 22.6 to 35.0) workload (26.4%; 95% CI, 20.3 to 32.5), and the lack of the continuous education (19.3%; 95% CI, 13.9 to 24.7). Clinical procedures of greatest misuse are the prescribing of antibiotics for certain infections, the frequency of cervical cancer screening, rigorous pharmacological monitoring of type 2 diabetes in patients over 65 years, the use of psychotropic drugs in the elderly, or the use of analgesics in patients with hypertension or renal failure. The use of ineffective procedures in PHC is considered a very important issue that negatively affects many patients and their treatment, and possibly endangering the sustainability of the system and causing harm to patients. Copyright © 2014 SECA. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Contradictions and Consensus--Clusters of Opinions on E-Books

Science.gov (United States)

Shrimplin, Aaron K.; Revelle, Andy; Hurst, Susan; Messner, Kevin

2011-01-01

Q methodology was used to determine attitudes and opinions about e-books among a group of faculty, graduate students, and undergraduates at Miami University of Ohio. Oral interviews formed the basis for a collection of opinion statements concerning e-books versus print. These statements were then ranked by a second group of research participants.…

Opinions of the Geography Teacher Candidates toward Mind Maps

Science.gov (United States)

Seyihoglu, Aysegul

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study is to reveal the opinions of the teacher candidates about mind mapping technique used in Geography education of undergraduate program. In this study, the qualitative research techniques were used. The study group consists of 55 teacher candidates. The teacher candidates have been asked for their opinions about the process…

Opinions and knowledge about climate change science in high school students.

Science.gov (United States)

Harker-Schuch, Inez; Bugge-Henriksen, Christian

2013-10-01

This study investigates the influence of knowledge on opinions about climate change in the emerging adults' age group (16-17 years). Furthermore, the effects of a lecture in climate change science on knowledge and opinions were assessed. A survey was conducted in Austria and Denmark on 188 students in national and international schools before and after a lecture in climate change science. The results show that knowledge about climate change science significantly affects opinions about climate change. Students with a higher number of correct answers are more likely to have the opinion that humans are causing climate change and that both individuals and governments are responsible for addressing climate change. The lecture in climate change science significantly improved knowledge development but did not affect opinions. Knowledge was improved by 11 % after the lecture. However, the percentage of correct answers was still below 60 % indicating an urgent need for improving climate change science education.

Domain Adaptation for Opinion Classification: A Self-Training Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu, Ning

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Domain transfer is a widely recognized problem for machine learning algorithms because models built upon one data domain generally do not perform well in another data domain. This is especially a challenge for tasks such as opinion classification, which often has to deal with insufficient quantities of labeled data. This study investigates the feasibility of self-training in dealing with the domain transfer problem in opinion classification via leveraging labeled data in non-target data domain(s and unlabeled data in the target-domain. Specifically, self-training is evaluated for effectiveness in sparse data situations and feasibility for domain adaptation in opinion classification. Three types of Web content are tested: edited news articles, semi-structured movie reviews, and the informal and unstructured content of the blogosphere. Findings of this study suggest that, when there are limited labeled data, self-training is a promising approach for opinion classification, although the contributions vary across data domains. Significant improvement was demonstrated for the most challenging data domain-the blogosphere-when a domain transfer-based self-training strategy was implemented.

Dynamic behavior of a social model for opinion formation

Science.gov (United States)

Bordogna, Clelia M.; Albano, Ezequiel V.

2007-12-01

The dynamic behavior of a social group influenced by both a strong leader and the mass media, which is modeled according to the social impact theory, is studied under two situations: (i) The strong leader changes his/her state of opinion periodically while the mass media are not considered. In this case, the leader is capable of driving the group between a dynamically ordered state with a weak leader-group coupling (high-frequency regime) and a dynamically disordered state where the group follows the opinion of the leader (low-frequency regime). (ii) The mass-media change periodically their message and have to compete with a strong leader that keeps his/her state of opinion unchanged. In this case, the mass media require an amplitude threshold in order to overcome the influence of the leader and drive the system into a dynamically disordered state. The dynamic behavior characteristic of the studied social opinion model shares many features of physical systems that are relevant in the fields of statistical mechanics and condensed matter.

Brazilian abortion law: the opinion of judges and prosecutors.

Science.gov (United States)

Duarte, Graciana Alves; Osis, Maria José Duarte; Faúndes, Anibal; Sousa, Maria Helena de

2010-06-01

To analyze the opinion of judges and prosecutors concerning Brazilian abortion law and situations in which the abortion should be allowed. A cross-sectional study was performed with 1,493 judges and 2,614 prosecutors in Brazil between 2005 and 2006. Participants completed a structured questionnaire approaching sociodemographic characteristics, opinions about abortion law, and circumstances in which abortion is considered lawful. Bivariate and multivariate analyses of data were carried out through Poisson regression. The majority of participants (78%) found that the circumstances in which abortion is considered lawful should be broadened, or even that abortion should not be criminalized. The highest rates of pro-abortion opinions resulted from: risk to the life of the mother (84%), anencephaly (83%), severe congenital malformation of fetus (82%), and pregnancy resulting from rape (82%). Variables related to religion were strongly associated to the opinion of participants. There is a trend in considering the need of changing the current abortion law, in the sense of widening the circumstances in which abortion is considered lawful, or even toward decriminalizing abortion, regardless of the circumstances in which it takes place.

Young novice drivers and the risky behaviours of parents and friends during the provisional (intermediate) licence phase: a brief report.

Science.gov (United States)

Scott-Parker, Bridie; Watson, Barry; King, Mark J; Hyde, Melissa K

2014-08-01

While there is research indicating that many factors influence the young novice driver's increased risk of road crash injury during the earliest stages of their independent driving, there is a need to further understand the relationship between the perceived risky driving behaviour of parents and friends and the risky behaviour of drivers with a Provisional (intermediate) licence. As part of a larger research project, 378 drivers aged 17-25 years (M=18.22, SD=1.59, 113 males) with a Provisional licence completed an online survey exploring the perceived riskiness of their parents' and friends' driving, and the extent to which they pattern (i.e. base) their driving behaviour on the driving of their parents and friends. Young drivers who reported patterning their driving on their friends, and who reported they perceived their friends to be risky drivers, reported more risky driving. The risky driving behaviour of young male drivers was associated with the perceived riskiness of their fathers' driving, whilst for female drivers the perceived riskiness of their mothers' driving approached significance. The development and application of countermeasures targeting the risky behaviour of same-sex parents appears warranted by the robust research findings. In addition, countermeasures need to encourage young people in general to be non-risky drivers; targeting the negative influence of risky peer groups specifically. Social norms interventions may minimise the influence of potentially-overestimated riskiness. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Opinion formation and distribution in a bounded-confidence model on various networks

Science.gov (United States)

Meng, X. Flora; Van Gorder, Robert A.; Porter, Mason A.

2018-02-01

In the social, behavioral, and economic sciences, it is important to predict which individual opinions eventually dominate in a large population, whether there will be a consensus, and how long it takes for a consensus to form. Such ideas have been studied heavily both in physics and in other disciplines, and the answers depend strongly both on how one models opinions and on the network structure on which opinions evolve. One model that was created to study consensus formation quantitatively is the Deffuant model, in which the opinion distribution of a population evolves via sequential random pairwise encounters. To consider heterogeneity of interactions in a population along with social influence, we study the Deffuant model on various network structures (deterministic synthetic networks, random synthetic networks, and social networks constructed from Facebook data). We numerically simulate the Deffuant model and conduct regression analyses to investigate the dependence of the time to reach steady states on various model parameters, including a confidence bound for opinion updates, the number of participating entities, and their willingness to compromise. We find that network structure and parameter values both have important effects on the convergence time and the number of steady-state opinion groups. For some network architectures, we observe that the relationship between the convergence time and model parameters undergoes a transition at a critical value of the confidence bound. For some networks, the steady-state opinion distribution also changes from consensus to multiple opinion groups at this critical value.

Implant-Supported PMMA Monolithic Full-Arch Rehabilitation with Surgical Computer-Planned Guide and Immediate Provisional: A Case Report with One Year Follow-Up

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vincenzo Luca Zizzari

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this case report is to describe the surgical and prosthetic procedures to achieve maxillary and mandibular implant-supported PMMA monolithic full-arch rehabilitation (PMFR with surgical computer-planned guide and immediate provisional. In such cases, the correct planning of dental implants’ position, length, and diameter and the prosthetic phases via computer-aided design are very important to achieve good aesthetic and functional long-lasting results.

Implant-Supported PMMA Monolithic Full-Arch Rehabilitation with Surgical Computer-Planned Guide and Immediate Provisional: A Case Report with One Year Follow-Up

OpenAIRE

Zizzari, Vincenzo Luca; Tacconelli, Gianmarco

2018-01-01

The aim of this case report is to describe the surgical and prosthetic procedures to achieve maxillary and mandibular implant-supported PMMA monolithic full-arch rehabilitation (PMFR) with surgical computer-planned guide and immediate provisional. In such cases, the correct planning of dental implants’ position, length, and diameter and the prosthetic phases via computer-aided design are very important to achieve good aesthetic and functional long-lasting results.

Influence of communication on public opinion about nuclear energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carvalho, Everton de Almeida

1997-01-01

Public opinion on risks and benefits associated to nuclear energy is depending on psychological and social factors and mainly on the communication strategy used to transfer knowledge and facts about nuclear technology to the public. In this work, the individual and collective communication process and the influences on the public opinion on nuclear energy will be analyzed. (author)

Public Opinion Survey Data to Measure Sympathy and Support for Islamist Terrorism: A Look at Muslim Opinions on Al Qaeda and IS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alex P. Schmid

2017-02-01

Full Text Available This Research Paper seeks to explore what ‘sympathy’ and ‘support’ actually mean when it comes to terrorism. The text addresses some of the problems of public opinion surveys, includes a conceptual discussion and then continues with the presentation of data from public opinion surveys. It notes that opinion polls can be helpful in gauging (verbal support for terrorism but also finds that the questions asked in opinion polls are generally lacking precision while the answers are often influenced by political pressures. When translating (generally low percentages of sympathy and support for al Qaeda and so-called Islamic State in various countries into actual population figures, it emerges that there is a sizeable radical milieu in both Muslim-majority countries and in Western Muslim diasporas, held together by the world wide web of the internet. While large majorities of Muslims in most countries have no love for jihadist extremists, there are more than enough breeding grounds for terrorism. The Research Paper concludes that better instruments for measuring sympathy and support for jihadist terrorism are needed to inform counter-terrorist strategies.

Dental sealant knowledge, opinion, values and practice of Spanish dentists

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

San Martin Laura

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Multiple guidelines and systematic reviews recommend sealant use to reduce caries risk. Yet, multiple reports also indicate that sealants are significantly underutilized. This study examined the knowledge, opinions, values, and practice (KOVP of dentists concerning sealant use in the southwest region of Andalusia, Spain. This is a prelude to the generation of a regional plan for improving children’s oral health in Andalusia. Methods The survey’s target population was dentists working in western Andalusia, equally distributed in the provinces of Seville, Cadiz, and Huelva (N=2,047. A convenience sample of meeting participants and meeting participant email lists (N=400 were solicited from the annual course on Community and Pediatric Dentistry. This course is required for all public health sector dentists, and is open to all private sector dentists. Information on the dentist’s KOVP of sealants was collected using four-part questionnaire with 31, 5-point Likert-scaled questions. Results The survey population demographics included 190 men (48% and 206 women (52% with an average clinical experience of 10.6 (± 8.4 years and 9.3 (± 7.5 years, respectively. A significant sex difference was observed in the distribution of place of work (urban/suburb (p=0.001, but no sex differences between working sector (public/private. The mean ± SD values for each of the four KOVP sections for pit and fissure sealants were: knowledge = 3.57 ± 0.47; opinion = 2.48 ± 0.47; value = 2.74 ± 0.52; and practice = 3.48 ± 0.50. No sex differences were found in KOVP (all p >0.4. Independent of sex: knowledge statistically differed by years of experience and place of work; opinion statistically differed by years of experience and sector; and practice statistically differed by years of experience and sector. Less experienced dentists tended to have slightly higher scores (~0.25 on a Likert 1–5 scale. Statistically significant correlations were

Examining Characteristics of Opinion Leaders in Social Media: A Motivational Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephan Winter

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Social networking sites offer various opportunities to express opinions on politics and public affairs and to disseminate information to a large circle of acquaintances. The present research aims to identify the characteristics of people who consider themselves as opinion leaders on these new channels, the features they use in order to influence others, and the psychological motives they pursue. A survey ( N  = 527 among Facebook users identified political interest and personality strength as significant predictors of perceived Facebook opinion leadership, while the influence of extraversion was not significant. Those who write private messages on political debates do this in order to raise awareness of specific topics, while opinion expression in public status updates is also strongly connected to self-presentational goals (impression motivation. Moreover, the motives of presenting oneself positively and convincing others are particularly important for people with high personality strength. The present findings extend previous knowledge by redefining the concept of opinion leadership in new media environments and describing motivational links between individuals’ predispositions and their activities to influence others’ opinions. On a practical level, the pronounced role of self-presentational motives is likely to have important implications for the dynamics of public debates in social media.

Epidemic spreading in multiplex networks influenced by opinion exchanges on vaccination.

Science.gov (United States)

Alvarez-Zuzek, Lucila G; La Rocca, Cristian E; Iglesias, José R; Braunstein, Lidia A

2017-01-01

Through years, the use of vaccines has always been a controversial issue. People in a society may have different opinions about how beneficial the vaccines are and as a consequence some of those individuals decide to vaccinate or not themselves and their relatives. This attitude in face of vaccines has clear consequences in the spread of diseases and their transformation in epidemics. Motivated by this scenario, we study, in a simultaneous way, the changes of opinions about vaccination together with the evolution of a disease. In our model we consider a multiplex network consisting of two layers. One of the layers corresponds to a social network where people share their opinions and influence others opinions. The social model that rules the dynamic is the M-model, which takes into account two different processes that occurs in a society: persuasion and compromise. This two processes are related through a parameter r, r 1 the society tends to have extremist opinions, while r = 1 represents a neutral society. This social network may be of real or virtual contacts. On the other hand, the second layer corresponds to a network of physical contacts where the disease spreading is described by the SIR-Model. In this model the individuals may be in one of the following four states: Susceptible (S), Infected(I), Recovered (R) or Vaccinated (V). A Susceptible individual can: i) get vaccinated, if his opinion in the other layer is totally in favor of the vaccine, ii) get infected, with probability β if he is in contact with an infected neighbor. Those I individuals recover after a certain period tr = 6. Vaccinated individuals have an extremist positive opinion that does not change. We consider that the vaccine has a certain effectiveness ω and as a consequence vaccinated nodes can be infected with probability β(1 - ω) if they are in contact with an infected neighbor. In this case, if the infection process is successful, the new infected individual changes his opinion from

Epidemic spreading in multiplex networks influenced by opinion exchanges on vaccination.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lucila G Alvarez-Zuzek

Full Text Available Through years, the use of vaccines has always been a controversial issue. People in a society may have different opinions about how beneficial the vaccines are and as a consequence some of those individuals decide to vaccinate or not themselves and their relatives. This attitude in face of vaccines has clear consequences in the spread of diseases and their transformation in epidemics. Motivated by this scenario, we study, in a simultaneous way, the changes of opinions about vaccination together with the evolution of a disease. In our model we consider a multiplex network consisting of two layers. One of the layers corresponds to a social network where people share their opinions and influence others opinions. The social model that rules the dynamic is the M-model, which takes into account two different processes that occurs in a society: persuasion and compromise. This two processes are related through a parameter r, r 1 the society tends to have extremist opinions, while r = 1 represents a neutral society. This social network may be of real or virtual contacts. On the other hand, the second layer corresponds to a network of physical contacts where the disease spreading is described by the SIR-Model. In this model the individuals may be in one of the following four states: Susceptible (S, Infected(I, Recovered (R or Vaccinated (V. A Susceptible individual can: i get vaccinated, if his opinion in the other layer is totally in favor of the vaccine, ii get infected, with probability β if he is in contact with an infected neighbor. Those I individuals recover after a certain period tr = 6. Vaccinated individuals have an extremist positive opinion that does not change. We consider that the vaccine has a certain effectiveness ω and as a consequence vaccinated nodes can be infected with probability β(1 - ω if they are in contact with an infected neighbor. In this case, if the infection process is successful, the new infected individual changes his

The Agency's Safeguards System (1965, as provisionally extended in 1966 and 1968); Sistema de Salvaguardias del Organismo (1965, ampliado provisionalmente en 1966 y 1968)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1968-09-24

The Agency's safeguards system, as approved by the Board of Governors in 1965, and provisionally extended in 1966, is set forth in this document for the Information of all Members [Spanish] En el presente documento se reproduce, para informacion de todos los Estados Miembros, el Sistema de salvaguardias del Organismo aprobado por la Junta de Gobernadores en 1965 y ampliado provisionalmente en 1966 y 1968.

Multi-lingual Opinion Mining on YouTube

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Severyn, Aliaksei; Moschitti, Alessandro; Uryupina, Olga

2015-01-01

In order to successfully apply opinion mining (OM) to the large amounts of user-generated content produced every day, we need robust models that can handle the noisy input well yet can easily be adapted to a new domain or language. We here focus on opinion mining for YouTube by (i) modeling...... domain (up to 2.6% and 3% of absolute improvement for Italian and English, respectively); (ii) it is particularly useful when tested across domains (up to more than 4% absolute improvement for both languages), especially when little training data is available (up to 10% absolute improvement) and (iii...

Opinion dynamics of learning agents: does seeking consensus lead to disagreement?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vicente, Renato; Martins, André C R; Caticha, Nestor

2009-01-01

We study opinion dynamics in a population of interacting adaptive agents voting on a set of issues represented by vectors. We consider agents who can classify issues into one of two categories and can arrive at their opinions using an adaptive algorithm. Adaptation comes from learning and the information for the learning process comes from interacting with other neighboring agents and trying to change the internal state in order to concur with their opinions. The change in the internal state is driven by the information contained in the issue and in the opinion of the other agent. We present results in a simple yet rich context where each agent uses a Boolean perceptron to state their opinion. If the update occurs with information asynchronously exchanged among pairs of agents, then the typical case, if the number of issues is kept small, is the evolution into a society torn by the emergence of factions with extreme opposite beliefs. This occurs even when seeking consensus with agents with opposite opinions. If the number of issues is large, the dynamics becomes trapped, the society does not evolve into factions and a distribution of moderate opinions is observed. The synchronous case is technically simpler and is studied by formulating the problem in terms of differential equations that describe the evolution of order parameters that measure the consensus between pairs of agents. We show that for a large number of issues and unidirectional information flow, global consensus is a fixed point; however, the approach to this consensus is glassy for large societies

Opinion dynamics of learning agents: does seeking consensus lead to disagreement?

Science.gov (United States)

Vicente, Renato; Martins, André C. R.; Caticha, Nestor

2009-03-01

We study opinion dynamics in a population of interacting adaptive agents voting on a set of issues represented by vectors. We consider agents who can classify issues into one of two categories and can arrive at their opinions using an adaptive algorithm. Adaptation comes from learning and the information for the learning process comes from interacting with other neighboring agents and trying to change the internal state in order to concur with their opinions. The change in the internal state is driven by the information contained in the issue and in the opinion of the other agent. We present results in a simple yet rich context where each agent uses a Boolean perceptron to state their opinion. If the update occurs with information asynchronously exchanged among pairs of agents, then the typical case, if the number of issues is kept small, is the evolution into a society torn by the emergence of factions with extreme opposite beliefs. This occurs even when seeking consensus with agents with opposite opinions. If the number of issues is large, the dynamics becomes trapped, the society does not evolve into factions and a distribution of moderate opinions is observed. The synchronous case is technically simpler and is studied by formulating the problem in terms of differential equations that describe the evolution of order parameters that measure the consensus between pairs of agents. We show that for a large number of issues and unidirectional information flow, global consensus is a fixed point; however, the approach to this consensus is glassy for large societies.

The role of opinion research in communications programmes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Curtin, Tom

1995-01-01

Nirex is a company financed by the UK nuclear industry to dispose of intermediate and some long-lived low-level radioactive waste. The company has no responsibility for high-level radioactive waste. Most low-level waste is disposed of at a shallow site owned by BNFL, one of Nirex's shareholders. At Nirex, we use opinion research in a number of ways: as a map to guide communications programmes; to set baselines and targets to isolate issues of concern to our publics. The Company carries out market research covering three key audiences: the general public, politicians, and journalists. For Nirex, opinion research is a map. It guides our communication programmes in dealing with our key audiences. Without it, we would be driving blind. Opinion research allows us to isolate key issues for communication. It also allows us to measure performance and to see which initiatives are successful and which are not

Public opinion about nuclear energy - year 2003 poll

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Istenic, R.; Jencic, I.

2003-01-01

Nuclear Training Centre Milan Copic at Jozef Stefan Institute in Ljubljana is performing extensive public information activities, focused mainly on elementary and high schools in Slovenia. There are over 7000 visitors yearly. Every year in the spring we ask several hundred of visitors the same set of questions about their knowledge and opinion about nuclear energy. They are polled before they listen to the lecture or visit the exhibition. In that way we are trying to obtain their opinion based on the knowledge they obtain in everyday life. In the paper the results of this year's poll are presented and compared with the previous years. No significant changes in public opinion were observed this year. Favourable attitude towards NPP Krsko, which could be observed in the last years, is maintained. On the other hand, misconceptions about radioactive waste repositories and danger of radioactive waste remain very high. (author)

A survey of parental opinions on corporal punishment in schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Kelly, P C; Weir, M R; Fearnow, R G

1985-06-01

Forty-three states permit corporal punishment in schools. This practice continues despite the universal opposition of professional organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics. This study determines parental attitudes concerning the use of physical punishment in schools. The surveyed sample is drawn from parents of military dependents who brought their children to this clinic for routine physical examinations. One hundred and twenty-nine of 132 questionnaires were returned for a 98% response rate. Fifty-one percent of the parents supported the use of corporal punishment in schools, 37% disagreed (77% of these strongly), 11% had no opinion, and 1% did not respond to the question. Analysis of the responses displayed a relationship between parental attitudes on the use of corporal punishment and opinion of the positive effects of physical punishment on children's behavior (p less than 0.0001). No relationship was found between position on corporal punishment and the respondent (mother, father, or both), the age of parents, the military rank of the sponsor (the individual whose military service makes the child eligible for military medical care, i.e., father, mother, guardian, etc.), the sex of the children, the marital status of the parents, or the schools attended by the children (public or private). Thirty-four percent of parents believed corporal punishment would improve behavior, and 20% of parents felt that physical punishment would improve their child's academic performance.

Provisional English Translation by the IAEA of Notification Faxes Sent by the Fukushima Daiichi NPP Site Superintendent to Off-Site Officials on 11 March 2011. Annex I of Technical Volume 3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-01-01

This annex contains a provisional English translation of the faxes sent by the Fukushima Daiichi NPP Site Superintendent to METI, the Governor of Fukushima Prefecture and the Mayors of Okuma and Futaba on 11 March 2011

29 CFR 1621.3 - Procedure for requesting an opinion letter.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 1621.3 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION PROCEDURES-THE EQUAL PAY ACT § 1621.3 Procedure for requesting an opinion letter. (a) A request for an opinion letter should be submitted in writing to the Chairman, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission...

Principals' Opinions of Organisational Justice in Elementary Schools in Turkey

Science.gov (United States)

Aydin, Inayet; Karaman-Kepenekci, Yasemin

2008-01-01

Purpose--This study aims to present the opinions of public elementary school principals in Turkey about the current organisational justice practices among teachers from the distributive, procedural, interactional, and rectificatory dimensions. Design/methodology/approach--The opinions of 11 public elementary school principals in Ankara about…

Public opinion and terrorist acts

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Malečková, Jitka; Stanišić, Dragana

2011-01-01

Roč. 27, Sup. 1 (2011), S107-S121 ISSN 0176-2680 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LC542 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z70850503 Keywords : support for terrorism * public opinion * international terrorism Subject RIV: AH - Economics Impact factor: 1.437, year: 2011

Opinion barometer on energy and climate in January 2009

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2009-04-01

This article reports and comments the results of a survey performed by the CREDOC on a representative sample of 2006 French people. Eight questions have been asked, dealing with two main themes: energy production (opinion about the energy production mode, about renewable energies, about nuclear energy) and consumers' attitude (in front of energy price increase, when acquiring expensive equipment like a car, a heater or any other big domestic equipment). Tables give results on the opinion on energy public policy in France, on wind turbine installation. These results are given in terms of gender, age, socio-economic categories, and town size. Graphs indicate the evolution since 1983 of the opinion on nuclear energy and on the worry of nuclear plant incident

Second opinion oral pathology referrals in New Zealand.

Science.gov (United States)

Seo, B; Hussaini, H M; Rich, A M

2017-04-01

Referral for a second opinion is an important aspect of pathology practice, which reduces the rate of diagnostic error and ensures consistency with diagnoses. The Oral Pathology Centre (OPC) is the only specialist oral diagnostic centre in New Zealand. OPC provides diagnostic services to dentists and dental specialists throughout New Zealand and acts as a referral centre for second opinions for oral pathology specimens that have been sent to anatomical pathologists. The aim of this study was to review second opinion referral cases sent to the OPC over a 15-year period and to assess the levels of concordance between the original and final diagnoses. The findings indicated that the majority of referred cases were odontogenic lesions, followed by connective tissue, epithelial and salivary lesions. The most prevalent diagnoses were ameloblastoma and keratocystic odontogenic tumour, followed by oral squamous cell carcinoma. Discordant diagnoses were recorded in 24% of cases. Diagnostic discrepancies were higher in odontogenic and salivary gland lesions, resulting in the change of diagnoses. Second opinion of oral pathology cases should be encouraged in view of the relative rarity of these lesions in general pathology laboratories and the rates of diagnostic discrepancy, particularly for odontogenic and salivary gland lesions. Copyright © 2017 Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nuclear power and public opinion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kazanikov, I.A.; Klykov, S.A.

2000-01-01

The public opinion on Nuclear Power is not favorable. A purposeful work with public perception is necessary. One way to create a positive image of the nuclear industry is to improve public radiological education. This challenge can be resolved in the close cooperation with state school and preschool education. The formation about nuclear power should be simple and symbolical. Our society can be divided into 4 parts which can be called as target groups: First group - People from the nuclear industry with special education working at nuclear facilities or related to the industry. Second group - People working in the fields connected with nuclear power. Third group - People not related to nuclear power or even with negative impression to the industry. This group is the largest and the work required is the most difficult. Fourth group - The number of this group's members is the least, but it has strong influence on public opinion. 'Greens' and a broad spectrum of ecological organizations can be included in this group. (Authors)

To issue or not to issue a going concern opinion : A study of factors and incentives influencing auditors’ ability and decision to issue going concern opinions

OpenAIRE

Nordholm, Elin; Björkstrand, Anette

2014-01-01

If auditors question a company’s ability to continue existing, they should issue a going concern opinion in the audit report. Whether or not auditors will issue a going concern opinion depends on auditors’ ability to identify going concern problems, as well as their decision whether or not to issue going concern opinions. In Sweden, the going concern accuracy rate has been low compared to other countries. The aim of this study is therefore to analyse whether it is auditors’ lack of ability to...

Gender and personality traits' (BFI-10) effect on opinion leadership

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olexova, Cecilia; Sudzina, Frantisek

2017-01-01

Opinion leadership used to be perceived as a highly domain-specific trait but it was found to be multi-faceted, i.e. individuals are influential independent of a specific subject area. Another term is generalized opinion leadership. Impact of Big Five Inventory personality traits on domain...

Open Primary Education School Students' Opinions about Mathematics Television Programmes

Science.gov (United States)

Yenilmez, Kursat

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine open primary education school students' opinions about mathematics television programmes. This study indicated that to determine differences among open primary education school students' opinions about mathematics television programmes point of view students' characteristics like gender, age, grade,…

Effects of heterogeneous convergence rate on consensus in opinion dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Changwei; Dai, Qionglin; Han, Wenchen; Feng, Yuee; Cheng, Hongyan; Li, Haihong

2018-06-01

The Deffuant model has attracted much attention in the study of opinion dynamics. Here, we propose a modified version by introducing into the model a heterogeneous convergence rate which is dependent on the opinion difference between interacting agents and a tunable parameter κ. We study the effects of heterogeneous convergence rate on consensus by investigating the probability of complete consensus, the size of the largest opinion cluster, the number of opinion clusters, and the relaxation time. We find that the decrease of the convergence rate is favorable to decreasing the confidence threshold for the population to always reach complete consensus, and there exists optimal κ resulting in the minimal bounded confidence threshold. Moreover, we find that there exists a window before the threshold of confidence in which complete consensus may be reached with a nonzero probability when κ is not too large. We also find that, within a certain confidence range, decreasing the convergence rate will reduce the relaxation time, which is somewhat counterintuitive.

OSCE vs. TEM: Different approaches to assess clinical skills of nursing students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Prasuna Jelly

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Nurses are trained with specific clinical skills, and objective structured clinical examination (OSCE could be a better approach to assess clinical skills of nursing students. Materials and Methods: A comparative study was conducted by observational checklist regarding antenatal care and opinionnaire on the usefulness of OSCE and tradition evaluation method (TEM was used to assess the clinical skills and to get opinion. Results: The mean score of OSCE was more than TEM and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.001. The opinion of students regarding the usefulness of OSCE was higher than TEM. Conclusions: The study concluded that implementing OSCE will overweigh the advantages of the TEM.

Opinion dynamics on an adaptive random network

Science.gov (United States)

Benczik, I. J.; Benczik, S. Z.; Schmittmann, B.; Zia, R. K. P.

2009-04-01

We revisit the classical model for voter dynamics in a two-party system with two basic modifications. In contrast to the original voter model studied in regular lattices, we implement the opinion formation process in a random network of agents in which interactions are no longer restricted by geographical distance. In addition, we incorporate the rapidly changing nature of the interpersonal relations in the model. At each time step, agents can update their relationships. This update is determined by their own opinion, and by their preference to make connections with individuals sharing the same opinion, or rather with opponents. In this way, the network is built in an adaptive manner, in the sense that its structure is correlated and evolves with the dynamics of the agents. The simplicity of the model allows us to examine several issues analytically. We establish criteria to determine whether consensus or polarization will be the outcome of the dynamics and on what time scales these states will be reached. In finite systems consensus is typical, while in infinite systems a disordered metastable state can emerge and persist for infinitely long time before consensus is reached.

An Investigation of the Intellectual Structure of Opinion Mining Research

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Yongjun; Kim, Meen Chul; Chen, Chaomei

2017-01-01

Introduction: Opinion mining has been receiving increasing attention from a broad range of scientific communities since early 2000s. The present study aims to systematically investigate the intellectual structure of opinion mining research. Method: Using topic search, citation expansion, and patent search, we collected 5,596 bibliographic records…

factors contributing to the accessibility of opinion leaders in lesotho

African Journals Online (AJOL)

p2333147

male opinion leaders was only 33.3 percent. These findings emphasise the necessity of extension to focus knowledge support on female opinion leaders in order to promote the diffusion process among the many female farmers. 3.3.3. Friendship. Friendship epitomises accessibility and consequently it is expected that.

Symmetry breaking in the opinion dynamics of a multi-group project organization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu Zhen-Tao; Zhou Jing; Chen Xing-Guang; Li Ping

2012-01-01

A bounded confidence model of opinion dynamics in multi-group projects is presented in which each group's opinion evolution is driven by two types of forces: (i) the group's cohesive force which tends to restore the opinion back towards the initial status because of its company culture; and (ii) nonlinear coupling forces with other groups which attempt to bring opinions closer due to collaboration willingness. Bifurcation analysis for the case of a two-group project shows a cusp catastrophe phenomenon and three distinctive evolutionary regimes, i.e., a deadlock regime, a convergence regime, and a bifurcation regime in opinion dynamics. The critical value of initial discord between the two groups is derived to discriminate which regime the opinion evolution belongs to. In the case of a three-group project with a symmetric social network, both bifurcation analysis and simulation results demonstrate that if each pair has a high initial discord, instead of symmetrically converging to consensus with the increase of coupling scale as expected by Gabbay's result (Physica A 378 (2007) p. 125 Fig. 5), project organization (PO) may be split into two distinct clusters because of the symmetry breaking phenomenon caused by pitchfork bifurcations, which urges that apart from divergence in participants' interests, nonlinear interaction can also make conflict inevitable in the PO. The effects of two asymmetric level parameters are tested in order to explore the ways of inducing dominant opinion in the whole PO. It is found that the strong influence imposed by a leader group with firm faith on the flexible and open minded follower groups can promote the formation of a positive dominant opinion in the PO

Symmetry breaking in the opinion dynamics of a multi-group project organization

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Zhen-Tao; Zhou, Jing; Li, Ping; Chen, Xing-Guang

2012-10-01

A bounded confidence model of opinion dynamics in multi-group projects is presented in which each group's opinion evolution is driven by two types of forces: (i) the group's cohesive force which tends to restore the opinion back towards the initial status because of its company culture; and (ii) nonlinear coupling forces with other groups which attempt to bring opinions closer due to collaboration willingness. Bifurcation analysis for the case of a two-group project shows a cusp catastrophe phenomenon and three distinctive evolutionary regimes, i.e., a deadlock regime, a convergence regime, and a bifurcation regime in opinion dynamics. The critical value of initial discord between the two groups is derived to discriminate which regime the opinion evolution belongs to. In the case of a three-group project with a symmetric social network, both bifurcation analysis and simulation results demonstrate that if each pair has a high initial discord, instead of symmetrically converging to consensus with the increase of coupling scale as expected by Gabbay's result (Physica A 378 (2007) p. 125 Fig. 5), project organization (PO) may be split into two distinct clusters because of the symmetry breaking phenomenon caused by pitchfork bifurcations, which urges that apart from divergence in participants' interests, nonlinear interaction can also make conflict inevitable in the PO. The effects of two asymmetric level parameters are tested in order to explore the ways of inducing dominant opinion in the whole PO. It is found that the strong influence imposed by a leader group with firm faith on the flexible and open minded follower groups can promote the formation of a positive dominant opinion in the PO.

Nonconformity defines the self: the role of minority opinion status in self-concept clarity.

Science.gov (United States)

Morrison, Kimberly Rios; Wheeler, S Christian

2010-03-01

Drawing on distinctiveness and social identity theories, the present studies tested whether minority opinion holders would have a more clearly defined sense of self than majority opinion holders. In Study 1, participants who were induced to believe that they held a minority opinion on a controversial issue had higher subsequent self-concept clarity scores than did those who were induced to believe that they held a majority opinion, controlling for self-esteem. Furthermore, the relationship between minority opinion status and self-concept clarity was strongest among participants whose opinions were highly expressive of their values (Studies 2 and 3), as well as among participants who identified strongly with the group in which they were a minority (Study 3). Theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed.

The role of specialist neuroradiology second opinion reporting: is there added value?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Briggs, G.M.; Flynn, P.A.; Worthington, M.; Rennie, I.; McKinstry, C.S.

2008-01-01

Aim: To assess the impact on patient management of formal neuroradiology 'second reading' of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images initially interpreted by general radiologists. Materials and methods: Second opinion reports during the calendar year 2004 were compared with the original report and assessed for major or minor discrepancies. A major discrepancy was separated from a minor discrepancy whereby a change in opinion significantly affected patient management. Results: There were 506 second opinions during 2004 given by three consultant neuroradiologists. Incomplete data were found in 141. Forty-one percent were CT images and the remainder MRI. The majority of second opinions were requested by neurologists. Most of the remaining referrals were from neurosurgeons or the primary radiologist. There was a 13% major and a 21% minor discrepancy rate. The remaining 66% were in complete agreement. There was a mixture of overcalls, misinterpretation, and undercalls. There were similar rates of minor and major discrepancies in both CT and MRI. Conclusion: There is a significant major discrepancy rate between specialist neuroradiology second opinion and general radiologists. The benefit of a formal specialist second opinion service is clearly demonstrated; however, it is time-consuming

Determination of student opinions in augmented reality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huseyin Bicen

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The rapid development of the new technology has changed classroom teaching methods and tools in a positive way. This study investigated the classroom learning with augmented reality and the impact of student opinions. 97 volunteer undergraduate students took part in this study. Results included data in the form of frequencies, percentages and descriptive statistics. The results show that, with gamification methods, augmented reality content affected students’ opinions in a positive way. When QR codes are used in the classroom, students feel independent from classroom materials and can access various resources. Moreover, students think that, when augmented reality in the classroom is used, education is more enjoyable.

Implications of Public Opinion for Space Program Planning, 1980 - 2000

Science.gov (United States)

Overholt, W.; Wiener, A. J.; Yokelson, D.

1975-01-01

The effect of public opinion on future space programs is discussed in terms of direct support, apathy, or opposition, and concern about the tax burden, budgetary pressures, and national priorities. Factors considered include: the salience and visibility of NASA as compared with other issues, the sources of general pressure on the federal budget which could affect NASA, the public's opinions regarding the size and priority of NASA'S budget, the degree to which the executive can exercise leverage over NASA's budget through influencing or disregarding public opinion, the effects of linkages to other issues on space programs, and the public's general attitudes toward the progress of science.

21 CFR 170.6 - Opinion letters on food additive status.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2010-04-01 2009-04-01 true Opinion letters on food additive status. 170.6... (CONTINUED) FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION (CONTINUED) FOOD ADDITIVES General Provisions § 170.6 Opinion letters on food additive status. (a) Over the years the Food and Drug Administration has given informal...

Tolerance-based interaction: a new model targeting opinion formation and diffusion in social networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandru Topirceanu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available One of the main motivations behind social network analysis is the quest for understanding opinion formation and diffusion. Previous models have limitations, as they typically assume opinion interaction mechanisms based on thresholds which are either fixed or evolve according to a random process that is external to the social agent. Indeed, our empirical analysis on large real-world datasets such as Twitter, Meme Tracker, and Yelp, uncovers previously unaccounted for dynamic phenomena at population-level, namely the existence of distinct opinion formation phases and social balancing. We also reveal that a phase transition from an erratic behavior to social balancing can be triggered by network topology and by the ratio of opinion sources. Consequently, in order to build a model that properly accounts for these phenomena, we propose a new (individual-level opinion interaction model based on tolerance. As opposed to the existing opinion interaction models, the new tolerance model assumes that individual’s inner willingness to accept new opinions evolves over time according to basic human traits. Finally, by employing discrete event simulation on diverse social network topologies, we validate our opinion interaction model and show that, although the network size and opinion source ratio are important, the phase transition to social balancing is mainly fostered by the democratic structure of the small-world topology.

Strategy of competition between two groups based on an inflexible contrarian opinion model.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Qian; Braunstein, Lidia A; Havlin, Shlomo; Stanley, H Eugene

2011-12-01

We introduce an inflexible contrarian opinion (ICO) model in which a fraction p of inflexible contrarians within a group holds a strong opinion opposite to the opinion held by the rest of the group. At the initial stage, stable clusters of two opinions, A and B, exist. Then we introduce inflexible contrarians which hold a strong B opinion into the opinion A group. Through their interactions, the inflexible contrarians are able to decrease the size of the largest A opinion cluster and even destroy it. We see this kind of method in operation, e.g., when companies send free new products to potential customers in order to convince them to adopt their products and influence others to buy them. We study the ICO model, using two different strategies, on both Erdös-Rényi and scale-free networks. In strategy I, the inflexible contrarians are positioned at random. In strategy II, the inflexible contrarians are chosen to be the highest-degree nodes. We find that for both strategies the size of the largest A cluster decreases to 0 as p increases as in a phase transition. At a critical threshold value, p(c), the system undergoes a second-order phase transition that belongs to the same universality class of mean-field percolation. We find that even for an Erdös-Rényi type model, where the degrees of the nodes are not so distinct, strategy II is significantly more effective in reducing the size of the largest A opinion cluster and, at very small values of p, the largest A opinion cluster is destroyed.

Brazilian doctors' perspective on the second opinion strategy before a C-section.

Science.gov (United States)

Osis, Maria José Duarte; Cecatti, José Guilherme; de Pádua, Karla Simônia; Faúndes, Anibal

2006-04-01

To describe the opinion of doctors who participated in the Latin American Study on Cesarean section in Brazil regarding the second opinion strategy when faced with the decision of performing a C-section. Seventy-two doctors from the hospitals where the study took place (where the second opinion was routinely sought) and 70 from the control group answered a pre-tested self-administered structured questionnaire. Descriptive tables were prepared based on the frequency of relevant variables on opinion of physicians regarding: effectiveness of the application of the second opinion strategy; on whether they would recommend implementation of this strategy and reasons for not recommending it in private institutions; feasibility of the strategy implementation and reasons for not considering this implementation feasible in private institutions. Half of the doctors from the intervention hospitals (50%) and about two thirds of those in the control group (65%) evaluated the second opinion as being or having the potential of being effective/very effective in their institutions. The great majority of those interviewed from both intervention and control hospitals considered this strategy feasible in public (87% and 95% respectively) but not in private hospitals (64% and 70% respectively), mainly because in the latter the doctors would not accept interference from a colleague in their decision-making process. Although the second opinion strategy was perceived as effective in reducing C-section rates, doctors did not regard it feasible outside the public health system in Brazil.

Students’ opinions about modern lecture: development path

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tatyana A. Astashova

2017-01-01

Full Text Available As an objective of the research, the author set the task of identifying students’ opinion and opinion of lecturers about the purpose of the lectures at the university, about the role of the lecturer and preferred form of lectures. As a result of the research, it was necessary to answer the following important questions: What are the objectives of the lecture and the role of the lecturer? Which lectures are more preferable: traditional or interactive? What do lecturers expect from the lecture, do they consider it an advantage or an unnecessary educational activity?The materials were developed for the survey (questionnaire to conduct the research and analyze the results obtained. The students were surveyed before training and after completion of the semester. The study involved 200 students of all areas of Mechanics and Technology Faculty of Novosibirsk State Technical University. Statistical analysis was used for the analysis of the results.As a result, the experiment revealed nonconformity of opinions of students about the purpose of the lecture and the role of a lecturer before the training and after the end of the semester. Lectures, according to students, should help to implement all kinds of practical and independent assignments.Educational standards imply a reduction in the hours of classroom training and an increase in independent work, and the majority of students are not ready (do not want to to study the materials on the topics of discipline completely independently or partially.It revealed a contradiction in opinion, what form of organization of the lecture classes is more interesting to students, which can increase the motivation of the visit and work on the lectures.The technology of designing the educational process in the conditions of the mixed training is proposed, applying the technological map.The technological map is presented in the form of stages of designing the educational process, including recommendations on the use of

21 CFR 570.6 - Opinion letters on food additive status.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 6 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Opinion letters on food additive status. 570.6... (CONTINUED) ANIMAL DRUGS, FEEDS, AND RELATED PRODUCTS FOOD ADDITIVES General Provisions § 570.6 Opinion letters on food additive status. (a) Over the years the Food and Drug Administration has given informal...

The Opinions of Economics Majors before and after Learning Economics

Science.gov (United States)

Hammock, Michael R.; Routon, P. Wesley; Walker, Jay K.

2016-01-01

Using longitudinal data on undergraduates from 463 American colleges and universities from 1994-99, the authors examine how majoring in economics affects student opinions on 13 social, political, and economic issues. Economics majors were found to begin and end their college tenure with differing opinions on several issues when compared to other…

opinions of nigerian students in tertiary institutions on family size

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Admin

The study examined the opinions of Nigerian students in tertiary institutions on their ideal family size. It was conducted among students in four ... opinions of male and female students on family size. KEY WORD: Family Size, Nigerian ... two children per woman, with many couples who desire to remain childless and some ...

Perceived risk and benefit of nuclear waste repositories: four opinion clusters.

Science.gov (United States)

Seidl, Roman; Moser, Corinne; Stauffacher, Michael; Krütli, Pius

2013-06-01

Local public resistance can block the site-selection process, construction, and operation of nuclear waste repositories. Social science has established that the perception of risks and benefits, trust in authorities, and opinion on nuclear energy play important roles in acceptance. In particular, risk and benefit evaluations seem critical for opinion formation. However, risks and benefits have rarely been studied independently and, most often, the focus has been on the two most salient groups of proponents and opponents. The aim of this exploratory study is to examine the often-neglected majority of people holding ambivalent or indifferent opinions. We used cluster analysis to examine the sample (N = 500, mailed survey in German-speaking Switzerland) in terms of patterns of risk and benefit perception. We reveal four significantly different and plausible clusters: one cluster with high-benefit ratings in favor of a repository and one cluster with high-risk ratings opposing it; a third cluster shows ambivalence, with high ratings on both risk and benefit scales and moderate opposition, whereas a fourth cluster seems indifferent, rating risks and benefits only moderately compared to the ambivalent cluster. We conclude that a closer look at the often neglected but considerable number of people with ambivalent or indifferent opinions is necessary. Although the extreme factions of the public will most probably not change their opinion, we do not yet know how the opinion of the ambivalent and indifferent clusters might develop over time. © 2012 Society for Risk Analysis.

The public opinion and ATC; La opinion publica y el ATC

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ballera, J.

2010-07-01

The role of the media is essential to adopt a final decision in relation to the location of a Centralized Temporary Storage (ATC)in Spain. to the deliberative process is public, open and transparent, as included in Royal Decree that created the Inter ministerial Commission responsible for overseeing the procedure, it is necessary for that citizens has information, clear and unequivocal. indicators such as the special edition of the Eurobarometer survey published in June 2008 showed that it is moving towards a truly informed public opinion in these matters. (Author)

Pre-occupation of innocence and provisional penal enforcement: a critical analysis of the Federal Supreme Court jurisprudential modification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Augusto Jobim do Amaral

2017-10-01

Full Text Available This article deals with the problems involved in the provisional execution of the sentence in the Brazilian criminal procedural system, especially with respect to the constitutional guarantee of the presumption of innocence, here in its political-constitutional value. In the current national context in which it is heavily invested in relativizations of fundamental guarantees and in false punitive solutions, it is essential that the criminal procedure be imposed from the principles enshrined in the 1988 Constitution. It intends to demonstrate the new contours of the position built by the Federal Supreme Court on the subject, its possible criticisms and impacts on the commitment of the legitimacy of the decisions made in criminal matters by the Judiciary.

Identifying the Needs of Opinion Leaders to Encourage Widespread Adoption of Water Conservation and Protection

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Melissa R.; Lamm, Alexa J.

2017-01-01

Opinion leaders are persuasive in convincing others within their social networks to adopt certain opinions and behaviors. By identifying and using opinion leaders, agricultural educators may be able to leverage individuals who have influence on others' opinions, thereby speeding up the adoption of new practices. In this article, we review a…

Nanotechnology Awareness, Opinions and Risk Perceptions among Middle School Students