Advanced practice physiotherapy-led triage in Irish orthopaedic and rheumatology services: national data audit.

Science.gov (United States)

Fennelly, Orna; Blake, Catherine; FitzGerald, Oliver; Breen, Roisin; Ashton, Jennifer; Brennan, Aisling; Caffrey, Aoife; Desmeules, François; Cunningham, Caitriona

2018-06-01

Many people with musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders wait several months or years for Consultant Doctor appointments, despite often not requiring medical or surgical interventions. To allow earlier patient access to orthopaedic and rheumatology services in Ireland, Advanced Practice Physiotherapists (APPs) were introduced at 16 major acute hospitals. This study performed the first national evaluation of APP triage services. Throughout 2014, APPs (n = 22) entered clinical data on a national database. Analysis of these data using descriptive statistics determined patient wait times, Consultant Doctor involvement in clinical decisions, and patient clinical outcomes. Chi square tests were used to compare patient clinical outcomes across orthopaedic and rheumatology clinics. A pilot study at one site identified re-referral rates to orthopaedic/rheumatology services of patients managed by the APPs. In one year, 13,981 new patients accessed specialist orthopaedic and rheumatology consultations via the APP. Median wait time for an appointment was 5.6 months. Patients most commonly presented with knee (23%), lower back (22%) and shoulder (15%) disorders. APPs made autonomous clinical decisions regarding patient management at 77% of appointments, and managed patient care pathways without onward referral to Consultant Doctors in more than 80% of cases. Other onward clinical pathways recommended by APPs were: physiotherapy referrals (42%); clinical investigations (29%); injections administered (4%); and surgical listing (2%). Of those managed by the APP, the pilot study identified that only 6.5% of patients were re-referred within one year. This national evaluation of APP services demonstrated that the majority of patients assessed by an APP did not require onward referral for a Consultant Doctor appointment. Therefore, patients gained earlier access to orthopaedic and rheumatology consultations in secondary care, with most patients conservatively managed.

Pharmacology of biosimilar candidate drugs in rheumatology: a literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Araújo, F; Cordeiro, I; Teixeira, F; Gonçalves, J; Fonseca, J E

2014-01-01

To review current evidence concerning pharmacology of biosimilar candidates to be used in rheumatology. A PubMed search up to August 2013 was performed using relevant search terms to include all studies assessing pharmacological properties of biosimilar candidates to be used in rheumatology. Data on study characteristics, type of intervention, pharmacokinetics (PK), pharmacodynamics (PD) and bioequivalence ratios was extracted. Of 280 articles screened, 5 fulfilled our inclusion criteria. Two trials, PLANETAS and PLANETRA, compared CT-P13 and infliximab in patients with active ankylosing spondylitis and rheumatoid arthritis, respectively. PK bioequivalence was demonstrated in the phase 1 PLANETAS trial by highly comparable area under the curve (AUC) and maximum drug concentrations (Cmax), whose geometric mean ratios fell between the accepted bioequivalence range of 80-125%. Equivalence in efficacy and safety was demonstrated in the phase 3 PLANETRA trial. Two phase 1 trials comparing etanercept biosimilar candidates TuNEX and HD203 in healthy volunteers showed a high degree of similarity in AUC and Cmax, with respective geometric mean ratios between PK bioequivalence range. The last included trial referred to GP2013, a rituximab biosimilar candidate, which demonstrated PK and PD bioequivalence to reference product in three different dosing regimens in cynomolgus monkeys. Infliximab, etanercept and rituximab biosimilar candidates have demonstrated PK bioequivalence in the trials included in this review. CT-P13 has recently been approved for use in the European market and the remaining biosimilar candidates are currently being tested in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

A brief history of ultrasound in rheumatology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

D'Agostino, Maria Antonietta; Terslev, Lene

2014-01-01

Musculoskeletal ultrasound is an evolving technique widely used in rheumatology thanks to the numerous advances and the improved work on standardisation. This article deals with the new developments in terms of technology and validation.......Musculoskeletal ultrasound is an evolving technique widely used in rheumatology thanks to the numerous advances and the improved work on standardisation. This article deals with the new developments in terms of technology and validation....

Ananyeva Rational antibiotic use in rheumatology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Boris Sergeyevich Belov

2012-06-01

Full Text Available To control infections and infectious complications is one of the most urgent challenges in medicine under present-day conditions. At the same time, rational therapy with anti-infective drugs occupies a highly importance place. In rheumatology, the necessity of using antibiotics is associated with at least two factors, such as eradication of a pathogen trigger (an infectious agent that triggers the immunopathological mechanisms of inflammation and treatment of comorbid infection. The paper gives information on etiological agents and detailed antimicrobial therapy regimens for the major infections observed in modern rheumatology.

Ananyeva Rational antibiotic use in rheumatology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Boris Sergeyevich Belov

2012-01-01

Full Text Available To control infections and infectious complications is one of the most urgent challenges in medicine under present-day conditions. At the same time, rational therapy with anti-infective drugs occupies a highly importance place. In rheumatology, the necessity of using antibiotics is associated with at least two factors, such as eradication of a pathogen trigger (an infectious agent that triggers the immunopathological mechanisms of inflammation and treatment of comorbid infection. The paper gives information on etiological agents and detailed antimicrobial therapy regimens for the major infections observed in modern rheumatology.

[INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION IN PEDIATRIC RHEUMATOLOGY: THE SHARE PROJECT].

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Uziel, Yosef

2017-07-01

The SHARE initiative is a project initiated by the European Society of Pediatric Rheumatology for the purpose of improving clinical care in the field of pediatric rheumatology. Towards this goal numerous working plans and surveys were conducted. All pediatric rheumatology centers were mapped in terms of staff members, quality and types of treatments in each country, in order to improve and plan the best way for the diagnosis and treatment of rheumatic disease in children. After termination of the optimal clinical approach and care, position papers were written including all recommendations based on the scientific literature in the field. In addition, recommendations were set regarding the encouragement of international research, especially in light of the major advances achieved in the genetic aspects of pediatric rheumatology diseases, and the need for sharing biological samples between researchers from different countries and continents. Information for patients became more available regarding the diseases and the medical centers in each country. Futhermore, educational programs for interns and young fellows were written for the promotion of higher and identical academic levels in different countries.

Etoricoxib (arcoxia in rheumatology

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Fatima Magomedovna Kudaeva

2011-06-01

Full Text Available The paper gives information on the selective COX-2 inhibitor etoricoxib registered for use in many countries of the world. It gives a brief description of a few key trials of the efficacy and tolerability of etoricoxib in rheumatology

Etoricoxib (arcoxia in rheumatology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fatima Magomedovna Kudaeva

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The paper gives information on the selective COX-2 inhibitor etoricoxib registered for use in many countries of the world. It gives a brief description of a few key trials of the efficacy and tolerability of etoricoxib in rheumatology

Increased occurrence of cardiovascular events and comorbidities in a general rheumatology cohort.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Mohammad, A

2012-02-01

BACKGROUND: To identify cardiovascular and other comorbidities in a general rheumatology cohort. METHODS: Interviews\\/retrospective chart audits were conducted on 1,000 patients attending rheumatology outpatient clinics of a university teaching hospital. Comorbidities were classified using the Charlson comorbidity index (Ambrose et al. in Ir J Med Sci 178(1):53-55, 2009). RESULTS: Mean age 58 +\\/- 15.3 years, mean BMI 26. Of the patients, 400 (40%) were diagnosed with dyslipidemia and hypertension (p = 0.002), 160 (16%) with obesity and 80 (8%) with hypothyroidism. Overall 160 (16%) patients were diagnosed with coronary heart disease (CHD). Of these, 120 (75%) had RA (p = 0.001), 100 (63%) were male, mean age 60 +\\/- 15.8 years, 120 (75%) had dyslipidemia and BMI > 30 (p = 0.002), 112 (70%) were smokers (p = 0.002), 40 (25%) were diagnosed with diabetes mellitus and 20 (12%) with hypothyroidism. CONCLUSIONS: The increased prevalence of these comorbidities may serve as a reminder to the rheumatologists that many of their patients will have coexistent disease of which they need to be aware to properly plan their management.

Efficacy of an Interinstitutional Mentoring Program Within Pediatric Rheumatology.

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Moorthy, Lakshmi Nandini; Muscal, Eyal; Riebschleger, Meredith; Klein-Gitelman, Marisa; Nigrovic, Lise E; Horon, Jeffrey R; Rouster-Stevens, Kelly; Ferguson, Polly J; Eberhard, B Anne; Brunner, Hermine I; Prahalad, Sampath; Schneider, Rayfel; Nigrovic, Peter A

2016-05-01

The small size of many pediatric rheumatology programs translates into limited mentoring options for early career physicians. To address this problem, the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA) developed a subspecialty-wide interinstitutional mentoring program, the ACR/CARRA Mentoring Interest Group (AMIGO). We sought to assess the impact of this program on mentoring within pediatric rheumatology. In a longitudinal 3-year study, participant ratings from the AMIGO pilot program were compared with those after the program was opened to general enrollment. Access to mentoring as a function of career stage was assessed by surveys of the US and Canadian pediatric rheumatologists in 2011 and 2014, before and after implementation of AMIGO. Participants in the pilot phase (19 dyads) and the general implementation phase (112 dyads) reported comparable success in establishing mentor contact, suitability of mentor-mentee pairing, and benefit with respect to career development, scholarship, and work-life balance. Community surveys showed that AMIGO participation as mentee was high among fellows (86%) and modest among junior faculty (31%). Implementation correlated with significant gains in breadth of mentorship and in overall satisfaction with mentoring for fellows but not junior faculty. AMIGO is a career mentoring program that serves most fellows and many junior faculty in pediatric rheumatology across the US and Canada. Program evaluation data confirm that a subspecialty-wide interinstitutional mentoring program is feasible and can translate into concrete improvement in mentoring, measurable at the level of the whole professional community. © 2016, American College of Rheumatology.

Educational issues in Rheumatology

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rasker, Johannes J.; Dequeker, Jan; Woolf, Anthony D.

2000-01-01

Musculoskeletal conditions are the most common cause of severe long-term pain and physical disability, affecting hundreds of millions of people around the world. Nearly a quarter of all consultations in primary care are concerned with rheumatic disease, yet undergraduate education in rheumatology is

Rheumatology training in Poland vs. United Kingdom

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karina Lazarewicz

2017-07-01

Full Text Available When evaluating the quality of Rheumatology specialty training, it can be useful to explore similarities and differences between countries. In this article we compare the training in the UK and Poland. The two training programmes are similar in length and in the competencies that must be achieved, although they do have significant differences in the way the training is structured. The UK-based system is more out-patient based, which can be advantageous, as after completion of training the doctor is more confident in treating common rheumatological problems. On the other hand, having exposure to paediatric rheumatology and orthopaedics like one has in Polish-based training, despite a short placement time, is definitely beneficial for the trainee in gaining all-round knowledge. In conclusion, each system has its merits and can be further enhanced by observing how junior doctors are sub-speciality trained in different countries.

VACCINATION IN RHEUMATOLOGY: CURRENT ASPECTS

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B. S. Belov

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Infectious diseases still remain a serious social and medical problem. The importance of comorbid infections in rheumatology has increased substantially in recent years, particularly due to the clinical introduction of biologicals. The investigation and active use of different vaccines are one of the ways to solve the above problem. This review considers the issues concerning the use of vaccines against influenza, infections caused by pneumococci, herpesviruses, human papillomavirus, and hepatitis B virus in rheumatology patients. It discusses the safety and immunogenicity of vaccination associated with the prevention of airway infections as the most common cause of a poor outcome in rheumatic diseases. The main areas of future investigations in the problem under consideration are defined.

Rheumatologic complications in a cohort of 227 patients with common variable immunodeficiency.

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Azizi, G; Kiaee, F; Hedayat, E; Yazdani, R; Dolatshahi, E; Alinia, T; Sharifi, L; Mohammadi, H; Kavosi, H; Jadidi-Niaragh, F; Ziaee, V; Abolhassani, H; Aghamohammadi, A

2018-05-01

Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is the most prevalent symptomatic type of human primary immunodeficiency diseases (PID). Clinically, CVID is characterized by increased susceptibility to infections and a wide variety of autoimmune and rheumatologic disorders. All patients with CVID registered in Iranian PID Registry (IPIDR) were enrolled in this retrospective cohort study. We investigated the frequency of rheumatologic diseases and its association with immunological and clinical phenotypes in patients with CVID. A total of 227 patients with CVID were enrolled in this study. The prevalence of rheumatologic disorders was 10.1% with a higher frequency in women than men. Most common rheumatologic manifestations were juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and adult rheumatoid arthritis (RA) followed by juvenile spondyloarthritis (JSpA) and undifferentiated inflammatory arthritis (UIA). Septic arthritis in patients with CVID with a history of RA and JIA was higher than patients without rheumatologic complication. Patients with CVID with a history of autoimmunity (both rheumatologic and non-rheumatologic autoimmunity) had lower regulatory T cells counts in comparison with patients without autoimmune disorders. There was an association between defect in specific antibody responses and negative serologic test results in patients with rheumatologic manifestations. JIA, RA, JSpA and UIA are the most frequent rheumatologic disorders in patients with CVID. Due to antibody deficiency, serologic tests may be negative in these patients. Therefore, these conditions pose significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenges for immunologists and rheumatologists in charge of the care for these patients. © 2018 The Foundation for the Scandinavian Journal of Immunology.

A report from the American college of rheumatology/association of rheumatology health professionals (ACR/ARHP) - 2012 annual meeting (November 9-14, 2012 - Washington, D.C., USA).

Science.gov (United States)

Croasdell, G

2013-02-01

The annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), jointly held with the Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals (ARHP), brought together attendees focused on all aspects of rheumatology, including researchers looking into treatment options and various services around the care of rheumatologic conditions. As well as networking opportunities at the meeting, there were a wide range of symposia and posters available covering various conditions and levels of research. There were also educational and meet-the-professor sessions. This report will cover a selection of interesting talks from poster and oral sessions on the latest preclinical and clinical research. Copyright 2013 Prous Science, S.A.U. or its licensors. All rights reserved.

Gout treatment: survey of Brazilian rheumatology residents.

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Amorim, Rodrigo Balbino Chaves; Vargas-Santos, Ana Beatriz; Pereira, Leticia Rocha; Coutinho, Evandro Silva Freire; da Rocha Castelar-Pinheiro, Geraldo

2017-05-01

To assess the current practices in gout management among Brazilian rheumatology residents. We performed a cross-sectional online survey among all the rheumatology residents and those rheumatologists who had just completed their training (post-residency (PR)) regarding their approach to gout management. Results were compared with the 2012 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) gout guidelines and with the responses of a previous survey with a representative sample of practicing Brazilian rheumatologists (RHE). We received 224 responses (83%) from 271 subjects. Among all respondents, the first-choice treatment for gout flares was the combination of a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug + colchicine for otherwise healthy patients. A target serum urate 75%. Less than 70% reported starting allopurinol at low doses (≤100 mg/day) for patients with normal renal function and gout guidelines, especially among PR. However, some important aspects of gout management need improvement. These results will guide the development of a physician education program to improve the management of gout patients in Brazil.

The patient's role in rheumatology care.

Science.gov (United States)

Brady, T J

1998-03-01

This article reviews narrative and empiric studies in rheumatology and related literature to explicate the patient's role in rheumatology care. In contrast to early conceptualizations, such as Parsons' sick role that emphasized compliance, current literature describes chronic disease patients as active participants in their care, rather than passive recipients of care. Active patients roles include participant in shared decision making, self-manager, and help and information seeker. All of these roles are colored by the individual's need to preserve a personally defined acceptable lifestyle. Suggestions for strategies that physicians and health professionals can use to engage and support these essential patient roles are also reviewed.

Management of gout by UK rheumatologists: a British Society for Rheumatology national audit.

Science.gov (United States)

Roddy, Edward; Packham, Jon; Obrenovic, Karen; Rivett, Ali; Ledingham, Joanna M

2018-05-01

To assess the concordance of gout management by UK rheumatologists with evidence-based best-practice recommendations. Data were collected on patients newly referred to UK rheumatology out-patient departments over an 8-week period. Baseline data included demographics, method of diagnosis, clinical features, comorbidities, urate-lowering therapy (ULT), prophylaxis and blood tests. Twelve months later, the most recent serum uric acid level was collected. Management was compared with audit standards derived from the 2006 EULAR recommendations, 2007 British Society for Rheumatology/British Health Professionals in Rheumatology guideline and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence febuxostat technology appraisal. Data were collected for 434 patients from 91 rheumatology departments (mean age 59.8 years, 82% male). Diagnosis was crystal-proven in 13%. Of 106 taking a diuretic, this was reduced/stopped in 29%. ULT was continued/initiated in 76% of those with one or more indication for ULT. One hundred and fifty-eight patients started allopurinol: the starting dose was most commonly 100 mg daily (82%); in those with estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 ml/min the highest starting dose was 100 mg daily. Of 199 who started ULT, prophylaxis was co-prescribed for 94%. Fifty patients started a uricosuric or febuxostat: 84% had taken allopurinol previously. Of 44 commenced on febuxostat, 18% had a history of heart disease. By 12 months, serum uric acid levels ⩽360 and <300 μmol/l were achieved by 45 and 25%, respectively. Gout management by UK rheumatologists concords well with guidelines for most audit standards. However, fewer than half of patients achieved a target serum uric level over 12 months. Rheumatologists should help ensure that ULT is optimized to achieve target serum uric acid levels to benefit patients.

African Journal of Rheumatology

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The journal aims to publish papers on basic and clinical research in rheumatology and be a vessel of sharing knowledge across the globe. Original research work, reviews, case reports and other relevant scientific work will be published in the journal. The readers of the journal are mainly practicing rheumatologists, ...

Herpes zoster infection, vaccination and immunocompromised rheumatology patients.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

O'Connor, Mortimer B

2013-01-01

Varicella is a self-limiting and relatively mild disease of childhood, although it is frequently more severe and complicated among the immunocompromised rheumatology patients on immunomodulator therapies. In addition, future reactivation of the dormant virus in dorsal root ganglia may cause herpes zoster infection, which can be very debilitating. In this manuscript, we discuss the nature of this infection along with its potential vaccine especially among rheumatology patients.

Immunology for rheumatology residents: working toward a Canadian national curriculum consensus.

Science.gov (United States)

Chow, Shirley L; Herman-Kideckel, Sari; Mahendira, Dharini; McDonald-Blumer, Heather

2015-01-01

Immunologic mechanisms play an integral role in understanding the pathogenesis and management of rheumatic conditions. Currently, there is limited access to formal instruction in immunology for rheumatology trainees across Canada. The aims of this study were (1) to describe current immunology curricula among adult rheumatology training programs across Canada and (2) to compare the perceived learning needs of rheumatology trainees from the perspective of program directors and trainees to help develop a focused nationwide immunology curriculum. Rheumatology trainees and program directors from adult rheumatology programs across Canada completed an online questionnaire and were asked to rank a comprehensive list of immunology topics. A modified Delphi approach was implemented to obtain consensus on immunology topics. Only 42% of program directors and 31% of trainees felt the current method of teaching immunology was effective. Results illustrate concordance between program directors and trainees for the highest-ranked immunology topics including innate immunity, adaptive immunity, and cells and tissues of the immune system. However, there was discordance among other topics, such as diagnostic laboratory immunology and therapeutics. There is a need to improve immunology teaching in rheumatology training programs. Results show high concordance between the basic immunology topics. This study provides the groundwork for development of future immunology curricula.

Pediatric rheumatology: An under-recognized subspecialty in India

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Akhila Kavirayani

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Pediatrics in India at the levels of both undergraduate and postgraduate training is often viewed upon as an acute disease specialty with little emphasis on chronic medical musculoskeletal diseases. Pediatric rheumatology is an under-recognized subspecialty of pediatrics which deals specifically with childhood arthritis, noninflammatory joint pains, connective tissue diseases, autoimmune diseases, vasculitis, and other rare inflammatory disorders. This article aims to give a bird's eye view of the repertoire of commonly encountered problems seen by a pediatric rheumatologist, via a classical case vignette for each topic followed by discussion. There is also mention of some rare diseases managed within pediatric rheumatology to give a flavor of the spectrum of diseases encountered. This is to raise awareness of the importance of pediatric rheumatology as a subspecialty within India and to prompt readers to seek specialist advice when encountering challenging cases. Pediatric rheumatologists network and work collaboratively with many other specialties such as ophthalmology, dermatology, neurology, orthopedics, nephrology, infectious diseases, immunology, and gastroenterology for combined care of diverse conditions. There is an unmet need in India to develop a training program for pediatric rheumatology so that shared care pathways with sensitized pediatricians and other specialists can be developed nationwide, to serve these children better to achieve optimal outcomes.

Quality of life in rheumatological patients: The impact of personality disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Uguz, Faruk; Kucuk, Adem; Cicek, Erdinc; Kayhan, Fatih; Salli, Ali; Guncu, Hatice; Çilli, Ali Savas

2015-01-01

Rheumatological diseases are associated with lower quality of life (QoL) levels. Psychiatric disturbances are frequently observed in these patients. This study examined the impact of personality disorders on the QoL of patients with rheumatological diseases. The study sample consisted of 142 participants including patients suffering from rheumatological disease with a personality disorder (n = 30), without any personality disorder (n = 112), and healthy control participants without physical or psychiatric disorders (n = 60). The Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (SCID-I) and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM, Revised Third Edition Personality Disorders (SCID-II) were used to determine Axis I and Axis II psychiatric disorders, respectively. QoL levels were assessed by means of the World Health Organization QoL Assessment-Brief. The subscale scores of physical health, psychological health, and social relationships were significantly lower in patients with rheumatological disease regardless of the existence of personality disorder compared with the control participants. Rheumatological patients with a personality disorder had significantly lower subscale scores of psychological health (p = 0.003) and social relationships (p personality disorder. Personality disorders seem to be a relevant factor that maybe associated with QoL in patients suffering from rheumatological disease. © The Author(s) 2015 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

The 2017 EULAR standardised procedures for ultrasound imaging in rheumatology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Möller, Ingrid; Janta, Iustina; Backhaus, Marina

2017-01-01

of MSUS evaluable structures; (2) a Delphi survey among rheumatologist and radiologist experts in MSUS to select MS and non-MS anatomic structures evaluable by US that are relevant to rheumatology, to select abnormalities evaluable by US and to prioritise these pathologies for rheumatology and (3...

Attitudes and Self-Care Behaviors of Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis Referred to Rheumatology Clinical Centers in Yazd

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MA Morowatisharifabad

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Introduction: Knee Osteoarthritis is the most common age-related causes of knee pain which can induce disability, disablement and reduced quality of life. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine attitudes and self-care behaviors of knee osteoarthritis patients referred to three Rheumatology Clinical Centers in Yazd. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was carried out on 235 patients referred to Health Care Centers of Yazd who were selected randomly. In order to glean the study data, a researcher-designed questionnaire was utilized probing into demographic variables as well as patients' attitudes and self-care behaviors. The reliability and validity of the questionnaire were approved, as well. The study data were analyzed applying SPSS software (ver. 18 via T-Test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient at 0.05 of the significant level. Results: The participants' mean age and Mean BMI were reported 54.90±9.15 and 28.8±4.61, respectively. Mean score of patients' attitude toward self-care was 47.4±3.95 out of 55 and the mean score of their self-care behaviors was 43.11±5.75 out of 60, which the both scores were at a moderate level. Furthermore, a positive significant correlation was detected between attitude and self-care behaviors (p=0.01. Within different self-care behaviors, participants' attitude towards the positive effect of using crutches while walking was at the lowest level. Meanwhile, according to the patients' attitude, using crutches was demonstrated to have the least performance within the self-care behaviors. Conclusion: Based on the findings of the present study, the attitude level can cause an increase in the patients' self-care behaviors. Moreover, since the participants' attitude towards such behaviors as using crutches, using pool and weight loss were at a low level, interventional programs are recommended to emphasize the mentioned issues. Keywords: Attitude; Knee osteoarthritis; Performance; Self

Mental health care for youth with rheumatologic diseases - bridging the gap.

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Alaina M; Rubinstein, Tamar B; Rodriguez, Martha; Knight, Andrea M

2017-12-28

Youth with rheumatologic diseases have a high prevalence of comorbid mental health disorders. Individuals with comorbid mental health disorders are at increased risk for adverse outcomes related to mental health as well as their underlying rheumatologic disease. Early identification and treatment of mental health disorders has been shown to improve outcomes, but current systems of care fall short in providing adequate mental health services to those in need. Pediatric rheumatologists are uniquely positioned to provide mental health screening and intervention for youth with rheumatologic diseases due to the frequency of patient encounters and ongoing therapeutic relationship with patients and families. However, additional training is likely required for pediatric rheumatologists to provide effective mental health care, and focusing efforts on providing trainees with mental health education is key to building competency. Potential opportunities for improved mental health education include development of clinical guidelines regarding mental health screening and management within pediatric rheumatology settings and incorporation of mental health didactics, workshops, and interdisciplinary clinic experiences into pediatric rheumatology fellowship curricula. Additional steps include mental health education for patients and families and focus on system change, targeting integration of medical and mental health care. Research is needed to better define the scope of the problem, determine effective strategies for equipping pediatric rheumatologists with skills in mental health intervention, and develop and implement sustainable systems for delivery of optimal mental health care to youth with rheumatologic diseases.

Update on rheumatology: part 1.

Science.gov (United States)

Neal-Boylan, Leslie

2009-05-01

There are many rheumatic diseases. Part 1 of this 2 part series on rheumatology presented a few of those most commonly seen in the community. Home health clinicians can be helpful in managing these diseases and preventing progression by watching for new symptoms or acute attacks of pain or disability, ensuring that patients take their medications appropriately, reminding patients to see their rheumatology providers and have their lab work done regularly, and reporting adverse effects to medications promptly. Additionally, as with most home health patients, an interdisciplinary approach that includes physical and occupational therapy, social work, nursing, nutrition, and other disciplines as needed should be implemented so that all patient needs are met and the patient is discharged at the highest level of self-care that is possible. Part 2 of this series will discuss the care of the patient with rheumatic disease at home and will provide a more in-depth look at lab diagnosis of rheumatic diseases.

Educational needs of health professionals working in rheumatology in Europe.

Science.gov (United States)

Vliet Vlieland, Theodora P M; van den Ende, Cornelia H M; Alliot-Launois, Francoise; Beauvais, Catherine; Gobbo, Milena; Iagnocco, Annamaria; Lundberg, Ingrid E; Munuera-Martínez, Pedro V; Opava, Christina H; Prior, Yeliz; Redmond, Anthony; Smucrova, Hana; Wiek, Dieter

2016-01-01

To explore the availability of postgraduate education for health professionals (HPs) working in rheumatology in Europe, and their perceived educational needs and barriers for participation in current educational offerings. Structured interviews were conducted with national representatives of rheumatology HPs' organisations and an online survey among individual HPs was disseminated through existing European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) networks (10 languages including English). These comprised questions on: availability of postgraduate education, familiarity with EULAR and its educational offerings, unmet needs regarding the contents and mode of delivery and potential barriers to participate in education (0-10 scales). According to 17 national representatives, postgraduate rheumatology education was most common for nurses, physical and occupational therapists. There were 1041 individuals responding to the survey, of whom 48% completed all questions. More than half (56%) were familiar with EULAR as an organisation, whereas rheumatology education for HPs in most countries. There are opportunities to raise awareness regarding EULAR educational offerings and to develop courses provided in HPs' own country, tailored to national needs and barriers and taking language barriers into consideration.

Why do we choose rheumatology? Implications for future recruitment--results of the 2006 UK Trainee Survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Dunkley, L; Filer, A; Speden, D; Bax, D; Crisp, A

2008-06-01

Against changes to junior doctor career structure under MMC (Modernizing Medical Careers), and uncertainty about the future place of rheumatology, we explored critical factors in choice of rheumatology as a speciality, and asked what factors might govern choices of prospective trainees. Using these data, we developed suggestions to enhance future recruitment. A postal survey was sent to rheumatology specialist registrars (SpRs) on the Joint Committee for Higher Medical Training (JCHMT) database between December 2005 and January 2006, and concurrently by e-mail to the Rheumatologists at Training e-mail list. Seventy-three percent (165/227) of trainees responded. Of them, 89.1% had previous senior house officer (SHO) experience in rheumatology and 81.8% made a career decision in favour of rheumatology during their SHO post. The top four ranked factors influencing choice of rheumatology were SHO experience, subject matter, inspirational consultants and lifestyle aspects; 89.1% would still choose rheumatology now. Factors felt to be negatively influencing future trainees came under three key themes: poor student or postgraduate exposure, employment and service delivery issues (including concern over the future place of rheumatology in primary vs secondary care), and perceived poor profile of rheumatology. Factors positively influencing future candidates were subject matter, work/life balance and prior exposure to the speciality. Early postgraduate experience is key to choice of speciality. An overwhelming majority of trainees decide speciality during SHO experience. With ongoing changes in career structure, it is critical that rheumatology is incorporated into foundation and speciality training programmes and essential that continued measures are taken to improve the image of rheumatology.

Semiconductor lasers in rheumatological treatment

Science.gov (United States)

Pascu, Mihail-Lucian; Suteanu, S.; Ignat, P.; Pruna, Simion; Chitu, A.

1995-03-01

A computer controlled equipment, containing 6 lasers (HeNe and 5 diode lasers--DL) conceived to be used in rheumatological treatment is reported. DL emit at 895 nm and for typical applications, their expanded spots are superposed within the irradiation plane, on the HeNE defocused spot used to define the surface to be irradiated. DL emit 100 nsec pulses between 0.5 KHz and 1.5 KHz repetition rate and 0.5 mW average power (measured at 1 KHz). 150 patients with rheumathologic diseases were treated: lumbar spondylosis (75), gonarthrosis (30), cervical spondylosis (21), coxarthrosis (15), Heberden and Bouchard (9). The treatment consisted of: group I, 50 patients--laser therapy, 10 min/day, 10 days; group II, 50 patients--classical antirheumatic treatment; group III, 50 patients--mixed treatment. Assessment of sympathetic skin activity made using reactometry measurements, shows that latency time was longer before irradiation, 1867 +/- 289) msec then after, (1234 +/- 321) msec. Pain rating indexes decreasing for all three groups of patients were measured. Better results for more superficial diseases were obtained and best results were observed after irradiation with 1 KHz - 1.5 KHz repetition rate IR pulses. Better results were obtained when spot irradiation in a few points combined with zone irradiations was used.

[Amendment of the structural quality for inpatient rheumatology. A forward-looking concept].

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Lakomek, H-J; Braun, J; Gromnica-Ihle, E; Fiehn, C; Claus, S; Specker, C; Jung, J; Krause, A; Lorenz, H-M; Robbers, J

2011-09-01

In 2010 a total of 9 guidelines on structural quality were endorsed by the Association of Rheumatology Clinics in Germany (VRA). These 9 structural criteria replace the regulations published in 2002 and were elaborated with the support of the German Rheumatology League. With guideline number 9 even the structural requirements for university hospitals are defined for the first time.Along with taking part in the quality project "Kobra" (continuous outcome benchmarking in rheumatology inpatient treatment) compliance with the new structural criteria constitutes a prerequisite for acquiring a quality certificate, which is awarded by an external institution.By this means the VRA sets the stage for its members to be prepared for future challenges and quality competition among hospitals. Furthermore, the provision of a high quality treatment for chronically diseased patients in rheumatology clinics will be effectively supported.

Indicadores del estrés oxidativo en pacientes afectados por VIH/sida con manifestaciones reumatológicas Oxidative stress indicators for HIV/AIDS patients with rheumatologic manifestations

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Olga Pomier Suárez

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Introducción: el estrés oxidativo se ha reconocido como cofactor en la progresión de la infección por el virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana (VIH y en las manifestaciones reumatológicas. Objetivo: valorar los indicadores del estrés oxidativo en los pacientes afectados por VIH con manifestaciones reumatológicas. Métodos: se estudiaron 31 pacientes VIH con manifestaciones reumatológicas y se compararon los índices evaluados con un grupo control, 31 individuos aparentemente sanos. Los pacientes fueron clasificados según los siguientes criterios de actividad: escala de actividad de la enfermedad para manifestaciones reumatológicas, e índice de actividad de enfermedad y la escala visual analógica de dolor nocturno para manifestaciones reumatológicas. Las concentraciones plasmáticas de los indicadores de estrés oxidativo fueron cuantificadas mediante técnicas espectrofotométricas y el análisis estadístico realizado, mediante el programa estadístico SPSS 13. Resultados: los pacientes VIH evaluados presentaron un estrés oxidativo de moderado a severo, caracterizado por aumento significativo de los parámetros indicadores de daño oxidativo y disminución de los sistemas antioxidantes (pIntroduction: the oxidative stress has been recognized as a cofactor in the progression of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV infection and in the rheumatologic manifestations. Objective: to assess the oxidative stress indicators in those HIV patients with rheumatologic manifestations. Methods: thirty one HIV patients with rheumatologic manifestations were studied and the evaluated indexes were compared to those of a control group made up of 31 apparently healthy individuals. The patients were classified according to the following activity criteria: scale of the disease activity for the rheumatologic manifestations, and index of disease activity and the analogical visual scale of pain at night in terms of the rheumatologic manifestations. The

Challenges and Opportunities in Using Patient-Reported Outcomes in Quality Measurement in Rheumatology

OpenAIRE

Wahl, Elizabeth; Yazdany, Jinoos

2016-01-01

Use of Patient-reported outcome measures (PROs) in rheumatology research is widespread, but use of PRO data to evaluate the quality of rheumatologic care delivered is less well established. This article reviews the use of PROs in assessing healthcare quality, and highlights challenges and opportunities specific to their use in rheumatology quality measurement. We first explore other countries’ experiences collecting and evaluating national PRO data to assess quality of care. We describe the c...

Person-centred care in nurse-led outpatient rheumatology clinics: Conceptualization and initial development of a measurement instrument.

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Bala, Sidona-Valentina; Forslind, Kristina; Fridlund, Bengt; Samuelson, Karin; Svensson, Björn; Hagell, Peter

2018-06-01

Person-centred care (PCC) is considered a key component of effective illness management and high-quality care. However, the PCC concept is underdeveloped in outpatient care. In rheumatology, PCC is considered an unmet need and its further development and evaluation is of high priority. The aim of the present study was to conceptualize and operationalize PCC, in order to develop an instrument for measuring patient-perceived PCC in nurse-led outpatient rheumatology clinics. A conceptual outpatient PCC framework was developed, based on the experiences of people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), person-centredness principles and existing PCC frameworks. The resulting framework was operationalized into the PCC instrument for outpatient care in rheumatology (PCCoc/rheum), which was tested for acceptability and content validity among 50 individuals with RA attending a nurse-led outpatient clinic. The conceptual framework focuses on the meeting between the person with RA and the nurse, and comprises five interrelated domains: social environment, personalization, shared decision-making, empowerment and communication. Operationalization of the domains into a pool of items generated a preliminary PCCoc/rheum version, which was completed in a mean (standard deviation) of 5.3 (2.5) min. Respondents found items easy to understand (77%) and relevant (93%). The Content Validity Index of the PCCoc/rheum was 0.94 (item level range, 0.87-1.0). About 80% of respondents considered some items redundant. Based on these results, the PCCoc/rheum was revised into a 24-item questionnaire. A conceptual outpatient PCC framework and a 24-item questionnaire intended to measure PCC in nurse-led outpatient rheumatology clinics were developed. The extent to which the questionnaire represents a measurement instrument remains to be tested. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

[Hospital financing in 2016. Relevant changes for rheumatology].

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Fiori, W; Bunzemeier, H; Lakomek, H-J; Buscham, K; Lehmann, H; Fuchs, A-K; Bessler, F; Roeder, N

2016-03-01

Hospital financing 2016 will be influenced by the prospects of the approaching considerable changes. It is assumed that the following years will lead to a considerable reallocation of financial resources between hospitals. While not directly targeted by new regulations, reallocations always also affect specialties like rheumatology. Compared to the alterations in the legislative framework the financial effects of the yearly adaptation of the German diagnosis-related groups system are subordinate. Only by comprehensive consideration of current and expected changes a forward-looking and sustainable strategy can be developed. The following article presents the relevant changes and discusses the consequences for hospitals specialized in rheumatology.

Hot topics in modern rheumatology

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D. E. Karateev

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The Expert Council for Tofacitinib (TOFA and two symposiums on New Possibilities for Targeted Therapy of Rheumatoid Arthritis and on Success Factor of Biological Therapy for Rheumatic Diseases were held within the annual scientific-and-practical conference of the V.A. Nasonova Research Institute of Rheumatology on Comorbidity in Rheumatic Diseases in Moscow on 14–15 October 2014.

Rheumatoid arthritis disease activity measures: American College of Rheumatology recommendations for use in clinical practice.

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Anderson, Jaclyn; Caplan, Liron; Yazdany, Jinoos; Robbins, Mark L; Neogi, Tuhina; Michaud, Kaleb; Saag, Kenneth G; O'Dell, James R; Kazi, Salahuddin

2012-05-01

Although the systematic measurement of disease activity facilitates clinical decision making in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), no recommendations currently exist on which measures should be applied in clinical practice in the US. The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) convened a Working Group (WG) to comprehensively evaluate the validity, feasibility, and acceptability of available RA disease activity measures and derive recommendations for their use in clinical practice. The Rheumatoid Arthritis Clinical Disease Activity Measures Working Group conducted a systematic review of the literature to identify RA disease activity measures. Using exclusion criteria, input from an Expert Advisory Panel (EAP), and psychometric analysis, a list of potential measures was created. A survey was administered to rheumatologists soliciting input. The WG used these survey results in conjunction with the psychometric analyses to derive final recommendations. Systematic review of the literature resulted in identification of 63 RA disease activity measures. Application of exclusion criteria and ratings by the EAP narrowed the list to 14 measures for further evaluation. Practicing rheumatologists rated 9 of these 14 measures as most useful and feasible. From these 9 measures, the WG selected 6 with the best psychometric properties for inclusion in the final set of ACR-recommended RA disease activity measures. We recommend the Clinical Disease Activity Index, Disease Activity Score with 28-joint counts (erythrocyte sedimentation rate or C-reactive protein), Patient Activity Scale (PAS), PAS-II, Routine Assessment of Patient Index Data with 3 measures, and Simplified Disease Activity Index because they are accurate reflections of disease activity; are sensitive to change; discriminate well between low, moderate, and high disease activity states; have remission criteria; and are feasible to perform in clinical settings. Copyright © 2012 by the American College of Rheumatology.

Max Hirsch (1875-1941): His forgotten fate and his contributions to the founding of modern rheumatology.

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Keitel, Wolfgang; Olsson, Leif; Matteson, Eric L

2016-09-01

To elucidate the connections between balneology and rheumatology in the founding period of the discipline of rheumatology, and describe the contributions of Max Hirsch, MD in the formation of professional rheumatology societies. Historical documents from the medical history collection of Vogelsang-Gommern, Germany, and original personal documents of the Hirsch family and information from the medical and historical period literature were used in developing this report. The first efforts at organizing rheumatology as a recognized clinical and academic discipline took place in the 1920s. Many of the first proponents were balneologists who cared for patients with chronic arthritic conditions without the benefit of effective medications. Max Hirsch, MD was a major figure in the development of modern rheumatology as it emerged from the provenance of balneology and orthopedics as a recognized organized medical discipline, contributing to the founding of the German Society for Rheumatology and the International League Against Rheumatism. Max Hirsch made significant contributions to scientific and organized rheumatology in the early days of the discipline. His contributions to the field and his fate as a Jewish physician have only recently come to light.

Current educational status of paediatric rheumatology in Europe: the results of PReS survey.

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Demirkaya, E; Ozen, S; Türker, T; Kuis, W; Saurenmann, R K

2009-01-01

To understand the status of education and problems in paediatric rheumatology practice in Europe, through a survey. A 26-item questionnaire was conducted during the 14th Congress of the Paediatric Rheumatology European Society in Istanbul, 2007. Physicians who were practicing or studying within the field of paediatric rheumatology for at least one year were included in the survey. One hundred and twenty eight physicians, 79 paediatric rheumatologists (including 5 paediatric immunologists and 10 paediatric nephrologists), 34 paediatric rheumatology fellows and 15 adult rheumatologists completed the survey. The physicians were from: Europe 95 (81.9%), South America 12 (10.4%), Middle East 5 (4.3%), Asia 2 (1.7%), Africa 2 (1.7%). The duration of training for paediatric rheumatology ranged between 1-5 years (mean: 3.12+/-1.11). Sixty physicians scored their education as unsatisfactory and among those, 48 physicians were from Europe. Physicians reported good skills in the following items; intraarticular injections (83.3%); soft tissue injections (47.6%); evaluation of radiographs (67.5%); whereas competence in the evaluation of computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (30.5%); and musculoskeletal sonography (16.7%) was much lower. A need for improved basic science and rotations among relevant fields were specifically expressed. Being a relatively new speciality in the realm of paediatrics, paediatric rheumatology education at the European level needs to be further discussed, revised and uniformed.

[Pain in Spanish rheumatology outpatient offices: EPIDOR epidemiological study].

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Gamero Ruiz, F; Gabriel Sánchez, R; Carbonell Abello, J; Tornero Molina, J; Sánchez-Magro, I

2005-04-01

To establish the prevalence and characteristics of rheumatologic pain in Spanish adult population cared in specialized rheumatology offices. Cross selection study in a population of patients cared in rheumatology offices of public Spanish hospitals. 1,134 patients selected through random sampling based on waiting lists of patients, during a period of 1 week, in rheumatology offices of each participating hospital. MAIN OUTCOMES OF THE STUDY: Reason behind the consultation (a new patient [NP] or a patient for revision [RP]), characteristics of the patient (sex, age, habits [alcohol/tobacco], marital status), location, type, intensity, duration, tolerance and management of pain; treatment (pharmacological or non-pharmacological) carried out; satisfaction with the treatment; and association with fibromyalgia. The prevalence of pain in NP was 98.6% and in RP 95.1%, with a global prevalence of 96%, predominating mainly in adult sedentary women with fibromyalgia. The frequency of acute pain was 20.9% and this of chronic pain 79.1% [corrected] The prevalence of fibromyalgia was 12% (2.2% in men, and 15.5% in women). The most prevalent pattern of current dominant pain was this of the mechanical type. More frequent associated pathologies were: hypertension (21.7%), depression (14.4%), gastrointestinal diseases (13.8%) and anxiety (13.4%). All variables analyzed in the study showed changes according to age, sex, and type of patient (NP or RP). Most used treatment was pharmacological; more than 57.6% of patients were receiving NSAIDs. In NP, medical prescriber of the treatment was first the general practitioner (56.1%) followed by the rheumatologist (14.1%); in PR the first one was the rheumatologist (69.9%) followed by the general practitioner (16.5%). Our results show that the prevalence of the rheumatologic pain is very high, predominating mainly in adult women with fibromyalgia. Pain location, intensity, and type, associated pathology, and treatment vary according to age

Improving the peer review skills of young rheumatologists and researchers in rheumatology: the EMEUNET Peer Review Mentoring Program.

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Rodríguez-Carrio, Javier; Putrik, Polina; Sepriano, Alexandre; Moltó, Anna; Nikiphorou, Elena; Gossec, Laure; Kvien, Tore K; Ramiro, Sofia

2018-01-01

Although peer review plays a central role in the maintenance of high standards in scientific research, training of reviewing skills is not included in the common education programmes. The Emerging EULAR (European League Against Rheumatism) Network (EMEUNET) developed a programme to address this unmet need. The EMEUNET Peer Review Mentoring Program for Rheumatology Journals promotes a systematic training of reviewing skills by engaging mentees in a 'real world' peer review experience supervised by experienced mentors with support from rheumatology journals. This viewpoint provides an overview of this initiative and its outcomes, and discusses its potential limitations. Over 4 years, 18 mentors and 86 mentees have participated. Among the 33 participants who have completed the programme, 13 (39.3%) have become independent reviewers for Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases after the training. This programme has been recently evaluated by a survey and qualitative interviews, revealing a high interest in this initiative. The main strengths (involvement of a top journal and learning opportunities) and weaknesses of the programme (limited number of places and insufficient dissemination) were identified. Overall, this programme represents an innovative and successful approach to peer review training. Continuous evaluation and improvement are key to its functioning. The EMEUNET Peer Review Mentoring Program may be used as a reference for peer review training in areas outside rheumatology.

[Complicated gastroduodenal ulcers in rheumatology patients].

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Barashkov, V G; Shemerovskaia, T G; Sergeev, P V; Bokovanov, V E

1998-01-01

An analysis of observations of 250 patients with different rheumatological diseases has shown that 18% of the patients had ulcer disease with complications. The greatest risk of bleedings and perforations took place during the first year of treatment with nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs. The main risk factors of complications were determined. They are: male sex, high parameters of gastric secretion.

Readability of patient information and consent documents in rheumatological studies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hamnes, Bente; van Eijk-Hustings, Yvonne; Primdahl, Jette

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Before participation in medical research an informed consent must be obtained. This study investigates whether the readability of patient information and consent documents (PICDs) corresponds to the average educational level of participants in rheumatological studies in the Netherlands......, Denmark, and Norway. METHODS: 24 PICDs from studies were collected and readability was assessed independently using the Gunning's Fog Index (FOG) and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) grading. RESULTS: The mean score for the FOG and SMOG grades were 14.2 (9.0-19.0) and 14.2 (12-17) respectively....... The mean FOG and SMOG grades were 12.7 and 13.3 in the Dutch studies, 15.0 and 14.9 in the Danish studies, and 14.6 and 14.3 in the Norwegian studies, respectively. Out of the 2865 participants, more than 57 % had a lower educational level than the highest readability score calculated in the individual...

The United States rheumatology workforce: supply and demand, 2005-2025.

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Deal, Chad L; Hooker, Roderick; Harrington, Timothy; Birnbaum, Neal; Hogan, Paul; Bouchery, Ellen; Klein-Gitelman, Marisa; Barr, Walter

2007-03-01

To develop and apply a model that allows prediction of current and future supply and demand for rheumatology services in the US. A supply model was developed using the age and sex distribution of current physicians, retirement and mortality rates, the number of fellowship slots and fill rates, and practice patterns of rheumatologists. A Markov projection model was used to project needs in 5-year increments from 2005 to 2025. The number of rheumatologists for adult patients in the US in 2005 is 4,946. Male and female rheumatologists are equally distributed up to age 44; above age 44, men predominate. The percent of women in adult rheumatology is projected to increase from 30.2% in 2005 to 43.6% in 2025. The mean number of visits per rheumatologist per year is 3,758 for male rheumatologists and 2,800 for female rheumatologists. Assuming rheumatology supply and demand are in equilibrium in 2005, the demand for rheumatologists in 2025 is projected to exceed supply by 2,576 adult and 33 pediatric rheumatologists. The primary factors in the excess demand are an aging population which will increase the number of people with rheumatic disorders, growth in the Gross Domestic Product, and flat rheumatology supply due to fixed numbers entering the workforce and to retirements. The productivity of younger rheumatologists and women, who will make up a greater percentage of the future workforce, may also have important effects on supply. Unknown effects that could influence these projections include technology advances, more efficient practice methods, changes in insurance reimbursements, and shifting lifestyles. Current data suggest that the pediatric rheumatology workforce is experiencing a substantial excess of demand versus supply. Based on assessment of supply and demand under current scenarios, the demand for rheumatologists is expected to exceed supply in the coming decades. Strategies for the profession to adapt to this changing health care landscape include increasing

Current provision of rheumatology education for undergraduate nursing, occupational therapy and physiotherapy students in the UK.

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Almeida, C; Clarke, B; O'Brien, A; Hammond, A; Ryan, S; Kay, L; Hewlett, S

2006-07-01

Rheumatological conditions are common and all health professionals (HPs) therefore need sufficient knowledge and skills to manage patients safely and effectively. The aim of this study was to examine current undergraduate education in rheumatology for HPs in the UK. A questionnaire was sent to curriculum organizers and clinical placement officers for all undergraduate courses in adult nursing, occupational therapy (OT) and physiotherapy (PT) in the UK to ascertain the nature and amount of rheumatology theory and clinical exposure provided. Of the 47 adult nursing, 26 OT and 30 PT undergraduate courses surveyed, 85-90% responded. Overall, rheumatology teaching is 5-10 h over 3 yr. Nursing students receive moderate/in-depth teaching on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in only 52% of courses (OT 91%, PT 96%) and on osteoarthritis (OA) in 63% (OT 91%, PT 92%). Clinical experience of RA is probably/definitely available in only 56% of nursing courses (OT 72%, PT 88%), with similar results in OA. Overall, nursing students receive the least rheumatology exposure, particularly in psychosocial issues and symptom management, while PT students receive the most. OT students have limited opportunities for clinical exposure to psychosocial and joint protection issues. Use of local rheumatology clinical HP experts is variable (18-93%) and cross-disciplinary exposure is limited (0-36%). Many educators consider their rheumatology training to be insufficient (nursing 50%, PT 42%, OT 24%). Rheumatology training for undergraduate HPs is limited in key areas and often fails to take advantage of local clinical expertise, with nursing students particularly restricted. Clinical HP experts should consider novel methods of addressing these shortfalls within the limited curriculum time available.

Role of Tai Chi in the treatment of rheumatologic diseases.

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Wang, Chenchen

2012-12-01

Rheumatologic diseases (e.g., fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis) consist of a complex interplay between biologic and psychological aspects, resulting in therapeutically challenging chronic conditions to control. Encouraging evidence suggests that Tai Chi, a multi-component Chinese mind-body exercise, has multiple benefits for patients with a variety of chronic disorders, particularly those with musculoskeletal conditions. Thus, Tai Chi may modulate complex factors and improve health outcomes in patients with chronic rheumatologic conditions. As a form of physical exercise, Tai Chi enhances cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength, balance, and physical function. It also appears to be associated with reduced stress, anxiety, and depression, as well as improved quality of life. Thus, Tai Chi can be safely recommended to patients with fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis as a complementary and alternative medical approach to improve patient well-being. This review highlights the current body of knowledge about the role of this ancient Chinese mind-body medicine as an effective treatment of rheumatologic diseases to better inform clinical decision-making for our patients.

Rheumatology training experience across Europe: analysis of core competences.

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Sivera, Francisca; Ramiro, Sofia; Cikes, Nada; Cutolo, Maurizio; Dougados, Maxime; Gossec, Laure; Kvien, Tore K; Lundberg, Ingrid E; Mandl, Peter; Moorthy, Arumugam; Panchal, Sonia; da Silva, José A P; Bijlsma, Johannes W

2016-09-23

The aim of this project was to analyze and compare the educational experience in rheumatology specialty training programs across European countries, with a focus on self-reported ability. An electronic survey was designed to assess the training experience in terms of self-reported ability, existence of formal education, number of patients managed and assessments performed during rheumatology training in 21 core competences including managing specific diseases, generic competences and procedures. The target population consisted of rheumatology trainees and recently certified rheumatologists across Europe. The relationship between the country of training and the self-reported ability or training methods for each competence was analyzed through linear or logistic regression, as appropriate. In total 1079 questionnaires from 41 countries were gathered. Self-reported ability was high for most competences, range 7.5-9.4 (0-10 scale) for clinical competences, 5.8-9.0 for technical procedures and 7.8-8.9 for generic competences. Competences with lower self-reported ability included managing patients with vasculitis, identifying crystals and performing an ultrasound. Between 53 and 91 % of the trainees received formal education and between 7 and 61 % of the trainees reported limited practical experience (managing ≤10 patients) in each competence. Evaluation of each competence was reported by 29-60 % of the respondents. In adjusted multivariable analysis, the country of training was associated with significant differences in self-reported ability for all individual competences. Even though self-reported ability is generally high, there are significant differences amongst European countries, including differences in the learning structure and assessment of competences. This suggests that educational outcomes may also differ. Efforts to promote European harmonization in rheumatology training should be encouraged and supported.

On-spot rheumatology consultations in a multilevel geriatric hospital.

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Lubart, Emily; Leibovitz, Arthur; Shapir, Vadim; Segal, Refael

2014-01-01

Musculoskeletal and joint disorders are extremely common in the elderly. They directly affect mobility, gait stability, quality of life, and independence. To assess the nature of joint problems encountered in a geriatric inpatient population and evaluate the contribution of a rheumatologist. We reviewed the rheumatology consultation records that were conducted in a geriatric medical center over a 10 year period. A total of 474 consultations were held; most of these patients (86%) were hospitalized in the acute geriatric departments, 10% in the rehabilitation ward and 4% in the long-term care wards. Some patients were seen more than once. A rheumatologic joint problem was the main reason for hospitalization in 53% of these patients. Monoarthritis was the most frequent complaint (50%), followed by pauciarticular arthritis (two to five joints) in 30% of patients. Arthrocentesis, diagnostic and therapeutic, was performed in 225 patients, most of them in knee joints (81%). The most frequent diagnosis was osteoarthritis with acute exacerbation (28%), followed by gout (18%), pseudo-gout (9%) and rheumatoid arthritis (9%). In 86 cases (18%) the diagnosis was a non-specific rheumatologic problem: arthralgia, nonspecific generalized pain, or fibromyalgia. Prompt and appropriate evaluation, as well as arthrocentesis and treatment initiation, including local injections, were made possible by the presence of an in-house rheumatologist.

Barriers and Facilitators of Mentoring for Trainees and Early Career Investigators in Rheumatology Research: Current State, Identification of Needs, and Road Map to an Inter-Institutional Adult Rheumatology Mentoring Program.

Science.gov (United States)

Ogdie, Alexis; Sparks, Jeffrey A; Angeles-Han, Sheila T; Bush, Kathleen; Castelino, Flavia V; Golding, Amit; Jiang, Yihui; Kahlenberg, J Michelle; Kim, Alfred H J; Lee, Yvonne C; Machireddy, Kirthi; Ombrello, Michael J; Shah, Ami A; Wallace, Zachary S; Nigrovic, Peter A; Makris, Una E

2018-03-01

To determine perceived barriers and facilitators to effective mentoring for early career rheumatology investigators and to develop a framework for an inter-institutional mentoring program. Focus groups or interviews with rheumatology fellows, junior faculty, and mentors were conducted, audiorecorded, and transcribed. Content analysis was performed using NVivo software. Themes were grouped into categories (e.g., mentor-mentee relationship, barriers, and facilitators of a productive relationship). Rheumatology fellows and early career investigators were also surveyed nationwide to identify specific needs to be addressed through an inter-institutional mentoring program. Twenty-five individuals participated in focus groups or interviews. Attributes of the ideal mentee-mentor relationship included communication, accessibility, regular meetings, shared interests, aligned goals, and mutual respect. The mentee should be proactive, efficient, engaged, committed, focused, accountable, and respectful of the mentor's time. The mentor should support/promote the mentee, shape the mentee's goals and career plan, address day-to-day questions, provide critical feedback, be available, and have team leadership skills. Barriers included difficulty with career path navigation, gaining independence, internal competition, authorship, time demands, funding, and work-life balance. Facilitators of a successful relationship included having a diverse network of mentors filling different roles, mentor-mentee relationship management, and confidence. Among 187 survey respondents, the primary uses of an inter-institutional mentoring program were career development planning and oversight, goal-setting, and networking. In this mixed-methods study, tangible factors for optimizing the mentor-mentee relationship were identified and will inform the development of an adult rheumatology inter-institutional mentoring program. © 2017, American College of Rheumatology.

[The G-DRG system 2008. Relevant changes for rheumatology].

Science.gov (United States)

Fiori, W; Lakomek, H-J; Buscham, K; Lehmann, H; Liman, W; Fuchs, A-K; Hülsemann, J L; Roeder, N

2008-05-01

The G-DRG system 2008 once again brings many changes to rheumatological departments in Germany. The following article presents the main general and specific changes in the G-DRG system, as well as in the classification systems for diagnoses and procedures and in invoicing for 2008. Since the G-DRG system is only a tool for the redistribution of resources, every hospital needs to analyze the economic effects of the system by applying the G-DRG transition grouper to its own cases. Depending on their clinical focus, rheumatological departments may experience positive or negative effects from the system's application. The strain placed on hospitals by the inadequate funding of increased costs needs to be assessed separately from the effects of redistribution by the G-DRG system.

An audit of influenza and pneumococcal vaccination in rheumatology outpatients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mitchell William S

2007-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Influenza and pneumococcal vaccination are recommended for a number of clinical risk groups including patients treated with major immunosuppressant disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs. Such immunisation is not only safe but immunogenic in patients with rheumatic diseases. We sought to establish dual vaccination rates and significant influencing factors amongst our hospital rheumatology outpatients. Method We audited a sample of 101 patients attending hospital rheumatology outpatient clinics on any form of disease modifying treatment by clinical questionnaire and medical record perusal. Further data were collected from the local immunisation coordinating agency and analysed by logistic regression modelling. Results Although there was a high rate of awareness with regard to immunisation, fewer patients on major immunosuppressants were vaccinated than patients with additional clinical risk factors against influenza (53% vs 93%, p Conclusion Influenza and pneumococcal immunisation is suboptimal amongst patients on current immunosuppressant treatments attending rheumatology outpatient clinics. Raising awareness amongst patients may not be sufficient to improve vaccination rates and alternative strategies such as obligatory pneumococcal vaccination prior to treatment initiation and primary care provider education need to be explored.

Proceedings from the 7th Annual International Society for Musculoskeletal Imaging in Rheumatology (ISEMIR) conference

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Troum, Orrin M; Pimienta, Olga L; Schmidt, Wolfgang A

2015-01-01

The International Society for Musculoskeletal Imaging in Rheumatology (ISEMIR) was founded in 2005 with the goal of discussing matters related to imaging in rheumatology, particularly, validation, education, and use in clinical practice and research. Because the field of musculoskeletal (MSK...

Modern psychometrics applied in rheumatology--a systematic review.

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Siemons, Liseth; Ten Klooster, Peter M; Taal, Erik; Glas, Cees Aw; Van de Laar, Mart Afj

2012-10-31

Although item response theory (IRT) appears to be increasingly used within health care research in general, a comprehensive overview of the frequency and characteristics of IRT analyses within the rheumatic field is lacking. An overview of the use and application of IRT in rheumatology to date may give insight into future research directions and highlight new possibilities for the improvement of outcome assessment in rheumatic conditions. Therefore, this study systematically reviewed the application of IRT to patient-reported and clinical outcome measures in rheumatology. Literature searches in PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science resulted in 99 original English-language articles which used some form of IRT-based analysis of patient-reported or clinical outcome data in patients with a rheumatic condition. Both general study information and IRT-specific information were assessed. Most studies used Rasch modeling for developing or evaluating new or existing patient-reported outcomes in rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis patients. Outcomes of principle interest were physical functioning and quality of life. Since the last decade, IRT has also been applied to clinical measures more frequently. IRT was mostly used for evaluating model fit, unidimensionality and differential item functioning, the distribution of items and persons along the underlying scale, and reliability. Less frequently used IRT applications were the evaluation of local independence, the threshold ordering of items, and the measurement precision along the scale. IRT applications have markedly increased within rheumatology over the past decades. To date, IRT has primarily been applied to patient-reported outcomes, however, applications to clinical measures are gaining interest. Useful IRT applications not yet widely used within rheumatology include the cross-calibration of instrument scores and the development of computerized adaptive tests which may reduce the measurement burden for both the patient

Self-management model in the scheduling of successive appointments in rheumatology.

Science.gov (United States)

Castro Corredor, David; Cuadra Díaz, José Luis; Mateos Rodríguez, Javier José; Anino Fernández, Joaquín; Mínguez Sánchez, María Dolores; de Lara Simón, Isabel María; Tébar, María Ángeles; Añó, Encarnación; Sanz, María Dolores; Ballester, María Nieves

2018-01-08

The rheumatology service of Ciudad Real Hospital, located in an autonomous community of that same name that is nearly in the center of Spain, implemented a self-management model of successive appointments more than 10 years ago. Since then, the physicians of the department schedule follow-up visits for their patients depending on the disease, its course and ancillary tests. The purpose of this study is to evaluate and compare the self-management model for successive appointments in the rheumatology service of Ciudad Real Hospital versus the model of external appointment management implemented in 8 of the hospital's 15 medical services. A comparative and multivariate analysis was performed to identify variables with statistically significant differences, in terms of activity and/or performance indicators and quality perceived by users. The comparison involved the self-management model for successive appointments employed in the rheumatology service of Ciudad Real Hospital and the model for external appointment management used in 8 hospital medical services between January 1 and May 31, 2016. In a database with more than 100,000 records of appointments involving the set of services included in the study, the mean waiting time and the numbers of non-appearances and rescheduling of follow-up visits in the rheumatology department were significantly lower than in the other services. The number of individuals treated in outpatient rheumatology services was 7,768, and a total of 280 patients were surveyed (response rate 63.21%). They showed great overall satisfaction, and the incidence rate of claims was low. Our results show that the self-management model of scheduling appointments has better results in terms of activity indicators and in quality perceived by users, despite the intense activity. Thus, this study could be fundamental for decision making in the management of health care organizations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de

Policy challenges for the pediatric rheumatology workforce: Part I. Education and economics

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Henrickson Michael

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract For children with rheumatic conditions, the available pediatric rheumatology workforce mitigates their access to care. While the subspecialty experiences steady growth, a critical workforce shortage constrains access. This three-part review proposes both national and international interim policy solutions for the multiple causes of the existing unacceptable shortfall. Part I explores the impact of current educational deficits and economic obstacles which constrain appropriate access to care. Proposed policy solutions follow each identified barrier. Challenges consequent to obsolete, limited or unavailable exposure to pediatric rheumatology include: absent or inadequate recognition or awareness of rheumatic disease; referral patterns that commonly foster delays in timely diagnosis; and primary care providers' inappropriate or outdated perception of outcomes. Varying models of pediatric rheumatology care delivery consequent to market competition, inadequate reimbursement and uneven institutional support serve as additional barriers to care. A large proportion of pediatrics residency programs offer pediatric rheumatology rotations. However, a minority of pediatrics residents participate. The current generalist pediatrician workforce has relatively poor musculoskeletal physical examination skills, lacking basic competency in musculoskeletal medicine. To compensate, many primary care providers rely on blood tests, generating referrals that divert scarce resources away from patients who merit accelerated access to care for rheumatic disease. Pediatric rheumatology exposure could be enhanced during residency by providing a mandatory musculoskeletal medicine rotation that includes related musculoskeletal subspecialties. An important step is the progressive improvement of many providers' fixed referral and laboratory testing patterns in lieu of sound physical examination skills. Changing demographics and persistent reimbursement disparities will

[G-DRG system 2009: relevant changes for rheumatology].

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Fiori, W; Liedtke-Dyong, A; Lakomek, H-J; Buscham, K; Lehmann, H; Liman, W; Fuchs, A-K; Bessler, F; Roeder, N

2009-08-01

The following article presents the main general and specific changes in the G-DRG (German diagnosis-related groups) system in terms of the classification systems for diagnoses and procedures as well as the billing process for 2009. Of fundamental relevance is the national weighting of the G-DRG I97Z (complex rheumatologic treatment), which up to now had to be negotiated individually by each hospital. Emphasis is also put on case auditing by the health insurers. Being primarily a tool for redistribution of resources, every hospital has to analyze the economic effects of the 2009 G-DRG system by applying the G-DRG transition grouper to its own cases. Depending on their clinical focus rheumatological departments may experience positive or negative consequences from the development. The strain imposed on hospitals by inadequate refunding of rising costs has to be assessed separately from the effects of redistribution by the G-DRG system.

PROCALCITONIN TESTING IN RHEUMATOLOGY

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D. V. Bukhanova

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Currently, differential diagnosis of systemic bacterial infection and active rheumatic process remains a challenging problem in rheumatology. In the review, current data on the role of procalcitonin biomarker in diagnosis and differential diagnosis of rheumatic diseases (RD and infectious pathology are presented. In particular, some authors recommend procalcitonin (PCT test as a marker of bacterial infection in bones and joints at levels above 0.5 ng/ml; at PCT level below 0.3 ng/ml, infection can be ruled out. In patients with microcrystalline arthritis, data on the significance of PCT for differential diagnosis are contradictory. PCT level doesn’t correlate with systemic lupus erythematosus activity and is elevated only during bacterial infection proportionally to its systematicity. In some studies, elevated PCT level was observed in ANCA-associated vasculitis with high activity without bacterial infection. It was shown that in 80 % of adults with Still’s disease, PCT level was higher than the threshold value even without infection. For patients with RD hospitalized in intensive care units, PCT clearance is a more informative predictive characteristic than its level, regardless of the cause of PCT elevation (infection, injury, severe organ damage, etc.; slowdown of its decrease is a factor of poor prognosis and is associated with higher mortality. At the same time, PCT level positively correlates with the SOFA score in presence of bacterial infection. For some rheumatic diseases, the threshold PCT value at which the test has optimal sensitivity and specificity is yet to be established. Nonetheless, PCT should be evaluated in relation to the clinical picture and data of additional examinations. The effect of various therapy methods used in rheumatology on PCT level requires further research.

The prevalence of medical nomadism of the followed patients in rheumatology.

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Boudali, Aziza; Bahiri, Rachid; Hmamouchi, Ihssane; Abouqal, Redouane; Abouqual, Redouane; Hajjaj Hassouni, Najia

2012-06-01

The nomads are defined as patients related to multiple practicians of the same speciality or different specialities for the same symptomatology during a certain period. The objectives of this investigation were to evaluate the prevalence of medical nomadism of the followed patients in rheumatology and compare their profile with those patients followed in neurology and gastroenterology. A multicentric transverse study (September 2009-March 2010) was conducted in three departments of CHU Ibn Sina Rabat-Salé, Morocco; rheumatology, gastroenterology and neurology. Only patients seen in external consultations were included. Patients' socio-economic and demographic background (familial status, instruction level, monthly revenue, social assistance) were recorded, as well as the clinical parameters related to the pathology (pathology, duration of the illness, diagnosis final time). A questionnaire containing variables on the patients' state concerning diagnosis, satisfaction degree of the patients and other variables evaluated the notion of taking medication and the practice of alternative medicine. Medical nomadism has been defined by the consultation for the same symptomatology of three different practicians, either of the same speciality or of different specialities during the study period of 6 months. There were 250 patients included in this study (150 patients in rheumatology, 50 in gastroenterology and 50 in neurology), the mean age was 46 ± 13 years and females dominated (65.6%). The average duration of the evolution was 7 ± 5 years, 35% of the patients were illiterate, 30% had a primary school education, 22% had a secondary school education and 13% had a university-level education. Sixty-two percent of the patients were jobless, 27% were workers, 9% were the functionary and 2% were the based liberal. Fifty-six percent had no social assistance. Rheumatoid arthritis and degenerative pathology were the most frequent diagnoses in rheumatology, being 20% and

Refractive index sensor based on optical fiber end face using pulse reference-based compensation technique

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Bian, Qiang; Song, Zhangqi; Zhang, Xueliang; Yu, Yang; Chen, Yuzhong

2018-03-01

We proposed a refractive index sensor based on optical fiber end face using pulse reference-based compensation technique. With good compensation effect of this compensation technique, the power fluctuation of light source, the change of optic components transmission loss and coupler splitting ratio can be compensated, which largely reduces the background noise. The refractive index resolutions can achieve 3.8 × 10-6 RIU and1.6 × 10-6 RIU in different refractive index regions.

[Max Hirsch founder of rheumatology in Germany: banished and murdered].

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Keitel, W

2014-08-01

The Jewish physician and scientist Dr. Max Hirsch (1875-1941) made a substantial contribution to consolidation of the foundations of his professional discipline, balneology, and in particular developed the social aspects. He recognized the economic significance of diseases of the musculoskeletal system very early on and gathered important ideas from abroad. Together with the department head in the Prussian Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs, the Privy Councillor Prof. Dr. Eduard Dietrich and later alone, he was editor of various balneological journals. He worked as general secretary of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Rheumatologie (German Society of Rheumatology) from the beginning of its existence (1927) and created the publication series Veröffentlichungen der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Rheumabekämpfung (Publications of the German Society against Rheumatism) and Rheuma-Jahrbuch (Annual review of rheumatology) in 1929, 1930 and 1931 and organized seven rheumatology congresses up to 1933. After the accession to power of the National Socialists, Max Hirsch and Eduard Dietrich were deposed from office. Hirsch emigrated to Latvia via Switzerland and the Soviet Union with his wife and one son where they were murdered in the course of the Jewish pogrom. The second son escaped with his family to Sweden.

INTRAVENOUS IMMUNOGLOBULIN IN PEDIATRIC RHEUMATOLOGY PRACTICE

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E. I. Alexeeva

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Modern successful treatment of rheumatic diseases is impossible without the use of intravenous immunoglobulin. The use of intravenous immunoglobulin is based on strict indications developed as a result of long-term multicenter controlled studies. The article highlights the issues of using immunoglobulin in pediatric rheumatology practice, and provides the review of literature with the results from the evaluation of the efficiency of intravenous immunoglobulin confirming the efficiency of the drug only for certain rheumatic diseases. 

Viewpoints of dentists on the use of bisphosphonates in rheumatology patients.

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Daron, Coline; Deschaumes, Christophe; Soubrier, Martin; Mathieu, Sylvain

2018-02-15

Alhough typically prescribed in oncology, bisphosphonates (BPs) are also employed in rheumatology, particularly for the treatment of osteoporosis, sometimes resulting in complications, such as osteonecrosis of the jaw. Because of different opinions between rheumatologists and dentists on BP use, this study aimed to assess the views of dentists regarding administration of BPs in rheumatology. A questionnaire was sent to 880 dentists from the Auvergne region of France to determine their views on BP treatment. We obtained 382 (43.4%) responses and analysed 376 (58.7% men). In total, 156 (41.5%) of the responders analysed had attended an in-service training course (ISTC) on the topic. A total of 237 (63.0%) systematically inquired as to whether their patients were undergoing BP treatment; this proportion was higher among those who had been practicing for fewer than 10 years (P ISTC (62.6% vs. 50.7%; P < 0.03). Dentists feel ill at ease providing dental surgery to patients receiving BPs. Closer collaboration and better information-sharing between rheumatologists and dentists is necessary to facilitate the administration of BPs in rheumatology. © 2018 FDI World Dental Federation.

Position paper from the Spanish Society of Rheumatology on biosimilar drugs.

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Abad Hernández, Miguel Ángel; Andreu, José Luis; Caracuel Ruiz, Miguel Ángel; Belmonte Serrano, Miguel Ángel; Díaz-González, Federico; Moreno Muelas, José Vicente

2015-01-01

A biosimilar (BS) is a biological drug that contains a version of the active substance of an already authorized original biological product. The BSs are marketed after patent period of the original drug has ended and once it has been demonstrated that the differences regarding the innovative medicine have no relevant effect on its safety or clinical efficacy. The Spanish Society of Rheumatology, in line with the European Medicines Agency, considers that because of its nature and complexity of production, a BS cannot be considered to be the same as a generic drug. The Spanish Society of Rheumatology expresses an unequivocal commitment to the sustainability of the health system in our country and our steadfast alignment with all measures designed to ensure continuity, without reducing the quality of care. Therefore, we believe that the advent of BSs will likely facilitate access of patients with rheumatic diseases to the biological drugs. This article reviews the European Medicines Agency requirements for authorization, the Spanish legal framework and controversies on BS and presents the position paper of the Spanish Society of Rheumatology on these drugs. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Assessment of email communication skills of rheumatology fellows: a pilot study

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Dhuper, Sonal; Siva, Chokkalingam; Fresen, John L; Petruc, Marius; Velázquez, Celso R

2010-01-01

Physician–patient email communication is gaining popularity. However, a formal assessment of physicians' email communication skills has not been described. We hypothesized that the email communication skills of rheumatology fellows can be measured in an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) setting using a novel email content analysis instrument which has 18 items. During an OSCE, we asked 50 rheumatology fellows to respond to a simulated patient email. The content of the responses was assessed using our instrument. The majority of rheumatology fellows wrote appropriate responses scoring a mean (±SD) of 10.6 (±2.6) points (maximum score 18), with high inter-rater reliability (0.86). Most fellows were concise (74%) and courteous (68%) but not formal (22%). Ninety-two percent of fellows acknowledged that the patient's condition required urgent medical attention, but only 30% took active measures to contact the patient. No one encrypted their messages. The objective assessment of email communication skills is possible using simulated emails in an OSCE setting. The variable email communication scores and incidental patient safety gaps identified, suggest a need for further training and defined proficiency standards for physicians' email communication skills. PMID:20962134

Rheumatology training experience across Europe: analysis of core competences

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sivera, Francisca; Ramiro, Sofia; Cikes, Nada; Cutolo, Maurizio; Dougados, Maxime; Gossec, Laure; Kvien, Tore K.; Lundberg, Ingrid E.; Mandl, Peter; Moorthy, Arumugam; Panchal, Sonia; Da Silva, José A. P.; Bijlsma, Johannes W.; Ҫollaku, Ledio; Aroyan, Armine; Radner, Helga; Tushina, Anastasyia; de Langhe, Ellen; Sokolovic, Sekib; Shumnalieva, Russka; Baresic, Marko; Senolt, Ladislav; Holland-Fischer, Mette; Kull, Mart; Puolitaival, Antti; Gobejishvili, Nino; Hueber, Axel; Fanouriakis, Antonis; MacMullan, Paul; Rimar, Doron; Bugatti, Serena; Zepa, Julija; Menassa, Jeanine; Karpec, Diana; Misevska-Percinkova, Snezana; Cassar, Karen; Deseatnicova, Elena; Tas, SanderW; Lie, Elisabeth; Sznajd, Jan; Berghea, Florian; Povzun, Anton; Jeremic, Ivica; Mlynarikova, Vanda; Frank-Bertoncelj, Mojca; Chatzidionysiou, Katerina; Dumusc, Alexandre; Hatemi, Gulen; Ozdemirel, Erhan; Biliavska, Iuliia

2016-01-01

Background: The aim of this project was to analyze and compare the educational experience in rheumatology specialty training programs across European countries, with a focus on self-reported ability. Method: An electronic survey was designed to assess the training experience in terms of

Musculoskeletal ultrasound in rheumatology in Korea: targeted ultrasound initiative survey.

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Kang, Taeyoung; Wakefield, Richard J; Emery, Paul

2016-04-01

In collaboration with the Targeted Ultrasound Initiative (TUI), to conduct the first study in Korea to investigate current practices in ultrasound use among Korean rheumatologists. We translated the TUI Global Survey into Korean and added questions to better understand the specific challenges facing rheumatologists in Korea. To target as many rheumatologists in Korea as possible, we created an on-line version of this survey, which was conducted from March to April 2013. Rheumatologists are in charge of ultrasound in many Korean hospitals. Rheumatologists in hospitals and private clinics use ultrasound to examine between one and five patients daily; they use ultrasound for diagnosis more than monitoring and receive compensation of about US$30-50 per patient. There are marked differences in the rates of ultrasound usage between rheumatologists who work in private practice compared with tertiary hospitals. Korean rheumatologists not currently using ultrasound in their practice appear eager to do so. This survey provides important insights into the current status of ultrasound in rheumatology in Korea and highlights several priorities; specifically, greater provision of formal training, standardization of reporting and accrual of greater experience among ultrasound users. If these needs are addressed, all rheumatology departments in Korea are likely to use ultrasound or have access to it in the future. © 2014 Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Rheumatologic care of nursing home residents with rheumatoid arthritis: a comparison of the year before and after nursing home admission.

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Luque Ramos, Andres; Albrecht, Katinka; Zink, Angela; Hoffmann, Falk

2017-12-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate health care for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) before and after admission to nursing homes. Data of a German health insurance fund from persons with diagnostic codes of RA, aged ≥65 years, admitted to a nursing home between 2010 and 2014 and continuously insured 1 year before and after admission were used. The proportion of patients with ≥1 rheumatologist visit and ≥1 prescription of biologic or conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs or csDMARDs), glucocorticoids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in the year before and after admission were calculated. Predictors of rheumatologic care after admission were analyzed by multivariable logistic regression. Of 75,697 nursing home residents, 2485 (3.3%) had RA (90.5% female, mean age 83.8). Treatment by rheumatologists and prescription of antirheumatic drugs decreased significantly in the year after admission (rheumatologic visits: 17.6 to 9.1%, bDMARDs: 2.1 to 1.5%, csDMARDs: 22.5 to 16.5%, glucocorticoids: 46.5 to 43.1%, NSAIDs: 47.4 to 38.5%). 60.2% of patients in rheumatologic care received csDMARDs compared with 14.5% without rheumatologic care. Rheumatologic care before admission to a nursing home strongly predicted rheumatologic care thereafter (OR 33.8, 95%-CI 23.2-49.2). Younger age and lower care level (reflecting need of help) were also associated with a higher chance of rheumatologic care. Rheumatologic care is already infrequent in old patients with RA and further decreases after admission to a nursing home. Patients without rheumatologic care are at high risk of insufficient treatment for their RA. Admission to a nursing home further increases this risk.

A Brief History of IL-1 and IL-1 Ra in Rheumatology

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Jean-Michel Dayer

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The history of what, in 1979, was called interleukin-1 (IL-1, orchestrator of leukocyte inter-communication, began many years before then, initially by the observation of fever induction via the endogenous pyrogen (EP (1974 and then in rheumatology on the role in tissue destruction in rheumatoid diseases via the induction of collagenase and PGE2 in human synovial cells by a mononuclear cell factor (MCF (1977. Since then, the family has exploded to presently 11 members as well as many membrane-bound and soluble receptor forms. The discovery of a natural Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra in human biological fluids has highlighted the importance of IL-1 and IL-1Ra in human diseases. Evidence delineating its role in autoinflammatory syndromes and the elucidation of the macromolecular complex referred to as “inflammasome” have been instrumental to our understanding of the link with IL-1. At present, the IL-1blockade as therapeutic approach is crucial for many hereditary autoinflammatory diseases, as well as for adult-onset Still’s disease, crystal-induced arthropathies, certain skin diseases including neutrophil-triggered skin diseases, Behçet’s disease and deficiency of IL-1Ra and other rare fever syndromes. Its role is only marginally important in rheumatoid arthritis and is still under debate with regard to osteoarthritis, type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases and cancer. This brief historical review focuses on some aspects of IL-1, mainly IL-1β and IL-Ra, in rheumatology. There are many excellent reviews focusing on the IL-1 family in general or with regard to specific diseases or biological discoveries.

Reference Curve for the Mean Uterine Artery Pulsatility Index in Singleton Pregnancies.

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Weichert, Alexander; Hagen, Andreas; Tchirikov, Michael; Fuchs, Ilka B; Henrich, Wolfgang; Entezami, Michael

2017-05-01

Doppler sonography of the uterine artery (UA) is done to monitor pregnancies, because the detected flow patterns are useful to draw inferences about possible disorders of trophoblast invasion. Increased resistance in the UA is associated with an increased risk of preeclampsia and/or intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and perinatal mortality. In the absence of standardized figures, the normal ranges of the various available reference curves sometimes differ quite substantially from one another. The causes for this are differences in the flow patterns of the UA depending on the position of the pulsed Doppler gates as well as branching of the UA. Because of the discrepancies between the different reference curves and the practical problems this poses for guideline recommendations, we thought it would be useful to create our own reference curves for Doppler measurements of the UA obtained from a singleton cohort under standardized conditions. This retrospective cohort study was carried out in the Department of Obstetrics of the Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, the Department for Obstetrics and Prenatal Medicine of the University Hospital Halle (Saale) and the Center for Prenatal Diagnostics and Human Genetics Kurfürstendamm 199. Available datasets from the three study locations were identified and reference curves were generated using the LMS method. Measured values were correlated with age of gestation, and a cubic model and Box-Cox power transformation (L), the median (M) and the coefficient of variation (S) were used to smooth the curves. 103 720 Doppler examinations of the UA carried out in singleton pregnancies from the 11th week of gestation (10 + 1 GW) were analyzed. The mean pulsatility index (Mean PI) showed a continuous decline over the course of pregnancy, dropping to a plateau of around 0.84 between the 23rd and 27th GW, after which it decreased again. Age of gestation, placental position, position of pulsed Doppler gates and branching of

The effect of new biosimilars in rheumatology and gastroenterology specialities on UK healthcare budgets: Results of a budget impact analysis.

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Aladul, Mohammed I; Fitzpatrick, Raymond W; Chapman, Stephen R

2018-05-15

The approval of new biosimilars of infliximab, etanercept and adalimumab by the European Medicines Agency is expected to produce further cost savings to the healthcare system budget. This study aimed to estimate the budget impact of the introduction of new biosimilars Flixabi ® , Erelzi ® , Solymbic ® , Amgevita ® and Imraldi ® in rheumatology and gastroenterology specialities in the UK. A published budget impact model was adapted to estimate the expected cost savings following the entry of new biosimilars Flixabi ® , Erelzi ® , Solymbic ® , Amgevita ® and Imraldi ® in the UK over three-year time horizon. This model was based on retrospective market shares of biologics used in rheumatology and gastroenterology which were derived from DEFINE Software and healthcare professional perspectives. The model predicted that infliximab and etanercept biosimilars would replace their corresponding reference agents by 2020. Adalimumab biosimilars were predicted to achieve 19% of the rheumatology and gastroenterology market by 2020. Without the introduction of further biosimilars, the model predicted a reduction in expenditure of £44 million on biologics over the next three years. With the entry of Flixabi ® , Erelzi ® , Solymbic ® , Amgevita ® and Imraldi ® the model estimates cumulative savings of £285 million by 2020. The introduction of new infliximab, etanercept and adalimumab biosimilars will be associated with considerable cost savings and have a substantial favourable impact on the UK NHS budget. The number of biosimilars and time of entry of is critical to create competition which will result in maximum cost savings. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

BIOSIMILARS IN RHEUMATOLOGY

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E. L. Nasonov

2016-01-01

Full Text Available One of the most striking achievements in the pharmacotherapy of rheumatoid arthritis (RA and other human immunoinflammatory diseases (IIDs late in the 20th century is associated with the design of a fundamentally new group of medications that received the name biological agents (BAs. However, the introduction of innovative BAs into clinical practice not only could enhance the efficiency of therapy and improve prognosis in patients with the most severe forms of IIDs, but has also led to a dramatic increase in the cost of treatment. Progress in the design of biosimilars is related to many factors, including expiry of the term of patents for many brand-name BAs, such as infliximab, adalimumab, etanercept, and rituximab. Over the last 5 years, a large number of biosimilars have been designed and their design is being continued. The European Medicines Agency, the World Health Organization, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have developed a regulatory framework and general requirements for the manufacture and characteristics of biosimilars. Federal Law No. 429-FZ «On Amendments to the Federal Law "On Circulation of Medicines"» dated December 22, 2014 defines a biosimilar drug as a biological medicine product that is similar to the parameters of quality, efficiency, and safety with the reference biologic drug in the same formulation, and the same route of administration. The review presents an update on the requirements for biosimilars used to treat IIDs, their interchangeability and promises in further clinical application. Particular emphasis is laid on the chimeric monoclonal antibodies to tumor necrosis factor-α infliximab biosimilar Flammegis (Egis Pharmaceuticals, Hungary, that has been registered in Russia for the treatment of RA, ankylosing spondylitis and other IIDs, as well as the chimeric monoclonal antibodies to B-lymphocytes rituximab biosimilar Acellbia in a phase III clinical trial that is in the closing

Rheumatology education for undergraduate nursing, physiotherapy and occupational therapy students in the UK: standards, challenges and solutions.

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Hewlett, S; Clarke, B; O'Brien, A; Hammond, A; Ryan, S; Kay, L; Richards, P; Almeida, C

2008-07-01

Rheumatological conditions are common, thus nurses (Ns) occupational therapists (OTs) and physiotherapists (PTs) require at least basic rheumatology knowledge upon qualifying. The aim of this study was to develop a core set of teaching topics and potential ways of delivering them. A modified Delphi technique was used for clinicians to develop preliminary core sets of teaching topics for each profession. Telephone interviews with educationalists explored their views on these, and challenges and solutions for delivering them. Inter-professional workshops enabled clinicians and educationalists to finalize the core set together, and generate methods for delivery. Thirty-nine rheumatology clinicians (12N, 14OT, 13PT) completed the Delphi consensus, proposing three preliminary core sets (N71 items, OT29, PT26). Nineteen educationalists (6N, 7OT, 6PT) participated in telephone interviews, raising concerns about disease-specific vs generic teaching and proposing many methods for delivery. Three inter-professional workshops involved 34 participants (clinicians: N12, OT9, PT5; educationalists: N2, OT3, PT2; Patient 1) who reached consensus on a single core set comprising six teaching units: Anatomy and Physiology; Assessment; Management and Intervention; Psychosocial Issues; Patient Education; and the Multi-disciplinary Team, recommending some topics within the units receive greater depth for some professions. An innovative range of delivery options was generated plus two brief interventions: a Rheumatology Chat Show and a Rheumatology Road Show. Working together, clinicians and educationalists proposed a realistic core set of rheumatology topics for undergraduate health professionals. They proposed innovative delivery methods, with collaboration between educationalists, clinicians and patients strongly recommended. These potential interventions need testing.

Profile of rheumatology patients willing to report adverse drug reactions: bias from selective reporting

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Protić D

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Dragana Protić,1 Nada Vujasinović-Stupar,2 Zoran Bukumirić,3 Slavica Pavlov-Dolijanović,4 Snežana Baltić,5 Slavica Mutavdžin,6 Ljiljana Markovic-Denić,7 Marija Zdravković,8 Zoran Todorović1 1Department of Pharmacology, Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia; 2Department 2, Institute of Rheumatology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia; 3Institute for Medical Statistics and Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia; 4Department 5, Institute of Rheumatology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia; 5Department 5, Institute of Rheumatology, Belgrade, Serbia; 6Institute of Physiology “Rihard Burjan”, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia; 7Institute of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia; 8Department of Cardiology, Medical Center “Bežanijska kosa”, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia Background: Adverse drug reactions (ADRs have a significant impact on human health and health care costs. The aims of our study were to determine the profile of rheumatology patients willing to report ADRs and to identify bias in such a reporting system. Methods: Semi-intensive ADRs reporting system was used in our study. Patients willing to participate (N=261 completed the questionnaire designed for the purpose of the study at the hospital admission. They were subsequently classified into two groups according to their ability to identify whether they had experienced ADRs during the previous month. Group 1 included 214 out of 261 patients who were able to identify ADRs, and group 2 consisted of 43 out of 261 patients who were not able to identify ADRs in their recent medical history. Results: Group 1 patients were more significantly aware of their diagnosis than the patients from group 2. Marginal significance was found

Estimated ventricle size using Evans index: reference values from a population-based sample.

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Jaraj, D; Rabiei, K; Marlow, T; Jensen, C; Skoog, I; Wikkelsø, C

2017-03-01

Evans index is an estimate of ventricular size used in the diagnosis of idiopathic normal-pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH). Values >0.3 are considered pathological and are required by guidelines for the diagnosis of iNPH. However, there are no previous epidemiological studies on Evans index, and normal values in adults are thus not precisely known. We examined a representative sample to obtain reference values and descriptive data on Evans index. A population-based sample (n = 1235) of men and women aged ≥70 years was examined. The sample comprised people living in private households and residential care, systematically selected from the Swedish population register. Neuropsychiatric examinations, including head computed tomography, were performed between 1986 and 2000. Evans index ranged from 0.11 to 0.46. The mean value in the total sample was 0.28 (SD, 0.04) and 20.6% (n = 255) had values >0.3. Among men aged ≥80 years, the mean value of Evans index was 0.3 (SD, 0.03). Individuals with dementia had a mean value of Evans index of 0.31 (SD, 0.05) and those with radiological signs of iNPH had a mean value of 0.36 (SD, 0.04). A substantial number of subjects had ventricular enlargement according to current criteria. Clinicians and researchers need to be aware of the range of values among older individuals. © 2017 EAN.

An audit of influenza and pneumococcal vaccination in rheumatology outpatients.

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Sowden, Evin; Mitchell, William S

2007-07-04

Influenza and pneumococcal vaccination are recommended for a number of clinical risk groups including patients treated with major immunosuppressant disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs. Such immunisation is not only safe but immunogenic in patients with rheumatic diseases. We sought to establish dual vaccination rates and significant influencing factors amongst our hospital rheumatology outpatients. We audited a sample of 101 patients attending hospital rheumatology outpatient clinics on any form of disease modifying treatment by clinical questionnaire and medical record perusal. Further data were collected from the local immunisation coordinating agency and analysed by logistic regression modelling. Although there was a high rate of awareness with regard to immunisation, fewer patients on major immunosuppressants were vaccinated than patients with additional clinical risk factors against influenza (53% vs 93%, p risk factors was confirmed as significant in determining vaccination status by logistic regression for both influenza (OR 10.89, p < 0.001) and streptococcus pneumoniae (OR 4.55, p = 0.002). The diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis was also found to be a significant factor for pneumococcal vaccination (OR 5.1, p = 0.002). There was a negative trend suggesting that patients on major immunosuppressants are less likely to be immunised against pneumococcal antigen (OR 0.35, p = 0.067). Influenza and pneumococcal immunisation is suboptimal amongst patients on current immunosuppressant treatments attending rheumatology outpatient clinics. Raising awareness amongst patients may not be sufficient to improve vaccination rates and alternative strategies such as obligatory pneumococcal vaccination prior to treatment initiation and primary care provider education need to be explored.

AUTOINFLAMMATORY DISEASES IN RHEUMATOLOGY: RUSSIAN EXPERIENCE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. O. Salugina

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Autoinflammatory diseases (AIDs are characterized by periodic, sometimes self-limiting attacks that appear as fever and clinical symptoms resembling rheumatic ones, in the absence of autoimmune or infectious diseases. The group of AIDs encompasses a broad spectrum of nosological entities; some of them have been recently dealt with by rheumatologists.Objective: to define the spectrum of AIDs in the practice of a pediatric rheumatologist from the results of visits to the Russian Federal Rheumatology Center.Subjects and methods. The investigation enrolled patients who had visited the V.A. Nasonova Research Institute of Rheumatology in 2007 to 2015 for fever and other signs of a systemic inflammatory process in order to specify their diagnosis and to rule out infections, blood cancer, and other diseases. All underwent conventional rheumatologic examination, HLA Class A typing, and molecular genetic testing.Results and discussion. 101 patients aged 6.5 months to 60 years with AIDs were identified over 9 years and diagnosed as having the following diseases. Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF was detected in 17 patients (the female to male (M/F ratio was 6:11; Behсet's disease (BD in 25 children (M/F, 14:11, cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes (CAPS in 17 patients, including Muckle–Wells syndrome in 13 (M/F, 4:9; chronic infantile neurologic cutaneous articular and neonatal onset multisystem inflammatory disease (CINCA/NOMID syndrome in 4 (M/F, 3:1, periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis, cervical adenitis (PFAPA syndrome in 17 (M/F, 10:7, hyper-IgD syndrome/mevalonate kinase deficiency syndrome in 3 (M/F, 0:3, tumor necrosis factor receptor periodic syndrome (TRAPS in 7 (M/F, 4:3, undifferentiated AID in 14, and Blau syndrome in one patient. The patients with BD were rather ethnically diverse: among them, there were representatives of North Caucasian peoples, Tatars, Uzbeks, Moldavians, and others; there were 7 ethnic Russians. There

Drought in West Africa: How CHIRPS and Reference Evapotranspiration can be used for Index Insurance in a Non-Stationary Setting

Science.gov (United States)

Blakeley, S. L.; Husak, G. J.; Harrison, L.; Funk, C. C.; Osgood, D. E.; Peterson, P.

2017-12-01

Index insurance is increasingly used as a safety net and productivity tool in order to improve the resilience of small-holder farmers in developing countries. In West Africa, there are already index insurance projects in many countries, and various non-governmental organizations are eager to expand implementation of this risk management tool. Often, index insurance payouts rely on rainfall to determine drought years, but designation of years based on precipitation variations is particularly complex in places like West Africa where precipitation is subject to much natural variability across timescales [Giannini 2003, among others]. Furthermore, farmers must also rely on other weather factors for good crop yields, such as the availability of moisture for their plants to absorb and maximum daily temperatures staying within an acceptable range for the crops. In this presentation, the payouts of an index based on rainfall (as measured by the Climate Hazards Group Infrared Precipitation with Stations {CHIRPS} dataset) is compared to the payouts of an index using reference evapotranspiration data (using the ASCE's Penmen-Monteith formula and MERRA-2 drivers). The West African rainfall index exhibits a fair amount of long-term variability, reflective of the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, but the reference evapotranspiration index shows different variability, through changes in radiative forcing and temperatures. Therefore, the use of rainfall for an index is appropriate for capturing rainfall deficits, but reference evapotranspiration may also be an appropriate addition to an index or as a stand-alone index for capturing crop stress. In summary, the results point to farmer input as an invaluable source of knowledge in determining the most appropriate dataset as an index for crop insurance. Alessandra Giannini, R Saravanan, and P Chang. Oceanic forcing of Sahel rainfall on interannual to interdecadal time scales. Science, 302(5647):1027-1030, 2003.

A brief history of ultrasound in rheumatology: where we were.

Science.gov (United States)

Grassi, Walter; Filippucci, Emilio

2014-01-01

Ultrasonography in the '70s was a well-known and widely used method within several medical specialties but not in rheumatology. Initial development of the field was led by radiologists who mainly investigated the potential of ultrasound in the assessment of large joints. In the late '80s, the first studies supporting the role of ultrasound in the detection of soft tissue changes and bone erosions in the hands of patients with rheumatoid arthritis were published. In the '90s, the dramatic improvement of spatial resolution due to the new generation high frequency probes opened up new avenues for the exploration of otherwise undetectable anatomical details. Ultrasound research during this period was enhanced by the growing use of colour Doppler and power Doppler and by the first prototypes of three dimensional ultrasound. Over the last 10 years, the buzz words in ultrasound research in rheumatology have been standardisation, early diagnosis and therapy monitoring.

Incentives in Rheumatology: the Potential Contribution of Physician Responses to Financial Incentives, Public Reporting, and Treatment Guidelines to Health Care Sustainability.

Science.gov (United States)

Harrison, Mark; Milbers, Katherine; Mihic, Tamara; Anis, Aslam H

2016-07-01

Concerns about the sustainability of current health care expenditure are focusing attention on the cost, quality and value of health care provision. Financial incentives, for example pay-for-performance (P4P), seek to reward quality and value in health care provision. There has long been an expectation that P4P schemes are coming to rheumatology. We review the available evidence about the use of incentives in this setting and provide two emerging examples of P4P schemes which may shape the future of service provision in rheumatology. Currently, there is limited and equivocal evidence in rheumatology about the impact of incentive schemes. However, reporting variation in the quality and provision of rheumatology services has highlighted examples of inefficiencies in the delivery of care. If financial incentives can improve the delivery of timely and appropriate care for rheumatology patients, then they may have an important role to play in the sustainability of health care provision.

Mentoring of young professionals in the field of rheumatology in Europe: results from an EMerging EUlar NETwork (EMEUNET) survey

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Frank-Bertoncelj, Mojca; Hatemi, Gulen; Ospelt, Caroline; Ramiro, Sofia; Machado, Pedro; Mandl, Peter; Gossec, Laure; Buch, Maya H.

2014-01-01

To explore perceptions of, participation in and satisfaction with mentoring programmes among young clinicians and researchers in rheumatology in Europe. To identify mentoring needs and expectations focusing on gender-specific differences. A survey on mentoring in rheumatology was distributed to

"Big Data" in Rheumatology: Intelligent Data Modeling Improves the Quality of Imaging Data.

Science.gov (United States)

Landewé, Robert B M; van der Heijde, Désirée

2018-05-01

Analysis of imaging data in rheumatology is a challenge. Reliability of scores is an issue for several reasons. Signal-to-noise ratio of most imaging techniques is rather unfavorable (too little signal in relation to too much noise). Optimal use of all available data may help to increase credibility of imaging data, but knowledge of complicated statistical methodology and the help of skilled statisticians are required. Clinicians should appreciate the merits of sophisticated data modeling and liaise with statisticians to increase the quality of imaging results, as proper imaging studies in rheumatology imply more than a supersensitive imaging technique alone. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Globalization of rheumatology: activities of ILAR. Think global - act local

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dequeker, Jan; Rasker, Johannes J.; El-Hadidi, Tahsin

2001-01-01

In 1997 a distinguished EULAR rheumatologist involved in the development of biologics asked somewhat ironically, “What is ILAR [International League of Associations for Rheumatology] doing?” Now, 3 years later, we are in a position to review ILAR’s activities in recent years and its plans for the

Proceedings from The 8th Annual International Society for Musculoskeletal Imaging in Rheumatology (ISEMIR) Conference

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Troum, Orrin M; Pimienta, Olga L; Olech, Ewa

2016-01-01

The International Society for Musculoskeletal Imaging in Rheumatology (ISEMIR) was founded in 2005 with the goal of discussing matters related to imaging in rheumatology, particularly, validation, education, and use in both clinical practice and research. The field of musculoskeletal (MSK) imaging...... is continuously evolving; therefore, education for healthcare providers in this field is of paramount importance. ISEMIR's international faculty and world-renowned experts presented the newest information as it relates to the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound (US) at the 8th annual ISEMIR...

[Changes for rheumatology in the G-DRG system 2005].

Science.gov (United States)

Fiori, W; Roeder, N; Lakomek, H-J; Liman, W; Köneke, N; Hülsemann, J L; Lehmann, H; Wenke, A

2005-02-01

The German prospective payment system G-DRG has been recently adapted and recalculated. Apart from the adjustments of the G-DRG classification system itself changes in the legal framework like the extension of the "convergence period" or the limitation of budget loss due to DRG introduction have to be considered. Especially the introduction of new procedure codes (OPS) describing the specialized and complex rheumatologic treatment of inpatients might be of significant importance. Even though these procedures will not yet develop influence on the grouping process in 2005, it will enable a more accurate description of the efforts of acute-rheumatologic treatment which can be used for further adaptations of the DRG algorithm. Numerous newly introduced additive payment components (ZE) result in a more adequate description of the "DRG-products". Although not increasing the individual hospital budget, these additive payments contribute to more transparency of high cost services and can be addressed separately from the DRG-budget. Furthermore a lot of other relevant changes to the G-DRG catalogue, the classification systems ICD-10-GM and OPS-301 and the German Coding Standards (DKR) are presented.

Body mass index and hand osteoarthritis susceptibility: an updated meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Liying; Xie, Xiaohua; Wang, Yidan; Wang, Yingchen; Lu, Yihua; Tian, Tian; Chu, Minjie; Shen, Yi

2016-12-01

Numerous epidemiologic studies have evaluated the association between overweight and hand osteoarthritis; However, the existing results are inconsistent. Systematic searches were performed and reference lists from the retrieved trials were searched. This meta-analysis and meta-regression was executed to identify all English-language articles that quantitatively assess the strength of associations between body mass index and hand osteoarthritis risk. Study-specific incremental estimates were standardized to determine the risk associated with a 5 kg/m 2 increase in body mass index. We conducted the study according to the guidelines for the meta-analysis of observational studies in epidemiology. Of the 21 studies included, 13 were cross-sectional studies, three were case control studies and five were cohort studies. The pooled summary estimates were 1.10 (95%CI: 0.98-1.24) with no significant difference (P = 0.09). Subgroup analysis shows that body mass index was positively associated with hand osteoarthritis in cross-sectional studies (1.05 [95%CI: 1.02-1.08] P osteoarthritis risk was found. The summary estimates were 1.06 (95%CI: 1.02-1.10) in studies defined by radiography and 1.25 (95%CI: 1.06-1.49) by radiography and clinically (P osteoarthritis, as defined radiographically and/or radiographically and clinically. The effects vary by study design and osteoarthritis definition. © 2016 Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Patient's Knowledge and Perception Towards the use of Non-steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs in Rheumatology Clinic Northern Malaysia.

Science.gov (United States)

Sulaiman, Wahinuddin; Seung, Ong Ping; Ismail, Rosli

2012-11-01

In Rheumatology, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) has been widely prescribed and used. However, despite their clinical benefits in the management of inflammatory and degenerative joint disease, NSAIDs have considerable side effects, mostly affecting the upper gastrointestinal system, which therefore, limit their use. This study was conducted to determine the patients' knowledge and perception regarding the used of NSAIDS. A total of 120 patients who attended the rheumatology clinic Hospital, Raja Permaisuri Bainun, Malaysia, and received NSAIDs more than 3 months were interviewed irrespective of their rheumatological conditions. Patient's knowledge and perception on the side effects of NSAIDs were recorded. Fifty-four percent of the patients obtained information regarding the side effect of NSAIDs either from the rheumatologist, rheumatology staff nurse or other medical staffs (75.4%). The remaining 45.8% were naive of such knowledge. Fifteen percent obtained the information by surfing the internet and 9.2% from printed media. Twenty-four (24.2%) patients, experienced indigestion and/or stomach discomfort attributed to NSAIDs used. Two patients (1.7%) had hematemesis and malena once. This study shows that half of the patients who attended the rheumatology clinic were unaware of the side effect of NSAIDs. Available data showed that most of the knowledgeable patients are more conscience and self-educated. This study also reveals the important roles of clinicians, trained staff nurses as well as the pharmacist in providing the guidance and knowledge of any medication taken by patients.

Clinical Nononcologic Applications of PET/CT and PET/MRI in Musculoskeletal, Orthopedic, and Rheumatologic Imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Gholamrezanezhad, Ali; Basques, Kyle; Batouli, Ali; Matcuk, George; Alavi, Abass; Jadvar, Hossein

2018-06-01

With improvements in PET/CT and PET/MRI over the last decade, as well as increased understanding of the pathophysiology of musculoskeletal diseases, there is an emerging potential for PET as a primary or complementary modality in the management of rheumatologic and orthopedic conditions. We discuss the role of PET/CT and PET/MRI in nononcologic musculoskeletal disorders, including inflammatory and infectious conditions and postoperative complications. There is great potential for an increased role for PET to serve as a primary or complementary modality in the management of orthopedic and rheumatologic disorders.

Including health equity considerations in development of instruments for rheumatology research

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

O'Neill, Jennifer; Rader, Tamara; Guillemin, Francis

2014-01-01

The Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) Equity Special Interest Group (SIG) was established in 2008 to create a preliminary core set of outcome measures for clinical trials that can assess equity gaps in healthcare and the effectiveness of interventions to close or narrow gaps between...

PERICARDIAL FEATURES OF IN-HOSPITAL RHEUMATOLOGY PATIENTS: AN OBSERVATIONAL STUDY.

Science.gov (United States)

Bakalli, Aurora; Rexhepi, Mjellma; Rexhepi, Blerta; Koçinaj, Dardan

Rheumatic disorders can be associated with pericarditis, but severe forms of pericarditis are rare. The aim of this observational study was to evaluate pericardial features in patients with different rheumatic diseases. Thirty-five patients hospitalized at the Clinic of Rheumatology, University Clinical Center of Kosovo, from October 1 to October 21, 2014 were included in the study. Demographic data, history, laboratory, ECG, and echocardiography data, with special emphasis on the analysis of the pericardium, were obtained from each patient. Echocardiography was especially focused on the amount of pericardial fluid and pericardial thickness in the posterior wall of the heart. Mean patient age was 51.5 ± 13.8 years. 65.7% of the patients were women. Out of the patients that we analyzed, 88.6% had an inflammatory rheumatologic disease. 11.3% of the patients had mild symptoms, in 68.7% the symptoms were moderate, and in 20% severe. In all patients, pericardial hyperechogenicity was marked, with a mean pericardial thickness of 4.68 ± 1.66 mm. Pericardial effusion in a small amount was present in 57.1% of patients, with a mean pericardial fluid amount of 3.3 ± 1.9 mm. The severity of rheumatic disease had a positive and significant correlation with the presence of pericardial effusion (r= 0.29, p=0.04) and its amount (r= 0.28, p=0.05). The patients had not been aware of the pericardial involvement and did not have any clinical symptoms. In conclusion, in this short-term small observational study pericardial changes were a frequent finding in the rheumatology patients. In general, the pericarditis was subclinical and with small amounts of effusion. The disease activity of rheumatic disorders can be associated with pericarditis. Further studies with larger samples of patients and of longer duration are needed to further explore this issue.

Case mix in paediatric rheumatology: implications for training in Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Sern Chin; Allen, Roger C; Munro, Jane E; Akikusa, Jonathan D

2012-05-01

Despite a move towards the provision of specialist training in Australia in settings that extend beyond the public hospital system, formal comparisons of case mix between public and private specialty clinics have rarely been performed. It is therefore unclear for many specialties how well training in one setting prepares trainees for practice in the other. This study aims to compare the case mix of paediatric rheumatology patients seen in public and private settings and the referral sources of patients in each. An audit of all new patients seen in the public and private paediatric rheumatology clinics on campus at Royal Children's Hospital between June 2009 and January 2011. Data related to demographics, primary diagnosis, referral source and location seen were abstracted and compared. Eight hundred and seventy-six new patients were seen during the period of interest. Of these, 429 patients (48.9%) were seen in private clinics. The commonest diagnostic categories for both type of clinics were non-inflammatory musculoskeletal pain/orthopaedic conditions (public 39.4%, private 33.6%) followed by juvenile idiopathic arthritis (public 16.6%, %, private 18.6%), other skin/soft tissue disorders (public 8.7%, private 9.6%) and pain syndromes (public 4.9%, private 11.4%). Patients with haematological and vasculitic disorders were predominantly seen in public clinics. The commonest source of referrals to both clinics was general practitioners (public 40.6%, private 53.1%). The case mix in private paediatric rheumatology clinics closely mirrors that of public clinics at our centre. Training in either setting would provide sufficient case-mix exposure to prepare trainees for practice in the other. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health © 2011 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

Rheumatology education for undergraduate nursing, physiotherapy and occupational therapy students in the UK: standards, challenges and solutions

OpenAIRE

Hewlett, S.; Clarke, B.; O?Brien, A.; Hammond, A.; Ryan, S.; Kay, L.; Richards, P.; Almeida, C.

2008-01-01

Objectives. Rheumatological conditions are common, thus nurses (Ns) occupational therapists (OTs) and physiotherapists (PTs) require at least basic rheumatology knowledge upon qualifying. The aim of this study was to develop a core set of teaching topics and potential ways of delivering them. Methods. A modified Delphi technique was used for clinicians to develop preliminary core sets of teaching topics for each profession. Telephone interviews with educationalists explored their views on the...

Development and assessment of users' satisfaction with the systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index 2000 responder index-50 website.

Science.gov (United States)

Touma, Zahi; Gladman, Dafna D; MacKinnon, Anne; Carette, Simon; Abu-Shakra, Mahmoud; Askanase, Anca; Nived, Ola; Hanly, John G; Landolt-Marticorena, Carolina; Tam, Lai-Shan; Toloza, Sergio; Nikpour, Mandana; Riddell, Claire; Steiman, Amanda; Eder, Lihi; Haddad, Amir; Barber, Claire; Urowitz, Murray B

2013-01-01

To describe the development of the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index 2000 Responder Index-50 (S2K RI-50) Website (www.s2k-ri-50.com) and to assess satisfaction with its training and examination modules among rheumatologists and rheumatology fellows. The development of the Website occurred in 3 phases. The first was a deployment phase that consisted of preparing the site map along with its content. The content included the S2K RI-50 training manual, the tests and corresponding question bank, and the online adaptive training module, along with the extensive site testing. The second phase included the participation of rheumatologists and trainees who completed the Website modules. The third was a quality assurance phase in which an online survey was developed to determine the satisfaction level of its users. Further modifications were implemented per participants' recommendations. The site has been online since it was registered in September 2010. Fourteen rheumatologists and rheumatology trainees from different centers reviewed and completed the material contained in the Website. The survey revealed acceptance among rheumatologists for the Website's content, design, and presentation. The Website was rated as user-friendly and useful in familiarizing investigators with the S2K RI-50. After completion of the training and examination modules, participants reported a suitable level of preparation to implement the S2K RI-50 in clinical trials and research settings in a timely manner. The Website includes training and examination modules that familiarize rheumatologists with the S2K RI-50 and assesses their competence to use the index. This prepares them for the use of the S2K RI-50 in clinical trials and research settings.

Developing an OMERACT Core Outcome Set for Assessing Safety Components in Rheumatology Trials

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Klokker, Louise; Tugwell, Peter; Furst, Daniel E

2016-01-01

in such COS. The Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) Filter 2.0 emphasizes the importance of measuring harms. The Safety Working Group was reestablished at the OMERACT 2016 with the objective to develop a COS for assessing safety components in trials across rheumatologic conditions. METHODS: The safety......OBJECTIVE: Failure to report harmful outcomes in clinical research can introduce bias favoring a potentially harmful intervention. While core outcome sets (COS) are available for benefits in randomized controlled trials in many rheumatic conditions, less attention has been paid to safety...... that patients consider relevant so that they will be able to make informed decisions. CONCLUSION: The OMERACT Safety Working Group will advance the work previously done within OMERACT using a new patient-driven approach....

Analysis of information on rheumatology from a selected Internet forum in the context of the need for telemedicine solutions.

Science.gov (United States)

Szpakowski, Rafał; Maślińska, Maria; Dykowska, Grażyna; Zając, Patrycja

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to determine how often patients and undiagnosed people who complain of musculoskeletal system and rheumatic diseases look for knowledge contained on an Internet forum. Content analysis was used to identify the level of Internet users' activity in the rheumatology section, compared to other areas of medicine. Material included information posted on the Internet forum established at http://medyczka.pl/. The method employed was a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the content. The method was based on qualitative assessment of the first post in each thread presented on the rheumatologic subforum, by assigning keywords, subjectively determined by the researcher, to such a post. For each keyword a specific definition was established, determining a situation in which a given keyword was used. The quantitative analysis qualified rheumatology in the last place in terms of Internet users' activity compared to other branches of medicine. The qualitative assessment of the rheumatologic forum indicated that the three most common keywords were joint pain (32), joints swelling (13), and schoolage (13). The three most common intentional keywords (arranged in order of their decreasing number) were diagnosis based on symptoms (29), interpretation of the laboratory test results (9), and how to deal with symptoms (8). The analysis leads to the conclusion that the rheumatologic subforum, along with other subforums listed above, presents a critically low level of discussion. There is a large disproportion between the number of active and passive forum users, suggesting that numerous individuals search the forum for presented information. Based on the qualitative analysis of the information stocks of the rheumatologic subforum, it was established that most of the questions posted concerned young individuals, who complained of joint pain and swelling, and asked for a possible diagnosis based on the presented symptomatology, interpretation of the laboratory

Nursing, occupational therapy, and physical therapy preparation in rheumatology in the United States and Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Jette, A M; Becker, M C

1980-11-01

Directors of undergraduate programs in nursing, physical therapy, and occupational therapy in the United States and Canada were surveyed to determine the amount and perceived adequacy of the current degree of classroom and clinical exposure to the rheumatic diseases. One hundred ninety-one (73%) of the 262 mailed questionnaires were returned. Results indicate that regardless of the actual degree of rheumatologic classroom exposure, directors in all three disciplines view current amounts as adequate. A larger proportion views levels of clinical exposure as inadequate. In general, the Canadian programs had a greater emphasis on rheumatology than their United States counterparts.

The 2014 Danish references from birth to 20 years for height, weight and body mass index

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tinggaard, Jeanette; Aksglaede, Lise; Sørensen, Kaspar

2014-01-01

in body mass index (BMI) above median levels was found. Reference curves for height were superimposable with standard curves based on the selective WHO criteria. Danish children were longer/taller and heavier and they had larger head circumferences than those reported in the recent multiethnic WHO...

Relationship between body mass index and fibromyalgia features.

Science.gov (United States)

Yunus, Muhammad B; Arslan, Sule; Aldag, Jean C

2002-01-01

to evaluate the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and features of the fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). 211 female patients with FMS seen consecutively in our rheumatology clinic were analyzed. Spearman correlation was used. Further, FMS features were compared at different levels of BMI (kg/m2), e.g., or = 25.00 (normal vs overweight). P value of BMI and age (pBMI and education (pBMI (pBMI in FMS with a trend towards significance for fatigue and TP. Weight loss may improve physical functioning in this disorder.

Association between antinuclear antibody titers and connective tissue diseases in a Rheumatology Department.

Science.gov (United States)

Menor Almagro, Raúl; Rodríguez Gutiérrez, Juan Francisco; Martín-Martínez, María Auxiliadora; Rodríguez Valls, María José; Aranda Valera, Concepción; de la Iglesia Salgado, José Luís

To determine the dilution titles at antinuclear antibodies (ANA) by indirect immunofluorescence observed in cell substrate HEp-2 and its association with the diagnosis of systemic connective tissue disease in ANA test requested by a Rheumatology Unit. Samples of patients attended for the first time in the rheumatology unit, without prior ANA test, between January 2010 and December 2012 were selected. The dilution titers, immunofluorescence patterns and antigen specificity were recorded. In January 2015 the diagnosis of the patients were evaluated and classified in systemic disease connective tissue (systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjögren's syndrome, systemic sclerosis, undifferentiated connective, antiphospholipid syndrome, mixed connective tissue and inflammatory myophaty) or not systemic disease connective tissue. A total of 1282 ANA tests requested by the Rheumatology Unit in subjects without previous study, 293 were positive, predominance of women (81.9%). Patients with systemic connective tissue disease were recorded 105, and 188 without systemic connective tissue disease. For 1/640 dilutions the positive predictive value in the connective was 73.3% compared to 26.6% of non-connective, and for values ≥1/1,280 85% versus 15% respectively. When performing the multivariate analysis we observed a positive association between 1/320 dilution OR 3.069 (95% CI: 1.237-7.614; P=.016), 1/640 OR 12.570 (95% CI: 3.659-43.187; P=.000) and ≥1/1,280 OR 42.136 (95% CI: 8.604-206.345; P=.000). These results show association titles dilution ≥1/320 in ANA's first test requested by a Rheumatology Unit with patients with systemic connective tissue disease. The VPP in these patients was higher than previous studies requested by other medical specialties. This may indicate the importance of application of the test in a targeted way. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Reumatología y Colegio Mexicano de Reumatología. All rights reserved.

The sesamoid index in psoriatic arthropathy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whitehouse, Richard W.; Aslam, Rizwan; Bukhari, Marwan; Groves, Clare; Cassar-Pullicino, Victor

2005-01-01

The sesamoid index was originally described as an aid to the diagnosis of acromegaly. We performed this study to assess the value of the thumb sesamoid index in the diagnosis of psoriatic arthropathy. Retrospective measurement of the sesamoid index (length x width of the medial thumb sesamoid), along with the age and sex were recorded for patients as described below. Patients with psoriasis were subdivided into those with or without radiographic evidence of hand arthropathy. Fifty-nine consecutive patients attending rheumatology clinics with arthralgia and psoriasis were studied. Comparison groups with radiographic evidence of rheumatoid arthritis (52 patients), osteoarthritis (44) or normal hands (55) were also recorded. Twenty-one of 59 patients with psoriasis and arthropathy had a sesamoid index >40, compared with two of 52 with rheumatoid arthritis, none of 44 with osteoarthritis and none of 55 normals. Psoriatic arthropathy is a recognised cause of bone enlargement, usually in the phalanges due to periostitis and proliferative enthesopathy. We have confirmed that psoriatic hand arthropathy can cause significant enlargement of the thumb sesamoids, a feature which is easily quantified and may assist diagnosis. (orig.)

The sesamoid index in psoriatic arthropathy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Whitehouse, Richard W.; Aslam, Rizwan [Manchester Royal Infirmary, Department of Clinical Radiology, Manchester (United Kingdom); Bukhari, Marwan [Manchester Royal Infirmary, Department of Rheumatology, Manchester (United Kingdom); Groves, Clare; Cassar-Pullicino, Victor [Agnes Hunt and Robert Jones Hospital, Department of Radiology, Oswestry (United Kingdom)

2005-04-01

The sesamoid index was originally described as an aid to the diagnosis of acromegaly. We performed this study to assess the value of the thumb sesamoid index in the diagnosis of psoriatic arthropathy. Retrospective measurement of the sesamoid index (length x width of the medial thumb sesamoid), along with the age and sex were recorded for patients as described below. Patients with psoriasis were subdivided into those with or without radiographic evidence of hand arthropathy. Fifty-nine consecutive patients attending rheumatology clinics with arthralgia and psoriasis were studied. Comparison groups with radiographic evidence of rheumatoid arthritis (52 patients), osteoarthritis (44) or normal hands (55) were also recorded. Twenty-one of 59 patients with psoriasis and arthropathy had a sesamoid index >40, compared with two of 52 with rheumatoid arthritis, none of 44 with osteoarthritis and none of 55 normals. Psoriatic arthropathy is a recognised cause of bone enlargement, usually in the phalanges due to periostitis and proliferative enthesopathy. We have confirmed that psoriatic hand arthropathy can cause significant enlargement of the thumb sesamoids, a feature which is easily quantified and may assist diagnosis. (orig.)

Musculoskeletal ultrasound in pediatric rheumatology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Özçakar Levent

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Although musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSUS has emerged as an indispensible tool among physicians involved in musculoskeletal medicine in the last two decades, only recently has it become more attractive to pediatric rheumatologists. Thereafter, the use of MSUS in pediatric rheumatology has started to increase. Yet, an ever-growing body of literature shows parity and even superiority of MSUS when compared to physical examination and other imaging modalities. MSUS is suitable for examination of children of all ages and it has certain advantages over other imaging modalities; as it is cheaper, mobile, instantly accessible bedside, easy to combine with clinical assessment (interactivity and non-invasive. It does not require sedation, which facilitates repetitive examinations. Assessment of multiple locations is possible during the same session. Agitation is rarely a problem and small children can be seated in their parents' lap or they can even play while being examined.

Readability of patient information and consent documents in rheumatological studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Hamnes, Bente; van Eijk-Hustings, Yvonne; Primdahl, Jette

2016-07-16

Before participation in medical research an informed consent must be obtained. This study investigates whether the readability of patient information and consent documents (PICDs) corresponds to the average educational level of participants in rheumatological studies in the Netherlands, Denmark, and Norway. 24 PICDs from studies were collected and readability was assessed independently using the Gunning's Fog Index (FOG) and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) grading. The mean score for the FOG and SMOG grades were 14.2 (9.0-19.0) and 14.2 (12-17) respectively. The mean FOG and SMOG grades were 12.7 and 13.3 in the Dutch studies, 15.0 and 14.9 in the Danish studies, and 14.6 and 14.3 in the Norwegian studies, respectively. Out of the 2865 participants, more than 57 % had a lower educational level than the highest readability score calculated in the individual study. As the readability level of the PICDs did not match the participants' educational level, consent may not have been valid, as the participants may have had a limited understanding of what they agreed to participate in. There should be more focus on the readability of PICDs. National guidelines for how to write clear and unambiguous PICDs in simple and easily understandable language could increase the focus on the readability of PICD.

Digital health: a new dimension in rheumatology patient care.

Science.gov (United States)

Kataria, Suchitra; Ravindran, Vinod

2018-04-30

The new digital health innovations have opened up several opportunities to help the clinicians, patients and other caregivers of rheumatology healthcare system in maximizing efficiencies resulting in better patient outcomes. In the global context, digital health technology has the potential to bridge the distance gap between all the key stakeholders involved in rheumatology health care. In this review, we update on the recent advances in the field of digital health and highlight unique features of these technologies which would help in routine care. Application of technology in any form to enable, facilitate or enhance the quality of care is the foundation of digitised care. The components could be smartphone apps, sensors, video, social media platforms or messenger platforms, wearables or a combination of these enabling healthcare delivery and overcoming the constraints of distance, location and time. Digital therapeutics have started evolving and an important step in this direction is the involvement of FDA in the approval process. Speciality specific apps, personalised patient education as per disease status, remote specialist consultations or virtual health coach to guide on lifestyle modifications are some of the developments which have been facilitated by increased digitization in all walks of life. Assisted care with the help of robots rendering care in the hospitals or an intelligent robot guiding a patient by voice and visual sense at home are already at the threshold of entering the mainstream of patient care. Wearable devices equipped with powerful sensors are coming handy in keeping a watch on patient symptoms all the time and providing useful insights on disease progression, clinical response or complications. In chronic care such as rheumatology the implications, possibilities and benefits seem unprecedented. Real time data analytics and artificial intelligence are helping the clinicians, healthcare systems and policy makers optimise the resources and

Patient’s Knowledge and Perception Towards the use of Non-steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs in Rheumatology Clinic Northern Malaysia

Science.gov (United States)

Sulaiman, Wahinuddin; Seung, Ong Ping; Ismail, Rosli

2012-01-01

Objective In Rheumatology, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) has been widely prescribed and used. However, despite their clinical benefits in the management of inflammatory and degenerative joint disease, NSAIDs have considerable side effects, mostly affecting the upper gastrointestinal system, which therefore, limit their use. This study was conducted to determine the patients’ knowledge and perception regarding the used of NSAIDS. Methods A total of 120 patients who attended the rheumatology clinic Hospital, Raja Permaisuri Bainun, Malaysia, and received NSAIDs more than 3 months were interviewed irrespective of their rheumatological conditions. Patient’s knowledge and perception on the side effects of NSAIDs were recorded. Result Fifty-four percent of the patients obtained information regarding the side effect of NSAIDs either from the rheumatologist, rheumatology staff nurse or other medical staffs (75.4%). The remaining 45.8% were naive of such knowledge. Fifteen percent obtained the information by surfing the internet and 9.2% from printed media. Twenty-four (24.2%) patients, experienced indigestion and/or stomach discomfort attributed to NSAIDs used. Two patients (1.7%) had hematemesis and malena once. Conclusion This study shows that half of the patients who attended the rheumatology clinic were unaware of the side effect of NSAIDs. Available data showed that most of the knowledgeable patients are more conscience and self-educated. This study also reveals the important roles of clinicians, trained staff nurses as well as the pharmacist in providing the guidance and knowledge of any medication taken by patients. PMID:23226825

The Place of Nailfold Capillaroscopy Among Instrumental Methods for Assessment of Some Peripheral Ischaemic Syndromes in Rheumatology.

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Lambova, Sevdalina N

2016-01-01

Micro- and macrovascular pathology is a frequent finding in a number of common rheumatic diseases. Secondary Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) is among the most common symptoms in systemic sclerosis and several other systemic autoimmune diseases including a broad differential diagnosis. It should be also differential from other peripheral vascular syndromes such as embolism, thrombosis, etc., some of which lead to clinical manifestation of the blue toe syndrome. The current review discusses the instrumental methods for vascular assessments. Nailfold capillaroscopy is the only method among the imaging techniques that can be used for morphological assessment of the nutritive capillaries in the nailfold area. Laser-Doppler flowmetry and laser-Doppler imaging are methods for functional assessment of microcirculation, while thermography and plethysmography reflect both blood flow in peripheral arteries and microcirculation. Doppler ultrasound and angiography visualize peripheral arteries. The choice of the appropriate instrumental method is guided by the clinical presentation. The main role of capillaroscopy is to provide differential diagnosis between primary and secondary RP. In rheumatology, capillaroscopic changes in systemic sclerosis have been recently defined as diagnostic. The appearance of abnormal capillaroscopic pattern inherits high positive predictive value for the development of a connective tissue disease that is higher than the predictive value of antinuclear antibodies. In cases of abrupt onset of peripheral ischaemia, clinical signs of critical ischaemia, unilateral or lower limb involvement, Doppler ultrasound and angiography are indicated. The most common causes for such clinical picture that may be referred to rheumatologic consultation are the antiphospholipid syndrome, mimickers of vasculitides such as atherosclerosis with cholesterol emboli, and neoplasms.

Colombian reference growth curves for height, weight, body mass index and head circumference.

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Durán, Paola; Merker, Andrea; Briceño, Germán; Colón, Eugenia; Line, Dionne; Abad, Verónica; Del Toro, Kenny; Chahín, Silvia; Matallana, Audrey Mary; Lema, Adriana; Llano, Mauricio; Céspedes, Jaime; Hagenäs, Lars

2016-03-01

Published Growth studies from Latin America are limited to growth references from Argentina and Venezuela. The aim of this study was to construct reference growth curves for height, weight, body mass index (BMI) and head circumference of Colombian children in a format that is useful for following the growth of the individual child and as a tool for public health. Prospective measurements from 27 209 Colombian children from middle and upper socio-economic level families were processed using the generalised additive models for location, scale and shape (GAMLSS). Descriptive statistics for length and height, weight, BMI and head circumference for age are given as raw and smoothed values. Final height was 172.3 cm for boys and 159.4 cm for girls. Weight at 18 years of age was 64.0 kg for boys and 54 kg for girls. Growth curves are presented in a ± 3 SD format using logarithmic axes. The constructed reference growth curves are a start for following secular trends in Colombia and are also in the presented layout an optimal clinical tool for health care. ©2015 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Analysis of information on rheumatology from a selected Internet forum in the context of the need for telemedicine solutions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rafał Szpakowski

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine how often patients and undiagnosed people who complain of musculoskeletal system and rheumatic diseases look for knowledge contained on an Internet forum. Content analysis was used to identify the level of Internet users’ activity in the rheumatology section, compared to other areas of medicine. Material and methods : Material included information posted on the Internet forum established at http://medyczka.pl/. The method employed was a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the content. The method was based on qualitative assessment of the first post in each thread presented on the rheumatologic subforum, by assigning keywords, subjectively determined by the researcher, to such a post. For each keyword a specific definition was established, determining a situation in which a given keyword was used. Results: The quantitative analysis qualified rheumatology in the last place in terms of Internet users’ activity compared to other branches of medicine. The qualitative assessment of the rheumatologic forum indicated that the three most common keywords were joint pain (32, joints swelling (13, and schoolage (13. The three most common intentional keywords (arranged in order of their decreasing number were diagnosis based on symptoms (29, interpretation of the laboratory test results (9, and how to deal with symptoms (8. Conclusions : The analysis leads to the conclusion that the rheumatologic subforum, along with other subforums listed above, presents a critically low level of discussion. There is a large disproportion between the number of active and passive forum users, suggesting that numerous individuals search the forum for presented information. Based on the qualitative analysis of the information stocks of the rheumatologic subforum, it was established that most of the questions posted concerned young individuals, who complained of joint pain and swelling, and asked for a possible

Increased cancer risk in patients referred to hospital with suspected fibromyalgia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dreyer, Lene; Mellemkjaer, Lene; Kendall, Sally

2007-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To analyze whether fibromyalgia (FM) and FM-like symptoms are related to an increased incidence of cancer. METHODS: We identified 1361 patients referred on suspicion of FM in the period 1984-99 from hospital records. Following the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria, patien...... for FM. These patients should be investigated if they develop any new or warning symptoms of malignancy, and treating physicians should be vigilant with screening procedures such as mammography....

Paediatric rheumatology practice in the UK benchmarked against the British Society for Paediatric and Adolescent Rheumatology/Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance Standards of Care for juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

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Kavirayani, Akhila; Foster, Helen E

2013-12-01

To describe current clinical practice against the BSPAR/ARMA Standards of Care (SOCs) for children and young people (CYP) with incident JIA. Ten UK paediatric rheumatology centres (including all current centres nationally accredited for paediatric rheumatology higher specialist training) participated in a retrospective case notes review using a pretested pro forma based on the SOC. Data collected per centre included clinical service configuration and the initial clinical care for a minimum of 30 consecutive new patients seen within the previous 2 years and followed up for at least 6 months. A total of 428 CYP with JIA (median age 11 years, range 1-21 years) were included, with complete data available for 73% (311/428). Against the key SOCs, 41% (175/428) were assessed ≤10 weeks from symptom onset, 60% (186/311) ≤4 weeks from referral, 26% (81/311) had eye screening at ≤6 weeks, 83% (282/341) had joint injections at ≤6 weeks, 59% (184/311) were assessed by a nurse specialist at ≤4 weeks and 45% (141/311) were assessed by a physiotherapist at ≤8 weeks. A median of 6% of patients per centre participated in clinical trials. All centres had access to eye screening and prescribed biologic therapies. All had access to a nurse specialist and physiotherapist. Most had access to an occupational therapist (8/10), psychologist (8/10), joint injection lists (general anaesthesia/inhaled analgesia) (9/10) and designated transitional care clinics (7/10). This first description of UK clinical practice in paediatric rheumatology benchmarked against the BSPAR/ARMA SOCs demonstrates variable clinical service delivery. Considerable delay in access to specialist care is evident and this needs to be addressed in order to improve clinical outcomes.

Getting back to the dissecting room: An evaluation of an innovative course in musculoskeletal anatomy for UK-based rheumatology training.

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Blake, Tim; Marais, Debbi; Hassell, Andrew B; Stevenson, Kay; Paskins, Zoe

2017-12-01

The rheumatologist relies heavily on clinical skills to diagnose diverse conditions, something that is correlated with one's knowledge of clinical anatomy. More recently, rheumatology has offered further career flexibility with opportunities to develop skills such as joint injection and musculoskeletal (MSK) ultrasound, both of which require a sound understanding of anatomy. Currently, there are no formal strategies to support competency-based anatomy learning in rheumatology in the UK. This study aimed to evaluate an innovative applied anatomy course utilizing cadaveric material, targeted at clinicians practising in rheumatology and MSK medicine. A new course was developed for rheumatologists, rheumatology trainees and allied health professionals practising rheumatology and MSK medicine, with the principal focus being on applied MSK anatomy. A questionnaire was given to course attendees and a mixed methods approach of evaluation used. Descriptive statistical data analysis was performed. The course received overall positive feedback and statistically significant improvements in levels of confidence in anatomy (mean 52.35-83.53, p attendees also favoured a peer-assisted and multidisciplinary learning approach. This study lends support for the use of cadaveric material in the teaching of postgraduate anatomy to rheumatologists. It has demonstrated a continual need for hands-on and interactive anatomy training in an ever-advancing digital world. To be successful, cadaveric learning should not be viewed in a purely 'pre-clinical' setting, but instead integrated with postgraduate learning. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Biosimilars in rheumatology: recommendations for regulation and use in Middle Eastern countries.

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El Zorkany, Bassel; Al Ani, Nizar; Al Emadi, Samar; Al Saleh, Jamal; Uthman, Imad; El Dershaby, Yasser; Mounir, Mohamed; Al Moallim, Hani

2018-05-01

The increasing availability of biosimilar medicines in Middle Eastern regions may provide an opportunity to increase the number of rheumatology patients who have access to traditionally more expensive biologic medicines. However, as well as a lack of real-world data on the use of biosimilar medicines in practice, the availability of intended copies in the region may undermine physician confidence in prescribing legitimate biosimilar medicines. There is a need for regional recommendations for healthcare professionals to ensure that biosimilar drugs can be used safely. Therefore, a literature search was performed with the aim of providing important recommendations for the regulation and use of biosimilar medicines in the Middle East from key opinion leaders in rheumatology from the region. These recommendations focus on improving the availability of relevant real-world data, ensuring that physicians are aware of the difference between intended copies and true biosimilars and ensuring that physicians are responsible for making any prescribing and switching decisions.

[Tubulointerstitial nephritis with uveitis (TINU) syndrome. A relatively rare rheumatological differential diagnosis with unexplained uveitis].

Science.gov (United States)

Häusler, U; Guminski, B; Helmchen, U; Kisters, K; Heinz, C; Braun, J

2013-05-01

The tubulo-interstitial nephritis and uveitis (TINU) syndrome, first described in 1975, is a rare disease most probably of autoimmune origin that is characterized by unilateral or bilateral uveitis and tubulointerstitial nephritis. Most patients are adolescents and it is sometimes associated with other autoimmune diseases, such as spondyloarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and hyperthyroidosis. This article reports the case of a 43-year-old female patient who presented with refractory recurrent bilateral uveitis despite therapy with high doses of corticosteroids in combination with cyclosporin. When the patient was referred to this hospital for rheumatological examination after almost 1 year of therapy, mild renal insufficiency and proteinuria were found. The kidney biopsy revealed interstitial nephritis, partly crescent-shaped and partly chronic. A diagnosis of TINU syndrome was made and treatment with adalimumab in combination with methotrexate was started. The favorable clinical outcome indicated that tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha may play an important role in the pathogenesis of TINU syndrome.

[Structural quality of rheumatology clinics for children and adolescents. Paper by a task force of the "Society of Pediatric and Adolescent Rheumatology" and of the "Association of Rheumatology Clinics in Germany"].

Science.gov (United States)

Michels, H; Ganser, G; Dannecker, G; Forster, J; Häfner, R; Horneff, G; Küster, R M; Lakomek, H-J; Lehmann, H; Minden, K; Rogalski, B; Schöntube, M

2006-07-01

Rheumatic diseases in childhood and adolescence differ from those of adulthood according to type, manifestation, treatment and course. A specialized therapy, starting as early as possible, improves the prognosis, can prevent long-term damage and saves the costs of long-term care. Only a specialized pediatric care system can guarantee optimum quality of the processes involved and the results for rheumatology in childhood and adolescence within a global financial system. This requires adequate structural quality of the specialized clinics and departments for pediatric rheumatology. The management of rheumatic diseases in childhood and adolescence is comprehensive and requires a multidisciplinary, specialized and engaged team which can cover the whole spectrum of rheumatic diseases with their various age-dependent aspects. In order to guarantee an adequate, cost-efficient routine, a specialized center which concentrates on inpatient care should treat at least 300 patients with pediatric rheumatic diseases per year. The diagnoses should be divided among the various disease categories with at least 70% of them involving inflammatory rheumatic diseases. For the inpatient care of small children, an accompanying person (parent) is necessary, requiring adequate structures and services. Patient rooms as well as diagnostic (radiography, sonography, etc.) and therapeutic services (physiotherapy, occupational therapy, pool, etc.) must be adequate for small children and school children as well as adolescents. Suitable mother-child units must also be provided and a school for patients is required within the clinic. A pediatric rheumatologist must be available 24 h a day, and it must be possible to reach other specialists within a short time. For painful therapeutic procedures, age-appropriate pain management is obligatory. A continuous adjustment of these recommendations to changing conditions in health politics is intended.

American College of Rheumatology/European League against Rheumatism Preliminary Definition of Remission in Rheumatoid Arthritis for Clinical Trials

Science.gov (United States)

Felson, David T.; Smolen, Josef S.; Wells, George; Zhang, Bin; van Tuyl, Lilian H. D.; Funovits, Julia; Aletaha, Daniel; Allaart, Renée; Bathon, Joan; Bombardieri, Stefano; Brooks, Peter; Brown, Andrew; Matucci-Cerinic, Marco; Choi, Hyon; Combe, Bernard; de Wit, Maarten; Dougados, Maxime; Emery, Paul; Furst, Dan; Gomez-Reino, Juan; Hawker , Gillian; Keystone, Edward; Khanna, Dinesh; Kirwan, John; Kvien, Tore; Landewé, Robert; Listing, Joachim; Michaud, Kaleb; Mola, Emilio Martin; Montie, Pam; Pincus, Ted; Richards, Pam; Siegel, Jeff; Simon, Lee; Sokka, Tuulikki; Strand, Vibeke; Tugwell, Peter; Tyndall, Alan; van der Heijde, Desirée; Verstappen, Suzan; White, Barbara; Wolfe, Fred; Zink, Angela; Boers, Maarten

2010-01-01

Background With remission in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) an increasingly attainable goal, there is no widely used definition of remission that is stringent but achievable and could be applied uniformly as an outcome in clinical trials. Methods A committee consisting of members of the American College of Rheumatology, the European League Against Rheumatism and the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology Initiative (OMERACT) met to guide the process and review prespecified analyses from clinical trials of patients with RA. The committee requested a stringent definition (little, if any, active disease) and decided to use core set measures to define remission including at least joint counts and an acute phase reactant. Members were surveyed to select the level of each core set measure consistent with remission. Candidate definitions of remission were tested including those that constituted a number of individual measures in remission (Boolean approach) as well as definitions using disease activity indexes. To select a definition of remission, trial data were analyzed to examine the added contribution of patient reported outcomes and the ability of candidate measures to predict later good x-ray and functional outcomes. Results Survey results for the definition of remission pointed to indexes at published thresholds and to a count of core set measures with each measure scored as 1 or less (e.g. tender and swollen joint counts, CRP and global assessments on 0-10 scale). Analyses suggested the need to include a patient reported measure. Examination of 2 year follow-up data suggested that many candidate definitions performed comparably in terms of predicting later good x-ray and functional outcomes, although DAS28 based measures of remission did not predict good radiographic outcomes as well as did the other candidate definitions. Given these and other considerations, we propose that a patient be defined as in remission based on one of two definitions : 1: When their scores on the

[The G-DRG System 2009--relevant changes for rheumatology].

Science.gov (United States)

Fiori, W; Liedtke-Dyong, A; Lakomek, H-J; Buscham, K; Lehmann, H; Liman, W; Fuchs, A-K; Bessler, F; Roeder, N

2010-05-01

The following article presents the major general and specific changes in the G-DRG system, in the classification systems for diagnoses and procedures as well as for the billing process for 2010. Since the G-DRG system is primarily a tool for the redistribution of resources, every hospital needs to analyze the economic effects of the changes by applying the G-DRG transition-grouper to its own cases. Depending on their clinical focus, rheumatological departments may experience positive or negative consequences from the adjustments. In addition, relevant current case law is considered.

Achieving serum urate targets in gout: an audit in a gout-oriented rheumatology practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Corbett, Elizabeth J M; Pentony, Peta; McGill, Neil W

2017-07-01

To assess the proportion of patients with gout who achieve target serum urate levels, the drug regime required and the reasons for failing to do so. We reviewed the files of all patients with gout who presented to a gout-oriented rheumatology practice between January 2010 and September 2014. Two hundred and thirty patients agreed to commence urate lowering therapy (ULT); 73% achieved their urate target, including 74% with non-tophaceous gout (target ≤ 0.36 mmol/L) and 71% with tophi (target ≤ 0.30 mmol/L). Of the 62 who failed to reach target, in 61 it was due to non-adherence and in one due to inefficacy. Adherence remains the major challenge to successful long-term gout management. © 2017 Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

A review of the literature analyzing benefits and concerns of infliximab biosimilar CT-P13 for the treatment of rheumatologic diseases: focus on interchangeability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Becciolini A

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Andrea Becciolini,1 Maria Gabriella Raimondo,2 Chiara Crotti,2 Elena Agape,2 Martina Biggioggero,2 Ennio Giulio Favalli1 1Department of Rheumatology, 2Department of Clinical Sciences and Health Community, University of Milan, Division of Rheumatology, Gaetano Pini Institute, Milan, Italy Abstract: The introduction of biological agents drastically changed the treatment paradigm of inflammatory arthritides, ameliorating the natural history of the diseases but concomitantly increasing the drug costs due to the manufacturing process. On this concern, biosimilar drugs may represent a valid option for reducing this elevated cost and increasing the availability of these highly effective treatments. Recently, CT-P13, the first biosimilar of infliximab, has been approved with the same indications established for the reference product (RP, and its daily use is progressively increasing. However, the experience with biosimilar drugs in the field of rheumatology is still limited, raising potential doubts and concerns on their correct management in real-life settings. Comparability analysis between CT-P13 and its RP was evaluated in equivalence randomized controlled trials (RCTs – PLANETRA and PLANETAS – performed on patients with rheumatoid arthritis and axial spondylitis, respectively. CT-P13 and RP showed similar profile in terms of quality, biological activity, safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy. However, the interchangeability between infliximab RP and its biosimilar still represents the most challenging issue because of a lack of a long-lasting experience. To date, reassuring preliminary data on this topic were reported in open-label extensions of PLANETRA and PLANETAS RCTs and in ongoing real-life observational studies. These findings, taken all together, significantly affect the landscape of biosimilar regulatory pathways and strongly support CT-P13 introduction as a great opportunity for expanding the accessibility to these very effective and

Comparison of Anti-Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Antibodies (ASCA in Behcet’s Disease Patients with Three Groups of Oral Aphthosis, other Rheumatologic Diseases and Healthy Volunteers

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Saeed Kerdari

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Behcet’s Disease (BD is a general and progressive vasculitis and involves various organs. Its main etiology is not yet understood; however, immunologic and infectious causes and genetic predisposition have been proposed. Saccharomyces Cerevisiae is a type of yeast which is used in the bread and wine industries. Antibodies against this yeast have a well-proven role in inflammatory bowel diseases. The aim of the present study was to assess the frequency of Anti-Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Antibody (ASCA and its relation to clinical symptoms and disease activity index in patients afflicted by BD. Materials and Methods: Serum ASCA levels, determined by ELISA, were Studied in Behcet’s disease along with oral aphthosis, other rheumatologic diseases and healthy volunteers (n=30 in each group. In the BD group the disease activity index and different clinical symptoms were recorded during the study course. Results:Serum level of ASCA in the four studied groups of BD, oral aphthosis, other rheumatologic disease and healthy volunteers was 9.18±9.69, 10.90±10.40, 11.29±17.96 and 8.86±5.31IU/ml, respectively;  indicating no meaningful difference (p=0.811. The ASCA titer was not related to Behcet’s disease severity (p=0.399. Serum level of ASCA in BD patients with oral aphthosis or with gastrointestinal symptoms was significantly higher than the other Behcet’s Disease patients (p=0.012, p=0.014. Conclusion: ASCS is not a valuable test for distinguishing BD from recurrent oral aphthosis or other connective tissue disorders. It also cannot be used for determining disease severity. However, it has a higher level in BD patients with oral aphthous ulcers and gastrointestinal symptoms.

Characterizing the concept of activity pacing as a non-pharmacological intervention in rheumatology care

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cuperus, N; Vliet Vlieland, Tpm; Brodin, N

2016-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To develop a consensual list of the most important aspects of activity pacing (AP) as an intervention within the context of non-pharmacological rheumatology care. METHOD: An international, multidisciplinary expert panel comprising 60 clinicians and/or healthcare providers experienced i...

Recent references May through August 1992

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramavataram, S.

1992-01-01

In support of a continuing program of systematic evaluation of nuclear structure data, the National Nuclear Data Center maintains a complete computer file of references to the nuclear physics literature. Each reference is tagged by a keyword string, which indicates the kinds of data contained in the article. This master file of Nuclear Structure References (NSR) contains complete keyword indexes to literature published since 1969, with partial indexing of older references. Listed are Key Numbers and Keywords, a reaction index, and references and secondary sources for the data

Improved training of house officers in a rheumatology consult service.

Science.gov (United States)

Mazzuca, S A; Brandt, K D; Katz, B P

1993-06-01

This study examined whether the clinical environment could be used to increase internal medicine house officers' adoption of care recommendations taught in a didactic conference. Subjects were 11 internal medicine house officers who served 6-week rheumatology elective rotations. At the start of each of four rotation periods, house officers attended a 1-hour conference in which periarticular rheumatic disorders associated with knee pain (anserine bursitis, pseudothrombophlebitis) and shoulder pain (bicipital tendinitis) were discussed. All house officers also practiced physical examination techniques on anatomic models simulating the disorders. During alternate rotation periods, reminder sheets were appended to the records of arthritis patients with histories of chronic knee or shoulder pain. The frequency with which house officers followed conference recommendations was documented by direct observation (6 house officers in 17 encounters with reminders, 5 house officers in 30 encounters without reminders). Specific questioning about a recent history of knee or shoulder pain and the performance of four of five recommended physical examination maneuvers were increased significantly by reminder sheets in patients' charts (P < 0.05 for all). Although rheumatology faculty often have limited options available to increase the number of house officer trainees or to intensify clinical activity, qualitative improvements within existing logistic parameters are feasible by assuring that the clinical environment (e.g., patient records) contains salient cues that will prompt desired actions.

Leprae reaction resembling rheumatologic disease as presenting feature of leprosy.

Science.gov (United States)

Baharuddin, Hazlyna; Taib, Tarita; Zain, Mollyza Mohd; Ch'ng, Shereen

2016-10-01

Leprosy is a chronic granulomatous infection caused by Mycobacterium leprae with predominant involvement of skin and nerves. We present a 70-year-old man with leprosy whose initial presentation resembled rheumatologic disease, due to leprae reaction. He presented with an 8-week history of worsening neuropathic pain in the right forearm, associated with necrotic skin lesions on his fingers that had ulcerated. Physical examination revealed two tender necrotic ulcers at the tip of the right middle finger and the dorsal aspect of the left middle finger. The patient had right wrist tenosynovitis and right elbow bursitis. Apart from raised inflammatory markers, the investigations for infection, connective tissue disease, vasculitis, thromboembolic disease and malignancy were negative. During the fourth week of hospitalization, we noticed a 2-cm hypoesthetic indurated plaque on the right inner arm. Further examination revealed thickened bilateral ulnar, radial and popliteal nerves. A slit skin smear was negative. Two skin biopsies and a biopsy of the olecranon bursa revealed granulomatous inflammation. He was diagnosed with paucibacillary leprosy with neuritis. He responded well to multidrug therapy and prednisolone; his symptoms resolved over a few weeks. This case illustrates the challenges in diagnosing a case of leprosy with atypical presentation in a non-endemic country. © 2016 Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Antibody Response against Parvovirus in Patients with Inflammatory Rheumatological Diseases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

SH Raeisi

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Some viral infections have been suggested to trigger or cause autoimmune diseases. One of these viruses is parvovirus B19 which can have various rheumatologic manifestations. In this study we investigated the association between parvovirus and rheumatoid arthritis (RA, systemic lupus erythematosis(SLE, systemic sclerosis(SSc and undifferentiated arthritis at the Rheumatological Clinic, Imam Khomeini hospital. Methods: In this sectional case-control study, IgM and IgG antibodies against parvovirus B19 were measured with ELISA in 41 patients with RA, 28 patients with SLE, 13 patients with SSc, 8 patients with undifferentiated arthritis as well as 90 healthy controls. The ELISA kit (DRG, Germany was semi-quantitative and qualititative. Results: Parvovirus B19 IgM was detected in one patient with RA, one with SSc and four in the control group. IgG anti- B19-specific antibody was detected in 58.5% of RA patients, 67.9% of SLE patients, 69. 2% of SSc patients, 87.5% of undifferentiated arthritis patients as compared to 53.3% of controls. The results were compared between the patient and control groups(p>0.05. Conclusion: According to the results, there was no significant correlation for the antibody titer against parvovirus B19 in the patient and control group. The highly positive response of IgG against parvovirus in undifferentiated arthritis implies the need for more research.

Value of 3-dimensional (3D) imaging in rheumatology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fredy, D.

1990-01-01

The whole body scanner (Exel 2.400) of the Centre Hospitalier Sainte-Anne enables the three-dimensional reconstruction, with visualization, of the object in its real volume in less than 10 minutes after taking 20 to 40 radiological sections. The exploration can be complete at all levels. Bone lesions can be perfectly shown, the study of osteoarticular or intraspinal abnormalities is facilitated, all solution of continuity can be detected. A soft parts program as well as a colour program enable a clear and rapid visualization of organic lesions. Three-dimensional imaging can be of great value in rheumatology [fr

Recent references

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramavataram, S.

1991-01-01

In support of a continuing program of systematic evaluation of nuclear structure data, the National Nuclear Data Center maintains a complete computer file of references to the nuclear physics literature. Each reference is tagged by a keyword string, which indicates the kinds of data contained in the article. This master file of Nuclear Structure References (NSR) contains complete keyword indexes to literature published since 1969, with partial indexing of older references. Any reader who finds errors in the keyword descriptions is urged to report them to the National Nuclear Data Center so that the master NSR file can be corrected. In 1966, the first collection of Recent References was published as a separate issue of Nuclear Data Sheets. Every four months since 1970, a similar indexed bibliography to new nuclear experiments has been prepared from additions to the NSR file and published. Beginning in 1978, Recent References was cumulated annually, with the third issue completely superseding the two issues previously published during a given year. Due to publication policy changes, cumulation of Recent Reference was discontinued in 1986. The volume and issue number of all the cumulative issues published to date are given. NNDC will continue to respond to individual requests for special bibliographies on nuclear physics topics, in addition to those easily obtained from Recent References. If the required information is available from the keyword string, a reference list can be prepared automatically from the computer files. This service can be provided on request, in exchange for the timely communication of new nuclear physics results (e.g., preprints). A current copy of the NSR file may also be obtained in a standard format on magnetic tape from NNDC. Requests for special searches of the NSR file may also be directed to the National Nuclear Data Center

Association between periodontal disease temporomandibular disorders and rheumatoid arthritis among patients visiting rheumatology centers in Bengaluru City: A cross-sectional study

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Vijay Kumar

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Association between rheumatoid arthritis (RA, periodontitis and temporomandibular disorder (TMD can be an outcome of the existing inflammatory conditions or involvement of joints at a different level of severity. Aim: This study aims to find an association between periodontal disease and TMDs and RA among patients visiting various Rheumatology centers in Bengaluru city. Materials and Methods: A total of 100 RA patients and age- and gender-matched comparison group were recruited from various Rheumatology centers in Bengaluru city. Periodontal status and loss of attachment (LOA were measured from the World Health Organization (2013 criteria and TMDs and severity were assessed using Helkimo index (1987. Data were analyzed and comparisons were done using Chi-square test and independent t-test (P < 0.05. Correlation and association are measured through spearman's correlation and logistic regression analysis. Results: There was a significant difference regarding shallow and deep periodontal pocket depth among RA (4.62 ± 2.33, 1.48 ± 1.7 and comparison (3.48 ± 2.53, 0.83 ± 1.05 groups (P = 0.01. Impaired mobility (P = 0.012, altered function (P = 0.032, painful function (P = 0.023, muscle pain (P = 0.028, and temporomandibular joint pain (P = 0.048 differed significantly between RA group and comparison group. RA patients were more likely to suffer from TMD (OR = 4.88 and LOA (OR = 2.16 than the comparison group. Conclusion: Periodontitis and TMD are found to be associated with RA. A dental check-up for patients suffering from RA should be part of the routine RA assessment.

Continuing Professional Development Evaluation: Two Rapid Review Courses inNephrology and Rheumatology

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Abdullah Shehab

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Objectives: Continuing professional development (CPD is anovel approach to increase professional knowledge and skills. The aim of this study is to explore participants’ characteristics and to understand participants’ views on two rapid review courses (RRCs as part of CPD program, and to assess healthcare providers’ views about the use of internet for accessing medical information.Methods: Data were collected from 150 participants who attended an RRC in Nephrology and Rheumatology as part of an ongoing CME program.Results: Participants’ response rate was 92% and 84.4% in Nephrology and Rheumatology RRCs, respectively. Participants’ Mean Age±SD were 39±2.1 and 41±2.1 years in the Nephrology and Rheumatology courses, respectively. Demographic variables, i.e., age, gender, and specialization showed a significant (p<0.01 impact on the learning objectives of the program. Further, participants reported that the course material had a significant (p<0.02 impacton their knowledge. Finding new medical information was the primary motive to search the internet among all participants. About half of the subjects reported knowledge of their preferred medical education sites and had access at their clinical setup. Barriers to internet use included lack of specific information, difficulty to download contents, and excessive material. Professional association websites, online journals, and CME programs were the most frequently searched sources of information. Most of the subjects reported significant (p<0.02 barriers to find medical resources on the internet and to adequately utilize the currently available medical search engines available in the healthcare system.Conclusion: A discipline specific and integrated CPD programmay have provided dual benefit such as accredited CME hours and a significant change in the participants’ knowledge. There is a need to increase Internet accessibility and capacity in the current healthcare facilities. Future CPD

2016 American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism Criteria for Minimal, Moderate, and Major Clinical Response in Juvenile Dermatomyositis An International Myositis Assessment and Clinical Studies Group/Paediatric Rheumatology International Trials Organisation Collaborative Initiative

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rider, Lisa G.; Aggarwal, Rohit; Pistorio, Angela; Bayat, Nastaran; Erman, Brian; Feldman, Brian M.; Huber, Adam M.; Cimaz, Rolando; Cuttica, Rubén J.; de Oliveira, Sheila Knupp; Lindsley, Carol B.; Pilkington, Clarissa A.; Punaro, Marilynn; Ravelli, Angelo; Reed, Ann M.; Rouster-Stevens, Kelly; van Royen-Kerkhof, Annet; Dressler, Frank; Magalhaes, Claudia Saad; Constantin, Tamás; Davidson, Joyce E.; Magnusson, Bo; Russo, Ricardo; Villa, Luca; Rinaldi, Mariangela; Rockette, Howard; Lachenbruch, Peter A.; Miller, Frederick W.; Vencovsky, Jiri; Ruperto, Nicolino; Hansen, Paul; Apaz, Maria; Bowyer, Suzanne; Curran, Megan; Davidson, Joyce; Griffin, Thomas; Huber, Adam H.; Jones, Olcay; Kim, Susan; Lang, Bianca; Lindsley, Carol; Lovell, Daniel; Saad Magalhaes, Claudia; Pachman, Lauren M.; Pilkington, Clarissa; Ponyi, Andrea; Quartier, Pierre; Ramanan, Athimalaipet V.; Reed, Ann; Rennebohm, Robert

2017-01-01

Objective. To develop response criteria for juvenile dermatomyositis (DM). Methods. We analyzed the performance of 312 definitions that used core set measures from either the International Myositis Assessment and Clinical Studies Group (IMACS) or the Paediatric Rheumatology International Trials

2016 American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism Criteria for Minimal, Moderate, and Major Clinical Response in Juvenile Dermatomyositis : An International Myositis Assessment and Clinical Studies Group/Paediatric Rheumatology International Trials Organisation Collaborative Initiative

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rider, Lisa G.; Aggarwal, Rohit; Pistorio, Angela; Bayat, Nastaran; Erman, Brian; Feldman, Brian M.; Huber, Adam M.; Cimaz, Rolando; Cuttica, Rubén J.; De Oliveira, Sheila Knupp; Lindsley, Carol B.; Pilkington, Clarissa A.; Punaro, Marilynn; Ravelli, Angelo; Reed, Ann M.; Rouster-Stevens, Kelly; van Royen-Kerkhof, Annet; Dressler, Frank; Magalhaes, Claudia Saad; Constantin, Tamás; Davidson, Joyce E.; Magnusson, Bo; Russo, Ricardo; Villa, Luca; Rinaldi, Mariangela; Rockette, Howard; Lachenbruch, Peter A.; Miller, Frederick W.; Vencovsky, Jiri; Ruperto, Nicolino; Rider, Lisa G.; Ruperto, Nicolino; Miller, Frederick W.; Aggarwal, Rohit; Erman, Brian; Bayat, Nastaran; Pistorio, Angela; Huber, Adam M.; Feldman, Brian M.; Hansen, Paul; Rockette, Howard; Lachenbruch, Peter A.; Ruperto, Nicolino; Rider, Lisa G.; Apaz, Maria T; Bowyer, Suzanne; Cimaz, Rolando; Constantin, Tamás; Curran, Megan; Davidson, Joyce E.; Feldman, Brian M.; Griffin, Thomas; Huber, Adam H.; Jones, Olcay; Kim, Susan; Lang, Bianca; Lindsley, Carol; Lovell, Daniel J.; Saad Magalhaes, Claudia; Pachman, Lauren M.; Pilkington, Clarissa; Ponyi, Andrea; Punaro, Marilynn; Quartier, Pierre; Ramanan, Athimalaipet V; Ravelli, Angelo; Reed, Ann M.; Rennebohm, Robert; Sherry, David D.; Silva, Clovis A.; Stringer, Elizabeth; van Royen-Kerkhof, Annet; Wallace, Carol; Miller, Frederick W.; Oddis, Chester V.; Reed, Ann M.; Rider, Lisa G.; Ruperto, Nicolino; Apaz, Maria T; Avcin, Tadej; Becker, Mara; Beresford, Michael W.; Cimaz, Rolando; Constantin, Tamás; Curran, Megan; Cuttica, Ruben; Davidson, Joyce E.; Dressler, Frank; Dvergsten, Jeffrey; Feitosa de Oliveira, Sheila Knupp; Feldman, Brian M.; Leme Ferriani, Virginia Paes; Flato, Berit; Gerloni, Valeria; Griffin, Thomas; Henrickson, Michael; Hinze, Claas; Hoeltzel, Mark; Huber, Adam M.; Ibarra, Maria; Ilowite, Norman T; Imundo, Lisa; Jones, Olcay; Kim, Susan; Kingsbury, Daniel; Lang, Bianca; Lindsley, Carol; Lovell, Daniel J.; Martini, Alberto; Saad Magalhaes, Claudia; Magnusson, Bo; Maguiness, Sheilagh; Maillard, Susan; Mathiesen, Pernille; McCann, Liza J.; Nielsen, Susan; Pachman, Lauren M.; Passo, Murray; Pilkington, Clarissa; Punaro, Marilynn; Quartier, Pierre; Rabinovich, Egla; Ramanan, Athimalaipet V; Ravelli, Angelo; Reed, Ann M.; Rennebohm, Robert; Rider, Lisa G.; Rivas-Chacon, Rafael; Byun Robinson, Angela; Rouster-Stevens, Kelly; Russo, Ricardo; Rutkowska-Sak, Lidia; Sallum, Adriana; Sanner, Helga; Schmeling, Heinrike; Selcen, Duygu; Shaham, Bracha; Sherry, David D.; Silva, Clovis A.; Spencer, Charles H.; Sundel, Robert; Tardieu, Marc; Thatayatikom, Akaluck; van der Net, Janjaap; van Royen-Kerkhof, Annet; Wahezi, Dawn; Wallace, Carol; Zulian, Francesco; analysis, Conjoint; Cimaz, Rolando; Constantin, Tamás; Cuttica, Ruben; Davidson, Joyce E.; Dressler, Frank; Knupp Feitosa de Oliveira, Sheila; Feldman, Brian M.; Griffin, Thomas; Henrickson, Michael; Huber, Adam M.; Imundo, Lisa; Lang, Bianca; Lindsley, Carol; Saad Magalhaes, Claudia; Magnusson, Bo; Maillard, Susan; Pachman, Lauren M.; Passo, Murray; Pilkington, Clarissa; Punaro, Marilynn; Ravelli, Angelo; Reed, Ann M.; Rider, Lisa G.; Rouster-Stevens, Kelly; Russo, Ricardo; Shaham, Bracha; Sundel, Robert; van der Net, Janjaap; van Royen-Kerkhof, Annet; Cimaz, Rolando; Cuttica, Rubén J.; Knupp Feitosa de Oliveira, Sheila; Feldman, Brian M.; Huber, Adam M.; Lindsley, Carol B.; Pilkington, Clarissa; Punaro, Marilynn; Ravelli, Angelo; Reed, Ann M.; Rouster-Stevens, Kelly; van Royen-Kerkhof, Annet; Amato, Anthony A; Chinoy, Hector; Cooper, Robert G.; Dastmalchi, Maryam; de Visser, Marianne; Fiorentino, David; Isenberg, David; Katz, James; Mammen, Andrew; Oddis, Chester V.; Ytterberg, Steven R.

2017-01-01

Objective: To develop response criteria for juvenile dermatomyositis (DM). Methods: We analyzed the performance of 312 definitions that used core set measures from either the International Myositis Assessment and Clinical Studies Group (IMACS) or the Paediatric Rheumatology International Trials

Pros and cons of conjoint analysis of discrete choice experiments to define classification and response criteria in rheumatology.

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Taylor, William J

2016-03-01

Conjoint analysis of choice or preference data has been used in marketing for over 40 years but has appeared in healthcare settings much more recently. It may be a useful technique for applications within the rheumatology field. Conjoint analysis in rheumatology contexts has mainly used the approaches implemented in 1000Minds Ltd, Dunedin, New Zealand, Sawtooth Software, Orem UT, USA. Examples include classification criteria, composite response criteria, service prioritization tools and utilities assessment. Limitations imposed by very many attributes can be managed using new techniques. Conjoint analysis studies of classification and response criteria suggest that the assumption of equal weighting of attributes cannot be met, which challenges traditional approaches to composite criteria construction. Weights elicited through choice experiments with experts can derive more accurate classification criteria, than unweighted criteria. Studies that find significant variation in attribute weights for composite response criteria for gout make construction of such criteria problematic. Better understanding of various multiattribute phenomena is likely to increase with increased use of conjoint analysis, especially when the attributes concern individual perceptions or opinions. In addition to classification criteria, some applications for conjoint analysis that are emerging in rheumatology include prioritization tools, remission criteria, and utilities for life areas.

Patient’s Knowledge and Perception Towards the use of Non-steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs in Rheumatology Clinic Northern Malaysia

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Wahinuddin Sulaiman

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Objective: In Rheumatology, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs has been widely prescribed and used. However, despite their clinical benefits in the management of inflammatory and degenerative joint disease, NSAIDs have considerable side effects, mostly affecting the upper gastrointestinal system, which therefore, limit their use. This study was conducted to determine the patients’ knowledge and perception regarding the used of NSAIDS.Methods: A total of 120 patients who attended the rheumatology clinic Hospital, Raja Permaisuri Bainun, Malaysia, and received NSAIDs more than 3 months were interviewed irrespective of the irrheumatological conditions. Patient’s knowledge and perception on the side effects of NSAIDs were recorded.Result: Fifty-four percent of the patients obtained information regarding the side effect of NSAIDs either from the rheumatologist, rheumatology staff nurse or other medical staffs (75.4%. The remaining 45.8% were naive of such knowledge. Fifteen percent obtained the information by surfing the internet and 9.2% from printed media. Twenty-four (24.2% patients, experiencedin digestion and/or stomach discomfort attributed to NSAIDsused. Two patients (1.7% had hematemesis and malena once.Conclusion: This study shows that half of the patients who attended the rheumatology clinic were unaware of the side effect of NSAIDs. Available data showed that most of the knowledgeable patients are more conscience and self-educated. This study also reveals the important roles of clinicians, trained staff nurses as well as the pharmacist in providing the guidance and knowledge of any medication taken by patients.

[Nailfold capillaroscopy: relevance to the practice of rheumatology].

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Souza, Eduardo José do Rosário E; Kayser, Cristiane

2015-01-01

Nailfold capillaroscopy is a simple, low-cost method, that is extremely important in the evaluation of patients with Raynaud's phenomenon and of patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) spectrum diseases. Besides its importance for the early diagnosis of SSc, nailfold capillaroscopy is a useful tool to identify scleroderma patients with high risk for development of vascular and visceral complications and death. The inclusion of capillaroscopy in the new classification criteria for SSc of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and European League Against Rheumatism (Eular) gives a new impetus to the use and dissemination of the method. In this paper, we present a didactic, non-systematic review on the subject, with emphasis on advances recently described. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Enhancing the reporting and transparency of rheumatology research

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Robin; Bliddal, Henning; Henriksen, Marius

2013-01-01

Manuscripts and abstracts from biomedical journals frequently do not contain proper information for meeting required standards and serving the multiple needs of their end users. Reporting guidelines and checklists help researchers to meet those standards by providing rules or principles......, to present a structured overview of reporting guidelines that rheumatology journals could apply, and to encourage their use by journal authors, editors, and reviewers, including those of Arthritis Research & Therapy. Internationally recognized reporting guidelines exist for a diversity of research areas. We...... encourage colleagues to consult the 'Enhancing the QUAlity and Transparency Of health Research' (EQUATOR) network when writing scientific papers. EQUATOR is an international initiative that seeks to improve the reliability and value of biomedical research literature by promoting transparent and accurate...

Reference values of bone stiffness index and C-terminal telopeptide in healthy European children.

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Herrmann, D; Intemann, T; Lauria, F; Mårild, S; Molnár, D; Moreno, L A; Sioen, I; Tornaritis, M; Veidebaum, T; Pigeot, I; Ahrens, W

2014-09-01

Quantitative ultrasound measurements and bone metabolic markers can help to monitor bone health and to detect impaired skeletal development. Population-based reference values for children may serve as a basis for preventive measures to reduce the risk of osteoporosis and osteoporotic fractures in later life. This is the first paper providing age-, sex- and height-specific reference values for bone stiffness index (SI) and serum carboxy-terminal cross-linking telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX) in healthy, apparently prepubertal children. In the population-based IDEFICS baseline survey (2007-2008) and follow-up (2009-2010), 18,745 children from eight European countries were newly recruited. A total of 10,791 2-10.9-year-old and 1646 3-8.9-year-old healthy children provided data on SI of the right and left calcaneus and serum CTX, respectively. Furthermore, height and weight were measured. Percentile curves were calculated using the General Additive Model for Location Scale and Shape (GAMLSS) to model the distribution of SI and CTX depending on multiple covariates while accounting for dispersion, skewness, and the kurtosis of this distribution. SI was negatively associated with age and height in children aged 2-5 years, whereas a positive association was observed in children aged 6-10 years. The dip in SI occurred at older age for higher SI percentiles and was observed earlier in taller children than in smaller children. The CTX reference curves showed a linear-positive association with age and height. No major sex differences were observed for the SI and CTX reference values. These reference data lay the ground to evaluate bone growth and metabolism in prepubertal children in epidemiological and clinical settings. They may also inform clinical practice to monitor skeletal development and to assess adverse drug reactions during medical treatments.

Infections in an inpatient rheumatology unit: how big is the problem?

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Romana Vieira

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Patients with rheumatic diseases are at high risk of infections. As quantification and characterization of infections in daily practice is a crucial exercise to delineate strategies to overcome this problem, we aimed to describe the prevalence of infections in an inpatient rheumatology unit. A cross-sectional analysis of all patients admitted at the São João Hospital Centre Rheumatology Unit between January 1st 2012 and December 31st 2013 was performed. We found a 31.7% (n=79 period prevalence of infection and a total number of infections of 97 (1.23 infections per patient. They were the admission reason in 17.6% (n=44 and hospital acquired in 19.0% (n=15 of the cases. The urinary tract was the most commonly affected (32.0%; n=31 and Escherichia coli (17.5%; n=17 the most frequently identified infectious agent. Infection prolonged the hospital length of stay in 34.2% (n=27 of the cases but any death occurred as a direct consequence of it. Patients with infection were older, had longer rheumatic disease duration and longer hospital length of stay than those without infection. We conclude that the prevalence of infection in our inpatient population is high but most cases were non complicated, easily treated with common antibiotics and, importantly, not associated with higher lethality.

Impact of healthcare design on patients' perception of a rheumatology outpatient infusion room

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bukh, Gunhild; Tommerup, Anne Marie Munk; Madsen, Ole Rintek

2015-01-01

Evidence-based healthcare design is a concept aimed at reducing stress factors in the physical environment for the benefit of patients and the medical staff. The objective of this study was to examine the impact of room modifications on patients' perception of an outpatient infusion room used...... the potential to improve patients' perception of outpatient infusion rooms used for treating rheumatologic diseases....

The changing landscape of biosimilars in rheumatology

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Dörner, Thomas; Strand, Vibeke; Cornes, Paul; Gonçalves, João; Gulácsi, László; Kvien, Tore K; Tanaka, Yoshiya; Burmester, Gerd R

2016-01-01

Biosimilars remain a hot topic in rheumatology, and some physicians are cautious about their application in the real world. With many products coming to market and a wealth of guidelines and recommendations concerning their use, there is a need to understand the changing landscape and the real clinical and health-economic potential offered by these agents. Notably, rheumatologists will be at the forefront of the use of biosimilar monoclonal antibodies/soluble receptors. Biosimilars offer cost savings and health gains for our patients and will play an important role in treating rheumatic diseases. We hope that these lower costs will compensate for inequities in access to therapy based on economic differences across countries. Since approved biosimilars have already demonstrated highly similar efficacy, it will be most important to establish pharmacovigilance databases across countries that are adequate to monitor long-term safety after marketing approval. PMID:26964144

Lifestyle and dietary habits of patients with gout followed in rheumatology settings.

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Manara, M; Carrara, G; Scirè, C A; Cimmino, M A; Govoni, M; Montecucco, C; Matucci-Cerinic, M; Minisola, G; Study Group, The King

2015-12-23

Diet and lifestyles modification are core aspects of the non-pharmacological management of gout, but a poor consistency with suggested guidelines is reported. This study aimed to investigate dietary and lifestyle habits of patients with gout followed in rheumatology settings. Data were retrieved from the baseline dataset of the KING study, a multicentre cohort study of patients with gout followed in rheumatology settings. Dietary habits were assessed with the Italian National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) food-frequency questionnaire and compared with reported data about general population. The relative increase of exposure was estimated by standardized prevalence ratios adjusted for gender, age and geographical distribution. The study population included 446 patients, with a mean age of 63.9 years and a M/F ratio of 9:1. Compared to the Italian population, gouty patients showed a higher prevalence of obesity [1.82 (1.52-2.18)] and a higher consumption of wine [1.85 (1.48-2.32)] and beer [2.21 (1.68-2.90)], but a lower prevalence of smoking and a lower intake of liquor. They showed a lower intake of red meat [0.80 (0.71-0.91)], but a similar intake of other tested dietary factors. Gouty patients' lifestyle is still partially different from the recommended.

Testosterone, free testosterone, and free androgen index in women: Reference intervals, biological variation, and diagnostic value in polycystic ovary syndrome

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bui, H.N.; Sluss, P.M.; Hayes, F.J.; Blincko, S.; Knol, D.L.; Blankenstein, M.A.; Heijboer, A.C.

2015-01-01

Objective: The objective of our study was to determine reference intervals and biologic variation for testosterone (T), free testosterone (fT), and free androgen index (FAI) in women with accurate methods and to test the discriminative value of these parameters in a polycystic ovary syndrome

Reference curves of the body fat index in adolescents and their association with anthropometric variables

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Renata Rago Frignani

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Objectives: To develop reference curves for the body fat index (BFI in the pediatric population, in adolescents from the city of São Paulo, Brazil, and verify their association with body mass index and body fat percentage. Methods: The study is part of the research project “Nutritional Profile of Adolescents from Public and Private Schools of São Paulo” that was performed in 2004-2005. A total of 4,686 adolescents (2,130 boys and 2,556 girls aged 10-15 years were divided into two groups: 10-12 and 13-15 years of age. Body mass, height, body mass index, hip circumference, body fat percentage, body fat index, and sexual maturation performed by the self-assessment method (prepubertal, pubertal, and postpubertal were analyzed. ANOVA was performed, as well as percentile distribution, Pearson's correlation, and Bland-Altman plot. Results: In boys, there was an increase in body mass, height, body mass index, and hip circumference with advancing age and Tanner stage. In girls, there was an increase in body fat index and body fat percentage with advancing age and stage of sexual maturation. An association was found between body fat index and body mass index (r = 0.67 in boys and 0.80 in girls, p < 0.001 and body fat percentage (r = 0.71 in boys and 0.68 in girls, p < 0.001. Conclusion: The body fat index seems to reflect well the phenomena of sexual dimorphism in adolescence, is easy to perform, and represents a method that should be used in population samples. Resumo: Objetivos: Desenvolver curvas de referência do índice de adiposidade corporal para população pediátrica, em adolescentes da cidade de São Paulo, Brasil, e verificar a sua relação com o índice de massa corporal e percentual de gordura corporal. Métodos: O estudo faz parte do projeto de pesquisa “Perfil Nutricional de Adolescentes de escolas Públicas e Privadas de São Paulo” realizado em 2004/2005. 4.686 adolescentes (2.130 meninos e 2.556 meninas de 10-15 anos

EULAR task force recommendations on annual cardiovascular risk assessment for patients with rheumatoid arthritis: an audit of the success of implementation in a rheumatology outpatient clinic.

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Ikdahl, Eirik; Rollefstad, Silvia; Olsen, Inge C; Kvien, Tore K; Hansen, Inger Johanne Widding; Soldal, Dag Magnar; Haugeberg, Glenn; Semb, Anne Grete

2015-01-01

EULAR recommendations for cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk management include annual CVD risk assessments for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We evaluated the recording of CVD risk factors (CVD-RF) in a rheumatology outpatient clinic, where EULAR recommendations had been implemented. Further, we compared CVD-RF recordings between a regular rheumatology outpatient clinic (RegROC) and a structured arthritis clinic (AC). In 2012, 1142 RA patients visited the rheumatology outpatient clinic: 612 attended RegROC and 530 attended AC. We conducted a search in the patient journals to ascertain the rate of CVD-RF recording. The overall CVD-RF recording rate was 40.1% in the rheumatology outpatient clinic, reflecting a recording rate of 59.1% in the AC and 23.6% in the RegROC. The odds ratios for having CVD-RFs recorded for patients attending AC compared to RegROC were as follows: blood pressure: 12.4, lipids: 5.0-6.0, glucose: 9.1, HbA1c: 6.1, smoking: 1.4, and for having all the CVD-RFs needed to calculate the CVD risk by the systematic coronary risk evaluation (SCORE): 21.0. The CVD-RF recording rate was low in a rheumatology outpatient clinic. However, a systematic team-based model was superior compared to a RegROC. Further measures are warranted to improve CVD-RF recording in RA patients.

EULAR Task Force Recommendations on Annual Cardiovascular Risk Assessment for Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis: An Audit of the Success of Implementation in a Rheumatology Outpatient Clinic

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Eirik Ikdahl

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Objective. EULAR recommendations for cardiovascular disease (CVD risk management include annual CVD risk assessments for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA. We evaluated the recording of CVD risk factors (CVD-RF in a rheumatology outpatient clinic, where EULAR recommendations had been implemented. Further, we compared CVD-RF recordings between a regular rheumatology outpatient clinic (RegROC and a structured arthritis clinic (AC. Methods. In 2012, 1142 RA patients visited the rheumatology outpatient clinic: 612 attended RegROC and 530 attended AC. We conducted a search in the patient journals to ascertain the rate of CVD-RF recording. Results. The overall CVD-RF recording rate was 40.1% in the rheumatology outpatient clinic, reflecting a recording rate of 59.1% in the AC and 23.6% in the RegROC. The odds ratios for having CVD-RFs recorded for patients attending AC compared to RegROC were as follows: blood pressure: 12.4, lipids: 5.0-6.0, glucose: 9.1, HbA1c: 6.1, smoking: 1.4, and for having all the CVD-RFs needed to calculate the CVD risk by the systematic coronary risk evaluation (SCORE: 21.0. Conclusion. The CVD-RF recording rate was low in a rheumatology outpatient clinic. However, a systematic team-based model was superior compared to a RegROC. Further measures are warranted to improve CVD-RF recording in RA patients.

Study of the functional state of peripheral vessels in fingers of rheumatological patients by means of laser Doppler flowmetry and cutaneous thermometry measurements

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Zherebtsova, Angelina I.; Zherebtsov, Evgeny A.; Dunaev, Andrey V.; Podmasteryev, Konstantin V.; Pilipenko, Olga V.; Krupatkin, Alexander I.; Khakhicheva, Lyudmila S.; Muradyan, Vadim F.

2016-04-01

Vasospastic disorders are a common class of rheumatic disease. These include syndromes such as vegetative dystonia, Raynaud's syndrome, vibration disease and rheumatoid arthritis among others. The aim of this work is to develop an original method of diagnosing the functional state of peripheral vessels of the fingers, based on the simultaneous recording of LDF- and thermograms during the occlusion test, for determining vascular disorders of rheumatological patients. A diagnostic method was developed for assessing the functional state of the peripheral vessels of fingers, based on carrying out occlusion test in a thermally stabilized environment, with simultaneous recording of signals of laser Doppler flowmetry and skin thermometry. To verify the diagnostic value of the proposed method, a series of experiments were carried out on 41 rheumatological patients: 5 male and 36 females (average age 56.0+/-12.2 years). The most common diagnoses in the patient group were rheumatoid arthritis, arthrosis, gout and systemic lupus erythematosus. The laser analyser of blood microcirculation "LAKK-02" (SPE "LAZMA" Ltd, Russia) and a custom developed multi-channel thermometry device for low inertia thermometry were used for experimental measurements. The measurements of cutaneous temperature and the index of microcirculation were performed on the distal phalanx of the third finger of the right hand. Occlusion tests were performed with water baths at 25 and 42 °C and a tonometer cuff with a pressure of 200-220 mmHg for 3 min on the upper arm. The results of experimental studies are presented and interpreted. These data indicate a violation of the blood supply regulation in the form of a pronounced tendency towards microvascular vasoconstriction in the fingers. Thus, the response displaying a tendency toward angiospasm among patients in the rheumatological diseases profile group was observed mainly in the most severe cases (49 % of this group). The prospects of the developed

Research priorities in pediatric rheumatology: The Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA consensus

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Mellins Elizabeth D

2008-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background North American pediatric rheumatologists have created an investigator-initiated research network (the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance – CARRA to facilitate multi-centre studies. One of the first projects undertaken by this network was to define, by consensus, research priorities for the group, and if possible a first group-sponsored clinical trial in which all members could participate. Methods We determined consensus using the Delphi approach. This approach has been used extensively in health research to reach consensus in large groups. It uses several successive iterations of surveys eliciting ideas and opinions from specialists in the field. Three surveys were designed based on this method and were distributed to members of CARRA to elicit and rank-order research priorities. Results A response rate of 87.6% was achieved in the final survey. The most highly ranked research suggestion was to study infliximab treatment of uveitis unresponsive to methotrexate. Other highly ranked suggestions were to study i the treatment of systemic arthritis with anakinra and ii the treatment of pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus with mycophenolate mofetil. Conclusion The Delphi approach was an effective and practical method to define research priorities in this group. Ongoing discussion and cooperation among pediatric rheumatologists in CARRA and others world-wide will help in developing further research priorities and to facilitate the execution of clinical trials in the future.

The impact factor of rheumatology journals : an analysis of 2008 and the recent 10 years

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Chen, Min; Zhao, Ming-Hui; Kallenberg, Cees G. M.

2011-01-01

Despite various weaknesses, the impact factor (IF) is still used as an important indictor for scientific quality in specific subject categories. In the current study, the IFs of rheumatology journals over the past 10 years were serially analyzed and compared with that from other fields. For the past

Advanced practice physiotherapy-led triage in Irish orthopaedic and rheumatology services: national data audit.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Fennelly, Orna

2018-06-01

Many people with musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders wait several months or years for Consultant Doctor appointments, despite often not requiring medical or surgical interventions. To allow earlier patient access to orthopaedic and rheumatology services in Ireland, Advanced Practice Physiotherapists (APPs) were introduced at 16 major acute hospitals. This study performed the first national evaluation of APP triage services.

Telemedicine and other care models in pediatric rheumatology: an exploratory study of parents' perceptions of barriers to care and care preferences.

Science.gov (United States)

Bullock, Danielle R; Vehe, Richard K; Zhang, Lei; Correll, Colleen K

2017-07-11

The United States pediatric rheumatology workforce is committed to a mission of providing children access to pediatric rheumatology care. With a limited number and distribution of pediatric rheumatologists, telemedicine has been proposed as one way to meet this mission, yet the adoption of this modality has been slower than expected. The purpose of this study was to explore the parent perspective on barriers to accessing pediatric rheumatology care and to explore the acceptability of telemedicine and other alternative care models. Over a period of six weeks, all new and return English-speaking parents/guardians of patients visiting a single center were offered an opportunity to complete a survey which assessed barriers to care and interest in alternative models of care. Responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Survey response rate was 72% (159/221). Twenty-eight percent (45/159) traveled more than three hours to the pediatric rheumatology clinic, and 43% (65/152) reported travel as inconvenient. An overwhelming majority of respondents (95%, 144/152) reported a preference for in-person visits over the option of telemedicine. This preference was similar regardless of whether respondents reported travel to the clinic as inconvenient vs convenient (inconvenient 92%, 60/65; convenient 97%, 84/87; p = 0.2881) and despite those reporting travel as inconvenient also reporting greater difficulty with several barriers to care. Those familiar with telemedicine were more likely to report a preference for telemedicine over in-person visits (27%, 3/11 vs 3%, 4/140; p = 0.0087). The option of an outreach clinic was acceptable to a majority (63%, 97/154); however, adult rheumatology and shared-care options were less acceptable (22%, 35/156 and 34%, 53/156 respectively). Among survey respondents, in-person visits were preferred over the option of telemedicine, even when travel was noted to be inconvenient. Telemedicine familiarity increased its acceptability

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....

Effectiveness of computer-assisted interactive videodisc instruction in teaching rheumatology to physical and occupational therapy students.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanford, M K; Hazelwood, S E; Bridges, A J; Cutts, J H; Mitchell, J A; Reid, J C; Sharp, G

1996-01-01

A computer-assisted interactive videodisc instructional program, HP-RHEUM was designed to teach clinical findings in arthritis to occupational and physical therapy students. Using the Rheumatology Image Library videodisc produced by the National Library of Medicine, HP-RHEUM consists of instructional modules which employ advance organizers, examples/nonexamples, summaries, and immediate feedback. To see if HP-RHEUM would be as effective as traditional classroom instruction, control data were collected in 1991 from 52 OT and PT students. Treatment data were collected from 61 students in 1992 when HP-RHEUM entirely replaced lectures. Identical pre- and post-tests consisted of 70 multiple choice questions, with 24 matched to slides. On the slide questions the HP-RHEUM group had significantly higher scores. Otherwise, there was no significant difference in performance between groups. HP-RHEUM provided an independent learning method and enhanced visual comprehension of rheumatologic disease concepts.

A survey of anatomical items relevant to the practice of rheumatology: upper extremity, head, neck, spine, and general concepts.

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Villaseñor-Ovies, Pablo; Navarro-Zarza, José Eduardo; Saavedra, Miguel Ángel; Hernández-Díaz, Cristina; Canoso, Juan J; Biundo, Joseph J; Kalish, Robert A; de Toro Santos, Francisco Javier; McGonagle, Dennis; Carette, Simon; Alvarez-Nemegyei, José

2016-12-01

This study aimed to identify the anatomical items of the upper extremity and spine that are potentially relevant to the practice of rheumatology. Ten rheumatologists interested in clinical anatomy who published, taught, and/or participated as active members of Clinical Anatomy Interest groups (six seniors, four juniors), participated in a one-round relevance Delphi exercise. An initial, 560-item list that included 45 (8.0 %) general concepts items; 138 (24.8 %) hand items; 100 (17.8 %) forearm and elbow items; 147 (26.2 %) shoulder items; and 130 (23.2 %) head, neck, and spine items was compiled by 5 of the participants. Each item was graded for importance with a Likert scale from 1 (not important) to 5 (very important). Thus, scores could range from 10 (1 × 10) to 50 (5 × 10). An item score of ≥40 was considered most relevant to competent practice as a rheumatologist. Mean item Likert scores ranged from 2.2 ± 0.5 to 4.6 ± 0.7. A total of 115 (20.5 %) of the 560 initial items reached relevance. Broken down by categories, this final relevant item list was composed by 7 (6.1 %) general concepts items; 32 (27.8 %) hand items; 20 (17.4 %) forearm and elbow items; 33 (28.7 %) shoulder items; and 23 (17.6 %) head, neck, and spine items. In this Delphi exercise, a group of practicing academic rheumatologists with an interest in clinical anatomy compiled a list of anatomical items that were deemed important to the practice of rheumatology. We suggest these items be considered curricular priorities when training rheumatology fellows in clinical anatomy skills and in programs of continuing rheumatology education.

Patient involvement in rheumatology outpatient service design and delivery: a case study.

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de Souza, Savia; Galloway, James; Simpson, Carol; Chura, Radka; Dobson, Joanne; Gullick, Nicola J; Steer, Sophia; Lempp, Heidi

2017-06-01

Patient involvement is increasingly recognized as important within the UK National Health Service to ensure that services delivered are relevant to users' needs. Organizations are encouraged to work with service users to achieve excellence in care. Patient education can improve health outcomes and reduce health-care costs. Mobile technologies could play a vital role in this. Patient-centred development of innovative strategies to improve the experience of rheumatology outpatients. The Group Rheumatology Initiative Involving Patients (GRIIP) project was set up in 2013 as a joint venture between patients, clinicians, academics and management at a London hospital. The project saw (i) the formation of an independent patient group which provided suggestions for service improvement - outcomes included clearer signs in the outpatient waiting area, extended phlebotomy opening hours and better access to podiatry; (ii) a rolling patient educational evening programme initiated in 2014 with topics chosen by patient experts - feedback has been positive and attendance continues to grow; and (iii) a mobile application (app) co-designed with patients launched in 2015 which provides relevant information for outpatient clinic attendees and data capture for clinicians - downloads have steadily increased as users adopt this new technology. Patients can effectively contribute to service improvement provided they are supported, respected as equals, and the organization is willing to undergo a cultural change. © 2016 The Authors. Health Expectations Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Relationship between Body Mass Index Reference and All-Cause Mortality: Evidence from a Large Cohort of Thai Adults

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Vasoontara Yiengprugsawan

2014-01-01

Full Text Available We investigate variation in body mass index (BMI reference and 5-year all-cause mortality using data from 87151 adult Open University students nationwide. Analyses focused on BMI reference bands: “normal” (≥18.5 to <23, “lower normal” (≥18.5 to <20.75, “upper normal” (≥20.75 to <23, and “narrow Western normal” (≥23 to <25. We report hazard ratios (HR and 95% Confidence Intervals adjusting for covariates. Compared to lower normal, adults aged 35–65 years who were obese (BMI ≥ 30 were twice as likely to die during the follow-up (HR 2.37; 1.01–5.70. For the same group, when using narrow Western normal as the reference, the results were similar (HR 3.02; 1.26–7.22. However, different combinations of BMI exposure and reference band produce quite different results. Older age persons belonging to Asian overweight BMI category (≥23 to <25 were relatively protected from mortality (HR 0.57; 0.34–0.96 and HR 0.49; 0.28–0.84 when assessed using normal (≥18.5 to <23 and upper normal (≥20.75 to <23 as reference bands. Use of different “normal” reference produced varying mortality relationships in a large cohort of Thai adults. Caution is needed when interpreting BMI-mortality data.

Demyelinizing neurological disease after treatment with tumor necrosis factor alpha-inhibiting agents in a rheumatological outpatient clinic

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Theibich, Ali; Dreyer, Lene; Magyari, Melinda

2014-01-01

Biological treatment with inhibitors of the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-alpha has dramatically improved the disease course of several chronic rheumatologic conditions. Adverse events (AEs) are primarily infections and hypersensitivity reactions. Demyelinizing neurological symptoms resembling...... multiple sclerosis (MS) have been described as a rare AE. During about 10-year use of anti TNF-alpha, the Danish Medicines Agency has recorded eight cases of MS like AEs. The objective of this study was to estimate the incidence of demyelinizing AEs both in the central and peripheral nervous system after...... treatment with anti TNF-alpha in a cohort of patients from a large rheumatologic outpatient clinic in Copenhagen. In a 4-year period from January 2008 to December 2011, approximately 550 patients annually were undergoing treatment with anti TNF-alpha inhibitors in our department. We collected data on all...

Patients' Perspectives on Information and Communication About Sexual and Relational Issues in Rheumatology Health Care.

Science.gov (United States)

Helland, Ylva; Dagfinrud, Hanne; Haugen, Mona-Iren; Kjeken, Ingvild; Zangi, Heidi

2017-06-01

Men and women with rheumatic diseases report a significantly negative impact on multiple areas of life, including sexuality. Research indicates that patients want to discuss sexual issues with health professionals (HPs) in rheumatology care but these issues are rarely addressed in consultations. The objective of the present study was to explore patients' experiences of communication with HPs about disease-related sexual issues, their perceptions of the relevance of these issues in rheumatology care and their preferences for how these topics should be handled. A qualitative design was used and 18 semi-structured interviews were performed, including eight women and ten men with inflammatory rheumatic joint diseases, aged 29-62 years. The interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analysed thematically. Four main themes were derived from the interviews: (i) relevance of sexual issues; (ii) vital conditions for communication; (iii) individual preferences in mode and timing of information and communication; and (iv) benefits of information and communication. The participants expressed that, although sexual issues are relevant, necessary conditions for good communication are largely lacking. HPs' knowledge, experience and personal skills, as well as having sufficient time were essential. HPs lack of initiating sexual topics contributed to uncertainty about whether their sexual challenges were disease related and whether it was a legitimate topic to discuss in rheumatology care. Patients wanted HPs to possess knowledge about possible disease-related challenges in sexual life and intimate relationships, and to facilitate communication about these aspects. There is a need to develop practice guidelines to enable HPs to integrate sexual issues as an aspect of healthcare delivery in a patient-friendly manner. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The uptake of influenza and pneumococcal vaccination among immunocompromised patients attending rheumatology outpatient clinics.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Haroon, Muhammad

2011-07-01

PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES: The patients using immunosuppressive agents are considered at high risk for acquiring different infections. Accordingly, international guidelines recommend vaccinating such patients against influenza and pneumococcal organisms. The aims of this study were two-fold: (1) to assess the influenza and pneumococcal vaccination uptake among our rheumatology outpatients who are immunosuppressed; (2) to identify the factors influencing immunisation uptake among our sample of patients.

Canadian Rheumatology Association Meeting, The Westin Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, February 8-11, 2017.

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Silverman, Earl D

2017-05-01

The 72nd Annual Meeting of The Canadian Rheumatology Association (CRA) was held at The Westin Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, February 8-11, 2017. The program consisted of presentations covering original research, symposia, awards, and lectures. Highlights of the meeting include the following 2017 award winners: Dr. Vinod Chandran, Young Investigator; Dr. Jacques P. Brown, Distinguished Investigator; Dr. David Robinson, Teacher-Educator; Dr. Michel Zummer, Distinguished Rheumatologist; Ms. Rebecca Gole, Best Abstract on SLE Research by a Trainee - Ian Watson Award; Ms. Bailey Russell, Best Abstract on Clinical or Epidemiology Research by a Trainee - Phil Rosen Award; Dr. Sahil Koppikar and Dr. Henry Averns, Practice Reflection Award; Dr. Shirine Usmani, Best Abstract on Basic Science Research by a Trainee; Ms. Carol Dou, Best Abstract for Research by an Undergraduate Student; Dr. Dania Basodan, Best Abstract on Research by a Rheumatology Resident; Dr. Claire Barber, Best Abstract on Adult Research by Young Faculty; Ms. Audrea Chen, Best Abstract by a Medical Student; Dr. Kun Huang, Best Abstract by a Post-Graduate Resident; and Dr. Ryan Lewinson, Best Abstract by a Post-Graduate Research Trainee. Lectures and other events included a Keynote Lecture by Jonathon Fowles: Exercise is Medicine: Is Exercise a Good or Bad Thing for People with Arthritis?; State of the Art Lecture by Matthew Warman: Insights into Bone Biology and Therapeutics Gleaned from the Sustained Investigation of Rare Diseases; Dunlop-Dottridge Lecture by Allen Steere: Lyme Disease: A New Problem for Rheumatologists in Canada; and the Great Debate: Be it Resolved that the Least Expensive Treatment Should be Chosen. Switch, Switch, Switch! Arguing for: Jonathan Chan and Antonio Avina, and against: Marinka Twilt and Glen Hazlewood. Topics such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis, Sjögren syndrome, psoriatic arthritis, spondyloarthritis, vasculitis, osteoarthritis

Fit for work? Evaluation of a workshop for rheumatology teams.

Science.gov (United States)

Cohen, D; Khan, S; Marfell, N

2016-06-01

People with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may rapidly cease work prematurely due to ill-health. A recent survey noted that a quarter of respondents with RA experienced job loss within a year of diagnosis and 50% stopped work within 6 years. To develop and pilot workshops to increase the knowledge, skills and confidence of rheumatology team members to support work-related issues in outpatient clinics. A 3-h interactive workshop, informed by rheumatology experts and the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) National Education Programme (NEP) about work and health, was developed to address both knowledge and skills in the management of health and work consultations in an outpatient setting. Questionnaires were developed for use pre- and immediately post-workshop, with questions that focused on the confidence of delegates in managing these discussions and the importance they placed upon them. Ninety-nine participants attended five workshops throughout the UK between 2013 and 2104. Seventy-three per cent (72) completed the post-workshop questionnaire. Eighty-nine per cent found the workshop useful or very useful, 88% found it relevant or very relevant and 79% responded that it had an impact or a considerable impact on their practice. Wilcoxon matched pairs signed rank tests were carried out that showed an overall increase in confidence after training. The results suggest that the workshop was both relevant and useful to participants and had an impact on their practice. This was true for all specialities. The workshops also highlighted participants' desire to understand how to use the 'fit note' to enhance their patient management. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Occupational Medicine. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Rheumatology in the community of Madrid: current availability of rheumatologists and future needs using a predictive model.

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Lázaro y De Mercado, Pablo; Blasco Bravo, Antonio Javier; Lázaro y De Mercado, Ignacio; Castañeda, Santos; López Robledillo, Juan Carlos

2013-01-01

To: 1) describe the distribution of the public sector rheumatologists; 2) identify variables on which the workload in Rheumatology depends; and 3) build a predictive model on the need of rheumatologists for the next 10 years, in the Community of Madrid (CM). The information was obtained through structured questionnaires sent to all services/units of Rheumatology of public hospitals in the CM. The population figures, current and forecasted, were obtained from the National Statistics Institute. A predictive model was built based on information about the current and foreseeable supply, current and foreseeable demand, and the assumptions and criteria used to match supply with demand. The underlying uncertainty in the model was assessed by sensitivity analysis. In the CM in 2011 there were 150 staff rheumatologists and 49 residents in 27 centers, which is equivalent to one rheumatologist for every 33,280 inhabitants in the general population, and one for every 4,996 inhabitants over 65 years. To keep the level of assistance of 2011 in 2021 in the general population, it would be necessary to train more residents or hire more rheumatologists in scenarios of demand higher than 15%. However, to keep the level of assistance in the population over 65 years of age it would be necessary to train more residents or hire more specialists even without increased demand. The model developed may be very useful for planning, with the CM policy makers, the needs of human resources in Rheumatology in the coming years. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

The Spanish version of the 2010 American College of Rheumatology Preliminary Diagnostic Criteria for fibromyalgia: reliability and validity assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Casanueva, Benigno; García-Fructuoso, Ferrán; Belenguer, Rafael; Alegre, Cayetano; Moreno-Muelas, José V; Hernández, José L; Pina, Tinitario; González-Gay, Miguel Á

2016-01-01

To investigate the reliability and validity of the Spanish version of the 2010 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Preliminary Diagnostic Criteria for Fibromyalgia (FM) in patients with chronic pain. The 2010 ACR Preliminary Diagnostic Criteria for FM were adapted to a Spanish version following the guidelines of the Rheumatology Spanish Society Study Group of FM. Based on the 1990 ACR classi cation criteria for FM, patients with chronic pain were initially divided into two groups: a FM group and another group of non-FM individuals. Patients from the FM group were evaluated by tender points (TP) examination, Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), Widespread Pain Index (WPI), and Symptom Severity Scale (SSS). The non-FM (control) group included patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA). They were evaluated by WPI and SSS. We included 1,169 patients divided into two groups: FM group (n=803; 777 women and 26 men) and non-FM group (n= 366; 147 patients with RA, and 219 with OA). The median value of TP and FIQ in the FM group was 16 and 74 respectively. The preliminary 2010 ACR criteria were met by 665 (82.8%) FM patients and by 112 (30.6%) patients from the non-FM group (pFIQ (p<0.0001), WPI (p<0.0001) and SSS (p<0.0001) were observed when FM patients fulfilling the 2010 ACR criteria were compared with the remaining FM patients who did not fulfill these criteria. Sensitivity of the Spanish version of the 2010 ACR criteria was 85.6% (95%CI: 83.1-88.1), speci city 73.2% (95%CI: 68.4-78), positive predictive value 87.7% (95%CI: 85.3-90.1) and negative predictive value 69.4% (95%CI: 64.5-74.2). Our results indicate that the 2010 ACR Preliminary Diagnostic Criteria for FM may be useful to establish a diagnosis of FM in Spanish individuals with chronic pain.

Long-term safety and efficacy of biosimilar infliximab among patients with inflammatory arthritis switched from reference product

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Abdalla A

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Abuelmagd Abdalla, Niamh Byrne, Richard Conway, Thomas Walsh, Geraldine Mannion, Michael Hanly, Miriam O’Sullivan, Ann Maria Curran, John J Carey Department of Rheumatology, Galway University Hospitals, Galway, Ireland Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the biosimilar infliximab in adult patients with inflammatory arthritis switched from reference product in our center. Patients and methods: In April 2014, patients attending our rheumatology service for infliximab infusions were switched from reference product to the biosimilar infliximab following consent and hospital approval. Results: Around 34 patients with inflammatory arthritis were switched from reference product to biosimilar infliximab in 2014: 50% female, mean age 55 years (standard deviation=12.9, mean disease duration 14.79 years (9.7, median duration on infliximab 57 months, and two-thirds on oral disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. There was no difference in efficacy or safety in the first 6 months of therapy. By the end of 2015, the mean follow-up on biosimilar infliximab was 15.8 (standard deviation=6.3 months. Our results showed no significant difference in Health Assessment Questionnaire score, patient global assessment of disease activity, number of disease flares, or the medication dose between the originator and the biosimilar infliximab. However, reported pain and C-reactive protein values were significantly higher during the longer follow-up period (p=0.043, 0.001 respectively. There was no significant difference in the number of adverse events or infusion reactions during follow-up periods. Only five (14.7% patients discontinued the biosimilar infliximab. Conclusion: Our patients experienced similar efficacy and safety for managing their arthritis with the biosimilar infliximab as the reference product infliximab, but at a much lower cost. Keywords: biologic therapy, rheumatic diseases, biosimilar exchange, infliximab, adult

[Arthur Vick Prize 2017 of the German Society of Orthopaedic Rheumatology].

Science.gov (United States)

Bause, L; Niemeier, A; Krenn, V

2018-03-01

The German Society of Orthopaedic Rheumatology (DGORh) honored Prof. Dr. med. Veit Krenn (MVZ-ZHZMD-Trier) with the Arthur Vick Prize 2017. With this award, scientific results with high impact on the diagnosis, therapy and pathogenetic understanding of rheumatic diseases are honored. In cooperation with pathologists and colleagues from various clinical disciplines Prof. Dr. med. Veit Krenn developed several histopathologic scoring systems which contribute to the diagnosis and pathogenetic understanding of degenerative and rheumatic diseases. These scores include the synovitis score, the meniscal degeneration score, the classification of periprosthetic tissues (SLIM classification), the arthrofibrosis score, the particle score and the CD15 focus score. Of highest relevance for orthopedic rheumatology is the synovitis score which is a semiquantitative score for evaluating immunological and inflammatory changes of synovitis in a graded manner. Based on this score, it is possible to divide results into low-grade synovitis and high-grade synovitis: a synovitis score of 1-4 is called low-grade synovitis and occurs for example in association with osteoarthritis (OA), post-trauma, with meniscal lesions and hemochromatosis. A synovitis score of 5-9 is called high-grade synovitis, e.g. rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, Lyme arthritis, postinfection and reactive arthritis as well as peripheral arthritis with Bechterew's disease (sensitivity 61.7%, specificity 96.1%). The first publication (2002) and an associated subsequent publication (2006) of the synovitis score has led to national and international acceptance of this score as the standard for histopathological assessment of synovitis. The synovitis score provides a diagnostic, standardized and reproducible histopathological evaluation method for joint diseases, particularly when this score is applied in the context with the joint pathology algorithm.

Adaptation of the 2015 American College of Rheumatology treatment guideline for rheumatoid arthritis for the Eastern Mediterranean Region

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Darzi, Andrea; Harfouche, Manale; Arayssi, Thurayya

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: It has been hypothesized that adaptation of health practice guidelines to the local setting is expected to improve their uptake and implementation while cutting on required resources. We recently adapted the published American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) tr...

Toward the Development of a Core Set of Outcome Domains to Assess Shared Decision-making Interventions in Rheumatology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Toupin-April, Karine; Barton, Jennifer; Fraenkel, Liana

2017-01-01

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) Working Group was to determine the core set of outcome domains and subdomains for measuring the effectiveness of shared decision-making (SDM) interventions in rheumatology clinical trials. METHODS: Following the OMERACT Filter 2.......0, and based on a previous literature review of SDM outcome domains and a nominal group process at OMERACT 2014, (1) an online Delphi survey was conducted to gather feedback on the draft core set and refine its domains and subdomains, and (2) a workshop was held at the OMERACT 2016 meeting to gain consensus...... ranged from 83% to 100% of respondents). At OMERACT 2016, only 8% of the 96 attendees were patients/caregivers. Despite initial votes of support in breakout groups, there was insufficient comfort about the conceptualization of these 7 domains and 17 subdomains for these to be endorsed at OMERACT 2016...

Developing an OMERACT Core Outcome Set for Assessing Safety Components in Rheumatology Trials: The OMERACT Safety Working Group.

Science.gov (United States)

Klokker, Louise; Tugwell, Peter; Furst, Daniel E; Devoe, Dan; Williamson, Paula; Terwee, Caroline B; Suarez-Almazor, Maria E; Strand, Vibeke; Woodworth, Thasia; Leong, Amye L; Goel, Niti; Boers, Maarten; Brooks, Peter M; Simon, Lee S; Christensen, Robin

2017-12-01

Failure to report harmful outcomes in clinical research can introduce bias favoring a potentially harmful intervention. While core outcome sets (COS) are available for benefits in randomized controlled trials in many rheumatic conditions, less attention has been paid to safety in such COS. The Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) Filter 2.0 emphasizes the importance of measuring harms. The Safety Working Group was reestablished at the OMERACT 2016 with the objective to develop a COS for assessing safety components in trials across rheumatologic conditions. The safety issue has previously been discussed at OMERACT, but without a consistent approach to ensure harms were included in COS. Our methods include (1) identifying harmful outcomes in trials of interventions studied in patients with rheumatic diseases by a systematic literature review, (2) identifying components of safety that should be measured in such trials by use of a patient-driven approach including qualitative data collection and statistical organization of data, and (3) developing a COS through consensus processes including everyone involved. Members of OMERACT including patients, clinicians, researchers, methodologists, and industry representatives reached consensus on the need to continue the efforts on developing a COS for safety in rheumatology trials. There was a general agreement about the need to identify safety-related outcomes that are meaningful to patients, framed in terms that patients consider relevant so that they will be able to make informed decisions. The OMERACT Safety Working Group will advance the work previously done within OMERACT using a new patient-driven approach.

Canadian physiotherapists' views on certification, specialisation, extended role practice, and entry-level training in rheumatology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sutton Evelyn

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Since the last decade there has been a gradual change of boundaries of health professions in providing arthritis care. In Canada, some facilities have begun to adopt new arthritis care models, some of which involve physiotherapists (PT working in extended roles. However, little is known about PTs' interests in these new roles. The primary objective of this survey was to determine the interests among orthopaedic physiotherapists (PTs in being a certified arthritis therapist, a PT specialized in arthritis, or an extended scope practitioner in rheumatology, and to explore the associated factors, including the coverage of arthritis content in the entry-level physiotherapy training. Methods Six hundred PTs practicing in orthopaedics in Canada were randomly selected to receive a postal survey. The questionnaire covered areas related to clinical practice, perceptions of rheumatology training received, and attitudes toward PT roles in arthritis care. Logistic regression models were developed to explore the associations between PTs' interests in pursuing each of the three extended scope practice designations and the personal/professional/attitudinal variables. Results We received 286 questionnaires (response rate = 47.7%; 258 contained usable data. The average length of time in practice was 15.4 years (SD = 10.4. About 1 in 4 PTs agreed that they were interested in assuming advanced practice roles (being a certified arthritis therapist = 28.9%, being a PT specialized in rheumatology = 23.3%, being a PT practitioner = 20.9%. Having a caseload of ≥ 40% in arthritis, having a positive attitude toward advanced practice roles in arthritis care and toward the formal credentialing process, and recognizing the difference between certification and specialisation were associated with an interest in pursing advanced practice roles. Conclusion Orthopaedic PTs in Canada indicated a fair level of interest in pursuing certification, specialisation

Body mass index in Saudi Arabian children and adolescents: A national reference and comparison with international standards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al Herbish, Abdullah S; ElMouzan, Mohammed I; AlSalloum, Abdullah A; AlQureshi, Mansour M; AlOmar, Ahmed A; Fster, Peter J; Kecojevic, Tatjana

2009-01-01

Because there are no reference standards for body mass index (BMI) in Saudi children, we established BMI reference percentiles for normal Saudi Arabian children and adolescents and compared them with international standards. Data from a stratified multistage probability sample were collected from the 13 health regions in Saudi Arabia, as part of a nationwide health profile survey of Saudi Arabian children and adolescents conducted to establish normal physical growth references. Selected households were visited by a trained team. Weight and length/height were measured and recorded following the WHO recommended procedures using the same equipment, which were subjected to both calibration and intra/interobserver variations. Survey of 11 874 eligible households yielded 35 275 full-term and healthy children and adolescents who were subjected to anthropometric measurements. Four BMI curves were produced, from birth to 36 months and 2 to 19 years for girls and boys. The 3rd, 5th, 10th ,25th , 5oth , 75th ,85th , 90th , 95th , and 97th percentiles were produced and compared with the WHO and CDC BMI charts. In the higher percentiles, the Saudi children differed from Western counterparts, indicating that Saudi children have equal or higher BMIs. The BMI curves reflect statistically representative BMI values for Saudi Arabian children and adolescents. (author)

Wars in the history of rheumatology

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P. Marson

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Some important discoveries in the history of rheumatology happened during war periods. It is well known that arthritis associated with conjunctivitis and urethritis, following dysenteric episodes, has been described during the First World War from the German Hans Reiter and, nearly contemporarily, from the French Nöel Fiessinger and Edgar Leroy. Less known is instead the fact that the first cases of sympathetic algoneurodystrophy have been reported by the American Silas Weir Mitchell in soldiers wounded by fire-arms, during the Civil War of Secession. Other war episodes have been crucial for the development of some drugs now abundantly applied to the care of rheumatic diseases. The discovery of therapeutic effects of immunosuppressive agents, in fact, happened as an indirect consequence of the use of poison gas, already during the First World War (mustard gas, but above all after an episode in the port of Bari in 1943, where an American cargo boat was sunk. It had been loaded with a quantity of cylinders containing a nitrogenous mustard, whose diffusion in the environment provoked more than 80 deaths owing to bone marrow aplasia.Moreover, the history of the cortisone shows a strict link to the Second World War, when Germany imported large quantities of bovine adrenal glands from Argentina, with the purpose of producing some gland extracts for the Luftwasse aviators, in order to increase their performance ability.

Rheumatoid cachexia and other nutritional alterations in rheumatologic diseases.

Science.gov (United States)

Hurtado-Torres, Gilberto Fabián; González-Baranda, Lourdes Larisa; Abud-Mendoza, Carlos

2015-01-01

The prevalence of nutritional alterations in rheumatologic diseases ranges from 4 to 95%, depending on the detection method used. Formerly described as the single term rheumatoid cachexia, nutritional alterations can currently be grouped and subdivided based on the physiopathological mechanisms involved: chronic disease-related inflammatory conditions (cachexia), malnutrition associated to acute malnutrition inflammatory conditions (protein-caloric malnutrition) and starvation-related malnutrition. Clinical manifestations of malnutrition associated to rheumatic diseases vary from the patient with low weight or overweight and obesity; with lean body mass depletion as well as functional repercussions, and impact of quality of life as a common denominator. Additionally, the associated increase in body fat mass increases the risk for cardiovascular morbidity. A multidisciplinary approach towards rheumatic diseases should include aspects oriented towards prevention, early identification, diagnosis and correction of nutritional alterations. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Rheumatology in the Italian literary fiction: “La Longobarda” by Giorgio Conconi (1999

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Marson

2011-09-01

Full Text Available In the literary fiction “La Longobarda” by Giorgio Conconi (1999 the protagonist Linda narrates her life, when about fifty she falls ill because of arthritis, thus looking prematurely older and suffering from severe disturbances of body image. This fiction represents an uncommon case of contemporary literature dealing with rheumatological topics. In the present note, it has shown how literature can contribute in several ways to achievement in the human dimension of medicine, by teaching physician concrete and powerful lessons about the lives of sick people.

The 2010 American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism Classification Criteria for Rheumatoid Arthritis Phase 2 Methodological Report

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Neogi, Tuhina; Aletaha, Daniel; Silman, Alan J.; Naden, Raymond L.; Felson, David T.; Aggarwal, Rohit; Bingham, Clifton O.; Birnbaum, Neal S.; Burmester, Gerd R.; Bykerk, Vivian P.; Cohen, Marc D.; Combe, Bernard; Costenbader, Karen H.; Dougados, Maxime; Emery, Paul; Ferraccioli, Gianfranco; Hazes, Johanna M. W.; Hobbs, Kathryn; Huizinga, Tom W. J.; Kavanaugh, Arthur; Kay, Jonathan; Khanna, Dinesh; Kvien, Tore K.; Laing, Timothy; Liao, Katherine; Mease, Philip; Ménard, Henri A.; Moreland, Larry W.; Nair, Raj; Pincus, Theodore; Ringold, Sarah; Smolen, Josef S.; Stanislawska-Biernat, Ewa; Symmons, Deborah; Tak, Paul P.; Upchurch, Katherine S.; Vencovský, Jiří; Wolfe, Frederick; Hawker, Gillian

2010-01-01

Objective. The American College of Rheumatology and the European League Against Rheumatism have developed new classification criteria for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The aim of Phase 2 of the development process was to achieve expert consensus on the clinical and laboratory variables that should

The 2010 American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism classification criteria for rheumatoid arthritis: Phase 2 methodological report

NARCIS (Netherlands)

T. Neogi (Tuhina); D. Aletaha (Daniel); A.J. Silman (Alan); R.L. Naden (Raymond); D. Felson; R. Aggarwal (Rohit); C.O. Bingham (Clifton); N.S. Birnbaum (Neal); G.R. Burmester (Gerd); V.P. Bykerk (Vivian); M.D. Cohen (Marc); B. Combe (Bernard); K.H. Costenbader (Karen); M. Dougados (Maxime); P. Emery (Paul); G. Ferraccioli (Gianfranco); J.M.W. Hazes (Mieke); K. Hobbs (Kathryn); T.W.J. Huizinga (Tom); A. Kavanaugh (Arthur); J. Kay (Jonathan); D. Khanna (Dinesh); T.K. Kvien (Tore); T. Laing (Timothy); K. Liao (Katherine); P. Mease (Philip); H.A. Ménard (Henri); L.W. Moreland (Larry); R. Nair (Raj); T. Pincus (Theodore); S. Ringold (Sarah); J.S. Smolen (Josef); E. Stanislawska-Biernat (Ewa); D. Symmons (Deborah); P.P. Tak (Paul); K.S. Upchurch (Katherine); J. Vencovský (Jiří); F. Wolfe (Frederick); G. Hawker (Gillian)

2010-01-01

textabstractObjective. The American College of Rheumatology and the European League Against Rheumatism have developed new classification criteria for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The aim of Phase 2 of the development process was to achieve expert consensus on the clinical and laboratory variables that

Impact of image noise on gamma index calculation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, M; Mo, X; Parnell, D; Olivera, G; Galmarini, D; Lu, W

2014-01-01

Purpose: The Gamma Index defines an asymmetric metric between the evaluated image and the reference image. It provides a quantitative comparison that can be used to indicate sample-wised pass/fail on the agreement of the two images. The Gamma passing/failing rate has become an important clinical evaluation tool. However, the presence of noise in the evaluated and/or reference images may change the Gamma Index, hence the passing/failing rate, and further, clinical decisions. In this work, we systematically studied the impact of the image noise on the Gamma Index calculation. Methods: We used both analytic formulation and numerical calculations in our study. The numerical calculations included simulations and clinical images. Three different noise scenarios were studied in simulations: noise in reference images only, in evaluated images only, and in both. Both white and spatially correlated noises of various magnitudes were simulated. For clinical images of various noise levels, the Gamma Index of measurement against calculation, calculation against measurement, and measurement against measurement, were evaluated. Results: Numerical calculations for both the simulation and clinical data agreed with the analytic formulations, and the clinical data agreed with the simulations. For the Gamma Index of measurement against calculation, its distribution has an increased mean and an increased standard deviation as the noise increases. On the contrary, for the Gamma index of calculation against measurement, its distribution has a decreased mean and stabilized standard deviation as the noise increases. White noise has greater impact on the Gamma Index than spatially correlated noise. Conclusions: The noise has significant impact on the Gamma Index calculation and the impact is asymmetric. The Gamma Index should be reported along with the noise levels in both reference and evaluated images. Reporting of the Gamma Index with switched roles of the images as reference and

Impact of Image Noise on Gamma Index Calculation

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, M.; Mo, X.; Parnell, D.; Olivera, G.; Galmarini, D.; Lu, W.

2014-03-01

Purpose: The Gamma Index defines an asymmetric metric between the evaluated image and the reference image. It provides a quantitative comparison that can be used to indicate sample-wised pass/fail on the agreement of the two images. The Gamma passing/failing rate has become an important clinical evaluation tool. However, the presence of noise in the evaluated and/or reference images may change the Gamma Index, hence the passing/failing rate, and further, clinical decisions. In this work, we systematically studied the impact of the image noise on the Gamma Index calculation. Methods: We used both analytic formulation and numerical calculations in our study. The numerical calculations included simulations and clinical images. Three different noise scenarios were studied in simulations: noise in reference images only, in evaluated images only, and in both. Both white and spatially correlated noises of various magnitudes were simulated. For clinical images of various noise levels, the Gamma Index of measurement against calculation, calculation against measurement, and measurement against measurement, were evaluated. Results: Numerical calculations for both the simulation and clinical data agreed with the analytic formulations, and the clinical data agreed with the simulations. For the Gamma Index of measurement against calculation, its distribution has an increased mean and an increased standard deviation as the noise increases. On the contrary, for the Gamma index of calculation against measurement, its distribution has a decreased mean and stabilized standard deviation as the noise increases. White noise has greater impact on the Gamma Index than spatially correlated noise. Conclusions: The noise has significant impact on the Gamma Index calculation and the impact is asymmetric. The Gamma Index should be reported along with the noise levels in both reference and evaluated images. Reporting of the Gamma Index with switched roles of the images as reference and

Reference ranges for uterine artery pulsatility index during the menstrual cycle: a cross-sectional study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luís Guedes-Martins

Full Text Available Cyclic endometrial neoangiogenesis contributes to changes in local vascular patterns and is amenable to non-invasive assessment with Doppler sonography. We hypothesize that the uterine artery (UtA impedance, measured by its pulsatility index (PI, exhibits a regular pattern during the normal menstrual cycle. Therefore, the main study objective was to derive normative new day-cycle-based reference ranges for the UtA-PI during the entire cycle from days 1 to 34 according to the isolated time effect and potential confounders such as age and parity.From January 2009 to December 2012, a cross-sectional study of 1,821 healthy women undergoing routine gynaecological ultrasound was performed. The Doppler flow of the right and left UtA-PI was studied transvaginally by colour and pulsed Doppler imaging. The mean right and left values and the presence or absence of a bilateral protodiastolic notch were recorded. Reference intervals for the PI according to the cycle day were generated by classical linear regression.The majority of patients (97.5% presented unilateral or bilateral UtA notches. The crude 5th, 50th, and 95th reference percentile curves of the UtA-PI at 1-34 days of the normal menstrual cycle were derived. In all curves, a progressive significant decrease occurred during the first 13 days, followed by an increase and recovery in the UtA-PI. The adjusted 5th, 50th, and 95th reference percentile curves for the effects of age and parity were also obtained. These two conditions generated an approximately identical UtA-PI pattern during the cycle, except with small but significant reductions at the temporal extremes.The median, 5th, and the 95th percentiles of the UtA-PI decrease during the first third of the menstrual cycle and recover to their initial values during the last two thirds of the cycle. The rates of decrease and recovery depend significantly on age and parity.

Impact of age, sex, and indexation method on MR left ventricular reference values in the Framingham Heart Study offspring cohort.

Science.gov (United States)

Yeon, Susan B; Salton, Carol J; Gona, Philimon; Chuang, Michael L; Blease, Susan J; Han, Yuchi; Tsao, Connie W; Danias, Peter G; Levy, Daniel; O'Donnell, Christopher J; Manning, Warren J

2015-04-01

To determine normative values for left ventricular (LV) volumes, mass, concentricity, and ejection fraction (EF) and investigate associations between sex, age, and body size with LV parameters in community-dwelling adults. In all, 1794 Framingham Heart Study Offspring cohort members underwent LV short-axis oriented, contiguous multislice cine steady-state free precession MR of the left ventricle; from these a healthy referent group (n = 852, 61 ± 9 years, 40% men) free of clinical cardiac disease and hypertension (SBP 65 years); LV parameters were indexed to measures of body size. Men have greater LV volumes and mass than women both before and after indexation to height, powers of height, and body surface area (P J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2015;41:1038-1045. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

[How to improve the visibility of Spanish research in nursing? Reference journals and quality indexes].

Science.gov (United States)

Lima-Serrano, Marta; Lima-Rodríguez, Joaquín S; Porcel-Gálvez, Ana M; Gil-García, Eugenia

2015-01-01

Research ends when the results are shared in the academic and professional community, and for this reason they need to be published in scientific journals of reference. But the question is where should the results of nursing research be published? Taking into account the expanding context and scientific consolidation of the discipline. To answer this question, an analysis will be made of the benefits and the most common criticisms of the two most important multidisciplinary literature data bases, as well as examining the context of the Spanish nursing journals in these data bases. A description will also be made of the indexing systems, as well as making proposals to contribute to improved visibility of Spanish nursing research through the positioning of its journals. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Photonuclear data index 1986-1990

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Varlamov, V A; Stepanov, M E; Sapunenko, V V [Moscow State University, Institute of Nuclear Physics, Centre for Photonuclear Experimental Data, Moscow (Russian Federation)

1992-07-01

This issue presents a bibliographic index to experimental photonuclear data published in periodical scientific literature during the years 1986-1990. The main tabulation is sorted by nucleus and reaction. It is supplemented by a reference index, an author index, explanatory tables of terms and abbreviations used, and a table of isotopic abundances and nucleon separation energies. The index is in English with an introduction in Russian and English. (author)

Wait times to rheumatology care for patients with rheumatic diseases: a data linkage study of primary care electronic medical records and administrative data.

Science.gov (United States)

Widdifield, Jessica; Bernatsky, Sasha; Thorne, J Carter; Bombardier, Claire; Jaakkimainen, R Liisa; Wing, Laura; Paterson, J Michael; Ivers, Noah; Butt, Debra; Lyddiatt, Anne; Hofstetter, Catherine; Ahluwalia, Vandana; Tu, Karen

2016-01-01

The Wait Time Alliance recently established wait time benchmarks for rheumatology consultations in Canada. Our aim was to quantify wait times to primary and rheumatology care for patients with rheumatic diseases. We identified patients from primary care practices in the Electronic Medical Record Administrative data Linked Database who had referrals to Ontario rheumatologists over the period 2000-2013. To assess the full care pathway, we identified dates of symptom onset, presentation in primary care and referral from electronic medical records. Dates of rheumatologist consultations were obtained by linking with physician service claims. We determined the duration of each phase of the care pathway (symptom onset to primary care encounter, primary care encounter to referral, and referral to rheumatologist consultation) and compared them with established benchmarks. Among 2430 referrals from 168 family physicians, 2015 patients (82.9%) were seen by 146 rheumatologists within 1 year of referral. Of the 2430 referrals, 2417 (99.5%) occurred between 2005 and 2013. The main reasons for referral were osteoarthritis (32.4%) and systemic inflammatory rheumatic diseases (30.6%). Wait times varied by diagnosis and geographic region. Overall, the median wait time from referral to rheumatologist consultation was 74 (interquartile range 27-101) days; it was 66 (interquartile range 18-84) days for systemic inflammatory rheumatic diseases. Wait time benchmarks were not achieved, even for the most urgent types of referral. For systemic inflammatory rheumatic diseases, most of the delays occurred before referral. Rheumatology wait times exceeded established benchmarks. Targeted efforts are needed to promote more timely access to both primary and rheumatology care. Routine linkage of electronic medical records with administrative data may help fill important gaps in knowledge about waits to primary and specialty care.

47 CFR Alphabetical Index - Part 78

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Part 78 Index Alphabetical Index... SERVICE Technical Regulations Modulation limits. Pt. 78, Index Alphabetical Index—Part 78 A Antenna... Changes in equipment 78.109 Conditions for license 78.27 Coordination, frequencies 78.36 Cross reference...

Pediatric rheumatology: what does the future hold?

Science.gov (United States)

Emery, Helen

2004-08-01

Effectiveness of the traditional rehabilitation approaches used in pediatric rheumatology has been difficult to prove and, in times of cost containment, this lack of evidence may lead to undertreatment with physical and occupational therapies. Quantitative methods such as those described in this issue by Broström and colleagues can be used to validate those approaches and to reinforce the need for careful attention to the effects of even minor loss of range and strength in children with juvenile arthritis. Historically, up to half of the children affected by polyarticular juvenile arthritis became disabled. Some factors that have led to improved outcomes for childhood rheumatic diseases are discussed, including medications (use of weekly low-dose methotrexate, intra-articular steroid injections, new biologic agents that specifically block mediators of inflammation, for example, tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-1), surgery (joint replacements), and psychosocial interventions (with schools and families). The importance of maintaining range of movement, strength, weight bearing, and ambulation, in an effort to prevent sequelae such as osteoporosis and wheelchair dependence, is emphasized. Early identification of children with rheumatic diseases and aggressive intervention, with a combined medical, rehabilitation, psychosocial, and, rarely, surgical approach, should now allow most affected children to reach adulthood with little or no disability.

Development and Preliminary Face and Content Validation of the "Which Health Approaches and Treatments Are You Using?" (WHAT) Questionnaires Assessing Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use in Pediatric Rheumatology.

Science.gov (United States)

Toupin April, Karine; Stinson, Jennifer; Boon, Heather; Duffy, Ciarán M; Huber, Adam M; Gibbon, Michele; Descarreaux, Martin; Spiegel, Lynn; Vohra, Sunita; Tugwell, Peter

2016-01-01

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is commonly used by children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), yet no validated questionnaires assess that use. The objective of this study was to develop child self- and parent proxy-report questionnaires assessing CAM use and to determine the face and content validity of the "Which Health Approaches and Treatments are you using?" (WHAT) questionnaires in pediatric rheumatology. A sequential phased mixed methods approach was used to develop the questionnaires. A Delphi Survey of 126 experts followed by an interdisciplinary consensus conference of 14 stakeholders in CAM, general pediatrics and pediatric rheumatology was held to develop consensus on the content of the questionnaires using a nominal group technique. To determine face and content validity of the questionnaires, two groups, including (a) a purposive sample of 22 children with JIA 8 to 18 years and their parents from the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario and the Hospital for Sick Children, and (b) 21 Canadian pediatric rheumatology experts, participated in interviews. Participants were independently asked about the goal, understandability and comprehensiveness of the WHAT questionnaires, as well as the relevance of items. Consensus was reached on 17 items of the WHAT questionnaires. The domains found to be relevant were child's CAM use, factors associated with CAM use, perceived impact of CAM use, and communication about CAM. A total of 15 items in the parent proxy-report questionnaire and 13 items in the child report questionnaire showed adequate content validity. Consensus was reached by experts on the content of a pediatric CAM questionnaire. Face and content validity testing and modifications made to the WHAT questionnaires have helped ensure adequate preliminary validity for use in pediatric rheumatology. This constitutes the basis for further testing of these questionnaires in pediatric rheumatology and for adaptation to other chronic

Development and Preliminary Face and Content Validation of the "Which Health Approaches and Treatments Are You Using?" (WHAT Questionnaires Assessing Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use in Pediatric Rheumatology.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karine Toupin April

Full Text Available Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM is commonly used by children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA, yet no validated questionnaires assess that use. The objective of this study was to develop child self- and parent proxy-report questionnaires assessing CAM use and to determine the face and content validity of the "Which Health Approaches and Treatments are you using?" (WHAT questionnaires in pediatric rheumatology.A sequential phased mixed methods approach was used to develop the questionnaires. A Delphi Survey of 126 experts followed by an interdisciplinary consensus conference of 14 stakeholders in CAM, general pediatrics and pediatric rheumatology was held to develop consensus on the content of the questionnaires using a nominal group technique. To determine face and content validity of the questionnaires, two groups, including (a a purposive sample of 22 children with JIA 8 to 18 years and their parents from the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario and the Hospital for Sick Children, and (b 21 Canadian pediatric rheumatology experts, participated in interviews. Participants were independently asked about the goal, understandability and comprehensiveness of the WHAT questionnaires, as well as the relevance of items.Consensus was reached on 17 items of the WHAT questionnaires. The domains found to be relevant were child's CAM use, factors associated with CAM use, perceived impact of CAM use, and communication about CAM. A total of 15 items in the parent proxy-report questionnaire and 13 items in the child report questionnaire showed adequate content validity.Consensus was reached by experts on the content of a pediatric CAM questionnaire. Face and content validity testing and modifications made to the WHAT questionnaires have helped ensure adequate preliminary validity for use in pediatric rheumatology. This constitutes the basis for further testing of these questionnaires in pediatric rheumatology and for adaptation to other

Browse Title Index

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Items 51 - 84 of 84 ... Vol 3, No 1 (2015), Juvenile angio-Behçet's disease: report and brain MRI ... in a Congolese patient with sickle cell haemoglobin C disease: Case report, Abstract ... in rheumatologic, respiratory and dermatologic clinics in a teaching ... Vol 5, No 2 (2017), Prevalence of abnormal liver function tests in ...

Giving rheumatology patients online home access to their electronic medical record (EMR): advantages, drawbacks and preconditions according to care providers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Vaart, R.; Drossaert, Constance H.C.; Taal, Erik; van de Laar, Mart A F J

2013-01-01

Technology enables patients home access to their electronic medical record (EMR), via a patient portal. This study aims to analyse (dis)advantages, preconditions and suitable content for this service, according to rheumatology health professionals. A two-phase policy Delphi study was conducted.

The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in consecutive new patients seen over a 6-month period in general rheumatology clinics.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Haroon, Muhammad

2012-02-01

The objectives of this study are to assess: (a) the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among new patients attending rheumatology outpatient departments, (b) the age profile of these low vitamin D patients and (c) whether any diagnostic category had a particularly high number of vitamin D-deficient patients. All new patients seen consecutively in general rheumatology clinics between January to June 2007 inclusive were eligible to partake in this study, and 231 out of 264 consented to do so. Parathyroid hormone, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, creatinine, calcium, phosphate, albumin and alkaline phosphatase levels were measured. We defined vitamin D deficiency as <\\/=53 nmol\\/l and severe deficiency as <\\/=25 nmol\\/l. Overall, 70% of 231 patients had vitamin D deficiency, and 26% had severe deficiency. Sixty-five percent of patients aged >\\/=65 and 78% of patients aged <\\/=30 years had low vitamin D levels. Vitamin D deficiency in each diagnostic category was as follows: (a) inflammatory joint diseases\\/connective tissue diseases (IJD\\/CTD), 69%; (b) soft tissue rheumatism, 77%; (c) osteoarthritis, 62%; (d) non-specific musculoskeletal back pain, 75% and (e) osteoporosis, 71%. Seasonal variation of vitamin D levels was noted in all diagnostic groups apart from IJD\\/CTD group, where the degree of vitamin D deficiency persisted from late winter to peak summer. Very high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was noted in all diagnostic categories (p = 0.006), and it was independent of age (p = 0.297). The results suggest vitamin D deficiency as a possible modifiable risk factor in different rheumatologic conditions, and its role in IJD\\/CTD warrants further attention.

Comparison of fat-free mass index and fat mass index in Chinese adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Y; Shu, H; Zheng, Y; Li, C; Liu, M; Chen, Z; He, X

2012-09-01

To compare the characteristics of body composition for different gender and age in a large number of apparently healthy Chinese subjects, and to determine reference values for fat-free mass index (FFMI) and fat mass index (FMI). In total, 61,382 Chinese adults (age range: 18-92 years) were consecutively enrolled into the study. Body composition was measured using bioelectrical impedance analysis with a tetrapolar impedance meter. The skeletal muscle mass, fat-free mass (FFM), FFMI and body mass index (BMI) were significantly higher in men than in women (Pnormal BMI (BMI 18.5-23.9 kg/m(2), 18-92 years), the reference values (5th-95th percentile) of FM%, FFMI and FMI were 9.7-34.5%, 14.15-19.76 and 1.99-7.75 kg/m(2) in men, and 18.1-35.8%, 13.82-17.89 and 3.68-8.16 kg/m(2) in women, respectively. Reference intervals for FFMI and FMI could be of practical value for the clinical evaluation of a deficit in FFM with or without excess FM for a given age category, complementing the classical concept of BMI in a more qualitative manner, although these indices are only suggestive indications for the degree of obesity. In contrast to BMI, similar reference ranges of FFMI seem to be more utilizable with advancing age.

A multi-centre study of interactional style in nurse specialist- and physician-led Rheumatology clinics in the UK.

Science.gov (United States)

Vinall-Collier, Karen; Madill, Anna; Firth, Jill

2016-07-01

Nurse-led care is well established in Rheumatology in the UK and provides follow-up care to people with inflammatory arthritis including treatment, monitoring, patient education and psychosocial support. The aim of this study is to compare and contrast interactional style with patients in physician-led and nurse-led Rheumatology clinics. A multi-centre mixed methods approach was adopted. Nine UK Rheumatology out-patient clinics were observed and audio-recorded May 2009-April 2010. Eighteen practitioners agreed to participate in clinic audio-recordings, researcher observations, and note-taking. Of 9 nurse specialists, 8 were female and 5 of 9 physicians were female. Eight practitioners in each group took part in audio-recorded post-clinic interviews. All patients on the clinic list for those practitioners were invited to participate and 107 were consented and observed. In the nurse specialist cohort 46% were female; 71% had a diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). The physician cohort comprised 31% female; 40% with RA and 16% unconfirmed diagnosis. Nineteen (18%) of the patients observed were approached for an audio-recorded telephone interview and 15 participated (4 male, 11 female). Forty-four nurse specialist and 63 physician consultations with patients were recorded. Roter's Interactional Analysis System (RIAS) was used to code this data. Thirty-one semi-structured interviews were conducted (16 practitioner, 15 patients) within 24h of observed consultations and were analyzed using thematic analysis. RIAS results illuminated differences between practitioners that can be classified as 'socio-emotional' versus 'task-focussed'. Specifically, nurse specialists and their patients engaged significantly more in the socio-emotional activity of 'building a relationship'. Across practitioners, the greatest proportion of 'patient initiations' were in 'giving medical information' and reflected what patients wanted the practitioner to know rather than giving insight into

Association of body mass index with symptom severity and quality of life in patients with fibromyalgia.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Chul-Hyun; Luedtke, Connie A; Vincent, Ann; Thompson, Jeffrey M; Oh, Terry H

2012-02-01

To examine the association between body mass index (BMI) and symptom severity and quality of life (QOL) in patients with fibromyalgia. We assessed BMI status and its association with symptom severity and QOL in 888 patients with fibromyalgia who were seen in a fibromyalgia treatment program and who completed the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) and the Short Form 36 (SF-36) health survey. The BMI distribution of nonobese (BMI fibromyalgia-related symptoms with worse FIQ total scores (P fibromyalgia, severe obesity (BMI ≥35.0 kg/m(2)) is associated with higher levels of fibromyalgia symptoms and lower levels of QOL. Copyright © 2012 by the American College of Rheumatology.

Bibliographic index to photonuclear reaction data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asami, Tetsuo; Nakagawa, Tsuneo.

1993-10-01

This report contains the bibliographic index data on photonuclear reactions and on their inverse ones, in the format similar to CINDA for neutron nuclear data. As photonuclear reactions the electron-induced reaction data are also included. As the inverse reactions considered are those induced by neutron, proton, deuteron, triton, helion and alpha particles. The index covers major journals on nuclear data published in 1995 to 1992, for all nuclides through hydrogen (H) to einsteinium (Es). The bibliographic index contains information on target nucleus, incident beam, type of reaction and quantity, energy range of incident beam, laboratory, type of work, reference citations, first author's name, and short comment. The index also contains the indication for information on cross-section data. All the index data are listed in the order of target element, target, mass and incident particle, and in the chronological order of reference data. Also a brief description is given on the data format, the abbreviations used and the journals surveyed. (author)

Specialized rheumatology nurse substitutes for rheumatologists in the diagnostic process of fibromyalgia: a cost-consequence analysis and a randomized controlled trial

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kroese, Mariëlle E.; Severens, Johan L.; Schulpen, Guy J.; Bessems, Monique C.; Nijhuis, Frans J.; Landewé, Robert B.

2011-01-01

To perform a cost-consequence analysis of the substitution of specialized rheumatology nurses (SRN) for rheumatologists (RMT) in the diagnostic process of fibromyalgia (FM), using both a healthcare and societal perspective and a 9-month period. Alongside a randomized controlled trial, we measured

Browse Title Index

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Items 101 - 150 of 465 ... Journal Home > Advanced Search > Browse Title Index ... and twinning data of an igbo kindred during the Nigerian Civil War, Abstract ... on laboratory estimations with special reference to clinical chemistry, Abstract.

Policy challenges for the pediatric rheumatology workforce: Part II. Health care system delivery and workforce supply

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Henrickson Michael

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract The United States pediatric population with chronic health conditions is expanding. Currently, this demographic comprises 12-18% of the American child and youth population. Affected children often receive fragmented, uncoordinated care. Overall, the American health care delivery system produces modest outcomes for this population. Poor, uninsured and minority children may be at increased risk for inferior coordination of services. Further, the United States health care delivery system is primarily organized for the diagnosis and treatment of acute conditions. For pediatric patients with chronic health conditions, the typical acute problem-oriented visit actually serves as a barrier to care. The biomedical model of patient education prevails, characterized by unilateral transfer of medical information. However, the evidence basis for improvement in disease outcomes supports the use of the chronic care model, initially proposed by Dr. Edward Wagner. Six inter-related elements distinguish the success of the chronic care model, which include self-management support and care coordination by a prepared, proactive team. United States health care lacks a coherent policy direction for the management of high cost chronic conditions, including rheumatic diseases. A fundamental restructure of United States health care delivery must urgently occur which places the patient at the center of care. For the pediatric rheumatology workforce, reimbursement policies and the actions of health plans and insurers are consistent barriers to chronic disease improvement. United States reimbursement policy and overall fragmentation of health care services pose specific challenges for widespread implementation of the chronic care model. Team-based multidisciplinary care, care coordination and self-management are integral to improve outcomes. Pediatric rheumatology demand in the United States far exceeds available workforce supply. This article reviews the career

Policy challenges for the pediatric rheumatology workforce: Part II. Health care system delivery and workforce supply.

Science.gov (United States)

Henrickson, Michael

2011-01-01

The United States pediatric population with chronic health conditions is expanding. Currently, this demographic comprises 12-18% of the American child and youth population. Affected children often receive fragmented, uncoordinated care. Overall, the American health care delivery system produces modest outcomes for this population. Poor, uninsured and minority children may be at increased risk for inferior coordination of services. Further, the United States health care delivery system is primarily organized for the diagnosis and treatment of acute conditions. For pediatric patients with chronic health conditions, the typical acute problem-oriented visit actually serves as a barrier to care. The biomedical model of patient education prevails, characterized by unilateral transfer of medical information. However, the evidence basis for improvement in disease outcomes supports the use of the chronic care model, initially proposed by Dr. Edward Wagner. Six inter-related elements distinguish the success of the chronic care model, which include self-management support and care coordination by a prepared, proactive team. United States health care lacks a coherent policy direction for the management of high cost chronic conditions, including rheumatic diseases. A fundamental restructure of United States health care delivery must urgently occur which places the patient at the center of care. For the pediatric rheumatology workforce, reimbursement policies and the actions of health plans and insurers are consistent barriers to chronic disease improvement. United States reimbursement policy and overall fragmentation of health care services pose specific challenges for widespread implementation of the chronic care model. Team-based multidisciplinary care, care coordination and self-management are integral to improve outcomes. Pediatric rheumatology demand in the United States far exceeds available workforce supply. This article reviews the career choice decision-making process

5 CFR 1631.4 - Public reference facilities and current index.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... all grants or denials of FOIA requests, appeals, and appeal decisions by the General Counsel. The... the exceptions asserted, and, to the extent feasible, indexed according to the type of records...

Redesign of the Attention Process of Patients with Rheumatologic Diseases: Assessing the Performance with Analytic Hierarchy Process

OpenAIRE

Gorbanev, Iouri; Cortes, Ariel; Agudelo-Londoño, Sandra

2017-01-01

Objective. To compare the Business process management and the analytic hierarchy process as the tools of process performance assessment. Instruments and Methods. Case study of the attention process of rheumatology patients. Business process management and analytic hierarchy process were applied to assess the redesign of the attention process. The two methods were compared. The data were obtained through personal observations, an interview with a Colombian health insurer’s senior executive, an...

Development and Preliminary Face and Content Validation of the “Which Health Approaches and Treatments Are You Using?” (WHAT) Questionnaires Assessing Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use in Pediatric Rheumatology

Science.gov (United States)

Toupin April, Karine; Stinson, Jennifer; Boon, Heather; Duffy, Ciarán M.; Huber, Adam M.; Gibbon, Michele; Descarreaux, Martin; Spiegel, Lynn; Vohra, Sunita; Tugwell, Peter

2016-01-01

Objective Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is commonly used by children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), yet no validated questionnaires assess that use. The objective of this study was to develop child self- and parent proxy-report questionnaires assessing CAM use and to determine the face and content validity of the “Which Health Approaches and Treatments are you using?” (WHAT) questionnaires in pediatric rheumatology. Methods A sequential phased mixed methods approach was used to develop the questionnaires. A Delphi Survey of 126 experts followed by an interdisciplinary consensus conference of 14 stakeholders in CAM, general pediatrics and pediatric rheumatology was held to develop consensus on the content of the questionnaires using a nominal group technique. To determine face and content validity of the questionnaires, two groups, including (a) a purposive sample of 22 children with JIA 8 to 18 years and their parents from the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario and the Hospital for Sick Children, and (b) 21 Canadian pediatric rheumatology experts, participated in interviews. Participants were independently asked about the goal, understandability and comprehensiveness of the WHAT questionnaires, as well as the relevance of items. Results Consensus was reached on 17 items of the WHAT questionnaires. The domains found to be relevant were child’s CAM use, factors associated with CAM use, perceived impact of CAM use, and communication about CAM. A total of 15 items in the parent proxy-report questionnaire and 13 items in the child report questionnaire showed adequate content validity. Conclusions Consensus was reached by experts on the content of a pediatric CAM questionnaire. Face and content validity testing and modifications made to the WHAT questionnaires have helped ensure adequate preliminary validity for use in pediatric rheumatology. This constitutes the basis for further testing of these questionnaires in pediatric

2014 update of the Consensus Statement of the Spanish Society of Rheumatology on the use of biological therapies in rheumatoid arthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanmartí, Raimon; García-Rodríguez, Susana; Álvaro-Gracia, José María; Andreu, José Luis; Balsa, Alejandro; Cáliz, Rafael; Fernández-Nebro, Antonio; Ferraz-Amaro, Iván; Gómez-Reino, Juan Jesús; González-Álvaro, Isidoro; Martín-Mola, Emilio; Martínez-Taboada, Víctor Manuel; Ortiz, Ana M; Tornero, Jesús; Marsal, Sara; Moreno-Muelas, José Vicente

2015-01-01

To establish recommendations for the management of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to serve as a reference for all health professionals involved in the care of these patients, and focusing on the role of available synthetic and biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). Consensual recommendations were agreed on by a panel of 14 experts selected by the Spanish Society of Rheumatology (SER). The available scientific evidence was collected by updating three systematic reviews (SR) used for the EULAR 2013 recommendations. A new SR was added to answer an additional question. The literature review of the scientific evidence was made by the SER reviewer's group. The level of evidence and the degree of recommendation was classified according to the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine system. A Delphi panel was used to evaluate the level of agreement between panellists (strength of recommendation). Thirteen recommendations for the management of adult RA were emitted. The therapeutic objective should be to treat patients in the early phases of the disease with the aim of achieving clinical remission, with methotrexate playing a central role in the therapeutic strategy of RA as the reference synthetic DMARD. Indications for biologic DMARDs were updated and the concept of the optimization of biologicals was introduced. We present the fifth update of the SER recommendations for the management of RA with synthetic and biologic DMARDs. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Estimating riparian and agricultural evapotranspiration by reference crop evapotranspiration and MODIS Enhanced Vegetation Index

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Nagler, Pamela L.; Glenn, Edward P.; Nguyen, Uyen; Scott, Russell; Doody, Tania

2013-01-01

Dryland river basins frequently support both irrigated agriculture and riparian vegetation and remote sensing methods are needed to monitor water use by both crops and natural vegetation in irrigation districts. We developed an algorithm for estimating actual evapotranspiration (ETa) based on the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) sensor on the EOS-1 Terra satellite and locally-derived measurements of reference crop ET (ETo). The algorithm was calibrated with five years of ETa data from three eddy covariance flux towers set in riparian plant associations on the upper San Pedro River, Arizona, supplemented with ETa data for alfalfa and cotton from the literature. The algorithm was based on an equation of the form ETa = ETo [a(1 − e−bEVI) − c], where the term (1 − e−bEVI) is derived from the Beer-Lambert Law to express light absorption by a canopy, with EVI replacing leaf area index as an estimate of the density of light-absorbing units. The resulting algorithm capably predicted ETa across riparian plants and crops (r2 = 0.73). It was then tested against water balance data for five irrigation districts and flux tower data for two riparian zones for which season-long or multi-year ETa data were available. Predictions were within 10% of measured results in each case, with a non-significant (P = 0.89) difference between mean measured and modeled ETa of 5.4% over all validation sites. Validation and calibration data sets were combined to present a final predictive equation for application across crops and riparian plant associations for monitoring individual irrigation districts or for conducting global water use assessments of mixed agricultural and riparian biomes.

Estimating Riparian and Agricultural Actual Evapotranspiration by Reference Evapotranspiration and MODIS Enhanced Vegetation Index

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Russell L. Scott

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Dryland river basins frequently support both irrigated agriculture and riparian vegetation and remote sensing methods are needed to monitor water use by both crops and natural vegetation in irrigation districts. We developed an algorithm for estimating actual evapotranspiration (ETa based on the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS sensor on the EOS-1 Terra satellite and locally-derived measurements of reference crop ET (ETo. The algorithm was calibrated with five years of ETa data from three eddy covariance flux towers set in riparian plant associations on the upper San Pedro River, Arizona, supplemented with ETa data for alfalfa and cotton from the literature. The algorithm was based on an equation of the form ETa = ETo [a(1 − e−bEVI − c], where the term (1 − e−bEVI is derived from the Beer-Lambert Law to express light absorption by a canopy, with EVI replacing leaf area index as an estimate of the density of light-absorbing units. The resulting algorithm capably predicted ETa across riparian plants and crops (r2 = 0.73. It was then tested against water balance data for five irrigation districts and flux tower data for two riparian zones for which season-long or multi-year ETa data were available. Predictions were within 10% of measured results in each case, with a non-significant (P = 0.89 difference between mean measured and modeled ETa of 5.4% over all validation sites. Validation and calibration data sets were combined to present a final predictive equation for application across crops and riparian plant associations for monitoring individual irrigation districts or for conducting global water use assessments of mixed agricultural and riparian biomes.

Survey of herbal cannabis (marijuana) use in rheumatology clinic attenders with a rheumatologist confirmed diagnosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ste-Marie, Peter A; Shir, Yoram; Rampakakis, Emmanouil; Sampalis, John S; Karellis, Angela; Cohen, Martin; Starr, Michael; Ware, Mark A; Fitzcharles, Mary-Ann

2016-12-01

Cannabinoids may hold potential for the management of rheumatic pain. Arthritis, often self-reported, is commonly cited as the reason for the use of medicinal herbal cannabis (marijuana). We have examined the prevalence of marijuana use among 1000 consecutive rheumatology patients with a rheumatologist-confirmed diagnosis and compared in an exploratory manner the clinical characteristics of medicinal users and nonusers. Current marijuana use, medicinal or recreational, was reported by 38 patients (3.8%; 95% CI: 2.8-5.2). Ever use of marijuana for medical purposes was reported by 4.3% (95% CI: 3.2-5.7), with 28 (2.8%; 95% CI: 1.9-4.0) reporting current medicinal use. Current medicinal users had a spectrum of rheumatic conditions, with over half diagnosed with osteoarthritis. Medicinal users were younger, more likely unemployed or disabled, and reported poorer global health. Pain report and opioid use was greater for users, but they had similar physician global assessment of disease status compared with nonusers. Medicinal users were more likely previous recreational users, with approximately 40% reporting concurrent recreational use. Therefore, less than 3% of rheumatology patients reported current use of medicinal marijuana. This low rate of use in patients with a rheumatologist-confirmed diagnosis is in stark contrast to the high rates of severe arthritis frequently reported by medicinal marijuana users, especially in Canada. Familiarity with marijuana as a recreational product may explain use for some as disease status was similar for both groups.

Neptunium: a bibliographic reference

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mosley, R.E.

1979-06-01

A comprehensive bibliograhy of the literature on the element neptunium published prior to January 1976 is presented. A short abstract is given for each listed reference, with a few exceptions. The references are divided into sections categorized as General, Man-Made Sources (Reactors), Man-Made Sources (Fuel Reprocessing), Chemistry (Solubility), Chemistry (Compounds), Chemistry (Isotopes), Analyses (Instrumental), Analyses (Chemical), Chemical (Animal), Biological (Effects), Biological (Animal-Metabolism-Retention), Biological (Air Movement), Biological (Human Inhalation), Measurement, and Dosimetry. The bibliography contains author and keyword indexes and was compiled to serve as a quick reference source for neptunium-related work. 184 citations

Mass spectrometry imaging: a novel technology in rheumatology.

Science.gov (United States)

Rocha, Beatriz; Ruiz-Romero, Cristina; Blanco, Francisco J

2017-01-01

Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) is used to determine the relative abundance and spatial distribution of biomolecules such as peptides, proteins, lipids and other organic compounds in tissue sections by their molecular masses. This technique provides a sensitive and label-free approach for high-resolution imaging, and is currently used in an increasing number of biomedical applications such as biomarker discovery, tissue classification and drug monitoring. Owing to technological advances in the past 5 years in diverse MSI strategies, this technology is expected to become a standard tool in clinical practice and provides information complementary to that obtained using existing methods. Given that MSI is able to extract mass-spectral signatures from pathological tissue samples, this technique provides a novel platform to study joint-related tissues affected by rheumatic diseases. In rheumatology, MSI has been performed on articular cartilage, synovium and bone to increase the understanding of articular destruction and to characterize diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis. In this Review, we provide an overview of MSI technology and of the studies in which joint tissues have been analysed by use of this methodology. This approach might increase knowledge of rheumatic pathologies and ultimately prompt the development of targeted strategies for their management.

Relationship between damage clustering and mortality in systemic lupus erythematosus in early and late stages of the disease: cluster analyses in a large cohort from the Spanish Society of Rheumatology Lupus Registry.

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Pego-Reigosa, José María; Lois-Iglesias, Ana; Rúa-Figueroa, Íñigo; Galindo, María; Calvo-Alén, Jaime; de Uña-Álvarez, Jacobo; Balboa-Barreiro, Vanessa; Ibáñez Ruan, Jesús; Olivé, Alejandro; Rodríguez-Gómez, Manuel; Fernández Nebro, Antonio; Andrés, Mariano; Erausquin, Celia; Tomero, Eva; Horcada Rubio, Loreto; Uriarte Isacelaya, Esther; Freire, Mercedes; Montilla, Carlos; Sánchez-Atrio, Ana I; Santos-Soler, Gregorio; Zea, Antonio; Díez, Elvira; Narváez, Javier; Blanco-Alonso, Ricardo; Silva-Fernández, Lucía; Ruiz-Lucea, María Esther; Fernández-Castro, Mónica; Hernández-Beriain, José Ángel; Gantes-Mora, Marian; Hernández-Cruz, Blanca; Pérez-Venegas, José; Pecondón-Español, Ángela; Marras Fernández-Cid, Carlos; Ibáñez-Barcelo, Mónica; Bonilla, Gema; Torrente-Segarra, Vicenç; Castellví, Iván; Alegre, Juan José; Calvet, Joan; Marenco de la Fuente, José Luis; Raya, Enrique; Vázquez-Rodríguez, Tomás Ramón; Quevedo-Vila, Víctor; Muñoz-Fernández, Santiago; Otón, Teresa; Rahman, Anisur; López-Longo, Francisco Javier

2016-07-01

To identify patterns (clusters) of damage manifestations within a large cohort of SLE patients and evaluate the potential association of these clusters with a higher risk of mortality. This is a multicentre, descriptive, cross-sectional study of a cohort of 3656 SLE patients from the Spanish Society of Rheumatology Lupus Registry. Organ damage was ascertained using the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics Damage Index. Using cluster analysis, groups of patients with similar patterns of damage manifestations were identified. Then, overall clusters were compared as well as the subgroup of patients within every cluster with disease duration shorter than 5 years. Three damage clusters were identified. Cluster 1 (80.6% of patients) presented a lower amount of individuals with damage (23.2 vs 100% in clusters 2 and 3, P Cluster 2 (11.4% of patients) was characterized by musculoskeletal damage in all patients. Cluster 3 (8.0% of patients) was the only group with cardiovascular damage, and this was present in all patients. The overall mortality rate of patients in clusters 2 and 3 was higher than that in cluster 1 (P clusters. Both in early and late stages of the disease, there was a significant association of these clusters with an increased risk of mortality. Physicians should pay special attention to the early prevention of damage in these two systems. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Impact of Antiinflammatory Treatment on the Onset of Uveitis in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: Longitudinal Analysis From a Nationwide Pediatric Rheumatology Database.

Science.gov (United States)

Tappeiner, Christoph; Schenck, Sandra; Niewerth, Martina; Heiligenhaus, Arnd; Minden, Kirsten; Klotsche, Jens

2016-01-01

Based on a nationwide database, this study analyzed the influence of methotrexate (MTX), tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors, and a combination of the 2 medications on uveitis occurrence in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) patients. Data from the National Paediatric Rheumatological Database in Germany were used in this study. Between 2002 and 2013, data from JIA patients were annually documented at the participating pediatric rheumatologic sites. Patients with a JIA disease duration of treatment on the occurrence of uveitis was evaluated by discrete-time survival analysis. A total of 3,512 JIA patients (mean ± SD age 8.3 ± 4.8 years, 65.7% female, 53.2% antinuclear antibody positive, and mean ± SD age at arthritis onset 7.8 ± 4.8 years) fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Mean ± SD total followup time was 3.6 ± 2.4 years. Uveitis developed in a total of 180 patients (5.1%) within 1 year after arthritis onset. Uveitis onset after the first year was observed in another 251 patients (7.1%). Disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) treatment in the year before uveitis onset significantly reduced the risk for uveitis as follows: MTX: hazard ratio (HR) 0.63, P = 0.022; TNF inhibitors: HR 0.56, P uveitis risk (HR 0.29, P uveitis onset. Early MTX use within the first year of disease and the combination of MTX with a TNF inhibitor had the highest protective effect. © 2016 The Authors. Arthritis Care & Research published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Rheumatology.

The e-index, complementing the h-index for excess citations.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chun-Ting Zhang

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The h-index has already been used by major citation databases to evaluate the academic performance of individual scientists. Although effective and simple, the h-index suffers from some drawbacks that limit its use in accurately and fairly comparing the scientific output of different researchers. These drawbacks include information loss and low resolution: the former refers to the fact that in addition to h(2 citations for papers in the h-core, excess citations are completely ignored, whereas the latter means that it is common for a group of researchers to have an identical h-index. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: To solve these problems, I here propose the e-index, where e(2 represents the ignored excess citations, in addition to the h(2 citations for h-core papers. Citation information can be completely depicted by using the h-index together with the e-index, which are independent of each other. Some other h-type indices, such as a and R, are h-dependent, have information redundancy with h, and therefore, when used together with h, mask the real differences in excess citations of different researchers. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Although simple, the e-index is a necessary h-index complement, especially for evaluating highly cited scientists or for precisely comparing the scientific output of a group of scientists having an identical h-index.

Art and rheumatology: the artist and the rheumatologist's perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Hinojosa-Azaola, Andrea; Alcocer-Varela, Jorge

2014-10-01

The reflection of medicine in the universal arts has motivated several rheumatologists to discover features of rheumatic diseases depicted by the artist's eyes long before they were defined as specific pathologic entities. The result has been the identification of several pieces of art dating from the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Baroque and Post-Impressionist periods that depict clear features of several rheumatic diseases such as RA, OA, camptodactyly and temporal arteritis, among others. On the other hand, great artists such as Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Antoni Gaudí, Raoul Dufy, Paul Klee, Frida Kahlo and Niki de Saint Phalle are good examples of how rheumatic diseases such as RA, scleroderma and chronic pain can influence the artist's perspective, the technique used and the content of their work. Art can serve as a powerful resource to understand the natural course of diseases. By learning through the artist's eyes the way illnesses behave and evolve in time, rheumatologists can trace the history of several conditions. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The Videofluorographic Swallowing Study in Rheumatologic Diseases: A Comprehensive Review

Science.gov (United States)

Di Piazza, Ambra; Costanzo, Massimo; Scopelliti, Laura; Salvaggi, Francesco; Cupido, Francesco; Salerno, Sergio; Lo Casto, Antonio; Midiri, Massimo; Lo Re, Giuseppe; Lagalla, Roberto

2017-01-01

Autoimmune connective tissue diseases are a heterogeneous group of pathologies that affect about 10% of world population with chronic evolution in 20%–80%. Inflammation in autoimmune diseases may lead to serious damage to other organs including the gastrointestinal tract. Gastrointestinal tract involvement in these patients may also due to both a direct action of antibodies against organs and pharmacological therapies. Dysphagia is one of the most important symptom, and it is caused by failure of the swallowing function and may lead to aspiration pneumonia, malnutrition, dehydration, weight loss, and airway obstruction. The videofluorographic swallowing study is a key diagnostic tool in the detection of swallowing disorders, allowing to make an early diagnosis and to reduce the risk of gastrointestinal and pulmonary complications. This technique helps to identify both functional and structural anomalies of the anatomic chain involved in swallowing function. The aim of this review is to systematically analyze the basis of the pathological involvement of the swallowing function for each rheumatological disease and to show the main features of the videofluorographic study that may be encountered in these patients. PMID:28706536

Body Mass Index and Western Ontario & McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis in Dr. Hasan Sadikin General Hospital, Bandung in November 2012

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Ainna Binti Mohamad Dat

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Background: Osteoarthritis is one of the major disabilities among elderly. One of its well-recognized potent risk factors is obesity. The aim of this study was to identify the body mass index and severity of knee osteoarthritis patients who were treated in Dr. Hasan Sadikin General Hospital Bandung. Methods: A descriptive study was carried out to 9 patients of the Medical Rehabilitation Policlinic at Dr. Hasan Sadikin General Hospital Bandung in November 2012. Patients were diagnosed as having knee Osteoarthritis based on American College of Rheumatology clinical classification. Exclusion criteria were patient having previous trauma in spine and lower limb, having bleeding disorder like hemophilia, incomplete data in medical records and incomplete data in questionnaire. Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC was used to measure the intensity of pain, stiffness, and functional difficulty. The weight (kg and height (cm of the patients were measured and the Body Mass Index was calculated by Weight (kg/Height² (m. The data were analyzed using frequency distribution. Results: The patients who came to the Medical Rehabilitation Policlinic had ranged in age from 57 to78 years, mostly female with knee Osteoarthritis bilateral. Out of 9 patients, 5 patients were overweight, followed by normal BMI and obese type I. Patient with obese type 1 had the highest WOMAC score. Conclusions: Most of the patients with knee osteoarthritis bilateral are overweight and the patient with obese type 1 has the highest WOMAC score.

Pure analgesics in a rheumatological outpatient clinic

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M.A. Cimmino

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Objective: Pure analgesics are only rarely used by Italian clinicians and this holds true also for rheumatologists. This work is concerned with an evaluation of the use of analgesics in a rheumatological outpatient clinic during the period 1989-1999. Methods: The records of 1705 patients consecutively seen at the clinic were downloaded on a specifically built website. Results: 4469 visits were considered. In 260 of them (5.8%, analgesics were prescribed to 234 (13.7% patients. The number of patients with a prescription of analgesics steadily increased during the years 1989-1999. The diagnoses in patients assuming analgesics were: osteoarthritis (47.1%, inflammatory arthritis (24.2%, soft tissue rheumatisms (13.7%, nonspecific arthralgia/myalgia (7.5%, and connective tissue diseases (2.6%. Peripheral analgesics were used in 188 (82.5% patients and central analgesics were used in the remaining 40 patients (17.5%. Analgesic drugs were used mainly in degenerative joint conditions. The indications for analgesics in the 55 patients with inflammatory arthrits were: (a partial or total remission of arthritis; for this reason non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were no longer required in 18 patients; (b to increase the analgesic effect of NSAIDs in 23 patients; (c contraindications to NSAIDs in 14 patients (renal failure in 2 patients, gastritis in 10, allergy and bleeding in the remaining two. Conclusions: About 14% of our outpatients were treated with analgesics with an increasing trend in the examined period. The main indications for analgesics are degenerative conditions but they can be used also in selected patients with arthritis.

Cross-Index to DOE-prescribed industrial safety codes and standards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1980-01-01

This Cross-Index volume is the 1980 compilation of detailed information from more than two hundred and ninety Department of Energy (DOE) prescribed or Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) referenced industrial safety codes and standards. The compilation of this material was conceived and initiated in 1973, and is revised yearly to provide information from current codes. Condensed data from individual code portions are listed according to reference code, section, paragraph, and page. Each code is given a two-digit reference code number or letter in the Contents section. This reference code provides ready identification of any code listed in the Cross-Index. The computerized information listings are on the left-hand portion of Cross-Index page; in order to the right of the listing are the reference code letters or numbers, the section, paragraph, and page of the referenced code containing expanded information on the individual listing. Simplified How to Use directions are listed. A glossary of letter initials/abbreviations for the organizations or documents, whose codes or standards are contained in this Cross-Index, is included

VT - Vermont Social Vulnerability Index

Data.gov (United States)

Vermont Center for Geographic Information — Social vulnerability refers to the resilience of communities when responding to or recovering from threats to public health. The Vermont Social Vulnerability Index...

Cross-index to DOE-prescribed occupational safety codes and standards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1981-01-01

This Cross-Index volume is the 1981 compilation of detailed information from more than three hundred and fifty DOE prescribed or OSHA referenced industrial safety codes and standards and is revised yearly to provide information from current codes. Condensed data from individual code portions are listed according to reference code, section, paragraph and page. Each code is given a two-digit reference code number or letter in the Contents section (pages C to L) of this volume. This reference code provides ready identification of any code listed in the Cross-Index. The computerized information listings are on the left-hand portion of Cross-Index page; in order to the right of the listing are the reference code letters or numbers, the section, paragraph and page of the referenced code containing expanded information on the individual listing

Python pocket reference

CERN Document Server

Lutz, Mark

2010-01-01

This is the book to reach for when you're coding on the fly and need an answer now. It's an easy-to-use reference to the core language, with descriptions of commonly used modules and toolkits, and a guide to recent changes, new features, and upgraded built-ins -- all updated to cover Python 3.X as well as version 2.6. You'll also quickly find exactly what you need with the handy index. Written by Mark Lutz -- widely recognized as the world's leading Python trainer -- Python Pocket Reference, Fourth Edition, is the perfect companion to O'Reilly's classic Python tutorials, also written by Mark

BIBLIOGRAPHY ON DEAFNESS, A SELECTED INDEX.

Science.gov (United States)

FELLENDORF, GEORGE W.; AND OTHERS

APPROXIMATELY 3,200 REFERENCES ARE LISTED BY AUTHOR AND GROUPED ACCORDING TO SUBJECT. ALL REFERENCES ARE ARTICLES FROM "THE VOLTA REVIEW," 1899 TO 1965, OR "THE AMERICAN ANNALS OF THE DEAF," 1847 TO 1965. AN AUTHOR INDEX IS INCLUDED. THIS DOCUMENT WAS PUBLISHED BY THE ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL ASSOCIATION FOR THE DEAF, INC., THE…

Teaching musculoskeletal examination skills to UK medical students: a comparative survey of Rheumatology and Orthopaedic education practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Blake, Tim

2014-03-28

Specialists in Rheumatology and Orthopaedics are frequently involved in undergraduate teaching of musculoskeletal (MSK) examination skills. Students often report that specialty-led teaching is inconsistent, confusing and bears little resemblance to the curricula. The Gait, Arms, Legs and Spine (GALS) is a MSK screening tool that provides a standardised approach to examination despite it being fraught with disapproval and low uptake. Recent studies would appear to support innovative instructional methods of engaging learners such as patient educators and interactive small group teaching. This comparative cross-sectional survey evaluates the current state of undergraduate teaching in Rheumatology and Orthopaedics, including preferred teaching methods, attitudes towards GALS, and barriers to effective teaching. An electronic questionnaire was sent to specialist trainees and Consultants in the East and West Midlands region, representing 5 UK medical schools. Descriptive statistical data analysis was performed. There were 76 respondents representing 5 medical schools. There was a request for newer teaching methodologies to be used: multi-media computer-assisted learning (35.5%), audio-visual aids (31.6%), role-playing (19.7%), and social media (3.9%). It is evident that GALS is under-utilised with 50% of clinicians not using GALS in their teaching. There is a genuine desire for clinical educators to improve their teaching ability, collaborate more with curriculum planners, and feel valued by institutions. There remains a call for implementing a standardised approach to MSK clinical teaching to supersede GALS.

Development, linguistic and clinimetric validation of the WOMAC VA3.01 Bangla for Bangladesh Index.

Science.gov (United States)

Rabbani, M G; Haq, S A; Bellamy, N; Islam, M N; Choudhury, M R; Naheed, A; Ahmed, S; Shahin, A

2015-06-01

The aim of this study was to develop and to validate a Bengali version of the Western Ontario and McMaster Osteoarthritis (WOMAC) index in Bangladesh. The WOMAC was translated into the local language of Bangladesh (Bengali) and adapted in the local sociocultural context, following the standard guidelines by Beaton et al. Content validity of the preliminary Bengali version was assessed by using the index of content validity (ICV) and floor and ceiling effects. Patients were assessed at the Department of Rheumatology of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University and were diagnosed to have knee OA by American College of Rheumatology criteria and recruited according to the requirements of the validation study. Convergent and divergent validity were measured by comparing with Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) and the Short Form-36 (SF-36), and internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. The questionnaire was readministered to 40 patients within a week for assessing reliability by using intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. In addition, factor analysis of Bengali WOMAC questionnaire was performed to examine the number of factors influencing a common set of items. A Bengali version was developed with changes in three items to suit local practices. The ICV of the content validity was 1 for all items. The Bengali WOMAC had similar construct validity when compared to the HAQ (ρ 0.74, n = 70) and SF-36 bodily pain and physical functioning. It had dissimilar construct validity to SF-36 mental health domain except WOMAC pain. Factor analysis revealed five factors with eigenvalues of more than 1.0. Cronbach's alpha and ICC exceeded 0.7 in all domains. In the test-retest reliability testing, Spearman's ρ for all items exceeded 0.4 (n = 40). This study has demonstrated that the Bengali version of WOMAC is a valid tool for assessing quality of life of patients with knee osteoarthritis in Bangladesh

Treatment adherence and disease burden of individuals with rheumatic diseases admitted as outpatients to a large rheumatology center in Shanghai, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Le; Lu, Guo Hong; Ye, Shuang; Wu, Bin; Shen, Yi; Li, Ting

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine treatment adherence and disease burden, analyze detailed medication problems experienced by patients, and identify factors associated with adherence in patients with rheumatic diseases in China. Patients with confirmed diagnoses of ankylosing spondylitis (AS), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) were recruited, regardless of demographics, disease severity, and treatment characteristics. Adherence was assessed using the Compliance Questionnaire for Rheumatology and interview-based self-reports. A backwards-stepwise multivariate regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with adherence. We collected data on 252 patients who had a rheumatic disease and visited our outpatient clinic in January or February of 2017. There were 121 patients with SLE, 70 with RA, and 61 with AS. The overall adherence rate was 41.7%, with 48.7% for SLE patients, 38.6% for RA patients, and 31.1% for AS patients. The overall EuroQol (EQ)-index was 0.761; AS patients had the best EQ-index (0.792), followed by those with SLE (0.780) and RA (0.700). SLE patients also had greater annual direct costs (US$5,103.58) than RA or AS patients. Overall, 41.7% of our rheumatic disease patients were adherent to treatment, lower than in many other parts of the world. This indicates that it is important to identify methods that improve adherence in this population. It is particularly important to improve the health status and reduce the disease burden of patients with SLE, the most common of the three rheumatic diseases we analyzed. Our results suggest that reminder tools may improve adherence. Further prospective research is needed to confirm whether reminder tools and other measures can improve patient compliance.

Sjögren SER: National registry of the Spanish Society of Rheumatology of patients with primary Sjögren syndrome: Objectives and methodology.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernández Castro, Mónica; Andreu, Jose Luis; Sánchez-Piedra, Carlos; Martínez Taboada, Víctor; Olivé, Alejandro; Rosas, José; Sánchez-Alonso, Fernando

2016-01-01

To describe the objectives and methods of the Spanish Society of Rheumatology primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS) registry (SJOGREN-SER) METHODS: This is a multicenter descriptive transversal study of a cohort of pSS patients fulfilling European/American consensus criteria collected from Rheumatology clinics all over Spain. Patients were included by randomisation from an anonymised list provided by every department. Data were collected by reviewing clinical records and an interviewing the patients. Two hundred and ninety eight variables were investigated: epidemiological, clinical, serological characteristics, treatments and complications. Informed consent was obtained and local ethics committees approved the study. Variables were analysed by descriptive statistical methods, using means, medians, and rates, with their deviations and interquartile ranges (p25-p75). A total of 3 rheumatology departments participated in the registry. A total of 437 patients were included. And 95% of them were women, with a median age of 58. Median age at pSS 's diagnosis was 50 years. Dryness symptoms (95%) were the most frequent complaint and anti-Ro/SS-A were present in 94% of the cases. Only 27% of the patients fulfilled the new 2012 SICCA-ACR classification criteria. SJOGREN-SER has been designed in order to characterize a representative pSS Spanish cohort, in clinical daily practice, to analyze the magnitude and distribution of its manifestations, activity, accumulated damage and therapeutic management of the disease. This will allow broadening the knowledge of this disease and plan strategies of action in pSS. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Reumatología y Colegio Mexicano de Reumatología. All rights reserved.

Novel indexes based on network structure to indicate financial market

Science.gov (United States)

Zhong, Tao; Peng, Qinke; Wang, Xiao; Zhang, Jing

2016-02-01

There have been various achievements to understand and to analyze the financial market by complex network model. However, current studies analyze the financial network model but seldom present quantified indexes to indicate or forecast the price action of market. In this paper, the stock market is modeled as a dynamic network, in which the vertices refer to listed companies and edges refer to their rank-based correlation based on price series. Characteristics of the network are analyzed and then novel indexes are introduced into market analysis, which are calculated from maximum and fully-connected subnets. The indexes are compared with existing ones and the results confirm that our indexes perform better to indicate the daily trend of market composite index in advance. Via investment simulation, the performance of our indexes is analyzed in detail. The results indicate that the dynamic complex network model could not only serve as a structural description of the financial market, but also work to predict the market and guide investment by indexes.

Integrating rheumatology care in the community: can shared care work?

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Anita Yn; Tan, Chuen Seng; Low, Bernadette Pl; Lau, Tang Ching; Tan, Tze Lee; Goh, Lee Gan; Teng, Gim Gee

2015-01-01

Singapore's rapidly ageing population and chronic disease burden at public hospital specialist clinics herald a silver tsunami. In Singapore, "right siting" aims to manage stable chronic disease in primary care at a lower cost. To improve the quality of rheumatology care, we created shared care between rheumatologist and family physician to reduce hospital visits. Clinical practice improvement methodology was used to structure shared care of stable patients between hospital rheumatologists and eleven community family physicians; one ran a hospital clinic. A case manager coordinated the workflow. About 220 patients entered shared care over 29 months. Patients without hospital subsidies (private patients) and private family physicians independently predicted successful shared care, defined as one cycle of alternating care. Our shared care model incorporated a case manager, systematic workflows, patient selection criteria, willing family physician partners and rheumatologists in the absence of organizational integration. Health care affordability impacts successful shared care. Government subsidy hindered right siting to private primary care. Financing systems in Singapore, at health policy level, must allow transfer of hospital subsidies to primary care, both private and public, to make it more affordable than hospital care. Structural integration will create a seamless continuum between hospital and primary care.

CERN featured as leader in Global Innovation Index

CERN Multimedia

Anaïs Rassat, KT group

2016-01-01

The Global Innovation Index 2016 report is a leading reference on innovation and uses CERN as an example of a highly successful regional initiative.   The Global Innovation Index 2016 (GII) report highlights CERN’s successful innovation initiatives. (Image: GII) Read more here.

Complications encountered in patients bearers with crest syndrome in rheumatological service of the Hospital San Juan de Dios until September 2009

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mendez Rodriguez, Alexis

2010-01-01

Systematic sclerosis is a disease that has caused much morbidity and dependence in patients. Despite not being the disease most prevalent in rheumatological practice, it has been perhaps one that has generated more interest in the complex pathophysiology; but, also a great sense of frustration with the great therapeutic limitations especially when is diagnosed in advanced stages. The research was conducted in order to motivate early clinical search of the major complications found in patients CREST syndrome, in rheumatological service of the Hospital San Juan de Dios until September 2009 the total of cases with a diagnosis of CREST were reviewed in outpatient records, the study population have been of 41 patients. The different clinical manifestations of the patient were taken into account, among other aspects: immunological studies, established treatments and diagnosis methods as conventional radiology, endoscopic studies, echocardiogram, capillaroscopy. This job has determined among other things, that the majority of patients with CREST come from Desamparados and the Southern Zone, representing 31.7 and 29.2%, respectively, 98% are women and 76% of patients engaged in domestic chores and no mortality case was found in relation to CREST [es

Evaluation of a novel 7-joint ultrasound score in daily rheumatologic practice: a pilot project.

Science.gov (United States)

Backhaus, M; Ohrndorf, S; Kellner, H; Strunk, J; Backhaus, T M; Hartung, W; Sattler, H; Albrecht, K; Kaufmann, J; Becker, K; Sörensen, H; Meier, L; Burmester, G R; Schmidt, W A

2009-09-15

To introduce a new standardized ultrasound score based on 7 joints of the clinically dominant hand and foot (German US7 score) implemented in daily rheumatologic practice. The ultrasound score included the following joints of the clinically dominant hand and foot: wrist, second and third metacarpophalangeal and proximal interphalangeal, and second and fifth metatarsophalangeal joints. Synovitis and synovial/tenosynovial vascularity were scored semiquantitatively (grade 0-3) by gray-scale (GS) and power Doppler (PD) ultrasound. Tenosynovitis and erosions were scored for presence. The scoring range was 0-27 for GS synovitis, 0-39 for PD synovitis, 0-7 for GS tenosynovitis, 0-21 for PD tenosynovitis, and 0-14 for erosions. Patients with arthritis were examined at baseline and after the start or change of disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) and/or tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) inhibitor therapy 3 and 6 months later. C-reactive protein level, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, rheumatoid factor, anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide, Disease Activity Score in 28 joints (DAS28), and radiographs of the hands and feet were performed. One hundred twenty patients (76% women) with rheumatoid arthritis (91%) and psoriatic arthritis (9%) were enrolled. In 52 cases (43%), erosions were seen in radiography at baseline. Patients received DMARDs (41%), DMARDs plus TNFalpha inhibitors (41%), or TNFalpha inhibitor monotherapy (18%). At baseline, the mean DAS28 was 5.0 and the synovitis scores were 8.1 in GS ultrasound and 3.3 in PD ultrasound. After 6 months of therapy, the DAS28 significantly decreased to 3.6 (Delta = 1.4), and the GS and PD ultrasound scores significantly decreased to 5.5 (-32%) and 2.0 (-39%), respectively. The German US7 score is a viable tool for examining patients with arthritis in daily rheumatologic practice because it significantly reflects therapeutic response.

Impact of the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games on physical activity of rheumatology patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Müther, Michael; Williamson, Marie; Williamson, Lyn

2014-10-01

Lack of physical activity in the general population is one of the biggest health challenges we face. For rheumatology patients, and other patients with chronic disease, exercise is an essential part of disease management. However, very few patients exercise effectively.One of the aspirations of the London 2012 Olympic/Paralympic Games was to catalyze people into long-term physical activity. We surveyed our rheumatology patients at 3 high-profile times in the year after the Olympics. Two hundred fifty-three patients were enrolled within the study; the largest diagnosis subgroup being rheumatoid arthritis (36%). Ninety-five percent of our patients regard exercise as beneficial; 36% still think it does harm. Most common barriers to exercise were pain (53%), tiredness (44%), and lack of time (36%). Forty-five percent exercise daily, mostly just walking. Twnety-seven patients (16%) were motivated by the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games toward physical activity. They were mostly motivated by athletics' individual stories (67%), taking part in a big sports festival (11%) and demonstration of top sporting levels (4%). Eighteen patients in total (7%) increased their amount of exercise in response to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. There was no difference between patient diagnostic groups. Only a small minority of patients increased their amount of exercise in response to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The message about the importance of physical exercise to health needs to be clear, unambiguous, and consistent, because a significant number of patients still think that physical activity does harm. Big sporting events such as the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games can be used as an opportunity to remind patients that physical activity does good and is not harmful. Athletes' individual stories could be used in future as part of a strategy to encourage exercise for all patients.

I'm Sorry "About That": Apologies, Indexicals, and (Unnamed) Offenses

Science.gov (United States)

Margutti, Piera; Traverso, Véronique; Pugliese, Rosa

2016-01-01

We investigate an apology format, "I'm sorry about it/that," where indexical terms (pronouns) refer to the offense rather than naming it. We identified two subsets in our collection of indexical apologies. In one, indexicals are subsequent either to the offense formulation or to an apology-relevant event; in the second, indexicals are…

Reference values for electrooculography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barrientos Castanno, Alberto; Herrera Mora, Maritza; Garcia Baez, Obel

2012-01-01

Obtain electrooculographic reference values based on the patterns set by the Standardization Committee of the International Society for Clinical Electrophysiology of Vision (ISCEV). the lowest amplitude values of the potential ranged between 388 and 882 μv in the dark phase. The light peak was obtained between 9 and 10 minutes, and during this phase the potential reached an amplitude ranging between 808 and 1 963 μv. This amplitude variability may be related to the fact that the test was conducted without pupillary mydriasis. The reference value obtained for Arden index was 1,55 to 2,87

Index of French nuclear literature: IBM 360 programmes for preparing the permuted index of French titles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chonez, Nicole

1968-12-01

This report contains the assembly list, the flow chart and some comments about each of the IBM 360 assembler language programmes used for preparing one of the subject indexes contained in the bibliographical bulletin entitled: 'Index de la Litterature nucleaire francaise'; this bulletin has been produced by the French C.E.A. since 1968. Only the processing phases from the magnetic tape file of the bibliographical references, assumed correct, to the printing out of the permuted index obtained with the French titles of the documents on the tape are considered here. This permuted index has the peculiarity of automatically regrouping synonyms and certain grammatical variations of the words. (author) [fr

Nitrogen-15 reference book: medicine and biosciences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faust, H.

1983-04-01

A comprehensive bibliography on the application of the stable nitrogen isotope 15 N in medicine, animal nutrition and physiology, biosciences, and related disciplines is presented. The literature pertaining to this paper covers the period from 1977 to 1981. The references are completed by an index of all authors and a subject index with special emphasis to the used organisms, labelled compounds, and tracer techniques, respectively. (author)

Conversion rates of abstracts presented at the Canadian Rheumatology Association Annual Meetings into full-text journal articles.

Science.gov (United States)

Yacyshyn, Elaine A; Soong, Laura C

2017-06-01

Dissemination of research studies is important for research ideas to be transformed from initial abstracts to full publications. Analyses of the scientific impact and publication record of the Canadian Rheumatology Association (CRA) Annual meeting have not been previously described. This study determines the publication rate of abstracts presented at the CRA Annual Meetings 2005-2013 to full-text journal articles and the factors associated with publication. Program records of previous CRA meetings from 2005 to 2013 were obtained. Abstracts were searched for corresponding full-text publication in Google Scholar and PubMed using a search algorithm. Abstracts and subsequent published articles were evaluated for type of abstract, time to publication, study type, publishing journal, and journal impact factor. A total of 1401 abstracts were included in the study, 567 of which were converted to full publications. The average time to publication was 19.7 months, with 89% of abstracts published within 3 years of being presented. Eighty-three percent of abstracts were clinical in nature, and 58% of published studies were observational in design. Articles were published in a wide range of journals, with the top publisher being the Journal of Rheumatology (31%). Average time to publication was 19.7 months. Eighty-six percent of articles had a Journal Impact Factor > 2. Overall, 40.5% of abstracts presented at the CRA Annual Meetings 2005-2013 were published. Further research is needed to determine barriers and reasons for abstracts not being published as full-text articles.

A concise evaluation and management curriculum for physicians in training improved billing at an outpatient academic rheumatology clinic.

Science.gov (United States)

Hirsh, Joel M; Collier, David H; Boyle, Dennis J; Gardner, Edward M

2010-04-01

To study whether providing house staff with a brief lecture and handout about proper documentation could improve billing at an academic rheumatology clinic. The authors created an educational sheet about documentation and billing after a review of the common documentation omissions responsible for down coding (Appendix, Supplemental Digital Content 1, available at: http://links.lww.com/RHU/A8). Beginning in November of 2006, the house staff were provided with this sheet and a brief lecture regarding how outpatient evaluation and management levels of service are coded. The results of clinic billing from January 1, 2006 to October 31, 2006 and November 1, 2006 to August 31, 2007 were obtained from the physician billing office. The authors compared the average level of service, by appointment type, in the prepost comparison periods using the student t test. There was a significant improvement in the level of service billed for new visits (P < 0.001), consults (P < 0.001), and return visits (P < 0.001) after November 1, 2006. The percentage of patients evaluated for the first time who were billed as consults improved from 15% to 78% (P < 0.001 by chi2). These changes resulted in $34,342 of additional billing during the postintervention period. A simple strategy for educating the house staff about proper documentation of the history, physical examination, and clinical decision making resulted in a significant improvement in an academic rheumatology division's outpatient billing.

Italian Society of Rheumatology (SIR recommendations for performing arthrocentesis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Spadaro

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Joint fluid aspiration, or arthrocentesis, is one of the most useful and commonly performed procedures for the diagnosis and treatment of rheumatic diseases, but to date no definite guidelines have been published. For this reason, a group of experts of the Italian Society of Rheumatology (SIR produced evidence based recommendations for performing arthrocentesis. Among them, the most relevant are: a arthrocentesis is necessary when synovial effusion of unknown origin is present, especially if septic or crystal arthritis is suspected; b the patient should be clearly informed of the benefits and risks of the procedure in order to give an informed consent; c ultrasonography should be used to facilitate arthrocentesis in difficult joints; d fluid evacuation often has a therapeutic effect and facilitates the success of the following intraarticular injection; e careful skin disinfection and the use of sterile, disposable material is mandatory for avoiding septic complications. Disposable, non sterile gloves should always be used by the operator, mainly for his own protection; f contraindications are the presence of skin lesions or infections in the area of the puncture; g the patient’s anticoagulant treatment is not a contraindication, providing the therapeutic range is not exceeded; h joint rest after arthrocentesis is not indicated. Several of these recommendations were based on experts’ opinion rather than on published evidence which is scanty.

Radioactive waste management integrated data base: a bibliography. [Approximately 1100 references

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Johnson, C.A.; Garland, P.A.

1980-09-01

The purpose of this indexed bibliography is to organize and collect the literature references on waste generation and treatment, characteristics, inventories, and costs. The references were captured into a searchable information file, and the information file was sorted, indexed, and printed for this bibliography. A completion of approximately 1100 references to nuclear waste management, the first of a series, is completed. Each reference is categorized by waste origin (commercial, defense, institutional, and foreign) and by subject area: (1) high-level wastes, (2) low-level wastes, (3) TRU wastes, (4) airborne wastes, (5) remedial action (formerly utilized sites, surplus facilities, and mill tailings), (6) isolation, (7) transportation, (8) spent fuel, (9) fuel cycle centers, and (10) a general category that covers nonspecific wastes. Five indexes are provided to assist the user in locating documents of interest: author, author affiliation (corporate authority), subject category, keyword, and permuted title. Machine (computer) searches of these indexes can be made specifying multiple constraints if so desired. This bibliography will be periodically updated as new information becomes available. In addition to being used in searches for specific data, the information file can also be used for resource document collection, names and addresses of contacts, and identification of potential sources of data.

Indexes to Nuclear Regulatory Commission issuances, July--September 1997

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-01-01

This digest and index lists the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issuances for July to September 1997. Issuances are from the Commission, the Atomic Safety and Licensing Boards, the Administrative Law Judges, the Directors' Decisions, and the Decisions on Petitions for Rulemaking. There are five sections to this index: (1) case name index, (2) headers and digests, (3) legal citations index, (4) subject index, and (5) facility index. The digest provides a brief narrative of the issue, including the resolution of the issue and any legal references used for resolution

Current trends in medical English education and the Japan College of Rheumatology International School.

Science.gov (United States)

Jego, Eric Hajime; Amengual, Olga

2017-11-01

In light of the present revolution happening in medical education in Japan as medical schools implement new curricula to conform to global standards, there is a growing demand for more internationalization and higher quality practical medical English education. In response, many institutions including governmental organizations, universities and academic associations are moving ahead with new initiatives to adapt to these changing demands. This paper reviews the current trends and innovations in medical English education in Japan. This paper also describes one initiative by the Japan College of Rheumatology (JCR) known as the JCR International School held yearly in Karuizawa. By examining recent trends and innovations in medical English education in Japan, the most relevant and applicable can be elucidated to illuminate a path forward for improved medical English education within the JCR.

KWIC Index to Government Publications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Margaret Norden

2013-05-01

Full Text Available United States and United Nations publications were not efficiently proc- essed nor readily available to the reader at Brandeis University Library. Data processing equipment was used to make a list of this material which could be referred to by a computer produced KWIC index. Currency and availability to the user, and time and cost efficiencies for the library were given precedence over detailed subject access. United States and United Nations classification schemes> and existing bibliographies and indexes were used extensively.

Electrical engineering a pocket reference

CERN Document Server

Schmidt-Walter, Heinz

2007-01-01

This essential reference offers you a well-organized resource for accessing the basic electrical engineering knowledge you need for your work. Whether you're an experienced engineer who appreciates an occasional refresher in key areas, or a student preparing to enter the field, Electrical Engineering: A Pocket Reference provides quick and easy access to fundamental principles and their applications. You also find an extensive collection of time-saving equations that help simplify your daily projects.Supported with more than 500 diagrams and figures, 60 tables, and an extensive index, this uniq

PHOBINS: an index file of photon production cross section data and its utility code system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hasegawa, Akira; Koyama, Kinji; Ido, Masaru; Hotta, Masakazu; Miyasaka, Shun-ichi

1978-08-01

The code System PHOBINS developed for reference of photon production cross sections is described in detail. The system is intended to grasp the present status of photon production data and present the information of available data. It consists of four utility routines, CREA, UP-DT, REF and BACK, and data files. These utility routines are used for making an index file of the photon production cross sections, updating the index file, searching the index file and producing a back-up file of the index file. In the index file of the photon production cross sections, a data base system is employed for efficient data management in economical storage, ease of updating and efficient reference. The present report is a reference manual of PHOBINS. (author)

Adaptation and Validation of the Foot Function Index-Revised Short Form into Polish

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Radosław Rutkowski

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose. The aim of the present study was to adapt the Foot Function Index-Revised Short Form (FFI-RS questionnaire into Polish and verify its reliability and validity in a group of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA. Methods. The study included 211 patients suffering from RA. The FFI-RS questionnaire underwent standard linguistic adaptation and its psychometric parameters were investigated. The enrolled participants had been recruited for seven months as a convenient sample from the rheumatological hospital in Śrem (Poland. They represented different sociodemographic characteristics and were characterized as rural and city environments residents. Results. The mean age of the patients was 58.9±10.2 years. The majority of patients (85% were female. The average final FFI-RS score was 62.9±15.3. The internal consistency was achieved at a high level of 0.95 in Cronbach’s alpha test, with an interclass correlation coefficient ranging between 0.78 and 0.84. A strong correlation was observed between the FFI-RS and Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ-DI questionnaires. Conclusion. The Polish version of FFI-RS-PL indicator is an important tool for evaluating the functional condition of patients’ feet and can be applied in the diagnosis and treatment of Polish-speaking patients suffering from RA.

Adaptation and Validation of the Foot Function Index-Revised Short Form into Polish.

Science.gov (United States)

Rutkowski, Radosław; Gałczyńska-Rusin, Małgorzata; Gizińska, Małgorzata; Straburzyński-Lupa, Marcin; Zdanowska, Agata; Romanowski, Mateusz Wojciech; Romanowski, Wojciech; Budiman-Mak, Elly; Straburzyńska-Lupa, Anna

2017-01-01

The aim of the present study was to adapt the Foot Function Index-Revised Short Form (FFI-RS) questionnaire into Polish and verify its reliability and validity in a group of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The study included 211 patients suffering from RA. The FFI-RS questionnaire underwent standard linguistic adaptation and its psychometric parameters were investigated. The enrolled participants had been recruited for seven months as a convenient sample from the rheumatological hospital in Śrem (Poland). They represented different sociodemographic characteristics and were characterized as rural and city environments residents. The mean age of the patients was 58.9 ± 10.2 years. The majority of patients (85%) were female. The average final FFI-RS score was 62.9 ± 15.3. The internal consistency was achieved at a high level of 0.95 in Cronbach's alpha test, with an interclass correlation coefficient ranging between 0.78 and 0.84. A strong correlation was observed between the FFI-RS and Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ-DI) questionnaires. The Polish version of FFI-RS-PL indicator is an important tool for evaluating the functional condition of patients' feet and can be applied in the diagnosis and treatment of Polish-speaking patients suffering from RA.

Integrating rheumatology care in the community: can shared care work?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anita YN Lim

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Singapore's rapidly ageing population and chronic disease burden at public hospital specialist clinics herald a silver tsunami. In Singapore, “right siting” aims to manage stable chronic disease in primary care at a lower cost. To improve the quality of rheumatology care, we created shared care between rheumatologist and family physician to reduce hospital visits. Methods: Clinical practice improvement methodology was used to structure shared care of stable patients between hospital rheumatologists and eleven community family physicians; one ran a hospital clinic. A case manager coordinated the workflow. Results: About 220 patients entered shared care over 29 months. Patients without hospital subsidies (private patients and private family physicians independently predicted successful shared care, defined as one cycle of alternating care. Discussion: Our shared care model incorporated a case manager, systematic workflows, patient selection criteria, willing family physician partners and rheumatologists in the absence of organizational integration. Health care affordability impacts successful shared care. Government subsidy hindered right siting to private primary care. Conclusions: Financing systems in Singapore, at health policy level, must allow transfer of hospital subsidies to primary care, both private and public, to make it more affordable than hospital care. Structural integration will create a seamless continuum between hospital and primary care.

Integrating rheumatology care in the community: can shared care work?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anita YN Lim

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Singapore's rapidly ageing population and chronic disease burden at public hospital specialist clinics herald a silver tsunami. In Singapore, “right siting” aims to manage stable chronic disease in primary care at a lower cost. To improve the quality of rheumatology care, we created shared care between rheumatologist and family physician to reduce hospital visits.Methods: Clinical practice improvement methodology was used to structure shared care of stable patients between hospital rheumatologists and eleven community family physicians; one ran a hospital clinic. A case manager coordinated the workflow.Results: About 220 patients entered shared care over 29 months. Patients without hospital subsidies (private patients and private family physicians independently predicted successful shared care, defined as one cycle of alternating care.Discussion: Our shared care model incorporated a case manager, systematic workflows, patient selection criteria, willing family physician partners and rheumatologists in the absence of organizational integration. Health care affordability impacts successful shared care. Government subsidy hindered right siting to private primary care.Conclusions: Financing systems in Singapore, at health policy level, must allow transfer of hospital subsidies to primary care, both private and public, to make it more affordable than hospital care. Structural integration will create a seamless continuum between hospital and primary care.

Biweekly list of papers on radiation chemistry. Annual cumulation with keyword and author indexes. Volume 9

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1976-01-01

The reference lists and indexes are generated from a computer-searchable bibliographic data base; an indexing program collects and alphabetizes authors' names and keywords and correlates them with reference numbers

Author's capabilities in author indexing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ooi, Shoichi

1988-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to provide a author capability of current author indexing practices in journal literature indexing practices in 'Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology of Japan'. This Journal employed keywords freely assigned by author and not taken from INIS Thesaurus or other vocabulary list. Author examined 413 literatures, comparing keywords assigned by the literatures' authors with descriptor's (ATOMINDEX) assigned by an experienced professional indexer. The results of the comparisons showed that the average set of terms assigned by author included about 70% of all the terms assigned to the same literature by the professional indexer. Authors eventually would contribute, for the most effective point to create reference to information is at the time of its generation. Consequently, it may be possible to transfer them easily to descriptors in every secondary information system. (author)

American College of Rheumatology provisional criteria for defining clinical inactive disease in select categories of juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Wallace, Carol A; Giannini, Edward H; Huang, Bin; Itert, Lukasz; Ruperto, Nicolino

2011-07-01

To prospectively validate the preliminary criteria for clinical inactive disease (CID) in patients with select categories of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). We used the process for development of classification and response criteria recommended by the American College of Rheumatology Quality of Care Committee. Patient-visit profiles were extracted from the phase III randomized controlled trial of infliximab in polyarticular-course JIA (i.e., patients considered to resemble those with select categories of JIA) and sent to an international group of expert physician raters. Using the physician ratings as the gold standard, the sensitivity and specificity were calculated using the preliminary criteria. Modifications to the criteria were made, and these were sent to a larger group of pediatric rheumatologists to determine quantitative, face, and content validity. Variables weighted heaviest by physicians when making their judgment were the number of joints with active arthritis, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), physician's global assessment, and duration of morning stiffness. Three modifications were made: the definition of uveitis, the definition of abnormal ESR, and the addition of morning stiffness. These changes did not alter the accuracy of the preliminary set. The modified criteria, termed the "criteria for CID in select categories of JIA," have excellent feasibility and face, content, criterion, and discriminant validity to detect CID in select categories of JIA. The small changes made to the preliminary criteria set did not alter the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (0.954) or accuracy (91%), but have increased face and content validity. Copyright © 2011 by the American College of Rheumatology.

INDEXABILITY AND OPTIMAL INDEX POLICIES FOR A CLASS OF REINITIALISING RESTLESS BANDITS.

Science.gov (United States)

Villar, Sofía S

2016-01-01

Motivated by a class of Partially Observable Markov Decision Processes with application in surveillance systems in which a set of imperfectly observed state processes is to be inferred from a subset of available observations through a Bayesian approach, we formulate and analyze a special family of multi-armed restless bandit problems. We consider the problem of finding an optimal policy for observing the processes that maximizes the total expected net rewards over an infinite time horizon subject to the resource availability. From the Lagrangian relaxation of the original problem, an index policy can be derived, as long as the existence of the Whittle index is ensured. We demonstrate that such a class of reinitializing bandits in which the projects' state deteriorates while active and resets to its initial state when passive until its completion possesses the structural property of indexability and we further show how to compute the index in closed form. In general, the Whittle index rule for restless bandit problems does not achieve optimality. However, we show that the proposed Whittle index rule is optimal for the problem under study in the case of stochastically heterogenous arms under the expected total criterion, and it is further recovered by a simple tractable rule referred to as the 1-limited Round Robin rule. Moreover, we illustrate the significant suboptimality of other widely used heuristic: the Myopic index rule, by computing in closed form its suboptimality gap. We present numerical studies which illustrate for the more general instances the performance advantages of the Whittle index rule over other simple heuristics.

STUDIES DEVOTED TO ANTIPHOSPHOLIPID SYNDROME AT THE V.A. NASONOVA RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF RHEUMATOLOGY: MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS (ON THE OCCASION OF THE 40th ANNIVERSARY OF THE DISSERTATION BOARD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. M. Reshetnyak

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents achievements associated with the study of antiphospholipid syndrome from its description to the present time, i.e. over the last 30 years, worldwide and at the V.A. Nasonova Research Institute of Rheumatology.

Echocardiographic evaluation of right ventricular stroke work index in advanced heart failure: a new index?

Science.gov (United States)

Frea, Simone; Bovolo, Virginia; Bergerone, Serena; D'Ascenzo, Fabrizio; Antolini, Marina; Capriolo, Michele; Canavosio, Federico Giovanni; Morello, Mara; Gaita, Fiorenzo

2012-12-01

Right ventricular (RV) function plays a pivotal role in advanced heart failure patients, especially for screening those who may benefit from left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation. We introduce RV contraction pressure index (RVCPI) as a new echo-Doppler parameter of RV function. The accuracy of RVCPI in detecting RV failure was compared with the criterion standard, the RV stroke work index (RVSWI) obtained through right heart catheterization in advanced heart failure patients referred for heart transplantation or LVAD implantation. Right heart catheterization and echo-Doppler were simultaneously performed in 94 consecutive patients referred to our center for advanced heart failure (ejection fraction (EF) 24 ± 8.8%, 40% NYHA functional class IV). RV stroke volume and invasive pulmonary pressures were used to obtain RVSWI. Simplified RVCPI (sRVCPI) was derived as TAPSE × (RV - right atrial pressure gradient). Close positive correlation between sRVCPI and RVSWI was found (r = 0.68; P rights reserved.

Right ventricular longitudinal strain correlates well with right ventricular stroke work index in patients with advanced heart failure referred for heart transplantation.

Science.gov (United States)

Cameli, Matteo; Lisi, Matteo; Righini, Francesca Maria; Tsioulpas, Charilaos; Bernazzali, Sonia; Maccherini, Massimo; Sani, Guido; Ballo, Piercarlo; Galderisi, Maurizio; Mondillo, Sergio

2012-03-01

Right ventricular (RV) systolic function has a critical role in determining the clinical outcome and success of using left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) in patients with refractory heart failure. Tissue Doppler and M-mode measurements of tricuspid systolic motion (tricuspid S' and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion [TAPSE]) are the most currently used methods for the quantification of RV longitudinal function; RV deformation analysis by speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE) has recently allowed the analysis of global RV longitudinal function. Using cardiac catheterization as the reference standard, this study aimed at exploring the correlation between RV longitudinal function by STE and RV stroke work index (RVSWI) in patients referred for cardiac transplantation. Right-side heart catheterization and transthoracic echo Doppler were simultaneously performed in 41 patients referred for cardiac transplantation evaluation for advanced systolic heart failure. Thermodilution RV stroke volume and invasive pulmonary pressures were used to obtain RVSWI. RV longitudinal strain (RVLS) by STE was assessed averaging all segments in apical 4-chamber view (global RVLS) and by averaging RV free-wall segments (free-wall RVLS). Tricuspid S' and TAPSE were also calculated. No significant correlations were found for TAPSE or tricuspid S' with RVSWI (r = 0.14; r = 0.06; respectively). Close negative correlations between global RVLS and free-wall RVLS with the RVSWI were found (r = -0.75; r = -0.82; respectively; both P rights reserved.

Septic arthritis: a 12 years retrospective study in a rheumatological university clinic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Riato

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Background: Septic arthritis is a disabling and potentially life-threatening condition that requires prompt diagnosis and treatment. The most important risk factors are joint prosthesis, pre-existing joint disease and immunosuppressive drugs. The aim of our study therefore was to revaluate all septic arthritis cases discharged from our Rheumatologic Unit in the last 12 years, to assess the risk factors, the clinical and laboratory characteristics, the causative microorganisms and its possible increase in frequency. Methods: The medical records of 42 consecutive patients with septic arthritis discharged from our Rheumatology Unit between January 1995 and December 2006 were reviewed. The patients ranged in age from 23 to 90 and there isn’t gender predominance. Septic arthritis was diagnosed based on the finding of purulent material in the joint space and/or the isolation of a bacterial pathogen from joint fluid. Demographic data, risk factors, co-morbidity, clinical manifestations, time interval between symptoms onset and diagnosis, treatment and laboratory data including serum white blood cell count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR, C reactive protein (CRP, synovial white blood cells and culture results were analysed. We considered these parameters in the whole population and in two different age groups (≤60, >60 and tried to determine if there was a change of microorganisms involved in septic arthritis during the years. Results: Of 42 patients, 47% were aged 60 and younger. Only 10 patients were admitted to our unit before 2001. A predisposing factor was recorded in 90,5% of cases: 15 patients had rheumatoid arthritis, 8 were diabetic, 6 had seronegative arthritis, 4 had a connective tissue disease, 8 patients had a prosthetic infection and 3 were subjected recently to arthrocentesis. We found that patients aged 60 and younger were more frequently affected by joint disease and had a synovial white blood cell count lower than patients

Bibliography on moving boundary problems with key word index

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilson, D.G.; Solomon, A.D.; Trent, J.S.

1979-10-01

This bibliography concentrates mainly on time-dependent moving-boundary problems of heat and mass transfer. The bibliography is in two parts, a list of the references ordered by last name of the first author and a key word index to the titles. Few references from before 1965 are included

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.

Bibliography on moving boundary problems with key word index

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wilson, D.G.; Solomon, A.D.; Trent, J.S.

1979-10-01

This bibliography concentrates mainly on time-dependent moving-boundary problems of heat and mass transfer. The bibliography is in two parts, a list of the references ordered by last name of the first author and a key word index to the titles. Few references from before 1965 are included. (RWR)

A new index for electricity spot markets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Falbo, Paolo; Fattore, Marco; Stefani, Silvana

2010-01-01

Different indexes are used in electricity markets worldwide to represent the daily behavior of spot prices. However, the peculiarities of these markets require a careful choice of the index, based on mathematical formulation and its statistical properties. Choosing a bad index may influence the financial policies of market players, since derivative pricing and hedging performance can be deeply affected. In this paper with an initial theoretical analysis, we intend to show that the most widely used indexes (simple arithmetic average and weighted average with current volumes) are poor representatives of the spot market. We will then perform an analysis of the hedging strategy on a derivative instrument (an Asian option) written on a reference index. The resulting simulations, applied to OMEL (Spain) and EEX (Germany), are sufficiently clear cut to suggest that the decision to adopt an index to represent properly a market must be taken very carefully. Finally we will propose a new index (FAST index) and, after comparing it with the previous indexes, will show that both theoretically and practically this index can be taken as a good electricity market synthetic indicator.

Index to FAA Office of Aviation Medicine reports : 1961 through 1996.

Science.gov (United States)

1997-01-01

An index to Office of Aviation Medicine Reports (1964-1996) and Civil Aeromedical Research Institute Reports is presented as a reference for those engaged in aviation medicine and related activities. The index lists all FAA aviation medicine reports ...

A Hybrid Approach to Proving Memory Reference Monotonicity

KAUST Repository

Oancea, Cosmin E.; Rauchwerger, Lawrence

2013-01-01

Array references indexed by non-linear expressions or subscript arrays represent a major obstacle to compiler analysis and to automatic parallelization. Most previous proposed solutions either enhance the static analysis repertoire to recognize more

Development and validation of an MRI reference criterion for defining a positive SIJ MRI in spondyloarthritis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Weber, Ulrich; Zubler, Veronika; Pedersen, Susanne J

2012-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To validate an MRI reference criterion for a positive SIJ MRI based on the level of confidence in classification of spondyloarthritis (SpA) by expert MRI readers. METHODS: Four readers assessed SIJ MRI in two inception cohorts (A/B) of 157 consecutive back pain patients ≤50 years, and ...... using two inception cohorts and comparing clinical and MRI-based classification supports the case for including both erosion and BME to define a positive SIJ MRI for the classification of axial SpA. © 2012 by the American College of Rheumatology.......OBJECTIVE: To validate an MRI reference criterion for a positive SIJ MRI based on the level of confidence in classification of spondyloarthritis (SpA) by expert MRI readers. METHODS: Four readers assessed SIJ MRI in two inception cohorts (A/B) of 157 consecutive back pain patients ≤50 years......, and in 20 healthy controls. Patients were classified according to clinical examination and pelvic radiography as having non-radiographic axial SpA (n=51), ankylosing spondylitis (n=34), or non-specific back pain (n=72). Readers recorded their level of confidence in the classification of SpA on a 0-10 scale...

Locating and parsing bibliographic references in HTML medical articles.

Science.gov (United States)

Zou, Jie; Le, Daniel; Thoma, George R

2010-06-01

The set of references that typically appear toward the end of journal articles is sometimes, though not always, a field in bibliographic (citation) databases. But even if references do not constitute such a field, they can be useful as a preprocessing step in the automated extraction of other bibliographic data from articles, as well as in computer-assisted indexing of articles. Automation in data extraction and indexing to minimize human labor is key to the affordable creation and maintenance of large bibliographic databases. Extracting the components of references, such as author names, article title, journal name, publication date and other entities, is therefore a valuable and sometimes necessary task. This paper describes a two-step process using statistical machine learning algorithms, to first locate the references in HTML medical articles and then to parse them. Reference locating identifies the reference section in an article and then decomposes it into individual references. We formulate this step as a two-class classification problem based on text and geometric features. An evaluation conducted on 500 articles drawn from 100 medical journals achieves near-perfect precision and recall rates for locating references. Reference parsing identifies the components of each reference. For this second step, we implement and compare two algorithms. One relies on sequence statistics and trains a Conditional Random Field. The other focuses on local feature statistics and trains a Support Vector Machine to classify each individual word, followed by a search algorithm that systematically corrects low confidence labels if the label sequence violates a set of predefined rules. The overall performance of these two reference-parsing algorithms is about the same: above 99% accuracy at the word level, and over 97% accuracy at the chunk level.

Indexes to Nuclear Regulatory Commission Issuances, January--June 1997

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-01-01

This report indexes the issuances heard and ruled upon from January through June 1997. Issuances are from the Commission, the Atomic Safety and Licensing Boards, the Administrative Law Judges, the Directors' Decisions, and the Decisions on Petitions for Rulemaking. Information provided for each case includes the case name, full test reference, issuance number, issues raised by appellants, legal citations, facility name and docket number, subject matter of issues and/or rulings, type of hearing, and type of issuance. Each issuance is displayed in one or more of five separate formats: (1) case name index, (2) headers and digests, (3) legal citations index, (4) subject index, and (5) facility index

Indexes to Nuclear Regulatory Commission Issuances, January--June 1997

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1997-10-01

This report indexes the issuances heard and ruled upon from January through June 1997. Issuances are from the Commission, the Atomic Safety and Licensing Boards, the Administrative Law Judges, the Directors` Decisions, and the Decisions on Petitions for Rulemaking. Information provided for each case includes the case name, full test reference, issuance number, issues raised by appellants, legal citations, facility name and docket number, subject matter of issues and/or rulings, type of hearing, and type of issuance. Each issuance is displayed in one or more of five separate formats: (1) case name index, (2) headers and digests, (3) legal citations index, (4) subject index, and (5) facility index.

Indexes to Nuclear Regulatory Commission issuances, July--December 1996. Volume 44, Index 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-04-01

Digests and indexes for issuances of the Commission (CLI), the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel (LBP), the Administrative Law Judges (ALJ), the Directors' Decisions (DD), and the Decision on Petitions for Rulemaking (DPRM) are presented in this document. These digests and indexes are intended to serve as a guide to the issuances. Information elements common to the cases heard and ruled upon are: case name (owner(s) of facility); full text reference (volume and pagination); issuance number; issues raised by apellants; legal citations (cases, regulations, and statutes); name of facility, docket number; subject matter of issues and/or rulings; type of hearing (operating license, operating license amendment, etc.); type of issuance (memorandum, order, decision, etc.)

Indexes to Nuclear Regulatory Commission issuances, July--December 1996. Volume 44, Index 2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1997-04-01

Digests and indexes for issuances of the Commission (CLI), the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel (LBP), the Administrative Law Judges (ALJ), the Directors` Decisions (DD), and the Decision on Petitions for Rulemaking (DPRM) are presented in this document. These digests and indexes are intended to serve as a guide to the issuances. Information elements common to the cases heard and ruled upon are: case name (owner(s) of facility); full text reference (volume and pagination); issuance number; issues raised by apellants; legal citations (cases, regulations, and statutes); name of facility, docket number; subject matter of issues and/or rulings; type of hearing (operating license, operating license amendment, etc.); type of issuance (memorandum, order, decision, etc.).

Indexes to Nuclear Regulatory Commission issuances, July--September 1995. Volume 42, Index 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-01-01

Digests and indexes for issuances of the Commission (CLI), the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel (LBP), the Administrative Law Judges (ALJ), the Directors' Decisions (DD), and the Denials of Petitions for Rulemaking (DPRM) are presented in this document. These digests and indexes are intended to serve as a guide to the issuances. Information elements common to the cases heard and ruled upon are: Case name (owner(s) of facility); full text reference (volume and pagination); issuance number; issues raised by appellants; legal citations (cases, regulations, and statutes); name of facility, docket number; subject matter of issues and/or rulings; type of hearing (for construction permit, operating license, etc.); and type of issuance (memorandum, order, decision, etc.)

Indexes to Nuclear Regulatory Commission issuances, July--December 1994. Volume 40, Index 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-01-01

Digests and indexes for issuances of the Commission (CLI), the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board panel (LBP), the Administrative Law Judges, the Directors' Decisions (DD), and the Denials of Petitions for Rulemaking (DPRM) are presented in this document. These digests and indexes are intended to serve as a guide to the issuances. Information elements common to the cases heard and ruled upon are: Case name (owner(s) of facility); Full text reference (volume and pagination); Issuance number; Issues raised by appellants; Legal citations (cases, regulations, and statutes); Name of facility, Docket number; Subject matter of issues and/or rulings; Type of hearing (for construction permit, operating license, etc.); Type of issuance (memorandum, order, decision, etc.)

Indexes to Nuclear Regulatory Commission issuances: July--September 1994. Volume 40, Index 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-01-01

Digests and indexes for issuances of the Commission (CLI), the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel (LBP), the Administrative Law Judges (ALJ), the Directors' Decision (DD), and the Denials of Petitions for Rulemaking (DPRM) are presented in this document. These digests and indexes are intended to serve as a guide to the issuances. Information elements common to the cases heard and ruled upon are: case name (owner(s) of facility), full text reference (volume and pagination), issuance number, issues raised by apellants, legal citations (cases, regulations, and statutes), name of facility, docket number, subject matter of issues and/or rulings, type of hearing (for construction permit, operating license, etc.), type of issuance (Memorandum, order, decision, etc.)

Indexes to Nuclear Regulatory Commission issuances, January--March 1995. Volume 41, Index 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-06-01

Digests and indexes for issuances of the Commission (CLI), the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel (LBP), the Administrative Law Judges (ALJ), the Directors' Decisions (DD), and the Denials of Petitions for Rulemaking (DPRM) are presented in this document. These digests and indexes are intended to serve as a guide to the issuances. Information elements common to the cases heard and ruled upon are: case name (owner(s) of facility); full text reference (volume and pagination); issuance number; issues raised by appellants; legal citations (cases, regulations, and statutes); name of facility, docket number; subject matter of issues and/or rulings; type of hearing (for construction permit, operating license, etc.); and type of issuance (memorandum, order, decision, etc.)

Indexes to Nuclear Regulatory Commission issuances, July--December 1994. Volume 40, Index 2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1994-12-31

Digests and indexes for issuances of the Commission (CLI), the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board panel (LBP), the Administrative Law Judges, the Directors` Decisions (DD), and the Denials of Petitions for Rulemaking (DPRM) are presented in this document. These digests and indexes are intended to serve as a guide to the issuances. Information elements common to the cases heard and ruled upon are: Case name (owner(s) of facility); Full text reference (volume and pagination); Issuance number; Issues raised by appellants; Legal citations (cases, regulations, and statutes); Name of facility, Docket number; Subject matter of issues and/or rulings; Type of hearing (for construction permit, operating license, etc.); Type of issuance (memorandum, order, decision, etc.).

Indexes to Nuclear Regulatory Commission issuances: July--September 1994. Volume 40, Index 1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1994-12-01

Digests and indexes for issuances of the Commission (CLI), the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel (LBP), the Administrative Law Judges (ALJ), the Directors` Decision (DD), and the Denials of Petitions for Rulemaking (DPRM) are presented in this document. These digests and indexes are intended to serve as a guide to the issuances. Information elements common to the cases heard and ruled upon are: case name (owner(s) of facility), full text reference (volume and pagination), issuance number, issues raised by apellants, legal citations (cases, regulations, and statutes), name of facility, docket number, subject matter of issues and/or rulings, type of hearing (for construction permit, operating license, etc.), type of issuance (Memorandum, order, decision, etc.).

Bibliography of mass spectroscopy literature for 1973 compiled by a computer method. Bibliography and author index

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Capellen, J.; Svec, H.J.; Sage, C.R.; Sun, R.

1976-06-01

This report covers the year 1973, and lists approximately 8,000 articles of interest to mass spectroscopists. This report consists of three sections, a Bibliography section, an Author Index section and a Key Word Out of Context Index (KWOC Index) section. The Bibliography section lists the authors, the title and the publication data for each article. The Author Index lists the authors' names and the reference numbers of their articles. The KWOC Index lists the key words, the reference numbers of the articles in which the key word appears and the first 100 characters of the title

Recommendations of the Brazilian Society of Rheumatology for the induction therapy of ANCA-associated vasculitis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandre Wagner Silva de Souza

Full Text Available Abstract The purpose of these recommendations is to guide the appropriate induction treatment of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis (AAV patients with active disease. The recommendations proposed by the Vasculopathies Committee of the Brazilian Society Rheumatology for induction therapy of AAV, including granulomatosis with polyangiitis, microscopic polyangiitis and renal-limited vasculitis, were based on systematic literature review and expert opinion. Literature review was performed using Medline (PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane database to retrieve articles until October 2016. PRISMA guidelines were used for the systematic review and articles were assessed according to the Oxford levels of evidence. Sixteen recommendations were made regarding different aspects of induction therapy for AAV. The purpose of these recommendations is to serve as a guide for therapeutic decisions by health care professionals in the management of AAV patients presenting active disease.

The Indexical Nature of Sensory Concepts | O'Dea | Philosophical ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper advances the thesis that sensory concepts have as a semantic component the first-person indexical. It is argued that the private nature of our access to our own sensations forces, in our talking about them, an indexical reference to the inner states of the speaker in lieu of publicly accessible properties by which ...

Indexes to Nuclear Regulatory Commission issuances, July--December 1992

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-06-01

Digests and indexes for issuances of the Commission (CLI), the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel (LBP), the Administrative Law Judges (ALJ), the Directors' Decisions (DD), and the Denials of Petitions for Rulemaking (DPRM) are presented in this document. These digests and indexes are intended to serve as a guide to the issuances. These information elements are displayed in one or more of five separate formats arranged as follows: Case Name Index; Digests and Legal Citations Index, Subject Index, and Facility Index. Subject words and/or phrases arranged alphabetically, indicate the issues and subjects covered in the issuances. The subject headings are followed by phrases that give specific information about the subject, as discussed in the issuances being indexed. These phrases are followed by the issuance number and the full text reference

REDEFINING ENSO EPISODES BASED ON CHANGED CLIMATE REFERENCES

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

LI Xiao-yan; ZHAI Pan-mao; REN Fu-min

2005-01-01

Through studying changes in ENSO indices relative to change of climate reference from 1961~1990 to 1971~2000, the study generated new standards to define ENSO episodes and their intensities. Then according to the new climate references and new index standards, ENSO episodes and their intensities for the period 1951 -2003 have been classified. Finally, an analysis has been performed comparing the new characteristics with the old ones for ENSO period, peak values and intensities.

Content comparison of occupation-based instruments in adult rheumatology and musculoskeletal rehabilitation based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health.

Science.gov (United States)

Stamm, Tanja A; Cieza, Alarcos; Machold, Klaus P; Smolen, Josef S; Stucki, Gerold

2004-12-15

To compare the content of clinical, occupation-based instruments that are used in adult rheumatology and musculoskeletal rehabilitation in occupational therapy based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). Clinical instruments of occupational performance and occupation in adult rehabilitation and rheumatology were identified in a literature search. All items of these instruments were linked to the ICF categories according to 10 linking rules. On the basis of the linking, the content of these instruments was compared and the relationship between the capacity and performance component explored. The following 7 instruments were identified: the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure, the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills, the Sequential Occupational Dexterity Assessment, the Jebson Taylor Hand Function Test, the Moberg Picking Up Test, the Button Test, and the Functional Dexterity Test. The items of the 7 instruments were linked to 53 different ICF categories. Five items could not be linked to the ICF. The areas covered by the 7 occupation-based instruments differ importantly: The main focus of all 7 instruments is on the ICF component activities and participation. Body functions are covered by 2 instruments. Two instruments were linked to 1 single ICF category only. Clinicians and researchers who need to select an occupation-based instrument must be aware of the areas that are covered by this instrument and the potential areas that are not covered at all.

An Associative Index Model for the Results List Based on Vannevar Bush's Selection Concept

Science.gov (United States)

Cole, Charles; Julien, Charles-Antoine; Leide, John E.

2010-01-01

Introduction: We define the results list problem in information search and suggest the "associative index model", an ad-hoc, user-derived indexing solution based on Vannevar Bush's description of an associative indexing approach for his memex machine. We further define what selection means in indexing terms with reference to Charles…

Indexes to Nuclear Regulatory Commission issuances, January-June 1983. Volume 17, Index 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-10-01

Digests and indexes for issuances of the Commission (CLI), the Atomic Safety and Licensing Appeal Panel (ALAB), the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel (LBP), the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ), the Directors' Decisions (DD), and the Denials of Petitions of Rulemaking are presented in this document. These digests and indexes are intended to serve as a guide to the issuances. Information elements common to the cases heard and ruled upon are: Case name (owners of facility); full text reference (volume and pagination); issuance number; issues raised by appellants; legal citations (cases, regulations, and statutes); name of facility, Docket number; subject matter of issues and/or rulings; type of hearing (for construction permit, operating license, etc.); and type of issuance (memorandum, order, decision, etc.)

Leprosy Mimicking Common Rheumatologic Entities: A Trial for the Clinician in the Era of Biologics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Deepak Rath

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Rheumatoid arthritis and seronegative spondyloarthritis, which make up the lion’s share of cases attending a rheumatology clinic, are relatively easy to diagnose. However, when an entity of infective aetiology like leprosy known to be a great mimic of different autoimmune conditions presents with features similar to these, the possibility of it being diagnosed at the outset is very slim indeed. The ease with which the diagnosis of leprosy can be missed assumes sinister proportions as the use of disease modifying agents can have deleterious effects in these patients. In the era of increasing availability and use of biologic disease modifying agents, it is imperative not only to actively rule out the presence of leprosy but also to make it a part of the prebiologic screening of patients in whom biologics are being planned to be administered, especially in leprosy endemic areas.

Application of virtual distances methodology to laser tracker verification with an indexed metrology platform

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Acero, R; Pueo, M; Santolaria, J; Aguilar, J J; Brau, A

2015-01-01

High-range measuring equipment like laser trackers need large dimension calibrated reference artifacts in their calibration and verification procedures. In this paper, a new verification procedure for portable coordinate measuring instruments based on the generation and evaluation of virtual distances with an indexed metrology platform is developed. This methodology enables the definition of an unlimited number of reference distances without materializing them in a physical gauge to be used as a reference. The generation of the virtual points and reference lengths derived is linked to the concept of the indexed metrology platform and the knowledge of the relative position and orientation of its upper and lower platforms with high accuracy. It is the measuring instrument together with the indexed metrology platform one that remains still, rotating the virtual mesh around them. As a first step, the virtual distances technique is applied to a laser tracker in this work. The experimental verification procedure of the laser tracker with virtual distances is simulated and further compared with the conventional verification procedure of the laser tracker with the indexed metrology platform. The results obtained in terms of volumetric performance of the laser tracker proved the suitability of the virtual distances methodology in calibration and verification procedures for portable coordinate measuring instruments, broadening and expanding the possibilities for the definition of reference distances in these procedures. (paper)

Application of virtual distances methodology to laser tracker verification with an indexed metrology platform

Science.gov (United States)

Acero, R.; Santolaria, J.; Pueo, M.; Aguilar, J. J.; Brau, A.

2015-11-01

High-range measuring equipment like laser trackers need large dimension calibrated reference artifacts in their calibration and verification procedures. In this paper, a new verification procedure for portable coordinate measuring instruments based on the generation and evaluation of virtual distances with an indexed metrology platform is developed. This methodology enables the definition of an unlimited number of reference distances without materializing them in a physical gauge to be used as a reference. The generation of the virtual points and reference lengths derived is linked to the concept of the indexed metrology platform and the knowledge of the relative position and orientation of its upper and lower platforms with high accuracy. It is the measuring instrument together with the indexed metrology platform one that remains still, rotating the virtual mesh around them. As a first step, the virtual distances technique is applied to a laser tracker in this work. The experimental verification procedure of the laser tracker with virtual distances is simulated and further compared with the conventional verification procedure of the laser tracker with the indexed metrology platform. The results obtained in terms of volumetric performance of the laser tracker proved the suitability of the virtual distances methodology in calibration and verification procedures for portable coordinate measuring instruments, broadening and expanding the possibilities for the definition of reference distances in these procedures.

Indexes to Nuclear Regulatory Commission issuances, July--September 1992

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-04-01

Digests and indexes for issuances of the Commission (CLI), the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel (LBP), the Administrative Law Judges (ALJ), the Directors' Decisions (DD), and the Denials of Petitions for Rulemaking (DPRM) are presented in this document. These digests and indexes are intended to serve as a guide to the issuances. These information elements are displayed in one or more of five separate formats arranged as follows: 1. Case Name Index: The case name index is an alphabetical arrangement of the case names of the issuances. Each case name is followed by the type of hearing, the type of issuance, docket number, issuance number, and full text reference. 2. Digests and Headers: The headers and digests are presented in issuance number order as follows: the Commission (CLI), the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel (LBP), the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ), the Directors' Decisions (DD), and the Denials of Petitions for Rulemaking (DPRM). The header identifies the issuance by issuance number, case name, facility name, docket number, type of hearing, date of issuance, and type of issuance. 3. Legal Citations Index: This index is divided into four parts and consists of alphabetical or alpha-numerical arrangements of Cases, Regulations, Statutes, and Others. These citations are listed as given in the issuances. Changes in regulations and statutes may have occurred to cause changes in the number or name and/or applicability of the citation. It is therefore important to consider the date of the issuance. 4. Subject Index: Subject words and/or phrases, arranged alphabetically, indicate the issues and subjects covered in the issuances. 5. Facility Index: The index consists of an alphabetical arrangement of facility names from the issuance. The name is followed by docket number, type of hearing, data, type of issuance, issuance number, and full text reference

A data discovery index for the social sciences.

Science.gov (United States)

Krämer, Thomas; Klas, Claus-Peter; Hausstein, Brigitte

2018-04-10

This paper describes a novel search index for social and economic research data, one that enables users to search up-to-date references for data holdings in these disciplines. The index can be used for comparative analysis of publication of datasets in different areas of social science. The core of the index is the da|ra registration agency's database for social and economic data, which contains high-quality searchable metadata from registered data publishers. Research data's metadata records are harvested from data providers around the world and included in the index. In this paper, we describe the currently available indices on social science datasets and their shortcomings. Next, we describe the motivation behind and the purpose for the data discovery index as a dedicated and curated platform for finding social science research data and gesisDataSearch, its user interface. Further, we explain the harvesting, filtering and indexing procedure and give usage instructions for the dataset index. Lastly, we show that the index is currently the most comprehensive and most accessible collection of social science data descriptions available.

Desempenho de pontos de corte do índice de massa corporal de diferentes referências na predição de gordura corporal em adolescentes Accuracy of different body mass index reference values to predict body fat in adolescents

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Carolina Reiff e Vieira

2006-08-01

Full Text Available Avaliamos a acurácia de pontos de corte do Índice de Massa Corporal (IMC para identificar adolescentes com sobrepeso, comparando com percentual de gordura corporal, estimado pela bioimpedância elétrica, em uma amostra probabilística de 610 adolescentes de 12 a 19 anos (222 meninos e 388 meninas, estudantes de escolas públicas de Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. A curva ROC foi utilizada para avaliar a sensibilidade e especificidade de pontos de corte de IMC de uma referência nacional, duas norte-americanas e uma internacional. Os pontos de corte da amostra estudada foram inferiores aos das demais referências, com sensibilidade de 76% a 95% e especificidade de 75% a 95%. Os pontos de corte nacionais foram também mais sensíveis (53% a 100%, se comparados às outras referências (40% a 86%. O critério internacional apresentou melhor sensibilidade para adolescentes mais velhos e as referências americanas, para os mais jovens. O IMC foi um bom proxy de adiposidade, mas o uso de pontos de corte de referências de outras populações merece cautela, pois pode gerar erro na classificação de adolescente com sobrepeso em até 60%.This study evaluates the accuracy of cutoff points in the body mass index (BMI for identifying adolescents with overweight, compared to the percentage of body fat, estimated by electric bioimpediance, in a probabilistic sample of 610 adolescents from 12 to 19 years of age (222 boys and 388 girls enrolled in public schools in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. ROC was used to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of BMI cutoffs from one Brazilian, two North American, and one international reference. The cutoff points in the study sample were lower than the other references, with 76% to 95% sensitivity and 75% to 95% specificity. The Brazilian cutoff points were also more sensitive (53% to 100% as compared to the other references (40% to 86%. The international parameter showed better sensitivity for older

Italian Society for Rheumatology recommendations for the management of hand osteoarthritis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Manara

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Hand osteoarthritis (OA is a common and potentially disabling disease, with different features from hip and knee OA so that a specific therapeutic approach is required. Evidence based recommendations for the management of hand OA were developed by the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR in 2006. The Italian Society for Rheumatology (SIR aimed to update, adapt to national contest and disseminate the EULAR recommendations for the management of hand OA. The multidisciplinary group of experts included specialists involved in the management of patients with hand OA. In order to maintain consistency with EULAR recommendations, a similar methodology was utilized by the Italian group. The original propositions were reformulated in terms of a search query and for every recommendation a systematic search was conducted updating EULAR recommendations’ review. The propositions were translated in Italian and reformulated basing on collected evidences and expert opinion. The strength of recommendation was measured for each proposition with the EULAR ordinal and visual analogue scales. The original 11 propositions of EULAR recommendations were translated and adapted to Italian context. Further evidences were collected about non-pharmacological therapies, local treatments, intra-articular injection with SYSADOA and corticosteroids, and surgery. The SIR has developed updated recommendations for the management of hand OA adapted to the Italian healthcare system. Their implementation in clinical practice is expected to improve the management of patients with hand OA.

Body mass index and response to a multidisciplinary treatment of fibromyalgia.

Science.gov (United States)

Castel, Antoni; Castro, Sonia; Fontova, Ramon; Poveda, Maria José; Cascón-Pereira, Rosalia; Montull, Salvador; Padrol, Anna; Qanneta, Rami; Rull, Maria

2015-02-01

The purpose of this study is to determine whether there are some differences in the treatment responses to a multidisciplinary fibromyalgia (FM) treatment related with the baseline body mass index (BMI) of the participants. Inclusion criteria consisted of female sex, a diagnosis of FM (American College of Rheumatology criteria), age between 18 and 60 years, and between 3 and 8 years of schooling. Baseline BMI was determined, and patients were randomly assigned to one of the two treatment conditions: conventional pharmacologic treatment or multidisciplinary treatment. Outcome measures were pain intensity, functionality, catastrophizing, psychological distress, health-related quality of life, and sleep disturbances. One hundred thirty patients participated in the study. No statistical significant differences regarding pre-treatment outcomes were found among the different BMI subgroups, and between the two experimental conditions for each BMI category. General linear model analysis showed a significant interaction group treatment × time in pain intensity (p treatment × time. There are not differences among normal weight, overweight and obese patients with FM regarding their response to a multidisciplinary treatment programme for FM which combines pharmacological treatment, education, physical therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy.

Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis/Outcome Measures in Rheumatology Consensus-Based Recommendations and Research Agenda for Use of Composite Measures and Treatment Targets in Psoriatic Arthritis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Coates, Laura C; FitzGerald, Oliver; Merola, Joseph F

2018-01-01

OBJECTIVE: A meeting was convened by the Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA) and Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) to further the development of consensus among physicians and patients regarding composite disease activity measures and targets i...

Indexes to Nuclear Regulatory Commission issuances, July-December 1997

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1998-05-01

Digests and indexes for issuances of the Commission, the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel, the Administrative Law Judges, the Directors` Decisions, and the Decisions on Petitions for Rulemaking are presented in this document. These digests and indexes are intended to serve as a guide to the issuances. Information elements common to the cases heard and ruled upon are: Case name (owner(s) of facility); Full text reference (volume and pagination); Issuance number Issues raised by appellants; Legal citations (cases, regulations, and statutes); Name of facility, Docket number; Subject matter of issues and/or rulings; Type of hearing (operating license, operating license amendment, etc); Type of issuance (memorandum, order, decision, etc.). These information elements are displayed in one or more of five separate formats: Case Name Index, Headers and Digests, Legal Citations Index, Subject Index, and Facility Index.

Indexes to Nuclear Regulatory Commission issuances, July-December 1997

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-01-01

Digests and indexes for issuances of the Commission, the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel, the Administrative Law Judges, the Directors' Decisions, and the Decisions on Petitions for Rulemaking are presented in this document. These digests and indexes are intended to serve as a guide to the issuances. Information elements common to the cases heard and ruled upon are: Case name (owner(s) of facility); Full text reference (volume and pagination); Issuance number Issues raised by appellants; Legal citations (cases, regulations, and statutes); Name of facility, Docket number; Subject matter of issues and/or rulings; Type of hearing (operating license, operating license amendment, etc); Type of issuance (memorandum, order, decision, etc.). These information elements are displayed in one or more of five separate formats: Case Name Index, Headers and Digests, Legal Citations Index, Subject Index, and Facility Index

[The reference of normal values of the sacroiliac joint index in bone scintigraphy].

Science.gov (United States)

Sebastjanowicz, Przemysław; Iwanowski, Jacek; Piwowarska-Bilska, Hanna; Elbl, Bogumiła; Birkenfeld, Bożena

Scintigraphy of sacroiliac joints as functional imaging provides unique information on the existing disease process. By using radiopharmaceuticals that allow imaging of the metabolic activity within the joint, it is possible to assess the stage of the disease, even when there are no lesions in radiological images. Quantitative analysis of scintigrams of sacroiliac joints is performed by comparing the uptake in both of them in relation to the uptake in the sacral bone area. The values of sacroiliac (SI/S) indices are influenced by the age of the patient, sex, state of health, and a range of individual biological features. Therefore, reference values of SI/S ratios are very important for medical specialists who describe and diagnose locomotor system diseases. The aim of this paper is to develop a reference range of sacroiliac ratios. The innovativeness of this paper involves examining sacroiliac ratios for various age groups, in children and adult patients, taking their sex into consideration. The study comprised a group of 335 people with proper bone scintigraphy. These people were divided into children and patients aged ≥21. Children were divided into 4 age groups (1–5; 6–10; 11–15; 16–20) and adults into 6 age groups (21–30; 31–40; 41–50; 51–60; 61–70; ≥71). Sacroiliac ratios were calculated using the method of three rectangular region of interests located on the left and right sacroiliac joint and on the sacral bone. The sacroiliac ratio was calculated for both joints by dividing the average number of counts within a selected sacroiliac joint by the average number of counts within the sacral bone. SI/S borderline reference values covered the range of 1.18÷2.28 that was obtained for children aged ≤5 and for the group of 11–15-year-olds. Considerable discrepancies in the values of the coefficient for women and men were seen among 31–50-year-olds. Borderline reference results for the entire control group cover the range of 1.18 ±2

Current state of biosimilars in Mexico: The position of the Mexican College of Rheumatology, 2016.

Science.gov (United States)

Xibille, Daniel; Carrillo, Sandra; Huerta-Sil, Gabriela; Hernández, Ramiro; Limón, Leonardo; Olvera-Soto, Guadalupe; Jara-Quezada, Luis Javier; Esquivel, Abdieel; Pérez-Rodríguez, Marcela

The present document is a position statement of the Mexican College of Rheumatology on the use of biosimilars in rheumatic diseases. This position considers that biosimilars should be considered as interchangeable, that automatic substitution without previous notice in stable patients during follow-up is not ethical, that the approval of a biosimilar should only be given after exhaustive review of preclinical and clinical data marked by Mexican regulations, that it should be clearly stated in the nomenclature of biologic drugs which is the innovator and which is the biosimilar, that it is not correct to choose a biosimilar as treatment based only on economic reasons or extrapolate indications based only on the approval of the innovator and in the absence of safety and efficacy data for the biosimilar. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Reumatología y Colegio Mexicano de Reumatología. All rights reserved.

Forecasting Analysis of Shanghai Stock Index Based on ARIMA Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Chenggang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Prediction and analysis of the Shanghai Composite Index is conducive for investors to investing in the stock market, and providing investors with reference. This paper selects Shanghai Composite Index monthly closing price from Jan, 2005 to Oct, 2016 to construct ARIMA model. This paper carries on the forecast of the last three monthly closing price of Shanghai Stock Index that have occurred, and compared it with the actual value, which tests the accuracy and feasibility of the model in the short term Shanghai Stock Index forecast. At last, this paper uses the ARIMA model to forecast the Shanghai Composite Index closing price of the last two months in 2016.

Flipped Learning: Can Rheumatology Lead the Shift in Medical Education?

Science.gov (United States)

El Miedany, Yasser; El Gaafary, Maha; El Aroussy, Nadia; Youssef, Sally

2018-04-16

To: 1. implement flipped classroom rheumatology teaching for undergraduate education. 2. Evaluate outcomes of teaching using OSCE assessment and student perceived effectiveness and satisfaction survey. The flipped classroom education was conducted in 3 phases. Phase 1: carried out in the students' own time. Web links were emailed to assist exposure of the instructional part of the lesson online. Phase 2: interactive in-class activity to share personal reflection and reinforce the key aspects. Phase 3: a simulated OSCE assessment. A cohort of 56-students, who were taught in the last educational year on the same topics according to standard teaching protocols, were included as control group. The clinical Outcomes were assessed using the scores of the OSCE examination model. Academic outcomes included the engagement measure as well as the students' answers to perceived effectiveness and satisfaction survey. There was no significant difference regarding demographics between the 2 students' groups. There was significant improvement (plearning, in contrast to the control group, in terms of clinical (OSCE score) as well as communication skills. Student perceived effectiveness and satisfaction was significantly higher among the flipped learning (plearning cohort showed a state of engagement significantly higher than the control group (plearning implementation musculoskeletal learning successfully demonstrated a promising platform for using technology to make better use of the students' time, and for increasing their satisfaction. Active learning increases student engagement and can lead to improved retention of knowledge. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

A Hybrid Approach to Proving Memory Reference Monotonicity

KAUST Repository

Oancea, Cosmin E.

2013-01-01

Array references indexed by non-linear expressions or subscript arrays represent a major obstacle to compiler analysis and to automatic parallelization. Most previous proposed solutions either enhance the static analysis repertoire to recognize more patterns, to infer array-value properties, and to refine the mathematical support, or apply expensive run time analysis of memory reference traces to disambiguate these accesses. This paper presents an automated solution based on static construction of access summaries, in which the reference non-linearity problem can be solved for a large number of reference patterns by extracting arbitrarily-shaped predicates that can (in)validate the reference monotonicity property and thus (dis)prove loop independence. Experiments on six benchmarks show that our general technique for dynamic validation of the monotonicity property can cover a large class of codes, incurs minimal run-time overhead and obtains good speedups. © 2013 Springer-Verlag.

Real time refractive index measurement by ESPI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Torroba, R.; Joenathan, C.

1991-01-01

In this paper a method to measure refractive index variations in real time is reported. A technique to introduce reference fringes in real time is discussed. Both the theoretical and experimental results are presented and an example with phase shifting is given. (author). 8 refs, 5 figs

Fibromyalgia and Obesity: The Association Between Body Mass Index and Disability, Depression, History of Abuse, Medications, and Comorbidities.

Science.gov (United States)

Gota, Carmen E; Kaouk, Sahar; Wilke, William S

2015-09-01

The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of increasing body mass index (BMI) in fibromyalgia (FM) and to understand the impact of increasing BMI on FM. Patients with FM were divided into 3 BMI classifications: normal weight, overweight, and obese. We then sought relationships of increasing BMI to core process FM variables and symptoms and disability, as well as medical comorbidities and demographic, socioeconomic, psychiatric, and treatment data. Of 224 patients, 0.4% were underweight; 25.9%, normal weight; 29.9%, overweight; 43.8%, obese. We found no differences within groups with regard to age, gender, demographics, FM symptoms, FM impact questionnaire scores, and meeting the American College of Rheumatology 1990 criteria and FM survey criteria. Patients with FM who are obese, compared with normal-weight patients, have higher depression scores measured by Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (13.2 [6.6] vs 10.5 [6], P = 0.03), report increased disability by Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index scores (1.3 [0.6] vs 0.9 [0.6], P BMI with the Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (not FM impact questionnaire) and depression. We confirm that the prevalence of overweight and obesity is high in FM and believe that physicians treating FM should be aware of our bivariate linear correlations and discuss weight loss with their FM patients. Even if increasing BMI is not intrinsic to FM, it contributes to poor mood and functional outcome and should be a treatment goal.

Accuracy of Visante and Zeiss-Humphrey Optical Coherence Tomographers and their cross calibration with optical pachymetry and physical references

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jyotsna Maram

2011-10-01

Conclusions: Using references lenses with refractive index of the cornea (1.376 allows rapid and simple calibration and cross calibration of instruments for measuring the corneal thickness. The Visante and OCT II do not produce measurements that are equal to physical references with refractive index equal to the human cornea.

Indexes to Nuclear Regulatory Commission issuances, January--June 1993

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-11-01

Digests and indexes for issuances of the Commission (CLI), the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel (LBP), the Administrative Law Judges (ALJ), the Directors' Decisions (DD), and the Denials of Petitions for Rulemaking (DPRM) are presented in this document. These digests and indexes are intended to serve as a guide to the issuances. Information elements common to the cases heard and ruled upon are: Case name (owner(s) of facility); Full text reference (volume and pagination); Issuance number; Issues raised by appellants; Legal citations (cases, regulations, and statutes); Name of facility, Docket number; Subject matter of issues and/or rulings; Type of hearing (for construction permit, operating license, etc.); Type of issuance (memorandum, order, decision, etc.). These information elements are displayed in one or more of five separate formats arranged as follows: (1) Case Name Index; (2) Digests and Headers; (3) Legal Citations Index; (4) Subject Index; (5) Facility Index

State of the art on nailfold capillaroscopy: a reliable diagnostic tool and putative biomarker in rheumatology?

Science.gov (United States)

Cutolo, Maurizio; Smith, Vanessa

2013-11-01

Capillaroscopy is a non-invasive and safe tool to morphologically study the microcirculation. In rheumatology it has a dual use. First, it has a role in differential diagnosis of patients with RP. Second, it may have a role in the prediction of clinical complications in CTDs. In SSc, pilot studies have shown predictive associations with peripheral vascular and lung involvement hinting at a role of capillaroscopy as putative biomarker. Also and logically, in SSc, microangiopathy, as assessed by capillaroscopy, has been associated with markers of the disease such as angiogenic/static factors and SSc-specific antibodies. Moreover, morphological assessments of the microcirculation (capillaroscopy) seem to correlate with functional assessments (such as laser Doppler). Because of its clinical and research role, eyes are geared in Europe to expand the knowledge of this tool. Both the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) and the ACR are stepping forward to this need.

Nuclear Law Bulletin Index Nos. 1 to 99

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2017-01-01

This new edition of the Nuclear Law Bulletin Index covers the first 99 issues of the Nuclear Law Bulletin (NLB). By established practice, the plan of the Index is not a replica of the Bulletin, as it was considered more useful for research purposes to group together all the information concerning legislative and regulatory activities, case law and bilateral agreements and to classify this information by country. Following classification by country, references to the work of international organisations, multilateral agreements, studies and articles are set out in separate sections. The 'Bibliography and News Briefs' section is omitted from the Index. A separate chapter of the Index has been devoted to the listing of the instruments published in the Supplements to the Bulletin, or in the Chapter 'Texts' from past Bulletins, up until the present date. Each item in the Index is followed by a reference to the relevant Bulletin. Legislative and regulatory texts, as well as agreements reproduced in the Bulletins or their Supplements, are also referenced. Plan of index: 1 - Reports and commentary 1a - Classification by country Legislative and regulatory activities (Environmental protection, Food irradiation, General legislation, regulations and instruments, International co-operation, Liability and compensation, Licensing and regulatory infrastructure, Nuclear installations, Nuclear safety and radiological protection - including nuclear emergency planning, Nuclear security, Nuclear trade - including non-proliferation, Nuclear-powered ships, Organisation and structure, Radioactive materials - including physical protection, Radioactive waste management, Transport of radioactive materials); Case law; Administrative decisions; Agreements; 1b - International organisations; 1c - Multilateral agreements; 2 - Studies and articles; 3 - Texts reproduced in the nuclear law bulletin; 3a - Classification by country; 3b - International organisations; 3c

A Canadian Indian Health Status Index.

Science.gov (United States)

Connop, P J

1983-01-01

Health care services for registered "band" Indians in Ontario are provided primarily by the Canadian Federal Government. Complex management methods preclude the direct involvement of Indian people in the decisions for their health resource allocation. Health indicators, need, and health status indexes are reviewed. The biostatistics of mortality and demography of the Indian and reference populations are aggregated with hospitalization/morbidity experience as the Chen G'1 Index, as an indicator of normative and comparative need. This is weighted by linear measurements of perceived need for preventive medicine programs, as ranked and scaled values of priorities, Zj. These were determined by community survey on 11 Indian reserves using a non-probabilistic psychometric method of "pair comparisons," based upon "Thurstone's Law of Comparative Judgement.," The calculation of the aggregate single unit Indian Health Status Index [Log.G'1].Zj and its potential application in a "zero-base" budget is described.

1991 OCRWM bulletin compilation and index

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-05-01

The OCRWM Bulletin is published by the Department of Energy, Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, to provide current information about the national program for managing spent fuel and high-level radioactive waste. The document is a compilation of issues from the 1991 calendar year. A table of contents and an index have been provided to reference information contained in this year's Bulletins

Height, weight, body mass index and pubertal development reference values for children of Turkish origin in the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fredriks, A.M.; Buuren, S. van; Jeurissen, S.E.R.; Dekker, F.W.; Verloove-Vanhorick, S.P.; Wit, J.M.

2003-01-01

The aim of this study was to provide growth and sexual maturation reference data for Turkish children living in The Netherlands. We also compared these references with the reference data of children of Dutch origin and with Turkish reference data collected in Turkey and elsewhere in Europe.

Indexes to Nuclear Regulatory Commission Issuances, January-June 1981

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-01-01

Digests and indexes for issuances of the Commission (CLI), the Atomic Safety and Licensing Appeal Panel (ALAB), the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel (LBP), the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ), the Directors' Decisions (DD), and the Denials of Petitions of Rulemaking are presented in this document. These digests and indexes are intended to serve as a guide to the issuances. Information elements common to the cases heard and ruled upon are: Case name (owners of facility); Full text reference (volume and pagination); Issuance number; Issues raised by appellants; Legal citations (cases, regulations, and statutes); Name of facility, Docket number; Subject matter of issues and/or rulings; Type of hearing (for construction permit, operating license, etc.); and Type of issuance (memorandum, order, decision, etc.). These information elements are displayed in one or more of five separate formats arranged as follows: Case Name Index, Digests and Headers, Legal Citations Index, Subject Index, and Facility Index

Indexes to Nuclear Regulatory Commission Issuances, January--March 1990

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-01-01

Digests and indexes for issuances of the Commission (CLI), the Atomic Safety and Licensing Appeal Panel (ALAB), the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel (LBP), the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ), the Directors' Decisions (DD), and the Denials of Petitions for Rulemaking are presented in this document. These digests and indexes are intended to serve as a guide to the issuances. Information elements common to the cases heard and ruled upon are: case name (owner(s) of facility); full text reference (volume and pagination); issuance number; issues raised by appellants; legal citations (cases, regulations, and statutes); name of facility, Docket number; subject matter of issues and/or rulings; type of hearing (for construction permit, operating license, etc.); and type of issuance (memorandum, order, decision, etc.). These information elements are displayed in one or more of five separate formats arranged as follows: case name index; digests and headers; legal citations index; subject index; and facility index

Efficient gamma index calculation using fast Euclidean distance transform

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen Mingli; Lu Weiguo; Chen Quan; Ruchala, Kenneth; Olivera, Gustavo [TomoTherapy Inc., 1240 Deming Way, Madison, WI 53717 (United States)], E-mail: wlu@tomotherapy.com

2009-04-07

The gamma index is a tool for dose distribution comparison. It combines both dose difference (DD) and distance to agreement (DTA) into a single quantity. Though it is an effective measure, making up for the inadequacy of DD or DTA alone, its calculation can be very time-consuming. For a k-D space with N quantization levels in each dimension, the complexity of the exhaustive search is O(N{sup 2k}). In this work, we proposed an efficient method that reduces the complexity from O(N{sup 2k}) to O(N{sup k}M), where M is the number of discretized dose values and is comparable to N. More precisely, by embedding the reference dose distribution in a (k+1)-D spatial-dose space, we can use fast Euclidean distance transform with linear complexity to obtain a table of gamma indices evaluated over a range of the (k+1)-D spatial-dose space. Then, to obtain gamma indices for the test dose distribution, it requires only table lookup with complexity O(N{sup k}). Such a table can also be used for other test dose distributions as long as the reference dose distribution is the same. Simulations demonstrated the efficiency of our proposed method. The speedup for 3D gamma index calculation is expected to be on the order of tens of thousands (from O(N{sup 6}) to O(N{sup 3}M)) if N is a few hundreds, which makes clinical usage of the 3D gamma index feasible. A byproduct of the gamma index table is that the gradient of the gamma index with respect to either the spatial or dose dimension can be easily derived. The gradient can be used to identify the main causes of the discrepancy from the reference distribution at any dose point in the test distribution or incorporated in treatment planning and machine parameter optimization.

Bibliography of mass spectroscopy literature for 1973 compiled by a computer method. Bibliography and author index. [About 8,000 citations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Capellen, J.; Svec, H.J.; Sage, C.R.; Sun, R. (comps.)

1976-06-01

This report covers the year 1973, and lists approximately 8,000 articles of interest to mass spectroscopists. This report consists of three sections, a Bibliography section, an Author Index section and a Key Word Out of Context Index (KWOC Index) section. The Bibliography section lists the authors, the title and the publication data for each article. The Author Index lists the authors' names and the reference numbers of their articles. The KWOC Index lists the key words, the reference numbers of the articles in which the key word appears and the first 100 characters of the title.

Mercurious Oil Index (MOI) : A new indicator for the global oil price

OpenAIRE

Leeuw, de, J.; Dorsman, A.B.; Nelissen, R.

2008-01-01

“The” price of oil does not exist. This paper describes the development of a (new) oil index, the Mercurious Oil Index (MOI). This index can be seen as an indicator for the global price of oil. We will discuss why this index is a reliable global price reference, and why it is superior to and more useful than the existing indices and/or benchmarks. Indices are very helpful instruments for the tracking and prediction of markets, to measure performance or sentiment and to form a solid basis on w...

Relative codon adaptation: a generic codon bias index for prediction of gene expression.

Science.gov (United States)

Fox, Jesse M; Erill, Ivan

2010-06-01

The development of codon bias indices (CBIs) remains an active field of research due to their myriad applications in computational biology. Recently, the relative codon usage bias (RCBS) was introduced as a novel CBI able to estimate codon bias without using a reference set. The results of this new index when applied to Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae led the authors of the original publications to conclude that natural selection favours higher expression and enhanced codon usage optimization in short genes. Here, we show that this conclusion was flawed and based on the systematic oversight of an intrinsic bias for short sequences in the RCBS index and of biases in the small data sets used for validation in E. coli. Furthermore, we reveal that how the RCBS can be corrected to produce useful results and how its underlying principle, which we here term relative codon adaptation (RCA), can be made into a powerful reference-set-based index that directly takes into account the genomic base composition. Finally, we show that RCA outperforms the codon adaptation index (CAI) as a predictor of gene expression when operating on the CAI reference set and that this improvement is significantly larger when analysing genomes with high mutational bias.

KWIC Index to Government Publications

OpenAIRE

Norden, Margaret

2013-01-01

United States and United Nations publications were not efficiently proc- essed nor readily available to the reader at Brandeis University Library. Data processing equipment was used to make a list of this material which could be referred to by a computer produced KWIC index. Currency and availability to the user, and time and cost efficiencies for the library were given precedence over detailed subject access. United States and United Nations classification schemes> and existing bibliograp...

A review of the literature analyzing benefits and concerns of infliximab biosimilar CT-P13 for the treatment of rheumatologic diseases: focus on interchangeability.

Science.gov (United States)

Becciolini, Andrea; Raimondo, Maria Gabriella; Crotti, Chiara; Agape, Elena; Biggioggero, Martina; Favalli, Ennio Giulio

2017-01-01

The introduction of biological agents drastically changed the treatment paradigm of inflammatory arthritides, ameliorating the natural history of the diseases but concomitantly increasing the drug costs due to the manufacturing process. On this concern, biosimilar drugs may represent a valid option for reducing this elevated cost and increasing the availability of these highly effective treatments. Recently, CT-P13, the first biosimilar of infliximab, has been approved with the same indications established for the reference product (RP), and its daily use is progressively increasing. However, the experience with biosimilar drugs in the field of rheumatology is still limited, raising potential doubts and concerns on their correct management in real-life settings. Comparability analysis between CT-P13 and its RP was evaluated in equivalence randomized controlled trials (RCTs) - PLANETRA and PLANETAS - performed on patients with rheumatoid arthritis and axial spondylitis, respectively. CT-P13 and RP showed similar profile in terms of quality, biological activity, safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy. However, the interchangeability between infliximab RP and its biosimilar still represents the most challenging issue because of a lack of a long-lasting experience. To date, reassuring preliminary data on this topic were reported in open-label extensions of PLANETRA and PLANETAS RCTs and in ongoing real-life observational studies. These findings, taken all together, significantly affect the landscape of biosimilar regulatory pathways and strongly support CT-P13 introduction as a great opportunity for expanding the accessibility to these very effective and high-cost therapies.

Evaluation of rheumatoid factor and anti-citrullinated peptide antibodies in relation to rheumatological manifestations in patients with leprosy from Southern Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Dionello, Carla Fontoura; Rosa Utiyama, Shirley Ramos; Radominski, Sebastião Cézar; Stahlke, Ewalda; Stinghen, Servio Tulio; de Messias-Reason, Iara Jose

2016-10-01

Leprosy patients may present several osteoarticular complaints, which require further evaluation of inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Therefore, an adequate clinical assessment in addition to testing for rheumatoid factors (RF) and anticyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (anti-CCP), can be useful in order to establish the correct diagnosis. In this study, the relation of RF and anti-CCP with rheumatological manifestations was evaluated in 97 leprosy patients from Southern Brazil. The results were compared to RA patients and healthy controls from the same geographical area and ethnic background. Neuropathy was observed in 71.1% and arthritis in 35.1% of the leprosy patients. A high frequency of RF positivity was observed among the leprosy patients (41.2%, 40/97), with RF immunoglobulin A (IgA) significantly associated with arthritis (OR = 7.9, 95% CI = 1.5-40.6 P = 0.008). Anti-CCP was observed in 9.3% (9/97) of the patients, with anti-CCP2 being the most frequent subtype. Only 4.1% (4/97) of the patients were RF and anti-CCP concomitantly positive. RF IgM showed a significant association with leprosy when compared to healthy controls (P leprosy in patients from the same geographical area and ethnic background (anti-CCP2 OR = 38.6; 95% CI = 16.49-90.26; P leprosy with other inflammatory diseases, such as RA, clinical and laboratorial evaluation of affected patients must be carefully assessed in order to achieve proper diagnosis and treatment. © 2015 Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

DIDA: Distributed Indexing Dispatched Alignment.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hamid Mohamadi

Full Text Available One essential application in bioinformatics that is affected by the high-throughput sequencing data deluge is the sequence alignment problem, where nucleotide or amino acid sequences are queried against targets to find regions of close similarity. When queries are too many and/or targets are too large, the alignment process becomes computationally challenging. This is usually addressed by preprocessing techniques, where the queries and/or targets are indexed for easy access while searching for matches. When the target is static, such as in an established reference genome, the cost of indexing is amortized by reusing the generated index. However, when the targets are non-static, such as contigs in the intermediate steps of a de novo assembly process, a new index must be computed for each run. To address such scalability problems, we present DIDA, a novel framework that distributes the indexing and alignment tasks into smaller subtasks over a cluster of compute nodes. It provides a workflow beyond the common practice of embarrassingly parallel implementations. DIDA is a cost-effective, scalable and modular framework for the sequence alignment problem in terms of memory usage and runtime. It can be employed in large-scale alignments to draft genomes and intermediate stages of de novo assembly runs. The DIDA source code, sample files and user manual are available through http://www.bcgsc.ca/platform/bioinfo/software/dida. The software is released under the British Columbia Cancer Agency License (BCCA, and is free for academic use.

Reference value sensitivity of measures of unfair health inequality

Science.gov (United States)

García-Gómez, Pilar; Schokkaert, Erik; Van Ourti, Tom

2014-01-01

Most politicians and ethical observers are not interested in pure health inequalities, as they want to distinguish between different causes of health differences. Measures of “unfair” inequality - direct unfairness and the fairness gap, but also the popular standardized concentration index - therefore neutralize the effects of what are considered to be “legitimate” causes of inequality. This neutralization is performed by putting a subset of the explanatory variables at reference values, e.g. their means. We analyze how the inequality ranking of different policies depends on the specific choice of reference values. We show with mortality data from the Netherlands that the problem is empirically relevant and we suggest a statistical method for fixing the reference values. PMID:24954998

Preserving the Integrity of Citations and References by All Stakeholders of Science Communication.

Science.gov (United States)

Gasparyan, Armen Yuri; Yessirkepov, Marlen; Voronov, Alexander A; Gerasimov, Alexey N; Kostyukova, Elena I; Kitas, George D

2015-11-01

Citations to scholarly items are building bricks for multidisciplinary science communication. Citation analyses are currently influencing individual career advancement and ranking of academic and research institutions worldwide. This article overviews the involvement of scientific authors, reviewers, editors, publishers, indexers, and learned associations in the citing and referencing to preserve the integrity of science communication. Authors are responsible for thorough bibliographic searches to select relevant references for their articles, comprehend main points, and cite them in an ethical way. Reviewers and editors may perform additional searches and recommend missing essential references. Publishers, in turn, are in a position to instruct their authors over the citations and references, provide tools for validation of references, and open access to bibliographies. Publicly available reference lists bear important information about the novelty and relatedness of the scholarly items with the published literature. Few editorial associations have dealt with the issue of citations and properly managed references. As a prime example, the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) issued in December 2014 an updated set of recommendations on the need for citing primary literature and avoiding unethical references, which are applicable to the global scientific community. With the exponential growth of literature and related references, it is critically important to define functions of all stakeholders of science communication in curbing the issue of irrational and unethical citations and thereby improve the quality and indexability of scholarly journals.

Preserving the Integrity of Citations and References by All Stakeholders of Science Communication

Science.gov (United States)

Yessirkepov, Marlen; Voronov, Alexander A.; Gerasimov, Alexey N.; Kostyukova, Elena I.; Kitas, George D.

2015-01-01

Citations to scholarly items are building bricks for multidisciplinary science communication. Citation analyses are currently influencing individual career advancement and ranking of academic and research institutions worldwide. This article overviews the involvement of scientific authors, reviewers, editors, publishers, indexers, and learned associations in the citing and referencing to preserve the integrity of science communication. Authors are responsible for thorough bibliographic searches to select relevant references for their articles, comprehend main points, and cite them in an ethical way. Reviewers and editors may perform additional searches and recommend missing essential references. Publishers, in turn, are in a position to instruct their authors over the citations and references, provide tools for validation of references, and open access to bibliographies. Publicly available reference lists bear important information about the novelty and relatedness of the scholarly items with the published literature. Few editorial associations have dealt with the issue of citations and properly managed references. As a prime example, the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) issued in December 2014 an updated set of recommendations on the need for citing primary literature and avoiding unethical references, which are applicable to the global scientific community. With the exponential growth of literature and related references, it is critically important to define functions of all stakeholders of science communication in curbing the issue of irrational and unethical citations and thereby improve the quality and indexability of scholarly journals. PMID:26538996

76 FR 44351 - Proposed Renewal of Information Collection: 1090-0008, American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-25

...: 1090-0008, American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) E-Government Website Customer Satisfaction... Satisfaction Index (ACSI) E-Government Website Customer Satisfaction Survey used by numerous Federal agencies... comments should reference Website Customer Satisfaction Surveys. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To...

ECONOMICS DEPARTMENT PUBLICATIONS, 1960-1965: AN AUTHOR INDEX OF THE OPEN LITERATURE, WITH ABSTRACTS,

Science.gov (United States)

This is an author index for RAND Economics Department publications issued between January 1, 1960 and December 31, 1965, and available in the open...As a reference aid, the names of all authors are given alphabetically in the Author List immediately preceding the Author Index .

CINDA 83 (1977-1983). The index to literature and computer files on microscopic neutron data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-01-01

CINDA, the Computer Index of Neutron Data, contains bibliographical references to measurements, calculations, reviews and evaluations of neutron cross-sections and other microscopic neutron data; it includes also index references to computer libraries of numerical neutron data exchanged between four regional neutron data centres. The present issue, CINDA 83, is an index to the literature on neutron data published after 1976. The basic volume, CINDA-A, together with the present issue, contains the full CINDA file as of 1 April 1983. A supplement to CINDA 83 is foreseen for fall 1983. Next year's issue, which is envisaged to be published in June 1984, will again cover all relevant literature that has appeared after 1976

Dual energy X-Ray absorptiometry body composition reference values from NHANES.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas L Kelly

Full Text Available In 2008 the National Center for Health Statistics released a dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA whole body dataset from the NHANES population-based sample acquired with modern fan beam scanners in 15 counties across the United States from 1999 through 2004. The NHANES dataset was partitioned by gender and ethnicity and DXA whole body measures of %fat, fat mass/height(2, lean mass/height(2, appendicular lean mass/height(2, %fat trunk/%fat legs ratio, trunk/limb fat mass ratio of fat, bone mineral content (BMC and bone mineral density (BMD were analyzed to provide reference values for subjects 8 to 85 years old. DXA reference values for adults were normalized to age; reference values for children included total and sub-total whole body results and were normalized to age, height, or lean mass. We developed an obesity classification scheme by using estabbody mass index (BMI classification thresholds and prevalences in young adults to generate matching classification thresholds for Fat Mass Index (FMI; fat mass/height(2. These reference values should be helpful in the evaluation of a variety of adult and childhood abnormalities involving fat, lean, and bone, for establishing entry criteria into clinical trials, and for other medical, research, and epidemiological uses.

Apparently abnormal Wechsler Memory Scale index score patterns in the normal population.

Science.gov (United States)

Carrasco, Roman Marcus; Grups, Josefine; Evans, Brittney; Simco, Edward; Mittenberg, Wiley

2015-01-01

Interpretation of the Wechsler Memory Scale-Fourth Edition may involve examination of multiple memory index score contrasts and similar comparisons with Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth Edition ability indexes. Standardization sample data suggest that 15-point differences between any specific pair of index scores are relatively uncommon in normal individuals, but these base rates refer to a comparison between a single pair of indexes rather than multiple simultaneous comparisons among indexes. This study provides normative data for the occurrence of multiple index score differences calculated by using Monte Carlo simulations and validated against standardization data. Differences of 15 points between any two memory indexes or between memory and ability indexes occurred in 60% and 48% of the normative sample, respectively. Wechsler index score discrepancies are normally common and therefore not clinically meaningful when numerous such comparisons are made. Explicit prior interpretive hypotheses are necessary to reduce the number of index comparisons and associated false-positive conclusions. Monte Carlo simulation accurately predicts these false-positive rates.

Hazard index for underground toxic material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, C.F.; Cohen, J.J.; McKone, T.E.

1980-06-01

To adequately define the problem of waste management, quantitative measures of hazard must be used. This study reviews past work in the area of hazard indices and proposes a geotoxicity hazard index for use in characterizing the hazard of toxic material buried underground. Factors included in this index are: an intrinsic toxicity factor, formulated as the volume of water required for dilution to public drinking-water levels; a persistence factor to characterize the longevity of the material, ranging from unity for stable materials to smaller values for shorter-lived materials; an availability factor that relates the transport potential for the particular material to a reference value for its naturally occurring analog; and a correction factor to accommodate the buildup of decay progeny, resulting in increased toxicity

Hazard index for underground toxic material

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smith, C.F.; Cohen, J.J.; McKone, T.E.

1980-06-01

To adequately define the problem of waste management, quantitative measures of hazard must be used. This study reviews past work in the area of hazard indices and proposes a geotoxicity hazard index for use in characterizing the hazard of toxic material buried underground. Factors included in this index are: an intrinsic toxicity factor, formulated as the volume of water required for dilution to public drinking-water levels; a persistence factor to characterize the longevity of the material, ranging from unity for stable materials to smaller values for shorter-lived materials; an availability factor that relates the transport potential for the particular material to a reference value for its naturally occurring analog; and a correction factor to accommodate the buildup of decay progeny, resulting in increased toxicity.

[The National Database of the Regional Collaborative Rheumatic Centers as a tool for clinical epidemiology and quality assessment in rheumatology].

Science.gov (United States)

Zink, Angela; Huscher, Dörte; Listing, Joachim

2003-01-01

The national database of the German Collaborative Arthritis Centres is a well-established tool for the observation and assessment of health care delivery to patients with rheumatic diseases in Germany. The discussion of variations in treatment practices contributes to the internal quality assessment in the participating arthritis centres. This documentation has shown deficits in primary health care including late referral to a rheumatologist, undertreatment with disease-modifying drugs and complementary therapies. In rheumatology, there is a trend towards early, intensive medical treatment including combination therapy. The frequency and length of inpatient hospital and rehabilitation treatments is decreasing, while active physiotherapy in outpatient care has been increased. Specific deficits have been identified concerning the provision of occupational therapy services and patient education.

INDEXING AND INDEX FUNDS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

HAKAN SARITAŞ

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Proponents of the efficient market hypothesis believe that active portfolio management is largely wasted effort and unlikely to justify the expenses incurred. Therefore, they advocate a passive investment strategy that makes no attempt to outsmart the market. One common strategy for passive management is indexing where a fund is designed to replicate the performance of a broad-based index of stocks and bonds. Traditionally, indexing was used by institutional investors, but today, the use of index funds proliferated among individual investors. Over the years, both international and domestic index funds have disproportionately outperformed the market more than the actively managed funds have.

Indexes to Nuclear Regulatory Commission issuances, July--December 1995

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-01-01

Digests and indexes for issuances of the NRC, the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board, the Administrative Law Judges, the Directors' Decisions, and the Decisions on Petitions for Rulemaking are presented in this document. These digests and indexes are intended to serve as a guide to the issuances. Information elements common to the cases heard and ruled upon are: (1) case name, (2) full text reference, (3) issuance number, (4) issued raised by appellants, (5) legal citations, (6) name of facility and Docket number, (7) subject matter, (8) type of hearing, and (9) type of issuance

[Bibliometric study of the original articles published in Revista Española de Salud Púiblica (1991-2000). Part III: reference analysis].

Science.gov (United States)

Villar Alvarez, Fernando; Estrada Lorenzo, José Manuel; Peréz Andrés, Christina; Rebollo Rodríguez, M José

2007-01-01

The advancement of knowledge is based on the results of previously conducted research studies, which are reflected in the reference sources listed in a scientific article. This study is aimed at studying the scientific information used in the Revista Española de Salud Pública based on the references cited in the original articles published during the 1991-2000 period. The data regarding the year and where published, document type, language and country in which published was taken from the reference sources listed in the 290 original articles published, the obsolescence, Price and isolation indexes being calculated, and the Bradford core distribution being established according to the source journals. The self-citing rate was also calculated. A total of 7465 references were cited in the Reference section of the 290 original articles. An average of 25.7 references were cited per article. The Price index was 40.7. The scientific articles showed an obsolescence index of 5, the books and book chapters having an index of 6. A total 50.6% of the citations were from studies published in Spanish. The isolation index of the references was 48.1. The first Bradford core is comprised of 10 journals, the first four of which are Spanish. The self-citing rate was 3.8%. The information consumption of the original articles published in the Revista Española de Salud Pública show parameters similar to those of other Spanish health sciences journals for those same years, and the parameters regarding which this Journal differs from other Spanish health sciences journals seem to be justified by those particular aspects unique to public health, which does not fall within the patterns inherent to the clinical disciplines.

A structural SVM approach for reference parsing.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiaoli; Zou, Jie; Le, Daniel X; Thoma, George R

2011-06-09

Automated extraction of bibliographic data, such as article titles, author names, abstracts, and references is essential to the affordable creation of large citation databases. References, typically appearing at the end of journal articles, can also provide valuable information for extracting other bibliographic data. Therefore, parsing individual reference to extract author, title, journal, year, etc. is sometimes a necessary preprocessing step in building citation-indexing systems. The regular structure in references enables us to consider reference parsing a sequence learning problem and to study structural Support Vector Machine (structural SVM), a newly developed structured learning algorithm on parsing references. In this study, we implemented structural SVM and used two types of contextual features to compare structural SVM with conventional SVM. Both methods achieve above 98% token classification accuracy and above 95% overall chunk-level accuracy for reference parsing. We also compared SVM and structural SVM to Conditional Random Field (CRF). The experimental results show that structural SVM and CRF achieve similar accuracies at token- and chunk-levels. When only basic observation features are used for each token, structural SVM achieves higher performance compared to SVM since it utilizes the contextual label features. However, when the contextual observation features from neighboring tokens are combined, SVM performance improves greatly, and is close to that of structural SVM after adding the second order contextual observation features. The comparison of these two methods with CRF using the same set of binary features show that both structural SVM and CRF perform better than SVM, indicating their stronger sequence learning ability in reference parsing.

Index to FAA Office of Aviation Medicine reports : 1961 through 1973.

Science.gov (United States)

1974-03-01

An index to Office of Aviation Medicine Reports (1964-1973) and Civil Aeromedical Research Institute Reports (1961-1963) is presented as a quick reference for those engaged in aviation medicine and related activities.

Estimation of Forest Fire-fighting Budgets Using Climate Indexes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Xu, Z.; Kooten, van G.C.

2012-01-01

Given the complexity and relative short length of current predicting system for fire behavior, it is inappropriate to be referred for planning fire-fighting budgets of BC government due to the severe uncertainty of fire behavior across fire seasons. Therefore, a simple weather derived index for

Pharmaceutical policies: effects of reference pricing, other pricing, and purchasing policies.

Science.gov (United States)

Acosta, Angela; Ciapponi, Agustín; Aaserud, Morten; Vietto, Valeria; Austvoll-Dahlgren, Astrid; Kösters, Jan Peter; Vacca, Claudia; Machado, Manuel; Diaz Ayala, Diana Hazbeydy; Oxman, Andrew D

2014-10-16

Pharmaceuticals are important interventions that could improve people's health. Pharmaceutical pricing and purchasing policies are used as cost-containment measures to determine or affect the prices that are paid for drugs. Internal reference pricing establishes a benchmark or reference price within a country which is the maximum level of reimbursement for a group of drugs. Other policies include price controls, maximum prices, index pricing, price negotiations and volume-based pricing. To determine the effects of pharmaceutical pricing and purchasing policies on health outcomes, healthcare utilisation, drug expenditures and drug use. We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), part of The Cochrane Library (including the Effective Practice and Organisation of Care Group Register) (searched 22/10/2012); MEDLINE In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations and MEDLINE, Ovid (searched 22/10/2012); EconLit, ProQuest (searched 22/10/2012); PAIS International, ProQuest (searched 22/10/2012); World Wide Political Science Abstracts, ProQuest (searched 22/10/2012); INRUD Bibliography (searched 22/10/2012); Embase, Ovid (searched 14/12/2010); NHSEED, part of The Cochrane Library (searched 08/12/2010); LILACS, VHL (searched 14/12/2010); International Political Science Abstracts (IPSA), Ebsco (searched (17/12/2010); OpenSIGLE (searched 21/12/10); WHOLIS, WHO (searched 17/12/2010); World Bank (Documents and Reports) (searched 21/12/2010); Jolis (searched 09/10/2011); Global Jolis (searched 09/10/2011) ; OECD (searched 30/08/2005); OECD iLibrary (searched 30/08/2005); World Bank eLibrary (searched 21/12/2010); WHO - The Essential Drugs and Medicines web site (browsed 21/12/2010). Policies in this review were defined as laws; rules; financial and administrative orders made by governments, non-government organisations or private insurers. To be included a study had to include an objective measure of at least one of the following outcomes: drug use

Prevalence of the American College of Rheumatology hematological classification criteria and associations with serological and clinical variables in 460 systemic lupus erythematosus patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thelma Skare

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Objective: To study systemic lupus erythematosus in a Brazilian population using the American College of Rheumatology hematological classification criteria and report associations of the disease with serological and clinical profiles. Methods: This is a retrospective study of 460 systemic lupus erythematosus patients followed in a single rheumatologic center during the last 10 years. Hematological manifestations considered for this study were hemolysis, leukopenia, lymphocytopenia and thrombocytopenia. Results: The cumulative prevalences of leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, lymphocytopenia and hemolytic anemia were 29.8%, 21.08%, 17.7% and 8.4%, respectively. A higher percentage of patients with hemolysis had anticardiolipin IgM (p-value = 0.002. Those with leukopenia had more lymphopenia (p-value = 0.02, psychosis (p-value = 0.01, thrombocy- topenia (p-value <0.0001 and anti-double stranded DNA antibodies (p-value = 0.03. Patients with lymphopenia had more leukopenia (OR = 1.8; 95% CI = 1.01-3.29 and lupus anticoagulant antibodies (OR = 2.2; 95% CI = 1.16-4.39 and those with thrombocytopenia had more leukopenia (OR = 3.1; 95% CI = 1.82-5.44 and antiphospholipid syndrome (OR = 3.1; 95% CI = 1.28-7.87. Conclusion: The most common hematological finding was leukopenia and the least common was hemolysis. Associations of low platelet count and hemolysis were found with antiphospholipid syndrome and anticardiolipin IgM positivity, respectively. Leukopenia and lymphocytopenia are correlated and leukopenia is more common in systemic lupus erythe- matosus patients with psychosis, thrombocytopenia and anti-double stranded DNA.

Cost of common low back pain and lumbar radiculopathy in rheumatologic consultation in Lomé.

Science.gov (United States)

Fianyo, Eyram; Oniankitan, Owonayo; Tagbor Komi, C; Kakpovi, Kodjo; Houzou, Prénam; Koffi-Tessio Viwalé, E S; Mijiyawa, Moustafa

2017-03-01

The cost of low back pain was the subject of few studies in black Africa. To assess the cost of common low back pain and lumbar radiculopathy in Lomé. A six months study was realised in the rheumatologic department of CHU Sylvanus Olympio. 103 consecutive patients suffering from a common low back pain or lumbar radiculopathy were included. To assess direct, indirect and non-financial costs they were questioned about their expense during the year. Financial cost of common low back pain and lumbar radiculopathy amounted to 107.2 $ US (extremes: 5.8 and 726.1 $ US). This amount, quadruple of guaranteed minimum wage, felled under two headings: direct cost (56.3 $ US; 53% of total sum), indirect cost (50.3 $ US; 47% of total sum). Non-financial cost were: disruption in daily activities (94%), impact in emotional and sexual life (59%), impact on the family's budget (69%), abandon of family's projects (58%) or of leisure (42%). In black Africa top priority is given to the fight against infectious diseases those cause an important mortality. But common low back pain and lumbar radiculopathy, those have social and economic impact, should be given more attention.

Reference Clinical Database for Fixation Stability Metrics in Normal Subjects Measured with the MAIA Microperimeter.

Science.gov (United States)

Morales, Marco U; Saker, Saker; Wilde, Craig; Pellizzari, Carlo; Pallikaris, Aristophanes; Notaroberto, Neil; Rubinstein, Martin; Rui, Chiara; Limoli, Paolo; Smolek, Michael K; Amoaku, Winfried M

2016-11-01

The purpose of this study was to establish a normal reference database for fixation stability measured with the bivariate contour ellipse area (BCEA) in the Macular Integrity Assessment (MAIA) microperimeter. Subjects were 358 healthy volunteers who had the MAIA examination. Fixation stability was assessed using two BCEA fixation indices (63% and 95% proportional values) and the percentage of fixation points within 1° and 2° from the fovea (P1 and P2). Statistical analysis was performed with linear regression and Pearson's product moment correlation coefficient. Average areas of 0.80 deg 2 (min = 0.03, max = 3.90, SD = 0.68) for the index BCEA@63% and 2.40 deg 2 (min = 0.20, max = 11.70, SD = 2.04) for the index BCEA@95% were found. The average values of P1 and P2 were 95% (min = 76, max = 100, SD = 5.31) and 99% (min = 91, max = 100, SD = 1.42), respectively. The Pearson's product moment test showed an almost perfect correlation index, r = 0.999, between BCEA@63% and BCEA@95%. Index P1 showed a very strong correlation with BCEA@63%, r = -0.924, as well as with BCEA@95%, r = -0.925. Index P2 demonstrated a slightly lower correlation with both BCEA@63% and BCEA@95%, r = -0.874 and -0.875, respectively. The single parameter of the BCEA@95% may be taken as accurately reporting fixation stability and serves as a reference database of normal subjects with a cutoff area of 2.40 ± 2.04 deg 2 in MAIA microperimeter. Fixation stability can be measured with different indices. This study originates reference fixation values for the MAIA using a single fixation index.

Bibliography of selected references on the effects of coal mine pollutants on aquatic ecosystems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Daniels, T F; Daniels, L K; Olsen, R D; Johnson, D O

1979-12-01

This bibliography contains more than 1400 references dealing with field and laboratory research on potential toxicities and disturbances known or postulated to be caused by pollutants found in coal mine effluents. The first of the three sections into which the bibliography is divided contains a select list of published bibliographies and literature reviews. In the second section are references on mine drainage studies, general references on environmental pollutants, and references dealing with two or more specific parameters. The third section includes references for 40 parameters under individual parameter headings. The multi parameter references in the second section are therefore also listed in the third section under individual headings. An author index is also provided.

A computer program for creating keyword indexes to textual data files

Science.gov (United States)

Moody, David W.

1972-01-01

A keyword-in-context (KWIC) or out-of-context (KWOC) index is a convenient means of organizing information. This keyword index program can be used to create either KWIC or KWOC indexes of bibliographic references or other types of information punched on. cards, typed on optical scanner sheets, or retrieved from various Department of Interior data bases using the Generalized Information Processing System (GIPSY). The index consists of a 'bibliographic' section and a keyword-section based on the permutation of. document titles, project titles, environmental impact statement titles, maps, etc. or lists of descriptors. The program can also create a back-of-the-book index to documents from a list of descriptors. By providing the user with a wide range of input and output options, the program provides the researcher, manager, or librarian with a means of-maintaining a list and index to documents in. a small library, reprint collection, or office file.

A comparison of footprint indexes calculated from ink and electronic footprints.

Science.gov (United States)

Urry, S R; Wearing, S C

2001-04-01

Pressure platforms offer the potential to measure and record electronic footprints rapidly; however, the accuracy of geometric indexes derived from these prints has not been investigated. A comparison of conventional ink footprints with simultaneously acquired electronic prints revealed significant differences in several geometric indexes. The contact area was consistently underestimated by the electronic prints and resulted in a significant change in the arch index. The long plantar angle was poorly correlated between techniques. This study demonstrated that electronic footprints, derived from a pressure platform, are not representative of the equivalent ink footprints and, consequently, should not be interpreted with reference to literature on conventional footprints.

2012 Brazilian Society of Rheumatology Consensus for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

da Mota, Licia Maria Henrique; Cruz, Boris Afonso; Brenol, Claiton Viegas; Pereira, Ivanio Alves; Rezende-Fronza, Lucila Stange; Bertolo, Manoel Barros; de Freitas, Max Victor Carioca; da Silva, Nilzio Antonio; Louzada-Júnior, Paulo; Giorgi, Rina Dalva Neubarth; Lima, Rodrigo Aires Corrêa; da Rocha Castelar Pinheiro, Geraldo

2012-01-01

To elaborate recommendations for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in Brazil. Literature review with articles' selection based on evidence and the expert opinion of the Rheumatoid Arthritis Committee of the Brazilian Society of Rheumatology. 1) The therapeutic decision should be shared with the patient; 2) immediately after the diagnosis, a disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) should be prescribed, and the treatment adjusted to achieve remission; 3) treatment should be conducted by a rheumatologist; 4) the initial treatment includes synthetic DMARDs; 5) methotrexate is the drug of choice; 6) patients who fail to respond after two schedules of synthetic DMARDs should be assessed for the use of biologic DMARDs; 7) exceptionally, biologic DMARDs can be considered earlier; 8) anti-TNF agents are preferentially recommended as the initial biologic therapy; 9) after therapeutic failure of a first biologic DMARD, other biologics can be used; 10) cyclophosphamide and azathioprine can be used in severe extra-articular manifestations; 11) oral corticoid is recommended at low doses and for short periods of time; 12) non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs should always be prescribed in association with a DMARD; 13) clinical assessments should be performed on a monthly basis at the beginning of treatment; 14) physical therapy, rehabilitation, and occupational therapy are indicated; 15) surgical treatment is recommended to correct sequelae; 16) alternative therapy does not replace traditional therapy; 17) family planning is recommended; 18) the active search and management of comorbidities are recommended; 19) the patient's vaccination status should be recorded and updated; 20) endemic-epidemic transmissible diseases should be investigated and treated.

Index to FAA Office of Aviation Medicine reports : 1961 through 1993.

Science.gov (United States)

1994-01-01

An index to Office of Aviation Medicine Reports (1964-1993) and Civil Aeromedical Research Institute Reports is presented as a reference for those engaged in aviation medicine and related activities. It lists all FAA aviation medicine reports publish...

Effect of Obesity on Arch Index in Young Adults

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sneha Sameer Ganu

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Excessive increases in weight bearing forces caused by obesity may negatively affect the lower limbs and feet but minimal research has examined the long-term loading effects of obesity on the musculoskeletal system, particularly in reference to the feet. Objectives: The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of obesity on medial longitudinal arch of foot in young adults. Method: 60 subjects, 30 obese & 30 non obese were assessed for height & weight using standard technique. Radiographic images under static condition were used for calculating the arch index. Result: The arch index of obese subjects was significantly lower than the non obese subjects & there is a negative correlation between the BMI & the arch index. Conclusion: These results suggests that obesity lowers the medial longitudinal arch of foot.

Rheumatology telephone advice line - experience of a Portuguese department.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferreira, R; Marques, A; Mendes, A; da Silva, J A

2015-01-01

Telephone helplines for patients are tool for information and advice. They can contribute to patient's satisfaction with care and to the effectiveness and safety of treatments. In order to achieve this, they need to be adequately adapted to the target populations, as to incorporate their abilities and expectations. a) Evaluate the adherence of patients to a telephone helpline managed by nurses in a Portuguese Rheumatology Department, b) Analyse the profile of users and their major needs, c) Analyse the management of calls by the nurses. The target population of this phone service are the patients treated at Day Care Hospital and Early Arthritis Clinic of our department. Nurses answered phone calls immediately between 8am and 4pm of working days. In the remaining hours messages were recorded on voice mail and answered as soon as possible. Details of the calls were registered in a dedicated sheet and patients were requested permission to use data to improve the service, with respect for their rights of confidentiality, anonymity and freedom of decision. In 18 months 173 calls were made by 79 patients, with a mean age of 47.9 years (sd=9.13). Considering the proportions of men and women in the target population, it was found that men called more frequently (M= 32.7% vs F= 20.4%, p=.016). The reasons for these calls can be divided into three categories: instrumental help, such as the request for results of complementary tests or rescheduling appointments (43.9% of calls); counselling on side effects or worsening of the disease/pain (31.2 %); counselling on therapy management (24.9%). Neither sex nor patient age were significantly related to these reasons for calling. Nurses resolved autonomously half (50.3%) of the calls and in 79.8% of the cases there was no need for patient referral to other health services. About a quarter of patients adhered to the telephone helpline.. Patients called to obtain support in the management of disease and therapy or to report side

A Multimetric Benthic Macroinvertebrate Index for the Assessment of Stream Biotic Integrity in Korea

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Soon-Jin Hwang

2012-10-01

Full Text Available At a time when anthropogenic activities are increasingly disturbing the overall ecological integrity of freshwater ecosystems, monitoring of biological communities is central to assessing the health and function of streams. This study aimed to use a large nation-wide database to develop a multimetric index (the Korean Benthic macroinvertebrate Index of Biological Integrity—KB-IBI applicable to the biological assessment of Korean streams. Reference and impaired conditions were determined based on watershed, chemical and physical criteria. Eight of an initial 34 candidate metrics were selected using a stepwise procedure that evaluated metric variability, redundancy, sensitivity and responsiveness to environmental gradients. The selected metrics were number of taxa, percent Ephemeroptera-Plecoptera-Trichoptera (EPT individuals, percent of a dominant taxon, percent taxa abundance without Chironomidae, Shannon’s diversity index, percent gatherer individuals, ratio of filterers and scrapers, and the Korean saprobic index. Our multimetric index successfully distinguished reference from impaired conditions. A scoring system was established for each core metric using its quartile range and response to anthropogenic disturbances. The multimetric index was classified by aggregating the individual metric ..scores and the value range was quadrisected to provide a narrative criterion (Poor, Fair, Good and Excellent to describe the biological integrity of the streams in the study. A validation procedure showed that the index is an effective method for evaluating stream conditions, and thus is appropriate for use in future studies measuring the long-term status of streams, and the effectiveness of restoration methods.

A Multimetric Benthic Macroinvertebrate Index for the Assessment of Stream Biotic Integrity in Korea

Science.gov (United States)

Jun, Yung-Chul; Won, Doo-Hee; Lee, Soo-Hyung; Kong, Dong-Soo; Hwang, Soon-Jin

2012-01-01

At a time when anthropogenic activities are increasingly disturbing the overall ecological integrity of freshwater ecosystems, monitoring of biological communities is central to assessing the health and function of streams. This study aimed to use a large nation-wide database to develop a multimetric index (the Korean Benthic macroinvertebrate Index of Biological Integrity—KB-IBI) applicable to the biological assessment of Korean streams. Reference and impaired conditions were determined based on watershed, chemical and physical criteria. Eight of an initial 34 candidate metrics were selected using a stepwise procedure that evaluated metric variability, redundancy, sensitivity and responsiveness to environmental gradients. The selected metrics were number of taxa, percent Ephemeroptera-Plecoptera-Trichoptera (EPT) individuals, percent of a dominant taxon, percent taxa abundance without Chironomidae, Shannon’s diversity index, percent gatherer individuals, ratio of filterers and scrapers, and the Korean saprobic index. Our multimetric index successfully distinguished reference from impaired conditions. A scoring system was established for each core metric using its quartile range and response to anthropogenic disturbances. The multimetric index was classified by aggregating the individual metric ..scores and the value range was quadrisected to provide a narrative criterion (Poor, Fair, Good and Excellent) to describe the biological integrity of the streams in the study. A validation procedure showed that the index is an effective method for evaluating stream conditions, and thus is appropriate for use in future studies measuring the long-term status of streams, and the effectiveness of restoration methods. PMID:23202765

Development of a Dietary Index to Assess Overall Diet Quality for Chinese School-Aged Children: The Chinese Children Dietary Index.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Guo; Duan, Ruonan; Kranz, Sibylle; Libuda, Lars; Zhang, Lishi

2016-04-01

A composite measure of diet quality is preferable to an index of nutrients, food groups, or health-promoting behaviors in dietary assessment. However, to date, such a tool for Chinese children is lacking. Based on the current Chinese Dietary Guidelines and Dietary Reference Intakes, a dietary index for Chinese school-aged children, the Chinese Children Dietary Index was developed to assess overall diet quality among children in South China. Dietary data were recorded using 24-hour recalls among 1,719 children aged 7 to 15 years between March and June 2013. Inactivity data and sociodemographic information were also collected. The Chinese Children Dietary Index included 16 components, which incorporated nutrients, foods/food groups, and health-promoting behaviors. The range of possible Chinese Children Dietary Index scores was 0 to 160, with a higher score indicating better diet quality. Pearson/Spearman correlation was used to assess relative validity using correlations between total Chinese Children Dietary Index score and age, body mass index (BMI; calculated as kg/m(2)), inactivity, whole-grain intake, frequency of fried-foods intake, nutrient adequacy ratios for energy intake and 12 nutrients not included in the Chinese Children Dietary Index, and the mean adequacy ratio. Finally, a stepwise multiple regression analysis was performed to indicate the factors correlated with Chinese Children Dietary Index. Mean Chinese Children Dietary Index score of this sample was 88.1 points (range=34.2 to 137.8), the Chinese Children Dietary Index score of girls was higher than that of boys and decreased with higher age. Children with higher Chinese Children Dietary Index had lower body mass index and spent less time being inactive. Positive associations were observed between Chinese Children Dietary Index and the majority of nutrient adequacy ratios and the mean adequacy ratio. Age, paternal educational level, and family size were correlated with Chinese Children Dietary

Eccentric connectivity index of chemical trees

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haoer, R. S.; Atan, K. A.; Said, M. R. Md.; Khalaf, A. M.; Hasni, R.

2016-01-01

Let G = (V, E) be a simple connected molecular graph. In such a simple molecular graph, vertices and edges are depicted atoms and chemical bonds respectively, we refer to the sets of vertices by V (G) and edges by E (G). If d(u, v) be distance between two vertices u, v ∈ V(G) and can be defined as the length of a shortest path joining them. Then, the eccentricity connectivity index (ECI) of a molecular graph G is ξ(G) = ∑_v_∈_V_(_G_) d(v) ec(v), where d(v) is degree of a vertex v ∈ V(G). ec(v) is the length of a greatest path linking to another vertex of v. In this study, we focus the general formula for the eccentricity connectivity index (ECI) of some chemical trees as alkenes.

Index to FAA Office of Aviation Medicine reports : 1961 through 1991.

Science.gov (United States)

1992-01-01

An index to Office of Aviation Medicine Reports (1964-1991) and Civil Aeromedical Research Institute Reports (1961-1963) is presented as a reference for those engaged in aviation medicine and related activities. It lists all FAA aviation medicine rep...

IDIOS: An innovative index for evaluating dental imaging-based osteoporosis screening indices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barngkgei, Imad; Al Haffar, Iyad; Khattab, Razan [Faculty of Dentistry, Damascus University, Damascus (Syrian Arab Republic); Halboub, Esam; Almashraqi, Abeer Abdulkareem [Dept. of Maxillofacial Surgery and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Dentistry, Jazan University, Jazan (Saudi Arabia)

2016-09-15

The goal of this study was to develop a new index as an objective reference for evaluating current and newly developed indices used for osteoporosis screening based on dental images. Its name; IDIOS, stands for Index of Dental-imaging Indices of Osteoporosis Screening. A comprehensive PubMed search was conducted to retrieve studies on dental imaging-based indices for osteoporosis screening. The results of the eligible studies, along with other relevant criteria, were used to develop IDIOS, which has scores ranging from 0 (0%) to 15 (100%). The indices presented in the studies we included were then evaluated using IDIOS. The 104 studies that were included utilized 24, 4, and 9 indices derived from panoramic, periapical, and computed tomographic/cone-beam computed tomographic techniques, respectively. The IDIOS scores for these indices ranged from 0 (0%) to 11.75 (78.32%). IDIOS is a valuable reference index that facilitates the evaluation of other dental imaging-based osteoporosis screening indices. Furthermore, IDIOS can be utilized to evaluate the accuracy of newly developed indices.

IDIOS: An innovative index for evaluating dental imaging-based osteoporosis screening indices.

Science.gov (United States)

Barngkgei, Imad; Halboub, Esam; Almashraqi, Abeer Abdulkareem; Khattab, Razan; Al Haffar, Iyad

2016-09-01

The goal of this study was to develop a new index as an objective reference for evaluating current and newly developed indices used for osteoporosis screening based on dental images. Its name; IDIOS, stands for Index of Dental-imaging Indices of Osteoporosis Screening. A comprehensive PubMed search was conducted to retrieve studies on dental imaging-based indices for osteoporosis screening. The results of the eligible studies, along with other relevant criteria, were used to develop IDIOS, which has scores ranging from 0 (0%) to 15 (100%). The indices presented in the studies we included were then evaluated using IDIOS. The 104 studies that were included utilized 24, 4, and 9 indices derived from panoramic, periapical, and computed tomographic/cone-beam computed tomographic techniques, respectively. The IDIOS scores for these indices ranged from 0 (0%) to 11.75 (78.32%). IDIOS is a valuable reference index that facilitates the evaluation of other dental imaging-based osteoporosis screening indices. Furthermore, IDIOS can be utilized to evaluate the accuracy of newly developed indices.

IDIOS: An innovative index for evaluating dental imaging-based osteoporosis screening indices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barngkgei, Imad; Al Haffar, Iyad; Khattab, Razan; Halboub, Esam; Almashraqi, Abeer Abdulkareem

2016-01-01

The goal of this study was to develop a new index as an objective reference for evaluating current and newly developed indices used for osteoporosis screening based on dental images. Its name; IDIOS, stands for Index of Dental-imaging Indices of Osteoporosis Screening. A comprehensive PubMed search was conducted to retrieve studies on dental imaging-based indices for osteoporosis screening. The results of the eligible studies, along with other relevant criteria, were used to develop IDIOS, which has scores ranging from 0 (0%) to 15 (100%). The indices presented in the studies we included were then evaluated using IDIOS. The 104 studies that were included utilized 24, 4, and 9 indices derived from panoramic, periapical, and computed tomographic/cone-beam computed tomographic techniques, respectively. The IDIOS scores for these indices ranged from 0 (0%) to 11.75 (78.32%). IDIOS is a valuable reference index that facilitates the evaluation of other dental imaging-based osteoporosis screening indices. Furthermore, IDIOS can be utilized to evaluate the accuracy of newly developed indices

The environmental cost of a reference withdrawal from surface waters: Definition and geography

Science.gov (United States)

Soligno, Irene; Ridolfi, Luca; Laio, Francesco

2017-12-01

World freshwater ecosystems are significantly deteriorating at a faster rate than other ecosystems. Water withdrawals are recognized as one of the main drivers of growing water stress in river basins worldwide. Over the years, much effort has been devoted to quantify water withdrawals at a global scale; however, comparisons are not simple because the uneven spatiotemporal distribution of surface water resources entails that the same amount of consumed water does not have the same environmental cost in different times or places. In order to account for this spatiotemporal heterogeneity, this work proposes a novel index to assess the environmental cost of a withdrawal from a generic river section. The index depends on (i) the environmental relevance of the impacted fluvial ecosystem (e.g., bed-load transport capacity, width of the riparian belt, biodiversity richness) and (ii) the downstream river network affected by the water withdrawal. The environmental cost has been estimated in each and every river section worldwide considering a reference withdrawal. Being referred to a unitary reference withdrawal that can occur in any river section worldwide, our results can be suitably arranged for describing any scenario of surface water consumption (i.e., as the superposition of the actual pattern of withdrawals). The index aims to support the interpretation of the volumetric measure of surface water withdrawal with a perspective that takes into account the fluvial system where the withdrawal actually occurs. The application of the index highlights the river regions where withdrawals can cause higher environmental costs, with the challenge of weighting each water withdrawal considering the responsibilities that it has on downstream freshwater ecosystems.

Personalised Medical Reference to General Practice Notebook (GPnotebook - an evolutionary tale

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

James McMorran

2002-09-01

What has happened to this resource now? This brief paper outlines how the developers of the reference resource have improved on the design and content of the medical database. Now the reference resource is an Internet-based resource called General Practice Notebook (www.gpnotebook.co.uk and is currently attracting 5000 to 9000 page views per day and containing over 30 000 index terms in a complex web structure of over 60 000 links. This paper describes the evolutionary process that has occurred over the last decade.

Secukinumab for rheumatology: development and its potential place in therapy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Koenders MI

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Marije I Koenders, Wim B van den Berg Experimental Rheumatology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands Abstract: Rheumatic disease is not a single disorder, but a group of more than 100 diseases that affect joints, connective tissues, and/or internal organs. Although rheumatic diseases like rheumatoid arthritis (RA, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis (AS differ in their pathogenesis and clinical presentation, the treatment of these inflammatory disorders overlaps. Non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs are used to reduce pain and inflammation. Additional disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs are prescribed to slowdown disease progression, and is in RA more frequently and effectively applied than in AS. Biologicals are a relatively new class of treatments that specifically target cytokines or cells of the immune system, like tumor necrosis factor alpha inhibitors or B-cell blockers. A new kid on the block is the interleukin-17 (IL-17 inhibitor secukinumab, which has been recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and AS. IL-17 is a proinflammatory cytokine that has an important role in host defense, but its proinflammatory and destructive effects have also been linked to pathogenic processes in autoimmune diseases like RA and psoriasis. Animal models have greatly contributed to further insights in the potential of IL-17 blockade in autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases, and have resulted in the development of various potential drugs targeting the IL-17 pathway. Secukinumab (AIN457 is a fully human monoclonal antibody that selectively binds to IL-17A and recently entered the market under the brand name Cosentyx®. By binding to IL-17A, secukinumab prevents it from binding to its receptor and inhibits its ability to trigger inflammatory responses that play a role in the development of various autoimmune diseases. With secukinumab being

Index to FAA Office of Aviation Medicine reports : 1961 through 1997.

Science.gov (United States)

1998-01-01

An index to Office of Aviation Medicine Reports (1964-1971) and is presented as a quick reference for those engaged in aviation medicine and related activities. It provides a listing of all FAA aviation medicine reports published from 1961 through 19...

Index to FAA Office of Aviation Medicine reports : 1961 through 1978.

Science.gov (United States)

1979-01-01

An index to Office of Aviation Medicine Reports (1964-1978) and Civil Aeromedical Research Institute Reports (1961-1963) is presented as a reference for those engaged in aviation medicine and related activities. It provides a listing of all FAA aviat...

Index to FAA Office of Aviation Medicine reports : 1961 through 1980.

Science.gov (United States)

1981-01-01

An index to Office of Aviation Medicine Reports (1964-1978) and Civil Aeromedical Research Institute Reports (1961-1963) is presented as a reference for those engaged in aviation medicine and related activities. It provides a listing of all FAA aviat...

Index to FAA Office of Aviation Medicine reports : 1961 through 1986.

Science.gov (United States)

1987-01-01

An index to Office of Aviation Medicine Reports (1964-1982) and Civil Aeromedical Research Institute Reports (1961-1963) is presented as a reference for those engaged in aviation medicine and related activities. It provides a listing of all FAA aviat...

Index to FAA Office of Aviation Medicine reports : 1961 through 1971.

Science.gov (United States)

1972-03-01

An index to Office of Aviation Medicine Reports (1964-1971) and Civil Aeromedical Research Institute Reports (1961-1963) is presented as a quick reference for those engaged in aviation medicine and related activities. It provides a listing of all FAA...

Index to FAA Office of Aviation Medicine reports : 1961 through 1976.

Science.gov (United States)

1977-01-01

An index to Office of Aviation Medicine Reports (1964-1971) and is presented as a quick reference for those engaged in aviation medicine and related activities. It provides a listing of all FAA aviation medicine reports published from 1961 through 19...

Index to FAA Office of Aviation Medicine reports : 1961 through 1982.

Science.gov (United States)

1983-01-01

An index to Office of Aviation Medicine Reports (1964-1982) and Civil Aeromedical Research Institute Reports (1961-1963) is presented as a reference for those engaged in aviation medicine and related activities. It provides a listing of all FAA aviat...

Index to FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine reports : 1961 through 2012.

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

An index to Office of Aviation Medicine Reports (1964-1971) and Civil Aeromedical Research Institute Reports (1961-1963) is presented as a quick reference for those engaged in aviation medicine and related activities. It provides a listing of all FAA...

A novel correction factor based on extended volume to complement the conformity index.

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, F; Wang, Y; Wu, Y-Z

2012-08-01

We propose a modified conformity index (MCI), based on extended volume, that improves on existing indices by correcting for the insensitivity of previous conformity indices to reference dose shape to assess the quality of high-precision radiation therapy and present an evaluation of its application. In this paper, the MCI is similar to the conformity index suggested by Paddick (CI(Paddick)), but with a different correction factor. It is shown for three cases: with an extended target volume, with an extended reference dose volume and without an extended volume. Extended volume is generated by expanding the original volume by 0.1-1.1 cm isotropically. Focusing on the simulation model, measurements of MCI employ a sphere target and three types of reference doses: a sphere, an ellipsoid and a cube. We can constrain the potential advantage of the new index by comparing MCI with CI(Paddick). The measurements of MCI in head-neck cancers treated with intensity-modulated radiation therapy and volumetric-modulated arc therapy provide a window on its clinical practice. The results of MCI for a simulation model and clinical practice are presented and the measurements are corrected for limited spatial resolution. The three types of MCI agree with each other, and comparisons between the MCI and CI(Paddick) are also provided. The results from our analysis show that the proposed MCI can provide more objective and accurate conformity measurement for high-precision radiation therapy. In combination with a dose-volume histogram, it will be a more useful conformity index.

Virtual Distances Methodology as Verification Technique for AACMMs with a Capacitive Sensor Based Indexed Metrology Platform

Science.gov (United States)

Acero, Raquel; Santolaria, Jorge; Brau, Agustin; Pueo, Marcos

2016-01-01

This paper presents a new verification procedure for articulated arm coordinate measuring machines (AACMMs) together with a capacitive sensor-based indexed metrology platform (IMP) based on the generation of virtual reference distances. The novelty of this procedure lays on the possibility of creating virtual points, virtual gauges and virtual distances through the indexed metrology platform’s mathematical model taking as a reference the measurements of a ball bar gauge located in a fixed position of the instrument’s working volume. The measurements are carried out with the AACMM assembled on the IMP from the six rotating positions of the platform. In this way, an unlimited number and types of reference distances could be created without the need of using a physical gauge, therefore optimizing the testing time, the number of gauge positions and the space needed in the calibration and verification procedures. Four evaluation methods are presented to assess the volumetric performance of the AACMM. The results obtained proved the suitability of the virtual distances methodology as an alternative procedure for verification of AACMMs using the indexed metrology platform. PMID:27869722

Virtual Distances Methodology as Verification Technique for AACMMs with a Capacitive Sensor Based Indexed Metrology Platform.

Science.gov (United States)

Acero, Raquel; Santolaria, Jorge; Brau, Agustin; Pueo, Marcos

2016-11-18

This paper presents a new verification procedure for articulated arm coordinate measuring machines (AACMMs) together with a capacitive sensor-based indexed metrology platform (IMP) based on the generation of virtual reference distances. The novelty of this procedure lays on the possibility of creating virtual points, virtual gauges and virtual distances through the indexed metrology platform's mathematical model taking as a reference the measurements of a ball bar gauge located in a fixed position of the instrument's working volume. The measurements are carried out with the AACMM assembled on the IMP from the six rotating positions of the platform. In this way, an unlimited number and types of reference distances could be created without the need of using a physical gauge, therefore optimizing the testing time, the number of gauge positions and the space needed in the calibration and verification procedures. Four evaluation methods are presented to assess the volumetric performance of the AACMM. The results obtained proved the suitability of the virtual distances methodology as an alternative procedure for verification of AACMMs using the indexed metrology platform.

Reference dosimetry for CT in the UK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shrimpton, P.C.; Wall, B.F.

2001-01-01

Computed tomography is firmly established as a major source of population exposure from diagnostic x-ray examinations and thus a particular focus for radiological protection initiatives. The concept of reference doses is widely recognised as a useful and practical tool for promoting improvements in the optimisation of protection for patients undergoing radiological examinations. National diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) have already been successfully applied in the UK for some conventional x-ray examinations within a framework for advice on patient protection. This approach is being extended to include CT, utilising the robust methodology for reference dosimetry that has been developed by the European Commission (EC) for the particular conditions of exposure in CT. This is based on the dosimetric concepts of weighted computed tomography dose index (CTDI w ) per slice in serial scanning or per rotation in helical scanning, and dose-length product (DLP) per complete examination. Notwithstanding some initial values proposed by the EC, specific national DRLs for CT practice in the UK will be established on the basis of widescale national survey data. (author)

An administrative data validation study of the accuracy of algorithms for identifying rheumatoid arthritis: the influence of the reference standard on algorithm performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Widdifield, Jessica; Bombardier, Claire; Bernatsky, Sasha; Paterson, J Michael; Green, Diane; Young, Jacqueline; Ivers, Noah; Butt, Debra A; Jaakkimainen, R Liisa; Thorne, J Carter; Tu, Karen

2014-06-23

We have previously validated administrative data algorithms to identify patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) using rheumatology clinic records as the reference standard. Here we reassessed the accuracy of the algorithms using primary care records as the reference standard. We performed a retrospective chart abstraction study using a random sample of 7500 adult patients under the care of 83 family physicians contributing to the Electronic Medical Record Administrative data Linked Database (EMRALD) in Ontario, Canada. Using physician-reported diagnoses as the reference standard, we computed and compared the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values for over 100 administrative data algorithms for RA case ascertainment. We identified 69 patients with RA for a lifetime RA prevalence of 0.9%. All algorithms had excellent specificity (>97%). However, sensitivity varied (75-90%) among physician billing algorithms. Despite the low prevalence of RA, most algorithms had adequate positive predictive value (PPV; 51-83%). The algorithm of "[1 hospitalization RA diagnosis code] or [3 physician RA diagnosis codes with ≥1 by a specialist over 2 years]" had a sensitivity of 78% (95% CI 69-88), specificity of 100% (95% CI 100-100), PPV of 78% (95% CI 69-88) and NPV of 100% (95% CI 100-100). Administrative data algorithms for detecting RA patients achieved a high degree of accuracy amongst the general population. However, results varied slightly from our previous report, which can be attributed to differences in the reference standards with respect to disease prevalence, spectrum of disease, and type of comparator group.

Peripheral perfusion index-reference range in healthy Portuguese term newborns

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joana Jardim

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Peripheral perfusion index (PPI is a non-invasive numerical value of peripheral perfusion derived from a pulse oximeter signal. It has been suggested that PPI may be a valuable adjunct diagnostic tool to detect early clinically significant hemodynamic embarrassment. The aim of this paper was to determine normal PPI in healthy newborns, in order to establish cut-off values that can be use in different pathologic settings. Material and Methods: Prospective observational study performed with term newborns, born in a tertiary level care hospital between January 1st to December 31st 2012. Demographic data such as gender, gestational age, birth weight and Apgar score were collected. PPI, heart rate (HR and arterial blood oxygen saturation (SpO2 were evaluated simultaneous on the right hand (preductal and on the left foot (postductal of the newborn, before discharge from the hospital. Results: 2,032 newborns, 52% male, with a mean birth weight of 3,237 ± 432 g and median gestational age of 39 weeks, were evaluated. PPI values obtained were: preductal median of 1.6 with interquartile range of 1.2-2.3, postductal median of 1.4 with interquartile range of 1-2 (p < 0.001. Conclusions: PPI is an easily applicable non invasive method to monitor peripheral perfusion changes. We established normal PPI values in healthy Portuguese newborns. PPI was higher on the upper limb (preductal when compared to the lower limb (postductal.This finding has important implications, in the time of choosing a single probe placement, and in the interpretation of the results.

Low-Coherence Reflectometry for Refractive Index Measurements of Cells in Micro-Capillaries

Science.gov (United States)

Carpignano, Francesca; Rigamonti, Giulia; Mazzini, Giuliano; Merlo, Sabina

2016-01-01

The refractive index of cells provides insights into their composition, organization and function. Moreover, a good knowledge of the cell refractive index would allow an improvement of optical cytometric and diagnostic systems. Although interferometric techniques undoubtedly represent a good solution for quantifying optical path variation, obtaining the refractive index of a population of cells non-invasively remains challenging because of the variability in the geometrical thickness of the sample. In this paper, we demonstrate the use of infrared low-coherence reflectometry for non-invasively quantifying the average refractive index of cell populations gently confined in rectangular glass micro-capillaries. A suspension of human red blood cells in plasma is tested as a reference. As a use example, we apply this technique to estimate the average refractive index of cell populations belonging to epithelial and hematological families. PMID:27727172

Application of Excel-VBA for Computation of Water Quality Index and Air Pollutant Index

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ismail Zainal Abidin; Hafizan Juahir; Azman Azid; Ahmad Dasuki Mustafa; Fazureen Azaman

2015-01-01

In Malaysia, there are two main indices which are Water Quality Index (WQI) and Air Pollutant Index (API). These indices are used as an indicator for the water quality and ambient air quality status of the environment. In conducting research regarding water and air quality, lots of time has been used to conduct other activities, an application to calculate the indices might come in handy. This project aims to construct an application for the computation of WQI and API using Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) available in Microsoft Excel. VBA is actually a programming language of Microsoft Excel and can be used to write programming and run through in an Excel workbook. The user only required to enter the value for each parameter and then press (OK) to automatically calculate the index. This will provide instance result without wasting time just to refer to the class standard and other formula. The application also has been used as a teaching tool for the secondary students. An environmental based race game called Young Environmental Scientist (YES) Explorace was conducted by Environmental East Coast Research Institute (ESERI) where secondary student are invited as the participant. The application not only provides early exposure to the environmental pollution, but also exposure to the application of computer sciences to the student. (author)

The 2005 European e-Business Readiness Index

OpenAIRE

Pennoni, Fulvia; Tarantola, Stefano; Latvala, Ari

2006-01-01

Assessment of the eEurope 2005 Action Plan Benchmarking Index “E-Business Readiness Composite Indicator” using data collected by National Statistical Institutes and harmonised by Eurostat, using surveys “ICT usage of enterprises”, with reference years 2003 and 2004. This report contains data from 26 countries as collected in 2004 and as reported by Eurostat in June 2005. Performed analyses include obustness analysis, uncertainty and sensitivity analysis for two categories of ICT (Adoption ...

Determining Pathways to Improvements in Fatigue in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Results From the British Society for Rheumatology Biologics Register for Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Druce, Katie L; Jones, Gareth T; Macfarlane, Gary J; Basu, Neil

2015-09-01

There is debate as to the role of inflammatory disease activity in the etiology of rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-related fatigue. We undertook this study to determine the relationship of fatigue to disease activity by examining pathways associated with change in fatigue in subjects starting anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) therapy for the first time. Participants who had been recruited to the British Society for Rheumatology Biologics Register for RA provided information on fatigue (Short Form 36 [SF-36] vitality scale) and other health status variables at the start of anti-TNF therapy and 6 months later. The Disease Activity Score in 28 joints (DAS28) and inflammation (erythrocyte sedimentation rate [ESR]/C-reactive protein [CRP] level) were also reported. A path analysis model comprising changes in fatigue, pain, disease activity, disability, and mental health, along with effects of sex and a history of depression, was used to examine those with high levels of fatigue at baseline (score of ≤12.5 units on the SF-36 vitality scale). The DAS28 was substituted for ESR/CRP to delineate the specific role of inflammation. With a total of 2,652 participants, we identified a well-fitting model (χ2  = 0.18, P = 0.98) accounting for 40% of the variance in fatigue change. There was no direct pathway from change in inflammation to change in fatigue; instead, significant pathways to change in fatigue were observed from changes in disease activity, pain, mental health, and disability, along with effects of sex and a history of depression. A total of 82% of the effect of change in disease activity was indirect, of which ∼50% was mediated through a change in pain. Improvements in fatigue do not appear to be driven by inflammatory disease activity; instead, they appear to result indirectly from improvements in pain. Additional significant pathways through disability and mental health suggest potentially modifiable factors that could be targeted to improve clinically

Manual for cataloging and indexing documents for database acquisition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schwartz, S.R.; Phillips, S.L.; Perra, J.J.

1978-07-01

The descriptive cataloging and subject indexing rules and methodology needed to process bibliographic information for GRID database storage are documented. Data elements which may appear in a bibliographic record are tabulated. Examples of coded data entry forms are included in an appendix. Examples are given of unit records in the database corresponding to one bibliographic reference. (MHR)

Criteria of reference radionuclides for safety analysis of spent fuel waste disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suryanto

1998-01-01

Study on the criteria for reference radionuclides selection for assessment on spent fuel disposal have done. The reference radionuclides in this study means radionuclides are predicted to contribute of the most radiological effect for man if spent fuel waste are discharged on deep geology formation. The research was done by investigate critically of parameters were used on evaluation a kind of radionuclide. Especially, this research study of parameter which relevant disposal case and or spent fuel waste on deep geology formation . The research assumed that spent fuel discharged on deep geology by depth 500-1000 meters from surface of the land. The migration scenario Radionuclides from waste form to man was assumed particularly for normal release in which Radionuclides discharge from waste form in a series thorough container, buffer, geological, rock, to fracture(fault) and move together with ground water go to biosphere and than go into human body. On this scenario, the parameter such as radionuclides inventory, half life, heat generation, hazard index based on maximum permissible concentration (MPC) or annual limit on intake (ALI) was developed as criteria of reference radionuclides selection. The research concluded that radionuclides inventory, half live, heat generated, hazard index base on MPC or ALI can be used as criteria for selection of reference Radionuclide. The research obtained that the main radionuclides are predicted give the most radiological effect to human are as Cs-137, Sr-90, I-129, Am-243, Cm-244, Pu-238, Pu-239, Pu-240. The radionuclides reasonable to be used as reference radionuclides in safety analysis at spent fuel disposal. (author)

Gradient-index optics fundamentals and applications

CERN Document Server

Gomez-Reino, Carlos; Bao, Carmen

2010-01-01

Gradient-Index (GRIN) optics provides a comprehensive and thorough treatment on fundamentals and applications of light propagation through inhomogeneous media. The book can be used both as a classroom text for students in physics and engineering and as a reference for specialists. A description of the phenomena, components and technology used in GRIN Optics are presented. The relationship to lenses, waveguides, optical connections, spatial solitons and vision is demonstrated. Applications of GRIN components and hybrid structures for optical connections, optical sensing and Talbot effect are analyzed.

The Establishment and Application of a Labor Quality Index: The Case of Taiwan's Manufacturing Industry

Science.gov (United States)

San,Gee; Huang, Tung-Chun; Huang, Li-Hsuan

2006-01-01

The labor quality index (LQI) not only serves as an important reference for monitoring the progress of the sustainable development of a country, but it can also serve as an important parameter for economic analysis. To compile such an index for Taiwan, we conducted two large-scale surveys of 1000 major enterprises and 844 union leaders,…

Usability and Workflow Evaluation of "RhEumAtic Disease activitY" (READY). A Mobile Application for Rheumatology Patients and Providers.

Science.gov (United States)

Yen, Po-Yin; Lara, Barbara; Lopetegui, Marcelo; Bharat, Aseem; Ardoin, Stacy; Johnson, Bernadette; Mathur, Puneet; Embi, Peter J; Curtis, Jeffrey R

2016-11-02

RhEumAtic Disease activitY (READY) is a mobile health (mHealth) application that aims to create a shared platform integrating data from both patients and physicians, with a particular emphasis on arthritis disease activity. We made READY available on an iPad and pilot implemented it at a rheumatology outpatient clinic. We conducted 1) a usability evaluation study to explore patients' and physicians' interactions with READY, and 2) a time motion study (TMS) to observe the clinical workflow before and after the implementation. A total of 33 patients and 15 physicians participated in the usability evaluation. We found usability problems in navigation, data entry, pain assessment, documentation, and instructions along with error messages. Despite these issues, 25 (75,76%) patients reported they liked READY. Physicians provided mixed feedback because they were concerned about the impact of READY on clinical workflow. Six physicians participated in the TMS. We observed 47 patient visits (44.72 hours) in the pre-implementation phase, and 42 patient visits (37.82 hours) in the post-implementation phase. We found that patients spent more time on READY than paper (4.39mins vs. 2.26mins), but overall, READY did not delay the workflow (pre = 52.08 mins vs. post = 45.46 mins). This time difference may be compensated with READY eliminating a workflow step for the staff. Patients preferred READY to paper documents. Many found it easier to input information because of the larger font size and the ease of 'tapping' rather than writing-out or circling answers. Even though patients spent more time on READY than using paper documents, the longer usage of READY was mainly due to when troubleshooting was needed. Most patients did not have problems after receiving initial support from the staff. This study not only enabled improvements to the software but also serves as good reference for other researchers or institutional decision makers who are interested in implementing such a

The household-based socio-economic deprivation index in Setiu Wetlands, Malaysia

Science.gov (United States)

Zakaria, Syerrina; May, Chin Sin; Rahman, Nuzlinda Abdul

2017-08-01

Deprivation index usually used in public health study. At the same time, deprivation index can also use to measure the level of deprivation in an area or a village. These indices are also referred as the index of inequalities or disadvantage. Even though, there are many indices that have been built before. But it is believed to be less appropriate to use the existing indices to be applied in other countries or areas which had different socio-economic conditions and different geographical characteristics. The objective of this study is to construct the index based on the socio-economic factors in Setiu Wetlands (Jajaran Merang, Jajaran Setiu and Jajaran Kuala Besut) in Terengganu Malaysia which is defined as weighted household-based socioeconomic deprivation index. This study has employed the variables based on income level, education level and employment rate obtained from questionnaire which are acquired from 64 villages included 1024 respondents. The factor analysis is used to extract the latent variables or observed variables into smaller amount of components or factors. By using factor analysis, one factor is extracted from 3 latent variables. This factor known as socioeconomic deprivation index. Based on the result, the areas with a lower index values until high index values were identified.

Coastwide Reference Monitoring System (CRMS) Vegetation Volume Index: An assessment tool for marsh habitat focused on the three-dimensional structure at CRMS vegetation monitoring stations

Science.gov (United States)

Wood, William B.; Visser, Jenneke M.; Piazza, Sarai C.; Sharp, Leigh A.; Hundy, Laura C.; McGinnis, Tommy E.

2015-12-04

A Vegetation Volume (VV) variable and Vegetation Volume Index (VVI) have been developed for the Coastwide Reference Monitoring System (CRMS). The VV is a measure of the amount of three-dimensional vegetative structure present at each CRMS site and is based on vegetation data collected annually. The VV uses 10 stations per CRMS site to quantify four vegetation layers: carpet, herbaceous, shrub, and tree. For each layer an overall live vegetation percent cover and height are collected to create a layer volume; the individual layer volumes are then summed to generate a site vegetation volume profile. The VV uses the two-dimensional area of live vegetative cover (in square meters) multiplied by the height (in meters) of each layer to produce a volume (in cubic meters) for each layer present in a 2-meter by 2-meter station. These layers are additive, yielding a total volume for each of the 10 herbaceous vegetation stations and an overall CRMS marsh site average.

Study on environmental impact assessment index system of uranium production base construction plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Xiaochao; Song Liquan

2008-01-01

The index system on planning environmental impact assessment of uranium mining base construction is discussed by using the hiberarchy method according to characteristics of uranium production and environmental protection object of planning assessment. The suggested index system is in favor of persistent exploitation of uranium resource and environmental protection in the uranium mining area, and can provide a reference for planning environmental impact assessment of uranium mining base construction in China. (authors)

Índice de massa corporal de adolescentes: comparação entre diferentes referências Índice de masa corporal de adolescentes: comparación entre distintas referencias Body mass index of adolescents: comparison among different references

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Paula G. Clemente

2011-06-01

muestra no probabilística, con 5.122 niños y adolescentes de bajos ingresos. Se realizó el cálculo del tamaño de la muestra visando a identificar la asociación entre alteración en la presión arterial y la baja estatura en los distintos estados nutricionales mediante la estadística Odds Ratio. En el presente estudio, se compararon las distintas referencias para evaluación del estado nutricio-nal. Se aplicaron las pruebas Q de Cochran, McNemar, chi cuadrado e índice Kappa para comparar las proporciones y la concordancia de la clasificación de bajo peso y exceso de peso en las distintas referencias. RESULTADOS: Las cinco referencias utilizadas en el presente estudio presentaron diferencias entre sí. Tanto para los niños como para las niñas, las prevalencias estimadas de bajo peso por la referencia del PNSN son bastante menores que las otras referencias. Respecto a las prevalencias de exceso de peso para los niños, se observó la prevalencia mayor por la referencia PNSN. Cuando se utilizó la prueba de Kappa, se encontró la concordancia excelente (k>0.75 entre la mayoría de las clasificaciones para exceso de peso analizadas. Sin embargo, la concordancia entre las clasificaciones para bajo peso se presentódébil (kOBJECTIVE: To compare the performance of the references (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey I, National Center for Health Statistics/2000, International Obesity Task Force and Pesquisa Nacional sobre Saúde e Nutrição to assess the nutritional status of children and adolescents with the new reference of body mass index values proposed by the World Health Organization in 2007. METHODS: Cross-sectional study that enrolled a non-probabilistic sample of 5,122 children and adolescents of low socioeconomic status. In the matrix study, sample size was calculated in order to identify the association between blood pressure changes and stunting in different nutritional status. This interim report relates to the comparison among different

NORDICOM. Bibliography of Nordic Mass Communication Literature. Document List/Index 1976.

Science.gov (United States)

Nordic Documentation Center for Mass Communication Research, Aarhus (Denmark).

This second annual bibliography registers and indexes all literature on mass communication publications in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden for 1976. The Document List is an arbitrary register of 880 bibliographic references arranged by country of publication. Books, journal articles, duplicated and mimeographed materials, and working papers…

Uveitis Events During Adalimumab, Etanercept, and Methotrexate Therapy in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: Data From the Biologics in Pediatric Rheumatology Registry.

Science.gov (United States)

Foeldvari, Ivan; Becker, Ingrid; Horneff, Gerd

2015-11-01

Uveitis is a major extraarticular quality of life-restricting manifestation of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). The aim of the study is to describe the occurrence of uveitis in JIA patients receiving tumor necrosis factor inhibitors or methotrexate (MTX). Patients' characteristics, treatment, and the reported first occurrence of uveitis as an adverse event were searched in the Biologics in Pediatric Rheumatology Registry. The rates per exposed patients, exposure time, and time until event were calculated. Uveitis was reported as an adverse event in 75 of 3,467 patients; 51 of 2,844 patients were receiving MTX, 37 of 1,700 patients were receiving etanercept, and 13 of 364 patients were receiving adalimumab. Patients with uveitis were younger (mean ± SD age 4.6 ± 4.2 versus 7.4 ± 4.5 years; P uveitis diagnosis before starting treatment more often had a uveitis event (n = 28, 8.4%; OR 8.5, P uveitis event occurred: 11 while taking MTX (3.2 per 1,000 patient-years), 2 while taking etanercept monotherapy (1.9 per 1,000 patient-years), and 3 while taking etanercept and MTX combination (0.9 per 1,000 patient-years). A new uveitis event occurred early in the disease course after a median disease duration of 1.5 years (interquartile range [IQR] 1.3-3.8) while taking etanercept and 1.8 years (IQR 1.8-2.1) for the MTX cohort. A recurrent uveitis event was reported after a disease duration of 7.6 years (IQR 4.3-10.0) in the etanercept cohort and 4.8 years (IQR 1.0-5.8) in the MTX cohort. Univariate analysis showed that MTX, but not etanercept or adalimumab, led to a lower rate of uveitis. Patients with a history of uveitis had higher risks for uveitis events while taking both etanercept and adalimumab. Methotrexate turned out to be protective. Few patients developed a first uveitis event while taking etanercept, while the rate is comparable to that with MTX. Uveitis may not be attributed to be an adverse drug reaction to etanercept. © 2015, American

Coverage of Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science: a case study of the h-index in nursing.

Science.gov (United States)

De Groote, Sandra L; Raszewski, Rebecca

2012-01-01

This study compares the articles cited in CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science (WOS), and Google Scholar and the h-index ratings provided by Scopus, WOS, and Google Scholar. The publications of 30 College of Nursing faculty at a large urban university were examined. Searches by author name were executed in Scopus, WOS, and POP (Publish or Perish, which searches Google Scholar), and the h-index for each author from each database was recorded. In addition, the citing articles of their published articles were imported into a bibliographic management program. This data was used to determine an aggregated h-index for each author. Scopus, WOS, and Google Scholar provided different h-index ratings for authors and each database found unique and duplicate citing references. More than one tool should be used to calculate the h-index for nursing faculty because one tool alone cannot be relied on to provide a thorough assessment of a researcher's impact. If researchers are interested in a comprehensive h-index, they should aggregate the citing references located by WOS and Scopus. Because h-index rankings differ among databases, comparisons between researchers should be done only within a specified database. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Aerospace Medicine and Biology: A Continuing Bibliography with Indexes. Supplement 494

Science.gov (United States)

1999-01-01

This supplemental issue of Aerospace Medicine and Biology, A Continuing Bibliography with Indexes lists reports, articles, and other documents recently announced in the NASA STI Database. In its subject coverage, Aerospace Medicine and Biology concentrates on the biological, physiological, psychological, and environmental effects to which humans are subjected during and following simulated or actual flight in the Earth's atmosphere or in interplanetary space. References describing similar effects on biological organisms of lower order are also included. Such related topics as sanitary problems, pharmacology, toxicology, safety and survival, life support systems, exobiology, and personnel factors receive appropriate attention. Applied research receives the most emphasis, but references to fundamental studies and theoretical principles related to experimental development also qualify for inclusion. Each entry in the publication consists of a standard bibliographic citation accompanied, in most cases, by an abstract. The NASA CASI price code table, addresses of organizations, and document availability information are included before the abstract section. Two indexes--subject and author are included after the abstract section.

Aerospace Medicine and Biology: A Continuing Bibliography with Indexes. Supplement 504

Science.gov (United States)

2000-01-01

This supplemental issue of Aerospace Medicine and Biology, A Continuing Bibliography with Indexes (NASA/SP-2000-7011) lists reports, articles, and other documents recently announced in the NASA STI Database. In its subject coverage, Aerospace Medicine and Biology concentrates on the biological, physiological, psychological, and environmental effects to which humans are subjected during and following simulated or actual flight in the Earth's atmosphere or in interplanetary space. References describing similar effects on biological organisms of lower order are also included. Such related topics as sanitary problems, pharmacology, toxicology, safety and survival, life support systems, exobiology, and personnel factors receive appropriate attention. Applied research receives the most emphasis, but references to fundamental studies and theoretical principles related to experimental development also qualify for inclusion. Each entry in the publication consists of a standard bibliographic citation accompanied, in most cases, by an abstract. Two indexes- subject and author are included after the abstract section.

Aerospace Medicine and Biology: A Continuing Bibliography with Indexes. Supplement 490

Science.gov (United States)

1999-01-01

This supplemental issue of Aerospace Medicine and Biology, A Continuing Bibliography with Indexes (NASA/SP-1999-7011) lists reports, articles, and other documents recently announced in the NASA STI Database. In its subject coverage, Aerospace Medicine and Biology concentrates on the biological, physiological, psychological, and environmental effects to which humans are subjected during and following simulated or actual flight in the Earth's atmosphere or in interplanetary space. References describing similar effects on biological organisms of lower order are also included. Such related topics as sanitary problems, pharmacology, toxicology, safety and survival, life support systems, exobiology, and personnel factors receive appropriate attention. Applied research receives the most emphasis, but references to fundamental studies and theoretical principles related to experimental development also qualify for inclusion. Each entry in the publication consists of a standard bibliographic citation accompanied, in most cases, by an abstract. Two indexes-subject and author are included after the abstract section.

Aerospace Medicine and Biology: A Continuing Bibliography with Indexes. Supplement 487

Science.gov (United States)

1999-01-01

This supplemental issue of Aerospace Medicine and Biology, A Continuing Bibliography with Indexes (NASA/SP-1999-7011) lists reports, articles, and other documents recently announced in the NASA STI Database. In its subject coverage, Aerospace Medicine and Biology concentrates on the biological, physiological, psychological, and environmental effects to which humans are subjected during and following simulated or actual flight in the Earth's atmosphere or in interplanetary space. References describing similar effects on biological organisms of lower order are also included. Such related topics as sanitary problems, pharmacology, toxicology, safety and survival, life support systems, exobiology, and personnel factors receive appropriate attention. Applied research receives the most emphasis, but references to fundamental studies and theoretical principles related to experimental development also qualify for inclusion. Each entry in the publication consists of a standard bibliographic citation accompanied, in most cases, by an abstract. Two indexes-subject and author are included after the abstract section.

Aerospace Medicine and Biology: A Continuing Bibliography With Indexes. Supplement 502

Science.gov (United States)

2000-01-01

This supplemental issue of Aerospace Medicine and Biology, A Continuing Bibliography with Indexes (NASA/SP-2000-7011) lists reports, articles, and other documents recently announced in the NASA STI Database. In its subject coverage, Aerospace Medicine and Biology concentrates on the biological, physiological, psychological, and environmental effects to which humans are subjected during and following simulated or actual flight in the Earth's atmosphere or in interplanetary space. References describing similar effects on biological organisms of lower order are also included. Such related topics as sanitary problems, pharmacology, toxicology, safety and survival, life support systems, exobiology, and personnel factors receive appropriate attention. Applied research receives the most emphasis, but references to fundamental studies and theoretical principles related to experimental development also qualify for inclusion. Each entry in the publication consists of a standard bibliographic citation accompanied, in most cases, by an abstract. Two indexes-subject and author are included after the abstract section.

Examining Changes in Central and Peripheral Pain as Mediates of Fatigue Improvement: Results From the British Society for Rheumatology Biologics Register for Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Druce, Katie L; Jones, Gareth T; Macfarlane, Gary J; Basu, Neil

2016-07-01

Following anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) therapy, improvements in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) fatigue are driven by reductions in pain. However, therapies may modify both central and peripheral pain. This study sought to examine the hypothesis that reductions in fatigue after anti-TNF therapy reflect changes in central, not peripheral, pain mechanisms. Data came from patients with severe baseline fatigue (Short Form 36 health survey [SF-36] vitality scale ≤12.5; n = 2,652), recruited to the British Society for Rheumatology Biologics Register for RA for commencing anti-TNF therapies between October 2000 and November 2008. Data of interest comprised change over 6 months in fatigue, pain (SF-36 bodily pain scale), and disease activity constituents (Disease Activity Score in 28 joints, erythrocyte sedimentation rate [ESR], global health, swollen joints, and tender joints). Principal components factor analysis with varimax rotation determined latent variables of symptom change; variables were accepted provided they had eigenvalues ≥1. Six factors were identified, of which 2 met acceptance criteria (eigenvalues of 2.39 and 1.14, respectively). Following rotation, loadings indicated that factor 1 comprised markers of peripheral inflammation: change in ESR, swollen joints, tender joints, and global health. This distinct loading led to factor 1 being labeled peripheral inflammation. Conversely, factor 2 comprised change in pain, fatigue, and global health and an absence of peripheral inflammation markers and was therefore labeled central inflammation. Following anti-TNF therapies, reductions in fatigue and pain appear to reflect improvements in central, rather than peripheral, inflammation. Therefore, for those seeking to treat fatigue via pain mechanisms, improvements may be maximized by the application of treatment modalities that effectively target central mechanisms. © 2016, American College of Rheumatology.

Analysing Institutions Interdisciplinarity by Extensive Use of Rao-Stirling Diversity Index.

Science.gov (United States)

Cassi, Lorenzo; Champeimont, Raphaël; Mescheba, Wilfriedo; de Turckheim, Élisabeth

2017-01-01

This paper shows how the Rao-Stirling diversity index may be extensively used for positioning and comparing institutions interdisciplinary practices. Two decompositions of this index make it possible to explore different components of the diversity of the cited references in a corpus of publications. The paper aims at demonstrating how these bibliometric tools can be used for comparing institutions in a research field by highlighting collaboration orientations and institutions strategies. To make the method available and easy to use for indicator users, this paper first recalls a previous result on the decomposition of the Rao-Stirling index into multidisciplinarity and interdisciplinarity components, then proposes a new decomposition to further explore the profile of research collaborations and finally presents an application to Neuroscience research in French universities.

Geological and geochemical aspects of uranium deposits: a selected, annotated bibliography. [474 references

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thomas, J.M.; Garland, P.A.; White, M.B.; Daniel, E.W.

1980-09-01

This bibliography, a compilation of 474 references, is the fourth in a series compiled from the National Uranium Resource Evaluation (NURE) Bibliographic Data Base. This data base was created for the Grand Junction Office of the Department of Energy's National Uranium Resource Evaluation Project by the Ecological Sciences Information Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The references in the bibliography are arranged by subject category: (1) geochemistry, (2) exploration, (3) mineralogy, (4) genesis of deposits, (5) geology of deposits, (6) uranium industry, (7) geology of potential uranium-bearing areas, and (8) reserves and resources. The references are indexed by author, geographic location, quadrangle name, geoformational feature, and keyword.

A cutoff value based on analysis of a reference population decreases overestimation of the prevalence of nocturnal polyuria.

Science.gov (United States)

van Haarst, Ernst P; Bosch, J L H Ruud

2012-09-01

We sought criteria for nocturnal polyuria in asymptomatic, nonurological adults of all ages by reporting reference values of the ratio of daytime and nighttime urine volumes, and finding nocturia predictors. Data from a database of frequency-volume charts from a reference population of 894 nonurological, asymptomatic volunteers of all age groups were analyzed. The nocturnal polyuria index and the nocturia index were calculated and factors influencing these values were determined by multivariate analysis. The nocturnal polyuria index had wide variation but a normal distribution with a mean ± SD of 30% ± 12%. The 95th percentile of the values was 53%. Above this cutoff a patient had nocturnal polyuria. This value contrasts with the International Continence Society definition of 33% but agrees with several other reports. On multivariate regression analysis with the nocturnal polyuria index as the dependent variable sleeping time, maximum voided volume and age were the covariates. However, the increase in the nocturnal polyuria index by age was small. Excluding polyuria and nocturia from analysis did not alter the results in a relevant way. The nocturnal voiding frequency depended on sleeping time and maximum voided volume but most of all on the nocturia index. The prevalence of nocturnal polyuria is overestimated. We suggest a new cutoff value for the nocturnal polyuria index, that is nocturnal polyuria exists when the nocturnal polyuria index exceeds 53%. The nocturia index is the best predictor of nocturia. Copyright © 2012 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Indexes to Nuclear Regulatory Commission Issuances, January-March 1981

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1981-01-01

Digests and indexes for issuances of the Commission (CLI), the Atomic Safety and Licensing Appeal Panel (ALAB), the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel (LBP), the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ), the Directors Denials (DD), and the Denials of Petitions of Rulemaking are presented in this document. These digests and indexes are intended to serve as a guide to the issuances. Information elements common to the cases heard and ruled upon are: Case name (owners of facility), Full text reference (volume and pagination), Issuance number, Issues raised by appellants, Legal citations (cases, regulations, and statutes), Name of facility, Docket number, Subject matter of issues and/or rulings, Type of hearing (for construction permit, operating license, etc.), and Type of issuance

VIRAL HEPATITIS B AND C AS COMORBIDITY IN RHEUMATIC DISEASES: ANALYSIS OF THE DATA OF THE V.A. NASONOVA RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF RHEUMATOLOGY CLINIC OVER 4 YEARS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. E. Karateev

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Hepatitis B virus (HBV and hepatitis C virus (HCV infection is a serious problem that substantially hinders the treatment of patients with rheumatic diseases (RD particular when there is a need for using cytotoxic and biological agents (BAs.Objective: to estimate the rate of HBV and HCV infection in RD patients followed up at the V.A. Nasonova Research Institute of Rheumatology Clinic in 2011 to 2014.Subjects and methods. All case histories of the RD patients hospitalized in the given period were analyzed. Infection with HBV and HCV was assessed from the presence of HBsAg and anti-HCV, respectively.Results and discussion. There were a total of 16,553 admissions to the V.A. Nasonova Research Institute of Rheumatology Clinic over 4 years. HBV and HCV were detected in 0.33 and 0.74%, respectively; their combination was found in 0.03% (a total of 1.1% of the patients. About half of the patients took cytotoxic agents and glucocorticoids; 29.8% received BAs, mainly rituximab. Moderate and high chronic hepatitis activity was noted in 4.9% of the patients; liver cirrhosis was observed in 2.7%. Over the follow-up period, alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels were not elevated in the vast majority of patients.Conclusion. HBV and HCV infection is often detected in patients with RD. The infected patients and persons with chronic viral hepatitis require careful follow-up and the decision whether to perform prophylactic antiviral therapy when using cytotoxic agents and BAs.

Benchmarking road safety performance: Identifying a meaningful reference (best-in-class).

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Faan; Wu, Jiaorong; Chen, Xiaohong; Wang, Jianjun; Wang, Di

2016-01-01

For road safety improvement, comparing and benchmarking performance are widely advocated as the emerging and preferred approaches. However, there is currently no universally agreed upon approach for the process of road safety benchmarking, and performing the practice successfully is by no means easy. This is especially true for the two core activities of which: (1) developing a set of road safety performance indicators (SPIs) and combining them into a composite index; and (2) identifying a meaningful reference (best-in-class), one which has already obtained outstanding road safety practices. To this end, a scientific technique that can combine the multi-dimensional safety performance indicators (SPIs) into an overall index, and subsequently can identify the 'best-in-class' is urgently required. In this paper, the Entropy-embedded RSR (Rank-sum ratio), an innovative, scientific and systematic methodology is investigated with the aim of conducting the above two core tasks in an integrative and concise procedure, more specifically in a 'one-stop' way. Using a combination of results from other methods (e.g. the SUNflower approach) and other measures (e.g. Human Development Index) as a relevant reference, a given set of European countries are robustly ranked and grouped into several classes based on the composite Road Safety Index. Within each class the 'best-in-class' is then identified. By benchmarking road safety performance, the results serve to promote best practice, encourage the adoption of successful road safety strategies and measures and, more importantly, inspire the kind of political leadership needed to create a road transport system that maximizes safety. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Novel Index for Online Voltage Stability Assessment Based on Correlation Characteristic of Voltage Profiles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. R. Aghamohammadi

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract: Voltage instability is a major threat for security of power systems. Preserving voltage security margin at a certain limit is a vital requirement for today’s power systems. Assessment of voltage security margin is a challenging task demanding sophisticated indices. In this paper, for the purpose of on line voltage security assessment a new index based on the correlation characteristic of network voltage profile is proposed. Voltage profile comprising all bus voltages contains the effect of network structure, load-generation patterns and reactive power compensation on the system behaviour and voltage security margin. Therefore, the proposed index is capable to clearly reveal the effect of system characteristics and events on the voltage security margin. The most attractive feature for this index is its fast and easy calculation from synchronously measured voltage profile without any need to system modelling and simulation and without any dependency on network size. At any instant of system operation by merely measuring network voltage profile and no further simulation calculation this index could be evaluated with respect to a specific reference profile. The results show that the behaviour of this index with respect to the change in system security is independent of the selected reference profile. The simplicity and easy calculation make this index very suitable for on line application. The proposed approach has been demonstrated on IEEE 39 bus test system with promising results showing its effectiveness and applicability.

New Finnish growth references for children and adolescents aged 0 to 20 years: Length/height-for-age, weight-for-length/height, and body mass index-for-age.

Science.gov (United States)

Saari, Antti; Sankilampi, Ulla; Hannila, Marja-Leena; Kiviniemi, Vesa; Kesseli, Kari; Dunkel, Leo

2011-05-01

Growth curves require regular updates due to secular trends in linear growth. We constructed contemporary growth curves, assessed secular trends in height, and defined body mass index (BMI) cut-off points for thinness, overweight, and obesity in Finnish children. Mixed cross-sectional/longitudinal data of 73,659 healthy subjects aged 0-20 years (born 1983-2008) were collected from providers in the primary health care setting. Growth references for length/height-for-age, weight-for-length/height, and BMI-for-age were fitted using generalized additive models for location, scale, and shape (GAMLSS). BMI percentile curves passing through BMIs 30, 25, 18.5, 17, and 16 kg/m(2) at the age of 18 years were calculated to define limits for obesity, overweight, and various grades of thinness. Increased length/height-for-age was seen in virtually all age-groups when compared to previous Finnish growth data from 1959 to 1971. Adult height was increased by 1.9 cm in girls and 1.8 cm in boys. The largest increases were seen during the peripubertal years: up to 2.8 cm in girls and 5.6 cm in boys. Median weight-for-length/height had not increased. New Finnish references for length/height-for-age, weight-for-length/height, and BMI-for-age were constructed and should be implemented to monitor growth of children in Finland.

Reference intervals for stone risk factors in 24-h urine among healthy adults of the Han population in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Mai, Zanlin; Li, Xiaoxia; Cui, Zelin; Wu, Wenqi; Liu, Yongda; Ou, Lili; Liang, Yueping; Zhao, Zhijian; Liu, Yang; Mai, Xing; Zhu, Wei; Zhang, Tao; Cai, Chao; Yang, Houmeng; Zeng, Guohua

2018-03-28

The aim of the study was to establish reference intervals for 24-h urinary stone risk factors in the healthy Chinese Han population. From May 2013 to July 2014, we collected and analyzed 24-h urine samples from healthy adult Han population during a cross-sectional study across China. The protocol for analysis of 24-h urine included volume, pH, oxalate, citrate, sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, phosphorous, creatinine, urate, magnesium, the ion activity products of calcium oxalate (AP(CaOx) indexs) and calcium phosphate (AP(CaP) indexs). We calculated the reference intervals according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) 2008 guidelines and compared them with those recorded in other studies. A total of 132 male and 123 female healthy subjects with a mean (SD, range) age of 52.4 (15.2, 19-89) years were eligible in the final analysis. Men had higher 24-h excretion of creatinine, calcium, urate and phosphorus and lower levels of citrate, magnesium, chloride, sodium and potassium than women. AP(CaOx) indexs and AP(CaP) indexs were significantly higher among men than women. When urinary findings were compared with the reference intervals, most of our data showed a high abnormality rate, especially for creatinine, calcium, citrate, magnesium, chloride, sodium and potassium. The present study revealed the normal metabolic status for stone risk factors of the Chinese Han population. It is therefore necessary for each country or region to define their own reference intervals for comparison of stone risk factors between patients and healthy subjects.

Study of Water Quality Value in Sub of the Stream Area of Cisadane Rivers Upstream as Reference Area Based on Macro invertebrate Composition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sri-Unon-Purwati

2001-01-01

Specific structure of biota community condition can used as indicator for the ecosystem stability value or the waters pollution level where the aquatic biota exist. the macro invertebrates as bio indicator organism can used to assess the upper Cisadane Sub River Basin water quality. The grouping and calculation result from family number, Ept presences (sensitive macro invertebrate), Diversity index (H ' ), DO value and TOC value showed 5 criteria of water quality as reference site. This criteria is used to determine water quality level from ten branches of rivers in the upper Cisadane Sub River Basin, Cijeruk districts. The biotic index calculation for ASPT (Average Score Per Taxon) and T and T (index Trihadiningrum and Tjindronegoro) is used to asses water quality based on macro invertebrate composition indicator. Both biotic index system support and give the similar evaluation to water quality level from ten branches of river on the upper Cisadane Sub River Basin. The water quality level is described as fellows: station number 4 is assumed as the true reference site, station number 3, 5, 8 are the first alternative reference site, station number 2, 7, 9 are the second alternative reference site and station 1, 6, 10 are the sites which relatively good water quality, but it is not recommended as reference site. The grouping result bases on the cluster system with macro invertebrate similarity composition are described as fellows: 9=10>3=7>1=6>2=8>>5>>4. (author)

2014 Update of the Canadian Rheumatology Association/spondyloarthritis research consortium of Canada treatment recommendations for the management of spondyloarthritis. Part I: principles of the management of spondyloarthritis in Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Rohekar, Sherry; Chan, Jon; Tse, Shirley M L; Haroon, Nigil; Chandran, Vinod; Bessette, Louis; Mosher, Dianne; Flanagan, Cathy; Keen, Kevin J; Adams, Karen; Mallinson, Michael; Thorne, Carter; Rahman, Proton; Gladman, Dafna D; Inman, Robert D

2015-04-01

The Canadian Rheumatology Association (CRA) and the Spondyloarthritis Research Consortium of Canada (SPARCC) have collaborated to update the recommendations for the management of spondyloarthritis (SpA). A working group was assembled and consisted of the SPARCC executive committee, rheumatologist leaders from SPARCC collaborating sites, Canadian rheumatologists from across the country with an interest in SpA (both academic and community), a rheumatology trainee with an interest in SpA, an epidemiologist/health services researcher, a member of the CRA executive, a member of the CRA therapeutics committee, and a patient representative from the Canadian Spondylitis Association. An extensive review was conducted of literature published from 2007 to 2014 involving the management of SpA. The working group created draft recommendations using multiple rounds of Web-based surveys and an in-person conference. A survey was sent to the membership of the CRA to obtain an extended review that was used to finalize the recommendations. Guidelines for the management of SpA were created. Part I focuses on the principles of management of SpA in Canada and includes 6 general management principles, 5 ethical considerations, target groups for treatment recommendations, 2 wait time recommendations, and recommendations for disease monitoring. Also included are 6 modifications for application to juvenile SpA. These recommendations were developed based on current literature and applied to a Canadian healthcare context. It is hoped that the implementation of these recommendations will promote best practices in the treatment of SpA.

[The reputation of Spanish hospitals. Basis for developing a reputation index of hospitals].

Science.gov (United States)

Mira, J J; Lorenzo, S; Navarro, I M; Guilabert, M; Pérez-Jover, V

2015-01-01

The reputation of the health centers is associated with: greater user preference in obtaining their services, better clinical outcomes and higher care quality and potential for attracting talented professionals. Reputation was evaluated using indexes and scales. The aim of this study is to analyze the attributes that should be gathered in a reputation index for Spanish hospitals. Study based on qualitative techniques of consensus (nominal group technique + Delphi technique). Four dimensions were identified that form the reputation index: care quality, ethical behavior, credibility/confidence and biomedical innovation and research, which in turn are subdivided into 12 components in total. In building a reputation index consideration must be given to the combination of objective data (e.g. quality and safety outcomes) with other data that are subjective in nature (e.g., patient satisfaction). Future studies should go online to validate the reference standards in building a reputation index for hospitals.

Prospects and limitations of full-text index structures in genome analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Vyverman, Michaël; De Baets, Bernard; Fack, Veerle; Dawyndt, Peter

2012-01-01

The combination of incessant advances in sequencing technology producing large amounts of data and innovative bioinformatics approaches, designed to cope with this data flood, has led to new interesting results in the life sciences. Given the magnitude of sequence data to be processed, many bioinformatics tools rely on efficient solutions to a variety of complex string problems. These solutions include fast heuristic algorithms and advanced data structures, generally referred to as index structures. Although the importance of index structures is generally known to the bioinformatics community, the design and potency of these data structures, as well as their properties and limitations, are less understood. Moreover, the last decade has seen a boom in the number of variant index structures featuring complex and diverse memory-time trade-offs. This article brings a comprehensive state-of-the-art overview of the most popular index structures and their recently developed variants. Their features, interrelationships, the trade-offs they impose, but also their practical limitations, are explained and compared. PMID:22584621

Predator in the Pool? A Quantitative Evaluation of Non-indexed Open Access Journals in Aquaculture Research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeff C. Clements

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Predatory open access (OA journals can be defined as non-indexed journals that exploit the gold OA model for profit, often spamming academics with questionable e-mails promising rapid OA publication for a fee. In aquaculture—a rapidly growing and highly scrutinized field—the issue of such journals remains undocumented. We employed a quantitative approach to determine whether attributes of scientific quality and rigor differed between OA aquaculture journals not indexed in reputable databases and well-established, indexed journals. Using a Google search, we identified several non-indexed OA journals, gathered data on attributes of these journals and articles therein, and compared these data to well-established aquaculture journals indexed in quality-controlled bibliometric databases. We then used these data to determine if non-indexed journals were likely predatory OA journals and if they pose a potential threat to aquaculture research. On average, non-indexed OA journals published significantly fewer papers per year, had cheaper fees, and were more recently established than indexed journals. Articles in non-indexed journals were, on average, shorter, had fewer authors and references, and spent significantly less time in peer review than their indexed counterparts; the proportion of articles employing rigorous statistical analyses was also lower for non-indexed journals. Additionally, articles in non-indexed journals were more likely to be published by scientists from developing nations. Worryingly, non-indexed journals were more likely to be found using a Google search, and their articles superficially resembled those in indexed journals. These results suggest that the non-indexed aquaculture journals identified herein are likely predatory OA journals and pose a threat to aquaculture research and the public education and perception of aquaculture. Several points of reference from this study, in combination, may help scientists and the public

Metacarpal index by digital X-ray radiogrammetry: normative reference values and comparison with dual X-ray absorptiometry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hyldstrup, Lars; Nielsen, S P

2001-01-01

Metacarpal index (MCI), the combined cortical midmetacarpal thickness divided by the outer mid-metacarpal diameter, fell into oblivion when dual photon absorptiometry was introduced a quarter of a century ago. Modern PC-based digital X-ray diameter measurements offers a unique opportunity...

[The impact of the annual scientific meetings of the Israel Society of Rheumatology as measured by publication rates of the abstracts in peer-reviewed journals].

Science.gov (United States)

Perez, Shira; Hashkes, Philip J; Uziel, Yosef

2004-04-01

We aimed to examine the impact and quality of the research presented in the Israel Society of Rheumatology (ISR) annual scientific meetings by measuring publication rates of the abstracts in peer-reviewed journals and investigating the factors that influenced publication. We examined the outcome of all 79 abstracts submitted to the ISR for the 1998-2000 annual meetings. A MEDLINE search of all abstracts, by authors, topics and keywords was performed. Senior authors of abstracts not found to be published in this search were interviewed regarding publication and factors influencing submission. We described the effect of variable factors on the rate of publication. As of September 2002, 63 (80%) abstracts were published in peer-reviewed journals or are currently in-press. Most abstracts were published in prominent journals (with a high impact factor). The majority of the abstracts (61%) were published in rheumatologic journals, 65% of the studies originated from tertiary centers and 19% of the studies were multicenter. The most common diseases studied were antiphospholipid syndrome (20%), systemic lupus erythematosus (19%) and inflammatory arthritis (18%). Most of the studies were of disease pathogenesis (35%) and clinical manifestations (33%). The most common study designs were basic science (34%). An overall 57% of the studies reported "positive" results and 9% reported "negative" results. None of the factors studied were associated with publication or non-publication. The main cause cited by authors for not publishing their abstract was lack of time to prepare a full paper or a desire to further expand the study. Within this group of 16 authors of abstracts, 11 authors still plan to submit a paper. The ISR annual meetings have an important clinical scientific impact as measured by the high rate of abstracts published as full length articles in leading peer-reviewed journals.

Ankylosing Spondylitis Patients Commencing Biologic Therapy Have High Baseline Levels of Comorbidity: A Report from the Australian Rheumatology Association Database

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John Oldroyd

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Aims. To compare the baseline characteristics of a population-based cohort of patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS commencing biological therapy to the reported characteristics of bDMARD randomised controlled trials (RCTs participants. Methods. Descriptive analysis of AS participants in the Australian Rheumatology Association Database (ARAD who were commencing bDMARD therapy. Results. Up to December 2008, 389 patients with AS were enrolled in ARAD. 354 (91.0% had taken bDMARDs at some time, and 198 (55.9% completed their entry questionnaire prior to or within 6 months of commencing bDMARDs. 131 (66.1% had at least one comorbid condition, and 24 (6.8% had a previous malignancy (15 nonmelanoma skin, 4 melanoma, 2 prostate, 1 breast, cervix, and bowel. Compared with RCT participants, ARAD participants were older, had longer disease duration and higher baseline disease activity. Conclusions. AS patients commencing bDMARDs in routine care are significantly different to RCT participants and have significant baseline comorbidities.

Scientometrics: Nature Index and Brazilian science.

Science.gov (United States)

Silva, Valter

2016-09-01

A recent published newspaper article commented on the (lack of) quality of Brazilian science and its (in) efficiency. The newspaper article was based on a special issue of Nature and on a new resource for scientometrics called Nature Index. I show here arguments and sources of bias that, under the light of the principle in dubio pro reo, it is questionable to dispute the quality and efficiency of the Brazilian science on these grounds, as it was commented on the referred article. A brief overview of Brazilian science is provided for readers to make their own judgment.

Spherical gradient-index lenses as perfect imaging and maximum power transfer devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Gordon, J M

2000-08-01

Gradient-index lenses can be viewed from the perspectives of both imaging and nonimaging optics, that is, in terms of both image fidelity and achievable flux concentration. The simple class of gradient-index lenses with spherical symmetry, often referred to as modified Luneburg lenses, is revisited. An alternative derivation for established solutions is offered; the method of Fermat's strings and the principle of skewness conservation are invoked. Then these nominally perfect imaging devices are examined from the additional vantage point of power transfer, and the degree to which they realize the thermodynamic limit to flux concentration is determined. Finally, the spherical gradient-index lens of the fish eye is considered as a modified Luneburg lens optimized subject to material constraints.

Indexes to Nuclear Regulatory Commission issuances, January-March 1988

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-01-01

Digests and indexes for issuances of the Commission (CLI), the Atomic Safety and Licensing Appeal Panel (ALAB), the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel (LBP), the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ), the Directors' Decisions (DD), and the Denials of Petitions of Rulemaking are presented in this document. These digests and indexes are intended to serve as a guide to the issuances. Information elements common to the cases heard and ruled upon are: Case name (owner(s) of facility); Full test reference (volume and pagination); Issuance number; Issues raised by appellants; Legal citations (cases, regulations, and statutes); Name of facility, Docket number; Subject matter of issues and/or rulings; Type of hearing (for construction permit, operating license, etc.); and Type of issuance (memorandum, order, decision, etc.)

Indexes to Nuclear Regulatory Commission issuances, January--June 1988

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-09-01

Digests and indexes for issuances of the Commission (CLI), the Atomic Safety and Licensing Appeal Panel (ALAB), the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel (LBP), the Administration Law Judge (ALJ), the Directors' Decisions (DD), and the Denials of Petition of Rulemaking are presented in this document. These digests and indexes are intended to serve as a guide to the issuances. Information elements common to the cases heard and ruled upon are: case name (owner(s) of facility); full text reference (volume and pagination); issuance number; issues raised by appellants; legal citations (cases, regulations, and statutes); name of facility, docket number; subject matter of issues and/or rulings; type of hearing (for construction permit, operating license, etc.); and type of issuance (memorandum, order, decision, etc.)

Indexes to Nuclear Regulatory Commisson issuances, July-December 1982

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-01-01

Digests and indexes for issuances of the Commission (CLI), the Atomic Safety and Licensing Appeal Panel (ALAB), the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel (LBP), the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ), the Directors' Decisions (DD), and the Denials of Petitions of Rulemaking are presented in this document. These digests and indexes are intended to serve as a guide to the issuances. Information elements common to the cases heard and ruled upon are: case name (owners of facility); full text reference (volume and pagination); issuance number; issues raised by appellants; legal citations (cases, regulations, and statutes); name of facility, Docket number; subject matter of issues and/or rulings; type of hearing (for construction permit, operating license, etc.); and type of issuance (memorandum, order, decision, etc.)

Cross-index to DOE-prescribed occupational safety codes and standards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-01-01

A compilation of detailed information from more than three hundred and fifty DOE-prescribed or OSHA-referenced industrial safety codes and standards is presented. Condensed data from individual code portions are listed according to reference code, section, paragraph and page. A glossary of letter initials/abbreviations for the organizations or documents whose codes or standards are contained in this Cross-Index, is listed

Non-invasive assessment of peripheral arterial disease: Automated ankle brachial index measurement and pulse volume analysis compared to duplex scan.

Science.gov (United States)

Lewis, Jane Ea; Williams, Paul; Davies, Jane H

2016-01-01

This cross-sectional study aimed to individually and cumulatively compare sensitivity and specificity of the (1) ankle brachial index and (2) pulse volume waveform analysis recorded by the same automated device, with the presence or absence of peripheral arterial disease being verified by ultrasound duplex scan. Patients (n=205) referred for lower limb arterial assessment underwent ankle brachial index measurement and pulse volume waveform recording using volume plethysmography, followed by ultrasound duplex scan. The presence of peripheral arterial disease was recorded if ankle brachial index 50% was evident with ultrasound duplex scan. Outcome measure was agreement between the measured ankle brachial index and interpretation of pulse volume waveform for peripheral arterial disease diagnosis, using ultrasound duplex scan as the reference standard. Sensitivity of ankle brachial index was 79%, specificity 91% and overall accuracy 88%. Pulse volume waveform sensitivity was 97%, specificity 81% and overall accuracy 85%. The combined sensitivity of ankle brachial index and pulse volume waveform was 100%, specificity 76% and overall accuracy 85%. Combining these two diagnostic modalities within one device provided a highly accurate method of ruling out peripheral arterial disease, which could be utilised in primary care to safely reduce unnecessary secondary care referrals.

Retrieval of canopy water content of different crop types with two new hyperspectral indices: Water Absorption Area Index and Depth Water Index

Science.gov (United States)

Pasqualotto, Nieves; Delegido, Jesús; Van Wittenberghe, Shari; Verrelst, Jochem; Rivera, Juan Pablo; Moreno, José

2018-05-01

Crop canopy water content (CWC) is an essential indicator of the crop's physiological state. While a diverse range of vegetation indices have earlier been developed for the remote estimation of CWC, most of them are defined for specific crop types and areas, making them less universally applicable. We propose two new water content indices applicable to a wide variety of crop types, allowing to derive CWC maps at a large spatial scale. These indices were developed based on PROSAIL simulations and then optimized with an experimental dataset (SPARC03; Barrax, Spain). This dataset consists of water content and other biophysical variables for five common crop types (lucerne, corn, potato, sugar beet and onion) and corresponding top-of-canopy (TOC) reflectance spectra acquired by the hyperspectral HyMap airborne sensor. First, commonly used water content index formulations were analysed and validated for the variety of crops, overall resulting in a R2 lower than 0.6. In an attempt to move towards more generically applicable indices, the two new CWC indices exploit the principal water absorption features in the near-infrared by using multiple bands sensitive to water content. We propose the Water Absorption Area Index (WAAI) as the difference between the area under the null water content of TOC reflectance (reference line) simulated with PROSAIL and the area under measured TOC reflectance between 911 and 1271 nm. We also propose the Depth Water Index (DWI), a simplified four-band index based on the spectral depths produced by the water absorption at 970 and 1200 nm and two reference bands. Both the WAAI and DWI outperform established indices in predicting CWC when applied to heterogeneous croplands, with a R2 of 0.8 and 0.7, respectively, using an exponential fit. However, these indices did not perform well for species with a low fractional vegetation cover (<30%). HyMap CWC maps calculated with both indices are shown for the Barrax region. The results confirmed the

Aerospace Medicine and Biology: A Continuing Bibliography With Indexes. Supplement 499

Science.gov (United States)

2000-01-01

This supplemental issue of Aerospace Medicine and Biology, A Continuing Bibliography with Indexes (NASA/SP#1999-7011) lists reports, articles, and other documents recently announced in the NASA STI Database. In its subject coverage, Aerospace Medicine and Biology concentrates on the biological, physiological, psychological, and environmental effects to which humans are subjected during and following simulated or actual flight in the Earth#s atmosphere or in interplanetary space. References describing similar effects on biological organisms of lower order are also included. Such related topics as sanitary problems, pharmacology, toxicology, safety and survival, life support systems, exobiology, and personnel factors receive appropriate attention. Applied research receives the most emphasis, but references to fundamental studies and theoretical principles related to experimental development also qualify for inclusion. Each entry in the publication consists of a standard bibliographic citation accompanied, in most cases, by an abstract. The NASA CASI price code table, addresses of organizations, and document availability information are included before the abstract section. Two indexes-subject and author are included after the abstract section.

Aerospace Medicine and Biology: A Continuing Bibliography with Indexes. Supplement 485

Science.gov (United States)

1999-01-01

This supplemental issue of Aerospace Medicine and Biology, A Continuing Bibliography with Indexes (NASA/SP-1999-7011) lists reports, articles, and other documents recently announced in the NASA STI Database. In its subject coverage, Aerospace Medicine and Biology concentrates on the biological, physiological, psychological, and environmental effects to which humans are subjected during and following simulated or actual flight in the Earth's atmosphere or in interplanetary space. References describing similar effects on biological organisms of lower order are also included. Such related topics as sanitary problems, pharmacology, toxicology, safety and survival, life support systems, exobiology, and personnel factors receive appropriate attention. Applied research receives the most emphasis, but references to fundamental studies and theoretical principles related to experimental development also qualify for inclusion. Each entry in the publication consists of a standard bibliographic citation accompanied, in most cases, by an abstract. The NASA CASI price code table, addresses of organizations, and document availability information are included before the abstract section. Two indexes-subject and author are included after the abstract section.

Aerospace Medicine and Biology: A Continuing Bibliography With Indexes. Supplement 506

Science.gov (United States)

2000-01-01

This supplemental issue of Aerospace Medicine and Biology, A Continuing Bibliography with Indexes (NASA/SP#2000-7011) lists reports, articles, and other documents recently announced in the NASA STI Database. In its subject coverage, Aerospace Medicine and Biology concentrates on the biological, physiological, psychological, and environmental effects to which humans are subjected during and following simulated or actual flight in the Earth's atmosphere or in interplanetary space. References describing similar effects on biological organisms of lower order are also included. Such related topics as sanitary problems, pharmacology, toxicology, safety and survival, life support systems, exobiology, and personnel factors receive appropriate attention. Applied research receives the most emphasis, but references to fundamental studies and theoretical principles related to experimental development also qualify for inclusion. Each entry in the publication consists of a standard bibliographic citation accompanied, in most cases, by an abstract. The NASA CASI price code table, addresses of organizations, and document availability information are included before the abstract section. Two indexes- subject and author are included after the abstract section.

Aerospace Medicine and Biology: A Continuing Bibliography with Indexes. Supplement 496

Science.gov (United States)

2000-01-01

This supplemental issue of Aerospace Medicine and Biology, A Continuing Bibliography with Indexes (NASA/SP#2000-7011) lists reports, articles, and other documents recently announced in the NASA STI Database. In its subject coverage, Aerospace Medicine and Biology concentrates on the biological, physiological, psychological, and environmental effects to which humans are subjected during and following simulated or actual flight in the Earth#s atmosphere or in interplanetary space. References describing similar effects on biological organisms of lower order are also included. Such related topics as sanitary problems, pharmacology, toxicology, safety and survival, life support systems, exobiology, and personnel factors receive appropriate attention. Applied research receives the most emphasis, but references to fundamental studies and theoretical principles related to experimental development also qualify for inclusion. Each entry in the publication consists of a standard bibliographic citation accompanied, in most cases, by an abstract. The NASA CASI price code table, addresses of organizations, and document availability information are included before the abstract section. Two indexes#subject and author are included after the abstract section.

Body mass index in male and female children with pervasive developmental disorders

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mouridsen, S.E.; Rich, B.; Isager, Torben

2008-01-01

Background: The aim of the present study was to evaluate body mass index (BMI) of children with a pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) attending two university clinics during the 1960-84 period. Methods: BMI derived from medical records of 83 consecutively admitted children with atypical autism...... and 115 children with Asperger syndrome were compared with the corresponding BMI percentiles in an age- and sex-matched reference population. Results: The BMI distribution of the boys, but not the girls, in both diagnostic categories was significantly lower than those of the age-matched reference...

Definition of treatment response in rheumatoid arthritis based on the simplified and the clinical disease activity index.

Science.gov (United States)

Aletaha, Daniel; Martinez-Avila, Jose; Kvien, Tore K; Smolen, Josef S

2012-07-01

The simplified disease activity index (SDAI) and the clinical disease activity index (CDAI) are established instruments to measure disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). To date, no validated response definitions for the SDAI and CDAI are available. The authors aimed to define minor, moderate and major response criteria for the SDAI. The authors used data from two clinical trials on infliximab versus methotrexate in early (ASPIRE) or established (ATTRACT) RA, and identified the three SDAI cutpoints based on the best agreement (by κ statistics) with the American College of Rheumatology (ACR)20/50/70 responses. Cutpoints were then tested for different aspects of validity in the trial datasets and in a Norwegian disease modifying antirheumatic drug prescription dataset (NOR-DMARD). Based on agreement with the ACR response, the minor, moderate and major responses were identified as SDAI 50%, 70% and 85% improvement. These cutpoints had good face validity concerning the disease activity states achieved by the different response definitions. Construct validity was shown by a clear association of increasing SDAI response categories with increasing levels of functional improvement, achievement of better functional states and lower annual radiographic progression. Across SDAI 50/70/85, the sensitivities regarding a patient-perceived improvement decreased (73%/39%/22%) and the specificities increased (61%/89%/96%) in a meaningful way. Further, the cutpoints discriminated the different treatment arms in ASPIRE and ATTRACT. The same cutpoints were used for the CDAI, with similar results in the validation analyses. These new response criteria expand the usefulness of the SDAI and CDAI for their use as endpoints in clinical trials beyond the definition of disease activity categories.

A clinical update on paediatric lupus

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Personal reference lists of the 3 authors were used in this update. ... with a paediatric specialist so that a tailored management plan can be made, depending ..... Cassidy JT, Petty RE, Laxer RM, Lindsley L.Textbook of Pediatric Rheumatology.

Reference centiles for the middle cerebral artery and umbilical artery pulsatility index and cerebro-placental ratio from a low-risk population - a Generalised Additive Model for Location, Shape and Scale (GAMLSS) approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Flatley, Christopher; Kumar, Sailesh; Greer, Ristan M

2018-02-06

The primary aim of this study was to create reference ranges for the fetal Middle Cerebral artery Pulsatility Index (MCA PI), Umbilical Artery Pulsatility Index (UA PI) and the Cerebro-Placental Ratio (CPR) in a clearly defined low-risk cohort using the Generalised Additive Model for Location, Shape and Scale (GAMLSS) method. Prospectively collected cross-sectional biometry and Doppler data from low-risk women attending the Mater Mother's Hospital, Maternal and Fetal Medicine Department in Brisbane, Australia between January 2010 and April 2017 were used to derive gestation specific centiles for the MCA PI, UA PI and CPR. All ultrasound scans were performed between 18 + 0 and 41 + 6 weeks gestation with recorded data for the MCA PI and/or UA PI. The GAMLSS method was used for the calculation of gestational age-adjusted centiles. Distributions and additive terms were assessed and the final model was chosen on the basis of the Global Deviance, Akaike information criterion (AIC) and Schwartz bayesian criterion (SBC), along with the results of the model and residual diagnostics as well as visual assessment of the centiles themselves. Over the study period 6013 women met the inclusion criteria. The MCA PI was recorded in 4473 fetuses, the UA PI in 6008 fetuses and the CPR was able to be calculated in 4464 cases. The centiles for the MCA PI used a fractional polynomial additive term and Box-Cox t (BCT) distribution. Centiles for the UA PI used a cubic spline additive term with BCT distribution and the CPR used a fractional polynomial additive term and a BCT distribution. We have created gestational centile reference ranges for the MCA PI, UA PI and CPR from a large low-risk cohort that supports their applicability and generalisability.

Most patients who reach disease remission following anti-TNF therapy continue to report fatigue: results from the British Society for Rheumatology Biologics Register for Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Druce, Katie L; Bhattacharya, Yagnaseni; Jones, Gareth T; Macfarlane, Gary J; Basu, Neil

2016-10-01

RA-related fatigue is common and debilitating, but does not always respond to immunotherapy. In the context of anti-TNF therapy, we aimed to examine whether patients achieving disease remission experienced remission of fatigue. Data from the British Society for Rheumatology Biologics Register for RA were used. In participants with severe baseline fatigue [36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) vitality score ⩽12.5], we identified those in disease remission [28-joint DAS (DAS28) 12.5) and complete remission (SF-36 vitality score >50) at follow-up. Demographic (e.g. sex, age), clinical (e.g. inflammation, joint erosion and co-morbidities) and psychosocial (e.g. SF-36 domains and HAQ) characteristics were compared between responder and non-responder groups. Severe baseline fatigue was reported by 2652 participants, of whom 271 (10%) achieved a DAS28 <2.6 by 6 months. In total, 225 participants (83%) reported partial remission and were distinguished from those who did not by better health status on all psychosocial domains. Far fewer [n = 101 (37.3%)] reported full fatigue remission. In addition to reporting clinically poorer health status, they were distinguished on the basis of a history of hypertension, depression and stroke as well as baseline treatment use of steroids and antidepressants. Despite achieving clinical remission, many RA patients do not achieve complete remission of their fatigue. Therefore, despite being important in overall disease control, reductions in disease activity are not always sufficient to ameliorate fatigue, so other symptom-specific management approaches must be considered for those for whom fatigue does not resolve. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Height growth and site index curves for western white pine in the Cascade Range of Washington and Oregon.

Science.gov (United States)

Robert O. Curtis; Nancy M. Diaz; Gary W. Clendenen

1990-01-01

Height growth and site index curves were constructed from stem analyses of mature western white pine (Pinus monticola Dougl. ex D. Don) growing in high-elevation forests of the Cascade Range in the Mount Hood and Gifford Pinchot National Forests of Oregon and Washington, respectively. Alternate systems using reference ages for site index of 50 and...

Distributed Data Collection For Next Generation ATLAS EventIndex Project

CERN Document Server

Fernandez Casani, Alvaro; The ATLAS collaboration

2018-01-01

The ATLAS EventIndex currently runs in production in order to build a complete catalogue of events for experiments with large amounts of data. The current approach is to index all final produced data files at CERN Tier0, and at hundreds of grid sites, with a distributed data collection architecture using Object Stores to temporary maintain the conveyed information, with references to them sent with a Messaging System. The final backend of all the indexed data is a central Hadoop infrastructure at CERN; an Oracle relational database is used for faster access to a subset of this information. In the future of ATLAS, instead of files, the event should be the atomic information unit for metadata. This motivation arises in order to accommodate future data processing and storage technologies. Files will no longer be static quantities, possibly dynamically aggregating data, and also allowing event-level granularity processing in heavily parallel computing environments. It also simplifies the handling of loss and or e...

[Bibliometric study of the journal Nutrición Hospitalaria for the period 2001--2005: Part 2, consumption analysis; the bibliographic references].

Science.gov (United States)

Castera, V T; Sanz Valero, J; Juan-Quilis, V; Wanden-Berghe, C; Culebras, J M; García de Lorenzo y Mateos, A

2008-01-01

To describe and assess the consumption of the information consulted and cited in the articles published in the journal Nutrición Hospitalaria for the period 2001--2005 by means of bibliometric analysis. Cross-sectional descriptive analysis of the results obtained from the analysis of the lists of bibliographic references of the articles published at Nutrición Hospitalaria. We studied the most cited journals, the signatures index, the type of document referred, the publication language, the distribution of geographical origin, and obsolescence and readiness index. We took into account all types of documents with the exception of Communications to Congresses. 345 articles were published at Nutr Hosp, containing 8,113 bibliographic references, with a median of 18, a maximum of 136 and minimum of 0 BR per article. The mean (rate of publications per published article during the specified period) is 23.52 (95% IC 20.93-26.10) and the mean at 5% is 20.66 per article. The 25th and 75th percentiles are 6 and 32, respectively, the interquartile interval being 26 BR per document. The semi-period of Burton and Kebler is 7 years and the Price Index is 38.18%. The bibliographic references, the consumption of information, of the articles published at Nutrición Hospitalaria present parameters similar to other journals on health science. However, good data on obsolescence are observed, which reveal the good validity of most of the references studied.

THE EUROPEAN CONGRESS OF RHEUMATOLOGY (PARIS, 11–14 JUNE 2014: PROBLEMS OF RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. S. Avdeeva

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The 15th annual European Congress of Rheumatology took place in Paris in June 2014. Its program was extremely diverse and included a discussion of new data pertinent to the diagnosis and treatment of the most common rheumatic diseases and problems of their etiology and pathogenesis, personified therapy, and many others. The Congress focused on the problems of early rheumatoid arthritis (RA. A number of papers concerned the efficiency and safety of different therapy regimens for RA at its onset, the discontinuation of biological therapy after achievement of remission, and the maintenance of drug-free RA remission. The Congress discussed new results of the tREACH trial comparing three treatment regimens for early inflammatory arthritis: combined therapy with methotrexate (MT, sulfasalazine, and hydroxychloroquine in conjunction with intramuscular glucocorticoids (GC; combined therapy with these drugs in conjunction with oral GC; and MT monotherapy with oral GC. A large number of reports dealt with the use of tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitors, the evaluation of their immunogenicity, and theanalysis of reasons for therapy discontinuation and adverse reactions. Some aspects of therapy with disease-difying antirheumatic drugs were discussed. A number of reports concerned the application of novel laboratory biomarkers for RA.Thus, sufficiently many new data that will be able to optimize therapy for common rheumatic disease, such as RA, were presented at the Congress.

Photoplethysmographic signal waveform index for detection of increased arterial stiffness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pilt, K; Meigas, K; Ferenets, R; Temitski, K; Viigimaa, M

2014-01-01

The aim of this research was to assess the validity of the photoplethysmographic (PPG) waveform index PPGAI for the estimation of increased arterial stiffness. For this purpose, PPG signals were recorded from 24 healthy subjects and from 20 type II diabetes patients. The recorded PPG signals were processed with the analysis algorithm developed and the waveform index PPGAI similar to the augmentation index (AIx) was calculated. As a reference, the aortic AIx was assessed and normalized for a heart rate of 75 bpm (AIx@75) by a SphygmoCor device. A strong correlation (r = 0.85) between the PPGAI and the aortic AIx@75 and a positive correlation of both indices with age were found. Age corrections for the indices PPGAI and AIx@75 as regression models from the signals of healthy subjects were constructed. Both indices revealed a significant difference between the groups of diabetes patients and healthy controls. However, the PPGAI provided the best statistical discrimination for the group of subjects with increased arterial stiffness. The waveform index PPGAI based on the inexpensive PPG technology can be considered as a perspective measure of increased arterial stiffness estimation in clinical screenings. (paper)

Hand bone mineral density reference values in a Turkish healthy female population.

Science.gov (United States)

Alioglu, Kenan; Dogu, Beril; Sirzai, Hulya; Yilmaz, Figen; Kuran, Banu

2017-12-01

In this study we aimed at identifying the bone mineral density (BMD) reference values of hands, according to age, measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) and assessing the correlation of these values with lumbar and femoral BMD values. A total of 403 healthy women aged between 20 and 70 participated in our study. All BMD measurements are performed by DEXA method on both hands, anteroposterior lumbar spine (L2-L4) and right femur (femoral neck, total femur) regions. BMD results of all the patients were divided to 10-year age categories and evaluated in five subgroups in total (20-30 to 61-70). Among the 10-year age categories we found both dominant and non-dominant hand peak bone mass values in the 31-40 years age group (0.423 ± 0.039 g/cm², 0.410 ± 0.043 g/cm², respectively). Statistically significant positive correlation was defined between dominant and non-dominant hand BMD values and L2-L4 spine, femur neck and total femur values (for dominant hand r = 0.636, P = 0.0001; r = 0.645, P = 0.0001; r = 0.623; P = 0.0001; for non-dominant hand r = 0.624, P = 0.0001; r = 0.637, P = 0.0001, r = 0.623, P = 0.0001, respectively). Regarding the relationship of age and menopause with BMD results, a negative statistical relationship was observed among dominant and non-dominant hand, L2-L4 spine, femoral neck and total femur BMD values (P = 0.0001). Our study has provided hand BMD reference values in women aged between 20-70 years; further studies are needed to investigate the role of these values in identifying diseases causing osteoporosis in the hand and in evaluating treatment. © 2013 Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Bibliography of mass spectroscopy literature for 1972 compiled by a computer method. Volume II. Key Word Out of Context (KWOC) Index

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Capellen, J.; Svec, H.J.; Sage, C.R.; Sun, R.

1975-08-01

This report covers the year 1972, and lists approximately 10,000 articles of interest to mass spectroscopists. This two-volume report consists of three sections. Vol. II contains the Key Word Out of Context Index (KWOC Index) section. The KWOC Index lists the key words, the reference numbers of the articles in which the key word appears, and the first 100 characters of the title

Roaming Reference: Reinvigorating Reference through Point of Need Service

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kealin M. McCabe

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Roaming reference service was pursued as a way to address declining reference statistics. The service was staffed by librarians armed with iPads over a period of six months during the 2010-2011 academic year. Transactional statistics were collected in relation to query type (Research, Facilitative or Technology, location and approach (librarian to patron, patron to librarian or via chat widget. Overall, roaming reference resulted in an additional 228 reference questions, 67% (n=153 of which were research related. Two iterations of the service were implemented, roaming reference as a standalone service (Fall 2010 and roaming reference integrated with traditional reference desk duties (Winter 2011. The results demonstrate that although the Weller Library’s reference transactions are declining annually, they are not disappearing. For a roaming reference service to succeed, it must be a standalone service provided in addition to traditional reference services. The integration of the two reference models (roaming reference and reference desk resulted in a 56% decline in the total number of roaming reference questions from the previous term. The simple act of roaming has the potential to reinvigorate reference services as a whole, forcing librarians outside their comfort zones, allowing them to reach patrons at their point of need.

Research on energy efficiency design index for sea-going LNG carriers

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Yan; Yu, Yanyun; Guan, Guan

2014-12-01

This paper describes the characteristics of liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers briefly. The LNG carrier includes power plant selection, vapor treatment, liquid cargo tank type, etc. Two parameters—fuel substitution rate and recovery of boil of gas (BOG) volume to energy efficiency design index (EEDI) formula are added, and EEDI formula of LNG carriers is established based on ship EEDI formula. Then, based on steam turbine propulsion device of LNG carriers, mathematical models of LNG carriers' reference line value are established in this paper. By verification, the EEDI formula of LNG carriers described in this paper can provide a reference for LNG carrier EEDI calculation and green shipbuilding.

The 'Hub Disruption Index', a reliable index sensitive to the brain networks reorganization. A study of the contralesional hemisphere in stroke

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maite Termenon

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Stroke, resulting in focal structural damage, induces changes in brain function at both local and global levels. Following stroke, cerebral networks present structural and functional reorganization to compensate for the dysfunctioning provoked by the lesion itself and its remote effects. As some recent studies underlined the role of the contralesional hemisphere during recovery, we studied its role %of the contralesional hemispherein the reorganization of brain function of stroke patients using resting state fMRI and graph theory. We explored this reorganization using the 'hub disruption index' (kappa, a global index sensitive to the reorganization of nodes within the graph. For a given graph metric, kappa of a subject corresponds to the slope of the linear regression model between the mean local network measures of a reference group, and the difference between that reference and the subject under study. In order to translate the use of kappa in clinical context, a prerequisite to achieve meaningful results is to investigate the reliability of this index. In a preliminary part, we studied the reliability of kappa by computing the intraclass correlation coefficient in a cohort of 100 subjects from the Human Connectome Project. Then, we measured intra-hemispheric kappa index in the contralesional hemisphere of 20 subacute stroke patients compared to 20 age-matched healthy controls. Finally, due to the small number of patients, we tested the robustness of our results repeating the experiment 1000 times by bootstrapping on the Human Connectome Project database. Statistical analysis showed a significant reduction of kappa for the contralesional hemisphere of right stroke patients compared to healthy controls. Similar results were observed for the right contralesional hemisphere of left stroke patients. We showed that kappa, is more reliable than global graph metrics and more sensitive to detect differences between groups of patients as compared to

[The references in articles published in biomedical journals].

Science.gov (United States)

Reyes, H

2001-04-01

Bibliographic citations or "references" are an important component of all scientific manuscripts. The authors are responsible for their accuracy and they should follow the format and style requested by the journal where they are submitting their paper. Revista Médica de Chile adheres to the "Uniform Requirements" established by the Vancouver Group of Medical Editors. Equally important is a correct choice of references, including those original articles strictly connected to the content of the manuscript. The number of citations usually vary according to the specific character of the study: research article, or case reports, review article, etc. Common mistakes are due to an excessive number of repetitive or irrelevant citations, or the omission of important articles sometimes not found in bibliographic indexes, or an erroneous claim of priority in reporting an observation. Finally, in developing countries the authors should include previous reports appeared in their own local journals, therefore improving their opportunities of achieving international visibility.

21 CFR 516.171 - Confidentiality of data and information in an index file.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) ANIMAL DRUGS, FEEDS, AND RELATED PRODUCTS NEW ANIMAL DRUGS FOR MINOR USE AND MINOR SPECIES Index of Legally Marketed Unapproved New Animal Drugs for Minor Species § 516... unless specifically notified in writing by the holder of the right to disclose, to reference, or...

Application of the Benthic Ecosystem Quality Index 2 to benthos in Dutch transitional and coastal waters

Science.gov (United States)

van Loon, W. M. G. M.; Boon, A. R.; Gittenberger, A.; Walvoort, D. J. J.; Lavaleye, M.; Duineveld, G. C. A.; Verschoor, A. J.

2015-09-01

The Benthic Ecosystem Quality Index 2 (BEQI2) is the Dutch multi-metric index (MMI) for assessing the status and trend of benthic invertebrates in transitional and coastal waters for the Water Framework Directive (WFD). It contains the same indicators, i.e. species richness, Shannon index and AMBI, as in the multivariate m-AMBI. The latter MMI has been adopted by several European countries in the context of WFD implementation. In contrast to m-AMBI, the BEQI2 calculation procedure has been strongly simplified and consists of two steps, i.e. the separate indicator values are normalized using their long-term reference values resulting in three Ecological Quality Ratios (EQRs), which are subsequently averaged to give one BEQI2 value. Using this method only small numbers of samples need to be analysed by Dutch benthos laboratories annually, without the necessity to co-analyse a larger historical dataset. BEQI2 EQR values appeared to correlate quantitatively very well with m-AMBI EQR values. In addition, a data pooling procedure has been added to the BEQI2 tool which enables the pooling of small core samples (0.01-0.025 m2) into larger standardized data pools of 0.1 m2 in order to meet the data requirements of the AMBI indicator and to obtain comparable reference values. Furthermore, the BEQI2 tool automatically and efficiently converts species synonym names into standardized species names. The BEQI2 tool has been applied to all Dutch benthos data monitored by Rijkswaterstaat in the period of 1991-2010 in the transitional and coastal waters and salt lakes and these results are reported here for the first time. Reference values for species richness and Shannon index (99 percentile values) and AMBI reference values (1 percentile values) were estimated for all water body-ecotopes and are discussed. BEQI2 results for all these water bodies are discussed in view of natural and human pressures. The pressure sensitivity of the BEQI2 for sewage and dredging/dumping, via the

Bibliography of mass spectroscopy literature for 1972 compiled by a computer method. Volume I. Bibliography and author index

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Capellen, J.; Svec, H.J.; Sage, C.R.; Sun, R.

1975-08-01

This report covers the year 1972, and lists approximately 10,000 articles of interest to mass spectroscopists. This two-volume report consists of three sections. Vol. I contains bibliography and author index sections. The bibliography section lists the authors, the title, and the publication data for each article. The author index lists the authors' names and the reference numbers of their articles

Policy challenges for the pediatric rheumatology workforce: Part III. the international situation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Henrickson Michael

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Survival dominates current pediatric global health priorities. Diseases of poverty largely contribute to overall mortality in children under 5 years of age. Infectious diseases and injuries account for 75% of cause-specific mortality among children ages 5-14 years. Twenty percent of the world's population lives in extreme poverty (income below US $1.25/day. Within this population, essential services and basic needs are not met, including clean water, sanitation, adequate nutrition, shelter, access to health care, medicines and education. In this context, musculoskeletal disease comprises 0.1% of all-cause mortality in children ages 5-14 years. Worldwide morbidity from musculoskeletal disease remains generally unknown in the pediatric age group. This epidemiologic data is not routinely surveyed by international agencies, including the World Health Organization. The prevalence of pediatric rheumatic diseases based on data from developed nations is in the range of 2,500 - 3,000 cases per million children. Developing countries' needs for musculoskeletal morbidity are undergoing an epidemiologic shift to chronic conditions, as leading causes of pediatric mortality are slowly quelled. A global crisis of health care providers and human resources stems from insufficient workforce production, inability to retain workers in areas of greatest need, distribution disparity and poor management of both health care systems and health workforce. Internationally, the pediatric rheumatology workforce will also be in very short supply for the foreseeable future relative to projected demand. Physician extenders are an essential resource to meet this demand in underserved regions. They can be trained in common aspects of musculoskeletal medicine and rheumatic conditions. Innovative strategies have been introduced in the United Kingdom to address musculoskeletal medicine educational deficiencies. Telemedicine offers an important capacity to improve access to

Reference values for serum leptin in healthy non-obese children and adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Lausten-Thomsen, Ulrik; Christiansen, Michael; Louise Hedley, Paula; Esmann Fonvig, Cilius; Stjernholm, Theresa; Pedersen, Oluf; Hansen, Torben; Holm, Jens-Christian

2016-11-01

Adipokines are biologically active, low-molecular weight peptides, which play a major role in metabolic homeostasis in humans. Leptin has gained increasing attention in pediatrics as a biomarker for various metabolic pathologies. Yet, its usefulness is hampered by the relative lack of reference values from pediatric settings. Accordingly, this study aims to evaluate serum concentrations of leptin, soluble leptin receptor (sOB-R), and free leptin index (FLI) in healthy Danish schoolchildren aged 6-18 years and subsequently to establish reference intervals across sex and age groups. A total of 1193 healthy, non-obese Danish schoolchildren (730 girls, 463 boys) aged 6-18 years (median 11.9) were examined by trained medical staff. Serum leptin and sOB-R concentrations in venous fasting blood samples were quantitated by immunoassay. Percentile curves of leptin, sOB-R, and free leptin index were calculated using the General Additive Model for Location Scale and Shape (GAMLSS). Significant age and sex-dependent differences in circulating leptin levels were found. In boys, the median leptin concentration for all ages combined was 3.35 μg/L (95%-interval: 0.71-22.47) and in girls, it was 9.89 ng/L (95%-interval: 2.06-41.49). For SOB-R, no sex-specific difference was found, and the median sOB-R concentration was 8.24 μg/L (IQR: 3.58-23.74; range: < 1.56-744.15). We demonstrated an age-dependent correlation with both serum leptin concentration and free leptin index with a gradual and significant increase in girls throughout childhood and adolescence and a significantly higher leptin concentration and free leptin index bell-shaped peak in early adolescence in boys.

Estimation of Forest Fire-fighting Budgets Using Climate Indexes

OpenAIRE

Zhen Xu; G. Cornelis van Kooten

2012-01-01

Given the complexity and relative short length of current predicting system for fire behavior, it is inappropriate to be referred for planning fire-fighting budgets of BC government due to the severe uncertainty of fire behavior across fire seasons. Therefore, a simple weather derived index for predicting fire frequency and burned area is developed in this paper to investigate the potential feasibility to predict fire behavior and fire-fighting expenses for the upcoming fire season using clim...

External skeletal robusticity of children and adolescents - European references from birth to adulthood and international comparisons.

Science.gov (United States)

Mumm, Rebekka; Godina, Elena; Koziel, Slawomir; Musalek, Martin; Sedlak, Petr; Wittwer-Backofen, Ursula; Hesse, Volker; Dasgupta, Parasmani; Henneberg, Maciej; Scheffler, Christiane

2018-02-20

Background: In our modern world, the way of life in nutritional and activity behaviour has changed. As a consequence, parallel trends of an epidemic of overweight and a decline in external skeletal robusticity are observed in children and adolescents. Aim: We aim to develop reference centiles for external skeletal robusticity of European girls and boys aged 0 to 18 years using the Frame Index as an indicator and identify population specific age-related patterns. Methods: We analysed cross-sectional & longitudinal data on body height and elbow breadth of boys and girls from Europe (0-18 years, n = 41.679), India (7-18 years, n = 3.297) and South Africa (3-18 years, n = 4.346). As an indicator of external skeletal robusticity Frame Index after Frisancho (1990) was used. We developed centiles for boys and girls using the LMS-method and its extension. Results: Boys have greater external skeletal robusticity than girls. Whereas in girls Frame Index decreases continuously during growth, an increase of Frame Index from 12 to 16 years in European boys can be observed. Indian and South African boys are almost similar in Frame Index to European boys. In girls, the pattern is slightly different. Whereas South African girls are similar to European girls, Indian girls show a lesser external skeletal robusticity. Conclusion: Accurate references for external skeletal robusticity are needed to evaluate if skeletal development is adequate per age. They should be used to monitor effects of changes in way of life and physical activity levels in children and adolescents to avoid negative health outcomes like osteoporosis and arthrosis.

Comparisons of CVID and IgGSD: Referring Physicians, Autoimmune Conditions, Pneumovax Reactivity, Immunoglobulin Levels, Blood Lymphocyte Subsets, and HLA-A and -B Typing in 432 Adult Index Patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

James C. Barton

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID and immunoglobulin (Ig G subclass deficiency (IgGSD are heterogeneous disorders characterized by respiratory tract infections, selective Ig isotype deficiencies, and impaired antibody responses to polysaccharide antigens. Using univariable analyses, we compared observations in 34 CVID and 398 IgGSD adult index patients (81.9% women referred to a hematology/oncology practice. Similarities included specialties of referring physicians, mean ages, proportions of women, reactivity to Pneumovax, median serum IgG3 and IgG4 levels, median blood CD56+/CD16+ lymphocyte levels, positivity for HLA-A and -B types, and frequencies of selected HLA-A, -B haplotypes. Dissimilarities included greater prevalence of autoimmune conditions, lower median IgG, IgA, and IgM, and lower median CD19+, CD3+/CD4+, and CD3+/CD8+ blood lymphocytes in CVID patients. Prevalence of Sjögren’s syndrome and hypothyroidism was significantly greater in CVID patients. Combined subnormal IgG1/IgG3 occurred in 59% and 29% of CVID and IgGSD patients, respectively. Isolated subnormal IgG3 occurred in 121 IgGSD patients (88% women. Logistic regression on CVID (versus IgGSD revealed a significant positive association with autoimmune conditions and significant negative associations with IgG1, IgG3, and IgA and CD56+/CD16+ lymphocyte levels, but the odds ratio was increased for autoimmune conditions alone (6.9 (95% CI 1.3, 35.5.

Comparisons of CVID and IgGSD: referring physicians, autoimmune conditions, pneumovax reactivity, immunoglobulin levels, blood lymphocyte subsets, and HLA-A and -B typing in 432 adult index patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Barton, James C; Bertoli, Luigi F; Barton, J Clayborn

2014-01-01

Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) and immunoglobulin (Ig) G subclass deficiency (IgGSD) are heterogeneous disorders characterized by respiratory tract infections, selective Ig isotype deficiencies, and impaired antibody responses to polysaccharide antigens. Using univariable analyses, we compared observations in 34 CVID and 398 IgGSD adult index patients (81.9% women) referred to a hematology/oncology practice. Similarities included specialties of referring physicians, mean ages, proportions of women, reactivity to Pneumovax, median serum IgG3 and IgG4 levels, median blood CD56+/CD16+ lymphocyte levels, positivity for HLA-A and -B types, and frequencies of selected HLA-A, -B haplotypes. Dissimilarities included greater prevalence of autoimmune conditions, lower median IgG, IgA, and IgM, and lower median CD19+, CD3+/CD4+, and CD3+/CD8+ blood lymphocytes in CVID patients. Prevalence of Sjögren's syndrome and hypothyroidism was significantly greater in CVID patients. Combined subnormal IgG1/IgG3 occurred in 59% and 29% of CVID and IgGSD patients, respectively. Isolated subnormal IgG3 occurred in 121 IgGSD patients (88% women). Logistic regression on CVID (versus IgGSD) revealed a significant positive association with autoimmune conditions and significant negative associations with IgG1, IgG3, and IgA and CD56+/CD16+ lymphocyte levels, but the odds ratio was increased for autoimmune conditions alone (6.9 (95% CI 1.3, 35.5)).

Predictive value of European Scleroderma Group Activity Index in an early scleroderma cohort.

Science.gov (United States)

Nevskaya, Tatiana; Baron, Murray; Pope, Janet E

2017-07-01

To estimate the effect of disease activity, as measured by the European Scleroderma Research Group Activity Index (EScSG-AI), on the risk of subsequent organ damage in a large systemic sclerosis (SSc) cohort. Of 421 SSc patients from the Canadian Scleroderma Research Group database with disease duration of ⩽ 3 years, 197 who had no evidence of end-stage organ damage initially and available 3 year follow-up were included. Disease activity was assessed by the EScSG-AI with two variability measures: the adjusted mean EScSG-AI (the area under the curve of the EScSG-AI over the observation period) and persistently active disease/flare. Outcomes were based on the Medsger severity scale and included accrual of a new severity score (Δ ⩾ 1) overall and within organ systems or reaching a significant level of deterioration in health status. After adjustment for covariates, the adjusted mean EScSG-AI was the most consistent predictor of risk across the study outcomes over 3 years in dcSSc: disease progression defined as Δ ⩾ 1 in any major internal organ, significant decline in forced vital capacity and diffusing capacity of carbon monoxide, severity of visceral disease and HAQ Disability Index worsening. In multivariate analysis, progression of lung disease was predicted solely by adjusted mean EScSG-AI, while the severity of lung disease was predicted the adjusted mean EScSG-AI, older age, modified Rodnan skin score (mRSS) and initial severity. The EScSG-AI was associated with patient- and physician-assessed measures of health status and overpowered the mRSS in predicting disease outcomes. Disease activity burden quantified with the adjusted mean EScSG-AI predicted the risk of deterioration in health status and severe organ involvement in dcSSc. The EScSG-AI is more responsive when done repeatedly and averaged. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email

Looking at 3,000,000 References Without Growing Grey Hair

Science.gov (United States)

Demleitner, M.; Accomazzi, A.; Eichhorn, G.; Grant, C. S.; Kurtz, M. J.; Murray, S. S.

1999-12-01

The article service of the Astrophysics Data System (ADS, http://adswww.harvard.edu) currently holds about 500,000 pages scanned from astronomical journals and conference proceedings. This data set not only facilitates an easy and convenient access to the majority of the astronomical literature from anywhere on the Internet but also allows highly automatized extraction of the information contained in the articles. As first steps towards processing and indexing the full texts of the articles, the ADS has been extracting abstracts and references from the bitmap images of the articles since May 1999. In this poster we describe the procedures and strategies to (a) automatically identify the regions within a paper containing the abstract or the references, (b) spot and correct errors in the data base or the identification of the regions, (c) resolve references obtained by optical character recognition (OCR) with its inherent uncertainties to parsed references (i.e., bibcodes) and (d) incorporate the data collected in this way into the ADS abstract service. We also give an overview of the extent of additional bibliographical material from this source. We estimate that by January 2000, these procedures will have yielded about 14,000 abstracts and 1,000,000 citation pairs (out of a total of 3,000,000 references) not previously present in the ADS.

Master index for the carbon dioxide research state-of-the-art report series

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Farrell, M P [ed.

1987-03-01

Four State of the Art (SOA) reports, ''Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide and the Global Carbon Cycle,'' ''Direct Effects of Increasing Carbon Dioxide on Vegetation,'' ''Detecting the Climatic Effects of Increasing Carbon Dioxide,'' and ''Projecting the Climatic Effects of Increasing Carbon Dioxide,'' and two companion reports, ''Characterization of Information Requirements for Studies of CO/sub 2/ Effects: Water Resources, Agriculture, Fisheries, Forests and Human Health'' and ''Glaciers, Ice Sheets, and Sea Level: Effect of a CO/sub 2/-Induced Climatic Change,'' were published by the US Department of Energy's Carbon Dioxide Research Division. Considerable information on atmospheric carbon dioxide and its possible effects on world climate is summarized in these six volumes. Each volume has its own index, but to make the information that is distributed throughout the six volumes more accessible and usable, comprehensive citation and subject indexes have been compiled. The subject indexes of the individual volumes have been edited to provide a uniformity from volume to volume and also to draw distinctions not needed in the separate volumes' indexes. Also, the comprehensive subject index has been formatted in a matrix arrangement to graphically show the distribution of subject treatment from volume to volume. Other aids include cross references between the scientific and common names of the animals and plants referred to, a glossary of special terms used, tables of data and conversion factors related to the data, and explanations of the acronyms and initialisms used in the texts of the six volumes. The executive summaries of the six volumes are collected and reproduced to allow the readers interested in the contents of one volume to rapidly gain information on the contents of the other volumes.

Noncontact Optical Fiber Sensor for Measuring the Refractive Index of Liquids

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Selvas-Aguilar

2016-01-01

Full Text Available A noncontact optical fiber sensor for measuring the refractive index of transparent liquids is proposed. It operates by calculating the path of a focused laser beam at 635 nm that travels across the boundaries of a liquid sample. The optical power Fresnel reflections are detected and, subsequently, the refractive index is determined as the ratio between the traveled beam paths when the liquid is deposited versus a reference without the liquid sample. Additionally, a mathematical analysis of the geometrical case is included. The theoretical data from our sensor are in good agreement with the experimental results. The resolution achieved by the sensor is better than 10−3 RIU.

Regional indexes for France. Methodology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2006-01-01

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, an estimated 25% of the GNP is affected by weather-related events. The variations in temperature - even small ones - can also have long-lasting effects on the operational results of a company. Among other, the Energy supply sector is sensitive to weather risks: a milder or harsher than usual winter leads to a decrease or increase of energy consumption. The price of electricity on power trading facilities like Powernext is especially sensitive to odd changes in temperatures. Powernext and Meteo-France (the French meteorological agency) have joined expertise in order to promote the use of weather indices in term of decision making or underlying of hedging tools to energy actors, end users from any other sector of activity and specialists of the weather risk hedging. The Powernext Weather indices are made from information collected by Meteo-France's main observation network according to the norms of international meteorology, in areas carefully selected. The gross data are submitted to a thorough review allowing the correction of abnormalities and the reconstitution of missing data. Each index is fashioned to take into account the economic activity in the various regions of the country as represented by each region's population. This demographic information represents a fair approximation of the weight of the regional economic activity. This document presents the calculation methodology of regional weather indexes for France. Each regional index covers an homogenous area in terms of temperature represented by the biggest city. Five reference cities are used to represent the 22 economical regions of France (Paris Orly, Lyon, Marignane, Bordeaux and Strasbourg). (J.S.)

Climate risk index for Italy

Science.gov (United States)

Mysiak, Jaroslav; Torresan, Silvia; Bosello, Francesco; Mistry, Malcolm; Amadio, Mattia; Marzi, Sepehr; Furlan, Elisa; Sperotto, Anna

2018-06-01

We describe a climate risk index that has been developed to inform national climate adaptation planning in Italy and that is further elaborated in this paper. The index supports national authorities in designing adaptation policies and plans, guides the initial problem formulation phase, and identifies administrative areas with higher propensity to being adversely affected by climate change. The index combines (i) climate change-amplified hazards; (ii) high-resolution indicators of exposure of chosen economic, social, natural and built- or manufactured capital (MC) assets and (iii) vulnerability, which comprises both present sensitivity to climate-induced hazards and adaptive capacity. We use standardized anomalies of selected extreme climate indices derived from high-resolution regional climate model simulations of the EURO-CORDEX initiative as proxies of climate change-altered weather and climate-related hazards. The exposure and sensitivity assessment is based on indicators of manufactured, natural, social and economic capital assets exposed to and adversely affected by climate-related hazards. The MC refers to material goods or fixed assets which support the production process (e.g. industrial machines and buildings); Natural Capital comprises natural resources and processes (renewable and non-renewable) producing goods and services for well-being; Social Capital (SC) addressed factors at the individual (people's health, knowledge, skills) and collective (institutional) level (e.g. families, communities, organizations and schools); and Economic Capital (EC) includes owned and traded goods and services. The results of the climate risk analysis are used to rank the subnational administrative and statistical units according to the climate risk challenges, and possibly for financial resource allocation for climate adaptation. This article is part of the theme issue `Advances in risk assessment for climate change adaptation policy'.

Indexes of the Proceedings for the Ten International Symposia on Detonation 1951-93

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Deal, William E.; Ramsay, John B.; Roach, Alita M.; Takala, Bruce E.

1998-09-01

The Proceedings of the ten Detonation Symposia have become the major archival source of information of international research in explosive phenomenology, theory, experimental techniques, numerical modeling, and high-rate reaction chemistry. In many cases, they contain the original reference or the only reference to major progress in the field. For some papers, the information is more complete than the complementary article appearing in a formal journal; yet for others, authors elected to publish only an abstract in the Proceedings. For the large majority of papers, the Symposia Proceedings provide the only published reference to a body of work. This report indexes the ten existing Proceedings of the Detonation Symposia by paper titles, topic phrases, authors, and first appearance of acronyms and code names.

Indexes of the proceedings for the nine symposia (international) on detonation, 1951--89

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Crane, S.L.; Deal, W.E.; Ramsay, J.B.; Roach, A.M.; Takala, B.E.

1993-01-01

The Proceedings of the nine Detonation Symposia have become the major archival source of information of international research in explosive phenomenology, theory, experimental techniques, numerical modeling, and high-rate reaction chemistry. In many cases, they contain the original reference or the only reference to major progress in the field. For some papers, the information is more complete than the complementary article appearing in a formal journal, yet for others, authors elected to publish only an abstract in the Proceedings. For the large majority of papers, the Symposia Proceedings provide the only published reference to a body of work. This report indexes the nine existing Proceedings of the Detonation Symposia by paper titles, topic phrases, authors, and first appearance of acronyms and code names.

The Development and Validation of the Ethical Climate Index for Middle and High Schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Schulte, Laura E.; Thompson, Franklin; Talbott, Jeanie; Luther, Ann; Garcia, Michelle; Blanchard, Shirley; Conway, Laraine; Mueller, Melanie

2002-01-01

Describes the School Ethical Climate Index (SECI), an instrument to measure the ethical climate of a school. The SECI could be used in school districts to assess areas for school improvement and thereby help reduce school disorder and violence. (Contains 4 tables and 39 references.) (Author/WFA)

Translation, adaptation and validation of the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities osteoarthritis index (WOMAC) for an Arab population: the Sfax modified WOMAC.

Science.gov (United States)

Guermazi, Mohammad; Poiraudeau, Serge; Yahia, Monem; Mezganni, Monia; Fermanian, Jacques; Habib Elleuch, M; Revel, Michel

2004-06-01

To translate into Arabic and validate the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) index. Arabic translation was obtained with use of the forward and backward translation method. Adaptations were made after a pilot study. Patients with symptomatic knee OA fulfilling the revised criteria of the American College of Rheumatology were included. Impairment outcome measures (pain as measured on a visual analog scale, the maximum distance walked, Kellgren's radiological score), Lequesne index score and Beck depression scale score were recorded. Each item was analyzed. Test-retest reliability was assessed with use of the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) and the Bland and Altman method. Construct validity was investigated with use of Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, and a factor analysis was performed. One hundred and three patients were included in the study. Eight questions of the WOMAC physical function subscale (PF) had insufficient psychometric properties and were excluded. Although test-retest reliability of the questionnaire was good (0.84, 0.84, and 0.92 for pain, stiffness, and modified PF subscales respectively), construct validity could not be demonstrated. Factor analysis of the modified form of the WOMAC extracted four factors, which differed from the a priori triple stratification. However, factor analysis of the modified PF subscales extracted two factors, which accounted for 68.4% of the total variance and could be clinically characterized (disability during activities requiring knee flexion within the first 90 degrees and activities requiring knee flexion over more than 90 degrees ). We translated and adapted the WOMAC index into Arabic to suit Tunisian people. The translated questionnaire is reliable but not valid in its original form. We propose the use of a modified version of PF subscale of the WOMAC, although the psychometric properties of this instrument must be examined in a larger population.

Data quality and consistency in Scopus and Web of Science in their indexing of Czech Journals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mika, P.; Szarzec, J.; Sivertsen, G.

2016-07-01

This study addresses the discussion of “quality versus coverage” that often arises if a choice is needed between Scopus and Web of Science (WoS). We present a new methodology to detect problems in the quality of indexing procedures. Our preliminary findings indicate the same degree and types of errors in Scopus and WoS. The more serious errors seem to occur in the indexing of cited references, not in the recording of traditional metadata. (Author)

Refractive Index Compensation in Over-Determined Interferometric Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zdeněk Buchta

2012-10-01

Full Text Available We present an interferometric technique based on a differential interferometry setup for measurement under atmospheric conditions. The key limiting factor in any interferometric dimensional measurement are fluctuations of the refractive index of air representing a dominating source of uncertainty when evaluated indirectly from the physical parameters of the atmosphere. Our proposal is based on the concept of an over-determined interferometric setup where a reference length is derived from a mechanical frame made from a material with a very low thermal coefficient. The technique allows one to track the variations of the refractive index of air on-line directly in the line of the measuring beam and to compensate for the fluctuations. The optical setup consists of three interferometers sharing the same beam path where two measure differentially the displacement while the third evaluates the changes in the measuring range, acting as a tracking refractometer. The principle is demonstrated in an experimental setup.

A multiple index integrating different levels of organization.

Science.gov (United States)

Cortes, Rui; Hughes, Samantha; Coimbra, Ana; Monteiro, Sandra; Pereira, Vítor; Lopes, Marisa; Pereira, Sandra; Pinto, Ana; Sampaio, Ana; Santos, Cátia; Carrola, João; de Jesus, Joaquim; Varandas, Simone

2016-10-01

Many methods in freshwater biomonitoring tend to be restricted to a few levels of biological organization, limiting the potential spectrum of measurable of cause-effect responses to different anthropogenic impacts. We combined distinct organisational levels, covering biological biomarkers (histopathological and biochemical reactions in liver and fish gills), community based bioindicators (fish guilds, invertebrate metrics/traits and chironomid pupal exuviae) and ecosystem functional indicators (decomposition rates) to assess ecological status at designated Water Framework Directive monitoring sites, covering a gradient of human impact across several rivers in northern Portugal. We used Random Forest to rank the variables that contributed more significantly to successfully predict the different classes of ecological status and also to provide specific cut levels to discriminate each WFD class based on reference condition. A total of 59 Biological Quality Elements and functional indicators were determined using this procedure and subsequently applied to develop the integrated Multiple Ecological Level Index (MELI Index), a potentially powerful bioassessment tool. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Data summary of municipal solid waste management alternatives. Volume 11, Alphabetically indexed bibliography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

1992-10-01

This appendix contains the alphabetically indexed bibliography for the complete group of reports on municipal waste management alternatives. The references are listed for each of the following topics: mass burn technologies, RDF technologies, fluidized-bed combustion, pyrolysis and gasification of MSW, materials recovery- recycling technologies, sanitary landfills, composting, and anaerobic digestion of MSW.

Data summary of municipal solid waste management alternatives. Volume 12, Numerically indexed bibliography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

1992-10-01

This appendix contains the numerically indexed bibliography for the complete group of reports on municipal solid waste management alternatives. The list references information on the following topics: mass burn technologies, RDF technologies, fluidized bed combustion, pyrolysis and gasification of MSW, materials recovery- recycling technologies, sanitary landfills, composting and anaerobic digestion of MSW.

Drought characterisation based on an agriculture-oriented standardised precipitation index

Science.gov (United States)

Tigkas, Dimitris; Vangelis, Harris; Tsakiris, George

2018-03-01

Drought is a major natural hazard with significant effects in the agricultural sector, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. The accurate and timely characterisation of agricultural drought is crucial for devising contingency plans, including the necessary mitigation measures. Many drought indices have been developed during the last decades for drought characterisation and analysis. One of the most widely used indices worldwide is the Standardised Precipitation Index (SPI). Although other comprehensive indices have been introduced over the years, SPI remains the most broadly accepted index due to a number of reasons, the most important of which are its simple structure and the fact that it uses only precipitation data. In this paper, a modified version of SPI is proposed, namely the Agricultural Standardised Precipitation Index (aSPI), based on the substitution of the total precipitation by the effective precipitation, which describes more accurately the amount of water that can be used productively by the plants. Further, the selection of the most suitable reference periods and time steps for agricultural drought identification using aSPI is discussed. This conceptual enhancement of SPI aims at improving the suitability of the index for agricultural drought characterisation, while retaining the advantages of the original index, including its dependence only on precipitation data. The evaluation of the performance of both SPI and aSPI in terms of correlating drought magnitude with crop yield response in four regions of Greece under Mediterranean conditions indicated that aSPI is more robust than the original index in identifying agricultural drought.

A system of networks and continuing education for physical therapists in rheumatology: a feasibility study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Verhoef

2004-07-01

Full Text Available Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility of regional physical therapy networks including continuing education in rheumatology. The aim of these networks was to improve care provided by primary care physical therapists by improving specific knowledge, technical and communicative skills and the collaboration with rheumatologists. Methods: In two regions in The Netherlands continuing education (CE programmes, consisting of a 5-day postgraduate training course followed by bimonthly workshops and teaching practices, were organised simultaneously. Network activities included consultations, newsletters and the development of a communication guideline. Endpoint measures included the participation rate, compliance, quality of the CE programme, teaching practices, knowledge, network activities, communication, number of patients treated and patient satisfaction. Results: Sixty-three physical therapists out of 193 practices (33% participated in the project. They all completed the education programmes and were formally registered. All evaluations of the education programmes showed positive scores. Knowledge scores increased significantly directly after the training course and at 18 months. A draft guideline on communication between physical therapists and rheumatologists was developed, and 4 newsletters were distributed. A substantial proportion of physical therapists and rheumatologists reported improved communication at 18 months. The mean number of patients treated by physical therapists participating in the networks increased significantly. Patients' satisfaction scores within the networks were significantly higher than those from outside the networks at 18 months. Conclusions: Setting up a system of networks for continuing education for physical therapists regarding the treatment of patients with rheumatic diseases is feasible. Further research will focus on the effectiveness of the system and its implementation on a larger scale.

Cleaning priority index for aquatic birds vulnerable to oil spills in the St. Lawrence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Daigle, S.; Darveau, M.

1995-01-01

A cleaning priority index for 120 species of aquatic birds present in the St. Lawrence River system and vulnerable to the effects of oil spills, was developed. Six criteria were considered in drawing up the index: (1) world population size, (2) productivity, (3) vulnerability, (4) local numbers, (5) economic value, and (6) survival during rehabilitation. Birds were assessed against each of the criteria, using a semi-quantitative ordinal scale ranging from 0 to 5. The index can be used as a decision-making tool for directing oiled-bird capture and cleaning. In the case of individual birds, the physiological condition of the bird in question should be used as an additional point of reference when deciding which bird to clean. Use of the index is not confined to the St. Lawrence River; it is readily adaptable to any other region. 58 refs., 4 tabs

Single-phase Near-well Permeability Upscaling and Productivity Index Calculation Methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seyed Shamsollah Noorbakhsh

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Reservoir models with many grid blocks suffer from long run time; it is hence important to deliberate a method to remedy this drawback. Usual upscaling methods are proved to fail to reproduce fine grid model behaviors in coarse grid models in well proximity. This is attributed to rapid pressure changes in the near-well region. Standard permeability upscaling methods are limited to systems with linear pressure changes; therefore, special near-well upscaling approaches based on the well index concept are proposed for these regions with non-linear pressure profile. No general rule is available to calculate the proper well index in different heterogeneity patterns and coarsening levels. In this paper, the available near-well upscaling methods are investigated for homogeneous and heterogeneous permeability models at different coarsening levels. It is observed that the existing well index methods have limited success in reproducing the well flow and pressure behavior of the reference fine grid models as the heterogeneity or coarsening level increases. Coarse-scale well indexes are determined such that fine and coarse scale results for pressure are in agreement. Both vertical and horizontal wells are investigated and, for the case of vertical homogeneous wells, a linear relationship between the default (Peaceman well index and the true (matched well index is obtained, which considerably reduces the error of the Peaceman well index. For the case of heterogeneous vertical wells, a multiplier remedies the error. Similar results are obtained for horizontal wells (both heterogeneous and homogeneous models.

Indexicality or Technological Intermediate? Moving Image Representation, Materiality, and the Real

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Verdon James

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Drawing on the application of C. S. Peirce’s notion of indexicality, this paper argues that iterative imaging technologies modulate the manner in which moving images represent reality and determine how they are traced back to that referent. Rather than subscribing to the canonical divergence between analogue and digital technologies, the paper argues that current moving image theories do not sufficiently acknowledge the granularity of technology when describing indexical relationships between moving images and the reality they represent. Despite a shared use of analogue technologies, film’s technique of fixing a full frame of movement to a momentarily static strip of light-sensitive celluloid or Mylar is profoundly different from analogue video’s parsing of the image frame to its constituent parts and then recording this signal to continuously moving tape or broadcasting the resulting images. These are particularities of technique and technology, not easily ranked in terms of verisimilitude. The paper concludes that despite a widely accepted indexical analogue/digital divide, the indexical status of analogue video is no different to that of digital video images because both consist of discrete and non-continuous picture elements.

Report of the research co-ordination meeting on reference materials for microanalytical nuclear techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-01-01

Many microanalytical procedure require specific natural-matrix reference materials containing very low levels of trace elements and having a high degree of homogeneity. This proposed CRP will specifically address the question of quality control materials for these techniques. The participants of the meeting discussed the requirements for certified reference materials to by used in microanalysis with particular emphasis on the homogeneity issues. This publication contains summary of the discussions along with conclusions and recommendations made by the participants. The publication also contains 13 individual presentations delivered by the participants. Each of the individual papers has been provided with an abstract and indexed separately

Report of the research co-ordination meeting on reference materials for microanalytical nuclear techniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1994-07-01

Many microanalytical procedure require specific natural-matrix reference materials containing very low levels of trace elements and having a high degree of homogeneity. This proposed CRP will specifically address the question of quality control materials for these techniques. The participants of the meeting discussed the requirements for certified reference materials to by used in microanalysis with particular emphasis on the homogeneity issues. This publication contains summary of the discussions along with conclusions and recommendations made by the participants. The publication also contains 13 individual presentations delivered by the participants. Each of the individual papers has been provided with an abstract and indexed separately.

Recommendations of the Brazilian Society of Rheumatology for the diagnosis and treatment of chikungunya fever. Part 2 - Treatment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claudia Diniz Lopes Marques

Full Text Available Abstract Chikungunya fever has become an important public health problem in countries where epidemics occur because half of the cases progress to chronic, persistent and debilitating arthritis. Literature data on specific therapies at the various phases of arthropathy caused by chikungunya virus (CHIKV infection are limited, lacking quality randomized trials assessing the efficacies of different therapies. There are a few studies on the treatment of musculoskeletal manifestations of chikungunya fever, but these studies have important methodological limitations. The data currently available preclude conclusions favorable or contrary to specific therapies, or an adequate comparison between the different drugs used. The objective of this study was to develop recommendations for the treatment of chikungunya fever in Brazil. A literature review was performed via evidence-based selection of articles in the databases Medline, SciELO, PubMed and Embase and conference proceedings abstracts, in addition to expert opinions to support decision-making in defining recommendations. The Delphi method was used to define the degrees of agreement in 2 face-to-face meetings and several online voting rounds. This study is part 2 of the Recommendations of the Brazilian Society of Rheumatology (Sociedade Brasileira de Reumatologia - SBR for the Diagnosis and Treatment of chikungunya fever and specifically addresses treatment.

Systemic lupus erythematosus in Spanish males: a study of the Spanish Rheumatology Society Lupus Registry (RELESSER) cohort.

Science.gov (United States)

Riveros Frutos, A; Casas, I; Rúa-Figueroa, I; López-Longo, F J; Calvo-Alén, J; Galindo, M; Fernández-Nebro, A; Pego-Reigosa, J M; Olivé Marqués, A

2017-06-01

Objective The objective of this study was to describe the demographic, clinical, and immunological manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in male patients. Methods A cross-sectional, multicenter study was carried out of 3651 patients (353 men, 9.7%, and 3298 women, 90.2%) diagnosed with SLE, included in the Spanish Rheumatology Society SLE Registry (RELESSER). Results Mean ages (18-92 years) of symptom onset were 37 (SD 17) years (men) and 32 (SD 14) years (women). Male/female ratio was 1/9. Age of onset of symptoms and age at diagnosis were higher in men than in women ( p lupus nephritis was more common in men, being present in 155 (44.8%) of males versus 933 (29%) of females ( p  50 years had a higher mortality (odds ratios 3.6 and 2.1, respectively). Furthermore, SLE patients who developed pulmonary hemorrhage, pulmonary hypertension, psychiatric involvement, complement deficiency, and hemophagocytic syndrome also had higher mortality, regardless of gender. Conclusion Patients with SLE over the age of 50 years have an increased risk of mortality. In Caucasians, age at diagnosis and symptom onset is higher in men than in women. The diagnostic delay is shorter in men. Male SLE patients present more cardiovascular comorbidities, and also more serositis, adenopathies, splenomegaly, renal involvement, convulsion, thrombosis, and lupus anticoagulant positivity than women.

Biostratigraphic analysis of the top layer of sediment cores from the reference and test sites of the INDEX area

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Gupta, S.M.

Radiolarian fossil study in the sediment cores collected during the pre- and postdisturbance cruises of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Indian Ocean Experiment (INDEX) program of deep sea mining in the Central Indian Ocean Basin suggests a...

Body mass index influences prostate cancer risk at biopsy in Japanese men.

Science.gov (United States)

Masuda, Hitoshi; Kagawa, Makoto; Kawakami, Satoru; Numao, Noboru; Matsuoka, Yoh; Yokoyama, Minato; Yamamoto, Shinya; Yonese, Junji; Fukui, Iwao; Kihara, Kazunori

2013-07-01

To determine the relationship between body mass index and prostate cancer risk at biopsy in Japanese men, and to compared the risk with that of Caucasian men. We retrospectively evaluated 3966 men with prostate-specific antigen levels from 2.5 to 19.9 ng/mL who underwent an initial extended prostate biopsy. Using logistic regression, odds ratios of each body mass index category for risk of prostate cancer and high-grade disease (Gleason score ≥4 + 3) were estimated after controlling for age, prostate-specific antigen, %free prostate-specific antigen, prostate volume, digital rectal examination findings, family history of prostate cancer and the number of biopsy cores. Patients were divided into six categories according to their body mass index (kg/m(2) ) as follows: body mass index and prostate cancer risk at biopsy, with an increased risk observed in men whose body mass index was ≥27.0 compared with the reference group. A significantly increased risk starting at body mass index ≥25.0 was found in high-grade disease. In contrast to our results, there has been no reported increase in the risk of prostate cancer at biopsy in Caucasians within the overweight range (body mass index of 25.0-29.9 based on World Health Organization classification). Japanese men within the overweight body mass index range who have an elevated prostate-specific antigen level also have a significant risk of harboring prostate cancer, especially high-grade disease. Overweight Japanese might be at greater prostate cancer risk at biopsy than overweight Caucasians. © 2012 The Japanese Urological Association.

A survey of the current status of web-based databases indexing Iranian journals.

Science.gov (United States)

Merat, Shahin; Khatibzadeh, Shahab; Mesgarpour, Bita; Malekzadeh, Reza

2009-05-01

The scientific output of Iran is increasing rapidly during the recent years. Unfortunately, most papers are published in journals which are not indexed by popular indexing systems and many of them are in Persian without English translation. This makes the results of Iranian scientific research unavailable to other researchers, including Iranians. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of current web-based databases indexing scientific articles published in Iran. We identified web-based databases which indexed scientific journals published in Iran using popular search engines. The sites were then subjected to a series of tests to evaluate their coverage, search capabilities, stability, accuracy of information, consistency, accessibility, ease of use, and other features. Results were compared with each other to identify strengths and shortcomings of each site. Five web sites were indentified. None had a complete coverage on scientific Iranian journals. The search capabilities were less than optimal in most sites. English translations of research titles, author names, keywords, and abstracts of Persian-language articles did not follow standards. Some sites did not cover abstracts. Numerous typing errors make searches ineffective and citation indexing unreliable. None of the currently available indexing sites are capable of presenting Iranian research to the international scientific community. The government should intervene by enforcing policies designed to facilitate indexing through a systematic approach. The policies should address Iranian journals, authors, and indexing sites. Iranian journals should be required to provide their indexing data, including references, electronically; authors should provide correct indexing information to journals; and indexing sites should improve their software to meet standards set by the government.

Dynamic muscular endurance in primary fibromyalgia compared with chronic myofascial pain syndrome

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jacobsen, Søren; Danneskiold-Samsøe, B

1992-01-01

The objective of the study was to quantify the voluntary dynamic muscular endurance (DME) in patients with primary fibromyalgia (PF) since easy fatigability of muscles is one of the major symptoms in this syndrome. Consecutive outpatients referred to a rheumatology clinic specializing in PF were...

A brachytherapy photon radiation quality index Q(BT) for probe-type dosimetry.

Science.gov (United States)

Quast, Ulrich; Kaulich, Theodor W; Álvarez-Romero, José T; Carlsson Tedgren, Sa; Enger, Shirin A; Medich, David C; Mourtada, Firas; Perez-Calatayud, Jose; Rivard, Mark J; Zakaria, G Abu

2016-06-01

In photon brachytherapy (BT), experimental dosimetry is needed to verify treatment plans if planning algorithms neglect varying attenuation, absorption or scattering conditions. The detector's response is energy dependent, including the detector material to water dose ratio and the intrinsic mechanisms. The local mean photon energy E¯(r) must be known or another equivalent energy quality parameter used. We propose the brachytherapy photon radiation quality indexQ(BT)(E¯), to characterize the photon radiation quality in view of measurements of distributions of the absorbed dose to water, Dw, around BT sources. While the external photon beam radiotherapy (EBRT) radiation quality index Q(EBRT)(E¯)=TPR10(20)(E¯) is not applicable to BT, the authors have applied a novel energy dependent parameter, called brachytherapy photon radiation quality index, defined as Q(BT)(E¯)=Dprim(r=2cm,θ0=90°)/Dprim(r0=1cm,θ0=90°), utilizing precise primary absorbed dose data, Dprim, from source reference databases, without additional MC-calculations. For BT photon sources used clinically, Q(BT)(E¯) enables to determine the effective mean linear attenuation coefficient μ¯(E) and thus the effective energy of the primary photons Eprim(eff)(r0,θ0) at the TG-43 reference position Pref(r0=1cm,θ0=90°), being close to the mean total photon energy E¯tot(r0,θ0). If one has calibrated detectors, published E¯tot(r) and the BT radiation quality correction factor [Formula: see text] for different BT radiation qualities Q and Q0, the detector's response can be determined and Dw(r,θ) measured in the vicinity of BT photon sources. This novel brachytherapy photon radiation quality indexQ(BT) characterizes sufficiently accurate and precise the primary photon's penetration probability and scattering potential. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Walkability Index

Science.gov (United States)

The Walkability Index dataset characterizes every Census 2010 block group in the U.S. based on its relative walkability. Walkability depends upon characteristics of the built environment that influence the likelihood of walking being used as a mode of travel. The Walkability Index is based on the EPA's previous data product, the Smart Location Database (SLD). Block group data from the SLD was the only input into the Walkability Index, and consisted of four variables from the SLD weighted in a formula to create the new Walkability Index. This dataset shares the SLD's block group boundary definitions from Census 2010. The methodology describing the process of creating the Walkability Index can be found in the documents located at ftp://newftp.epa.gov/EPADataCommons/OP/WalkabilityIndex.zip. You can also learn more about the Smart Location Database at https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/OP/Smart_Location_DB_v02b.zip.

The Nature Index: A General Framework for Synthesizing Knowledge on the State of Biodiversity

Science.gov (United States)

Certain, Grégoire; Skarpaas, Olav; Bjerke, Jarle-Werner; Framstad, Erik; Lindholm, Markus; Nilsen, Jan-Erik; Norderhaug, Ann; Oug, Eivind; Pedersen, Hans-Christian; Schartau, Ann-Kristin; van der Meeren, Gro I.; Aslaksen, Iulie; Engen, Steinar; Garnåsjordet, Per-Arild; Kvaløy, Pål; Lillegård, Magnar; Yoccoz, Nigel G.; Nybø, Signe

2011-01-01

The magnitude and urgency of the biodiversity crisis is widely recognized within scientific and political organizations. However, a lack of integrated measures for biodiversity has greatly constrained the national and international response to the biodiversity crisis. Thus, integrated biodiversity indexes will greatly facilitate information transfer from science toward other areas of human society. The Nature Index framework samples scientific information on biodiversity from a variety of sources, synthesizes this information, and then transmits it in a simplified form to environmental managers, policymakers, and the public. The Nature Index optimizes information use by incorporating expert judgment, monitoring-based estimates, and model-based estimates. The index relies on a network of scientific experts, each of whom is responsible for one or more biodiversity indicators. The resulting set of indicators is supposed to represent the best available knowledge on the state of biodiversity and ecosystems in any given area. The value of each indicator is scaled relative to a reference state, i.e., a predicted value assessed by each expert for a hypothetical undisturbed or sustainably managed ecosystem. Scaled indicator values can be aggregated or disaggregated over different axes representing spatiotemporal dimensions or thematic groups. A range of scaling models can be applied to allow for different ways of interpreting the reference states, e.g., optimal situations or minimum sustainable levels. Statistical testing for differences in space or time can be implemented using Monte-Carlo simulations. This study presents the Nature Index framework and details its implementation in Norway. The results suggest that the framework is a functional, efficient, and pragmatic approach for gathering and synthesizing scientific knowledge on the state of biodiversity in any marine or terrestrial ecosystem and has general applicability worldwide. PMID:21526118

Academic portfolio in the digital era: organizing and maintaining a portfolio using reference managers.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhargava, Puneet; Patel, Vatsal B; Iyer, Ramesh S; Moshiri, Mariam; Robinson, Tracy J; Lall, Chandana; Heller, Matthew T

2015-02-01

The academic portfolio has become an integral part of the promotions process. Creating and maintaining an academic portfolio in paper-based or web-based formats can be a cumbersome and time-consuming task. In this article, we describe an alternative way to efficiently organize an academic portfolio using a reference manager software, and discuss some of the afforded advantages. The reference manager software Papers (Mekentosj, Amsterdam, The Netherlands) was used to create an academic portfolio. The article outlines the key steps in creating and maintaining a digital academic portfolio. Using reference manager software (Papers), we created an academic portfolio that allows the user to digitally organize clinical, teaching, and research accomplishments in an indexed library enabling efficient updating, rapid retrieval, and easy sharing. To our knowledge, this is the first digital portfolio of its kind.

Modification of Low Refractive Index Polycarbonate for High Refractive Index Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gunjan Suri

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Polycarbonates and polythiourethanes are the most popular materials in use today, for optical applications. Polycarbonates are of two types which fall in the category of low refractive index and medium refractive index. The present paper describes the conversion of low refractive index polycarbonates into high refractive index material by the use of a high refractive index monomer, polythiol, as an additive. Novel polycarbonates, where the properties of refractive index and Abbe number can be tailor made, have been obtained. Thermal studies and refractive index determination indicate the formation of a new polymer with improved properties and suitable for optical applications.

Objective assessment of plaster cast quality in pediatric distal forearm fractures: Is there an optimal index?

Science.gov (United States)

Labronici, Pedro José; Ferreira, Leonardo Termis; Dos Santos Filho, Fernando Claudino; Pires, Robinson Esteves Santos; Gomes, Davi Coutinho Fonseca Fernandes; da Silva, Luiz Henrique Penteado; Gameiro, Vinicius Schott

2017-02-01

Several so-called casting indices are available for objective evaluation of plaster cast quality. The present study sought to investigate four of these indices (gap index, padding index, Canterbury index, and three-point index) as compared to a reference standard (cast index) for evaluation of plaster cast quality after closed reduction of pediatric displaced distal forearm fractures. Forty-three radiographs from patients with displaced distal forearm fractures requiring manipulation were reviewed. Accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, false-positive probability, false-negative probability, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, positive likelihood ratio, and negative likelihood ratio were calculated for each of the tested indices. Comparison among indices revealed diagnostic agreement in only 4.7% of cases. The strongest correlation with the cast index was found for the gap index, with a Spearman correlation coefficient of 0.94. The gap index also displayed the best agreement with the cast index, with both indices yielding the same result in 79.1% of assessments. When seeking to assess plaster cast quality, the cast index and gap index should be calculated; if both indices agree, a decision on quality can be made. If the cast and gap indices disagree, the padding index can be calculated as a tiebreaker, and the decision based on the most frequent of the three results. Calculation of the three-point index and Canterbury index appears unnecessary. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Optimization of reference library used in content-based medical image retrieval scheme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Sang Cheol; Sukthankar, Rahul; Mummert, Lily; Satyanarayanan, Mahadev; Zheng Bin

2007-01-01

Building an optimal image reference library is a critical step in developing the interactive computer-aided detection and diagnosis (I-CAD) systems of medical images using content-based image retrieval (CBIR) schemes. In this study, the authors conducted two experiments to investigate (1) the relationship between I-CAD performance and size of reference library and (2) a new reference selection strategy to optimize the library and improve I-CAD performance. The authors assembled a reference library that includes 3153 regions of interest (ROI) depicting either malignant masses (1592) or CAD-cued false-positive regions (1561) and an independent testing data set including 200 masses and 200 false-positive regions. A CBIR scheme using a distance-weighted K-nearest neighbor algorithm is applied to retrieve references that are considered similar to the testing sample from the library. The area under receiver operating characteristic curve (A z ) is used as an index to evaluate the I-CAD performance. In the first experiment, the authors systematically increased reference library size and tested I-CAD performance. The result indicates that scheme performance improves initially from A z =0.715 to 0.874 and then plateaus when the library size reaches approximately half of its maximum capacity. In the second experiment, based on the hypothesis that a ROI should be removed if it performs poorly compared to a group of similar ROIs in a large and diverse reference library, the authors applied a new strategy to identify 'poorly effective' references. By removing 174 identified ROIs from the reference library, I-CAD performance significantly increases to A z =0.914 (p<0.01). The study demonstrates that increasing reference library size and removing poorly effective references can significantly improve I-CAD performance

Evaluation of the Retrieval of Nuclear Science Document References Using the Universal Decimal Classification as the Indexing Language for a Computer-Based System

Science.gov (United States)

Atherton, Pauline; And Others

A single issue of Nuclear Science Abstracts, containing about 2,300 abstracts, was indexed by Universal Decimal Classification (UDC) using the Special Subject Edition of UDC for Nuclear Science and Technology. The descriptive cataloging and UDC-indexing records formed a computer-stored data base. A systematic random sample of 500 additional…

Risk of Serious Infection in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis Patients Associated With Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitors and Disease Activity in the German Biologics in Pediatric Rheumatology Registry.

Science.gov (United States)

Becker, Ingrid; Horneff, Gerd

2017-04-01

To examine the effects of tumor necrosis factor inhibitors on the risk for serious infections and other influencing factors in a registry. Patients exposed for the first time to etanercept, adalimumab, or methotrexate and serious infections were identified in the German Biologic Registry for Pediatric Rheumatology (BIKER) registry. Serious infection rates per 1,000 observation-years and relative risks were calculated. Cox regression identified risk factors and provided hazard ratios (HRs) for occurrence of infections. A total of 3,350 patients with 5,919 observation-years fulfilled the inclusion criteria for the study. The first biologic agents were etanercept (1,720 cases) and adalimumab (177 cases). A total of 1,453 patients were treated with methotrexate and no biologic agent. In total, 28 serious infections were reported in 26 patients (4.7 per 1,000 patient-years), 5 with methotrexate (1.6 per 1,000 patient-years), 21 with etanercept (8.1 per 1,000 patient-years), and 2 with adalimumab (9.7 per 1,000 patient-years). Significant univariate risk factors for infection were therapy with biologic agents, disease duration before therapy start, corticosteroid medication, nonbiologic premedications, higher clinical Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score including maximal 10 joints (cJADAS10) at therapy start, and higher mean cJADAS10 during therapy. In multivariate Cox regression, only biologic therapy and cJADAS10 at therapy start remained significant. Risk for infection was increased by etanercept (univariate HR 6.0 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 2.0-17.5]) or adalimumab (HR 7.3 [95% CI 1.3-40.0]) compared to methotrexate as well as by an elevated cJADAS10 at therapy start (HR 1.1 [95% CI 1.0-1.2] per unit increase). The total rate of serious infections reported in the BIKER registry seems low. Treatment with etanercept or adalimumab increases the risk for serious infection slightly, compared to methotrexate. Disease activity expressed by cJADAS10 appears to

Public synthesis of the reference costs study of the electric power production; Synthese publique de l'etude des couts de reference de la production electrique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2008-07-01

Every 3 or 5 years, the DGEC published the reference costs study of the electric power production which evaluates, in a theoretical framework, the total cost of an electrical MWh, from different production ways. These studies bring information for the definition of the energy policy and the elaboration of the investments program. because of the great competition of the market, it was decided not to publish the absolute value of the hypothesis and the results but under indexed form. (A.L.B.)

Perfusion index in preterm infants during the first 3 days of life : Reference values and relation with clinical variables

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Alderliesten, Thomas; Lemmers, Petra M A; Baerts, Willem; Groenendaal, Floris; Van Bel, Frank

2015-01-01

Background: The perfusion index (PI) derived from pulse oximetry readings represents the ratio of pulsatile (arterial blood) and nonpulsatile contributors to infrared light absorption. PI has been shown to correlate with cardiac performance. In theory, PI is readily available on every pulse

Growth references for Tsimane forager-horticulturalists of the Bolivian Amazon.

Science.gov (United States)

Blackwell, Aaron D; Urlacher, Samuel S; Beheim, Bret; von Rueden, Christopher; Jaeggi, Adrian; Stieglitz, Jonathan; Trumble, Benjamin C; Gurven, Michael; Kaplan, Hillard

2017-03-01

Growth standards and references currently used to assess population and individual health are derived primarily from urban populations, including few individuals from indigenous or subsistence groups. Given environmental and genetic differences, growth may vary in these populations. Thus, there is a need to assess whether international standards are appropriate for all populations, and to produce population specific references if growth differs. Here we present and assess growth references for the Tsimane, an indigenous population of Bolivian forager-horticulturalists. Mixed cross-sectional/longitudinal anthropometrics (9,614 individuals; 30,118 observations; ages 0-29 years) were used to generate centile curves and Lambda-Mu-Sigma (LMS) tables for height-for-age, weight-for-age, body mass index (BMI)-for-age, and weight-for-height (WFH) using Generalized Additive Models for Location Shape and Scale (GAMLSS). Velocity curves were generated using SuperImposition by Translation and Rotation (SITAR). Tsimane ≤5 years were compared to World Health Organization (WHO) standards while those >5 years were compared to WHO school age references. All ages were compared to published references for Shuar forager-horticulturalists of the Ecuadorian Amazon. Tsimane growth differs from WHO values in height and weight, but is similar for BMI and WFH. Tsimane growth is characterized by slow height velocity in childhood and early adolescent peak height velocity at 11.3 and 13.2 years for girls and boys. Tsimane growth patterns are similar to Shuar, suggesting shared features of growth among indigenous South Americans. International references for BMI-for-age and WFH are likely appropriate for Tsimane, but differences in height-for-age and weight-for-age suggest Tsimane specific references may be useful for these measures. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

An Index to the Caricatures in the "New York Review of Books" from Its Inception Through the Fifteenth Anniversary Issue (1963-1978).

Science.gov (United States)

Drazan, Joseph Gerald; Sanguine, Phyllis

This index identifies caricatures drawn by David Levine which are found in the "New York Review of Books" from its first issue in 1963 through the special fifteenth anniversary issue dated October 12, 1978. The index is arranged alphabetically by surname for each personality caricatured, with some cross references. The numbering system…