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Sample records for success rates chronische

  1. Chronische Polyarthritis (Früharthritis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Machold K

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available Die Akkumulation von Knorpel- und Knochenschäden, wie sie für chronisch-destruktive Arthritisformen typisch ist, kann durch frühzeitige Intervention mit wirksamen Medikamenten verzögert oder verhindert werden. Voraussetzung ist die rechtzeitige Übernahme der Betreuung gefährdeter Patienten durch einen in der speziellen rheumatologischen Diagnostik und Therapie bewanderten Arzt. Dieser muß das gesamte Repertoire der Arthritistherapie (Medikamente, ergotherapeutische und physiotherapeutische Maßnahmen, Patientenaufklärung etc. entsprechend dem „State of the Art“ beherrschen. In den letzten Jahren erfolgte in vielen Ländern die Etablierung von Spezialeinrichtungen für Patienten mit früher Arthritis. Die an diesen Patienten gewonnenen Erkenntnisse deuten darauf hin, daß die „kritische Periode“, innerhalb derer eine chronische Arthritis möglicherweise reversibel ist, bei 6 bis 12 Wochen liegt.

  2. Radiology of chronic diseases of the ankle joint; Chronische Krankheitsbilder am Sprunggelenk

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    Rand, T. [Vienna Univ. (Austria). Einrichtung fuer Magnetresonanztomographie]|[Universitaetsklinik fuer Radiodiagnostik, Vienna (Austria); Trattnig, S.; Breitenseher, M.; Imhof, H. [Vienna Univ. (Austria). Einrichtung fuer Magnetresonanztomographie; Kreuzer, S. [Universitaetsklinik fuer Radiodiagnostik, Vienna (Austria); Wagesreither, S. [Vienna Univ. (Austria). Klinik fuer Zahn-, Mund- und Kieferheilkunde

    1999-01-01

    high-resolution coils, the investigation of the ankle joint still offers a wide spectrum of innovation for the next years, which is particularly enforced by the increasing demand for specific diagnosis of chronic diseases in orthopedic medicine. (orig.) [Deutsch] Die Aetiologie chronischer Krankheitsbilder am Sprunggelenk ist vielfaeltig. Chronisch entzuendliche Veraenderungen, wie sie im Rahmen einer chronisch juvenilen Arthritis, des M. Reiter, der Psoriasis oder chronischer Monoarthritiden, wie der chronischen Gicht zu beobachten sind, haben nicht selten ihre Manifestation am Sprunggelenk. Seltenere entzuendlich chronische Affektionen hingegen koennen jedoch auch bei enteropathischen Arthritiden, granulomatoesen Erkrankungen, wie der Tuberkulose oder Sarkoidose, beobachtet werden. Auch chronisch verlaufende Pilzaffektionen koennen zu atypischen Bildern fuehren. Chronisch degenerative Erkrankungen entstehen am Sprunggelenk fast ausschliesslich sekundaer. Praedisponierend sind hier angeborene oder erworbene Fehlhaltungen sowie chronische Veraenderungen auf Basis abgelaufener oder repetitiver Traumen. Der neuropathische Formenkreis stellt eine weitere Causa chronischer Veraenderungen dar, mit im fortgeschrittenem Stadium massiven Gelenks- und ossaeren Veraenderungen. Chronische Veraenderungen sind auch bei der Haemophilie im Rahmen des Blutergelenkes zu erwarten. Als chronisch tumoroese Veraenderungen koennen die pigmentierte villonodulaere Synovitis (PVNS) und die Gelenkschondromatose betrachtet werden, mit teils ossaeren und teils charakteristischen Kapsel und Weichteilveraenderungen. Die modernen Gelenkdiagnostik umfasst zudem auch chronische Veraenderungen an den Sehnen und Baendern. Besondere diagnostische Herausforderungen stellen letztendlich Syndrome dar, die klinisch zwar beobachtet, jedoch erst durch moderne Bildgebung in den letzten Jahren zunehmend spezifiert werden konnten. Diese umfassen zum Beispiel das `Os-trigonum-Syndrom`, das `anterolaterale

  3. Ernährungszustand bei Patienten mit chronisch entzündlichen Darmerkrankungen

    OpenAIRE

    Blunk, Christine

    2009-01-01

    Zahlreiche internationale Studien konnten den negativen Einfluss einer bestehenden Malnutrition auf den Verlauf einer Erkrankung belegen. Dies gilt insbesondere für Patienten mit chronisch entzündlichen Darmerkrankungen wie Morbus Crohn und Colitis ulcerosa, die wie klinische Studien gezeigt haben besonders häufig unter einer Malnutrition leiden. In der vorliegenden Studie wurde der Ernährungszustand von 127 Patienten mit chronisch entzündlichen Darmerkrankungen anhand verschiedener etabli...

  4. BNP ist ANP, Endothelin und Noradrenalin als Prognoseindikator bei chronisch herzinsuffizienten Patienten überlegen

    OpenAIRE

    Zugck C; Gerhards A; Haass M; Katz N; Kell R; Krüger C; Schellberg D

    2001-01-01

    Zu den etablierten Prognoseindikatoren bei Patienten mit chronischer Herzinsuffizienz zählen der Herz-Thorax-Quotient in der Röntgen-Thoraxaufnahme (HTQ), die linksventrikuläre Ejektionsfraktion (LVEF) und die maximale Sauerstoffaufnahme unter Belastung (VO2max). Darüber hinaus wird zahlreichen neurohumoralen Parametern eine prognostische Wertigkeit zugeschrieben. An 166 Patienten mit chronischer Herzinsuffizienz (Alter 54 ± 9 Jahre; 70 % dilatative Kardiomyopathie; 30 % KHK; LVEF 21 ± 9 %) ...

  5. Man of vrouw? Een onderzoek naar sekseverschillen in reacties op chronische aandoeningen

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Roeke, M.

    2009-01-01

    Samenvatting Het doel van dit onderzoek was om sekseverschillen onder chronische patiënten op fysiek-, psychisch- en sociaal functioneren en algemene kwaliteit van leven in kaart te brengen. Daarnaast werd er naar mogelijke verklaringen voor sekseverschillen gekeken. Er werden verschillende

  6. Chronic lead intoxication; Chronische Bleiintoxikation

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    Wieseler, B.; Leng, G. [Duesseldorf Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Hygiene; Lenz, S.; Schultz, C. [Klinikum Remscheid GmbH, Remscheid (Germany); Wilhelm, M. [Bochum Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Hygiene, Sozial- und Umweltmedizin

    1999-02-01

    The case of a female 68 years old patient is described. Here, a chronic lead intoxication was diagnosed after a two year old medical history with increasing attacks of colic-like abdominal pain often described as life-threatening. After repeated hospitalizations and intensive search for the cause of the symptoms, porphyria and anemia was found to be a sign of a chronic lead poisoning. The blood lead concentrations were always about a level of 600 {mu}g/L. The source of exposure could not be found by now. Neither home inspection nor environmental investigations have shown a recent source of lead intake by the patient. However, a possible occupational source of lead exposure at a blast furnace was established by anamnesis for 1952 to 1962. Thus, osteoporosis induced lead mobilisation was suspected. Noticeable are the results of the six abdominal survey radiographies taken during hospitalization within one year; three radiographies were taken following clinical admission and three before discharge of the patient. In comparison, the course shows a chronic relapsing alimentary supply from metallic particles of unknown genesis. The patient was treated with the sodium salt of 2,3-dimercapto-1-propansulfonic acid (DMPS, Dimaval{sup TM}). She was free of complain afterwards. Following therapy, the blood lead concentrations fell under a level of 400 {mu}m/L, but after several weeks the lead level raised up to the original level of 600 {mu}g/L. (orig.) [Deutsch] Es wird eine 68jaehrige Patientin vorgestellt, bei der nach fast zweijaehriger Krankengeschichte, die gekennzeichnet war durch rezidivierende, teils als lebensbedrohlich geschilderte Bauchkoliken, eine chronische Bleiintoxikation diagnostiziert wurde. Erst nach wiederholten stationaeren Krankenhausaufenthalten mit intensiver Suche nach der Krankheitsursache wurden das Krankheitsbild und die Laborwerte durch Zusatzuntersuchungen ergaenzt, so dass sich in der festgestellten Porphyrie und Anaemie die Diagnose der

  7. Chronische Aspecifieke Respiratoire Aandoeningen (CARA) in Nederland. Ontwikkelingen in de kennis van de epidemiologie en etiologie en mogelijkheden voor preventie

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Maas IAM; VTV

    1994-01-01

    In dit rapport wordt een overzicht gegeven van de actuele stand van de kennis omtrent etiologie, determinanten en mogelijkheden voor preventie voor chronische aspecifieke luchtwegaandoeningen (CARA). De nadruk ligt in dit rapport op de rol van leefstijlfactoren (roken, voeding en lichamelijke

  8. Prevalentie van chronische-vermoeidheidsyndroom in 4 huisartspraktijken in de regio Leiden [Prevalence of chronic fatigue syndrome in four general practices in Leyden region

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Versluis, R.G.J.A.; Waal, M.W.M. de; Opmeer, C.; Petri, H.; Springer, M.P.

    1997-01-01

    Doel. De prevalentie vaststellen van chronische-vermoeidheidsyndroom (CVS) in de huisartspraktijk. Opzet. Descriptief. Plaats. Huisartspraktijken in Leiden en omstreken. Methode. Het geanonimiseerde geautomatiseerde databestand van het Registratie Netwerk Universitaire Huisartspraktijken Leiden en

  9. Mesenteric ossification in CT indicates sclerosing peritonitis in chronic bacterial infection and pancreatitis; Mesenteriale Verknoecherungen als computertomographische Zeichen einer sklerosierenden Peritonitis bei chronischer Bauchfellentzuendung und Pankreatitis

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    Kirchner, J.; Kirchner, E.M. [Abt. fuer Diagnostische und Interventionelle Radiologie, Klinikum Niederberg Velbert (Germany); Kickuth, R. [Klinik fuer Radiologie und Nuklearmedizin, Katholisches Marienhospital Herne, Universitaetsklinik der Ruhr Univ. Bochum (Germany); Stein, A. [Klinik fuer Strahlentherapie und Onkologie, Universitaetsklinikum Frankfurt/Main (Germany)

    2004-07-01

    Sclerosing peritonitis already has been described as a serious complication of the continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis. But different other affections of the pertioneum such as chronic bacterial peritonitis and pancreatitis may result in sclerosing peritonitis, too. The symptom is characterised by thickened small bowel walls and periotoneal membranes as well as peritoneal calcifications which can be shown in computed tomography. We demonstrate two cases of peritoneal ossifications due to peritonitis and pancreatitis. (orig.) [German] Die sklerosierende Peritonitis wurde wiederholt als ernste Komplikation der Bauchfelldialyse beschrieben. Aber auch verschiedene andere Reizzustaende wie chronische bakterielle Peritonitis und Pankreatitis koennen eine sklerosierende Peritonitis nach sich ziehen. Hierbei zeigen sich neben einer Verdickung des Peritoneums und der Waende des Duenndarms auch computertomographisch nachweisbare Kalkeinlagerungen. Wir stellen zwei Patienten mit chronischer Peritonitis nach Sigmaperforation und Pankreatitis mit Verknoecherungen des Peritoneums vor. (orig.)

  10. Chronic spinal subdural hematoma; Spinales chronisches subdurales Haematom

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    Hagen, T.; Lensch, T. [Radiologengemeinschaft, Augsburg (Germany)

    2008-10-15

    Compared with spinal epidural hematomas, spinal subdural hematomas are rare; chronic forms are even more uncommon. These hematomas are associated not only with lumbar puncture and spinal trauma, but also with coagulopathies, vascular malformations and tumors. Compression of the spinal cord and the cauda equina means that the patients develop increasing back or radicular pain, followed by paraparesis and bladder and bowel paralysis, so that in most cases surgical decompression is carried out. On magnetic resonance imaging these hematomas present as thoracic or lumbar subdural masses, their signal intensity varying with the age of the hematoma. We report the clinical course and the findings revealed by imaging that led to the diagnosis in three cases of chronic spinal subdural hematoma. (orig.) [German] Spinale subdurale Haematome sind im Vergleich zu epiduralen Haematomen selten, chronische Verlaufsformen noch seltener. Ursaechlich sind neben Lumbalpunktionen und traumatischen Verletzungen auch Blutgerinnungsstoerungen, Gefaessmalformationen und Tumoren. Aufgrund der Kompression von Myelon und Cauda equina kommt es zu zunehmenden Ruecken- oder radikulaeren Schmerzen mit anschliessender Paraparese sowie einer Darm- und Blasenstoerung, weshalb in den meisten Faellen eine operative Entlastung durchgefuehrt wird. Magnetresonanztomographisch stellen sich die Haematome meist als thorakale bzw. lumbale subdurale Raumforderungen dar, die Signalintensitaet variiert mit dem Blutungsalter. Wir berichten ueber den klinischen Verlauf und die bildgebende Diagnostik von 3 Patienten mit spinalen chronischen subduralen Haematomen. (orig.)

  11. Cesar-therapie tijdelijk effectiever dan standaardbehandeling door de huisarts bij patiënten met chronische aspecifieke lage rugklachten : gerandomiseerd, gecontroleerd en geblindeerd onderzoek met 1 jaar follow-up [Cesar therapy is temporarily more effective than a standard treatment from the general practitioner in patients with chronic aspecific lower back pain; randomized, controlled and blinded study with a I year follow-up

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hildebrandt, V.H.; Proper, K.I.; Berg, R. van den; Douwes, M.; Heuvel, S.G. van den; Buuren, S. van

    2000-01-01

    Doel van dit onderzoek was het vaststellen van korte- en langetermijneffecten van Cesar-therapie op zelfgerapporteerd herstel en op houdingsverandering bij patiënten met chronische aspecifieke lage rugklachten. Patiënten met chronische aspecifieke lage rugklachten werden, nadat 'informed consent'

  12. Kurz-, mittel- und langfristige Effekte einer Schulung für Patienten mit chronisch entzündlichen Darmerkrankungen auf krankheitsbezogene Ängste und Gesundheitskompetenzen

    OpenAIRE

    Berding, Anja

    2017-01-01

    Menschen mit chronisch entzündlichen Darmerkrankungen (CED) leiden unter vielfältigen körperlichen und psychosozialen Einschränkungen. Wie auch bei anderen chronischen Erkrankungen könnten Patientenschulungen ihr psychisches Befinden verbessern (z.B. De Ridder & Schreurs, 2001; Faller, Reusch & Meng, 2011a; Küver, Becker & Ludt, 2008; Schüssler, 1998; Warsi, Wang, LaValley, Avorn & Solomon, 2004). Für CED liegen jedoch nur wenige Schulungsevaluationen vor (z.B. Bregenzer et al., 2005; Mussell...

  13. High Intensity Training (HIT) en High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) bij patiënten met chronische non-specifieke lage rugpijn: effecten op fysieke parameters en subjectieve pijnbeleving

    OpenAIRE

    Nuyttens, Jelle; Vuylsteke, Michiel

    2016-01-01

    Niet-specifieke chronische lage rugpijn (NSCLRP) zorgt via directe en indirecte kosten voor een enorme economische last in onze huidige maatschappij. Tot op heden wordt een grote variëteit aan trainingsprogramma's aangewend in de behandeling van lage rugpijn, maar er bestaat weinig consensus omtrent de ideale trainingsintensiteit. In deze pilotstudie werd de bruikbaarheid en het effect van de combinatie 'High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)' en 'High-Intensity Training (HIT)' op pijn, acti...

  14. Fertility Clinic Success Rates

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Defects ART and Autism 2013 Assisted Reproductive Technology Fertility Clinic Success Rates Report Recommend on Facebook Tweet ... Additional Information About ART in the United States. Fertility Clinic Tables Introduction to Fertility Clinic Tables [PDF - ...

  15. Multicenter study of radiosynoviorthesis. Clinical outcome in osteoarthritis and other disorders with concomitant synovitis in comparison with rheumatoid arthritis; Multizenterstudie zur Radiosynoviorthese: Klinische Ergebnisse bei aktivierten Arthrosen und anderen Gelenkerkrankungen mit chronischer Synovialitis im Vergleich zur rheumatoiden Arthritis

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    Rau, H.; Lohmann, K.; Spitz, J. [Praxis fuer Nuklearmedizin, am Staedtischen Klinikum Wiesbaden (Germany); Franke, C. [Praxis fuer Nuklearmedizin, Hamburg (Germany); Goretzki, G. [Praxis fuer Nuklearmedizin, Bielefeld (Germany); Lemb, M.A. [Praxis fuer Nuklearmedizin, Bremen (Germany); Mueller, J. [Klinik fuer Nuklearmedizin, Kantonspital St. Gallen (Switzerland); Panholzer, P.J. [Abt. fuer Nuklearmedizin und Endokrinologie, PET-Zentrum, Krankenhaus der Barmherzigen Schwestern, Linz (Austria); Stelling, E. [Praxis fuer diagnostische und therapeutische Nuklearmedizin, Berlin (Germany)

    2004-04-01

    Aim: evaluation of the effectiveness of radiosynoviorthesis (RSO) in osteoarthritis and other disorders with concomitant synovitis versus rheumatoid arthritis by means of a standardized questionnaire. Patients, methods: 803 RSO treatments were monitored in 691 patients by standardized questionnaires of 7 centers in 3 countries. Patients were assigned to 3 groups according to their age (20-40, 41-60, 61-80 years). Additionally, the data were analyzed separately for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (group A) and those with osteoarthritis, psoriasis arthritis, pigmental villonodular synovitis or persistent effusions after joint replacement (group B). Results: ameliorations of joint pain, swelling/effusion or flexibility were found in 80% of group A and 56% of group B (p <0.01). Quality of life improved in 78% of group A and 59% of group B (p <0.01). The response rate was similar for small- and large-sized joints in group A, but significantly higher for large-sized joints in group B (p <0.01). The positive effects on joint pain, swelling/effusion or flexibility lasted longer in group A (p <0.01). Repeated RSOs were as effective as initial ones. The clinical outcome was neither influenced by age, nor gender, nor transient immobilisation for 48 hours after RSO. Conclusion: although slightly more efficient in rheumatoid arthritis, RSO represents an effective treatment option also in osteoarthritis and other disorders with concomitant synovitis. (orig.) [German] Ziel: Effektivitaetsvergleich der Radiosynoviorthese (RSO) bei aktivierter Arthrose und anderen Gelenkerkrankungen mit chronischer Synovialitis versus rheumatoider Arthritis. Ueberpruefung der Eignung eines standardisierten Fragebogens fuer Multizenterstudien. Patienten, Methoden: Bei 691 Patienten wurden 803 RSO-Behandlungsverlaeufe von 7 Zentren in 3 Laendern mit Hilfe eines standardisierten Fragebogens erfasst. Die Patienten wurden 3 Alterskategorien (20-40, 41-60 und 61-80 Jahre) zugeordnet. Ausserdem wurden

  16. Success Rates of Vitrectomy in Treatment of Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yasser Helmy Mohamed

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Aim. To investigate the anatomical success rates of pars plana vitrectomy (PPV after primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD. Methods. This retrospective study was conducted between December 2008 and October 2014 at Nagasaki University Hospital. The preoperative data recorded included the lens status, location of the retinal tear, whether a tear was visualized, presence of multiple tears, macula status, presence of peripheral lattice retinal degeneration, and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA. The primary outcome measures were anatomical (primary and final and functional success (visual acuity better than 6/60. Results. This study evaluated 422 eyes of 411 patients with a mean age of 57.7±11.2 years. The single-operation reattachment rate (primary anatomical success was 89.8%. The final anatomical success rate was 100% after 2–6 operations (mean = 3.14±1.03. Functional success rate after the primary reattachment operation was 96.7%, while it was 97.2% at the end of the follow-up. Multiple logistic regression analysis of the possible risk factors for the primary anatomical failure showed a significant relation with the 25 G instruments (P=0.002 and the presence of multiple tears (P=0.01. Conclusion. The primary anatomical success of PPV for primary uncomplicated RRD was 89.8% and the final anatomical success rate was 100%.

  17. Success Rates of Vitrectomy in Treatment of Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohamed, Yasser Helmy; Ono, Kozue; Kinoshita, Hirofumi; Uematsu, Masafumi; Tsuiki, Eiko; Fujikawa, Azusa; Kitaoka, Takashi

    2016-01-01

    Aim. To investigate the anatomical success rates of pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) after primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD). Methods. This retrospective study was conducted between December 2008 and October 2014 at Nagasaki University Hospital. The preoperative data recorded included the lens status, location of the retinal tear, whether a tear was visualized, presence of multiple tears, macula status, presence of peripheral lattice retinal degeneration, and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA). The primary outcome measures were anatomical (primary and final) and functional success (visual acuity better than 6/60). Results. This study evaluated 422 eyes of 411 patients with a mean age of 57.7 ± 11.2 years. The single-operation reattachment rate (primary anatomical success) was 89.8%. The final anatomical success rate was 100% after 2-6 operations (mean = 3.14 ± 1.03). Functional success rate after the primary reattachment operation was 96.7%, while it was 97.2% at the end of the follow-up. Multiple logistic regression analysis of the possible risk factors for the primary anatomical failure showed a significant relation with the 25 G instruments (P = 0.002) and the presence of multiple tears (P = 0.01). Conclusion. The primary anatomical success of PPV for primary uncomplicated RRD was 89.8% and the final anatomical success rate was 100%.

  18. DNA Profiling Success Rates from Degraded Skeletal Remains in Guatemala.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnston, Emma; Stephenson, Mishel

    2016-07-01

    No data are available regarding the success of DNA Short Tandem Repeat (STR) profiling from degraded skeletal remains in Guatemala. Therefore, DNA profiling success rates relating to 2595 skeletons from eleven cases at the Forensic Anthropology Foundation of Guatemala (FAFG) are presented. The typical postmortem interval was 30 years. DNA was extracted from bone powder and amplified using Identifiler and Minifler. DNA profiling success rates differed between cases, ranging from 50.8% to 7.0%, the overall success rate for samples was 36.3%. The best DNA profiling success rates were obtained from femur (36.2%) and tooth (33.7%) samples. DNA profiles were significantly better from lower body bones than upper body bones (p = <0.0001). Bone samples from males gave significantly better profiles than samples from females (p = <0.0001). These results are believed to be related to bone density. The findings are important for designing forensic DNA sampling strategies in future victim recovery investigations. © 2016 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

  19. Attempted treatment of meningeosis leucaemica by intrathecal application of 90-silicate and 90Y-citrate colloid in a case of chronic myleoic leukaemia; Behandlungsversuch einer Meningeosis leucaemica durch intrathekale Applikation von {sup 90}Y-Silikat- und {sup 90}Y-Zitrat-Kolloid bei chronisch-myleoischer Leukaemie

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kittner, C.; Schuemichen, C. [Rostock Univ. (Germany). Klinik und Poliklinik fuer Nuklearmedizin; Steiner, B.; Kahl, C.; Wolff, D.; Freund, M. [Rostock Univ. (Germany). Klinik fuer Innere Medizin, Abt. fuer Haematologie; Putzar, H.; Roesler, K.; Hauenstein, K.H. [Rostock Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Diagnostische und Interventionalle Radiologie

    2003-12-01

    A 41-year-old man with chronic myeoloic leukaemia was treated for Meningeosis leucaemica by intrathecal application of yttrium-90-citrate colloide as palliative therapy. (orig.) [German] Wir berichten ueber einen 41-jaehrigen Mann mit chronisch-myeloischer Leukaemie bei dem eine Meningeosis leucaemica durch eine intrathekale Applikation von Yttrium-90-Zitrat-Kolloid palliativ therapiert wurde. (orig.)

  20. Imaging of chronic osteomyelitis; Chronische Infektionen des Skelettsystems. Bildgebende Diagnostik

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    Glaser, C.; Matzko, M.; Reiser, M. [Klinikum Grosshadern, Muenchen (Germany). Inst. fuer Radiologische Diagnostik

    2000-06-01

    The diagnosis of chronic osteomyelitis is made on the basis of clinical, radiologic and histologic findings. The role of imaging in patients with known chronic osteomyelitis is to detect and to delineate areas of active infection. To correctly interpret the imaging findings, it is essential to take both the individual clinical findings and previous imaging studies into account. Reliable signs of active infection are bone marrow abscess, sequestra and sinus tract formation. Only the combined evaluation of bony changes together with alterations of the adjacent soft tissues provides good diagnostic accuracy. Projection radiography gives an overview of the condition of the bone, which provides the basis for follow-up and the selection of further imaging modalities. Computed tomography can be used to evaluate even discrete or complex bony alterations and to guide percutaneous biopsy or drainage. Magnetic resonance imaging achieves the best diagnostic sensitivity and specificity and provides superior contrast as well as anatomical resolution in both bone marrow and soft tissues. In this paper the features and clinical relevance of imaging in primary chronic osteomyelitis, posttraumatic osteomyelitis, tuberculous spondylitis and osteomyelitis of the diabetic foot are reviewed, with particular respect to MRI. (orig.) [German] Die Diagnose der chronischen Osteomyelitis wird durch Klinik, Bildgebung und Histologie gestellt. Bei bekannter chronischer Osteomyelitis soll die Bildgebung einen floriden Prozess und die betroffenen Kompartimente herausarbeiten. Die Klinik des Patienten, seine individuelle Krankheitskonstellation und die Verlaufsbeobachtung sind essentiell fuer die Befundinterpretation. Erst die kombinierte Beurteilung der Veraenderungen am Knochen selbst sowie die der umgebenden Weichteile fuehrt zu einer validen Aussage. Sichere Zeichen einer floriden Osteomyelitis sind lediglich (Knochenmarks)abzess, Sequester und Fistelgang. Die Projektionsradiographie gibt

  1. Factors Affecting the Success Rate of Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy in Paediatric Patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hikmat Jabrayilov

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available In this study, we aimed to determine factors affecting the success rate of percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PNL in children. The series consisted of 41 consecutive children operated on by the same surgical team for renal calculi with PNL between June 2002 and May 2015 in our institution. A single calyx or pelvic stone was described as simple, while calculi located in more than one location (calyx and pelvis or more than one calices or staghorn stones were described as complex. The procedure was deemed successful if the patient was completely stone-free (SF or had residual fragments <4 mm. Thirty-four patients were found to be SF or had residual fragments <4 mm on the postoperative first day, thus the success rate was 82.9%. In complex stones, the success rate was significantly lower (45.5% than simple stones (96.7% (p < 0.001. The grade of hydronephrosis (Grade 0–1 vs. Grade 2–3 also had a negative impact on the success, with rates of 92.6% vs. 64.3%, respectively (p = 0.022. Previous urological procedure history on the same side yielded a success rate of 58.3%, whereas the success rate in the primary patients was 93.1% (p < 0.001. The localization of the stone (complex vs. simple, degree of hydronephrosis, and history of previous urological procedures were found to be the factors that affected the success of the paediatric PNL.

  2. Success rate of overfilled root canal treatment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yousuf, W.; Sheikh, A.

    2015-01-01

    Traditionally, poor obturation has been considered the primary cause of root canal treatment failures The purpose of this study was to assess the success rate of overfilled root canal treatment cases in order to decide whether a definitive restoration can be placed immediately following treatment in an overfilled case or whether the patient needs to be kept on a follow up prior to the placement of a definitive restoration. Methods: A total of 1242 patients periapical radiographs (1748 teeth) were assessed, out of which 397 teeth (in 285 patients) were found to be overfilled. Out of these 285 patients, 111 (128 cases) agreed to participate in this cross sectional study and were recalled for clinical and radiographic examination. Success was evaluated clinically by absence of symptoms (pain, swelling, tenderness to percussion and sinus tract) and radiograhically by the decrease in size of periapical lesion or no change in size. Increase in size of periapical lesion was deemed to be a failure. Results: Our findings revealed that despite overfill, the treatment was successful in 115 cases and failure was noted in 13 cases showing an overall success rate of 89.8% and failure rate of 10.2%. Out of 13 cases of failure, all 13 showed an increase in periapical lesion size, out of which 10 were accompanied with pain. Conclusion: Based on the results obtained in our study, we have determined that there is no need to delay placement of a permanent restoration on overfilled teeth (ruling out the presence of other procedural errors) nor is there any need to pursue any further surgical or non-surgical endodontic treatment. However we would suggest that patients should be kept on follow-up after placement of permanent restoration. (author)

  3. Nesting success and survival rates of suburban Olive Thrushes ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Reproductive rate, clutch size, nesting success and survival rate of dependent fledglings were estimated from breeding records in the Eastern Cape. These data were used to estimate survival rate of independent fledglings. The estimated adult survival rate in this region was high and the clutch size was small, compared to ...

  4. Assessing Success in Honors: Getting beyond Graduation Rates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kelly, Sean K.

    2013-01-01

    An honors curriculum with realistic graduation requirements should have a respectable graduation rate. This number, when low, can indicate significant problems in the program. But a high graduation rate does not necessarily indicate success. A quality honors program, especially one that remains attentive to students' ability to thrive, might have…

  5. Attrition and success rates of accelerated students in nursing courses: a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doggrell, Sheila Anne; Schaffer, Sally

    2016-01-01

    There is a comprehensive literature on the academic outcomes (attrition and success) of students in traditional/baccalaureate nursing programs, but much less is known about the academic outcomes of students in accelerated nursing programs. The aim of this systematic review is to report on the attrition and success rates (either internal examination or NCLEX-RN) of accelerated students, compared to traditional students. For the systematic review, the databases (Pubmed, Cinahl and PsychINFO) and Google Scholar were searched using the search terms 'accelerated' or 'accreditation for prior learning', 'fast-track' or 'top up' and 'nursing' with 'attrition' or 'retention' or 'withdrawal' or 'success' from 1994 to January 2016. All relevant articles were included, regardless of quality. The findings of 19 studies of attrition rates and/or success rates for accelerated students are reported. For international accelerated students, there were only three studies, which are heterogeneous, and have major limitations. One of three studies has lower attrition rates, and one has shown higher success rates, than traditional students. In contrast, another study has shown high attrition and low success for international accelerated students. For graduate accelerated students, most of the studies are high quality, and showed that they have rates similar or better than traditional students. Thus, five of six studies have shown similar or lower attrition rates. Four of these studies with graduate accelerated students and an additional seven studies of success rates only, have shown similar or better success rates, than traditional students. There are only three studies of non-university graduate accelerated students, and these had weaknesses, but were consistent in reporting higher attrition rates than traditional students. The paucity and weakness of information available makes it unclear as to the attrition and/or success of international accelerated students in nursing programs. The

  6. Stenting in the treatment of chronic mesenteric ischemia. Technical and clinical success rates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heiss, P.; Zorger, N.; Kaempfe, I.; Jung, E.M.; Paetzel, C.; Feuerbach, S.; Herold, T.; Pfister, K.

    2008-01-01

    Purpose: to evaluate the technical and clinical success rates of percutaneous stent revascularization in the treatment of chronic mesenteric ischemia (CMI). Patients and methods: 17 patients (12 female) with typical symptoms of CMI were treated by percutaneous stent placement for stenoses of the splanchnic arteries (celiac trunk; superior mesenteric artery, SMA; inferior mesenteric artery, IMA). The primary and secondary technical success, primary and secondary clinical success, and the long-term clinical outcome were determined. Results: a total of 24 stents were implanted in 21 splanchnic arteries (12 stents in the celiac trunk, 11 in the SMA and 1 in the IMA). The primary technical success rate was 91% (19/21 arteries), the secondary technical success rate was 95% (21/22 arteries). Clinical follow-up was available for 16 patients. The primary clinical success rate was 81% (13/16 patients). Following two secondary interventions, the secondary clinical success rate was 94% (15/16 patients). Long-term clinical success was achieved in 15 of 16 patients (94%) with a mean follow-up of 26 months. One patient died within 30 days of the intervention and two patients demonstrated major complications (1 dissection, 1 stent dislocation). None of the patients required surgical revascularization and none of the patients died due to recurrent mesenteric ischemia. (orig.)

  7. Comparison of success rate and onset time of two different anesthesia techniques

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haghighat, Abbas; Hasheminia, Dariush; Samandari, Mohammad-Hasan; Safarian, Vajihe; Davoudi, Amin

    2015-01-01

    Background Using local anesthetic is common to control the pain through blocking the nerve reversibly in dental procedures. Gow-Gates (GG) technique has a high success rate but less common. This study aimed to compare the onset time and success rate in GG and standard technique of inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB). Material and Methods This descriptive, single blind study was consisted of 136 patients (59 males and 77 females) who were randomly received GG or IANB for extraction of mandibular molar teeth. Comparisons between the successes of two anesthetic injection techniques were analyzed with Chi-square test. Incidence of pulpal anesthesia and soft tissue anesthesia were analyzed with Kaplan-Meier method. Mean onset times of pulpal anesthesia, soft tissue and lip numbness were analyzed with Log-Rank test. Comparisons were considered significant at P≤0.05 by using SPSS software ver.15. Results The incidence of pulpal anesthesia in the IANB group (canine 49.3%, premolar 60.3%) were not significantly different from the GG group (canine 41.3%, premolar 74.6%) (P=0.200 and P=0.723). The success rate in the IANB group (80.82%) was not significantly different from the GG group (92.02%) (P=0.123). Furthermore, onset time of lip and buccal soft tissue numbness in GG group (3.25, 4.96 minutes) was quite similar to IANB group (3.22, 4.89 minutes) (all Pvalues >0.05). Conclusions Although this study demonstrated higher clinical success rate for GG than IANB technique, no significant differences in success rates and onset time were observed between two techniques. Key words: Anesthesia, Inferior alveolar nerve, nerve block, success rate. PMID:25858085

  8. Rheumatoid arthritis of the knee - radiological evaluation; Primaere chronische Polyarthritis am Kniegelenk

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rand, T. [Wien Univ. (Austria). Einrichtung fuer Magnetresonanz; Breitenseher, M. [Wien Univ. (Austria). Einrichtung fuer Magnetresonanz; Haller, J. [Hanusch Krankenhaus Wien (Austria). Abt. fuer Radiodiagnostik; Graninger, W. [Abt. fuer Innere Medizin, Univ. Wien, Ludwig Boltzmann-Inst. fuer Physikalische und Radiologische Tumordiagnostik (Austria); Imhof, H. [Wien Univ. (Austria). Einrichtung fuer Magnetresonanz; Trattnig, S. [Wien Univ. (Austria). Einrichtung fuer Magnetresonanz

    1996-08-01

    Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, multisystemic disease. The characteristic feature is persistent inflammatory synovitis. The knee joint is commonly involved with synovial hypertrophy, chronic effusion, and frequently ligamentous laxity. Pain and swelling behind the knee may be caused by extension of inflamed synovium into the popliteal space (Baker`s cyst). Plain radiographs of the knee joint remain the basic radiological procedure, although early in the disease they might not provide significant changes. Sonography sufficiently reveals synovial fluid and Baker cysts, but cannot be recommended for evaluation of synovial proliferations or pannus formation. Computer tomography has only limited indications and may be used for the evaluation of subtle erosive lesions or the quantitation of osteoporotic changes. Magnetic resonance imaging has shown excellent visualization of cartilage, fluid, synovium and soft tissues and is the method of choice for the demonstration of early affection and the evaluation of panus activity and therapy control. With daministration of contrast agents (gadolinium), dynamic studies may demonstrate inflammatory activity. Modern MR sequences, such as T1 SE `fat sat` or magnetization transfer, further improve the discrimination of cartilage, pannus and synovial fluid. (orig.) [Deutsch] Die chronische Polyarthritis (CP) ist eine multisystematische Erkrankung und wird charakteristischerweise von einer persistierenden inflammatorischen Synovitis begleitet. Das Kniegelenk ist das haeufigste einzeln betroffene Gelenk, seine Affektion manifestiert sich zumeist mit synovialer Hypertrophie, chronischen Erguessen und oftmals auch Bandinstabilitaet. Schmerzen sowie Schwellungen in den dorsalen Weichteilen sind oft durch Vordringen inflammatorischer Synovia oder Ergussansammlungen bedingt (Baker-Zyste). Das konventionelle Roentgenbild bildet zwar einen Grundpfeiler in der CP-Diagnostik, zeigt jedoch oft erst bei fortgeschrittenem Krankheitsverlauf

  9. Urethrotomy has a much lower success rate than previously reported.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santucci, Richard; Eisenberg, Lauren

    2010-05-01

    We evaluated the success rate of direct vision internal urethrotomy as a treatment for simple male urethral strictures. A retrospective chart review was performed on 136 patients who underwent urethrotomy from January 1994 through March 2009. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze stricture-free probability after the first, second, third, fourth and fifth urethrotomy. Patients with complex strictures (36) were excluded from the study for reasons including previous urethroplasty, neophallus or previous radiation, and 24 patients were lost to followup. Data were available for 76 patients. The stricture-free rate after the first urethrotomy was 8% with a median time to recurrence of 7 months. For the second urethrotomy stricture-free rate was 6% with a median time to recurrence of 9 months. For the third urethrotomy stricture-free rate was 9% with a median time to recurrence of 3 months. For procedures 4 and 5 stricture-free rate was 0% with a median time to recurrence of 20 and 8 months, respectively. Urethrotomy is a popular treatment for male urethral strictures. However, the performance characteristics are poor. Success rates were no higher than 9% in this series for first or subsequent urethrotomy during the observation period. Most of the patients in this series will be expected to experience failure with longer followup and the expected long-term success rate from any (1 through 5) urethrotomy approach is 0%. Urethrotomy should be considered a temporizing measure until definitive curative reconstruction can be planned. 2010 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Environmental Factors Associated with Success Rates of Australian Stock Herding Dogs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arnott, Elizabeth R.; Early, Jonathan B.; Wade, Claire M.; McGreevy, Paul D.

    2014-01-01

    This study investigated the current management practices associated with stock herding dogs on Australian farms. A parallel goal was to determine whether these practices and the characteristics of the dog handlers were associated with success rates. Success rate refers to the proportion of dogs acquired by the farmer that were retained as working dogs. Data on a total of 4,027 dogs were obtained through The Farm Dog Survey which gathered information from 812 herding dog owners around Australia. Using logistic regression, significant associations were identified between success rate and seven variables: dog breed, housing method, trial participation, age of the dog at acquisition, electric collar use, hypothetical maximum treatment expenditure and the conscientiousness score of the owner's personality. These findings serve as a guide to direct further research into ways of optimising herding dog performance and welfare. They emphasise the importance of not only examining the genetic predispositions of the working dog but also the impact the handler can have on a dog's success in the workplace. PMID:25136828

  11. Environmental factors associated with success rates of Australian stock herding dogs.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elizabeth R Arnott

    Full Text Available This study investigated the current management practices associated with stock herding dogs on Australian farms. A parallel goal was to determine whether these practices and the characteristics of the dog handlers were associated with success rates. Success rate refers to the proportion of dogs acquired by the farmer that were retained as working dogs. Data on a total of 4,027 dogs were obtained through The Farm Dog Survey which gathered information from 812 herding dog owners around Australia. Using logistic regression, significant associations were identified between success rate and seven variables: dog breed, housing method, trial participation, age of the dog at acquisition, electric collar use, hypothetical maximum treatment expenditure and the conscientiousness score of the owner's personality. These findings serve as a guide to direct further research into ways of optimising herding dog performance and welfare. They emphasise the importance of not only examining the genetic predispositions of the working dog but also the impact the handler can have on a dog's success in the workplace.

  12. Intrapartum intervention rates and perinatal outcomes following successful external cephalic version.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Basu, A; Flatley, C; Kumar, S

    2016-06-01

    To determine intrapartum and perinatal outcomes following successful external cephalic version for breech presentation at term. This was a retrospective cohort study of outcomes following successful external cephalic version in 411 women at an Australian tertiary maternity unit between November 2008 and March 2015. The study cohort was compared with a control group of 1236 women with cephalic presentation who underwent spontaneous labor. Intrapartum intervention rates and adverse neonatal outcomes were compared between both groups. The success rate of external cephalic version (ECV) was 66.4%. The spontaneous vaginal delivery rate in the study cohort was 59.4% (224/411) vs 72.8% (900/1236) in the control cohort (P<0.001). Intrapartum intervention rates (emergency cesarean section (CS) and instrumental delivery) were higher in the ECV group (38% vs 27.2%, P<0.001). Rates of emergency CS for non-reassuring fetal status (9.5%, 39/411 vs 4.4%, 54/1236, P⩽0.001) and failure to progress (13.4%, 55/411 vs 4.1%, 51/1236, P<0.001) were higher in the study cohort. Neonatal outcomes were worse in the study cohort-Apgar score <7 at 5 min (2.2%, 9/411 vs 0.6%, 8/1236, P<0.001) and abnormal cord gases (8.5%, 35/411 vs 0.2%, 3/1236, P<0.001). Rates for resuscitation at birth and admission to the neonatal intensive care unit were higher in the study cohort (6.1% vs 4.1% and 1.9% vs 1.1%, respectively) but these were not statistically significant. Labor following successful ECV is more likely to result in increased intrapartum intervention rates and poorer neonatal outcomes.

  13. Surgical Success Rates for Horizontal Concomitant Deviations According to the Type and Degree of Deviation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    İhsan Çaça

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available We evaluated the correlation with success rates and deviation type and degree inhorizontal concomitant deviations. 104 horizontal concomitan strabismus cases whowere operated in our clinic between January 1994 – December 2000 were included in thestudy. 56 cases undergone recession-resection procedure in the same eye 19 cases twomuscle recession and one muscle resection, 20 cases two muscle recession, 9 cases onlyone muscle recession. 10 ± prism diopter deviation in postoperative sixth monthexamination was accepted as surgical success.Surgical success rate was 90% and 89.3% in the cases with deviation angle of 15-30and 31-50 prism diopter respectively. Success rate was 78.9% if the angle was more than50 prism diopter. According to strabismus type when surgical success rate examined; inalternan esotropia 88.33%, in alternan exotropia 84.6%, in monocular esotropia 88%and in monocular exotropia 83.3% success was fixed. Statistically significant differencewas not found between strabismus type and surgical success rate. The binocular visiongaining rate was found as 51.8% after the treatment of cases.In strabismus surgery, preoperative deviation angle was found to be an effectivefactor on the success rate.

  14. Self-adapting the success rate when practicing math

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jansen, B.R.J.; Hofman, A.D.; Savi, A.; Visser, I.; van der Maas, H.L.J.

    2016-01-01

    Use and benefits of the possibility to choose a success rate are studied in a math-practice application that is used by a considerable percentage of Dutch primary school children. Study 1 uses data that were collected with the application, using children's practice data (N = 40,329; grades 1–6).

  15. Comparison of the Success Rates and Haemodynamic Changes of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Comparison of the Success Rates and Haemodynamic Changes of Caudal Block .and Dorsal Penile Nerve Block in Paediatric Day-Case Circumcision. Panda U. Shehu, Abubakar S. Adamu, Samboy Tanimu, Mohammed Tela, Samuelwabada Saniadamu ...

  16. Rate Control Efficacy in Permanent Atrial Fibrillation : Successful and Failed Strict Rate Control Against a Background of Lenient Rate Control

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Groenveld, Hessel F.; Tijssen, Jan G. P.; Crijns, Harry J. G. M.; Van den Berg, Maarten P.; Hillege, Hans L.; Alings, Marco; Van Veldhuisen, Dirk J.; Van Gelder, Isabelle C.

    2013-01-01

    Objectives This study sought to investigate differences in outcome between patients treated with successful strict, failed strict, and lenient rate control. Background The RACE II (Rate Control Efficacy in Permanent Atrial Fibrillation) study showed no difference in outcome between lenient and

  17. Effect of radiosynovectomy in patients with inflammatory joint disorders not caused by rheumatoid arthritis; Wirksamkeit der Radiosynoviorthese bei degenerativ-entzuendlichen und chronisch-entzuendlichen Gelenkerkrankungen

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kroeger, S.; Klutmann, S.; Bohuslavizki, K.H.; Clausen, M. [Universitaetskrankenhaus Eppendorf, Hamburg (Germany). Abt. fuer Nuklearmedizin; Sawula, J.A.; Brenner, W.; Henze, E. [Kiel Univ. (Germany). Klinik fuer Nuklearmedizin

    1999-07-01

    Aim: Effect of radiosynovectomy (RS) should be evaluated both by subjective and objective parameters in patients with osteoarthritis and in patients with inflammatory joint disorders not caused by rheumatoid arthritis. Methods: A total of 98 joints in 61 patients were investigated. Patients were divided into two groups. The first group included 35 patients with therapy-resistant effusions caused by severe osteoarthritis (46 joints). The second group consisted of 26 patients (52 joints) with ankylosing spondylitis, reactive arthritis, undifferentiated spondylarthropathy, psoriatic arthritis, pigmented villo-nodular synovitis, and recurrent synovitis following surgery. Effect of RS was evaluated by a standardized questionnaire and quantified by T/B-ratios derived from blood pool images prior to and after RS. Results: Within the first patient group suffering from osteoarthritis, 40% showed a good or excellent improvement of clinical symptoms, 51% were unchanged, and in 9% symptoms worsened. Similar results were found in the second patient group. The majority of unchanged results were small finger joints. In contrast, wrist and knee joints showed a better improvement. Good correlation between results of bone scan and patients subjective impression was found in 38% and 67% in the first and the second patient group, respectively. Conclusion: Radiosynovectomy might be an effective treatment in osteoarthritis and inflammatory joint disorders not caused by rheumatoid arthritis. (orig.) [German] Ziel: Der Therapieerfolg der Radiosynoviorthese (RSO) sollte bei aktivierter Arthrose und anderen chronisch-entzuendlichen Gelenkerkrankungen anhand der subjektiven Befindlichkeit und objektiver Parameter evaluiert werden. Methoden: Es wurden insgesamt 98 Gelenke bei 61 Patienten behandelt. Entsprechend der Grunderkrankung umfasste die erste Gruppe 35 Patienten mit einer therapieresistenten, aktivierten Arthrose (46 Gelenke). Die zweite Patientengruppe beinhaltete 26 Patienten (52

  18. Success rates of a skeletal anchorage system in orthodontics: A retrospective analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lam, Raymond; Goonewardene, Mithran S; Allan, Brent P; Sugawara, Junji

    2018-01-01

    To evaluate the premise that skeletal anchorage with SAS miniplates are highly successful and predictable for a range of complex orthodontic movements. This retrospective cross-sectional analysis consisted of 421 bone plates placed by one clinician in 163 patients (95 female, 68 male, mean age 29.4 years ± 12.02). Simple descriptive statistics were performed for a wide range of malocclusions and desired movements to obtain success, complication, and failure rates. The success rate of skeletal anchorage system miniplates was 98.6%, where approximately 40% of cases experienced mild complications. The most common complication was soft tissue inflammation, which was amenable to focused oral hygiene and antiseptic rinses. Infection occurred in approximately 15% of patients where there was a statistically significant correlation with poor oral hygiene. The most common movements were distalization and intrusion of teeth. More than a third of the cases involved complex movements in more than one plane of space. The success rate of skeletal anchorage system miniplates is high and predictable for a wide range of complex orthodontic movements.

  19. A Meta-Analysis of Bilateral Essure® Procedural Placement Success Rates on First Attempt.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frietze, Gabriel; Leyser-Whalen, Ophra; Rahman, Mahbubur; Rouhani, Mahta; Berenson, Abbey B

    2015-12-01

    Background: The Essure ® (Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Leverkusen, Germany) female sterilization procedure entails using a hysteroscope to guide a microinsert into the Fallopian tube openings. Failed placement can lead to patient dissatisfaction, repeat procedures, unintended or ectopic pregnancy, perforation of internal organs, or need for subsequent medical interventions. Additional interventions increase women's health risks, and costs for patients and the health care industry. Demonstrated successful placement rates are 63%-100%. To date, there have not been any systematic analyses of variables associated with placement rates. Objectives: The aims of this review were: (1) to estimate the average rate of successful bilateral Essure microinsert placement on first attempt; and (2) to identify variables associated with successful placement. Materials and Methods: A meta-analysis was conducted on 64 published studies and 19 variables. Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, all published studies between November 2001 and February 2015 were reviewed. The studies were taken from from PubMed and Google Scholar, and by using the the "snowball" method that reported variables associated with successful bilateral Essure placement rates. Results: The weighted average rate of successful bilateral microinsert placement on first attempt was 92% (0.92 [95% confidence interval: 0.904-0.931]). Variables associated with successful placements were: (1) newer device models; (2) higher body mass index; and (3) a higher percent of patients who received local anesthesia. Conclusions: The data gathered for this review indicate that the highest bilateral success rates may be obtained by utilizing the newest Essure device model with local anesthesia in heavier patients. More standardized data reporting in published Essure studies is recommended. (J GYNECOL SURG 31:308).

  20. Pharmaceutical R&D performance by firm size: approval success rates and economic returns.

    Science.gov (United States)

    DiMasi, Joseph A

    2014-01-01

    The R&D productivity of pharmaceutical firms has become an increasingly significant concern of industry, regulators, and policymakers. To address an important aspect of R&D performance, public and private data sources were used to estimate clinical phase transition and clinical approval probabilities for the pipelines of the 50 largest pharmaceutical firms (by sales) by 3 firms size groups (top 10 firms, top 11-20 firms, and top 21-50 firms). For self-originated compounds, the clinical approval success rates were 14.3%, 16.4%, and 18.4% for top 10 firms, top 11-20 firms, and top 21-50 firms, respectively. The results showing higher success rates for smaller firms were largely driven by outcomes for the small-molecule drugs. Adjustments for the relatively small differences in therapeutic class distributions across the firm size groups showed that the success rate for small-molecule self-originated drugs was 6% below average for top 10 firms and 17% above average for top 21-50 firms. Although success rates for small firms were higher, this advantage was offset to some degree by lower returns on approved drugs, suggesting different strategic objectives with regard to risk and reward by firm size.

  1. Enema reduction of intussusception: the success rate of hydrostatic and pneumatic reduction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khorana, Jiraporn; Singhavejsakul, Jesda; Ukarapol, Nuthapong; Laohapensang, Mongkol; Wakhanrittee, Junsujee; Patumanond, Jayanton

    2015-01-01

    Intussusception is a common surgical emergency in infants and children. The incidence of intussusception is from one to four per 2,000 infants and children. If there is no peritonitis, perforation sign on abdominal radiographic studies, and nonresponsive shock, nonoperative reduction by pneumatic or hydrostatic enema can be performed. The purpose of this study was to compare the success rates of both the methods. Two institutional retrospective cohort studies were performed. All intussusception patients (ICD-10 code K56.1) who had visited Chiang Mai University Hospital and Siriraj Hospital from January 2006 to December 2012 were included in the study. The data were obtained by chart reviews and electronic databases, which included demographic data, symptoms, signs, and investigations. The patients were grouped according to the method of reduction followed into pneumatic reduction and hydrostatic reduction groups with the outcome being the success of the reduction technique. One hundred and seventy episodes of intussusception occurring in the patients of Chiang Mai University Hospital and Siriraj Hospital were included in this study. The success rate of pneumatic reduction was 61% and that of hydrostatic reduction was 44% (P=0.036). Multivariable analysis and adjusting of the factors by propensity scores were performed; the success rate of pneumatic reduction was 1.48 times more than that of hydrostatic reduction (P=0.036, 95% confidence interval [CI] =1.03-2.13). Both pneumatic and hydrostatic reduction can be performed safely according to the experience of the radiologist or pediatric surgeon and hospital setting. This study showed that pneumatic reduction had a higher success rate than hydrostatic reduction.

  2. Effects of subfertility cause, smoking and body weight on the success rate of IVF

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lintsen, A.M.E.; Pasker-Jong, P.C.M. de; Boer, E.J. de; Burger, C.W.; Jansen, C.A.M.; Braat, D.D.M.; Leeuwen, F.E. van; Kortman, M.; Velde, E.R. te; Macklon, N.; Jansen, C.A.M.; Leerentveld, R.A.; Willemsen, W.N.P.; Schats, R.; Naaktgeboren, N.; Helmerhorst, F.M.; Bots, R.S.G.M.; Simons, A.H.M.; Hogerzeil, H.V.; Evers, J.L.H.; Dop, P.A. van

    2005-01-01

    Background: We investigated the separate and combined effects of smoking and body mass index (BMI) on the success rate of IVF for couples with different causes of subfertility. Methods: The success rate of IVF was examined in 8457 women. Detailed information on reproduction and lifestyle factors was

  3. Female song rate and structure predict reproductive success in a socially monogamous bird.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dianne Heather Brunton

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Bird song is commonly regarded as a male trait that has evolved through sexual selection. However, recent research has prompted a re-evaluation of this view by demonstrating that female song is an ancestral and phylogenetically widespread trait. Species with female song provide opportunities to study selective pressures and mechanisms specific to females within the wider context of social competition. We investigated the relationship between reproductive success and female song performance in the New Zealand bellbird (Anthornis melanura, a passerine resident year round in New Zealand temperate forests. We monitored breeding behavior and song over three years on Tiritiri Matangi Island. Female bellbirds contributed significantly more towards parental care than males (solely incubating young and provisioning chicks at more than twice the rate of males. Female song rate in the vicinity of the nest was higher than that of males during incubation and chick-rearing stages but similar during early-nesting and post-breeding stages. Using GLMs, we found that female song rates during both incubation and chick-rearing stages strongly predicted the number of fledged chicks. However, male song rate and male and female chick provisioning rates had no effect on fledging success. Two measures of female song complexity (number of syllable types and the number of transitions between different syllable types were also good predictors of breeding success (GLM on PC scores. In contrast, song duration, the total number of syllables, and the number of ‘stutter’ syllables per song were not correlated with fledging success. It is unclear why male song rate was not associated with reproductive success and we speculate that extra-pair paternity might play a role. While we have previously demonstrated that female bellbird song is important in intrasexual interactions, we clearly demonstrate here that female song predicts reproductive success. These results, with others

  4. Success Rate of Formocresol Pulpotomy versus Mineral Trioxide Aggregate in Human Primary Molar Tooth

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S E Jabbarifar

    2004-12-01

    Full Text Available Background: In spite of long time and broad use of formaldehyde derivates (Fixation agent in primary tooth pulp treatment, There is some concerns about these derivates such as variability, inconsistency success rate, mutagenicity, cytotoxicity, alergenicity, and some other potential health hazards of them. Therefore other alternative pulpotomy procedures like Bioactive glass (BAG, Glutaraldehyde (2%, Hydroxyappetite (HA, Bone dried freezed (BDF, ferric sulfate (15%, laser, Electrosurgery (ES, Bone Morphogenic proteins (BMP, recombinant protein-1 (RP1, and Mineral Trioxide Aggregate (MTA have been compared. The purpose of this clinical trial is to assess radiographic and clinical success rate of Formocresol (FC pulpotomy in compare with MTA in human primary molar teeth. Methods: 64 molars were pulpotomized equally and randomly with mineral trioxide Aggregate and Formocresol. Prior to trial, we defined a case as failure, when one or more of the events such as external root resorption, internal root resorption, periapical and furca lucency, pain, swelling, mobility, dental abscess, or early extraction appeared. Every treated tooth was defined as successful, if any noted evident was not shown. Results: Totally, 60 teeth treatment (92.2 percent were successful and 7.8 percent were failed. Failure and success rates for MTA group were 6.3 and 93.7 percent, respectively. Failure and success rates in FC group were 8.4 and 90.2 percent respectively. The difference between MTA and FC treatment methods was not significant (Fisher Exact test. Conclusion: Findings of this study show that mineral trioxide aggregate can be an alternative procedure for FC pulpotomy of primary tooth. Keywords: Mineral trioxide aggregate, formocresol, pulpotomy, success and failure rate.

  5. Effects of subfertility cause, smoking and body weight on the success rate of IVF

    OpenAIRE

    Lintsen, A.M.; Jong, P.C.M. Pasker-de; Boer, de, E.J.; Burger, C.W.; Jansen, C.A.; Braat, D.D.; Leeuwen, van, F.E.

    2005-01-01

    Background: We investigated the separate and combined effects of smoking and body mass index (BMI) on the success rate of IVF for couples with different causes of subfertility. Methods: The success rate of IVF was examined in 8457 women. Detailed information on reproduction and lifestyle factors was combined with medical record data on IVF treatment. All IVF clinics in The Netherlands participated in this study. The main outcome measures were live birth rate per first cycle of IVF differentia...

  6. Up-Dating: Ratings of Perceived Dating Success Are Better Online than Offline.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fullwood, Chris; Attrill-Smith, Alison

    2018-01-01

    The primary aims of this study were to test whether perceived dating success would differ between offline and online zero-acquaintance dating contexts and to investigate the role that self-esteem might play in these evaluations. Participants were presented with the same photos of targets in either an offline or online dating scenario and rated their chances of dating success along with their perceptions of how attractive they thought the target would consider them. Higher self-esteem individuals believed they would be rated as more attractive. There was an overall perception that, irrespective of self-esteem level, meeting online would lead to better chances of dating success. These findings are considered in relation to an increased ability to more precisely manage impressions and develop an image of the self which would be evaluated more positively online.

  7. Reporting success rates in the treatment of vestibular schwannomas: are we accounting for the natural history?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Timothy; Lau, Tsz; Vasan, Rohit; Danner, Christopher; Youssef, A Samy; van Loveren, Harry; Agazzi, Siviero

    2014-06-01

    Stereotactic radiosurgery is generally accepted as one of the best treatment options for vestibular schwannomas. We question whether growth control is an accurate measure of success in vestibular schwannoma treatment. We aim to clarify the success rate of stereotactic radiosurgery and adjust the reported results to the benign natural history of untreated tumors. All articles were taken from a PubMed search of the English literature from the years 2000-2011. Inclusion criteria were articles containing the number of patients treated, radiation technique, average tumor size, follow-up time, and percentage of tumors growing during follow-up. Data were extracted from 19 articles. Success rates were adjusted using published data that 17% to 30% of vestibular schwannomas grow. The average reported success rate for stereotactic radiosurgery across all articles was 95.5%. When considering 17% or 30% natural growth without intervention, the adjusted success rates became 78.2% and 86.9% respectively. These rates were obtained by applying the natural history growth percentages to any tumors not reported to be growing before radiosurgical intervention. Success in the treatment of vestibular schwannomas with stereotactic radiosurgery is often defined as lack of further growth. Recent data on the natural growth history of vestibular schwannomas raise the question of whether this is the best definition of success. We have identified a lack of continuity regarding the reporting of success and emphasize the importance of the clarification of the success of radiosurgery to make informed decisions regarding the best treatment options for vestibular schwannoma. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Success rates and factors associated with failure of temporary anchorage devices: A prospective clinical trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aly, Shehab A; Alyan, Doha; Fayed, Mona S; Alhammadi, Maged S; Mostafa, Yehya A

    2018-03-06

    The objective of the present study was to investigate success rates and associated factors affecting temporary anchorage device (TAD) failure in different biomechanical applications. A total of 180 TADs were used as a part of 82 patients' treatment plan (24 males and 58 females); their mean age was 21.41 years. Three types of TADs were used: 50 (3M ESPE, Neuss, Germany), 56 (Bone screw; Jeil Medical, Seoul, Korea), and 74 (Morelli, Sorocaba, Brazil). Eight maxillary and four mandibular sites were selected for insertion. Three different lengths (6, 8, and 10 mm) and three different diameters (1.5, 1.6, and 1.8 mm) were used. The force levels were set at 50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 g. Patient-, implant-, and operator-dependent factors were evaluated throughout the 266 days of function. Qualitative variables were described by proportions and percentages and analyzed using χ 2 test. The overall success rate was 82.2%. The higher age group showed a significantly higher success rate. Oral hygiene showed a statistically-significant (P ˂ .05) difference between both success and failure groups. All other patient-related factors showed no significant differences. Regarding force levels used, the highest success rate was in 250 g and the lowest was in 100 g. There were no significant differences between both groups regarding other implant- and operator-related factors. Temporary anchorage devices have a good success rate and are beneficial to be integrated in orthodontic treatment planning. Patient age, oral hygiene, and force level are the most significant factors affecting TAD success. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

  9. Radiologic placement of tunneled central catheters: rates of success and of immediate complications in a large series.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Docktor, B L; Sadler, D J; Gray, R R; Saliken, J C; So, C B

    1999-08-01

    The objective was to examine the success and immediate complication rates in a large series of radiologically placed tunneled central venous catheters. We prospectively recorded the success and immediate complication rates in 880 consecutive radiologically placed tunneled central venous catheters. We also recorded the indication for placement, the success of placement, the number of passes required, and whether a double- or single-wall puncture occurred. Hemodialysis was the most common indication for long-term venous access. Venous access was successful in all patients, and catheter placement was successful in 99.4% of patients, with only five failed placements. All patients in whom placement was initially unsuccessful underwent successful placement the same day. All catheters were placed using real-time sonographic guidance. Most were placed in an internal jugular vein, with 87.4% requiring only a single needle pass. The immediate complication rate was only 4.0%, and no major complications occurred. To our knowledge, this series is the largest for which the immediate complication and success rates for radiologically placed central venous catheters have been reported. Our results suggest that radiologic placement of tunneled central venous catheters is a safe and effective alternative to surgery.

  10. Success rates for product development strategies in new drug development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dahlin, E; Nelson, G M; Haynes, M; Sargeant, F

    2016-04-01

    While research has examined the likelihood that drugs progress across phases of clinical trials, no research to date has examined the types of product development strategies that are the most likely to be successful in clinical trials. This research seeks to identify the strategies that are most likely to reach the market-those generated using a novel product development strategy or strategies that combine a company's expertise with both drugs and indications, which we call combined experience strategies. We evaluate the success of product development strategies in the drug development process for a sample of 2562 clinical trials completed by 406 US pharmaceutical companies. To identify product development strategies, we coded each clinical trial according to whether it consisted of an indication or a drug that was new to the firm. Accordingly, a clinical trial that consists of both an indication and a drug that were both new to the firm represents a novel product development strategy; indication experience is a product development strategy that consists of an indication that a firm had tested previously in a clinical trial, but with a drug that was new to the firm; drug experience is a product development strategy that consists of a drug that the firm had prior experience testing in clinical trials, but with an indication that was new to the firm; combined experience consists of both a drug and an indication that the firm had experience testing in clinical trials. Success rates for product development strategies across clinical phases were calculated for the clinical trials in our sample. Combined experience strategies had the highest success rate. More than three and a half percent (0·036) of the trials that combined experience with drugs and indications eventually reached the market. The next most successful strategy is drug experience (0·025) with novel strategies trailing closely (0·024). Indication experience strategies are the least successful (0·008

  11. Success Rate of Trabeculectomy in Primary Glaucoma at Cicendo Eye Hospital on January–December 2013

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Erva Monica Saputro

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Background: Trabeculectomy is a surgical therapy for glaucoma to preserve visual function by lowering intraocular pressure (IOP. In some studies, the success of trabeculectomy in lowering IOP is greater than medication. Success is defined by IOP <21 mmHg, with or without glaucoma medication. Primary glaucoma based on the mechanism of aquous humor outflow is divided into primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG and primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG. This study aimed to know the success rate of trabeculectomy in POAG and PACG. Methods: This study was a descriptive study conducted at Cicendo Eye Hospital using medical record of POAG and PACG patients who underwent trabeculectomy surgery on January–December 2013 with minimal one month follow-up. Data collection was conducted during September 2014. Data processed in this study were 100 eyes from 76 patients with diagnosis POAG and PACG. Results: The success rate for trabeculectomy in POAG was 79% and PACG was 86%, failure (IOP ≥ 21 mmHg 21% in POAG, and 14% in PACG for period 2013 at Cicendo Eye Hospital. Conclusions: The success rate of trabeculectomy at Cicendo Eye Hospital is good in one month, with or without glaucoma medication after surgery.

  12. The evaluation system of city's smart growth success rates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Yifan

    2018-04-01

    "Smart growth" is to pursue the best integrated perform+-ance of the Economically prosperous, socially Equitable, and Environmentally Sustainable(3E). Firstly, we establish the smart growth evaluation system(SGI) and the sustainable development evaluation system(SDI). Based on the ten principles and the definition of three E's of sustainability. B y using the Z-score method and the principal component analysis method, we evaluate and quantify indexes synthetically. Then we define the success of smart growth as the ratio of the SDI to the SGI composite score growth rate (SSG). After that we select two cities — Canberra and Durres as the objects of our model in view of the model. Based on the development plans and key data of these two cities, we can figure out the success of smart growth. And according to our model, we adjust some of the growth indicators for both cities. Then observe the results before and after adjustment, and finally verify the accuracy of the model.

  13. Success rates for computed tomography-guided musculoskeletal biopsies performed using a low-dose technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Motamedi, Kambiz; Levine, Benjamin D.; Seeger, Leanne L.; McNitt-Gray, Michael F.

    2014-01-01

    To evaluate the success rate of a low-dose (50 % mAs reduction) computed tomography (CT) biopsy technique. This protocol was adopted based on other successful reduced-CT radiation dose protocols in our department, which were implemented in conjunction with quality improvement projects. The technique included a scout view and initial localizing scan with standard dose. Additional scans obtained for further guidance or needle adjustment were acquired by reducing the tube current-time product (mAs) by 50 %. The radiology billing data were searched for CT-guided musculoskeletal procedures performed over a period of 8 months following the initial implementation of the protocol. These were reviewed for the type of procedure and compliance with the implemented protocol. The compliant CT-guided biopsy cases were then retrospectively reviewed for patient demographics, tumor pathology, and lesion size. Pathology results were compared to the ultimate diagnoses and were categorized as diagnostic, accurate, or successful. Of 92 CT-guided procedures performed during this period, two were excluded as they were not biopsies (one joint injection and one drainage), 19 were excluded due to non-compliance (operators neglected to follow the protocol), and four were excluded due to lack of available follow-up in our electronic medical records. A total of 67 compliant biopsies were performed in 63 patients (two had two biopsies, and one had three biopsies). There were 32 males and 31 females with an average age of 50 (range, 15-84 years). Of the 67 biopsies, five were non-diagnostic and inaccurate and thus unsuccessful (7 %); five were diagnostic but inaccurate and thus unsuccessful (7 %); 57 were diagnostic and accurate thus successful (85 %). These results were comparable with results published in the radiology literature. The success rate of CT-guided biopsies using a low-dose protocol is comparable to published rates for conventional dose biopsies. The implemented low-dose protocol

  14. Success rates for computed tomography-guided musculoskeletal biopsies performed using a low-dose technique

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Motamedi, Kambiz; Levine, Benjamin D.; Seeger, Leanne L.; McNitt-Gray, Michael F. [UCLA Health System, Radiology, Los Angeles, CA (United States)

    2014-11-15

    To evaluate the success rate of a low-dose (50 % mAs reduction) computed tomography (CT) biopsy technique. This protocol was adopted based on other successful reduced-CT radiation dose protocols in our department, which were implemented in conjunction with quality improvement projects. The technique included a scout view and initial localizing scan with standard dose. Additional scans obtained for further guidance or needle adjustment were acquired by reducing the tube current-time product (mAs) by 50 %. The radiology billing data were searched for CT-guided musculoskeletal procedures performed over a period of 8 months following the initial implementation of the protocol. These were reviewed for the type of procedure and compliance with the implemented protocol. The compliant CT-guided biopsy cases were then retrospectively reviewed for patient demographics, tumor pathology, and lesion size. Pathology results were compared to the ultimate diagnoses and were categorized as diagnostic, accurate, or successful. Of 92 CT-guided procedures performed during this period, two were excluded as they were not biopsies (one joint injection and one drainage), 19 were excluded due to non-compliance (operators neglected to follow the protocol), and four were excluded due to lack of available follow-up in our electronic medical records. A total of 67 compliant biopsies were performed in 63 patients (two had two biopsies, and one had three biopsies). There were 32 males and 31 females with an average age of 50 (range, 15-84 years). Of the 67 biopsies, five were non-diagnostic and inaccurate and thus unsuccessful (7 %); five were diagnostic but inaccurate and thus unsuccessful (7 %); 57 were diagnostic and accurate thus successful (85 %). These results were comparable with results published in the radiology literature. The success rate of CT-guided biopsies using a low-dose protocol is comparable to published rates for conventional dose biopsies. The implemented low-dose protocol

  15. Success Rates of Vitrectomy in Treatment of Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment

    OpenAIRE

    Mohamed, Yasser Helmy; Ono, Kozue; Kinoshita, Hirofumi; Uematsu, Masafumi; Tsuiki, Eiko; Fujikawa, Azusa; Kitaoka, Takashi

    2016-01-01

    Aim. To investigate the anatomical success rates of pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) after primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD). Methods. This retrospective study was conducted between December 2008 and October 2014 at Nagasaki University Hospital. The preoperative data recorded included the lens status, location of the retinal tear, whether a tear was visualized, presence of multiple tears, macula status, presence of peripheral lattice retinal degeneration, and best-corrected visual ac...

  16. Samen leven met ME/CVS : Een onderzoek naar de rol van partnersteun en ziekterepresentaties bij coping met en adaptatie aan ME/CVS.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Marleen Hofman, [No Value

    2013-01-01

    Achtergrond: Het chronisch vermoeidheidssyndroom (CVS) is een chronische ziekte die wordt gekenmerkt door ernstige vermoeidheid die vaak gepaard gaat met reumatische, infectieuze en neuropsychiatrische klachten. Het is een ernstig invaliderende aandoening waar tot nog toe geen genezende behandeling

  17. Success rate and entanglement measure in Grover's search algorithm for certain kinds of four qubit states

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chamoli, Arti; Bhandari, C.M.

    2005-01-01

    Entanglement plays a crucial role in the efficacy of quantum algorithms. Whereas the role of entanglement is quite obvious and conspicuous in teleportation and superdense coding, it is not so distinct in other situations such as in search algorithm. The starting state in Grover's search algorithm is supposedly a uniform superposition state (not entangled) with a success probability around unity. An operational entanglement measure has been defined and investigated analytically for two qubit states [O. Biham, M.A. Neilsen, T. Osborne, Phys. Rev. A 65 (2002) 062312, Y. Shimoni, D. Shapira, O. Biham, Phys. Rev. A 69 (2004) 062303] seeking a relationship with the success rate of search algorithm. This Letter examines the success rate of search algorithm for various four-qubit states. Analytic expressions for the same have been worked out which can provide the success rate and entanglement measure for certain kinds of four qubit input states

  18. Redo buccal mucosa graft urethroplasty: success rate, oral morbidity and functional outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosenbaum, Clemens M; Schmid, Marianne; Ludwig, Tim A; Kluth, Luis A; Dahlem, Roland; Fisch, Margit; Ahyai, Sascha

    2016-11-01

    To determine the success rate, oral morbidity and functional outcomes of redo buccal mucosa graft urethroplasty (BMGU) for treatment of stricture recurrence after previous BMGU. We included 50 patients who underwent redo BMGU between February 2009 and September 2014. Patients' charts and non-validated questionnaires were reviewed. The primary endpoint was success rate, defined as stricture-free survival. Stricture recurrence was defined as any postoperative claims of catheterization, dilatation, urethrotomy or repeat urethroplasty, or a maximum urinary flow rate <15 mL/s, and a stricture was consecutively verified in a combined cysto-urethrogram or cystoscopy at annual follow-up visit. The secondary endpoint was oral morbidity. Additional endpoints were erectile function, urinary continence and patients' satisfaction. Redo BMGU was performed for bulbar (71.4%) or penile (28.6%) recurrent strictures. The mean (median; range) follow-up was 25.6 (15.5; 3-70) months. Stricture recurrence occurred in 18.0% of patients within a mean (median; range) of 13.8 (9.0; 3-36) months. Stricture-free survival at 12, 24 and 36 months was 91.2, 86.2 and 80.8%, respectively. The majority of the patients (97.0%) reported no or only mildly changed salivation or problems in opening of the mouth. Severe or very severe oral numbness occurred in 13.5% of patients. Oral problems in daily life were a moderate or severe burden to 13.6 and 2.7% of the patients, respectively, while 75.0% of the patients reported improved quality of life compared with preoperative status. The success rate and oral morbidity of redo BMGU are almost the same as outcomes of primary BMGU. Oral numbness was the most frequently reported oral disorder. © 2016 The Authors BJU International © 2016 BJU International Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  19. Developing health economic models of chronic diseases for reimbursement purposes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Heeg, Bartele Marten Sybrens

    2015-01-01

    De bevolking van Nederland en andere Europese landen vergrijsd. Hierdoor neemt het aantal mensen met chronische ziekten, die vaak chronische medicatie nodig hebben, toe. Nieuwe geneesmiddelen, diagnostische testen en medische hulpmiddelen zijn vaak effectiever dan de tot dan toe beschikbare

  20. Wat mensen met astma of COPD beweegt.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Heijmans, M.

    2005-01-01

    Verantwoord bewegen kan het beloop van chronische aandoeningen gunstig beïnvloeden en daarmee de kwaliteit van leven. Algemeen wordt aangenomen dat chronisch zieken weinig bewegen en dat bewegingsstimulering aanzienlijke gezondheidswinst kan opleveren. Uit een quickscan van TNO naar het beweeggedrag

  1. Attrition and success rates of accelerated students in nursing courses: a systematic review

    OpenAIRE

    Doggrell, Sheila Anne; Schaffer, Sally

    2016-01-01

    Background There is a comprehensive literature on the academic outcomes (attrition and success) of students in traditional/baccalaureate nursing programs, but much less is known about the academic outcomes of students in accelerated nursing programs. The aim of this systematic review is to report on the attrition and success rates (either internal examination or NCLEX-RN) of accelerated students, compared to traditional students. Methods For the systematic review, the databases (Pubmed, Cinah...

  2. Immune responses in hepatitis B and C virus infection

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Stelma, F.

    2017-01-01

    Het hepatitis B en C virus zijn virussen die chronische infectie van de lever kunnen veroorzaken. Zulke langdurige ontsteking van de lever kan leiden tot leverschade, met als gevolg het ontstaan van cirrose en hepatocellulair carcinoom. Naar de behandeling van deze chronische virus infecties wordt

  3. Therapietrouw bij COPD.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Heins, M.; Heijmans, M.; Schermer, T.

    2018-01-01

    In Nederland zijn bijna 600.000 mensen met een chronisch obstructieve longziekte (COPD) die daarvoor zorg van hun huisarts of specialist ontvangen [1]. Bij COPD zijn de longen chronisch ontstoken, waardoor mensen moeite hebben met ademhalen en minder energie hebben. Roken is verreweg de meest

  4. Success rate and complications of internal jugular vein catheterization with and without ultrasonography guide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karimi-Sari, Hamidreza; Faraji, Mehrdad; Mohazzab Torabi, Saman; Asjodi, Gholamreza

    2014-12-01

    Central venous catheterization (CVC) is an important procedure in emergency departments (EDs). Despite existence of ultrasonography (US) devices in every ED, CVC is done using anatomical landmarks in many EDs in Iran. This study aimed to compare the traditional landmark method vs. US-guided method of CVC placement in terms of complications and success rate. In this randomized controlled trial, patients who were candidate for internal jugular vein catheterization, and referred to Baqiyatallah Hospital ED were randomly allocated into US-guided CVC and anatomical landmarks guided CVC groups. Central vein access time, number of attempts, success rate, and complications in each group were evaluated. Mann-Whitney U, chi-square and Fisher exact tests along with Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficients were used to analyze the data. Out of 100 patients, 56 were male and 44 were female. No significant differences were found between the US-guided and traditional landmark methods of CVC insertion in terms of age, gender, BMI, and site of catheter insertion. The mean access time was significantly lower in the US-guided group (37.12 ± 17.33 s vs. 63.42 ± 35.19 s, P < 0.001). The mean number of attempts was also significantly lower in the US-guided group (1.12 ± 0.3 vs. 1.58 ± 0.64 times, P < 0.001). Eighty-eight percent of patients in the US-guided group were catheterized in the first attempt, while 50% of patients in the traditional landmark group were catheterized in the second or more attempts (P < 0.001). The success rate was 100% in the US-guided group, while it was 88% in the landmark group (P = 0.013). Moreover, the rate of complications was significantly lower in the US-guided group (4% vs. 24%, P = 0.004). The US-guided method for CVC placement was superior to the traditional landmark method in terms of access time, number of attempts, success rate, and fewer complications.

  5. Evaluation of the success and complication rates of self-drilling orthodontic mini-implants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gurdan, Z; Szalma, J

    2018-05-01

    Orthodontic mini-implants are important devices for successful anchorage management in orthodontics; however, the survival of these devices depends on several clinical factors. The aim of our study was to calculate the success and complication rates of orthodontic mini-implants. In this retrospective study, patients of our orthodontic department were enrolled, getting overall 59 orthodontic mini-implants during their orthodontic treatment in a 2-year period. Every patient had one or more of the 1.6 mm × 8 mm in size self-drilling mini-implants (Jeil Dual Top Anchor System, Jeil Medical Corp., Seoul, Korea). Screw loading was performed immediately after insertions, keeping tension forces under 150 g. Soft tissue and bone infections, implant mobility and screw loss, implant fracture, and neighboring tooth injury were registered. Relationships between variables were tested using the Chi-square test for statistical significance. The success rate of the orthodontic mini-implants was 89.8% in this study while the average loading period was 8.1 months. Soft-tissue infections varied between 6.3% and 33.3% of the cases while screw mobility varied between 3.1% and 20.8% of the cases regarding the anatomic localization. Screw mobility was significantly more frequent in the buccal fold than in the palate (P = 0.034). Screw mobility was significantly more frequent in the buccal fold than in the palate (P = 0.034) and screw mobility was found more frequently in case of intrusions than by extrusions (P = 0.036). The overall success rate of mini-implants was found acceptable in this study, however, screw mobility in the buccal fold showed a high incidence, suggesting the thorough consideration of the immediate loading by buccal mini-implants.

  6. An integrated approach for a higher success rate in mergers and acquisitions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrej Bertoncelj

    2007-05-01

    Full Text Available The paper outlines the importance of balanced management of hard and soft key success factors, combining the economic logic of corporate performance and human capital through an integrated approach to mergers and acquisitions. The study, based on a questionnaire and interviews, suggests that the achievement level ofmergers and acquisitions’ objectives of acquiring companies in Slovenia should be comparable to findings of similar studies; namely, the objectives that drove the deal were met only half the time. The results indicate that five hard success factors – a professional target search and due diligence, a realistic assessment of synergies, theright mix of financial sources, a detailed post-acquisition integration plan already prepared in the pre-deal phase and its speedy implementation – and five soft success factors – a new “combined” organizational culture, a competent management team, innovative employees, efficient and consistent communication and a creative business environment – are becoming increasingly relevant. Even though they differ in their importance for individual companies in the sample, they are all considered essential to increasing the success rate of corporate combinations

  7. Female song rates in response to simulated intruder are positively related to reproductive success.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kristal E Cain

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Bird song is well studied in males as a sexually selected behavior. However, although song is also common among females, it is infrequently examined and poorly understood. Research suggests that song is often used as a resource defense behavior and is important in female-female competition for limited resources, e.g. mates and territories. If so, song should be positively related to fitness and related to other resource defense behaviors, but this possibility has rarely been explored. Here we examine fitness estimates in relation to spontaneous song rates and song rates in response to a simulated intruder (playback, in the superb fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus, a cooperatively breeding songbird. We also determine how song rates relate to other territorial defense behaviors. Song rate in response to playback, but not spontaneous song rate, was positively related to nest success and the number of fledglings produced by successful females. Further, response song rate was also correlated with other territorial defense behaviors (latency to respond and flights. This evidence supports the hypothesis that female song may be used in the context of female-female competition to improve access to limited reproductive resources, and suggests that song may provide direct fitness benefits.

  8. Push versus pull gastrostomy in cancer patients: A single center retrospective analysis of complications and technical success rates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Currie, B M; Getrajdman, G I; Covey, A M; Alago, W; Erinjeri, J P; Maybody, M; Boas, F E

    2018-04-28

    To compare the technical success and complication rates of push versus pull gastrostomy tubes in cancer patients, and to examine their dependence on operator experience. A retrospective review was performed of 304 cancer patients (170 men, 134 women; mean age 60.3±12.6 [SD], range: 19-102 years) referred for primary gastrostomy tube placement, 88 (29%) of whom had a previously unsuccessful attempt at percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) placement. Analyzed variables included method of insertion (push versus pull), indication for gastrostomy, technical success, operator experience, and procedure-related complications within 30 days of placement. Gastrostomy tubes were placed for feeding in 189 patients and palliative decompression in 115 patients. Technical success was 91%: 78% after endoscopy had previously been unsuccessful and 97% when excluding failures associated with prior endoscopy. In the first 30 days, there were 29 minor complications (17.2%) associated with push gastrostomies, and only 8 minor complications (7.5%) with pull gastrostomies (Ptechnical success rates for more versus less experienced operators. Pull gastrostomy tube placement had a lower rate of complications than push gastrostomy tube placement, especially when the indication was decompression. The technical success rate was high, even after a failed attempt at endoscopic placement. Both the rates of success and complications were independent of operator experience. Copyright © 2018 Société française de radiologie. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  9. A Comparison of Teacher Stress and School Climate across Schools with Different Matric Success Rates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milner, Karen; Khoza, Harriet

    2008-01-01

    Our aim was to investigate differences in teacher stress and perceptions of school climate among teachers from schools with differing matriculation success rates in the Limpopo province of South Africa. Two schools with matric pass rates of 100% and two schools with matric pass rates of less than 25% were selected from a list of schools provided…

  10. Single-centre review of radiologically guided percutaneous nephrostomy using 'mixed' technique: Success and complication rates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Montvilas, Paulius, E-mail: paulmont@rm.dk [Department of Radiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Skejby, Brendstrupgardsvej 100, 8200 Aarhus N (Denmark); Solvig, Jan, E-mail: jansolvi@rm.dk [Department of Radiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Skejby, Brendstrupgardsvej 100, 8200 Aarhus N (Denmark); Bjerklund Johansen, Truls Erik, E-mail: tebj@skejby.rm.dk [Department of Urology, Aarhus University Hospital, Skejby, Brendstrupgardsvej 100, 8200 Aarhus N (Denmark)

    2011-11-15

    Aim: A review of complication and success rates of the 'mixed' technique in percutaneous nephrostomy using both the Seldinger and one-step techniques in dilated and non-dilated systems. Materials and methods: We retrospectively analysed 500 percutaneous nephrostomies in dilated an non-dilated systems in 353 patients from 2006 to 2007 (208 males (range 19-95 years), 127 females (range 27-91 years) and 21 children (range 3 months-16 years: 6 females, 15 males)). Percutaneous nephrostomy was considered successful if catheter was placed in renal pelvis and drained urine spontaneously. Successful percutaneous nephrostomies were classified as primary (renal system drained instantly) or postponed (drainage achieved within 24 h after initial failure). Number of complications was registered. Results: All of the 500 nephrostomies were successful within 24 h (96.2% primary; 3.8% postponed). The success rate of primary nephrostomy in dilated and non-dilated systems was 98.2% and 82%, respectively. Major complications occurred in 0.45% and minor complications in 14.2%. Conclusion: Percutaneous nephrostomy using the 'mixed' technique is very successful in dilated systems, is not superior to other PCN techniques in non-dilated systems and has a very low rate of major complications.

  11. COPD en werk.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Houtum, L. van; Heijmans, M.

    2010-01-01

    Drie van de vijf mensen met chronisch obstructieve longziekte werkt niet. In veel gevallen is hun longziekte hiervan de oorzaak, zo blijkt uit de Astma-/COPD-monitor. In Nederland hebben 320.000 mensen de diagnose chronisch obstructieve longziekte (COPD). Daarnaast zijn er nog eens zo’n 300.000

  12. Prediction of pregnancy success rate through in vitro fertilization based on maternal age

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Soegiharto Soebijanto

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Aim To evaluate the correlation between the success of pregnancy through in vitro fertilization and maternal age. Methods Assessment of pregnancy was performed in eight in vitro fertilization centers in Indonesia: Harapan Kita Pediatric and Obstetric Hospital from 1997 to 2001, and seven in vitro fertilization centers in Indonesia. Follicular induction was performed through the long protocol, short protocol and natural cycle. Insemination was performed through ICSI (intra cytoplasmic sperm injection on petri dish. Spermatozoa were obtained through masturbation, testicular biopsy and epididimical biopsy. A successful pregnancy was indicated chemically, with the presence of fetal heart beat and the birth of a baby (take home baby. Results There was a 34% pregnancy rate for the age group below 30 years, 33.75% for those between 31 and 35 years olds, and 26% for the age group 36 to 40 years old, and 8% for the age group above 40 years. Conclusion The higher the maternal age, the lower pregnancy rate. In other words, the higher the maternal age, the higher the rate of miscarriage. (Med J Indones 2009; 18: 244-8Keywords: pregnancy, in vitro fertilization

  13. The success rate of TED upper eyelid retraction reoperations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Golan, Shani; Rootman, Dan B; Goldberg, Robert A

    2016-12-01

    Although reoperation rates for upper lid retraction surgery for thyroid eye disease (TED) typically range between 8% and 23%, there is little literature describing the outcomes of these second operations. In this retrospective observational cohort study, all patients that underwent surgery for upper eyelid retraction over a 14-year period at a single institution were included. Cases were included if a second eyelid retraction surgery was performed during the study period. Success of surgery was defined as a marginal reflex distance (MRD1) of 2.5 to 4.5 mm in each eye and less than 1 mm difference in MRD1 between the eyes. Overcorrection and undercorrection were defined as above and below these bounds, respectively. 72 eyes in 49 patients were included in the study. The mean age was 56.6 (±11.5) years. By definition, all patients had at least 1 lid lengthening surgery for upper eyelid retraction, and at least 1 subsequent surgery. For this second surgery, 61 eyes (85%) underwent retraction surgery and 11 eyes (15%) underwent ptosis surgery. After this second operation, 31% were undercorrected and 33% were overcorrected. A third surgery was performed in 19 eyes (25%), 12 had surgery for residual retraction and 7 for ptosis. After the third operation 10% of eyes were under corrected and 11% were over corrected. Four patients underwent a fourth surgery: one for retraction and three for ptosis. Success was noted in 35% after the second surgery and 44% after the third. Surgical success in eyelid retraction surgery increases from a second to a third consecutive surgery, and residual asymmetry was roughly equally distributed between over- and undercorrection.

  14. An evaluation of combat application tourniquets on training military personnel: changes in application times and success rates in three successive phases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Unlu, Aytekin; Kaya, E; Guvenc, I; Kaymak, S; Cetinkaya, R A; Lapsekili, E O; Ozer, M T; Guler, A; Yildiz, R; Petrone, P; Harlak, A; Kilic, S

    2015-12-01

    Haemorrhage from the injured extremity is a significant cause of preventable death in military settings. This study evaluated the effect of training on the efficacy of the combat application tourniquet (CAT) and to define standards for military personnel. Participants from a training tank battalion were randomised. Data collected included age, body mass index, mean arterial pressure, hand dominance, femoral artery diameter and skin thickness. The study involved tourniquet application times (AT) and application success rates in basic, after-training and eyes-closed phases. Doppler ultrasound was used to identify the presence or absence of popliteal, radial and ulnar artery pulses. A total of 102 trainees participated. In the after-training phase, the left and right upper extremity ATs were 35 ± 13.1 s, and 34.8 ± 13.5 s and the right and left lower extremity ATs were 20.6 ± 6.0 s and 20.5 ± 5.5 s, respectively. The overall tourniquet success rates in three successive study phases were 69.6%, 82.4% and 91.2%, respectively. A negative significant relationship was found between extremity circumference and tourniquet success. The results show that the efficacy of CAT application increases with training. Further studies are required to investigate the reasons underlying application failures. This single group prospective randomised study involves level of evidence 4. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

  15. Comparison of the success rate between self-drilling and self-tapping miniscrews: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yi, Jianru; Ge, Mengke; Li, Meile; Li, Chunjie; Li, Yu; Li, Xiaobing; Zhao, Zhihe

    2017-06-01

    Both the self-drilling and self-tapping miniscrews have been commonly used as anchorage reinforcement devices in orthodontic treatment. The aim of this study was to compare the success rates of self-drilling and self-tapping miniscrews in orthodontic practice. Literature searches were performed by electronic search in database including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, China National Knowledge Infrastructure and SIGLE, and manual search of relevant journals and reference lists of included studies. Randomized controlled trials, clinical controlled trials and cohort studies comparing the success rates of self-drilling and self-tapping miniscrews as orthodontic anchorage. The data of success rates and root contact rates were extracted by two investigators independently. After evaluating the risk of bias, the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Subgroup analysis was performed on the basis of study design, follow-ups, participant ages and immediate/delayed loading. Sensitivity analysis was performed to test the stability of the results in meta-analysis. Six studies assessed as high quality were included in the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis results showed no difference between the two types of screws in the success rates. The root contact rates of the two screws were similar, while self-drilling miniscrews displayed higher risk of failure when contacting with a tooth root. Currently available clinical evidence suggests that the success rates of self-tapping and self-drilling miniscrews are similar. Determination of the position and direction of placement should be more precise when self-drilling miniscrews are used in sites with narrow root proximity. None. None. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Orthodontic Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

  16. The impact of herbivores on nitrogen mineralization rate: consequences for salt-marsh succession.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Wijnen, Harm J; van der Wal, René; Bakker, Jan P

    1999-02-01

    Soil net N-mineralization rate was measured along a successional gradient in salt-marsh sites that were grazed by vertebrate herbivores, and in 5-year-old exclosures from which the animals were excluded. Mineralization rate was significantly higher at ungrazed than at grazed sites. In the absence of grazing, mineralization rate increased over the course of succession, whereas it remained relatively low when sites were grazed. The largest differences in mineralization rate between grazed and ungrazed sites were found at late successional stages where grazing pressure was lowest. The amount of plant litter was significantly lower at grazed sites. In addition, the amount of litter and potential litter (non-woody, live shoots) was linearly related to net N-mineralization rate. This implies that herbivores reduced mineralization rate by preventing litter accumulation. Bulk density was higher at grazed salt-marsh sites than at ungrazed sites. This factor may also have contributed to the differences in net N-mineralization rate between grazed and ungrazed sites.

  17. Initial radioiodine remnant ablation success rates compared by diagnostic scan methods: I123 versus I131

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, W.; Choi, E.; Yoo, I.; Kim, S.; Han, E.; Lee, S.; Lee, W.

    2015-01-01

    Full text of publication follows. Objective: to see if diagnostic whole body scan (DxWBS) performed with I-131 prior diminishes the success rate of initial radioiodine remnant ablation (RRA) compared to I-123 DxWBS in differentiated thyroid cancer patients. Material and methods: consecutive thyroid cancer patients who received total thyroidectomy for differentiated thyroid cancer and then high dose RRA (either 100 mCi or 150 mCi) within 6 months were included. DxWBSs were performed with I-123 or with I-131. Prior to the DxWBSs, all patients followed strict low iodine diet for 2 weeks and withdrew hormone to stimulate TSH above 30 mIU/l. Patients with extra-thyroidal extension of tumor, lymph node metastasis, or distant metastasis were excluded. The initial RRA was defined as successful if the next DxWBS done 6 months to 1 year later was negative and stimulated thyroglobulin level was below 2 ng/ml. Results: of 71 patients who had I-123 DxWBSs, 31 patients went on to receive RRA with 100 mCi and 40 patients received 150 mCi. Of 73 patients who had I-131 DxWBSs, 66 received 100 mCi and 7 patients received 150 mCi. The overall success rate was 79% for patients who had I-123 DxWBS prior to RRA (68% for 100 mCi and 86% for 150 mCi), and 68% for patient who had I-131 DxWBSs (68% for 100 mCi and 71% for 150 mCi). Conclusion: for patients who received 100 mCi, the RRA success rate was the same for I-123 DxWBS and I-131 DxWBS. For patients treated with 150 mCi, the success rate may be lower in patients who receive RRA following DxWBS with I-131 compared to DxWBS with I-123. (authors)

  18. A prospective study of the factors associated with the success rate of external cephalic version for breech presentation at term.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burgos, Jorge; Melchor, Juan Carlos; Pijoán, José Ignacio; Cobos, Patricia; Fernández-Llebrez, Luis; Martínez-Astorquiza, Txantón

    2011-01-01

    To determine the factors associated with the success rate of external cephalic version (ECV) for breech presentation at term. A prospective analysis of 500 ECV maneuvers. The variables maternal age, maternal weight, body mass index, previous cesarean delivery, gestational age, parity, amount of amniotic fluid, placental location, and type of breech were studied using logistic regression analysis. The success rate of ECV was 52.2% (n=261). The variables significantly associated with success were parity, placental location, amount of amniotic fluid, and type of breech (Pbreech presentation had a 2.77-times higher success rate compared with a frank breech presentation (95% CI, 1.16-6.62). The area under the ROC curve showed a predictive ability of 73.6% (95% CI, 69.2%-77.9%) for these 3 variables. Parity, placental location, amount of amniotic fluid, and type of breech presentation were associated with the success rate of ECV. Copyright © 2010 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Improving Rice Modeling Success Rate with Ternary Non-structural Fertilizer Response Model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Juan; Zhang, Mingqing; Chen, Fang; Yao, Baoquan

    2018-06-13

    Fertilizer response modelling is an important technical approach to realize metrological fertilization on rice. With the goal of solving the problems of a low success rate of a ternary quadratic polynomial model (TPFM) and to expand the model's applicability, this paper established a ternary non-structural fertilizer response model (TNFM) based on the experimental results from N, P and K fertilized rice fields. Our research results showed that the TNFM significantly improved the modelling success rate by addressing problems arising from setting the bias and multicollinearity in a TPFM. The results from 88 rice field trials in China indicated that the proportion of typical TNFMs that satisfy the general fertilizer response law of plant nutrition was 40.9%, while the analogous proportion of TPFMs was only 26.1%. The recommended fertilization showed a significant positive linear correlation between the two models, and the parameters N 0 , P 0 and K 0 that estimated the value of soil supplying nutrient equivalents can be used as better indicators of yield potential in plots where no N or P or K fertilizer was applied. The theoretical analysis showed that the new model has a higher fitting accuracy and a wider application range.

  20. Biomass is the main driver of changes in ecosystem process rates during tropical forest succession.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lohbeck, Madelon; Poorter, Lourens; Martínez-Ramos, Miguel; Bongers, Frans

    2015-05-01

    Over half of the world's forests are disturbed, and the rate at which ecosystem processes recover after disturbance is important for the services these forests can provide. We analyze the drivers' underlying changes in rates of key ecosystem processes (biomass productivity, litter productivity, actual litter decomposition, and potential litter decomposition) during secondary succession after shifting cultivation in wet tropical forest of Mexico. We test the importance of three alternative drivers of ecosystem processes: vegetation biomass (vegetation quantity hypothesis), community-weighted trait mean (mass ratio hypothesis), and functional diversity (niche complementarity hypothesis) using structural equation modeling. This allows us to infer the relative importance of different mechanisms underlying ecosystem process recovery. Ecosystem process rates changed during succession, and the strongest driver was aboveground biomass for each of the processes. Productivity of aboveground stem biomass and leaf litter as well as actual litter decomposition increased with initial standing vegetation biomass, whereas potential litter decomposition decreased with standing biomass. Additionally, biomass productivity was positively affected by community-weighted mean of specific leaf area, and potential decomposition was positively affected by functional divergence, and negatively by community-weighted mean of leaf dry matter content. Our empirical results show that functional diversity and community-weighted means are of secondary importance for explaining changes in ecosystem process rates during tropical forest succession. Instead, simply, the amount of vegetation in a site is the major driver of changes, perhaps because there is a steep biomass buildup during succession that overrides more subtle effects of community functional properties on ecosystem processes. We recommend future studies in the field of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning to separate the effects of

  1. THE FACTORS INFLUENCING THE MATHEMATICS EXAM SUCCESS RATE IN THE STUDY PROGRAMMES TAUGHT AT THE COLLEGE OF POLYTECHNICS JIHLAVA (2006–2015

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    PROKOP, Martin

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available This paper addresses the exam success rates in Mathematics 1 at the College of Polytechnics in Jihlava (CPJ. Primary data taken from the school information system cover the years 2006–2015. We carried out a success rate analysis based on several criteria (form of study, the reason for termination of studies, gender. We observed the dependence of the success rate on the aforementioned criteria and time. Plus a detailed analysis of the success rate with respect to the study programme was conducted. The contingency tables analysis and correspondence analysis were used to assess the dependencies. The research showed that the success rate in Mathematics 1 has been decreasing over the course of the monitored period of time. The success rate of full-time students is higher compared to the part-time students. Women have higher success rate than men. The respective study programmes showed equivalent results. Technical study programmes show lower success rate in mathematics. The research furthermore implies that mathematics may not always be the cause of a complete termination of studies. To reverse the trend of the growing failure rate we introduced an entrance test of high school basic mathematics followed by a course for those who fail at this test. As a part of our currently running project, our school have been innovating the e-learning modules and working on the textbooks for Seminar in Mathematics that may be completed in a form of an intensive summer or winter school in mathematics. This project’s objective is an overall improvement of students’ mathematical knowledge and skills.

  2. An evaluation of the nursing success program: reading comprehension, graduation rates, and diversity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Symes, Lene; Tart, Kathryn; Travis, Lucille

    2005-01-01

    The Nursing Success Program was developed to enhance retention of baccalaureate nursing students. Reading comprehension scores are used to identify students who are at risk for failure and direct them into the retention program that addresses their skill deficits. To evaluate the program, the authors assessed reading comprehension, graduation rates, and ethnic diversity.

  3. Efficacy of preoperative ibuprofen and meloxicam on the success rate of inferior alveolar nerve block for teeth with irreversible pulpitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shantiaee, Yazdan; Javaheri, Sahar; Movahhedian, Amir; Eslami, Sarah; Dianat, Omid

    2017-04-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine whether premedication with ibuprofen or meloxicam increases the success rate of anaesthesia in teeth with irreversible pulpitis. In this parallel, double-blind clinical trial, 92 patients diagnosed with irreversible pulpitis were randomly divided into four groups of 23 patients. The first group (the no-premedication group) received no premedication, the second group (the meloxicam group) received 7.5 mg of meloxicam, the third group (the ibuprofen group) received 600 mg of ibuprofen, and the fourth group (the placebo group) received placebo 1 hour before intervention. Before taking the medication, electrical pulp testing (EPT) and the Heft-Parker visual analogue scale (VAS) were used to evaluate sensitivity and pain at baseline. Then, local anaesthesia was injected, and after 15 minutes, EPT was used again to evaluate tooth sensitivity. The pain during access preparation was also recorded using the Heft-Parker VAS. Ninety-two patients were analysed. The success rates of local anaesthesia were 21.7%, 34.8%, 78.3% and 73.9% in the no-premedication, placebo, ibuprofen and meloxicam groups, respectively, according to the EPT values. Considering the Heft-Parker VAS values, no premedication gave a 21.7% success rate, placebo gave a 34.8% success rate, ibuprofen gave an 82.6% success rate and meloxicam gave a 65.2% success rate. The ibuprofen and meloxicam groups showed significantly better results than the placebo and no-premedication groups (P inferior alveolar nerve block anaesthesia for teeth with irreversible pulpitis; however, neither drug provided profound anaesthesia. © 2016 FDI World Dental Federation.

  4. Retrospective analysis of technical success rate and procedure-related complications of 867 percutaneous CT-guided needle biopsies of lung lesions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mills, M; Choi, J; El-Haddad, G; Sweeney, J; Biebel, B; Robinson, L; Antonia, S; Kumar, A; Kis, B

    2017-12-01

    To investigate the technical success rate and procedure-related complications of computed tomography (CT)-guided needle biopsy of lung lesions and to identify the factors that are correlated with the occurrence of procedure-related complications. This was a single- institution retrospective study of 867 consecutive CT-guided needle biopsies of lung lesions performed on 772 patients in a tertiary cancer centre. The technical success rate and complications were correlated with patient, lung lesion, and procedure-related variables. The technical success rate was 87.2% and the mortality rate was 0.12%. Of the 867 total biopsies 25.7% were associated with pneumothorax, and 6.5% required chest tube drainage. The haemothorax rate was 1.8%. There was positive correlation between the development of pneumothorax and smaller lesion diameter (ptechnical success and a low rate of major complications. The present study has revealed several variables that can be used to identify high-risk procedures. A post-procedural chest X-ray within hours after the procedure is highly recommended to identify high-risk patients who require chest tube placement. Copyright © 2017 The Royal College of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Impact of Anti-Helicobacter Therapy of H.pylori-Infected Parents on H.pylori Reinfection Rate in Children after Successful Eradication

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    O.P. Volosovets

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available The article presents the data about the rate of H.pylori reinfection during 12 months after anti-helicobacter therapy among the children after successful eradication. It was shown that H.pylori reinfection rate was lower in children after successful eradication who were living after the treatment with parents non-infectead with H.pylori than among children who were living with H.pylori-infected parents. It was demonstrated that simultaneous anti-helicobacter therapy in H.pylori-infected parents of children with with chronic gastroduodenal diseases associated with H.pylori decreased H.pylori reinfection rate in children with successful eradication.

  6. Manual handling: differences in perceived effort, success rate and kinematics between three different pushing techniques.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Varcin, Lynn; Claus, Andrew; van den Hoorn, Wolbert; Hodges, Paul

    2015-01-01

    This study examined the perceived effort, success rates and kinematics for three push strategies in a simulated lateral patient transfer (horizontal slide). Thirteen healthy subjects (four males) completed three repetition pushing loads of 6, 10 and 14 kg in random order; with a spontaneous push strategy, then with a straight-back bent-knees (squat) strategy and the preparatory pelvic movement ('rockback') strategy in random order. Perceived effort and kinematic parameters measured at the onset of movement and at maximum push excursion were compared between strategies and between loads with repeated measures ANOVA. The spontaneous and 'rockback' strategies achieved the pushing task with less perceived effort across all loads than the squat push (P pushing the 14 kg load using a squat strategy, which contrasted with 12/13 participants when the spontaneous strategy or the 'rockback' strategy was used. Forward movement of the pelvis and forward trunk inclination may be positively associated with lower perceived effort in the push task. Practitioner Summary: In a manual-handling task that simulated a lateral patient transfer (horizontal slide), perceived effort and success rates of three push strategies were compared. A straight-back bent-knees push (squat) strategy demonstrated greater perceived effort and lower success rates than a spontaneous push strategy, or a push strategy with preparatory 'rockback' pelvic movement.

  7. Success rates of the first inferior alveolar nerve block administered by dental practitioners.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kriangcherdsak, Yutthasak; Raucharernporn, Somchart; Chaiyasamut, Teeranut; Wongsirichat, Natthamet

    2016-06-01

    Inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB) of the mandible is commonly used in the oral cavity as an anesthetic technique for dental procedures. This study evaluated the success rate of the first IANB administered by dental practitioners. Volunteer dental practitioners at Mahidol University who had never performed an INAB carried out 106 INAB procedures. The practitioners were divided into 12 groups with their advisors by randomized control trials. We recorded the success rate via pain visual analog scale (VAS) scores. A large percentage of the dental practitioners (85.26%) used the standard method to locate the anatomical landmarks, injecting the local anesthetic at the correct position, with the barrel of the syringe parallel to the occlusal plane of the mandibular teeth. Further, 68.42% of the dental practitioners injected the local anesthetic on the right side by using the left index finger for retraction. The onset time was approximately 0-5 mins for nearly half of the dental practitioners (47.37% for subjective onset and 43.16% for objective onset), while the duration of the IANB was approximately 240-300 minutes (36.84%) after the initiation of numbness. Moreover, the VAS pain scores were 2.5 ± 1.85 and 2.1 ± 1.8 while injecting and delivering local anesthesia, respectively. The only recorded factor that affected the success of the local anesthetic was the administering practitioner. This reinforces the notion that local anesthesia administration is a technique-sensitive procedure.

  8. Effect of chest tube position on the success rate of pleurodesis: A retrospective cohort study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tomoyasu Takemura

    2017-10-01

    Conclusions: In malignant pleural effusion, the success rates of pleurodesis may be similar regardless of the position of the tube. However, this is a retrospective study with insufficient participants. Hence, further investigation is required.

  9. External cephalic version for breech presentation at term: predictors of success, and impact on the rate of caesarean section.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hussin, O A; Mahmoud, M A; Abdel-Fattah, M M

    2013-02-01

    The incidence of caesarean section for breech presentation has increased markedly in the last 20 years. A prospective, interventional cohort study was carried out of the success rate of external cephalic version (ECV) and its predictors of as well as its impact on the rate of caesarean section for vaginal breech delivery. All 128 women admitted during the study period to the obstetrics department of a tertiary care military hospital in Taif, Saudi Arabia with breech presentation at term, regardless of age and parity, who accepted ECV were recruited. ECV was successful in 53.9% of the women. Most of the women with successful ECV delivered normally (84.1%) and only 14.5% of them delivered by caesarean section. Conversely, normal vaginal delivery was reported among 8.5% of those who had spontaneous version with failed ECV and approximately two-thirds of them delivered by caesarean section (62.7%). Successful ECV reduced the breech and caesarean section rate.

  10. An Analytic Model for the Success Rate of a Robotic Actuator System in Hitting Random Targets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bradley, Stuart

    2015-11-20

    Autonomous robotic systems are increasingly being used in a wide range of applications such as precision agriculture, medicine, and the military. These systems have common features which often includes an action by an "actuator" interacting with a target. While simulations and measurements exist for the success rate of hitting targets by some systems, there is a dearth of analytic models which can give insight into, and guidance on optimization, of new robotic systems. The present paper develops a simple model for estimation of the success rate for hitting random targets from a moving platform. The model has two main dimensionless parameters: the ratio of actuator spacing to target diameter; and the ratio of platform distance moved (between actuator "firings") to the target diameter. It is found that regions of parameter space having specified high success are described by simple equations, providing guidance on design. The role of a "cost function" is introduced which, when minimized, provides optimization of design, operating, and risk mitigation costs.

  11. Association between higher levels of sexual function, activity, and satisfaction and self-rated successful aging in older postmenopausal women

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thompson, Wesley K.; Charo, Lindsey; Vahia, Ipsit V.; Depp, Colin; Allison, Matthew; Jeste, Dilip V.

    2014-01-01

    Objectives To determine if measures of successful-aging are associated with sexual activity, satisfaction, and function in older post-menopausal women. Design Cross-sectional study using self-report surveys; analyses include chi-square and t-tests and multiple linear regression analyses. Setting Community-dwelling older post-menopausal women in the greater San Diego Region. Participants 1,235 community-dwelling women aged 60-89 years participating at the San Diego site of the Women's Health Initiative. Measurements Demographics and self-report measures of sexual activity, function, and satisfaction and successful aging. Results Sexual activity and functioning (desire, arousal, vaginal tightness, use of lubricants, and ability to climax) were negatively associated with age, as were physical and mental health. In contrast, sexual satisfaction and self-rated successful aging and quality of life remained unchanged across age groups. Successful aging measures were positively associated with sexual measures, especially self-rated quality of life and sexual satisfaction. Conclusions Self-rated successful aging, quality of life, and sexual satisfaction appear to be stable in the face of declines in physical health, some cognitive abilities, and sexual activity and function and are positively associated with each other across ages 60-89 years. PMID:21797827

  12. Impact of Pretreatment Hydronephrosis on the Success Rate of Shock Wave Lithotripsy in Patients with Ureteral Stone.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Ki Don; Lee, Joo Yong; Park, Sung Yoon; Kang, Dong Hyuk; Lee, Hyung Ho; Cho, Kang Su

    2017-09-01

    To evaluate predictors of the success rate for one session of shock wave lithotripsy (SWL), focusing on the relationships between pretreatment hydronephrosis grade and one-session SWL success rates. The medical records of 1824 consecutive patients who underwent an initial session of SWL for treatment of urinary stones between 2005 and 2013 were reviewed. After exclusion, 700 patients with a single, 4-20 mm diameter radiopaque calculus were included in the study. The mean maximal stone length (MSL) and skin-to-stone distance were 9.2±3.9 and 110.8±18.9 mm, respectively. The average values for mean stone density (MSD) and stone heterogeneity index (SHI) were 707.0±272.1 and 244.9±110.1, respectively. One-session success rates were 68.4, 75.0, 75.1, 54.0, and 10.5% in patients with hydronephrosis grade 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. Patients were classified into success or failure groups based on SWL outcome. Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that MSL [odds ratio (OR) 0.888, 95% confidence intervals (CI): 0.841-0.934, phydronephrosis grade (OR 0.601, 95% CI: 0.368-0.988, p=0.043) were significantly associated with one-session success. Pretreatment grades 3 or 4 hydronephrosis were associated with failure of SWL in patients with a single ureteral stone. In the presence of severe hydronephrosis, especially hydronephrosis grade 4; physicians should proceed cautiously in choosing and offering SWL as the primary treatment for ureteral stone. © Copyright: Yonsei University College of Medicine 2017

  13. Success Rates by Software Development Methodology in Information Technology Project Management: A Quantitative Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wright, Gerald P.

    2013-01-01

    Despite over half a century of Project Management research, project success rates are still too low. Organizations spend a tremendous amount of valuable resources on Information Technology projects and seek to maximize the utility gained from their efforts. The author investigated the impact of software development methodology choice on ten…

  14. Osteoprotegerin Serum Levels in Rheumatoid Arthritis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kolarz G

    2003-01-01

    Full Text Available Osteoprotegerin (OPG wird in der entzündeten Synovialis bei chronischer Polyarthritis von Makrophagen, dendritischen Zellen und B-Zellen produziert. OPG hemmt die Differenzierung von Osteoklasten und ihre Aktivierung durch die Bindung an RANKL (receptor activator of NFkappaBbeta ligand. OPG könnte daher eine wichtige Rolle in der Verhinderung des Auftretens von Erosionen bei chronischer Polyarthritis spielen. In der vorliegenden Studie wurde untersucht, ob die Serumspiegel von Osteoprotegerin mit Entzündungsparametern oder der Gelenksdestruktion bei chronischer Polyarthritiskorrelieren. Patienten und Methoden: In 85 Sera von 68 Patienten mit chronischer Polyarthritis wurden die Serumspiegel von OPG untersucht und mit klinischen Parametern, Laborbefunden und dem Larsen-Score verglichen. Zur OPG-Bestimmung wurde ein Sandwich-ELISA (enzyme-linked-im-munosorbent-assay mit zwei spezifischen OPG-Antikörpern verwendet. Mit dem bindenden Antikörper wurde eine Mikrotiterplatte beladen, der zweite Biotin-konjugierte Antikörper wurde durch Streptavidin-Peroxidase und TMB gemessen. Der Immunoassay mißt sowohl freies als auch an RANKL gebundenes OPG. Zur statistischen Auswertung wurde ein SAS-Programm verwendet, als Tests wurden der Mann-Whitney-Test, die Spearman-Korrelation und die Varianzanalyse (ANOVA angewandt. Ergebnisse: Verglichen mit einer gesunden Kontrollgruppe (Alter 56-76 Jahre lagen die Mittelwerte von Serum-OPG bei chronischer Polyarthritis höher. Wenn man den Mittelwert der Gesunden für die Einteilung in höhere oder niedrigere Serum-OPG-Werte bei Patienten mit chronischer Polyarthritis verwendet, zeigt sich im Mann-Whitney-Test eine signifikante Korrelation nicht nur mit BSG und Rheumafaktor, sondern auch mit dem Larsen-Score. Die OPG-Spiegel korrelierten mit dem Rheumafaktor, der BSG und dem Serum-CRP (C-reaktives Protein signifikant positiv, der Larsen-Score zeigte nur einen statistischen Trend. Diskussion: OPG blockiert die

  15. Assessment of modified Forssell’s myectomy success rate in the treatment of crib biting in horses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Šárka Krisová

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this retrospective study was to assess the success rate of Forssell’s modified myectomy – surgical treatment of crib biting on 33 horses of various breeds identified as stereotypical cribbers which were referred to the Equine Clinic in Brno between January 2001 and December 2010. The long term outcome was available for all horses. The overall success of the surgery without considering influencing factors was 61%. Thirteen horses (39% returned to the stereotypical behaviour sooner or later after the surgery. In this retrospective study we confirmed the dependence of success of the surgery on the necessity of early treatment of the problem (up to 6 months after the appearance of initial signs, with the significance level of P = 0.037. Any connection between age, breed or sex, and positive outcome of the surgery were not confirmed during statistical evaluation. When the horses were diagnosed early enough, an 80% success rate in surgical treatment performed within 6 months from the initial signs of crib biting was recorded, which seems to be very promising. It can be concluded that surgical treatment of crib biting by modified Forsell’s myectomy is the recommended option in the therapy of this oral stereotype.

  16. Increased pain relief with remifentanil does not improve the success rate of external cephalic version: a randomized controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burgos, Jorge; Pijoan, José I; Osuna, Carmen; Cobos, Patricia; Rodriguez, Leire; Centeno, María del Mar; Serna, Rosa; Jimenez, Antonia; Garcia, Eugenia; Fernandez-Llebrez, Luis; Melchor, Juan C

    2016-05-01

    Our objective was to compare the effect of two pain relief methods (remifentanil vs. nitrous oxide) on the success rate of external cephalic version. We conducted a randomized open label parallel-group controlled single-center clinical trial with sequential design, at Cruces University Hospital, Spain. Singleton pregnancies in noncephalic presentation at term that were referred for external cephalic version were assigned according to a balanced (1:1) restricted randomization scheme to analgesic treatment with remifentanil or nitrous oxide during the procedure. The primary endpoint was external cephalic version success rate. Secondary endpoints were adverse event rate, degree of pain, cesarean rate and perinatal outcomes. The trial was stopped early after the second interim analysis due to a very low likelihood of finding substantial differences in efficacy (futility). The external cephalic version success rate was the same in the two arms (31/60, 51.7%) with 120 women recruited, 60 in each arm. The mean pain score was significantly lower in the remifentanil group (3.2 ± 2.4 vs. 6.0 ± 2.3; p external cephalic version-related complications. There was a trend toward a higher frequency of adverse effects in the remifentanil group (18.3% vs. 6.7%, p = 0.10), with a significantly higher incidence rate (21.7 events/100 women vs. 6.7 events/100 women with nitrous oxide, p = 0.03). All reported adverse events were mild and reversible. Remifentanil for analgesia decreased external cephalic version-related pain but did not increase the success rate of external cephalic version at term and appeared to be associated with an increased frequency of mild adverse effects. © 2016 Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

  17. Have Floating Rates Been a Success?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Higham, David

    1983-01-01

    Floating exchange rates have not lived up to all expectations, but neither have they performed as badly as some critics have suggested. Examined are the impact of floating rates on balance of payments adjustment, domestic economic policy, and inflation and the claim that floating rates have displayed excessive fluctuations. (Author/RM)

  18. Bladder injury and success rates following retropubic mid-urethral sling: TVT EXACT™ vs. TVT™.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thubert, Thibault; Canel, Virginie; Vinchant, Marie; Wigniolle, Ingrid; Fernandez, Hervé; Deffieux, Xavier

    2016-03-01

    Although placement of a retropubic mid-urethral slings (MUS) is one of the gold standard surgical treatments for stress urinary incontinence, new devices are poorly evaluated before marketing. We compared TVT-EXACT™ (TVT-E), a new device expected to reduce bladder injuries, with the historically described bottom-to-top TVT™ (TVT). This retrospective study compared TVT-E (n=49) and TVT (n=49). The main outcomes were the prevalence of complications (bladder injuries, immediate postoperative pain, perioperative complications, etc.) and the short-term success rate (no reported urinary leakage and negative cough test) of both MUSs. Minimum follow-up was 12 months. The characteristics of the two groups were comparable. The prevalence of bladder injury for TVT-E and TVT was 8% and 6%, respectively (p=1). The intensity of immediate postoperative pain (VAS/100) was lower following TVT-E than after TVT (8.0 vs. 15.9, p=0.01). The first post-void residual was increased in the TVT-E group (153.9 vs. 78.9mL, p=0.045), and there were more postoperative bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) symptoms in the TVT-E group (24% vs. 6%, p=0.02). However, there was no difference when considering only de novo BOO (14% vs. 4%, p=0.16). The prevalence of peri- and post-operative complications was equal in the two groups. The success rate was similar at 12 months of follow-up (80 vs. 82%, p=1). The prevalence of bladder injury was unchanged with TVT-EXACT™ compared with TVT™, but post-operative pain was decreased. The success rate of both retropubic MUSs was similar at 12 months of follow-up. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. CD4+ T cell mediated chronic intestinal disease : immune regulation versus inflammation

    OpenAIRE

    Westendorf, Astrid Maria

    2004-01-01

    Die Ätiologie von chronisch entzündlichen Darmerkrankungen ist weitgehend ungeklärt. Nach derzeitiger Auffassung liegt der Schwerpunkt in der Dysregulation lokaler immunologischer Reaktionen in der Darmmukosa. Zur Untersuchung der chronisch entzündlichen Darmerkrankungen wurde ein CD4+ T Zell basiertes doppelt-transgenes Mausmodell entwickelt. Die gleichzeitige Expression eines Modellantigens in Darmepithelzellen und antigenspezifischen CD4+ T Zellen führten zu einer chronischen Entzündungsre...

  20. The Success Rate of Initial {sup 131I} Ablation in Differentiated Thyroid Cancer: Comparison Between Less strict and Very Strict Low Iodine Diets

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yoo, Ik Dong; Kim, Sung Hoon; Seo, Ye Young; Oh, Jin Kyoung; O, Joo Hyun; Chung, Soo Kyo [The Catholic Univ. of Korea, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2012-03-15

    To decrease the risk of recurrence or metastasis in differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC), selected patients receive radioactive iodine ablation of remnant thyroid tissue or tumor. A low iodine diet can enhance uptake of radioactive iodine. We compared the success rates of radioactive iodine ablation therapy in patients who followed two different low iodine diets (LIDs). The success rates of postsurgical radioactive iodine ablation in DTC patients receiving empiric doses of 150 mCi were retrospectively reviewed. First-time radioactive iodine ablation therapy was done in 71 patients following less strict LID. Less strict LID restricted seafood, iodized salt, egg yolk, dairy products, processed meat, instant prepared meals, and multivitamins. Very strict LID additionally restricted rice, freshwater fish, spinach, and soybean products. Radioactive iodine ablation therapy was considered successful when follow up {sup 123I} whole body scan was negative and stimulated serum thyroglobulin level was less than 2.0 ng/mL. The success rate of patients following less strict LID was 80.3% and for very strict LID 75.6%. There was no statistically significant difference in the success rates between the two LID groups (P=0.48). Very strict LID may not contribute to improving the success rate of initial radioactive iodine ablation therapy at the cost of great inconvenience to the patient.

  1. Success and failure rates of tumor genotyping techniques in routine pathological samples with non-small-cell lung cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vanderlaan, Paul A; Yamaguchi, Norihiro; Folch, Erik; Boucher, David H; Kent, Michael S; Gangadharan, Sidharta P; Majid, Adnan; Goldstein, Michael A; Huberman, Mark S; Kocher, Olivier N; Costa, Daniel B

    2014-04-01

    Identification of some somatic molecular alterations in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has become evidence-based practice. The success and failure rate of using commercially available tumor genotyping techniques in routine day-to-day NSCLC pathology samples is not well described. We sought to evaluate the success and failure rate of EGFR mutation, KRAS mutation, and ALK FISH in a cohort of lung cancers subjected to routine clinical tumor genotype. Clinicopathologic data, tumor genotype success and failure rates were retrospectively compiled and analyzed from 381 patient-tumor samples. From these 381 patients with lung cancer, the mean age was 65 years, 61.2% were women, 75.9% were white, 27.8% were never smokers, 73.8% had advanced NSCLC and 86.1% had adenocarcinoma histology. The tumor tissue was obtained from surgical specimens in 48.8%, core needle biopsies in 17.9%, and as cell blocks from aspirates or fluid in 33.3% of cases. Anatomic sites for tissue collection included lung (49.3%), lymph nodes (22.3%), pleura (11.8%), bone (6.0%), brain (6.0%), among others. The overall success rate for EGFR mutation analysis was 94.2%, for KRAS mutation 91.6% and for ALK FISH 91.6%. The highest failure rates were observed when the tissue was obtained from image-guided percutaneous transthoracic core-needle biopsies (31.8%, 27.3%, and 35.3% for EGFR, KRAS, and ALK tests, respectively) and bone specimens (23.1%, 15.4%, and 23.1%, respectively). In specimens obtained from bone, the failure rates were significantly higher for biopsies than resection specimens (40% vs. 0%, p=0.024 for EGFR) and for decalcified compared to non-decalcified samples (60% vs. 5.5%, p=0.021 for EGFR). Tumor genotype techniques are feasible in most samples, outside small image-guided percutaneous transthoracic core-needle biopsies and bone samples from core biopsies with decalcification, and therefore expansion of routine tumor genotype into the care of patients with NSCLC may not require special

  2. Therapietrouw bij COPD.

    OpenAIRE

    Heins, M.; Heijmans, M.; Schermer, T.

    2018-01-01

    In Nederland zijn bijna 600.000 mensen met een chronisch obstructieve longziekte (COPD) die daarvoor zorg van hun huisarts of specialist ontvangen [1]. Bij COPD zijn de longen chronisch ontstoken, waardoor mensen moeite hebben met ademhalen en minder energie hebben. Roken is verreweg de meest voorkomende oorzaak van COPD. Klachten zijn continu aanwezig en mensen kunnen daarnaast een plotselinge verergering van de klachten hebben (longaanval). Bijna alle mensen met COPD gebruiken medicijnen vo...

  3. Severe gastritis decreases success rate of Helicobacter pylori eradication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kalkan, Ismail Hakki; Sapmaz, Ferdane; Güliter, Sefa; Atasoy, Pınar

    2016-05-01

    In several studies, different risk factors other than antibiotic resistance have been documented with Helicobacter pylori eradication failure. We aimed in this study to investigate the relationship of gastric density of H. pylori, the occurrence/degree of gastric atrophy, and intestinal metaplasia (IM) with success rate of H. pylori eradication. Two hundred consecutive treatment naive patients who received bismuth containing standart quadruple treatment due to H. pylori infection documented by histopathological examination of two antral or two corpal biopsies entered this retrospective study. The updated Sydney system was used to grade the activity of gastritis, density of H. pylori colonization, atrophy, and IM. Stages III and IV of operative link for gastritis assessment (OLGA) or the operative link on gastric intestinal metaplasia assessment (OLGIM) stages was considered as severe gastritis. H. pylori eradication was determined via stool H. pylori antigen test performed 4 weeks after the end of therapy. The presence of gastric atrophy and IM was significantly higher in patients with eradication failure (p = 0.001 and 0.01, respectively). Severe gastritis (OLGA III-IV and OLGIM III-IV) rates were higher in eradication failure group. A multiple linear regression analysis showed that OLGA and OLGIM stages were to be independent risk factors for eradication failure (p = 0.03 and 0.01, respectively). Our results suggested that histopathologically severe gastritis may cause H. pylori eradication failure. In addition, we found that H. pylori density was not a risk factor for treatment failure in patients who receive quadruple treatment.

  4. Interest Rate Rules, Exchange Market Pressure, and Successful Exchange Rate Management

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Klaassen, F.; Mavromatis, K.

    2016-01-01

    Central banks with an exchange rate objective set the interest rate in response to what they call ''pressure.'' Instead, existing interest rate rules rely on the exchange rate minus its target. To stay closer to actual policy, we introduce a rule that uses exchange market pressure (EMP), the

  5. The effect of adding hyoscine to vaginal misoprostol on abortion induction success rate

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tehranian A

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available "n Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE AR-SA MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} Background: Intravaginal misoprostol has been shown to be an effective agent for cervical ripening and induction of labor. The aim of present study was to assess the effects of adding hyoscine to vaginal misoprostol on its success rate. "n"nMethods: In a clinical trial, 74 women who were referred to undergo legal induction of labor during first pregnancy trimester in Arash Hospital, in Tehran, Iran, between March 2006 and March 2007 were enrolled, and were randomly divided in to two groups of misoprostol (400 µg/4h, vaginal (n=37 or misoprostol (400 µg/4h, vaginal plus hyoscine (20 mg IV (n=37. Their complications including nausea, vomiting, fever, abdominal pain, need for analgesics, diarrhea, vaginal bleeding, decline in hemoglobin more than 3 g/dl, need for blood transfusion and failure of treatment according to the failure of induction of labor or cervical opening in 24 hours after starting treatment and the total duration of hospitalization were compared between groups. "n"nResults: There were no significant differences between groups regarding the rate of side effects like nausea, abdominal pain and vaginal bleeding. In misoprostol plus hyoscine group, the success rate in abortion was significantly higher (40

  6. Association between success rate and citation count of studies of radiofrequency catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation: possible evidence of citation bias.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perino, Alexander C; Hoang, Donald D; Holmes, Tyson H; Santangeli, Pasquale; Heidenreich, Paul A; Perez, Marco V; Wang, Paul J; Turakhia, Mintu P

    2014-09-01

    The preferential citation of studies with the highest success rates could exaggerate perceived effectiveness, particularly for treatments with widely varying published success rates such as radiofrequency catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation. We systematically identified observational studies and clinical trials of radiofrequency catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation between 1990 and 2012. Generalized Poisson regression was used to estimate association between study success rate and total citation count, adjusting for sample size, journal impact factor, time since publication, study design, and whether first or last author was a consensus-defined pre-eminent expert. We identified 174 articles meeting our inclusion criteria (36 289 subjects). After adjustment only for time since publication, a 10-point increase above the mean in pooled reported success rates was associated with a 17.8% increase in citation count at 5 years postpublication (95% confidence interval, 7.1-28.4%; Pcitation count; 95% confidence interval, 7.6-29.6%; Pcitation count, which may indicate citation bias. To readers of the literature, radiofrequency catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation could be perceived to be more effective than the data supports. These findings may have implications for a wide variety of novel cardiovascular therapies. © 2014 American Heart Association, Inc.

  7. A Comparison of Success and Failure Rates between Computer-Assisted and Traditional College Algebra Sections

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herron, Sherry; Gandy, Rex; Ye, Ningjun; Syed, Nasser

    2012-01-01

    A unique aspect of the implementation of a computer algebra system (CAS) at a comprehensive university in the U.S. allowed us to compare the student success and failure rates to the traditional method of teaching college algebra. Due to space limitations, the university offered sections of both CAS and traditional simultaneously and, upon…

  8. Detection of sentinel lymph node in breast cancer and malignant melanoma - Influence of some factors on detection success rate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krafta, O.; Safarcika, K.; Stepien, A.

    2004-01-01

    Full text: The aim of this study was to compare three radiopharmaceuticals for sentinel lymph node detection in breast cancer and malignant melanoma patients. We examined 100 women and 2 men with breast cancer (average age 59.3 years) and 167 patients with malignant melanoma (69 men with mean age of 58.6 years and 98 women with mean age of 53.6 years). Lymphoscintigraphy was performed in all patients after injection of the radiotracer, either of the three: NANOCIS (average particle size 100 nm), SENTISCINT (particle size 100-600 nm), and NANOCOLL (particle size under 80 nm). Dynamic scintigraphy was performed in melanoma patients while breast cancer patients were subjected to stating imaging at 1-2 and 22 hours of injection. In patients with melanoma surgery was done on the same day, to remove the primary tumor, sentinel lymph node and other nodes, wherever required. In breast cancer patients, surgery, more or less, was done on the second day of radiotracer injection. In operation theatre isosulfan blue dye and gamma probe was used to detect sentinel lymph nodes. In breast cancer patients, scintigraphy detected a total of 231 lymph nodes but failed to show sentinel lymph node in 7 patients (success rate of lymphoscintigraphy 93.1 %). Using gamma probe 158 lymph nodes were detected in 89 patients but sentinel nodes were missed in 9 patients (success rate of probe was 89.9 %). 146 lymph nodes could be visualised using blue dye in 92 patients but were missed in 12 patients (detection rate by dye was 87 %). In 2 patients sentinel lymph node could not be detected by any method. In patients with melanoma, scintigraphy showed 304 lymph nodes. However, it did not detect sentinel lymph node in 9 patients (success rate of lymphoscintigraphy was 94.6 %). 104 patients were examined by means of gamma probe and 132 lymph nodes were detected and no lymph node was found in 13 patients (success rate of probe 87.5%). Using blue dye in 140 patients, 131 nodes were found but were

  9. Retrospective success and survival rates of dental implants placed after a ridge preservation procedure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Apostolopoulos, Peter; Darby, Ivan

    2017-04-01

    Ridge preservation is any procedure that takes place at the time of, or shortly after an extraction, to minimise resorption of the ridge and maximise bone formation within the socket. The aim of this project is to investigate the outcome of implant treatment following ridge preservation and compare it to an ungrafted implant control group. Following ethics approval, an electronic and manual search of patient records was conducted, and appropriate cases of implant placement following a ridge preservation procedure were identified. Forty-two patients with 51 implants at ridge-preserved sites were examined by one author (PA) with the following parameters assessed at each implant: pocket probing depth, bleeding on probing, presence/absence of plaque and radiographic bone loss. Clinical and radiographic findings were compared to an ungrafted implant control group and analysed by years in function. There was a 100% survival rate of implants in ridge-preserved sites. In the majority of cases, ridge preservation was performed in the anterior maxilla with a flap raised and the use of deproteinised bovine bone mineral and collagen membrane materials. The mean time in function was 31 (±24) months with a range of 2-102 months. Differences in the mean PPD, BOP, plaque index and radiographic bone loss were not statistically significant between implants at ridge-preserved or ungrafted sites. The overall success rate was around 58% for ungrafted implants and around 51% for implants in ridge-preserved sites. However, this difference was not statistically significant. In this retrospective study, implant placement at ridge-preserved sites was a predictable procedure that led to very high survival rates and similar success rates to implant placement at ungrafted sites. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  10. Variable terrestrial GPS telemetry detection rates: Addressing the probability of successful acquisitions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ironside, Kirsten E.; Mattson, David J.; Choate, David; Stoner, David; Arundel, Terry; Hansen, Jered R.; Theimer, Tad; Holton, Brandon; Jansen, Brian; Sexton, Joseph O.; Longshore, Kathleen M.; Edwards, Thomas C.; Peters, Michael

    2017-01-01

    Studies using global positioning system (GPS) telemetry rarely result in 100% fix success rates (FSR), which may bias datasets because data loss is systematic rather than a random process. Previous spatially explicit models developed to correct for sampling bias have been limited to small study areas, a small range of data loss, or were study-area specific. We modeled environmental effects on FSR from desert to alpine biomes, investigated the full range of potential data loss (0–100% FSR), and evaluated whether animal body position can contribute to lower FSR because of changes in antenna orientation based on GPS detection rates for 4 focal species: cougars (Puma concolor), desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni), Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni), and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus). Terrain exposure and height of over story vegetation were the most influential factors affecting FSR. Model evaluation showed a strong correlation (0.88) between observed and predicted FSR and no significant differences between predicted and observed FSRs using 2 independent validation datasets. We found that cougars and canyon-dwelling bighorn sheep may select for environmental features that influence their detectability by GPS technology, mule deer may select against these features, and elk appear to be nonselective. We observed temporal patterns in missed fixes only for cougars. We provide a model for cougars, predicting fix success by time of day that is likely due to circadian changes in collar orientation and selection of daybed sites. We also provide a model predicting the probability of GPS fix acquisitions given environmental conditions, which had a strong relationship (r 2 = 0.82) with deployed collar FSRs across species.

  11. Thermophilic archaeal community succession and function change associated with the leaching rate in bioleaching of chalcopyrite.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Wei; Xia, Jin-lan; Yang, Yi; Nie, Zhen-yuan; Peng, An-an; Liu, Hong-chang; Qiu, Guan-zhou

    2013-04-01

    The community succession and function change of thermophilic archaea Acidianus brierleyi, Metallosphaera sedula, Acidianus manzaensis and Sulfolobus metallicus were studied by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis of amplifying 16S rRNA genes fragments and real-time qPCR analysis of amplifying sulfur-oxidizing soxB gene associated with chalcopyrite bioleaching rate at different temperatures and initial pH values. The analysis results of the community succession indicated that temperature and initial pH value had a significant effect on the consortium, and S. metallicus was most sensitive to the environmental change, A. brierleyi showed the best adaptability and sulfur oxidation ability and predominated in various leaching systems. Meanwhile, the leaching rate of chalcopyrite closely related to the consortium function embodied by soxB gene, which could prove a desirable way for revealing microbial sulfur oxidation difference and tracking the function change of the consortium, and for optimizing the leaching parameters and improving the recovery of valuable metals. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Success Rate and Complications of Internal Jugular Vein Catheterization With and Without Ultrasonography Guide

    OpenAIRE

    Karimi-Sari, Hamidreza; Faraji, Mehrdad; Mohazzab Torabi, Saman; Asjodi, Gholamreza

    2014-01-01

    Background: Central venous catheterization (CVC) is an important procedure in emergency departments (EDs). Despite existence of ultrasonography (US) devices in every ED, CVC is done using anatomical landmarks in many EDs in Iran. Objectives: This study aimed to compare the traditional landmark method vs. US-guided method of CVC placement in terms of complications and success rate. Patients and Methods: In this randomized controlled trial, patients who were candidate for internal jugular vein ...

  13. Quality of information about success rates provided on assisted reproductive technology clinic websites in Australia and New Zealand.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hammarberg, Karin; Prentice, Tess; Purcell, Isabelle; Johnson, Louise

    2018-06-01

    Many factors influence the chance of having a baby with assisted reproductive technologies (ART). A 2016 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) investigation concluded that ART clinics needed to improve the quality of information they provide about chance of ART success. To evaluate changes in the quality of information about success rates provided on the websites of ART clinics in Australia and New Zealand before and after the ACCC investigation. Desktop audits of websites of ART clinics in Australia and New Zealand were conducted in 2016 and 2017 and available information about success rates was scored using a matrix with eight variables and a possible range of scores of 0-9. Of the 54 clinic websites identified in 2016, 32 had unique information and were eligible to be audited. Of these, 29 were also eligible to be audited in 2017. While there was a slight improvement in the mean score from 2016 to 2017 (4.93-5.28), this was not statistically significantly different. Of the 29 clinics, 14 had the same score on both occasions, 10 had a higher and five a lower information quality score in 2017. To allow people who consider ART to make informed decisions about treatment they need comprehensive and accurate information about what treatment entails and what the likely outcomes are. As measured by a scoring matrix, most ART clinics had not improved the quality of the information about success rates following the ACCC investigation. © 2017 The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

  14. Surgical Difficulties, Success, and Complication Rates of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2017-05-22

    May 22, 2017 ... and its control is essential for successful treatment outcomes.[2] Implants ... anchorage devices in orthodontics to treat Class II and III malocclusion ... miniplate anchorage systems: Experience with 382 miniplates. Niger. J Clin Pract .... elongated the plate arms by orthodontic wires and then patients used ...

  15. Recente ontwikkelingen in de behandeling van chronische hepatitis B en C

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Chamuleau, R. A. F. M.

    2007-01-01

    Chronic hepatitis B and C are life-threatening diseases, treated with variable success. Peginterferon-alpha is one of the standard therapies for chronic hepatitis B as well as C. To prevent the development of resistant viruses, combination treatment is preferable to monotherapy. Therefore, in

  16. Postoperative groin pain and success rates following transobturator midurethral sling placement: TVT ABBREVO® system versus TVT™ obturator system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Canel, Virginie; Thubert, Thibault; Wigniolle, Ingrid; Fernandez, Hervé; Deffieux, Xavier

    2015-10-01

    Placement of a transobturator midurethral sling (MUS) is the standard surgical treatment for stress urinary incontinence. Most recent MUS procedures have been poorly evaluated. We compared the results using a "new" device expected to reduce postoperative pain, the TVT ABBREVO® system (TVT-Abb), with those using the TVT™ obturator system (TVT-O). This was a retrospective study comparing the use of the TVT-Abb (in 50 patients) and the TVT-O (in 50 patients). The main outcomes were the amount of postoperative pain, the success rate (no reported urinary leakage and negative cough test) with both MUS procedures, and the prevalence of complications. The mean follow-up time was 12 months. The preoperative characteristics of the two groups were comparable. There was less postoperative pain (VAS, 0 to 100) in the TVT-Abb group than in the TVT-O group (12.2 vs. 24.4, p TVT-Abb group and the TVT-O group (8 % vs. 12 %, p = 0.74). The prevalences of perioperative and postoperative complications (bladder/urethral injury, haemorrhage) in the two groups were equal. The success rates were similar at 12 months after surgery (88 % vs. 78 %, p = 0.29). The success rates with TVT-Abb and TVT-O were equal at 12 months after surgery, but there was less immediate postoperative pain with TVT-Abb.

  17. The usefulness of design of experimentation in defining the effect difficult airway factors and training have on simulator oral-tracheal intubation success rates in novice intubators.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas, Frank; Carpenter, Judi; Rhoades, Carol; Holleran, Renee; Snow, Gregory

    2010-04-01

    This exploratory study examined novice intubators and the effect difficult airway factors have on pre- and posttraining oral-tracheal simulation intubation success rates. Using a two-level, full-factorial design of experimentation (DOE) involving a combination of six airway factors (curved vs. straight laryngoscope blade, trismus, tongue edema, laryngeal spasm, pharyngeal obstruction, or cervical immobilization), 64 airway scenarios were prospectively randomized to 12 critical care nurses to evaluate pre- and posttraining first-pass intubation success rates on a simulator. Scenario variables and intubation outcomes were analyzed using a generalized linear mixed-effects model to determine two-way main and interactive effects. Interactive effects between the six study factors were nonsignificant (p = 0.69). For both pre- and posttraining, main effects showed the straight blade (p = 0.006), tongue edema (p = 0.0001), and laryngeal spasm (p = 0.004) significantly reduced success rates, while trismus (p = 0.358), pharyngeal obstruction (p = 0.078), and cervical immobilization did not significantly change the success rate. First-pass intubation success rate on the simulator significantly improved (p = 0.005) from pre- (19%) to posttraining (36%). Design of experimentation is useful in analyzing the effect difficult airway factors and training have on simulator intubation success rates. Future quality improvement DOE simulator research studies should be performed to help clarify the relationship between simulator factors and patient intubation rates.

  18. Improvement of Automated POST Case Success Rate Using Support Vector Machines

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zwack, Matthew R.; Dees, Patrick D.

    2017-01-01

    an 8% pass rate, tens or hundreds of thousands of reps may be needed to be confident that the best repetition is at least close to the global optima. However, typical design study time constraints require that fewer repetitions be attempted, sometimes resulting in seed points that have only a handful of successful completions. If a small number of successful repetitions are used to generate a seed point, the graph method may inherit some inaccuracies as it chains DOE cases from the non-global-optimal seed points. This creates inherent noise in the graph data, which can limit the accuracy of the resulting surrogate models. For this reason, the goal of this work is to improve the seed point generation method and ultimately the accuracy of the resulting POST surrogate model. The work focuses on increasing the case pass rate for seed point generation.

  19. Towards the VWO Annotation Service: a Success Story of the IMAGE RPI Expert Rating System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reinisch, B. W.; Galkin, I. A.; Fung, S. F.; Benson, R. F.; Kozlov, A. V.; Khmyrov, G. M.; Garcia, L. N.

    2010-12-01

    Interpretation of Heliophysics wave data requires specialized knowledge of wave phenomena. Users of the virtual wave observatory (VWO) will greatly benefit from a data annotation service that will allow querying of data by phenomenon type, thus helping accomplish the VWO goal to make Heliophysics wave data searchable, understandable, and usable by the scientific community. Individual annotations can be sorted by phenomenon type and reduced into event lists (catalogs). However, in contrast to the event lists, annotation records allow a greater flexibility of collaborative management by more easily admitting operations of addition, revision, or deletion. They can therefore become the building blocks for an interactive Annotation Service with a suitable graphic user interface to the VWO middleware. The VWO Annotation Service vision is an interactive, collaborative sharing of domain expert knowledge with fellow scientists and students alike. An effective prototype of the VWO Annotation Service has been in operation at the University of Massachusetts Lowell since 2001. An expert rating system (ERS) was developed for annotating the IMAGE radio plasma imager (RPI) active sounding data containing 1.2 million plasmagrams. The RPI data analysts can use ERS to submit expert ratings of plasmagram features, such as presence of echo traces resulted from reflected RPI signals from distant plasma structures. Since its inception in 2001, the RPI ERS has accumulated 7351 expert plasmagram ratings in 16 phenomenon categories, together with free-text descriptions and other metadata. In addition to human expert ratings, the system holds 225,125 ratings submitted by the CORPRAL data prospecting software that employs a model of the human pre-attentive vision to select images potentially containing interesting features. The annotation records proved to be instrumental in a number of investigations where manual data exploration would have been prohibitively tedious and expensive

  20. Success rate of 10th semester dental students of Tehran University of Medical students in infra alveolar nerve block injection technique

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hoseinitodashki H.

    2009-03-01

    Full Text Available "nBackground and Aim: Inducing anesthesia is one of the important tasks in dentistry. Among various techniques for injection, the Inferior Alveolar Nerve Block (IANB technique is one of the most practical and prevalent methods. However, according to some proofs in reference books, the success rate for this technique is some how low. Therefore the success rate of IANB performed by 10th-semester undergraduare students from Faculty of Dentistry of Tehran University of Medical Sciences was assessed in this study. "nMaterials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study from patients referring to oral and maxillofacial surgery ward, 20 patients with predefined conditions were selected. For each of them, two IANB injections were done in two separated days; one by a student and the other by an attend (or resident of maxillofacial surgery ward. Success or failure of each injection was examined by Pin Prick test. In this study, the non-parametric Willcoxon test was used. "nResults: In this study, the success rate of IANB was 70% and 90%, respectively for students and attends (or resident. "nConclusion: Significant statistically difference was seen between the two groups, we hope that through further practical education, this differences rsduce in following similar studies.

  1. Primary non-transecting bulbar urethroplasty long-term success rates are similar to transecting urethroplasty.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, Kirk M; Blakely, Stephen A; O'Donnell, Colin I; Nikolavsky, Dmitriy; Flynn, Brian J

    2017-01-01

    To review the long-term outcomes of transecting versus non-transecting urethroplasty to repair bulbar urethral strictures. A retrospective review was conducted of 342 patients who underwent anterior urethroplasty performed by a single surgeon from 2003 to 2014. Patients were excluded from further analysis if there had been prior urethroplasty, stricture location outside the bulbous urethra, or age urethroplasty. In the non-transecting group, surgical techniques used included non-transecting anastomotic urethroplasty and dorsal and/or ventral buccal grafting. The primary endpoint was stricture resolution in transecting vs. non-transecting bulbar urethroplasty. Success was defined as freedom from secondary procedures including dilation, urethrotomy, or repeat urethroplasty. One hundred and fifty-two patients met inclusion criteria. At a mean follow-up of 65 months (range: 10-138 months), stricture-free recurrence in the transecting and non-transecting groups was similar, 83% (n = 85/102) and 82% (n = 41/50), respectively (p = 0.84). Surgical technique (p = 0.91), stricture length (p = 0.8), and etiology (p = 0.6) did not affect stricture recurrence rate on multivariate analysis. There was no difference detected in time to stricture recurrence (p = 0.21). In this retrospective series, transecting and non-transecting primary bulbar urethroplasty resulted in similar long-term stricture resolution rate. Prospective studies are needed to determine what differences may present in outcomes related to sexual function and long-term success.

  2. Effect of regional anesthesia on the success rate of external cephalic version: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goetzinger, Katherine R; Harper, Lorie M; Tuuli, Methodius G; Macones, George A; Colditz, Graham A

    2011-11-01

    To estimate whether the use of regional anesthesia is associated with increased success of external cephalic version. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and clinical trial registries. Electronic databases were searched from 1966 through April 2011 for published, randomized controlled trials in the English language comparing regional anesthesia with no regional anesthesia for external cephalic version. The primary outcome was external cephalic version success. Secondary outcomes included cesarean delivery, maternal discomfort, and adverse events. Pooled risk ratios (relative risk) were calculated using a random-effects model. Heterogeneity was assessed using the Cochran's Q statistic and quantified using the I Z method. Six randomized controlled trials met criteria for study inclusion. Regional anesthesia was associated with a higher external cephalic version success rate compared with intravenous or no analgesia (59.7% compared with 37.6%; pooled relative risk 1.58; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.29-1.93). This significant association persisted when the data were stratified by type of regional anesthesia (spinal compared with epidural). The number needed to treat with regional anesthesia to achieve one additional successful external cephalic version was five. There was no evidence of statistical heterogeneity (P=.32, I Z=14.9%) or publication bias (Harbord test P=.78). There was no statistically significant difference in the risk of cesarean delivery comparing regional anesthesia with intravenous or no analgesia (48.4% compared with 59.3%; pooled relative risk 0.80; 95% CI 0.55-1.17). Adverse events were rare and not significantly different between the two groups. Regional anesthesia is associated with a higher success rate of external cephalic version.

  3. Uroflowmetric changes, success rate and complications following Tension-free Vaginal Tape Obturator (TVT-O) operation in obese females.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fouad, Reham; El-Faissal, Yahia M; Hashem, Ahmed T; Gad Allah, Sherine H

    2017-07-01

    The goal of this study was to evaluate the outcome of Tension-free Vaginal Tape Obturator (TVT-O) operation in the treatment of urodynamic stress incontinence (USI) in obese females, with respect to uroflowmetric changes, success rate and postoperative complications. This prospective observational study included 26 patients with USI at the Obstetrics & Gynecology department-Cairo University hospital during the year 2015. The participants had body mass index (BMI)≥30. Patients underwent TVT-O operation. Follow up of the patients was performed by cough test and uroflowmetry after one week, one month, three months and six months. Postoperative complications such as groin pain, sense of incomplete emptying, need to strain to complete micturition and urinary tract infection were recorded. Comparisons between groups were done using Chi square, Phi-Cramer test for categorical variables. The mean age for the subjects was 43.58±9.01years. The mean BMI was 33.4±2.1. The success rate of TVT-O operation was 21 out of 26 patients (≈81%). Normal maximum flow rate was in 88% of patients at week one and was normal in 100% of patients at months three and six (p=0.101 & 0.101). Postoperative groin pain was the main complaint during the first week after operation and decreased significantly from week one to the 1st month postoperative (84.62% & 65.38%, P=0.041). TVT-O operation showed a high success rate in treatment of USI in obese patients without affecting the voiding function of the bladder as proven by the uroflowmetry. The main postoperative complaint was the groin pain which significantly improved after one month. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. A comparison of teacher stress and school climate across schools with different matric success rates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karen Milner

    2008-05-01

    Full Text Available Our aim was to investigate differences in teacher stress and perceptions of school climate among teachers from schools with differing matriculation success rates in the Limpopo province of South Africa. Two schools with matric pass rates of 100% and two schools with matric pass rates of less than 25% were selected from a list of schools provided by the province's Educational District Circuit. The schools were matched in terms of area, size, resources, and equipment. Thirty-three teachers from the high performing schools and forty-two teachers from the poor performing schools participated in the study. Student's t tests were used to assess the differences between the schools on the variables under investigation, and the results showed the teachers' experience of stress across the different schools was not significantly different, but significant differences did emerge with regard to school climate. The implications of these findings for the study population are discussed.

  5. Investigating Strategies to Increase Persistence and Success Rates among Anatomy & Physiology Students: A Case Study at Austin Community College District

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vedartham, Padmaja B.

    Community colleges train 60% of healthcare workers nationwide. Human anatomy and physiology (A&P) courses are considered prerequisite courses for all students who aspire to enter health-related programs. The attrition rates for A&P students at community colleges nationally are close to 50%. Community colleges with open-door policies admit nontraditional students who have historically been educationally and economically disadvantaged and are labeled at risk. At-risk students offer a challenge to the colleges and in particular to allied health programs with their mathematical and science oriented requirements. This case study was designed to determine the strategies used to increase the success rates and retention rates among A&P students at Austin Community College District (ACC) in Texas. Data show that ACC has almost 100% retention and higher success rates among A&P students as compared to other colleges. Qualitative data were collected from eight full-time faculty, three administrators, three administrative staff, one director, and two advisors. The findings linked both academic and nonacademic variables to high retention and success rates. The key strategies that helped the A&P students to overcome the challenges to persist and succeed were an assessment test, two preparatory biology courses, technology, and teaching strategies. Taking an assessment test before being permitted to access the class helped students prepare themselves for the rigors of A&P. These strategies provided the students with the foundation of knowledge in the basic biological principles and processes, study skills, and time management skills that would prepare them for the material presented in A&P courses and later in the allied health programs. The principle themes identified in this research--namely requiring students to take the assessment test, providing materials (BIOL.1308, CE4000, and online modules) to prepare students for taking the test, a $2 million grant awarded by the

  6. SUCCESS RATE OF ONE SESSION AND TWO SESSION TECHNIQUES FOR TREATMENT OF ASYMPTOMATIC PULPITIS OF PRIMARY TEETH WITH INDIRECT PULP CAPPING.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rossitza Kabaktchieva

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective: Objective: To compare the success rate between the one session and two session indirect pulp capping of asymptomatic pulpitis for 1 year after the treatment was performed in children with different caries risk. Material and Methods: The children and the teeth were selected according to certain criteria for inclusion in the study. According to that, 72 children with low, moderate and high caries risk were included and 131 teeth with asymptomatic pulpitis were treated. The clinical protocols for indirect pulp capping (IPC in one session and two sessions were defined. The review appointments were performed 6 and 12 months after the treatment using certain clinical and radiographic criteria which defined success or post-treatment complications. The results are statistically analysed using One Sided Exact Two-Proportion Test with 95% Significance level (5% risk of type I error. Results: The statistical test showed that between the compared success rates of the one session and two sessions IPC, on the 6th and 12th month, there wasn’t a significant difference (p>0.05. This was valid for every one of the examined groups of patients (p>0. 05. This proves that there is no difference in the success rates of treatment of pulpitis in primary teeth using one or two sessions. Conclusions: The results about the success of treatment of asymptomatic pulpitis in primary teeth during one or two sessions have confirmed the results showed in other current studies. Our study has confirmed (clinically and radiographically the success of both techniques and we have concluded that in children with high caries risk, more appropriate technique is the one performed in two sessions. Treatment in one session is recommended in children with low or moderate caries risk.

  7. Estimating the success rate of ovulation and early litter loss rate in the Japanese black bear (Ursus thibetanus japonicus) by examining the ovaries and uteri.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamanaka, Atsushi; Yamauchi, Kiyoshi; Tsujimoto, Tsunenori; Mizoguchi, Toshio; Oi, Toru; Sawada, Seigo; Shimozuru, Michito; Tsubota, Toshio

    2011-02-01

    In order to develop a method for estimating the success/failure rates of reproductive processes, especially those of ovulation and neonate nurturing, in the Japanese black bear (Ursus thibetanus japonicus), we examined offspring status, corpora lutea (CLs), placental scars (PSs) and corpora albicantia (CAs) in 159 females (0-23 years old) killed as nuisances on Honshu Island of Japan during 2001-2009. PSs were found to remain in the uterus at least until November of the year of parturition. CA detectability began to decline after September of the year of parturition. Monthly and age-specific proportions of CL-present females revealed that the post-mating season starts in August, and that the age of first ovulation is 4 years. These results indicate that the success rate of ovulation (SRO: the probability that solitary/non-lactating mature females actually succeed in ovulation) can be estimated by calculating the proportion of CL-present females among > or = 4-year-old females without PSs captured from August to November; the early litter loss rate (ELLR: the probability that parenting females lose all of their cubs [0-year-old offspring] before mating season) can be estimated by calculating the proportion of CL-present females among those with PSs and CAs captured in August or later. The estimated values of SRO and ELLR were 0.93 (62/67) and 0.27 (6/22), respectively.

  8. Higher success rate with transcranial electrical stimulation of motor-evoked potentials using constant-voltage stimulation compared with constant-current stimulation in patients undergoing spinal surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shigematsu, Hideki; Kawaguchi, Masahiko; Hayashi, Hironobu; Takatani, Tsunenori; Iwata, Eiichiro; Tanaka, Masato; Okuda, Akinori; Morimoto, Yasuhiko; Masuda, Keisuke; Tanaka, Yuu; Tanaka, Yasuhito

    2017-10-01

    During spine surgery, the spinal cord is electrophysiologically monitored via transcranial electrical stimulation of motor-evoked potentials (TES-MEPs) to prevent injury. Transcranial electrical stimulation of motor-evoked potential involves the use of either constant-current or constant-voltage stimulation; however, there are few comparative data available regarding their ability to adequately elicit compound motor action potentials. We hypothesized that the success rates of TES-MEP recordings would be similar between constant-current and constant-voltage stimulations in patients undergoing spine surgery. The objective of this study was to compare the success rates of TES-MEP recordings between constant-current and constant-voltage stimulation. This is a prospective, within-subject study. Data from 100 patients undergoing spinal surgery at the cervical, thoracic, or lumbar level were analyzed. The success rates of the TES-MEP recordings from each muscle were examined. Transcranial electrical stimulation with constant-current and constant-voltage stimulations at the C3 and C4 electrode positions (international "10-20" system) was applied to each patient. Compound muscle action potentials were bilaterally recorded from the abductor pollicis brevis (APB), deltoid (Del), abductor hallucis (AH), tibialis anterior (TA), gastrocnemius (GC), and quadriceps (Quad) muscles. The success rates of the TES-MEP recordings from the right Del, right APB, bilateral Quad, right TA, right GC, and bilateral AH muscles were significantly higher using constant-voltage stimulation than those using constant-current stimulation. The overall success rates with constant-voltage and constant-current stimulations were 86.3% and 68.8%, respectively (risk ratio 1.25 [95% confidence interval: 1.20-1.31]). The success rates of TES-MEP recordings were higher using constant-voltage stimulation compared with constant-current stimulation in patients undergoing spinal surgery. Copyright © 2017

  9. The Success Rate of Pediatric In-Hospital Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation in Ahvaz Training Hospitals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shideh Assar

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Research Objective. This study determined the outcome of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR after in-hospital cardiac arrest and factors influencing it in two training hospitals in Ahvaz. Method. Patients hospitalized in the pediatric wards and exposed to CPR during hospital stay were included in the study (September 2013 to May 2014. The primary outcome of CPR was assumed to be the return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC and the secondary outcome was assumed to be survival to discharge. The neurological outcome of survivors was assessed using the Pediatric Cerebral Performance Category (PCPC method. Results. Of the 279 study participants, 138 patients (49.4% showed ROSC, 81 patients (29% survived for 24 hours after the CPR, and 33 patients (11.8% survived to discharge. Of the surviving patients, 16 (48.5% had favorable neurological outcome. The resuscitation during holidays resulted in fewer ROSC. Multivariate analysis showed that longer CPR duration, CPR by junior residents, growth deficiency, and prearrest vasoactive drug infusion were associated with decreased survival to discharge (p<0.05. Infants and patients with respiratory disease had higher survival rates. Conclusion. The rate of successful CPR in our study was lower than rates reported by developed countries. However, factors influencing the outcome of CPR were similar. These results reflect the necessity of paying more attention to pediatric CPR training, postresuscitation conditions, and expansion of intensive care facilities.

  10. Does the Recent Success of some OECD Countries in Lowering their Unemployment Rates lie in the Clever Design of their Labour Market Reforms?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Belot, M.V.K.; van Ours, J.C.

    2000-01-01

    The development of the unemployment rate differs substantially between OECD countries. In recent years some countries experienced a mild increase, other countries had a stable unemployment rate, while there are also 'successful' countries in which the unemployment rate decreased a lot. A common

  11. Population dynamics along a primary succession gradient: do alpine species fit into demographic succession theory?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marcante, Silvia; Winkler, Eckart; Erschbamer, Brigitta

    2009-05-01

    Understanding processes and mechanisms governing changes in plant species along primary successions has been of major importance in ecology. However, to date hardly any studies have focused on the complete life cycle of species along a successional gradient, comparing pioneer, early and late-successional species. In this study it is hypothesized that pioneer species should initially have a population growth rate, lambda, greater than one with high fecundity rates, and declining growth rates when they are replaced by late-successional species. Populations of late-successional species should also start, at the mid-successional stage (when pioneer species are declining), with growth rates greater than one and arrive at rates equal to one at the late successional stage, mainly due to higher survival rates that allow these species to persist for a long time. The demography of pioneer- (Saxifraga aizoides), early (Artemisia genipi) and late-successional species (Anthyllis vulneraria ssp. alpicola) was investigated together with that of a ubiquitous species (Poa alpina) along the Rotmoos glacier foreland (2300-2400 m a.s.l., Central Alps, Austria) over 3 years. A matrix modelling approach was used to compare the main demographic parameters. Elasticity values were plotted in a demographic triangle using fecundity, individual growth and survival as vital rates contributing to the population growth rates. The results largely confirmed the predictions for population growth rates during succession. However, high survival rates of larger adults characterized all species, regardless of where they were growing along the succession. At the pioneer site, high mortality rates of seedlings, plantlets and young individuals were recorded. Fecundity was found to be of minor relevance everywhere, but it was nevertheless sufficient to increase or maintain the population sizes. Demographically, all the species over all sites behaved like late-successional or climax species in secondary

  12. Defining freight rates as a contribution to the successful operation of container shipping companies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Renato Oblak

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The globalization of the world market and the flexibility of containerization to adjust to the constant changes in supply and demand of the international goods market, has led to a continuous increase in the portion of the container transport within the international maritime cargo transport. By the increase of the container transport level, the impact and importance of container freight rates have been growing, the variability of which directly reflects on the world economy. The aim of this paper is to analyze the efficiency of actual methods in establishing the container freight rates according to the problems which appear in the container shipping operation and refer to large differences in the weights of the actual transported cargo and the declared cargo in containers. The consequence of is lower freight rates and higher costs of the vessels exploitation, concerning the increase of the bunker oil consumption. The conducted research is based on actual data that have been collected and analyzed from particular container vessel liner services within period of 90 days and casting off from 16 container ports. The proposed measures could increase the level of usability of the transporting ships capacities and enable a more accurate and correct account of sea freight rates. The results of the research have shown that by increasing the control of accuracy of the cargo weight in containers and by improving the model of accounting, the freight rates can increase the incomes of shipping companies maintaining the same level of container traffic, which can have a direct influence on the efficiency of their successful operation.

  13. Success and recurrence rate of optical urethrotomy in management of anterior urethral stricture in males

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jat, J.A.; Mangi, S.; Arain, A.H.

    2017-01-01

    To determine the success and recurrence rate of optical urethrotomy in management of anterior urethral stricture in males. Methodology: This prospective observational study was carried out in urology Ward, Liaquat University Hospital Jamshoro, Pakistan from March 2009 to December 2009 and included 50 patients of anterior urethral stricture. Detailed history and clinical examination was recorded. All underwent investigations, anesthesia fitness, Uroflowmetry (UFM) and urethrogram. After optical urethrotomy, follow up of all patients was done. Data were analyzed through SPSS software. Results: Age ranged from 16 to 70 years (mean 26.78+-2.3 years). Symptoms of patients were weak stream in 30 (60%), straining in 27(54%), painful micturition in 12 (24%), retention 14 (28%), discharging urethra in 14 (28%), UTI in 9 (18%), hematuria in 5 (10%) and infertility in 3 (6%). Causes of stricture were mechanical trauma in 12 (24%), RTA in 7 (14%), STD in 3 (6%), infection in 5 (10%), iatrogenic in 13 (26%), others in 4 (8%) and past surgical history in 6 (12%). Stricture was at penobulbar juntion in 38 (76%) patients, while penile was present in 7(14%) patients and meatus in 5(10%). The complications were bleeding in 16(32%) patients, damage to urethra in 2(4%) patients, false passage in 2(4%) patients, and rectal injury in 0 (0%) patients and recurrent in 18(36%) patients. Conclusion: Internal optical urethrotomy is safe first line treatment in urethral stricture independent of etiology. The overall success rate was 63%. (author)

  14. Transarterial embolization for uterine fibroids: clinical success rate and results of magnetic resonance imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kroencke, T.J.; Scheurig, C.; Kluener, C.; Fischer, T.; Klessen, C.; Rudolph, J.; Siara, K.; Zimmermann, E.; Hamm, B.; Gauruder-Burmester, A.; Gronewold, M.

    2005-01-01

    Purpose: to analyze the clinical success rate and the findings of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) after uterine artery embolization of symptomatic leiomyomas (fibroids) of the uterus. Materials and methods: this is a prospective single-center case study of 80 consecutively treated patients, followed for 3-6 months (group I), 7-12 months, (group II), and 13-25 months (group III). MRI was used to determine the uterine volume and size of the dominant leiomyoma. Symptoms and causes requiring repeat interventions were analyzed. Results: significant (p < 0.01) volume reduction of the uterus (median: 34.95% confidence interval [CI]: 30.41 - 41.76%) and dominant leiomyoma (median: 52.07%, CI: 47.71 - 61.57%) was found. The decrease in uterine volume (I-III: 22.68%, 33.56%, 47.93%) and dominant leiomyoma volume (I-III: 41.86%, 62.16%, 73.96%) progressed with the follow-up time. Bleeding resolved significantly (p < 0.0001) in all three follow-up groups (groups I-III: 92.86%, 95.23%, 96.67%). Furthermore, urinary frequency (groups I-III: 70%, 75%, 82.35%) and sensation of pelvic pressure (groups I-III: 42.86%, 60%, 93.75%) improved, which was statistically significant in group III (p < 0.01). The number of leiomyomas correlated (p < 0.05) with improvement of the bleeding and the pelvic pressure. Repeat therapy was necessary for complications in four patients (5%) and for therapeutic failure in three patients (3.8%). Permanent amenorrhea was observed in four patients (5%) of age 45 years or older. Conclusion: uterine artery embolization of uterine leiomyomas has a high clinical success rate with an acceptable incidence of complications and repeat interventions. (orig.)

  15. [Impact of the external cephalic version on the obstetrical prognosis in a team with a high success rate of vaginal delivery in breech presentation].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coppola, C; Mottet, N; Mariet, A S; Baeza, C; Poitrey, E; Bourtembourg, A; Ramanah, R; Riethmuller, D

    2016-10-01

    To analyse the impact of external cephalic version (ECV) on caesarean section rate in a team with a high success rate of vaginal delivery in breech presentation. Retrospective monocentric study including 298 patients with a breech presentations between 33 and 35weeks of amenorrhea followed at our university hospital and delivered after 35weeks, between 1st January 2011 and 31st December 2013. Patients were divided into 2 groups: planned ECV (n=216 patients) versus no planned ECV (n=57 patients). Our rate of successful vaginal breech delivery over the period of the study was 61.1%. We performed 165 ECV, with a 21.8% success rate. The average term of the attempt of ECV was 36.7weeks of amenorrhea. The caesarean section rate was not significantly different in the planned ECV group, even after adjustment on age, parity and previous caesarean delivery (adjusted OR=1.67 [0.77-3.61]). Attempt of ECV did not reduce the number of breech presentation at delivery (61.1% versus 61.4% [P=0.55]). Planned ECV in our center with a high level of breech vaginal delivery did not significantly impact our cesarean section rate. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  16. Direct-to-consumer advertising of success rates for medically assisted reproduction: a review of national clinic websites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilkinson, Jack; Vail, Andy; Roberts, Stephen A

    2017-01-12

    To establish how medically assisted reproduction (MAR) clinics report success rates on their websites. Websites of private and NHS clinics offering in vitro fertilisation (IVF) in the UK. We identified clinics offering IVF using the Choose a Fertility Clinic facility on the website of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA). Of 81 clinics identified, a website could not be found for 2, leaving 79 for inclusion in the analysis. Outcome measures reported by clinic websites. The numerator and denominator included in the outcome measure were of interest. 53 (67%) websites reported their performance using 51 different outcome measures. It was most common to report pregnancy (83% of these clinics) or live birth rates (51%). 31 different ways of reporting pregnancy and 9 different ways of reporting live birth were identified. 11 (21%) reported multiple birth or pregnancy rates. 1 clinic provided information on adverse events. It was usual for clinics to present results without relevant contextual information such as sample size, reporting period, the characteristics of patients and particular details of treatments. Many combinations of numerator and denominator are available for the purpose of reporting success rates for MAR. The range of reporting options available to clinics is further increased by the possibility of presenting results for subgroups of patients and for different time periods. Given the status of these websites as advertisements to patients, the risk of selective reporting is considerable. Binding guidance is required to ensure consistent, informative reporting. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

  17. A New Approach of an Intelligent E-Learning System Based on Learners' Skill Level and Learners' Success Rate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohamed, Hafidi; Lamia, Mahnane

    2015-01-01

    Learners usually meet cognitive overload and disorientation problems when using e-learning system. At present, most of the studies in e-learning either concentrate on the technological aspect or focus on adapting learner's interests or browsing behaviors, while, learner's skill level and learners' success rate is usually neglected. In this paper,…

  18. Discussion on the method to increase the successful rate of L5/S1 intervertebral disc puncture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhong Xianyi; Li Liangjun; Yu Chengxin

    2007-01-01

    Objective: To study the effective methods of L 5 /S 1 intervertebral disc puncture without drilling to solve the barriers from iliaca. Methods: (1) puncturing with belly-buttock sticking out: to enlarge waist sacro-iliaca angle to move the puncture point up; (2) puncturing through intervertebral edge: puncturing through L 5 to 1/3 intervertebral disc to make the puncture point move Up; (3) puncturing through L 5 /S 1 intervertebral disc with the self-made puncture location instrument. Results with the methods, 280 cases with L 5 /S 1 intervertebral disc protrusion have been successfully punctured, with successful rate 100%. Conclusion: These methods are ideal and easy to use to treat L 5 /S 1 intervertebral disc protrusion puncture, and worth popularizing. (authors)

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2012-12-01

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

  20. Does the volume of supplemental intraligamentary injections affect the anaesthetic success rate after a failed primary inferior alveolar nerve block? A randomized-double blind clinical trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aggarwal, V; Singla, M; Miglani, S; Kohli, S; Sharma, V; Bhasin, S S

    2018-01-01

    To investigate the efficacy of 0.2 mL vs. 0.6 mL of 2% lidocaine when given as a supplementary intraligamentary injection after a failed inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB). Ninety-seven adult patients with symptomatic irreversible pulpits received an IANB and root canal treatment was initiated. Pain during treatment was recorded using a visual analogue scale (Heft-Parker VAS). Patients with unsuccessful anaesthesia (n = 78) randomly received intraligamentary injection of either 0.2 mL or 0.6 mL of 2% lidocaine with 1 : 80 000 epinephrine. Root canal treatment was reinitiated. Success after primary injection or supplementary injection was defined as no or mild pain (HP VAS score ≤54 mm) during access preparation and root canal instrumentation. Heart rate was monitored using a finger pulse oximeter. The anaesthetic success rates were analysed with Pearson chi-square test at 5% significance levels. The heart rate changes were analysed using t-tests. The intraligamentary injections with 0.2 mL solution gave an anaesthetic success rate of 64%, whilst the 0.6 mL was successful in 84% of cases with failed primary IANB. (χ 2  = 4.3, P = 0.03). There was no significant effect of the volume of intraligamentary injection on the change in heart rate. Increasing the volume of intraligamentary injection improved the success rates after a failed primary anaesthetic injection. © 2017 International Endodontic Journal. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  1. Medical abortion. defining success and categorizing failures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rørbye, Christina; Nørgaard, Mogens; Vestermark, Vibeke

    2003-01-01

    . The difference in short- and long-term success rates increased with increasing gestational age. The majority of failures (76%) were diagnosed more than 2 weeks after initiation of the abortion. At a 2-week follow-up visit, the women who turned out to be failures had a larger endometrial width, higher beta......-hCG values and smaller reductions of beta-hCG than those treated successfully. To optimize comparison of success rates after different medical abortion regimens, we suggest that the criteria for success are stated clearly, that the success rates are stratified according to gestational age...

  2. Combined ultrasound and fluoroscopy guided port catheter implantation-High success and low complication rate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gebauer, Bernhard; El-Sheik, Michael; Vogt, Michael; Wagner, Hans-Joachim

    2009-01-01

    Purpose: To evaluate peri-procedural, early and late complications as well as patients' acceptance of combined ultrasound and fluoroscopy guided radiological port catheter implantation. Materials and methods: In a retrospective analysis, all consecutive radiological port catheter implantations (n = 299) between August 2002 and December 2004 were analyzed. All implantations were performed in an angio suite under analgosedation and antibiotic prophylaxis. Port insertion was guided by ultrasonographic puncture of the jugular (n = 298) or subclavian (n = 1) vein and fluoroscopic guidance of catheter placement. All data of the port implantation had been prospectively entered into a database for interventional radiological procedures. To assess long-term results, patients, relatives or primary physicians were interviewed by telephone; additional data were generated from the hospital information system. Patients and/or the relatives were asked about their satisfaction with the port implantion procedure and long-term results. Results: The technical success rate was 99% (298/299). There were no major complications according to the grading system of SIR. A total of 23 (0.33 per 1000 catheter days) complications (early (n = 4), late (n = 19)) were recorded in the follow-period of a total of 72,727 indwelling catheter days. Infectious complications accounted for 0.15, thrombotic for 0.07 and migration for 0.04 complications per 1000 catheter days. Most complications were successfully treated by interventional measures. Twelve port catheters had to be explanted due to complications, mainly because of infection (n = 9). Patients' and relatives' satisfaction with the port catheter system was very high, even if complications occurred. Conclusion: Combined ultrasound and fluoroscopy guided port catheter implantation is a very safe and reliable procedure with low peri-procedural, early and late complication rate. The intervention achieves very high acceptance by the patients and

  3. The Effect of Listening to Music During Percutaneous Nephrostomy Tube Placement on Pain, Anxiety, and Success Rate of Procedure: A Randomized Prospective Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamidi, Nurullah; Ozturk, Erdem

    2017-05-01

    To evaluate the effect of listening to music on pain, anxiety, and success of procedure during office-based percutaneous nephrostomy tube placement (PNTP). One hundred consecutive patients (age >18 years) with hydronephrosis were prospectively enrolled in this study. All patients were prospectively randomized to undergo office-based PNTP with (Group I, n = 50) or without music (Group II, n = 50). Anxiety levels were evaluated with State Trait Anxiety Inventory. A visual analog scale was used to evaluate pain levels, patient's satisfaction, and willingness to undergo the procedure. We also compared success rates of procedures. The mean age, duration of procedure, and gender distribution were statistically similar between the two groups. The mean postprocedural heart rates and systolic blood pressures in Group I patients were significantly lower than Group II patients (p = 0.01 and p = 0.028, respectively), whereas preprocedural pulse rate and systolic blood pressure were similar. The mean anxiety level and mean pain score of Group I were significantly lower than those of Group II (p = 0.008 and p music during office-based PNTP decreases anxiety or pain and increases success rate of procedure. As an alternative to sedation or general anesthesia, music is easily accessible without side effect and cost.

  4. Effect of cooled hyperbaric bupivacaine on unilateral spinal anesthesia success rate and hemodynamic complications in inguinal hernia surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tomak, Yakup; Erdivanli, Basar; Sen, Ahmet; Bostan, Habib; Budak, Ersel Tan; Pergel, Ahmet

    2016-02-01

    We hypothesized that cooling hyperbaric bupivacaine from 23 to 5 °C may limit the intrathecal spread of bupivacaine and therefore increase the success rate of unilateral spinal anesthesia and decrease the rate of hemodynamic complications. A hundred patients scheduled for elective unilateral inguinal hernia surgery were randomly allocated to receive 1.8 ml of 0.5 % hyperbaric bupivacaine intrathecally at either 5 °C (group I, n = 50) or at 23 °C (group II, n = 50). Following spinal block at the L2-3 interspace, the lateral decubitus position was maintained for 15 min. Unilateral spinal anesthesia was assessed and confirmed at 15 and 30 min. The levels of sensory and motor block on the operative side were evaluated until complete resolution. The rate of unilateral spinal anesthesia at 15 and 30 min was significantly higher in group I (p = 0.015 and 0.028, respectively). Hypotensive events and bradycardia were significantly rarer in group I (p = 0.014 and 0.037, respectively). The density and viscosity of the solution at 5 °C was significantly higher than at 23 °C (p < 0.0001). Compared with group II, sensory block peaked later in group I (17.4 vs 12.6 min) and at a lower level (T9 vs T7), and two-segment regression of sensory block (76.4 vs 84.3 min) and motor block recovery was shorter (157.6 vs 193.4 min) (p < 0.0001). Cooling of hyperbaric bupivacaine to 5 °C increased the density and viscosity of the solution and the success rate of unilateral spinal anesthesia, and decreased the hemodynamic complication rate.

  5. Prognostic factors associated with the success rates of posterior orthodontic miniscrew implants: A subgroup meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hong, Sung-Bin; Kusnoto, Budi; Kim, Eun-Jeong; BeGole, Ellen A; Hwang, Hyeon-Shik; Lim, Hoi-Jeong

    2016-03-01

    To systematically review previous studies and to assess, via a subgroup meta-analysis, the combined odds ratio (OR) of prognostic factors affecting the success of miniscrew implants (MIs) inserted into the buccal posterior region. Three electronic searches that were limited to articles on clinical human studies using MIs that were published in English prior to March 2015 were conducted. The outcome measure was the success of MIs. Patient factors included age, sex, and jaw of insertion (maxilla vs. mandible), while the MI factors included length and diameter. A meta-analysis was performed on 17 individual studies. The quality of each study was assessed for non-randomized studies and quantified using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. The meta-analysis outcome was a combined OR. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses based on the study design, study quality, and sample size of miniscrews implanted were performed. Significantly higher success rates were revealed for MIs inserted in the maxilla, for patients ≥ 20 years of age, and for long MIs (≥ 8 mm) and MIs with a large diameter (> 1.4 mm). All subgroups acquired homogeneity, and the combined OR of the prospective studies (OR, 3.67; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.10-6.44) was significantly higher in the maxilla than that in the retrospective studies (OR, 2.10; 95% CI, 1.60-2.74). When a treatment plan is made, these risk factors, i.e. jaw of insertion, age, MI length, and MI diameter, should be taken into account, while sex is not critical to the success of MIs.

  6. Estimating the success rate of ovulation and early litter loss rate in the Japanese black bear (Ursus thibetanus japonicus) by examining the ovaries and uteri

    OpenAIRE

    Yamanaka, Atsushi; Yamauchi, Kiyoshi; Tsujimoto, Tsunenori; Mizoguchi, Toshio; Oi, Toru; Sawada, Seigo; Shimozuru, Michito; Tsubota, Toshio

    2011-01-01

    In order to develop a method for estimating the success/failure rates of reproductive processes, especially those of ovulation and neonate nurturing, in the Japanese black bear (Ursus thibetanus japonicus), we examined offspring status, corpora lutea (CLs), placental scars (PSs) and corpora albicantia (CAs) in 159 females (0-23 years old) killed as nuisances on Honshu Island of Japan during 2001-2009. PSs were found to remain in the uterus at least until November of the year of...

  7. Success rates in smoking cessation: Psychological preparation plays a critical role and interacts with other factors such as psychoactive substances.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joly, Bertrand; Perriot, Jean; d'Athis, Philippe; Chazard, Emmanuel; Brousse, Georges; Quantin, Catherine

    2017-01-01

    The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with the results of smoking cessation attempts. Data were collected in Clermont-Ferrand from a smoking cessation clinic between 1999 and 2009 (1,361 patients). Smoking cessation was considered a success when patients were abstinent 6 months after the beginning of cessation. Multivariate logistic regression was used to investigate the association between abstinence and different factors. The significant factors were a history of depression (ORadjusted = 0.57, p = 0.003), state of depression at the initial consultation (ORa = 0.64, p = 0.005), other psychoactive substances (ORa = 0.52, psuccess was four times higher). A high score in the Richmond test had a greater impact on success with increasing age (significant interaction: p = 0.01). In exclusive smokers, the contemplation level in the Prochaska algorithm was enough to obtain a satisfactory abstinence rate (65.5%) whereas among consumers of other psychoactive substances, it was necessary to reach the preparation level in the Prochaska algorithm to achieve a success rate greater than 50% (significant interaction: p = 0.02). The psychological preparation of the smoker plays a critical role. The management of smoking cessation must be personalized, especially for consumers of other psychoactive substances and/or smokers with a history of depression.

  8. Diet composition and provisioning rates of nestlings determine reproductive success in a subtropical seabird

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lamb, Juliet S.; Jodice, Patrick G. R.; Satgé, Yvan G.

    2017-01-01

    Understanding how both quality and quantity of prey affect the population dynamics of marine predators is a crucial step toward predicting the effects of environmental perturbations on population-level processes. The Junk Food Hypothesis, which posits that energetic content of prey species may influence reproductive capacity of marine top predators regardless of prey availability, has been proposed as a mechanism by which changes in prey populations could affect predator populations in high latitude systems; however, support for this hypothesis has been inconsistent across studies, and further data are needed to elucidate variation in the relative importance of prey quantity and quality, both among predator species and across ecological systems. We tested the relative importance of prey quantity and quality to nestling survival in the eastern brown pelican Pelecanus occidentalis carolinensis across 9 breeding colonies in the northern Gulf of Mexico that varied in underlying availability of a key prey resource, the Gulf menhaden Brevoortia patronus. Both feeding frequency and meal mass were significantly correlated to energy provisioning rates and nestling survival, while energy density of meals had little effect on either metric. Compared to previous results from cold-water systems, we found lower and less variable energy densities (4.4 kJ g-1, vs. 5.2 to 6.5 kJ g-1 in other studies) and lipid content (9% dry mass, vs. 16 to 23% in other studies) of common prey items. While Gulf menhaden was the most common prey species at all colonies, the proportion of menhaden fed to nestlings varied and was not strongly correlated to fledging success. We conclude that quantity rather than quality of prey, particularly small schooling fish, is the main driver of brown pelican reproductive success in this system, and that environmental perturbations affecting biomass, distribution, and abundance of forage fish could substantially affect brown pelican reproductive success.

  9. Effect of premedication with ibuprofen and dexamethasone on success rate of inferior alveolar nerve block for teeth with asymptomatic irreversible pulpitis: a randomized clinical trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shahi, Shahriar; Mokhtari, Hadi; Rahimi, Saeed; Yavari, Hamid Reza; Narimani, Shima; Abdolrahimi, Majid; Nezafati, Saeed

    2013-02-01

    The aim of this study was to compare 2 kinds of anti-inflammatory medicines (ie, dexamethasone and ibuprofen) with a placebo according to their effects on the success rates of an inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB) for the endodontic treatment of mandibular molars with irreversible pulpitis. A total of 165 patients were divided into 3 groups of 55 patients each and were given a capsule of the same color and size (ie, a placebo of lactose powder, 400 mg ibuprofen, or 0.5 mg dexamethasone). One hour after the oral administration of the capsules, all the patients received a standard IANB. In patients with a successful IANB, the teeth were examined with a cold pulp test. Patients were asked to assess their pain using the visual analog scale. Then, endodontic access cavity preparation was initiated. In case of pain during the treatment, the patients were asked to rate the pain on the visual analog scale. Success was defined as no or mild pain during treatment. The chi-square test and analysis of variance were used to compare qualitative and quantitative data among the groups. No significant differences were found regarding the sex of the patients in the 3 groups (P > .05). The dexamethasone group showed significantly higher success rates compared with the placebo group (P = .001). There were no significant differences between the ibuprofen and placebo groups (P = .055) or the dexamethasone and ibuprofen groups (P = .34). Premedication with dexamethasone increased the success rate of an IANB in mandibular molars with asymptomatic irreversible pulpitis. Copyright © 2013 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. The role of initial success rates and other factors in determining reliability of outcomes of phosphodiesterase inhibitor therapy for erectile dysfunction: a pooled analysis of 17 placebo-controlled trials of tadalafil for use as needed.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sontag, Angelina; Rosen, Raymond C; Litman, Heather J; Ni, Xiao; Araujo, Andre B

    2013-02-01

    Reliability of successful outcomes in men with erectile dysfunction (ED) on phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors is an important aspect of patient management. We examined reliability of successful outcomes in a large integrated dataset of randomized tadalafil trials. Success rates, time to success, subsequent success after first success, and probability of success were analyzed based on Sexual Encounter Profile questions 2 and 3. Data from 3,254 ED patients treated with tadalafil 10 mg (N = 510), 20 mg (N = 1,772), or placebo (N = 972) were pooled from 17 placebo-controlled studies. Tadalafil patients had significantly higher first-attempt success rates vs. placebo. This effect was consistent across most subgroups; however, patients with severe ED experienced a greater response to tadalafil than patients with mild-moderate ED. Approximately 80% of patients achieved successful penile insertion within two attempts with either tadalafil dose and successful intercourse within eight attempts for tadalafil 10 mg and four attempts for tadalafil 20 mg. However, approximately 70% of tadalafil-treated patients achieved successful intercourse even by the second attempt. Subsequent success rates were higher for patients with first-attempt success (81.5% for 10 mg and 86.1% for 20 mg vs. 66.2% for placebo, P success (53.2% for 10 mg and 56.4% for 20 mg vs. 39.9% for placebo, P success rates at early attempts were similar to rates at later attempts (i.e., attempts 5 and 10 vs. 25), although insertion success rates were significantly lower earlier in treatment. The findings affirm the reliability of successful outcomes with tadalafil treatment and that first-attempt success is a critical factor affecting subsequent outcomes. The results further show that even among men who did not succeed on first attempt, a substantial proportion will have successful outcomes if treatment is maintained. © 2012 International Society for Sexual Medicine.

  11. Medical students' attitude of their success rate in clerkship period in Birjand University of Medical Sciences

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Reza Hadjyabady

    2002-07-01

    Full Text Available Background With regard to accelerated progresses in the world of science and technology, as well as changes in the needs of the society, medical education should be a developing process. One of the main factors that can promote education from a static to a dynamic and effective state is evaluation. Purpose The purpose of the present survey is to determine the rate of success of medical students passing their clerkship in Birjand University of Medical Sciences from their own views of attaining educational goals of Urology Department. Methods The study is descriptive-analytical and has been performed on 50 medical students in Birjand University of Medical Sciences. Having determined the validity as well as the reliability of the question­naires, we used them to collect the data. Results Participants were 37 men (74% and 13 women (26%. T-test demonstrated a significant statical difference between male and female students in practical management of cases in urology ward (p<0.03. significant. Better practical performance was evident when the students take practical approach, in addition to looking and listening. Also, if students used various methods of teaching and learning, they would better manage cases. Conclusion The rate of medical students' success in their clerkship period for educational goals of urology was good. However, providing required facilities for giving instructions on clinical skills such as educational clinical workshops, clinical skill workshops and clinical skills centre, educational films and bed­ side practice under supervision of professors, will promote the fulfilment of educational goals. Key word educational goals, medical students, urology ward

  12. The Use of Peer Tutoring to Improve the Passing Rates in Mathematics Placement Exams of Engineering Students: A Success Story

    Science.gov (United States)

    García, Rolando; Morales, Juan C.; Rivera, Gloribel

    2014-01-01

    This paper describes a highly successful peer tutoring program that has resulted in an improvement in the passing rates of mathematics placement exams from 16% to 42%, on average. Statistical analyses were conducted using a Chi-Squared (?[superscript 2]) test for independence and the results were statistically significant (p-value much less than…

  13. Direct Vision Internal Urethrotomy for Short Anterior Urethral Strictures and Beyond: Success Rates, Predictors of Treatment Failure, and Recurrence Management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kluth, Luis A; Ernst, Lukas; Vetterlein, Malte W; Meyer, Christian P; Reiss, C Philip; Fisch, Margit; Rosenbaum, Clemens M

    2017-08-01

    To determine success rates, predictors of recurrence, and recurrence management of patients treated for short anterior urethral strictures by direct vision internal urethrotomy (DVIU). We identified 128 patients who underwent DVIU of the anterior urethra between December 2009 and March 2016. Follow-up was conducted by telephone interviews. Success rates were assessed by Kaplan-Meier estimators. Predictors of stricture recurrence and different further therapy strategies were identified by uni- and multivariable Cox regression analyses. The mean age was 63.8 years (standard deviation: 16.3) and the overall success rate was 51.6% (N = 66) at a median follow-up of 16 months (interquartile range: 6-43). Median time to stricture recurrence was six months (interquartile range: 2-12). In uni- and multivariable analyses, only repeat DVIU (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.87, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.13-3.11, P= .015; and HR=1.78, 95% CI = 1.05-3.03, P = .032, respectively) was a risk factor for recurrence. Of 62 patients with recurrence, 35.5% underwent urethroplasty, 29% underwent further endoscopic treatment, and 33.9% did not undergo further interventional therapy. Age (HR = 1.05, 95% CI = 1.01-1.09, P = .019) and diabetes (HR = 2.90, 95% CI = 1.02-8.26, P = .047) were predictors of no further interventional therapy. DVIU seems justifiable in short urethral strictures as a primary treatment. Prior DVIU was a risk factor for recurrence. In case of recurrence, about one-third of the patients did not undergo any further therapy. Higher age and diabetes predicted the denial of any further treatment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Impact of Splenic Artery Embolization on the Success Rate of Nonoperative Management for Blunt Splenic Injury

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vlies, C. H. van der; Hoekstra, J.; Ponsen, K. J.; Reekers, J. A.; Delden, O. M. van; Goslings, J. C.

    2012-01-01

    Introduction: Nonoperative management (NOM) has become the treatment of choice for hemodynamically stable patients with blunt splenic injury. Results of outcome after NOM are predominantly based on large-volume studies from level 1 trauma centers in the United States. This study was designed to assess the results of NOM in a relatively low-volume Dutch level 1 trauma center. Methods: An analysis of a prospective trauma registry was performed for a 6-year period before (period 1) and after the introduction and implementation of splenic artery embolization (SAE) (period 2). Primary outcome was the failure rate of initial treatment. Results: A total of 151 patients were reviewed. An increased use of SAE and a reduction of splenic operations during the second period was observed. Compared with period 1, the failure rate after observation in period 2 decreased from 25% to 10%. The failure rate after SAE in period 2 was 18%. The splenic salvage rate (SSR) after observation increased from 79% in the first period to 100% in the second period. During the second period, all patients with failure after observation were successfully treated with SAE. The SSR after SAE in periods 1 and 2 was respectively 100% and 86%. Conclusions: SAE of patients with blunt splenic injuries is associated with a reduction in splenic operations. The failure and splenic salvage rates in this current study were comparable with the results from large-volume studies of level 1 trauma centers. Nonoperative management also is feasible in a relatively low-volume level 1 trauma center outside the United States.

  15. High rates of carbon storage in old deciduous forests: Emerging mechanisms from the Forest Accelerated Succession ExperimenT (FASET)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gough, C. M.; Nave, L. E.; Hardiman, B. S.; Bohrer, G.; Halperin, A.; Maurer, K.; Le Moine, J.; Nadelhoffer, K.; Vogel, C. S.; Curtis, P.; University Of Michigan Biological Station Forest Ecosystem Study (Umbs-Fest) Team

    2010-12-01

    Deciduous forests of the eastern US are broadly approaching an ecological threshold in which early successional dominant trees are senescing and giving way to later successional species, with unknown consequences for regional carbon (C) cycling. Though recent research demonstrates that forests may accumulate C for centuries, the mechanisms behind sustained rates of C storage in old, particularly deciduous, forests have not been identified. In a regionally representative forest at the University of Michigan Biological Station, we are combining observational and experimental C cycling studies to forecast how forest C storage responds to climate variation, disturbance, and succession. The Forest Accelerated Succession ExperimenT (FASET), in which >6,700 aspen and birch trees (~35 % LAI) were stem girdled within a 39 ha area, is testing the hypothesis that forest production will increase rather than decline with age, due to increases in nitrogen (N) availability, N allocation to the canopy, and the concurrent development of a more biologically and structurally complex canopy. Results thus far support our hypothesis that aging forests in the region may sustain high rates of C storage through shifts in N cycling and increased canopy complexity. Girdling-induced mortality of early successional species reduced soil respiration, accelerated fine root turnover, and prompted the redistribution of N from the foliage of early to later successional species. Nitrogen redistribution increased leaf area index (LAI) production by later successional species, offsetting declines in LAI from senescing early successional species. High rates of net primary production (NPP) were sustained in stands comprising a diverse assemblage of early and later successional species because later successional species, when already present in the canopy, rapidly compensated for declining growth of early successional species. Canopy structural complexity, which increased with forest age, was positively

  16. Success rate and risk factors of failure of the induced membrane technique in children: a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aurégan, Jean-Charles; Bégué, Thierry; Rigoulot, Guillaume; Glorion, Christophe; Pannier, Stéphanie

    2016-12-01

    The induced membrane technique was designed by Masquelet et al. to address segmental bone defects of critical size in adults. It has been used after bone defects of traumatic, infectious and tumoral origin with satisfactory results. Recently, it has been used in children but, after an initial enthusiasm, several cases of failure have been reported. The purpose of this study was to assess the success rate and the risk factors of failure of the induced membrane for children. We conducted a systematic review of all the studies reporting the results of the induced membrane technique to address bone defects of critical size in children. Our primary outcome was the success rate of the technique defined as a bone union before any iterative surgery. Our secondary outcomes were the complications and the risk factors of failure. We searched Medline via Pubmed, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library. Twelve studies, including 69 patients, met the inclusion criteria. There were 41 boys and 28 girls. Mean age at surgery was 10 years. Mean size of resection was 12.38 cm and the mean time between the two stages was 5.86 months. Mean rate of bone union after the two stages of the induced membrane technique was 58% (40/69) but this rate increased to 87% after revision surgeries (60/69). Main complications were non-unions (19/69), lysis of the graft (6/69) and fractures of the bone graft (6/69). Only 1/69 deep infection was reported. Other non specific complications were regularly reported such limb length discrepancies, joint stiffness and protruding wires. Risk factor of failure that could be suspected comprised the resection of a malignant tumour, a bone defect located at the femur, a wide resection, a long time between the two stages, an unstable osteosynthesis and a bone graft associating autograft to other graft materials. The induced membrane technique is suitable for bone defects of critical size in children. It is a reliable technique with no need of micro vascular surgery

  17. How Did Successful High Schools Improve Their Graduation Rates?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robertson, Janna Siegel; Smith, Robert W.; Rinka, Jason

    2016-01-01

    The researchers surveyed 23 North Carolina high schools that had markedly improved their graduation rates over the past five years. The administrators reported on the dropout prevention practices and programs to which they attributed their improved graduation rates. The majority of schools reported policy changes, especially with suspension. The…

  18. Citation Success

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vaio, Gianfranco Di; Waldenström, Daniel; Weisdorf, Jacob Louis

    2012-01-01

    This study examines the determinants of citation success among authors who have recently published their work in economic history journals. Besides offering clues about how to improve one's scientific impact, our citation analysis also sheds light on the state of the field of economic history...... find similar patterns when assessing the same authors' citation success in economics journals. As a novel feature, we demonstrate that the diffusion of research — publication of working papers, as well as conference and workshop presentations — has a first-order positive impact on the citation rate........ Consistent with our expectations, we find that full professors, authors appointed at economics and history departments, and authors working in Anglo-Saxon and German countries are more likely to receive citations than other scholars. Long and co-authored articles are also a factor for citation success. We...

  19. One picture or a thousand words? Influence of question length and illustration support on the success and skip rates on online tests

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ernest REDONDO

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available The growing popularity of automatically graded online tests, either as an evaluation or self-assessment tool in online or blended education, demands a review of how these questions are designed and delivered to their intended audience. This paper analyzes the results of over 20,000 pre-university mock online quizzes designed to train the students for the Spanish university admission test (known as “Pruebas de Acceso a la Universidad” or “Selectividad” in the technical drawing subject, corresponding to the June and September intakes of 2009 and 2015. The influence of two key aspects on the questions success and skip rates is assessed: (a the presence or absence of illustration support and (b the length of the question as a proxy of reading comprehension difficulty. The results support that the presence of an accompanying illustration in the questions result in fewer skipped questions and mode successful answers, while the length of the question has the opposite effect. The performance difference in the 6-year span is also discussed, showing a slight decline over time in the pass rates while the skip rates remain stable. When comparing both two intakes, corresponding to different academic profiles of students that passed the June exam and those who did not, the success ratio is unsurprisingly lower for the students in the second intake. These findings should help improving the design of online quizzes, including more visual content and/or rephrasing the questions to be more concise, to fit the requirements of students educated in a more visual environment of multimedia technologies.

  20. Success rate of two different methods of ilioinguinal-iliohypogastric ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Background: The ilioinguinal-iliohypogastric (ILIH) nerve block is a safe, effective, and easy to perform in order to provide analgesia for a variety of inguinal surgical procedures in pediatric patients. A relatively high failure rate of 10%-25% has been reported, even in experienced hands. It is assumed that this high failure rate ...

  1. Immunostimulation by cytosine-phosphate-guanine oligodeoxynucleotides in combination with IL-2 can improve the success rate of karyotype analysis in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Xiaolan; Chen, Jiadi; Huang, Huifang

    2016-07-01

    To assess whether immunostimulatory cytosine-phosphate-guanine oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG-ODN) combined with interleukin-2 (IL-2) improves the number of mitotic metaphases and the detection rate of chromosomal abnormalities in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). Bone marrow specimens were collected from 36 patients with CLL. CLL cells were cultured with CpG-ODN type DSP30 plus IL-2 for 72 h, following which R-banding analysis was conducted. Conventional culture without the immunostimulant served as the control group. The incidence of genetic abnormalities was measured by fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) using a panel of five specific probes: D13S25 (13q14.3), RB1 (13q14), P53 (17p13), ATM (11q22.3) and CSP12 (trisomy 12, +12). In the control group, chromosome analysis achieved a success rate of only 22.2, and 11.1% of abnormal karyotypes were detected. After immunostimulation with DSP30 plus IL-2, chromosome analysis achieved a success rate of up to 91.6, and 41.6% of abnormal karyotypes were detected. FISH analysis detected 77.7% of abnormalities. FISH combined with CpG-ODN DSP30 plus IL-2 improved the detection rate of chromosomal abnormalities in CLL to 83.3%. CpG-ODN DSP30 combined with IL-2 is effective in improving the detection rate of chromosomal abnormalities in CLL cells. This combination with FISH analysis is conducive to increasing the detection rate of genetic abnormalities in CLL.

  2. The Role of Infertility Etiology in Success Rate of Intrauterine Insemination Cycles: An Evaluation of Predictive Factors for Pregnancy Rate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ashrafi, Mahnaz; Rashidi, Mandana; Ghasemi, Afsaneh; Arabipoor, Arezoo; Daghighi, Sara; Pourasghari, Parisa; Zolfaghari, Zahra

    2013-01-01

    Background: The objective of this study was to identify the prognostic factors that influence the outcome of ovarian stimulation with intrauterine insemination (IUI) cycles in couples with different infertility etiology. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study was performed in data of 1348 IUI cycles with ovarian stimulation by clomiphene citrate (CC) and/or gonadotropins in 632 women with five different infertility etiology subgroups at Akbarabbadi Hospital, Tehran, Iran. Results: The pregnancy rate (PR)/ cycle was highest (19.9%) among couples with unexplained infertility and lowest (10.6%) in couples with multiple factors infertility. In cases of unexplained infertility, the best PRs were seen after CC plus gonadotropins stimulation (26.3%) and with inseminated motile sperm count>30×106 (21.9%), but the tendency didn’t reach statistical significant. In the ovarian factor group, the best PRs were observed in women aged between 30 and 34 years (20.8%), with 2-3 preovulatory follicles (37.8%) and infertility duration between 1and 3 years (20.8%), while only infertility duration (p=0.03) and number of preovulatory follicles (p=0.01) were statistically significant. Multiple logistic regression analysis determined that number of preovulatory follicles (p=0.02), duration of infertility (p=0.015), age (p=0.019), infertility etiology (p=0.05) and stimulation regimen (p=0.01) were significant independent factors in order to predict overall clinical PR. Conclusion: The etiology of infertility is important to achieve remarkable IUI success. It is worth mentioning that within different etiologies of infertility, the demographic and cycles characteristics of couples did not show the same effect. Favorable variables for treatment success are as follows: age infertility ≤5 years and a cause of infertility except of multiple factors. PMID:24520471

  3. The success rate of bupivacaine and lidocaine as anesthetic agents in inferior alveolar nerve block in teeth with irreversible pulpitis without spontaneous pain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parirokh, Masoud; Yosefi, Mohammad Hosein; Nakhaee, Nouzar; Abbott, Paul V; Manochehrifar, Hamed

    2015-05-01

    Achieving adequate anesthesia with inferior alveolar nerve blocks (IANB) is of great importance during dental procedures. The aim of the present study was to assess the success rate of two anesthetic agents (bupivacaine and lidocaine) for IANB when treating teeth with irreversible pulpitis. Sixty volunteer male and female patients who required root canal treatment of a mandibular molar due to caries participated in the present study. The inclusion criteria included prolonged pain to thermal stimulus but no spontaneous pain. The patients were randomly allocated to receive either 2% lidocaine with 1:80,000 epinephrine or 0.5% bupivacaine with 1:200,000 epinephrine as an IANB injection. The sensitivity of the teeth to a cold test as well as the amount of pain during access cavity preparation and root canal instrumentation were recorded. Results were statistically analyzed with the Chi-Square and Fischer's exact tests. At the final step, fifty-nine patients were included in the study. The success rate for bupivacaine and lidocaine groups were 20.0% and 24.1%, respectively. There was no significant difference between the two groups at any stage of the treatment procedure. There was no difference in success rates of anesthesia when bupivacaine and lidocaine were used for IANB injections to treat mandibular molar teeth with irreversible pulpitis. Neither agent was able to completely anesthetize the teeth effectively. Therefore, practitioners should be prepared to administer supplemental anesthesia to overcome pain during root canal treatment.

  4. Predicting Rehabilitation Success Rate Trends among Ethnic Minorities Served by State Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies: A National Time Series Forecast Model Demonstration Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moore, Corey L.; Wang, Ningning; Washington, Janique Tynez

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: This study assessed and demonstrated the efficacy of two select empirical forecast models (i.e., autoregressive integrated moving average [ARIMA] model vs. grey model [GM]) in accurately predicting state vocational rehabilitation agency (SVRA) rehabilitation success rate trends across six different racial and ethnic population cohorts…

  5. Multidisciplinaire behandeling van chronische pancreatitis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kempeneers, M. A.; Besselink, M. G.; Issa, Y.; van Hooft, J. E.; van Goor, H.; Bruno, M. J.; van Santvoort, H. C.; Boermeester, M. A.

    2017-01-01

    - Chronic pancreatitis is a progressive inflammatory disease, which leads to a severe decrease in quality of life and reduced life expectancy.- 85-90% of patients with chronic pancreatitis consult the doctor because of pain.- Pain in chronic pancreatitis has a multifactorial aetiology, with

  6. Recruitment rates in workplace physical activity interventions: characteristics for success.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ryde, Gemma C; Gilson, Nicholas D; Burton, Nicola W; Brown, Wendy J

    2013-01-01

    To conduct a systematic review to assess recruitment rates in workplace physical activity (PA) intervention studies and describe characteristics of studies with high recruitment rates. Data Source. Electronic and manual searches were conducted. Workplace PA intervention studies that reported the number of employees invited to participate and the number who responded were included. Studies with recruitment rates of ≥70% were categorized as high with the remaining studies (recruitment rate. Seventy-six percent of studies failed to report recruitment rates (n = 30 included for review). Studies with high recruitment rates (n = 8) tended to have longer study duration (mean 1.6 years) and target smaller cohorts of employees (mean n = 199) than comparison studies (3.9 months; n = 1241). For recruitment strategies and intervention components of high studies, involvement of employees was driven by the organization, with PA interventions provided as part of the working day in paid time. These findings suggest a potential to improve recruitment through targeting small cohorts of employees, incorporating PA as a long-term strategy, facilitating organizationally driven employee involvement, and providing PA interventions during paid time.

  7. Non-operative management of blunt trauma in abdominal solid organ injuries: a prospective study to evaluate the success rate and predictive factors of failure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hashemzadeh, S H; Hashemzadeh, K H; Dehdilani, M; Rezaei, S

    2010-06-01

    Over the past several years, non-operative management (NOM) has increasingly been recommended for the care of selected blunt abdominal solid organ injuries. No prospective study has evaluated the rate of NOM of blunt abdominal trauma in the northwest of Iran. The objective of our study was to evaluate the success rate of this kind of management in patients who do not require emergency surgery. This prospective study was carried out in Imam Khomeini Hospital (as a referral center of trauma) at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Iran, between 20 March 2004 and 20 March 2007. All trauma patients who had suffered an injury to a solid abdominal organ (kidney, liver, or spleen) were selected for initial analysis, using the Student's t test or the c2 test. During the three years of the study, 98 patients (83 males and 15 females) with blunt trauma were selected to NOM for renal, hepatic and splenic injuries. Mean age was 26.1+/-17.7 years (range, 2 to 89) and mean injury severity score (ISS) was 14.5+/-7.4. The success rate of NOM was 93.8%. Fifty-one patients (43 males, 8 females; mean ISS, 14.2+/-5.8) underwent NOM of splenic trauma; 38 patients (33 males, 5 females; mean ISS, 12.9+/-8.2) hepatic trauma, and nine patients (7 males, 2 females; mean ISS, 22.2+/-7.6) renal trauma. Six patients underwent laparotomy due to the failure of NOM. The success rates of this treatment were 94.1%, 94.7% and 88.8% for the spleen, liver and kidney injuries, respectively. Age, female gender and ISS were significant predictors of the failure of NOM (Ptrauma. The study indicates that the rates of NOM vary in relation to the severity of the organ injury. This suggests trauma centers should use this approach.

  8. 75% success rate after open debridement, exchange of tibial insert, and antibiotics in knee prosthetic joint infections.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holmberg, Anna; Thórhallsdóttir, Valdís Gudrún; Robertsson, Otto; W-Dahl, Annette; Stefánsdóttir, Anna

    2015-01-01

    Prosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a leading cause of early revision after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Open debridement with exchange of tibial insert allows treatment of infection with retention of fixed components. We investigated the success rate of this procedure in the treatment of knee PJIs in a nationwide material, and determined whether the results were affected by microbiology, antibiotic treatment, or timing of debridement. 145 primary TKAs revised for the first time, due to infection, with debridement and exchange of the tibial insert were identified in the Swedish Knee Arthroplasty Register (SKAR). Staphylococcus aureus was the most common pathogen (37%) followed by coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) (23%). Failure was defined as death before the end of antibiotic treatment, revision of major components due to infection, life-long antibiotic treatment, or chronic infection. The overall healing rate was 75%. The type of infecting pathogen did not statistically significantly affect outcome. Staphylococcal infections treated without a combination of antibiotics including rifampin had a higher failure rate than those treated with rifampin (RR = 4, 95% CI: 2-10). In the 16 cases with more than 3 weeks of symptoms before treatment, the healing rate was 62%, as compared to 77% in the other cases (p = 0.2). The few patients with a revision model of prosthesis at primary operation had a high failure rate (5 of 8). Good results can be achieved by open debridement with exchange of tibial insert. It is important to use an antibiotic combination including rifampin in staphylococcal infections.

  9. Does pelvicaliceal system anatomy affect success of percutaneous nephrolithotomy?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Binbay, Murat; Akman, Tolga; Ozgor, Faruk; Yazici, Ozgur; Sari, Erhan; Erbin, Akif; Kezer, Cem; Sarilar, Omer; Berberoglu, Yalcın; Muslumanoglu, Ahmet Yaser

    2011-10-01

    To investigate the effect of the pelvicaliceal system (PCS) anatomy on the percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) success rate. Although the caliceal anatomy is effective for stone clearance after shock wave lithotripsy and retrograde intrarenal lithotripsy, the effect of the caliceal anatomy after PCNL has not been evaluated to date. A total of 498 patients who had undergone PCNL and preoperative intravenous urography were enrolled in our study. Kidney-related anatomic factors, such as the PCS surface area and type, degree of hydronephrosis, infundibulopelvic angle, upper-lower calix angle, infundibular length, and infundibular width were calculated using intravenous urography. The association between the PCNL success rate and kidney-related anatomic factors was retrospectively analyzed using chi-square tests, Fisher's exact test, Mann-Whitney U test, and forward stepwise regression analysis. A success rate of 78.1% was achieved. No difference was seen the success rates among the PCS types. The mean PCS surface area was 20.1 ± 9.7 cm(2) in patients with successful outcomes and 24.5 ± 10.2 cm(2) in patients with remaining stones (P = .001). The mean infundibulopelvic angle, upper-lower calix angle, infundibular length, and infundibular width were similar in both groups. Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis showed that stone configuration and PCS surface area were independent factors affecting the PCNL success rates. The results of our study have shown that the PCS surface area is the only anatomic factor that affects the PCNL success rate and patients with a PCS surface area <20.5 cm(2) have greater PCNL success. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Rock Sparrow Song Reflects Male Age and Reproductive Success

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nemeth, Erwin; Kempenaers, Bart; Matessi, Giuliano

    2012-01-01

    The evolution of mating signals is closely linked to sexual selection. Acoustic ornaments are often used as secondary sexual traits that signal the quality of the signaller. Here we show that song performance reflects age and reproductive success in the rock sparrow (Petronia petronia...... nests. Older males could be distinguished from yearlings by singing at lower rate and higher amplitudes. Our findings suggest that song rate may be used as a signal of age and together with song pitch as a signal of reproductive success in this species. Alternatively, younger and less successful males...... success. Males with higher breeding success sang at a lower rate and with a higher maximum frequency. We found also that older males gained more extra-pair young and had a higher overall breeding success, although they also differed almost significantly by having a higher loss of paternity in their own...

  11. The success rate of bupivacaine and lidocaine as anesthetic agents in inferior alveolar nerve block in teeth with irreversible pulpitis without spontaneous pain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Masoud Parirokh

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Objectives Achieving adequate anesthesia with inferior alveolar nerve blocks (IANB is of great importance during dental procedures. The aim of the present study was to assess the success rate of two anesthetic agents (bupivacaine and lidocaine for IANB when treating teeth with irreversible pulpitis. Materials and Methods Sixty volunteer male and female patients who required root canal treatment of a mandibular molar due to caries participated in the present study. The inclusion criteria included prolonged pain to thermal stimulus but no spontaneous pain. The patients were randomly allocated to receive either 2% lidocaine with 1:80,000 epinephrine or 0.5% bupivacaine with 1:200,000 epinephrine as an IANB injection. The sensitivity of the teeth to a cold test as well as the amount of pain during access cavity preparation and root canal instrumentation were recorded. Results were statistically analyzed with the Chi-Square and Fischer's exact tests. Results At the final step, fifty-nine patients were included in the study. The success rate for bupivacaine and lidocaine groups were 20.0% and 24.1%, respectively. There was no significant difference between the two groups at any stage of the treatment procedure. Conclusions There was no difference in success rates of anesthesia when bupivacaine and lidocaine were used for IANB injections to treat mandibular molar teeth with irreversible pulpitis. Neither agent was able to completely anesthetize the teeth effectively. Therefore, practitioners should be prepared to administer supplemental anesthesia to overcome pain during root canal treatment.

  12. The success rate of bupivacaine and lidocaine as anesthetic agents in inferior alveolar nerve block in teeth with irreversible pulpitis without spontaneous pain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yosefi, Mohammad Hosein; Nakhaee, Nouzar

    2015-01-01

    Objectives Achieving adequate anesthesia with inferior alveolar nerve blocks (IANB) is of great importance during dental procedures. The aim of the present study was to assess the success rate of two anesthetic agents (bupivacaine and lidocaine) for IANB when treating teeth with irreversible pulpitis. Materials and Methods Sixty volunteer male and female patients who required root canal treatment of a mandibular molar due to caries participated in the present study. The inclusion criteria included prolonged pain to thermal stimulus but no spontaneous pain. The patients were randomly allocated to receive either 2% lidocaine with 1:80,000 epinephrine or 0.5% bupivacaine with 1:200,000 epinephrine as an IANB injection. The sensitivity of the teeth to a cold test as well as the amount of pain during access cavity preparation and root canal instrumentation were recorded. Results were statistically analyzed with the Chi-Square and Fischer's exact tests. Results At the final step, fifty-nine patients were included in the study. The success rate for bupivacaine and lidocaine groups were 20.0% and 24.1%, respectively. There was no significant difference between the two groups at any stage of the treatment procedure. Conclusions There was no difference in success rates of anesthesia when bupivacaine and lidocaine were used for IANB injections to treat mandibular molar teeth with irreversible pulpitis. Neither agent was able to completely anesthetize the teeth effectively. Therefore, practitioners should be prepared to administer supplemental anesthesia to overcome pain during root canal treatment. PMID:25984478

  13. Successful project management

    CERN Document Server

    Young, Trevor L

    2016-01-01

    Successful Project Management, 5th edition, is an essential guide for anyone who wants to improve the success rate of their projects. It will help managers to maintain a balance between the demands of the customer, the project, the team and the organization. Covering the more technical aspects of a project from start to completion it contains practised and tested techniques, covering project conception and start-up, how to manage stake holders, effective risk management, project planning and launch and execution. Also including a brand new glossary of key terms, it provides help with evaluating your project as well as practical checklists and templates to ensure success for any ambitious project manager. With over one million copies sold, the hugely popular Creating Success series covers a wide variety of topic, with the latest editions including new chapters such as Tough Conversations and Treating People Right. This indispensable business skills collection is suited to a variety of roles, from someone look...

  14. Marked improvement in the success rate of medical management of early pregnancy failure following the implementation of a novel institutional protocol and treatment guidelines: a follow-up study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Colleselli, V; Nell, T; Bartosik, T; Brunner, C; Ciresa-Koenig, A; Wildt, L; Marth, C; Seeber, B

    2016-11-01

    To analyze the success rate, time to passage of tissue and subjective patient experience of a newly implemented protocol for medical management of early pregnancy failure (EPF) over a 2-year period. A retrospective chart review of all patients with early pregnancy failure primarily opting for medical management was performed. 200 mg mifepristone were administered orally, followed by a single vaginal dose of 800 mcg misoprostol after 36-48 h. We followed-up with our patients using a written questionnaire. 167 women were included in the present study. We observed an overall success rate of 92 %, defined as no need for surgical management after medication administration. We could not identify predictive values for success in a multivariate regression analysis. Most patients (84 %) passed tissue within 6 h after misoprostol administration. The protocol was well tolerated with a low incidence of side effects. Pain was managed well with sufficient analgesics. Responders to the questionnaire felt adequately informed prior to treatment and rated their overall experience as positive. The adaption of the institutional medical protocol resulted in a marked improvement of success rate when compared to the previously used protocol (92 vs. 61 %). We credit this increase to the adjusted medication schema as well as to targeted physician education on the expected course and interpretation of outcome measures. Our results underscore that the medical management of EPF is a safe and effective alternative to surgical evacuation in the clinical setting.

  15. Successful Enterprise System Re-Implementation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Svejvig, Per

    2017-01-01

    Achieving success in enterprise systems (ES) implementations is challenging. The success rate is not high in view of the sums invested by many organizations in these companywide systems. The literature is charged with reasons for unsuccessful implementations, such as a lack of top management...... support and insufficient change management. Contrary to this research, empirical data from an ES re-implementation in a Scandinavian high-tech company shows successful implementation despite many problematic shifts in outsourcing partners. Therefore, it is natural to ask: why was the re......-implementation of the ES at SCANDI successful despite the major troubles encountered during the project? Building an analysis based on ten Critical Success Factors (CSFs) combined with an investigation into the institutional structures at play, we present several reasons for the successful implementation. The CSF analysis...

  16. High success rate with new modified endoscopic treatment for high-grade VUR: A pilot study with preliminary report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Asgari, S A; Asl, A S; Safarinejad, M R; Ghanaei, M M

    2016-04-01

    Despite the benefits of the minimally invasive endoscopic treatment for vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) it has a major drawback which is low success rate in high grade VUR. For overcoming this problem, we introduce a new modified technique of endoscopic treatment called periureteral injection technique (PIT). In a prospective study a total of 37 ureters in 19 boys and 14 girls were treated, including 3 bilateral cases. Of 37 units, 30 (81.1%) had grade IV and 7 (18.9%) had grade V primary VUR (18 right, 13 left and 3 bilateral units). Subureteral injection of Vantris(®) was done at the 5-o'clock and 7-o'clock positions in which the direction of injecting needles were almost parallel. Pre- and post-operative evaluation included urinalysis, urinary tract ultrasonography, voiding cystourethrography (VCUG), dimercaptosuccinic acid scan and urodynamic studies. The median age was 38 months (range 8-125). At 6 months follow up period confirmed with VCUG, the VUR has been disappeared in 34 (91.8%) units and 3 units [2 (5.4%) grade II and 1 (2.7%) had grade III)] had downgraded VUR. Complications included early fever due to urinary tract infection in 1 children, transient dysuria in 2 patients and low back pain in one patient (Summary Table). The success rate of PIT for treatment of high grade VUR is high. However, further studies with more patients and longer follow up periods are needed to draw final conclusion. Copyright © 2015 Journal of Pediatric Urology Company. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Retrievable Inferior Vena Cava Filters: Indications, Indwelling Time, Removal, Success and Complication Rates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tashbayev, Alisher; Belenky, Alexander; Litvin, Sergey; Knizhnik, Michael; Bachar, Gil N; Atar, Eli

    2016-02-01

    Various vena cava filters (VCF) are designed with the ability to be retrieved percutaneously. Yet, despite this option most of them remain in the inferior vena cava (IVC). To report our experience in the placement and retrieval of three different types of VCFs, and to compare the indications for their insertion and retrieval as reported in the literature. During a 5 year period three types of retrievable VCF (ALN, OptEase, and Celect) were inserted in 306 patients at the Rabin Medical Center (Beilinson and Hasharon hospitals). Indications, retrieval rates, median time to retrieval, success and complication rates were viewed and assessed in the three groups of filter types and were compared with the data of similar studies in the literature. Of the 306 VCFs inserted, 31 (10.1%) were retrieved with equal distribution in the three groups. In most patients the reason for filter insertion was venous thromboembolic events (VTE) and contraindications to anticoagulant therapy. Mean age was 68.38 ± 17.5 years (range 18-99) and was noted to be significantly higher compared to similar studies (53-56 years) (P < 0.0001). Multi-trauma patients were significantly older (71.11 ± 14.99 years) than post-pulmonary embolism patients (48.03 ± 20.98 years, P < 0.0001) and patients with preventive indication (26.00 ± 11.31, P < 0.0001). The mean indwelling time was 100.6 ± 103.399 days. Our results are comparable with the results of other studies, and there was no difference in percentage of retrieval or complications between patients in each of the three groups. In 1 of 10 patients filters should be removed after an average of 3.5 months. All three IVC filter types used are safe to insert and retrieve.

  18. Arthrosis deformans van het kaakgewricht: : een klinisch en röntgenologisch onderzoek

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Boering, Geert

    1966-01-01

    INLEIDING De aandoening van het kaakgewricht, gekenmerkt door knappen, pijn en bewegingsbeperking, is in de literatuur onder vele namen bekend. De meest voorkomende zijn: Costen's syndroom, pijn-dysfunctiesyndroom, mandibular joint syndrome of -disorder, chronische Kiefergelenkerkrankung en

  19. Success rate of split-thickness skin grafting of chronic venous leg ulcers depends on the presence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Høgsberg, Trine; Bjarnsholt, Thomas; Thomsen, Jens Schiersing

    2011-01-01

    that once chronic venous leg ulcers were colonized (weeks or months preoperatively) by P. aeruginosa, the success rate of skin grafting deteriorated despite aggressive treatment. To investigate this, a retrospective study was performed on the clinical outcome of 82 consecutive patients with chronic venous...... regression analysis was carried out leaving P. aeruginosa as the only predictor left in the model (p¿=¿0.001). This study supports our hypothesis that P. aeruginosa in chronic venous leg ulcers, despite treatment, has considerable impact on partial take or rejection of split-thickness skin grafts....

  20. RECURRENCE RATE OF HELICOBACTER PYLORI IN PATIENTS WITH PEPTIC ULCER FIVE YEARS OR MORE AFTER SUCCESSFUL ERADICATION.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernandes, Yuri Costa Farago; Bonatto, Gabriel da Rocha; Bonatto, Mauro Willeman

    2016-01-01

    Infection with Helicobacter pylori is highly prevalent worldwide, especially in developing countries. Its presence in the gastroduodenal mucosa is related with development of peptic ulcer and other illnesses. The eradication of H. pylori improves mucosal histology in patients with peptic ulcers. This study was aimed to verify if H. pylori recurrence occurs five years or more after confirmed eradication in patients with peptic ulcer. Moreover, we sought to determine the recurrence rate. Retrospective and longitudinal, this study was based on a sample of 201 patients from western Paraná, Brazil. The patients were diagnosed with peptic ulcer disease, in the period of 1990-2000, and followed for five years or more after successful H. pylori eradication. Patients with early recurrence - prior to five years after eradication - were excluded from the sample. During an average follow-up of 8 years, 180 patients (89.55%) remained negative, and 21 (10.45%) became positive for H. pylori infection. New ulcers appeared in two-thirds of the patients with H. pylori recurrence. The recurrence of H. pylori in patients with peptic ulcer can occur in the long-term - even if the infection had been successfully eradicated and the patients had remained free of recurrence in the first years of follow-up.

  1. Role of proteoglycans in renal chronic transplant dysfunction

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Katta, Kirankumar

    2012-01-01

    Proteoglycanen (PG’s) spelen een belangrijke rol bij de weefselveranderingen na niertransplantatie. Het zijn veelbelovende targets voor interventies om chronische dysfunctie van de getranspanteerde nier te vertragen. Dat blijkt uit het promotieonderzoek van Kiran Katta. Niertransplantatie is de

  2. Derivation of conversion factors to estimate an indicative chronic NOAEL from short-term toxicity data

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kramer HJ; van den Ham WA; Slob W; Pieters MN; TOX; CWM

    1995-01-01

    Voor de normstelling van chemische stoffen, bijvoorbeeld voor het vaststellen van een Aanvaarde Dagelijkse Inname (ADI) of Toelaatbare Dagelijkse Inname (TDI), zijn gegevens over de chronische toxiciteit noodzakelijk. Vaak zijn echter slechts acute en sub-acute toxiciteitsgegevens beschikbaar. Om

  3. Project Success in IT Project Management

    OpenAIRE

    Siddiqui, Farhan Ahmed

    2010-01-01

    The rate of failed and challenged Information Technology (IT) projects is too high according to the CHAOS Studies by the Standish Group and the literature on project management (Standish Group, 2008). The CHAOS Studies define project success as meeting the triple constraints of scope, time, and cost. The criteria for project success need to be agreed by all parties before the start of the project and constantly reviewed as the project progresses. Assessing critical success factors is another ...

  4. The impact of maternal body mass index on external cephalic version success.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chaudhary, Shahrukh; Contag, Stephen; Yao, Ruofan

    2018-01-21

    The purpose of this study is to determine the association between body mass index (BMI) and success of ECV. This is a cross-sectional analysis of singleton live births in the USA from 2010 to 2014 using birth certificate data. Patients were assigned a BMI category according to standard WHO classification. Comparisons of success of ECV between the BMI categories were made using chi-square analysis with normal BMI as the reference group. Cochran-Armitage test was performed to look for a trend of decreasing success of ECV as BMI increased. The odds for successful ECV were estimated using multivariate logistic regression analysis, adjusting for possible confounders. A total of 51,002 patients with documented ECV were available for analysis. There was a decreased success rate for ECV as BMI increased (p < .01). Women with a BMI of 40 kg/m 2 or greater had a 58.5% success rate of ECV; women with a normal BMI had 65.0% success rate of ECV. Multivariate analyses demonstrated significant decrease in success of ECV in women with BMI of 40 kg/m 2 or greater (OR 0.621, CI 0.542-0.712). Among women with BMI of 40 kg/m 2 or greater with successful ECV, 59.5% delivered vaginally. In contrast, 81.0% of women with normal BMI and successful ECV delivered vaginally. Morbidly obese women have decreased success rate of ECV as BMI increases and decreased vaginal delivery rates after successful ECV.

  5. The therapeutic potential of indoleamine 2.3-dioxygenase in kidney transplantation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Yaghi, Diana

    2014-01-01

    In de loop der jaren, is niertransplantatie aanzienlijk verbeterd en is zowel de levenskwaliteit als de levensduur van miljoenen patiënten met eindstadium nierfalen verbeterd. Echter, overleving van de getransplanteerde nier is afhankelijk van het chronisch innemen van immunosuppressieve

  6. Histologische veranderingen bij koeien en schapen die in de praktijk en experimenteel blootgesteld zijn aan polygechloreerde dibenzo-p-dioxinen en -furanen

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Groot, M.J.; Berende, P.L.M.; Ossenkoppele, J.S.; Tuinstra, L.G.M.Th.

    1991-01-01

    Histologisch onderzoek is verricht op organen van koeien en schapen, welke chronisch en experimenteel bloot hebben gestaan aan dioxinen. Alle dieren waren op het moment van slachten klinisch gezond. Bij de meeste dieren werden histologische afwijkingen waargenomen. De waargenomen veranderingen

  7. Een methodologische studie over de behandeling van hypertensie met de stereoisometer van à methyldopa

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    N.J. Westerman-van der Horst

    1975-01-01

    textabstractHypertensie is in verreweg de meeste gevallen een chronische ziekte en de medicamenteuze behandeling ervan moet in het algemeen voor de duur van het leven worden voortgezet. Behandeling is gewenst omdat - zoals uit de statistieken van levensverzekerings-maatschappijen is gebleken -

  8. Pattern recognition receptors, sensing re(n)al danger

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pulskens, W.P.C.

    2012-01-01

    Wilco Pulskens bestudeerde de rol van verschillende receptoren van het aangeboren immuunsysteem (waaronder Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4) en het NLRP3-inflammasome) en liganden (bindingsmoleculen) die deze receptoren kunnen activeren tijdens acute en chronische nierschade. Met behulp van diermodellen

  9. LEARNERS’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS ONLINE LANGUAGE LEARNING; AND CORRESPONDING SUCCESS RATES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Emrah CINKARA

    2013-04-01

    second purpose is to evaluate and correlate learners’ attitudes with their success determined with their end-of-the-year grades. For the unique purpose of this study, an Online Language Learning Attitude Test (OLLAT has been constructed and distributed to about 7000 learners who were invited to complete this task online. 3516 of these learners took the OLLAT voluntarily and 1783 were successfully completed the test and were included in this study. The findings showed that there is a statistically significant positive correlation between learners’ OLLAT scores and their course success.

  10. Guenter Tulip Filter Retrieval Experience: Predictors of Successful Retrieval

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Turba, Ulku Cenk; Arslan, Bulent; Meuse, Michael; Sabri, Saher; Macik, Barbara Gail; Hagspiel, Klaus D.; Matsumoto, Alan H.; Angle, John F.

    2010-01-01

    We report our experience with Guenter Tulip filter placement indications, retrievals, and procedural problems, with emphasis on alternative retrieval techniques. We have identified 92 consecutive patients in whom a Guenter Tulip filter was placed and filter removal attempted. We recorded patient demographic information, filter placement and retrieval indications, procedures, standard and nonstandard filter retrieval techniques, complications, and clinical outcomes. The mean time to retrieval for those who experienced filter strut penetration was statistically significant [F(1,90) = 8.55, p = 0.004]. Filter strut(s) IVC penetration and successful retrieval were found to be statistically significant (p = 0.043). The filter hook-IVC relationship correlated with successful retrieval. A modified guidewire loop technique was applied in 8 of 10 cases where the hook appeared to penetrate the IVC wall and could not be engaged with a loop snare catheter, providing additional technical success in 6 of 8 (75%). Therefore, the total filter retrieval success increased from 88 to 95%. In conclusion, the Guenter Tulip filter has high successful retrieval rates with low rates of complication. Additional maneuvers such as a guidewire loop method can be used to improve retrieval success rates when the filter hook is endothelialized.

  11. Factors affecting genotyping success in giant panda fecal samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Ying; Liu, Hong-Yi; Yang, Hai-Qiong; Li, Yu-Dong; Zhang, He-Min

    2017-01-01

    Fecal samples play an important role in giant panda conservation studies. Optimal preservation conditions and choice of microsatellites for giant panda fecal samples have not been established. In this study, we evaluated the effect of four factors (namely, storage type (ethanol (EtOH), EtOH -20 °C, 2-step storage medium, DMSO/EDTA/Tris/salt buffer (DETs) and frozen at -20 °C), storage time (one, three and six months), fragment length, and repeat motif of microsatellite loci) on the success rate of microsatellite amplification, allelic dropout (ADO) and false allele (FA) rates from giant panda fecal samples. Amplification success and ADO rates differed between the storage types. Freezing was inferior to the other four storage methods based on the lowest average amplification success and the highest ADO rates ( P panda fecal preservation in microsatellite studies, and EtOH and the 2-step storage medium should be chosen on priority for long-term storage. We recommend candidate microsatellite loci with longer repeat motif to ensure greater genotyping success for giant panda fecal studies.

  12. Success-slope effects on the illusion of control and on remembered success-frequency

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anastasia Ejova

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available The illusion of control refers to the inference of action-outcome contingency in situations where outcomes are in fact random. The strength of this illusion has been found to be affected by whether the frequency of successes increases or decreases over repeated trials, in what can be termed a ``success-slope'' effect. Previous studies have generated inconsistent findings regarding the nature of this effect. In this paper we present an experiment (N = 334 that overcomes several methodological limitations within this literature, employing a wider range of dependent measures (measures of two different types of illusory control, primary (by self and secondary (by luck, as well as measures of remembered success-frequency. Results indicate that different dependent measures lead to different effects. On measures of (primary, but not secondary control over the task, scores were highest when the rate of success increased over time. Meanwhile, estimates of success-frequency in the task did not vary across conditions and showed trends consistent with the broader literature on human memory.

  13. Evaluation of possible prognostic factors for the success, survival, and failure of dental implants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geckili, Onur; Bilhan, Hakan; Geckili, Esma; Cilingir, Altug; Mumcu, Emre; Bural, Canan

    2014-02-01

    To analyze the prognostic factors that are associated with the success, survival, and failure rates of dental implants. Data including implant sizes, insertion time, implant location, and prosthetic treatment of 1656 implants have been collected, and the association of these factors with success, survival, and failure of implants was analyzed. The success rate was lower for short and maxillary implants. The failure rate of maxillary implants exceeded that of mandibular implants, and the failure rate of implants that were placed in the maxillary anterior region was significantly higher than other regions. The failure rates of implants that were placed 5 years ago or more were higher than those that were placed later. Anterior maxilla is more critical for implant loss than other sites. Implants in the anterior mandible show better success compared with other locations, and longer implants show better success rates. The learning curve of the clinician influences survival and success rates of dental implants.

  14. Predictors of successful external cephalic version and assessment of success for vaginal delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salzer, Liat; Nagar, Ran; Melamed, Nir; Wiznitzer, Arnon; Peled, Yoav; Yogev, Yariv

    2015-01-01

    To identify predictors of successful external cephalic version (ECV) and to compare delivery outcome between women who had a successful ECV and women with spontaneous vertex presentation. A retrospective cohort study of all women who underwent ECV in a single tertiary medical center between 2007 and 2011. Delivery outcome was compared between women who underwent a trial of vaginal delivery following successful ECV with that of a control group in a 2:1 ratio. Multivariate analysis was used to identify predictors of successful ECV. Overall 287 were eligible for the study group. Of these 130 (45.3%) had a successful ECV. Polyhydramnios was the strongest factor associated with successful ECV (OR=3.1, 95%-CI 1.4-7.2), followed by transverse lie (versus breech presentation, OR=2.6, 95%-CI 1.2-6.7) and a posterior placenta (OR=1.7, 95%-CI 1.1-3.9), while nulliparity was associated with a lower likelihood of successful ECV (OR=0.4, 95%-CI 0.2-0.6). Women who had a successful ECV and underwent a trial of labor were more likely to deliver by operative vaginal delivery (OVD) (OR=1.8, 95%-CI 1.2-3.6), mainly due to a higher rate of prolonged 2nd, but were not at an increased risk for CS (OR=0.9, 95%-CI 0.4-2.4). Counselling to women prior to ECV should address the likelihood of success based on the predicting factors described above, as well as the increased risk for OVD in the case of successful ECV.

  15. Utilization and success rates of unstimulated in vitro fertilization in the United States: an analysis of the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology database.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gordon, John David; DiMattina, Michael; Reh, Andrea; Botes, Awie; Celia, Gerard; Payson, Mark

    2013-08-01

    To examine the utilization and outcomes of natural cycle (unstimulated) IVF as reported to the Society of Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) in 2006 and 2007. Retrospective analysis. Dataset analysis from the SART Clinical Outcome Reporting System national database. All patients undergoing IVF as reported to SART in 2006 and 2007. None. Utilization of unstimulated IVF; description of patient demographics; and comparison of implantation and pregnancy rates between unstimulated and stimulated IVF cycles. During 2006 and 2007 a total of 795 unstimulated IVF cycles were initiated. Success rates were age dependent, with patients Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Compensatory stream and wetland mitigation in North Carolina: an evaluation of regulatory success.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hill, Tammy; Kulz, Eric; Munoz, Breda; Dorney, John R

    2013-05-01

    Data from a probability sample were used to estimate wetland and stream mitigation success from 2007 to 2009 across North Carolina (NC). "Success" was defined as whether the mitigation site met regulatory requirements in place at the time of construction. Analytical results were weighted by both component counts and mitigation size. Overall mitigation success (including preservation) was estimated at 74 % (SE = 3 %) for wetlands and 75 % (SE = 4 %) for streams in NC. Compared to the results of previous studies, wetland mitigation success rates had increased since the mid-1990s. Differences between mitigation providers (mitigation banks, NC Ecosystem Enhancement Program's design-bid-build and full-delivery programs, NC Department of Transportation and private permittee-responsible mitigation) were generally not significant although permittee-responsible mitigation yielded higher success rates in certain circumstances. Both wetland and stream preservation showed high rates of success and the stream enhancement success rate was significantly higher than that of stream restoration. Additional statistically significant differences when mitigation size was considered included: (1) the Piedmont yielded a lower stream mitigation success rate than other areas of the state, and (2) recently constructed wetland mitigation projects demonstrated a lower success rate than those built prior to 2002. Opportunities for improvement exist in the areas of regulatory record-keeping, understanding the relationship between post-construction establishment and long-term ecological trajectories of stream and wetland restoration projects, incorporation of numeric ecological metrics into mitigation monitoring and success criteria, and adaptation of stream mitigation designs to achieve greater success in the Piedmont.

  17. Acute and chronic pancreatitis: epidemiology and clinical aspects

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Spanier, B.W.M.

    2011-01-01

    In Nederland zijn de afgelopen jaren de incidentiecijfers en de ziekenhuisopnamen voor acute en chronische alvleesklierontsteking (pancreatitis) gestegen. De verwachting is dat deze blijven toenemen bij een vergrijzende samenleving. Uit de EARL-studie van Marcel Spanier komt naar voren dat bij acute

  18. Diabetes in Nederland. Omvang, risicofactoren en gevolgen, nu en in de toekomst

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Poortvliet MC; Schrijvers CTM; Baan CA; VTV

    2007-01-01

    Dit rapport beschrijft de huidige situatie rondom diabetes in Nederland en de toekomstige situatie bij ongewijzigd beleid. In 2003 hadden ruim 600.000 Nederlanders diabetes, een ernstige chronische ziekte. Vooral door de vergrijzing en het toenemende aantal mensen met overgewicht kan het aantal

  19. ADHD and atopic diseases : Pharmacoepidemiological studies

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Schans, Jurjen

    2017-01-01

    Aandachtsdeficiëntie-/hyperactiviteitsstoornis (ADHD) is een chronische aandoening met een hoge prevalentie. Gebrek aan kennis met betrekking tot de oorzaak van ADHD brengt vragen over de mogelijke verbinding met andere aandoeningen. Om deze reden was het hoofddoel van dit proefschrift om de

  20. An apple a day... : de rol van voeding in transmurale zorg

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Witteman, Ben J.M.

    2015-01-01

    'De gemiddelde levensverwachting stijgt in Nederland. Nochtans worden we op jongere leeftijd met chronische aandoeningen geconfronteerd. De kans hierop neemt de komende jaren sterk toe: van 1 miljoen nu naar 1,5 miljoen in 2020. Hierdoor zullen we geconfronteerd worden met voedingsproblemen waarbij

  1. Achilles tendinopathy: new insights in cause of pain, diagnosis and management

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Sterkenburg, M.N.

    2012-01-01

    Maayke van Sterkenburg deed onderzoek naar chronische achillespeesklachten. Deze klachten komen wereldwijd veel voor; vaak bij sporters, maar soms ook bij niet-sporters. Globaal kunnen de verschillende klachten worden onderverdeeld in klachten van het middengedeelte van de pees en klachten bij de

  2. Fetal and neonatal environment : effects on bile acid and lipid metabolism

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Meer, Hester van

    2012-01-01

    Ondervoeding van de foetus kan het risico op chronische aandoeningen als diabetes, obesitas, hart- en vaatziekten en een verstoorde vetstofwisseling verhogen. Dit verband tussen prenatale voeding en ontwikkeling van ziekten op latere leeftijd wordt ook wel ‘metabolic programming’ genoemd. Inzicht in

  3. Adipose tissue : Target and toolbox for the treatment of metabolic disease

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Nies, Vera

    2017-01-01

    Ondanks de huidige aandacht voor gezond eten en voldoende bewegen neemt het aantal mensen met overgewicht nog steeds toe. Overgewicht zorgt voor een verhoogd risico op het ontwikkelen van chronische metabole aandoeningen waaronder type 2 diabetes. Er zijn verschillende medicijnen beschikbaar om type

  4. Tritrichomonas foetus bij de kat

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Leij, W.J.R.

    Tritrichomonas foetus-infecties bij katten verlopen vaak symptoomloos, maar kunnen ook tot chronische colitis leiden. Klinische klachten worden vooral gevonden bij jonge raskatten. Of dit te maken heeft met de leefomstandigheden van raskatten of met een verhoogde gevoeligheid is niet duidelijk. De

  5. Zorg op afstand dichterbij

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vollenbroek-Hutten, Miriam Marie Rosé

    2009-01-01

    De inzet van informatie en communicatie technologie in combinatie met biomedische technologie voor de revalidatie van chronisch zieken staat centraal in deze rede. Zorg op afstand komt dichterbij dankzij deze technologie, die zodanig ontwikkeld moet worden dat zij door patienten en zorgprofessionals

  6. Success and Failure Rates of 1,344 6- to 9-mm-Length Rough-Surface Implants Placed at the Time of Transalveolar Sinus Elevations, Restored with Single Crowns, and Followed for 60 to 229 Months in Function.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fugazzotto, Paul A

    To assess the success and stability of 6-, 7-, 8-, and 9-mm-long, 6.5-mm-wide-neck tissue-level implants placed at the time of transalveolar sinus augmentation therapy, utilizing a trephine and osteotome approach, which were restored with single crowns. In total, 1,344 implants were placed by the author, varying in length from 6 to 9 mm, with parallel-wall 4.8-mm-diameter implant bodies and 6.5-mm-diameter implant necks. The implants were restored with single abutments and crowns by a variety of practitioners. They were followed for 60 to 229 months in function, with a mean time of 121.1 months in function. Implant success was evaluated by the author utilizing a combination of the Albrektsson et al criteria, and buccal and palatal/lingual bone sounding under anesthesia. The overall cumulative success rate was 98.8%. One hundred ninety 6-mm-long implants demonstrated a cumulative success rate of 97.5% at a mean time of 109.2 months in function. Eleven 7-mm-long implants demonstrated a cumulative success rate of 100% at a mean time of 218.5 months in function. One thousand ninety-four 8-mm-long implants demonstrated a cumulative success rate of 98.9% at a mean time of 112.3 months in function. Forty-nine 9-mm-long implants demonstrated a cumulative success rate of 100% at a mean time of 212.1 months in function. Implants of 6 to 9 mm in length, placed at the time of trephine and osteotome transalveolar sinus elevation procedures and restored with abutments and single crowns, demonstrate a high level of long-term clinical success, assuming specific comprehensive treatment criteria are met.

  7. Subintimal angioplasty: predictors of long-term success.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Keeling, Aoife N

    2009-08-01

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

  8. Intubation Success in Critical Care Transport: A Multicenter Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reichert, Ryan J; Gothard, Megan; Gothard, M David; Schwartz, Hamilton P; Bigham, Michael T

    2018-02-21

    Tracheal intubation (TI) is a lifesaving critical care skill. Failed TI attempts, however, can harm patients. Critical care transport (CCT) teams function as the first point of critical care contact for patients being transported to tertiary medical centers for specialized surgical, medical, and trauma care. The Ground and Air Medical qUality in Transport (GAMUT) Quality Improvement Collaborative uses a quality metric database to track CCT quality metric performance, including TI. We sought to describe TI among GAMUT participants with the hypothesis that CCT would perform better than other prehospital TI reports and similarly to hospital TI success. The GAMUT Database is a global, voluntary database for tracking consensus quality metric performance among CCT programs performing neonatal, pediatric, and adult transports. The TI-specific quality metrics are "first attempt TI success" and "definitive airway sans hypoxia/hypotension on first attempt (DASH-1A)." The 2015 GAMUT Database was queried and analysis included patient age, program type, and intubation success rate. Analysis included simple statistics and Pearson chi-square with Bonferroni-adjusted post hoc z tests (significance = p success was lowest in neonates (59.3%, 617 attempts), better in pediatrics (81.7%, 519 attempts), and best in adults (87%, 2900 attempts), p success versus pediatric- and neonatal-focused teams (86.9% vs. 63.5%, p success (86.5% vs. 75.3%, p success are higher in adult patients and adult-focused CCT teams. TI success rates are higher in CCT than other prehospital settings, but lower than in-hospital success TI rates. Identifying factors influencing TI success among high performers should influence best practice strategies for TI.

  9. Anatomical success in patients after retinectomy for complex retinal detachment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mukhtar, A.; Ishaq, M.; Islam, Q.U.

    2015-01-01

    To evaluate the efficacy of primary and redo retinectomy in eyes with complex retinal detachment. Study Design: Quasi-experimental study. Place and Duration of Study: Armed Forces Institute of Ophthalmology Rawalpindi from Jan 2012 to June 2013. Patients and Methods: Fifty eight eyes (patients) underwent relaxing retinectomies for complex retinal detachment with proliferative vitreoretinopathy or intrinsic retinal shortening. Operative technique included pars plana vitrectomy, proliferative vitreoretinopathy management, use of intraoperative perfluorocarbon liquid, retinectomy, endolaser and intraocular temponade. The main outcome was anatomic success, defined as complete retinal reattachment at four months follow up. Eighteen eyes out of the same primary group underwent second retinectomy because of anatomical failure. Results: Mean age of study population was 53.78 ± 15.11 years, 56.9% of patients were male(s). Anatomic success rate after 1st retinectomy was achieved in 68.96% (40 eyes out of 58). In eighteen eyes that underwent 2nd retinectomy, anatomic success rate was 72.22% (13 eyes out of 18). Overall success rate was 91.3% (53 eyes out of 58) in our study. Conclusions: Relaxing retinectomies for retinal shortening can improve the anatomical success rate in patients with complex RD. (author)

  10. Factors affecting genotyping success in giant panda fecal samples

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ying Zhu

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Fecal samples play an important role in giant panda conservation studies. Optimal preservation conditions and choice of microsatellites for giant panda fecal samples have not been established. In this study, we evaluated the effect of four factors (namely, storage type (ethanol (EtOH, EtOH −20 °C, 2-step storage medium, DMSO/EDTA/Tris/salt buffer (DETs and frozen at −20 °C, storage time (one, three and six months, fragment length, and repeat motif of microsatellite loci on the success rate of microsatellite amplification, allelic dropout (ADO and false allele (FA rates from giant panda fecal samples. Amplification success and ADO rates differed between the storage types. Freezing was inferior to the other four storage methods based on the lowest average amplification success and the highest ADO rates (P < 0.05. The highest microsatellite amplification success was obtained from either EtOH or the 2-step storage medium at three storage time points. Storage time had a negative effect on the average amplification of microsatellites and samples stored in EtOH and the 2-step storage medium were more stable than the other three storage types. We only detected the effect of repeat motif on ADO and FA rates. The lower ADO and FA rates were obtained from tri- and tetra-nucleotide loci. We suggest that freezing should not be used for giant panda fecal preservation in microsatellite studies, and EtOH and the 2-step storage medium should be chosen on priority for long-term storage. We recommend candidate microsatellite loci with longer repeat motif to ensure greater genotyping success for giant panda fecal studies.

  11. TOWARDS UNDERSTANDING THE SUCCESSFUL LEARNER: A Case Study of IGNOU

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sindhu P. NAIR

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available The growth of enrolment in the ODL system has been considerable. However, another parameter of significance in the context of Open and Distance learning is the learner success rate. While enrolment rates have been very encouraging in distance education, the pass-out rates haven’t been similar. There is a need to focus on the dynamics involved after a learner enrols himself in an OU and what drives him to stay focussed and complete his academic pursuit successfully or alternatively what holds or slows his academic progress and eventually makes him drop out. The study highlights that there are both institution-based (that is OU-based and learner-centric factors that could facilitate learners to successfully complete their studies. There are both controllable and uncontrollable factors that affect the OU learners’ success rate. This study attempts to capture the learner-centric factors and OU-related factors that have facilitated the learners to successfully complete their study. The paper delves into those key aspects or factors which would have facilitated the passed out learners in successfully completing their programmes in the open system. The findings are of direct interest, both from an institution perspective and that of a distance learner. It provides inputs to the Open and distance learning system, towards formulating appropriate strategies that further facilitate learners to successfully pass out. Also the findings serve as indicators/guide rules for any learner in the open system.

  12. Success and spontaneous pregnancy rates following systemic methotrexate versus laparoscopic surgery for tubal pregnancies: A randomized trial

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Krag Moeller, Lars Bo; Moeller, Charlotte; Thomsen, Sten Grove

    2009-01-01

    . A total of 106 women diagnosed with ectopic pregnancy (EP). Methods. Between March 1997 and September 2000, 1,265 women were diagnosed with EP, 395 (31%) were eligible, 109 (9%) were randomized of whom 106 had an EP. The study was originally powered to a sample size of 422 patients. The women were......Objective. To determine which treatment should be offered to women with a non-ruptured tubal pregnancy: a single dose of methotrexate (MTX) or laparoscopic surgery. Design. Prospective, randomized, open multicenter study. Setting. Seven Danish departments of obstetrics and gynecology. Sample...... (n.s.). Conclusions. In women with an EP, who are hemodynamically stable and wishing to preserve their fertility, medical treatment with single dose MTX tends to be equal to treatment with laparoscopic surgery regarding success rate, complications, and subsequent fertility. Although the two treatment...

  13. Comparative Evaluation of Mental Incisal Nerve Block, Inferior Alveolar Nerve Block, and Their Combination on the Anesthetic Success Rate in Symptomatic Mandibular Premolars: A Randomized Double-blind Clinical Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aggarwal, Vivek; Singla, Mamta; Miglani, Sanjay; Kohli, Sarita

    2016-06-01

    The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of mental incisive nerve block (MINB) and inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB) that were given alone or in combination to provide anesthesia to symptomatic mandibular premolars. One hundred fifty-three patients participated in this randomized, double-blind clinical trial. The patients were divided into 3 groups; first group received MINB with 2 mL 2% lidocaine with 1:200,000 epinephrine and a mock IANB with 2 mL sterile saline, patients in group 2 received mock MINB and an IANB with 2 mL 2% lidocaine, and patients in group 3 received both MINB and IANB with 2 mL each of 2% lidocaine. Access cavity preparation was initiated after 10 minutes. Success was defined as no pain or faint/weak/mild pain during endodontic access preparation and instrumentation. The anesthetic success rates were analyzed with Pearson χ(2) test at 5% significance levels. The MINB and IANB gave 53% and 47% anesthetic success rates, respectively, with no significant difference between them. Adding an IANB to MINB significantly improved the success rates to 82%. A combination of MINB and IANB can provide improved local anesthesia for symptomatic mandibular premolars. Copyright © 2016 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Human capital and career success

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Frederiksen, Anders; Kato, Takao

    capital formally through schooling for career success, as well as the gender gap in career success rates. Second, broadening the scope of human capital by experiencing various occupations (becoming a generalist) is found to be advantageous for career success. Third, initial human capital earned through......Denmark’s registry data provide accurate and complete career history data along with detailed personal characteristics (e.g., education, gender, work experience, tenure and others) for the population of Danish workers longitudinally. By using such data from 1992 to 2002, we provide rigorous...... formal schooling and subsequent human capital obtained informally on the job are found to be complements in the production of career success. Fourth, though there is a large body of the literature on the relationship between firm-specific human capital and wages, the relative value of firm-specific human...

  15. Understanding the Entrepreneur: An Index of Entrepreneurial Success

    OpenAIRE

    Fried, Harold O.; Tauer, Loren W.

    2009-01-01

    A measure of entrepreneur success is important to identify current and future successful ventures, to further our understanding of the entrepreneurial process and to guide public policies to improve the success rate of start-ups. In this paper we propose an index of entrepreneur success that accommodates multiple inputs and outputs, that is predicated on inputs and that mitigates the impact of outliers. We relate the index to characteristics of the entrepreneur and the venture: age, experienc...

  16. Reumaatjes@work De invloed van een gedragsinterventie op de mate van self-efficacy bij kinderen met JIA

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lodder, A. J. T.

    2013-01-01

    Samenvatting Juveniele Idiopathische Artritis (JIA) is een chronische heterogene auto-immuunziekte die zich openbaart bij kinderen voor het 16e levensjaar. Het heeft niet alleen invloed heeft op de fysieke gesteldheid van patiënten, maar brengt ook psychosociale problemen met zich mee. Het

  17. Physical activity in patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hartman, Jorine Elisabeth

    2013-01-01

    Betere beweegrichtlijnen nodig voor COPD-patiënt Bewegen is belangrijk, vooral voor patiënten met chronisch obstructieve longziekte (COPD). Toch zijn COPD-patiënten minder dan gemiddeld lichamelijk actief. Jorine Hartman onderzocht door welke fysieke en psychosociale factoren dat komt. Haar

  18. Angst en depressie bij patiënten met de ziekte van Ménière en hun partners

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Soraya Nieuwburg, [No Value

    2012-01-01

    Samenvatting Inleiding: De ziekte van Ménière is een chronische aandoening aan het binnenoor en wordt gekenmerkt door drie symptomen: duizeligheidaanvallen, tinnitus en gehoorverlies. De ziekte van Ménière kan naast lichamelijke problemen ook psychische problemen veroorzaken. De psychische problemen

  19. Success and Survival Rates of Dental Implants Restored at an Undergraduate Dental Clinic: A 13-Year Retrospective Study with a Mean Follow-up of 5.8 Years.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daneshvar, Shahrzad S; Matthews, Debora C; Michuad, Pierre-Luc; Ghiabi, Edmond

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical, radiographic, and patient-based outcomes of dental implants placed at an undergraduate student dental clinic. A retrospective study was performed to determine the success and survival rates of dental implants placed at the undergraduate dental clinic at Dalhousie University between January 1999 and January 2012. Only patients with a minimum of 1-year follow-up were included. Clinical and radiographic assessments determined implant success and survival rates. Questionnaires recorded patients' satisfaction with esthetics, comfort, and ease of hygiene. Of the 352 patients (n = 591 implants) who received implants over 13 years, 165 patients completed the clinical and radiographic examinations. By the end of the study period, demographic information and implant characteristics were collected for 111 (n = 217 implants; 47.5% in the maxilla, 52.6% in the mandible) of these patients. Of those assessed clinically, 36.4% were males and 63.6% females, with a mean age of 56.1 ± 14.15 years (range, 17 to 86 years) at the time of implant placement. The mean follow-up period was 5.8 years (range, 1 to 13 years). The overall implant success and survival rates were 88.0% and 97.2%, respectively. No observable bone loss was evident in 88.0% of the surviving implants. There were no implant fractures. Most patients (91.2%) were very satisfied with the implant restoration appearance, 88.0% were very comfortable with the implant, 92.6% were very satisfied with their ability to chew, and 84.8% reported easy hygiene maintenance at the implant sites. Implant success and survival in an undergraduate student clinic were comparable to those reported in the literature. It seems that inexperienced students were able to provide restorations that were very satisfying to the patients.

  20. MR elastography: high rate of technical success in pediatric and young adult patients

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Joshi, Madalsa [British Columbia Children' s Hospital, Department of Radiology, Vancouver, BC (Canada); Dillman, Jonathan R.; Towbin, Alexander J.; Serai, Suraj D.; Trout, Andrew T. [Cincinnati Children' s Hospital Medical Center, Department of Radiology, MLC 5031, Cincinnati, OH (United States)

    2017-06-15

    Magnetic resonance (MR) elastography allows the noninvasive assessment of liver stiffness, which is a surrogate for fibrosis. The purpose of this study was to describe our experience using liver MR elastography in a large pediatric population with attention to the frequency and causes of exam failure. Imaging records were searched for patients ≤18 years of age who underwent 2-D gradient recalled echo (GRE) MR elastography of the liver between September 2011 and August 2015 on one of two 1.5-T MRI platforms. Imaging reports and clinical records were reviewed for failed MR elastography acquisitions, factor(s) resulting in failure and whether a subsequent successful examination had been performed. Four hundred sixty-eight MR elastography examinations were performed in 372 patients between 1.5 months and 18 years of age during the study period. Ninety-six percent (450/468) of the examinations were successful. There was no significant difference in mean age (12.6±3.6 vs. 11.2±4.1 years, P=0.12) or body mass index (BMI) (28.2±12.4 vs. 29.5±10 kg/m{sup 2}, P=0.6) between patients with and without successful examinations. MR elastography failures were due to poor paddle positioning resulting in inadequate generation of hepatic shear waves (n=5), iron overload (n=4), patient inability to tolerate MRI (n=3), patient breathing/motion (n=3), artifact from implanted hardware (n=1) and technical malfunction (n=2). Seven of nine (78%) repeat examinations were successful (78%). Hepatic 2-D GRE MR elastography at 1.5 T is technically robust in children. Exam failure is infrequent and largely reflects patient specific factors, some of which can be mitigated with careful technique. (orig.)

  1. Wild jackdaws' reproductive success and their offspring's stress hormones are connected to provisioning rate and brood size, not to parental neophobia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greggor, Alison L; Spencer, Karen A; Clayton, Nicola S; Thornton, Alex

    2017-03-01

    Many species show individual variation in neophobia and stress hormones, but the causes and consequences of this variation in the wild are unclear. Variation in neophobia levels could affect the number of offspring animals produce, and more subtly influence the rearing environment and offspring development. Nutritional deficits during development can elevate levels of stress hormones that trigger long-term effects on learning, memory, and survival. Therefore measuring offspring stress hormone levels, such as corticosterone (CORT), helps determine if parental neophobia influences the condition and developmental trajectory of young. As a highly neophobic species, jackdaws (Corvus monedula) are excellent for exploring the potential effects of parental neophobia on developing offspring. We investigated if neophobic responses, alongside known drivers of fitness, influence nest success and offspring hormone responses in wild breeding jackdaws. Despite its consistency across the breeding season, and suggestions in the literature that it should have importance for reproductive fitness, parental neophobia did not predict nest success, provisioning rates or offspring hormone levels. Instead, sibling competition and poor parental care contributed to natural variation in stress responses. Parents with lower provisioning rates fledged fewer chicks, chicks from larger broods had elevated baseline CORT levels, and chicks with later hatching dates showed higher stress-induced CORT levels. Since CORT levels may influence the expression of adult neophobia, variation in juvenile stress responses could explain the development and maintenance of neophobic variation within the adult population. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Abnormalities in lipoprotein metabolism: from dysfunctional HDL to abnormal processing of triglyceride rich lipoproteins

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Franssen, R.

    2010-01-01

    Remco Franssen bestudeerde de rol van HDL, van nature gezien als het goede cholesterol, in ontstekingsprocessen en in het reverse cholesterol transport. Het kunstmatige rHDL is in staat de gevolgen van een stijging van het ontstekingseiwit CRP te voorkomen. Een chronische ontsteking als reuma of de

  3. Impact of Tricuspid Regurgitation on the Success of Atrioventricular Node Ablation for Rate Control in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation: The Node Blast Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reddy, Yeruva Madhu; Gunda, Sampath; Vallakati, Ajay; Kanmanthareddy, Arun; Pillarisetti, Jayasree; Atkins, Donita; Bommana, Sudharani; Emert, Martin P; Pimentel, Rhea; Dendi, Raghuveer; Berenbom, Loren D; Lakkireddy, Dhanunjaya

    2015-09-15

    Atrioventricular node (AVN) ablation is an effective treatment for symptomatic patients with atrial arrhythmias who are refractory to rhythm and rate control strategies where optimal ventricular rate control is desired. There are limited data on the predictors of failure of AVN ablation. Our objective was to identify the predictors of failure of AVN ablation. This is an observational single-center study of consecutive patients who underwent AVN ablation in a large academic center. Baseline characteristics, procedural variables, and outcomes of AVN ablation were collected. AVN "ablation failure" was defined as resumption of AVN conduction resulting in recurrence of either rapid ventricular response or suboptimal biventricular pacing. A total of 247 patients drug refractory AF who underwent AVN ablation at our center with a mean age of 71 ± 12 years with 46% being males were included. Ablation failure was seen in 11 (4.5%) patients. There were no statistical differences between patients with "ablation failure" versus "ablation success" in any of the baseline clinical variables. Patients with moderate-to-severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR) were much more likely to have ablation failure than those with ablation success (8 [73%] vs 65 [27%]; p = 0.003). All 11 patients with ablation failure had a successful redo procedure, 9 with right and 2 with the left sided approach. On multivariate analysis, presence of moderate-to-severe TR was found to be the only predictor of failure of AVN ablation (odds ratio 9.1, confidence interval 1.99 to 42.22, p = 0.004). In conclusion, moderate-to-severe TR is a strong and independent predictor of failure of AVN ablation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Computed tomography-guided percutaneous biopsy of bone lesions: rate of diagnostic success and complications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maciel, Macello Jose Sampaio; Tyng, Chiang Jeng; Barbosa, Paula Nicole Vieira Pinto; Bitencourt, Almir Galvao Vieira; Matushita Junior, Joao Paulo Kawaoka; Zurstrassen, Charles Edouard; Chung, Wu Tu; Chojniak, Rubens

    2014-01-01

    Objective: To determine the rates of diagnostic success and complications of computed tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous biopsy of bone lesions suspected for malignancy. Materials and Methods: Retrospective study including 186 cases of CT-guided percutaneous biopsies of bone lesions in the period from January, 2010 to December, 2012. All the specimens were obtained with 8-10 gauge needles. The following data were collected: demographics, previous history of malignancy, data related to the lesion, to the procedure, and to histological results. Results: Most patients were women (57%), and the mean age was 53.0 ± 16.4 years. In 139 cases (74.6%), there was diagnostic suspicion of metastasis and the most common primary tumors were breast (32.1%) and prostate (11.8%). The bones most commonly involved were spine (36.0%), hip (32.8%) and long bones (18.3%). Complications occurred in only three cases (1.6%) including bone fracture, paraesthesia with functional impairment, and needle breakage requiring surgical removal. The specimens collected from 183 lesions (98.4%) were considered appropriate for diagnosis. Malignant results were more frequently found in patients who had a suspected secondary lesion and history of known malignancy (p < 0.001), and in patients who underwent PET/CT-guided procedures (p = 0.011). Conclusion: CT-guided percutaneous biopsy is a safe and effective procedure for the diagnosis of suspicious bone lesions. (author)

  5. Computed tomography-guided percutaneous biopsy of bone lesions: rate of diagnostic success and complications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Maciel, Macello Jose Sampaio; Tyng, Chiang Jeng; Barbosa, Paula Nicole Vieira Pinto; Bitencourt, Almir Galvao Vieira; Matushita Junior, Joao Paulo Kawaoka; Zurstrassen, Charles Edouard; Chung, Wu Tu; Chojniak, Rubens, E-mail: macellomaciel@me.com [A.C.Camargo Cancer Center, Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

    2014-09-15

    Objective: To determine the rates of diagnostic success and complications of computed tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous biopsy of bone lesions suspected for malignancy. Materials and Methods: Retrospective study including 186 cases of CT-guided percutaneous biopsies of bone lesions in the period from January, 2010 to December, 2012. All the specimens were obtained with 8-10 gauge needles. The following data were collected: demographics, previous history of malignancy, data related to the lesion, to the procedure, and to histological results. Results: Most patients were women (57%), and the mean age was 53.0 ± 16.4 years. In 139 cases (74.6%), there was diagnostic suspicion of metastasis and the most common primary tumors were breast (32.1%) and prostate (11.8%). The bones most commonly involved were spine (36.0%), hip (32.8%) and long bones (18.3%). Complications occurred in only three cases (1.6%) including bone fracture, paraesthesia with functional impairment, and needle breakage requiring surgical removal. The specimens collected from 183 lesions (98.4%) were considered appropriate for diagnosis. Malignant results were more frequently found in patients who had a suspected secondary lesion and history of known malignancy (p < 0.001), and in patients who underwent PET/CT-guided procedures (p = 0.011). Conclusion: CT-guided percutaneous biopsy is a safe and effective procedure for the diagnosis of suspicious bone lesions. (author)

  6. Evaluation of Brace Treatment for Infant Hip Dislocation in a Prospective Cohort: Defining the Success Rate and Variables Associated with Failure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Upasani, Vidyadhar V; Bomar, James D; Matheney, Travis H; Sankar, Wudbhav N; Mulpuri, Kishore; Price, Charles T; Moseley, Colin F; Kelley, Simon P; Narayanan, Unni; Clarke, Nicholas M P; Wedge, John H; Castañeda, Pablo; Kasser, James R; Foster, Bruce K; Herrera-Soto, Jose A; Cundy, Peter J; Williams, Nicole; Mubarak, Scott J

    2016-07-20

    The use of a brace has been shown to be an effective treatment for hip dislocation in infants; however, previous studies of such treatment have been single-center or retrospective. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the success rate for brace use in the treatment of infant hip dislocation in an international, multicenter, prospective cohort, and to identify the variables associated with brace failure. All dislocations were verified with use of ultrasound or radiography prior to the initiation of treatment, and patients were followed prospectively for a minimum of 18 months. Successful treatment was defined as the use of a brace that resulted in a clinically and radiographically reduced hip, without surgical intervention. The Mann-Whitney test, chi-square analysis, and Fisher exact test were used to identify risk factors for brace failure. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to determine the probability of brace failure according to the risk factors identified. Brace treatment was successful in 162 (79%) of the 204 dislocated hips in this series. Six variables were found to be significant risk factors for failure: developing femoral nerve palsy during brace treatment (p = 0.001), treatment with a static brace (p failure, whereas hips with 4 or 5 risk factors had a 100% probability of failure. These data provide valuable information for patient families and their providers regarding the important variables that influence successful brace treatment for dislocated hips in infants. Prognostic Level I. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence. Copyright © 2016 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Incorporated.

  7. Credit rating dynamics and competition

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hirth, Stefan

    2014-01-01

    I analyze the market for credit ratings with competition between more than two rating agencies. How can honest rating behavior be achieved, and under which conditions can a new honest rating agency successfully invade a market with inflating incumbents? My model predicts cyclic dynamics...

  8. Orchiopexy for intra-abdominal testes: factors predicting success.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stec, Andrew A; Tanaka, Stacy T; Adams, Mark C; Pope, John C; Thomas, John C; Brock, John W

    2009-10-01

    Intra-abdominal testes can be treated with several surgical procedures. We evaluated factors influencing the outcome of orchiopexy for intra-abdominal testis. We retrospectively reviewed 156 consecutive orchiopexies performed for intra-abdominal testis, defined as a nonpalpable testis on examination and located in the abdomen at surgery. All surgical approaches were included in the study. Primary outcome was the overall success rate and secondary outcomes were success based on surgical approach, age and a patent processus vaginalis. Success was considered a testis with normal texture and size compared to the contralateral testis at followup. Multivariate analysis was performed to determine factors predictive of success. The overall success rate of all orchiopexies was 79.5%. Median patient age at orchiopexy was 12 months and mean followup was 16 months. Of the patients 117 had a patent processus vaginalis at surgery. One-stage abdominal orchiopexy was performed in 92 testes with 89.1% success. Of these cases 32 were performed laparoscopically with 96.9% success. One-stage Fowler-Stephens orchiopexy was performed in 27 testes and 2-stage Fowler-Stephens orchiopexy was performed in 37 with success in 63.0% and 67.6%, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that 1-stage orchiopexy without vessel division had more successful outcomes than 1 and 2-stage Fowler-Stephens orchiopexy (OR 0.24, p = 0.007 and 0.29, p = 0.19, respectively). Neither age at surgery nor an open internal ring was significant (p = 0.49 and 0.12, respectively). The overall success of orchiopexy for intra-abdominal testis is 79.5%. While patient selection remains a critical factor, 1-stage orchiopexy without vessel division was significantly more successful and a laparoscopic approach was associated with the fewest failures for intra-abdominal testes.

  9. Genetic studies of age-related macular degeneration

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Baas, D.C.

    2012-01-01

    Bij veel maculapatiënten is sprake van een sluimerende chronische ontsteking aan de achterkant van het netvlies. Deze bevinding van Dominique Baas helpt bij de zoektocht naar nieuwe therapieën voor deze aandoening, zoals gentherapie. Ook toonde Baas aan dat er verschillen in genetisch risico bestaan

  10. A Grounded Theory of Community College Presidential Succession.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kirkland, Travis P.

    The rate of turnover among community college chief executive officers (CEO's) is high, but the effects of administrator succession on organizational effectiveness has received little scholarly attention. To address this, a theory of community college CEO succession was derived from an analysis of case study data gathered at four locally governed…

  11. Climate matching drives spread rate but not establishment success in recent unintentional bird introductions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abellán, Pedro; Tella, José L; Carrete, Martina; Cardador, Laura; Anadón, José D

    2017-08-29

    Understanding factors driving successful invasions is one of the cornerstones of invasion biology. Bird invasions have been frequently used as study models, and the foundation of current knowledge largely relies on species purposefully introduced during the 19th and early 20th centuries in countries colonized by Europeans. However, the profile of exotic bird species has changed radically in the last decades, as birds are now mostly introduced into the invasion process through unplanned releases from the worldwide pet and avicultural trade. Here we assessed the role of the three main drivers of invasion success (i.e., event-, species-, and location-level factors) on the establishment and spatial spread of exotic birds using an unprecedented dataset recorded throughout the last 100 y in the Iberian Peninsula. Our multimodel inference phylogenetic approach showed that the barriers that need to be overcome by a species to successfully establish or spread are not the same. Whereas establishment is largely related to event-level factors, apparently stochastic features of the introduction (time since first introduction and propagule pressure) and to the origin of introduced species (wild-caught species show higher invasiveness than captive-bred ones), the spread across the invaded region seems to be determined by the extent to which climatic conditions in the new region resemble those of the species' native range. Overall, these results contrast with what we learned from successful deliberate introductions and highlight that different management interventions should apply at different invasion stages, the most efficient strategies being related to event-level factors.

  12. Post-Mergers and Acquisitions: The Motives, Success Factors and Key Success Indicators

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hatem El Zuhairy

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available There is a wide body of evidence showing a significant increase in the adoption of mergers and acquisitions (M&A worldwide. Moreover, research confirms that the integration and implementation stage (post-M&A has a major impact on the success or failure of a merger or acquisition. Therefore it has become increasingly important to explore the post-M&A phase further in order to support the management teams of organizations pursuing a merger or acquisition in meeting all their desired objectives. This paper proposes a framework to help in the successful execution of M&A. The framework contains three main elements: the motives, success factors and key success indicators (KSI. A qualitative research approach using the multiple case study methodology was conducted to test the framework. Ten case studies were selected from the industrial sector in Egypt and used to validate the research. The final version of the M&A framework was provided after applying the research results. Considering the practical implications of the M&A framework, a tool was proposed for its application in light of the balanced scorecard (BSC methodology. The proposed M&A scorecard tool should be used in the strategic planning and execution of M&A. Both the proposed M&A framework and the M&A scorecard tool should be used to guide the implementation of M&A in order to increase the success rate enjoyed by organizations.

  13. Experimental sources of variation in avian energetics: estimated basal metabolic rate decreases with successive measurements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacobs, Paul J; McKechnie, Andrew E

    2014-01-01

    Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is one of the most widely used metabolic variables in endotherm ecological and evolutionary physiology. Surprisingly few studies have investigated how BMR is influenced by experimental and analytical variables over and above the standardized conditions required for minimum normothermic resting metabolism. We tested whether avian BMR is affected by habituation to the conditions experienced during laboratory gas exchange measurements by measuring BMR five times in succession in budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus) housed under constant temperature and photoperiod. Both the magnitude and the variability of BMR decreased significantly with repeated measurements, from 0.410 ± 0.092 W (n = 9) during the first measurement to 0.285 ± 0.042 W (n = 9) during the fifth measurement. Thus, estimated BMR decreased by ∼30% within individuals solely on account of the number of times they had previously experienced the experimental conditions. The most likely explanation for these results is an attenuation with repeated exposure of the acute stress response induced by birds being handled and placed in respirometry chambers. Our data suggest that habituation to experimental conditions is potentially an important determinant of observed BMR, and this source of variation needs to be taken into account in future studies of metabolic variation among individuals, populations, and species.

  14. Biological therapy in Sjögren’s syndrome : outcomes and evaluation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Meiners, Petra

    2014-01-01

    Het syndroom van Sjögren is een chronische ziekte waarbij klieren ontstoken raken, vooral de speeksel- en traanklieren, met een droge mond en droge ogen als gevolg. Daarnaast kunnen de ontstekingen zich ook uiten in andere organen zoals de longen, nieren of bloedvaten. Bijna alle patiënten zijn

  15. Success rates for initial eradication of peri-prosthetic knee infection treated with a two-stage procedure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaminski, Andrzej; Citak, Mustafa; Schildhauer, Thomas Armin; Fehmer, Tobias

    2014-01-01

    In Germany, rates of primary total knee arthroplasty procedures and exchange arthroplasty procedures continue to rise. Late-onset peri-prosthetic infection constitutes a serious complication whose management may be dependent upon the spectrum of micro-organisms involved. The aim of this study was to provide a retrospective analysis of the effectiveness of initial eradication measures performed as part of a two-stage procedure. Between 2002 and 2008, a total of 328 patients who had received a first-time diagnosis of chronic peri-prosthetic knee infection following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) subsequently underwent surgery at our clinic. The surgical approach consisted of a two-stage procedure, with the initial procedure consisting of the removal of the prosthesis and radical debridement, followed by insertion of an antibiotic-loaded static spacer. The effectiveness of the procedure was assessed after six weeks, with each patient undergoing a number of clinical and laboratory-based tests, including knee joint aspiration. Staphylococcus aureus strains were responsible for 68% (n=223) of the total number of cases of peri-prosthetic knee infection. 19% of cases (n=62) showed evidence of gram-negative bacteria, while MRSA accounted for 15% (n=49) of cases. Six weeks after completion of the above-named treatment regimen, eradication of infection was considered successful in 289 patients (88.1%). Eradication was unsuccessful in 22% of MRSA infections (n=11) and 7% of MSSA infections (n=23). The treatment regimen outlined in this report is capable of achieving satisfactory results in the management of late-onset peri-prosthetic knee infection, with one exception: patients with infections caused by MRSA showed high failure rates.

  16. Success rate of split-thickness skin grafting of chronic venous leg ulcers depends on the presence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa: a retrospective study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Høgsberg, Trine; Bjarnsholt, Thomas; Thomsen, Jens Schiersing

    2011-01-01

    that once chronic venous leg ulcers were colonized (weeks or months preoperatively) by P. aeruginosa, the success rate of skin grafting deteriorated despite aggressive treatment. To investigate this, a retrospective study was performed on the clinical outcome of 82 consecutive patients with chronic venous...... regression analysis was carried out leaving P. aeruginosa as the only predictor left in the model (p¿=¿0.001). This study supports our hypothesis that P. aeruginosa in chronic venous leg ulcers, despite treatment, has considerable impact on partial take or rejection of split-thickness skin grafts....

  17. The Effect of Active Learning Techniques on Class Teacher Candidates' Success Rates and Attitudes toward Their Museum Theory and Application Unit in Their Visual Arts Course

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dilmac, Oguz

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to examine the effect that using active learning techniques during museum and gallery visits has on teacher candidates' academic success rates in and attitudes toward their Visual Arts Course. In this study, the importance and requirement of education to take place in museums and art galleries is emphasized. The…

  18. Secondary plant succession on disturbed sites at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Angerer, J.P.; Ostler, W.K.; Gabbert, W.D.; Schultz, B.W.

    1994-12-01

    This report presents the results of a study of secondary plant succession on disturbed sites created during initial site investigations in the late 1970s and early 1980s at Yucca Mountain, NV. Specific study objectives were to determine the rate and success of secondary plant succession, identify plant species found in disturbances that may be suitable for site-specific reclamation, and to identify environmental variables that influence succession on disturbed sites. During 1991 and 1992, fifty seven disturbed sites were located. Vegetation parameters, disturbance characteristics and environmental variables were measured at each site. Disturbed site vegetation parameters were compared to that of undisturbed sites to determine the status of disturbed site plant succession. Vegetation on disturbed sites, after an average of ten years, was different from undisturbed areas. Ambrosia dumosa, Chrysothamnus teretifolius, Hymenoclea salsola, Gutierrezia sarothrae, Atriplex confertifolia, Atriplex canescens, and Stephanomeria pauciflora were the most dominant species across all disturbed sites. With the exception of A. dumosa, these species were generally minor components of the undisturbed vegetation. Elevation, soil compaction, soil potassium, and amounts of sand and gravel in the soil were found to be significant environmental variables influencing the species composition and abundance of perennial plants on disturbed sites. The recovery rate for disturbed site secondary succession was estimated. Using a linear function (which would represent optimal conditions), the recovery rate for perennial plant cover, regardless of which species comprised the cover, was estimated to be 20 years. However, when a logarithmic function (which would represent probable conditions) was used, the recovery rate was estimated to be 845 years. Recommendations for future studies and site-specific reclamation of disturbances are presented.

  19. Secondary plant succession on disturbed sites at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Angerer, J.P.; Ostler, W.K.; Gabbert, W.D.; Schultz, B.W.

    1994-12-01

    This report presents the results of a study of secondary plant succession on disturbed sites created during initial site investigations in the late 1970s and early 1980s at Yucca Mountain, NV. Specific study objectives were to determine the rate and success of secondary plant succession, identify plant species found in disturbances that may be suitable for site-specific reclamation, and to identify environmental variables that influence succession on disturbed sites. During 1991 and 1992, fifty seven disturbed sites were located. Vegetation parameters, disturbance characteristics and environmental variables were measured at each site. Disturbed site vegetation parameters were compared to that of undisturbed sites to determine the status of disturbed site plant succession. Vegetation on disturbed sites, after an average of ten years, was different from undisturbed areas. Ambrosia dumosa, Chrysothamnus teretifolius, Hymenoclea salsola, Gutierrezia sarothrae, Atriplex confertifolia, Atriplex canescens, and Stephanomeria pauciflora were the most dominant species across all disturbed sites. With the exception of A. dumosa, these species were generally minor components of the undisturbed vegetation. Elevation, soil compaction, soil potassium, and amounts of sand and gravel in the soil were found to be significant environmental variables influencing the species composition and abundance of perennial plants on disturbed sites. The recovery rate for disturbed site secondary succession was estimated. Using a linear function (which would represent optimal conditions), the recovery rate for perennial plant cover, regardless of which species comprised the cover, was estimated to be 20 years. However, when a logarithmic function (which would represent probable conditions) was used, the recovery rate was estimated to be 845 years. Recommendations for future studies and site-specific reclamation of disturbances are presented

  20. Study success in higher education: male versus female students

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kolster, Renze; Kaiser, Franciscus

    2015-01-01

    Study success is an important topic for countries concerned with the effectiveness of their higher education system. A closer look at study success outcomes suggests there are noticeable differences between male and female students: in terms of enrolment, study choices, drop‐out rates, retention

  1. RATING AS A TOOL FOR MEASURING SUCCESS: “PRO” AND “CONTRA”

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. V. Yurasova

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Modern style of management requires different mechanisms of evaluation. They are very important, the quality measurements of both the social processes and the social management. The measurement process requires the creation of different approaches and techniques. In the modern social management integrated indicators become of the great importance. They are calculated and sounded like ratings and indexes. They are applied to a wide variety of objects – countries, governors, companies, schools, neighborhoods, etс. Often, they determined the prestige and position of an object in a competitive environment. The article examines in detail the positive and negative aspects of building ratings and indexes. The author argues that in modern society emerges the belief in their universal applicability and objectivity. In the majority of ratings are included not only the objective (statistical or similar figures, but also subjective expert assessments. Many other elements in the methodology of ratings and indexes do not allow to say that they always reflect the real situation. Their main advantage is that they enable to select the best and the worst, and it is fundamentally important for a manager at any level. The process of total “menegerization” determines the popularity of indexes, as they form the basis of efficiency criteria. And it’s the focus on managerial efficiency, that, in fact, dictates the need for continuous assessment of the situation. The author reveals the problems that lie behind the construction of the ratings, and their subsequent use: assessing the quality of the primary data, the equivalence of experts work, etc. Any rating causes a certain reaction: argumentation for and against, discussions about the optimality of the selected parameters and methodology. In the article various approaches and methods of index construction are examined. There are examples of the most interesting ratings and indexes creating by different

  2. Surface Warfare Officers Initial Training For Future Success

    Science.gov (United States)

    2018-03-01

    9 A school is initial rating specific technical training that is given to sailors. 14 Figure 4. Less...NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA MBA PROFESSIONAL REPORT SURFACE WARFARE OFFICERS— INITIAL TRAINING FOR FUTURE SUCCESS March 2018...professional report 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE SURFACE WARFARE OFFICERS—INITIAL TRAINING FOR FUTURE SUCCESS 5. FUNDING NUMBERS 6. AUTHOR(S) Arron J

  3. Surgical success of boomerang-shaped chondroperichondrial graft in pediatric chronic otitis media cases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dundar, Riza; Kulduk, Erkan; Soy, Fatih Kemal; Aslan, Mehmet; Yukkaldiran, Ahmet; Guler, Osman Kadir; Ozbay, Can

    2015-06-01

    To reveal the success of boomerang-shaped chondroperichondrial graft (BSCPG) in pediatric chronic otitis media cases. A total of 43 pediatric patients (age 7-16 years) who had undergone type 1 tympanoplasty with the diagnosis of chronic otitis media between March 2010 and March 2013 were included in this retrospective study. The main outcome measures were the graft success rate and level of hearing improvement. Graft intake success rate was 90.7%. Mean preoperative and postoperative air-bone gap values were 20.51 ± 4.34 dB SPL and 9.32 ± 5.64 dB SPL, respectively (p Boomerang-shaped chondroperichondrial grafting technique seems to be a successful alternative in the management of pediatric chronic otitis media cases. It has relatively higher grade graft success rate. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. MR imaging in chronic epicondylitis humeri radialis at 1.0 T: is Gd-DTPA administration useful?; MRT bei chronischer Epicondylitis humeri radialis an einem 1,0 T-Geraet - Kontrastmittelgabe notwendig?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Herber, S.; Kalden, P.; Kreitner, K.-F.; Thelen, M. [Tuebingen Univ. (Germany). Klinik und Poliklinik fuer Radiologie; Riedel, C.; Rompe, J.D. [Klinik und Poliklinik fuer Orthopaedie Johannes-Gutenberg-Univ. Mainz (Germany)

    2001-05-01

    eine Flash 2D-Sequenz. Au paragraph erdem wurde eine T{sub 1}-gewichtete, fettsupprimierte SE-Sequenz vor und nach i.v. KM-Gabe angefertigt. Ergebnisse: In 39/42 Faellen wurden pathologische Veraenderungen der Extensorensehnen beobachtet. Eine pathologische Verdickung oder eine Ruptur respektive Partialruptur des Lig. collaterale radiale zeigte sich in 15/42 Faellen, ein Knochenmarkoedem am lateralen Epicondylus wiesen 6 Patienten und einen Gelenkerguss 18/42 auf. Nach KM-Gabe zeigte sich in der T{sub 1}-gewichteten SE-Sequenz in 29/42 Faellen ein durchschnittlicher Anstieg des Signal-zu-Rausch-Verhaeltnisses um den Faktor 1,5. Zusatzinformationen durch Kontrastmittelgabe wurden im Vergleich zur Nativdiagnostik nicht gewonnen. Schlussfolgerung: Im Rahmen der MRT-Bildgebung bei chronischer Epicondylitis kann auf die i.v. Gabe von Gadolinium-DTPA bei fehlendem diagnostischen Zugewinn verzichtet werden. (orig.)

  5. Success of Dental Treatments under Behavior Management, Sedation and General Anesthesia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blumer, Sigalit; Costa, Liora; Peretz, Benjamin

    To present comparative study aims to assist the practitioner to choose between behavior modification (BM) techniques, pharmacologic sedation (N 2 O-O 2 alone or combined with midazolam 0.5 mg/ kg) or routine general anesthesia (GA) for the most successful approach in enabling pediatric dental care. Dental records of 56 children treated in a university dental clinic between 2006-2016 were reviewed, and data on age, gender, required treatment (amalgam restorations, composite restorations, pulpotomy, and stainless steel crowns [SSC]), treatment approaches and therapeutic success at final follow-up were retrieved. Treatment under GA had the best success rates compared to both BM and pharmacologic sedation. N 2 O-O 2 alone had a 6.1-fold greater risk of failure compared to N 2 O-O 2 +midazolam (p- <0.008). Amalgam restorations had a 2.61-fold greater risk of failure than SSC (p- <0.008). The GA mode yielded significantly greater success than the N 2 O-O 2 mode alone. There were no significant differences in success rates between GA and combined midazolam 0.5 mg/kg+N 2 O-O 2 . When choosing restoration material, it is important to remember the high success rate of SSC compared to amalgam restoration.

  6. Correlates of Cessation Success among Romanian Adults

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dorota Kaleta

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. Tobacco smoking and its consequences are a serious public health problem in Romania. Evidence-based data on factors associated with successful smoking cessation are crucial to optimize tobacco control. The aim of the study was to determine the sociodemographic and other factors associated with smoking cessation success among adults. Materials and Methods. Data was from a sample of 4,517 individuals derived from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS. GATS is a cross-sectional, nationally representative household survey implemented in Romania in 2011. Data was analyzed with logistic regression. Results. Among females, the quit rate was 26.3% compared with 33.1% in males (P<0.02. We found disparities in cessation success among the analyzed groups of respondents. Being economically active, being aged 40 and above, and having an awareness of smoking health consequences were associated with long-term quitting smoking among men, while initiating smoking at a later age increased the odds of quitting smoking among women. However, cohabitation with nonsmokers was the strongest predictor of successful cessation among both genders. Conclusion. Programs increasing quit rates and encourage cessation among groups less likely to quit, adopting voluntary smoke-free homes, and increasing the awareness of smoking and tobacco pollution risks are needed.

  7. Management of postoperative radiation injury of the urinary bladder by hyperbaric oxygen (HBO)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Peusch-Dreyer, D.; Dreyer, K.H. [Zentrum fuer Tauch- und Ueberdruckmedizin (ZETUeM), Bremen (Germany); Mueller, C.D. [Druckkammerzentrum Magdeburg (Germany); Carl, U. [Klinik fuer Strahlentherapie und Radioonkologie, Universitaet Duesseldorf (Germany)

    1998-11-01

    Aim: In many case reports the success of treatment of late complications of radiotherapy with hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO) has been shown. This synopsis attempts to review HBO in the treatment of chronic radiation injury of the bladder. Patients and methods: Three female patients who had developed urge-incontinence after a Wertheim operation and combined brachy-teletherapy with cobalt-60 and afterloading and did not respond to various drug therapies, were treated with HBO to a maximum of 40 applications. Results: In all patients HBO haltered and inverted the dynamic process underlying chronic bladder changes after irradiation. Rationales for the HBO are the reduction of tissue hypoxia and the induction of neoangiogenesis. Conclusions: There are no prospective trials up to date showing the benefit of HBO to urinary disorders caused by radiation cystitis. The positive results of our retrospective study should encourage clinicians to initiate prospective studies with the use of HBO in the treatment of radiation cystitis. (orig.) [Deutsch] Ziel: Ueber die erfolgreiche Anwendung der hyperbaren Sauerstofftherapie (HBO) zur Behandlung von Strahlenspaetkomplikationen ist in zahlreichen Publikationen berichtet worden. Ziel dieser Arbeit ist es, den Einsatz der HBO bei der Behandlung von Miktionsbeschwerden bei chronisch radiogenen Harnblasenschaeden zu bewerten. Patienten und Methode: Drei Patientinnen, die nach einer kombinierten Brachyteletherapie mit Kobalt 60 und Afterloading nach Wertheim-Operation unter einer medikamentoes nicht zu beeinflussenden Urge-Inkontinenz litten, wurden der HBO mit maximal 40 Behandlungen zugefuehrt. Ergebnisse: Die HBO war bei allen Patientinnen in der Lage, den dynamischen Krankheitsprozess der Strahlenzystitis aufzuhalten und teilweise umzukehren. Grundlage hierfuer ist die Beseitigung der Gewebshypoxie. Dieses wiederum stellt die Voraussetzung fuer eine Neovaskularisation im bestrahlten Gewebe dar. Schlussfolgerung: Prospektive Studien

  8. Practitioner and scientist perceptions of successful amphibian conservation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meredith, Helen M R; St John, Freya A V; Collen, Ben; Black, Simon A; Griffiths, Richard A

    2018-04-01

    Conservation requires successful outcomes. However, success is perceived in many different ways depending on the desired outcome. Through a questionnaire survey, we examined perceptions of success among 355 scientists and practitioners working on amphibian conservation from over 150 organizations in more than 50 countries. We also sought to identify how different types of conservation actions and respondent experience and background influenced perceptions. Respondents identified 4 types of success: species and habitat improvements (84% of respondents); effective program management (36%); outreach initiatives such as education and public engagement (25%); and the application of science-based conservation (15%). The most significant factor influencing overall perceived success was reducing threats. Capacity building was rated least important. Perceptions were influenced by experience, professional affiliation, involvement in conservation practice, and country of residence. More experienced practitioners associated success with improvements to species and habitats and less so with education and engagement initiatives. Although science-based conservation was rated as important, this factor declined in importance as the number of programs a respondent participated in increased, particularly among those from less economically developed countries. The ultimate measure of conservation success-population recovery-may be difficult to measure in many amphibians; difficult to relate to the conservation actions intended to drive it; and difficult to achieve within conventional funding time frames. The relaunched Amphibian Conservation Action Plan provides a framework for capturing lower level processes and outcomes, identifying gaps, and measuring progress. © 2017 The Authors. Conservation Biology published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society for Conservation Biology.

  9. Can groundwater be successfully implemented as a bulk water ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    These properties define typical fractured aquifers in which the selection of drilling sites requires a thorough scientific approach to locate a successful productive borehole. While most water service authorities in the Province have been randomly developing new boreholes with limited success rates, the analysis of datasets in ...

  10. Methodology for Designing Models Predicting Success of Infertility Treatment

    OpenAIRE

    Alireza Zarinara; Mohammad Mahdi Akhondi; Hojjat Zeraati; Koorsh Kamali; Kazem Mohammad

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Background: The prediction models for infertility treatment success have presented since 25 years ago. There are scientific principles for designing and applying the prediction models that is also used to predict the success rate of infertility treatment. The purpose of this study is to provide basic principles for designing the model to predic infertility treatment success. Materials and Methods: In this paper, the principles for developing predictive models are explained and...

  11. National trends in the usage and success of sacral nerve test stimulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cameron, Anne P; Anger, Jennifer T; Madison, Rodger; Saigal, Christopher S; Clemens, J Quentin

    2011-03-01

    Little is known about outcomes of sacral neuromodulation in the general community, with published reports to date limited to case series or randomized, controlled trials. The goal of this analysis was to identify the national sacral neuromodulation test phase success rate and patient factors that contribute to success. Medical claims data were obtained from a 5% sample of Medicare beneficiaries (1997 to 2007) and from employees of 25 large (Fortune 500) companies (Ingenix®, 2002 to 2007). Using billing codes for the sacral neuromodulation procedure, success was defined as progressing from test phase (percutaneous or staged) to battery implantation. The rate of success was compared based on age, race, gender and diagnosis. In the Medicare sample 358 patients received percutaneous test stimulation and 1,132 underwent 2-stage lead placement, of whom 45.8% and 35.4%, respectively, underwent subsequent battery implantation. In the privately insured sample there were 266 percutaneous procedures and 794, 2-stage procedures. Percutaneous procedures were followed by battery placement in 24.1% of cases, whereas 50.9% of staged procedures resulted in battery implantation. Gender was the only consistent predictor of success, with female patients demonstrating higher success rates in each data set. The sacral neuromodulation success rates in these data sets are inferior to those published in case series and small randomized, controlled trials. Women had significantly better results than men and privately insured individuals had better results than those with Medicare, indicating a potential age effect. Copyright © 2011 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Higher survival drives the success of nitrogen-fixing trees through succession in Costa Rican rainforests.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Menge, Duncan N L; Chazdon, Robin L

    2016-02-01

    Trees capable of symbiotic nitrogen (N) fixation ('N fixers') are abundant in many tropical forests. In temperate forests, it is well known that N fixers specialize in early-successional niches, but in tropical forests, successional trends of N-fixing species are poorly understood. We used a long-term census study (1997-2013) of regenerating lowland wet tropical forests in Costa Rica to document successional patterns of N fixers vs non-fixers, and used an individual-based model to determine the demographic drivers of these trends. N fixers increased in relative basal area during succession. In the youngest forests, N fixers grew 2.5 times faster, recruited at a similar rate and were 15 times less likely to die as non-fixers. As succession proceeded, the growth and survival disparities decreased, whereas N fixer recruitment decreased relative to non-fixers. According to our individual-based model, high survival was the dominant driver of the increase in basal area of N fixers. Our data suggest that N fixers are successful throughout secondary succession in tropical rainforests of north-east Costa Rica, and that attempts to understand this success should focus on tree survival. © 2015 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2015 New Phytologist Trust.

  13. Successful maintenance on sulphonylurea therapy and low diabetes complication rates in a HNF1A-MODY cohort.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bacon, S; Kyithar, M P; Rizvi, S R; Donnelly, E; McCarthy, A; Burke, M; Colclough, K; Ellard, S; Byrne, M M

    2016-07-01

    HNF1A gene mutations are the most common cause of maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) in the UK. Persons with HNF1A-MODY display sensitivity to sulphonylurea therapy; however, the long-term efficacy is not established. There is limited literature as to the prevalence of micro- and macrovascular complications in this unique cohort. The aim of this study was to determine the natural progression and clinical management of HNF1A-MODY diabetes in a dedicated MODY clinic. Sixty patients with HNF1A-MODY and a cohort of 60 BMI-, age-, ethnicity- and diabetes duration-matched patients with Type 1 diabetes mellitus participated in the study. All patients were phenotyped in detail. Clinical follow-up of the HNF1A-MODY cohort occurred on a bi-annual basis. Following a genetic diagnosis of MODY, the majority of the cohort treated with sulphonylurea therapy remained insulin independent at 84-month follow-up (80%). The HbA1c in the HNF1A-MODY group treated with sulphonylurea therapy alone improved significantly over the study period [from 49 (44-63) mmol/mol, 6.6 (6.2-7.9)% to 41 (31-50) mmol/mol, 5.9 (5-6.7)%; P = 0.003]. The rate of retinopathy was significantly lower than that noted in the Type 1 diabetes mellitus group (13.6 vs. 50%; P = 0.0001).There was also a lower rate of microalbuminuria and cardiovascular disease in the HNF1A-MODY group compared with the Type 1 diabetes mellitus group. This study demonstrates that the majority of patients with HNF1A-MODY can be maintained successfully on sulphonylurea therapy with good glycaemic control. We note a significantly lower rate of micro- and macrovascular complications than reported previously. The use of appropriate therapy at early stages of the disorder may decrease the incidence of complications. © 2015 Diabetes UK.

  14. Comparisons of the utility of researcher-defined and participant-defined successful ageing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Lynsey J; Bond, Malcolm J

    2016-03-01

    To investigate the impact of different approaches for measuring 'successful ageing', four alternative researcher and participant definitions were compared, including a novel measure informed by cluster analysis. Rates of successful ageing were explored, as were their relative associations with age and measures of successful adaptation, to assess construct validity. Participants, aged over 65, were recruited from community-based organisations. Questionnaires (assessing successful ageing, lifestyle activities and selective optimisation with compensation) were completed by 317 individuals. Successful ageing ranged from 11.4% to 87.4%, with higher rates evident from participant definitions. Though dependent upon the definition, successful agers were typically younger, reported greater engagement with lifestyle activities and more frequent optimisation. While the current study suggested an improved classification algorithm using a common research definition, future research should explore how subjective and objective aspects of successful ageing may be combined to derive a measure relevant to policy and practice. © 2016 AJA Inc.

  15. Pancreatitis. An update; Pankreatitis. Ein Update

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schreyer, A.G. [Universitaetsklinikum Regensburg, Institut fuer Roentgendiagnostik, Regensburg (Germany); Grenacher, L. [Diagnostik Muenchen, MVZ Radiologie, Muenchen (Germany); Juchems, M. [Klinikum Konstanz, Diagnostische und Interventionelle Radiologie, Konstanz (Germany)

    2016-04-15

    Acute and chronic pancreatitis are becoming increasingly more severe diseases in the western world with far-reaching consequences for the individual patient as well as the socioeconomic situation. This article gives an overview of the contribution of radiological imaging to the diagnostics and therapy of both forms of the disease. Acute pancreatitis can be subdivided into severe (20 %) and mild manifestations. The diagnostics should be performed with computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for assessing necrosis or potential infections only in severe forms of pancreatitis. In chronic pancreatitis transabdominal ultrasound should initially be adequate for assessment of the pancreas. For the differential diagnosis between pancreatic carcinoma and chronic pancreatitis, MRI with magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) followed by an endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration is the method of choice. For the primary diagnosis for acute and chronic pancreatitis ultrasound examination is the modality of first choice followed by radiological CT and MRI with MRCP examinations. (orig.) [German] Akute und chronische Pankreatitis sind in der westlichen Welt zunehmende schwere Krankheitsbilder mit tiefgreifenden Konsequenzen fuer den einzelnen Patienten sowie soziooekonomisch. Der Beitrag radiologischer Bildgebung zur Diagnostik und Therapie beider Erkrankungsformen soll im vorliegenden Uebersichtsbeitrag diskutiert werden. Die akute Pankreatitis kann in eine schwere (20 %) und milde Verlaufsform unterteilt werden. Lediglich bei den schweren Formen sollte eine CT- oder MRT-Diagnostik bzgl. der Beurteilung von Nekrosen und moeglichen Infektionen erfolgen. Bei der chronischen Pankreatitis genuegt zunaechst eine Beurteilung des Pankreas durch transabdominellen Ultraschall. Hier sind die MRT mit der Magnetresonanzcholangiopankreatikographie (MRCP) sowie die endosonographisch gesteuerte Feinnadelpunktion die Methode, um

  16. Route of delivery following successful external cephalic version.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Policiano, Catarina; Costa, Ana; Valentim-Lourenço, Alexandre; Clode, Nuno; Graça, Luís M

    2014-09-01

    To evaluate the delivery route and the indications for cesarean delivery after successful external cephalic version (ECV). A retrospective matched case-control study was conducted at a hospital in Lisbon, Portugal, between 2002 and 2012. Each woman who underwent successful ECV (n = 44) was compared with the previous and next women who presented for labor management and who had the same parity and a singleton vertex pregnancy at term (n = 88). The outcome measures were route of delivery, indications for cesarean delivery, and incidence of nonreassuring fetal status. Attempts at ECV were successful in 62 (46%) of 134 women, and 44 women whose fetuses remained in a cephalic presentation until delivery were included in the study. The rates of intrapartum cesarean delivery and operative vaginal delivery did not differ significantly between cases and controls (intrapartum cesarean delivery, 9 [20%] vs 16 [18%], P = 0.75; operative vaginal delivery, 14 [32%] vs 19 [22%], P = 0.20). The indications for cesarean delivery after successful ECV did not differ; in both groups, cesarean delivery was mainly performed for labor arrest disorders (cases, 6 [67%] vs controls, 13 [81%]; P = 0.63). Successful ECV was not associated with increased rates of intrapartum cesarean delivery or operative vaginal delivery. Copyright © 2014 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. CT-guided core biopsy and percutaneous fiducial seed placement in the lung: Can these procedures be combined without an increase in complication rate or decrease in technical success?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mendiratta-Lala, Mishal [Henry Ford Hospital, Department of Radiology, Abdominal Interventional Radiology, 2799 West Grand Blvd, Detroit, MI 48202 (United States); Sheiman, Robert, E-mail: rsheiman@bidmc.harvard.edu [Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, Department of Radiology, Abdominal Imaging, One Deaconess Road, Boston, MA 02215 (United States); Brook, Olga R. [Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, Department of Radiology, Abdominal Imaging, One Deaconess Road, Boston, MA 02215 (United States); Gourtsoyianni, Sofia [King' s College London, St Thomas’ Hospital, Lambeth Palace Road, SE1 7EH London (United Kingdom); Mahadevan, Anand [Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, Radiation Oncology, One Deaconess Road, Boston, MA 02215 (United States); Siewert, Bettina [Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, Department of Radiology, Abdominal Imaging, One Deaconess Road, Boston, MA 02215 (United States)

    2014-04-15

    Objective: To determine if concomitant CT-guided biopsy and percutaneous fiducial seed placement in the lung can be performed in a selective patient population without increased complication or decreased success rates compared to either procedure alone. Materials and methods: An IRB approved retrospective analysis of 285 consecutive patients that underwent CT-guided placement of fiducial seeds in the lung alone (N = 63), with concomitant core biopsy (N = 53) or only core biopsy (N = 169) was performed. Variables compared included: patient demographics, lesion size, depth from pleura, needle size, number of passes through pleura, number and size of core biopsies, number of seeds placed and technical success rates. Statistical analysis was performed using univariate and multivariate pair-wise comparisons. Results: A pathologic diagnosis of malignancy was confirmed in all cases undergoing seed placement alone and seed placement with concurrent biopsy, and in 144 of the biopsy alone lesions. On univariate analysis, major complication rates were similar for all three groups as were lesion size, depth, number of pleural passes, and technical success. Pair-wise comparisons of the remaining variables demonstrated a significant younger age and smaller needle size in the biopsy only group, and less minor complications in the fiducial only group. Overall there were 80/285 (28.1%) minor and 29/285 (10.2%) major complications. All major complications leading to admission consisted of either pneumothorax or hemothorax, while minor complications included asymptomatic stable or resolving pneumothoraces, transient hemoptysis or small hemothoraces. Conclusions: A combined procedure of percutaneous pulmonary core biopsy and stereotactic seed placement can be performed without additional risk of a major complication when compared to performing these separately.

  18. Pain following primary total knee replacement: Causes, diagnosis and treatment

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Geene, A.R.; Saris, Daniël B.F.; Custers, R.J.H.

    2015-01-01

    De plaatsing van een totale knieprothese (TKP) is een succesvolle ingreep bij patiënten met invaliderende gonartrose. Ondanks de goede resultaten is er een grote groep patiënten die niet tevreden is na de ingreep. Mannen, jonge patiënten en patiënten met chronische pijn zijn vaker tevreden na een

  19. Predictors of successful weaning from prolonged mechanical ventilation in Taiwan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Yao-Kuang; Kao, Kuo-Chin; Hsu, Kuang-Hung; Hsieh, Meng-Jer; Tsai, Ying-Huang

    2009-08-01

    For adult patients on prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV, >/=21 days), successful weaning has been attributed to various factors. The purpose of this study was to describe patient outcomes, weaning rates and factors in successful weaning at a hospital-based respiratory care center (RCC) in Taiwan. This was a retrospective observational study performed in a 24-bed RCC over six years. A total of 1307 patients on PMV were included in the study. The overall survival rate was 62%. Fifty-six percent of patients were successfully weaned. Unsuccessfully weaned patients had higher MICU transfer rates, higher Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II scores, longer duration of RCC stay, higher rates of being bed-ridden prior to admission, increased hemodialysis rates, higher modified Glasgow Coma Scale scores, higher rapid shallow breathing index, lower inspiratory pressure at residual volume (PImax) and lower blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine levels. Factors found to be associated with unsuccessful weaning were length of RCC stay (OR=1.04, Pventilator independence can be achieved in an RCC setting as an alternative to ICU care. Factors associated with unsuccessful weaning included longer duration of RCC stay, elevated BUN levels and lower modified GCS scores, serum albumin and PImax levels.

  20. Success of Meniscal Repair at ACL Reconstruction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toman, Charles; Spindler, Kurt P.; Dunn, Warren R.; Amendola, Annunziata; Andrish, Jack T.; Bergfeld, John A.; Flanigan, David; Jones, Morgan; Kaeding, Christopher C.; Marx, Robert G.; Matava, Matthew J.; McCarty, Eric C.; Parker, Richard D.; Wolcott, Michelle; Vidal, Armando; Wolf, Brian R.; Huston, Laura J.; Harrell, Frank E.; Wright, Rick W.

    2013-01-01

    Background Meniscal repair is performed in an attempt to prevent posttraumatic arthritis resulting from meniscal dysfunction after meniscal tears. The socioeconomic implications of premature arthritis are significant in the young patient population. Investigations and techniques focusing on meniscus preservation and healing are now at the forefront of orthopaedic sports medicine. Hypothesis Concomitant meniscal repair with ACL reconstruction is a durable and successful procedure at two year follow-up. Study Design Case Series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods All unilateral primary ACL reconstructions entered in 2002 in a prospective cohort who had meniscal repair at the time of ACLR were evaluated. Validated patient oriented outcome instruments were completed preoperatively and then again at the two-year postoperative time point. Reoperation after the index procedure was also documented and confirmed by operative reports. Results 437 unilateral primary ACL reconstructions were performed with 86 concomitant meniscal repairs (57 medial, 29 lateral) in 84 patients during the study period. Patient follow-up was obtained on 94% (81/86) of the meniscal repairs, allowing confirmation of meniscal repair success (defined as no repeat arthroscopic procedure) or failure. The overall success rate for meniscal repairs was 96% (76/79 patients) at two-year follow-up. Conclusions Meniscal repair is a successful procedure in conjunction with ACL reconstruction. When confronted with a “repairable” meniscal tear at the time of ACL reconstruction, orthopaedic surgeons can expect an estimated >90% clinical success rate at two-year follow-up using a variety of methods as shown in our study. PMID:19465734

  1. [Predictors of success of external cephalic version: Bi-center study].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dochez, V; Delbos, L; Esbelin, J; Volteau, C; Winer, N; Sentilhes, L

    2016-05-01

    In the literature, success rate of external cephalic version (ECV) is 39 to 65%. This study aims to identify potential predictors of a successful ECV. Retrospective bi-center study performed from January 2011 through December 2012 at Angers University Hospital and Nantes University Hospital from January 2011 through December 2011. Were identified the demographic and ultrasonography characteristics of patients and the data of the process. One hundred and seventy-eight patients were included, 88 in Angers and 90 in Nantes; 16.3% of ECV were successful. Multiparity (OR 28.45; P<0.01) and transverse position (OR 0.63; P<0.01) are the two significant predictors. There is no significant difference found for center, operator, position of the placenta, amniotic fluid or presence of a uterine scar. The success rate in our two French university centers is much lower than that reported in the literature. Parity and transverse position are the only 2 significant predictors of ECV success. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  2. Executive succession in English local government

    OpenAIRE

    Boyne, George A.; James, Oliver; John, Peter; Petrovsky, Nicolai

    2008-01-01

    The authors report the results of the first quantitative study of senior management turnover in English local authorities. Consistent with existing management theory, rates of executive succession were found to be higher in an adverse external environment, and where organizational performance is weak. © 2008 CIPFA.

  3. Structuring lighting retrofit projects for success

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fetters, J.L.

    1993-01-01

    Several trends are converging to create a substantial market for lighting retrofits in these uncertain economic times. Low interest rates are making investments in buildings more attractive than alternative financial investments such as CD's. With activity in the new construction market at an all time low, savvy contractors are turning to the retrofit market - restoring, renovating and upgrading existing buildings. Heightened environmental concerns are fueling lighting incentive programs from the electric utilities and the EPA. Improvements in lighting technology are arriving in the marketplace at an accelerated rate. Building occupants are demanding higher quality workplaces and managers are seeking higher levels of productivity. Replacing older lighting equipment can substantially improve lighting efficiency, decrease energy and maintenance costs and, at the same time, improve the workplace by increasing lighting quality Lighting retrofit projects have a demonstrated track record, reducing lighting costs on the order of 50%. This experience can be applied to help structure retrofit projects. But, in order to reap all the benefits available from a retrofit project, it must be structured for success. The retrofit option introduces a unique series of issues for building owners, managers and engineers. The best way to prevent these issues from undermining the success of retrofit projects is to anticipate and completely plan for them. Successful retrofit projects run smoothER and stay within budgetary constraints. Three important considerations will guide the successful project: (1) Start comprehensive planning early, (2) Investigate existing conditions, and (3) Be sensitive to owner/occupants needs keep building operational

  4. Successful operation of continuous reactors at short retention times results in high-density, fast-rate Dehalococcoides dechlorinating cultures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delgado, Anca G; Fajardo-Williams, Devyn; Popat, Sudeep C; Torres, César I; Krajmalnik-Brown, Rosa

    2014-03-01

    The discovery of Dehalococcoides mccartyi reducing perchloroethene and trichloroethene (TCE) to ethene was a key landmark for bioremediation applications at contaminated sites. D. mccartyi-containing cultures are typically grown in batch-fed reactors. On the other hand, continuous cultivation of these microorganisms has been described only at long hydraulic retention times (HRTs). We report the cultivation of a representative D. mccartyi-containing culture in continuous stirred-tank reactors (CSTRs) at a short, 3-d HRT, using TCE as the electron acceptor. We successfully operated 3-d HRT CSTRs for up to 120 days and observed sustained dechlorination of TCE at influent concentrations of 1 and 2 mM TCE to ≥ 97 % ethene, coupled to the production of 10(12) D. mccartyi cells Lculture (-1). These outcomes were possible in part by using a medium with low bicarbonate concentrations (5 mM) to minimize the excessive proliferation of microorganisms that use bicarbonate as an electron acceptor and compete with D. mccartyi for H2. The maximum conversion rates for the CSTR-produced culture were 0.13 ± 0.016, 0.06 ± 0.018, and 0.02 ± 0.007 mmol Cl(-) Lculture (-1) h(-1), respectively, for TCE, cis-dichloroethene, and vinyl chloride. The CSTR operation described here provides the fastest laboratory cultivation rate of high-cell density Dehalococcoides cultures reported in the literature to date. This cultivation method provides a fundamental scientific platform for potential future operations of such a system at larger scales.

  5. College Graduation Rates for Minority Students in a Selective Technical University: Will Participation in a Summer Bridge Program Contribute to Success?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murphy, Terrence E; Gaughan, Monica; Hume, Robert; Moore, S Gordon

    2010-03-01

    There are many approaches to solving the problem of underrepresentation of some racial and ethnic groups and women in scientific and technical disciplines. Here, the authors evaluate the association of a summer bridge program with the graduation rate of underrepresented minority (URM) students at a selective technical university. They demonstrate that this 5-week program prior to the fall of the 1st year contains elements reported as vital for successful student retention. Using multivariable survival analysis, they show that for URM students entering as fall-semester freshmen, relative to their nonparticipating peers, participation in this accelerated summer bridge program is associated with higher likelihood of graduation. The longitudinal panel data include more than 2,200 URM students.

  6. Nederlandse richtlijn Chronische urticaria - Behandeling met omalizumab

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Van Den Elzen, M. T.; Urgert, M. C.; Van Doorn, M. B A; Tupker, R. A.; Knulst, A. C.; Van Zuuren, E. J.

    2015-01-01

    The Dutch guideline Chronic Urticaria aims to present a stepped-care model for the treatment of chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU). In this manuscript omalizumab is discussed as a treatment option. Omalizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody that selectively binds to immunoglobulin E (IgE). We

  7. Self-Presentation Strategies, Fear of Success and Anticipation of Future Success among University and High School Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kosakowska-Berezecka, Natasza; Jurek, Paweł; Besta, Tomasz; Badowska, Sylwia

    2017-01-01

    The backlash avoidance model (BAM) suggests women insufficiently self-promote because they fear backlash for behavior which is incongruent with traditional gender roles. Avoiding self-promoting behavior is also potentially related to associating success with negative consequences. In two studies we tested whether self-promotion and fear of success will be predictors of lower salaries and anticipation of lower chances of success in an exam. In study 1, prior to the exam they were about to take, we asked 234 students about their predictions concerning exam results and their future earnings. They also filled scales measuring their associations with success (fear of success) and tendency for self-promotion. The tested model proved that in comparison to men, women expect lower salaries in the future, anticipate lower test performance and associate success with more negative consequences. Both tendency for self-promotion and fear of success are related to anticipation of success in test performance and expectations concerning future earnings. In study 2 we repeated the procedure on a sample of younger female and male high school pupils (N = 100) to verify whether associating success with negative consequences and differences in self-promotion strategies are observable in a younger demographic. Our results show that girls and boys in high school do not differ with regard to fear of success, self-promotion or agency levels. Girls and boys anticipated to obtain similar results in math exam results, but girls expected to have higher results in language exams. Nevertheless, school pupils also differed regarding their future earnings but only in the short term. Fear of success and agency self-ratings were significant predictors of expectations concerning future earnings, but only among high school boys and with regard to earnings expected just after graduation. PMID:29163271

  8. Self-Presentation Strategies, Fear of Success and Anticipation of Future Success among University and High School Students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kosakowska-Berezecka, Natasza; Jurek, Paweł; Besta, Tomasz; Badowska, Sylwia

    2017-01-01

    The backlash avoidance model (BAM) suggests women insufficiently self-promote because they fear backlash for behavior which is incongruent with traditional gender roles. Avoiding self-promoting behavior is also potentially related to associating success with negative consequences. In two studies we tested whether self-promotion and fear of success will be predictors of lower salaries and anticipation of lower chances of success in an exam. In study 1, prior to the exam they were about to take, we asked 234 students about their predictions concerning exam results and their future earnings. They also filled scales measuring their associations with success (fear of success) and tendency for self-promotion. The tested model proved that in comparison to men, women expect lower salaries in the future, anticipate lower test performance and associate success with more negative consequences. Both tendency for self-promotion and fear of success are related to anticipation of success in test performance and expectations concerning future earnings. In study 2 we repeated the procedure on a sample of younger female and male high school pupils ( N = 100) to verify whether associating success with negative consequences and differences in self-promotion strategies are observable in a younger demographic. Our results show that girls and boys in high school do not differ with regard to fear of success, self-promotion or agency levels. Girls and boys anticipated to obtain similar results in math exam results, but girls expected to have higher results in language exams. Nevertheless, school pupils also differed regarding their future earnings but only in the short term. Fear of success and agency self-ratings were significant predictors of expectations concerning future earnings, but only among high school boys and with regard to earnings expected just after graduation.

  9. Self-Presentation Strategies, Fear of Success and Anticipation of Future Success among University and High School Students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Natasza Kosakowska-Berezecka

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available The backlash avoidance model (BAM suggests women insufficiently self-promote because they fear backlash for behavior which is incongruent with traditional gender roles. Avoiding self-promoting behavior is also potentially related to associating success with negative consequences. In two studies we tested whether self-promotion and fear of success will be predictors of lower salaries and anticipation of lower chances of success in an exam. In study 1, prior to the exam they were about to take, we asked 234 students about their predictions concerning exam results and their future earnings. They also filled scales measuring their associations with success (fear of success and tendency for self-promotion. The tested model proved that in comparison to men, women expect lower salaries in the future, anticipate lower test performance and associate success with more negative consequences. Both tendency for self-promotion and fear of success are related to anticipation of success in test performance and expectations concerning future earnings. In study 2 we repeated the procedure on a sample of younger female and male high school pupils (N = 100 to verify whether associating success with negative consequences and differences in self-promotion strategies are observable in a younger demographic. Our results show that girls and boys in high school do not differ with regard to fear of success, self-promotion or agency levels. Girls and boys anticipated to obtain similar results in math exam results, but girls expected to have higher results in language exams. Nevertheless, school pupils also differed regarding their future earnings but only in the short term. Fear of success and agency self-ratings were significant predictors of expectations concerning future earnings, but only among high school boys and with regard to earnings expected just after graduation.

  10. Naturally Occurring Canine Invasive Urinary Bladder Cancer: A Complementary Animal Model to Improve the Success Rate in Human Clinical Trials of New Cancer Drugs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christopher M. Fulkerson

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Genomic analyses are defining numerous new targets for cancer therapy. Therapies aimed at specific genetic and epigenetic targets in cancer cells as well as expanded development of immunotherapies are placing increased demands on animal models. Traditional experimental models do not possess the collective features (cancer heterogeneity, molecular complexity, invasion, metastasis, and immune cell response critical to predict success or failure of emerging therapies in humans. There is growing evidence, however, that dogs with specific forms of naturally occurring cancer can serve as highly relevant animal models to complement traditional models. Invasive urinary bladder cancer (invasive urothelial carcinoma (InvUC in dogs, for example, closely mimics the cancer in humans in pathology, molecular features, biological behavior including sites and frequency of distant metastasis, and response to chemotherapy. Genomic analyses are defining further intriguing similarities between InvUC in dogs and that in humans. Multiple canine clinical trials have been completed, and others are in progress with the aim of translating important findings into humans to increase the success rate of human trials, as well as helping pet dogs. Examples of successful targeted therapy studies and the challenges to be met to fully utilize naturally occurring dog models of cancer will be reviewed.

  11. Naturally Occurring Canine Invasive Urinary Bladder Cancer: A Complementary Animal Model to Improve the Success Rate in Human Clinical Trials of New Cancer Drugs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fulkerson, Christopher M; Dhawan, Deepika; Ratliff, Timothy L; Hahn, Noah M; Knapp, Deborah W

    2017-01-01

    Genomic analyses are defining numerous new targets for cancer therapy. Therapies aimed at specific genetic and epigenetic targets in cancer cells as well as expanded development of immunotherapies are placing increased demands on animal models. Traditional experimental models do not possess the collective features (cancer heterogeneity, molecular complexity, invasion, metastasis, and immune cell response) critical to predict success or failure of emerging therapies in humans. There is growing evidence, however, that dogs with specific forms of naturally occurring cancer can serve as highly relevant animal models to complement traditional models. Invasive urinary bladder cancer (invasive urothelial carcinoma (InvUC)) in dogs, for example, closely mimics the cancer in humans in pathology, molecular features, biological behavior including sites and frequency of distant metastasis, and response to chemotherapy. Genomic analyses are defining further intriguing similarities between InvUC in dogs and that in humans. Multiple canine clinical trials have been completed, and others are in progress with the aim of translating important findings into humans to increase the success rate of human trials, as well as helping pet dogs. Examples of successful targeted therapy studies and the challenges to be met to fully utilize naturally occurring dog models of cancer will be reviewed.

  12. Retrospective results of radiation therapy of the Eustachian tube in chronic otitis media; Retrospektive Ergebnisse der perkutanen Strahlentherapie der Tuba Eustachii bei chronischer Otitis media

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schultze, J.; Reinke, C.; Kimmig, B. [Klinik fuer Strahlentherapie (Radioonkologie), Universitaetsklinikum Kiel (Germany); Frese, K.A. [Klinik fuer Hals-, Nasen- und Ohrenheilkunde, Kopf- und Halschirurgie, Universitaetsklinikum Kiel (Germany)

    2003-01-01

    Background: The treatment results of symptomatic radiation therapy of the Eustachian tube in chronic otitis media had to be evaluated retrospectively. Patients and Methods: Between 1980 and 1997, 66 patients were referred for therapy. The median age was 58 years. In the clinical presentation, all the patients had a hearing impairment, 35 patients complained of pain, 21 had otorrhea. In their history, 20 patients indicated chronic recurrent infections. The complaints lasted for 4.7 years in the median, primary conservative (adstringentia, antibiotics) and surgical treatment (paracentesis, tympanic tubule, tympanoplastic) did not lead to lasting cure. In 40 of 66 patients, finally radiation therapy was done of both Eustachian tubes. With opposed fields and cobalt-60 photons a total dose of 6 Gy at single doses of 1 Gy, three times a week, was applied. Under the causes for exclusion of radiation therapy were non-acceptance of the patients (nine), prior radiation therapies (six) or spontaneous improvement after initial presentation in our department. The treatment results were evaluated by interviews of the patients and regular otorhinolaryngological examinations. Results: There were no side effects noticed. 28 of 40 (70%) patients reported a significant improvement that could be verified by objective otorhinolaryngological examinations. In the group of 26 nonirradiated patients, 22 could be interviewed indicating in 16 cases (72%) that the complaints were unchanged and chronic otitis media was lasting. In a subgroup analysis concerning the duration of otitis media radiation therapy proved more effective in an acute and subacute stadium of disease of up to 5 years duration, while the patients resistant to radiation therapy were entirely in a chronic stage of disease exceeding 5 years duration. (orig.) [German] Hintergrund: Die Behandlungsergebnisse der symptomatischen Radiotherapie bei chronischer Otitis media sollten retrospektiv evaluiert werden. Patienten und

  13. Ensuring a successful family business management succession

    OpenAIRE

    Desbois, Joris

    2016-01-01

    Succession is the biggest long-term challenge that most family businesses face. Indeed, leaders ‘disposition to plan for their succession is frequently the key factor defining whether their family business subsists or stops. The research seeks to find out how to manage successfully the business management succession over main principles. This work project aims at researching the key points relevant to almost all family firms, to have a viable succession transition and positioni...

  14. Using Data to Increase Student Success: A Focus on Diagnosis. Principles and Practices of Student Success

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gonzalez, Kenneth P.

    2009-01-01

    The Achieving the Dream (ATD) initiative works with more than 100 community colleges across the United States with the specific goal of increasing student success. Together, Achieving the Dream colleges graduate or transfer close to 250,000 students a year. With just a 5 percent increase in graduation rates, individuals can positively impact the…

  15. Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) - critical discussion of etiology, pathogenesis, diagnostics, and therapy; Chronisch entzuendliche Darmerkrankungen - Kritische Diskussion von Aetiologie, Pathogenese, Diagnostik und Therapie

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ochsenkuehn, T.; Sackmann, M.; Goeke, B. [Medizinische Klinik II, Klinikum der Universitaet Muenchen-Grosshadern (Germany)

    2003-01-01

    rather be adapted to the patient's individual inflammatory pattern than be oriented to schematic treatment rules.New endoscopic and radiologic techniques provide the necessary diagnostic tools. (orig.) [German] Zielsetzung Die chronisch entzuendlichen Darmerkrankungen (CED) Morbus Crohn und Colitis ulcerosa befallen ca. jeden 500.Menschen. Obwohl sich, angetrieben durch therapeutische Erfolge der Zytokinforschung, immer mehr medizinische Einrichtungen mit Fragestellungen rund um die CED beschaeftigen, stellen diese Erkrankungen fuer Patient und Arzt immer noch eine lebenslange Herausforderung dar.Die enge interdisziplinaere Zusammenarbeit zwischen Gastroenterologie, Radiologie und Chirurgie ist entscheidend fuer ein effizientes Diagnose- und Therapiekonzept, dessen Grundlagen wir in unserer Uebersichtsarbeit erlaeutern wollen.Methodik Aus der Sicht des den Patienten betreuenden Gastroenterologen werden, basierend auf aktuellen Publikationen und Erfahrungswerten einer CED-Klinik, Aspekte aus Aetiologie,Pathogenese,Diagnostik und Therapie der CED dargestellt.Ergebnisse Eine genetisch beeinflusste, ueberschiessende und anhaltende Immunreaktion gegen die eigene Darmflora scheint eine der wichtigsten Ursachen dieser Erkrankungen zu sein.Auch Umwelteinfluesse sind von Belang.So wurde z.B.lange Zeit der Einfluss des Zigarettenrauchens beim Morbus Crohn als unguenstig eingeschaetzt, nun zeigt sich sogar, dass Rauchen einen eindeutigen Risikofaktor in Genese und Unterhaltung dieser Erkrankung darstellt.Da die CED und insbesondere der Morbus Crohn als systemische Erkrankungen betrachtet werden muessen, setzen therapeutische Ueberlegungen eine genaue Kenntnis des Organbefalls voraus.So kann z.B.durch den Einsatz der MRT-Enteroklysmatechnik eine strahlungsarme Untersuchung derjenigen Teile des Verdauungstrakts erreicht werden, die bisher einer routinemaessigen Inspektion nicht zugaenglich waren,wie z.B.das untere Jejunum und das obere Ileum. Therapeutisch scheint es zu einem

  16. FARM SUCCESSION PLANS AMONG POULTRY FARMERS IN OGUN STATE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fasina O.

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Ageing of farmers in Nigeria and especially in capitalized sectors of agriculture requires attention to enhance sustainability and food security. The study thus examined the farm succession plans of 60 long established poultry farmers purposively selected from the Poultry Association of Nigeria in Ogun State Nigeria. Descriptive statistics and the Chi square analysis were used to present the findings of the study. Mean age of respondents was 61years. Their children were mostly over 18years (65%. Poultry farms were solely owned (76.7% with mean age of 17.9 years. Succession rate i.e. identification of a successor was eighty percent and were mostly respondents children (63.3%. This choice was based on their level of involvement in the business (63.6%. Majority (60% were not willing to fully retire from farming until death. Chi square analysis revealed age of farmer was significantly related to succession rate.

  17. Developing a dimensional model for successful cognitive and emotional aging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vahia, Ipsit V; Thompson, Wesley K; Depp, Colin A; Allison, Matthew; Jeste, Dilip V

    2012-04-01

    There is currently a lack of consensus on the definition of successful aging (SA) and existing implementations have omitted constructs associated with SA. We used empirical methods to develop a dimensional model of SA that incorporates a wider range of associated variables, and we examined the relationship among these components using factor analysis and Bayesian Belief Nets. We administered a successful aging questionnaire comprising several standardized measures related to SA to a sample of 1948 older women enrolled in the San Diego site of the Women's Health Initiative study. The SA-related variables we included in the model were self-rated successful aging, depression severity, physical and emotional functioning, optimism, resilience, attitude towards own aging, self-efficacy, and cognitive ability. After adjusting for age, education and income, we fitted an exploratory factor analysis model to the SA-related variables and then, in order to address relationships among these factors, we computed a Bayesian Belief Net (BBN) using rotated factor scores. The SA-related variables loaded onto five factors. Based on the loading, we labeled the factors as follows: self-rated successful aging, cognition, psychosocial protective factors, physical functioning, and emotional functioning. In the BBN, self-rated successful aging emerged as the primary downstream factor and exhibited significant partial correlations with psychosocial protective factors, physical/general status and mental/emotional status but not with cognitive ability. Our study represents a step forward in developing a dimensional model of SA. Our findings also point to a potential role for psychiatry in improving successful aging by managing depressive symptoms and developing psychosocial interventions to improve self-efficacy, resilience, and optimism.

  18. Increasing Success Rates in Developmental Math: The Complementary Role of Individual and Institutional Characteristics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fong, Kristen E.; Melguizo, Tatiana; Prather, George

    2015-01-01

    This study tracks students' progression through developmental math sequences and defines progression as both attempting and passing each level of the sequence. A model of successful progression in developmental education was built utilizing individual-, institutional-, and developmental math-level factors. Employing step-wise logistic regression…

  19. Effect of interpregnancy interval on the success rate of trial of labor after cesarean

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rietveld, A. L.; Teunissen, P. W.; Kazemier, B. M.; de Groot, C. J. M.

    2017-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to investigate the association between interpregnancy interval and success of vaginal birth after cesarean. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective 10-year cohort study of pregnant women with one prior cesarean, who opted for trial of labor (n = 36 653). Interpregnancy

  20. Analysis of successful rate factors for small and medium enterprises in furniture manufacturing sector in Klaten Regency - Central Java, Indonesia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Budhi Utomo, R.; Lasminiasih; Prajaka, S.

    2018-03-01

    Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are business activities that can expand the level of employment rate and provide economic services to the wider community and can play a role in the process of equalizing and improving people’s income, stimulating economic growth as well as realizing national stabilities. The aim of this study is to identify the factors of the success rate for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in furniture manufacturing sector in Klaten regency, Central Java, Indonesia. The method employed in this study was descriptive qualitative by also employing quantitative analysis of which the data were collected through observations, interviews and by administering questionnaires. The results seemed to indicate that the furniture business in Klaten is still experiencing difficulties in managing its various aspects of business, namely in terms of marketing (either directly or indirectly or by making the best use media of technology) and managing capital. All this time, the SMEs in furniture manufacturing sector in Klaten have been utilizing a very simple system in producing tables, chairs, wardrobes and any other furniture products which are then distributed to be sold by larger furniture companies. This condition makes the SMEs unable to be independent in running their business.

  1. Long distance atomic teleportation with as good success as desired

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mishra, Manoj K.; Prakash, Hari

    2015-01-01

    Long distance atomic teleportation (LDAT) is of prime importance in long distance quantum communication. Scheme proposed by Bose et al. (1999) in principle enables us to have LDAT using cavity decay. However it gives message state dependent fidelity and success rate. Here, using interaction of entangled coherent states with atom–cavity systems and a two-step measurement, we show how, LDAT can be achieved with unit fidelity and as good success as desired under ideal conditions. The scheme is unique in that, the first measurement predicts success or failure. If success is predicted then second measurement gives perfect teleportation. If failure is predicted the message-qubit remains conserved therefore a second attempt may be started. We found that even in presence of decoherence due to dissipation of energy our scheme gives message state independent success rate and almost perfect teleportation in single attempt with mean fidelity of teleportation equal to 0.9 at long distances. However if first attempt fails, unlike ideal case where message-qubit remains conserved with unit fidelity, in presence of decoherence the message-qubit remains conserved to some degree, therefore mean fidelity of teleportation can be increased beyond 0.9 by repeating the process

  2. Long distance atomic teleportation with as good success as desired

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mishra, Manoj K., E-mail: manoj.qit@gmail.com [Physics Department, University of Allahabad (India); Space Applications Centre, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), Ahmedabad (India); Prakash, Hari [Physics Department, University of Allahabad (India); Indian Institute of Information Technology, Allahabad (India)

    2015-09-15

    Long distance atomic teleportation (LDAT) is of prime importance in long distance quantum communication. Scheme proposed by Bose et al. (1999) in principle enables us to have LDAT using cavity decay. However it gives message state dependent fidelity and success rate. Here, using interaction of entangled coherent states with atom–cavity systems and a two-step measurement, we show how, LDAT can be achieved with unit fidelity and as good success as desired under ideal conditions. The scheme is unique in that, the first measurement predicts success or failure. If success is predicted then second measurement gives perfect teleportation. If failure is predicted the message-qubit remains conserved therefore a second attempt may be started. We found that even in presence of decoherence due to dissipation of energy our scheme gives message state independent success rate and almost perfect teleportation in single attempt with mean fidelity of teleportation equal to 0.9 at long distances. However if first attempt fails, unlike ideal case where message-qubit remains conserved with unit fidelity, in presence of decoherence the message-qubit remains conserved to some degree, therefore mean fidelity of teleportation can be increased beyond 0.9 by repeating the process.

  3. Neuraxial analgesia to increase the success rate of external cephalic version: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Magro-Malosso, Elena Rita; Saccone, Gabriele; Di Tommaso, Mariarosaria; Mele, Michele; Berghella, Vincenzo

    2016-09-01

    External cephalic version is a medical procedure in which the fetus is externally manipulated to assume the cephalic presentation. The use of neuraxial analgesia for facilitating the version has been evaluated in several randomized clinical trials, but its potential effects are still controversial. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of neuraxial analgesia as an intervention to increase the success rate of external cephalic version. Searches were performed in electronic databases with the use of a combination of text words related to external cephalic version and neuraxial analgesia from the inception of each database to January 2016. We included all randomized clinical trials of women, with a gestational age ≥36 weeks and breech or transverse fetal presentation, undergoing external cephalic version who were randomized to neuraxial analgesia, including spinal, epidural, or combined spinal-epidural techniques (ie, intervention group) or to a control group (either intravenous analgesia or no treatment). The primary outcome was the successful external cephalic version. The summary measures were reported as relative risk or as mean differences with a 95% confidence interval. Nine randomized clinical trials (934 women) were included in this review. Women who received neuraxial analgesia had a significantly higher incidence of successful external cephalic version (58.4% vs 43.1%; relative risk, 1.44, 95% confidence interval, 1.27-1.64), cephalic presentation in labor (55.1% vs 40.2%; relative risk, 1.37, 95% confidence interval, 1.08-1.73), and vaginal delivery (54.0% vs 44.6%; relative risk, 1.21, 95% confidence interval, 1.04-1.41) compared with those who did not. Women who were randomized to the intervention group also had a significantly lower incidence of cesarean delivery (46.0% vs 55.3%; relative risk, 0.83, 95% confidence interval, 0.71-0.97), maternal discomfort (1.2% vs 9.3%; relative risk, 0.12, 95% confidence interval, 0

  4. MOOC Success Factors: Proposal of an Analysis Framework

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Margarida M. Marques

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Aim/Purpose: From an idea of lifelong-learning-for-all to a phenomenon affecting higher education, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs can be the next step to a truly universal education. Indeed, MOOC enrolment rates can be astoundingly high; still, their completion rates are frequently disappointingly low. Nevertheless, as courses, the participants’ enrolment and learning within the MOOCs must be considered when assessing their success. In this paper, the authors’ aim is to reflect on what makes a MOOC successful to propose an analysis framework of MOOC success factors. Background: A literature review was conducted to identify reported MOOC success factors and to propose an analysis framework. Methodology: This literature-based framework was tested against data of a specific MOOC and refined, within a qualitative interpretivist methodology. The data were collected from the ‘As alterações climáticas nos média escolares - Clima@EduMedia’ course, which was developed by the project Clima@EduMedia and was submitted to content analysis. This MOOC aimed to support science and school media teachers in the use of media to teach climate change Contribution: By proposing a MOOC success factors framework the authors are attempting to contribute to fill in a literature gap regarding what concerns criteria to consider a specific MOOC successful. Findings: This work major finding is a literature-based and empirically-refined MOOC success factors analysis framework. Recommendations for Practitioners: The proposed framework is also a set of best practices relevant to MOOC developers, particularly when targeting teachers as potential participants. Recommendation for Researchers: This work’s relevance is also based on its contribution to increasing empirical research on MOOCs. Impact on Society: By providing a proposal of a framework on factors to make a MOOC successful, the authors hope to contribute to the quality of MOOCs. Future Research: Future

  5. Multidisciplinary Mentoring Programs to Enhance Junior Faculty Research Grant Success.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Freel, Stephanie A; Smith, Paige C; Burns, Ebony N; Downer, Joanna B; Brown, Ann J; Dewhirst, Mark W

    2017-10-01

    Junior faculty face challenges in establishing independent research careers. Declining funding combined with a shift to multidisciplinary, collaborative science necessitates new mentorship models and enhanced institutional support. Two multidisciplinary mentorship programs to promote grant success for junior faculty were established at the Duke University School of Medicine beginning in 2011. These four-month programs-the Path to Independence Program (PtIP) for National Institutes of Health (NIH) R applicants and the K Club for NIH K applicants-use multiple senior faculty mentors and professional grant-writing staff to provide a 20-hour joint curriculum comprising a series of lectures, hands-on workshops, career development counseling, peer groups, and an internal study section. In March 2016, the authors analyzed the success rate for all NIH grants submitted by participants since program enrollment. In a 2015 postprogram survey, participants rated their feelings of support and competency across six skill factors. From October 2011 to March 2016, the programs engaged 265 senior faculty mentors, 145 PtIP participants, and 138 K Club participants. Success rates for NIH grant applications were 28% (61 awards/220 decisions) for PtIP participants-an increase over the 2010 Duke University junior faculty baseline of 11%-and 64% (38/59) for K Club participants. Respondents reported significantly increased feelings of support and self-ratings for each competency post program. The authors plan to expand the breadth of both the mentorship pool and faculty served. Broad implementation of similar programs elsewhere could bolster success, satisfaction, and retention of junior faculty investigators.

  6. National ART Success Rates

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... resulted in pregnancies, live births, and births of single live infants differ among women aged 40 or older? [PDF - 1.37MB] How ... number of embryos transferred impact the percentage of single, term, and normal birth weight infants ... women? [PDF - 1.37MB] How long after egg retrieval ...

  7. The Use of a Quadripolar Left Ventricular Lead Increases Successful Implantation Rates in Patients with Phrenic Nerve Stimulation and/or High Pacing Thresholds Undergoing Cardiac Resynchronisation Therapy with Conventional Bipolar Leads

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marc-Alexander Ohlow, MD

    2013-03-01

    Conclusions: Excessively HPT and/or PNS are frequently encountered when conventional bipolar leads are used for CRT. A new quadripolar LV lead increases the rate of successful biventricular stimulation. Lower pacing threshold and freedom from PNS are maintained at follow-up.

  8. Succession planning: a call to action for nurse executives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trepanier, Sylvain; Crenshaw, Jeannette T

    2013-10-01

    To discuss the organisational benefits of strategic succession planning in acute care hospital settings as a responsibility of chief nurse executives. A formal succession planning process is crucial to the financial and operational viability and sustainability of acute care hospitals. A succession plan is an essential business strategy that promotes effective leadership transition and continuity while maintaining productivity. Nursing and business literature were reviewed; reports contrasting institutions with and without succession plans were examined; and, operational implications were considered. It is imperative that chief nurse executives respond to the business benefits of an effective succession planning programme, identify common barriers and solutions, and implement best practices for a successful strategic succession planning programme. A strategic succession planning programme may offer many benefits to an acute care hospital, including improved retention rates, increased staff engagement and enhanced financial performance. Considering the ageing nursing workforce and the potential increase in demand for nursing services in the near future, nurse executives and other nurse leaders must actively engage in a formal succession planning process. A formal succession planning programme will help to provide strategic leadership continuity, operational effectiveness and improved quality of care. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  9. Predictors of successful external cephalic version in an Australian maternity hospital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mowat, Alex; Gardener, Glenn

    2014-02-01

    There are minimal data involving predictors of success of external cephalic version (ECV) in an Australian healthcare setting. To determine the predictors of successful ECV as well as the success rate of ECV and the mode of, and presentation at, delivery for women undergoing ECV for breech presentation from 36-weeks gestation. A prospective review was carried out on all women who had undergone ECV from 36-weeks gestation at the Mater Mothers Hospital over an 8-year period from 2001 to 2008. Data were collected prospectively and were collated in conjunction with database review, chart review and telephonic patient interviews. A total of 355 women underwent ECV for breech presentation. The overall success rate was 66% (57% for nulliparous, 76% for multiparous). A woman who underwent ECV had a 46% chance of a vaginal birth. If the ECV was successful, she had a 70% chance of vaginal birth. From bivariate analysis, parity, amniotic fluid index (AFI) and estimated fetal weight (EFW) were determined to be possible predictors of success of ECV and were included in the logistic regression modelling. In the regression analysis, multiparity increased the odds of successful ECV by 2.18. For every one unit increase in AFI, the odds of successful ECV increased by 1.18. Multiparity and amniotic fluid volume as assessed by AFI were the significant predictors of immediate success of ECV. Conversely, lower AFI and nulliparity are factors that are likely to reduce the likelihood of successful ECV. © 2013 The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

  10. The impact of herbivores on nitrogen mineralization rate : consequences for salt-marsh succession

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Wijnen, HJ; van der Wal, R; Bakker, JP

    Soil net N-mineralization rate was measured along a successional gradient in salt-marsh sites that were grazed by vertebrate herbivores, and in 5-year-old exclosures from which the animals were excluded. Mineralization rate was significantly higher at ungrazed than at grazed sites. In the absence of

  11. Sonographic evaluation of the fetal spine position and success rate of manual rotation of the fetus in occiput posterior position: A randomized controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Masturzo, Bianca; Farina, Antonio; Attamante, Lorenza; Piazzese, Annalisa; Rolfo, Alessandro; Gaglioti, Pietro; Todros, Tullia

    2017-10-01

    To evaluate whether sonographic (US) diagnosis of the fetal spine position could increase the success rate of manual rotation of the fetal occiput (MRFO) in second-stage arrest in persistent occiput posterior position (OPP). In this randomized controlled parallel single-center trial, 58 nulliparous in second-stage arrest of labor with fetus in cephalic presentation and OPP diagnosed by US were randomly assigned to group A where the fetal spine position was not known by the operator or to group B where the operator knew it. The main outcome was the success of MRFO in the two groups. Secondary outcomes were perineal injuries, blood loss, duration of expulsive period, and neonatal APGAR at 5 minutes. A priori knowledge of the spine position improves the success of the MRFO (41.4% group A versus 82.8% group B, p value < 0.001), the percentage of spontaneous deliveries (27.6% group A versus 69% group B, p value = 0.01), and maternal outcome (intact perineum and blood loss). No differences were detected on the neonatal side. MRFO is a safe and useful procedure that should be performed in second-stage arrest in OPP. A better performance was observed when supported by the US knowledge of the spine position. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 45:472-476, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  12. The Success Rate in a Complicated Spatial Memory Test Is Determined by Age, Sex, Life History and Search Strategies in Cynomolgus Monkeys

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Darusman, Huda S; Kalliokoski, Otto; Sajuthi, Dondin

    2014-01-01

    to failure and chronological memory recall. These strategies appeared to be shared by most subjects, however, the overall success rate appeared to also depend on individual characteristics including age, gender and whether the subject had been born in caged captivity or not. By elucidating some...... of six identical opaque cups. Although the task was challenging for all subjects, generating a high level of guesswork, evidence of common behaviors when approaching the spatial memory test were found. The search patterns employed by the monkeys suggest the use of landmark cues, adaption in response...... of the underlying cognitive mechanisms, these findings may serve to refine interpretation of future studies using similar delayed response tasks in non-human primates....

  13. The California cogeneration success story

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Neiggemann, M.F.

    1992-01-01

    This chapter describes the involvement of Southern California Gas Company(SoCalGas) in the promotion and demonstration of the benefits of cogeneration in California. The topics covered in this chapter are market strategy, cogeneration program objectives, cogeneration program, incentive cofunding, special gas rate, special service priority, special gas pressure and main options, advertising, promotional brochures and handbooks, technical support, program accomplishments, cogeneration outlook, and reasons for success of the program

  14. Nurse manager succession planning: synthesis of the evidence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Titzer, Jennifer; Phillips, Tracy; Tooley, Stephanie; Hall, Norma; Shirey, Maria

    2013-10-01

    The literature supporting nurse manager succession planning is reviewed and synthesised to discover best practice for identifying and developing future nurse managers. Healthcare succession planning practices are lacking. Nurse managers are historically selected based on clinical skills and lack formal leadership preparation. A systematic literature search appraises and summarises the current literature supporting nurse manager succession planning. Multiple reviewers were used to increase the reliability and validity of article selection and analysis. New nurse managers require months to adapt to their positions. Deliberate nurse manager succession planning should be integrated in the organisation's strategic plan and provide a proactive method for identifying and developing potential leaders. Organisations that identify and develop internal human capital can improve role transition, reduce nurse manager turnover rates and decrease replacement costs. Despite the clear benefits of succession planning, studies show that resource allocation for proactive, deliberate development of current and future nurse leaders is lacking. Additionally, systematic evaluation of succession planning is limited. Deliberate succession planning efforts and appropriate resource allocation require strategic planning and evaluation methods. Detailed evaluation methods demonstrating a positive return on investment utilising a cost-benefit analysis and empirical outcomes are necessary. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  15. The perspectives of nonscience-major students on success in community college biology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim-Rajab, Oriana Sharon

    With more than 36% of nonscience-major community college students unable to successfully complete their general life science courses, graduation and transfer rates to four-year universities are negatively affected. Many students also miss important opportunities to gain some level of science proficiency. In an effort to address the problem of poor science achievement, this research project determined which factors were most significantly related to student success in a community college biology course. It also aimed to understand the student perspectives on which modifications to the course would best help them in the pursuit of success. Drawing heavily on the educational psychology schools of thought on motivation and self-efficacy of science learning, this study surveyed and interviewed students on their perceptions of which factors were related to success in biology and the changes they believed were needed in the course structure to improve success. The data revealed that the primary factors related to student success are the students' study skills and their perceived levels of self-efficacy. The findings also uncovered the critical nature of the professor's role in influencing the success of the students. After assessing the needs of the community college population, meaningful and appropriate curriculum and pedagogical reforms could be created to improve student learning outcomes. This study offered recommendations for reforms that can be used by science practitioners to provide a more nurturing and inspiring environment for all students. These suggestions revolved around the role of the instructor in influencing the self-efficacy and study skills of students. Providing more opportunities for students to interact in class, testing more frequently, establishing peer assistance programs, managing better the course material, and making themselves more available to students were at the forefront of the list. Examples of the potential benefits of increasing

  16. Electronic health records: critical success factors in implementation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Safdari, Reza; Ghazisaeidi, Marjan; Jebraeily, Mohamad

    2015-04-01

    EHR implementation results in the improved quality of care, customer-orientation and timely access to complete information. Despite the potential benefits of EHR, its implementation is a difficult and complex task whose success depends on many factors. The purpose of this research is indeed to identify the key success factors of EHR. This is a cross-sectional survey conducted with participation of 340 work forces from different types of job from Hospitals of TUMS in 2014. Data were collected using a self-structured questionnaire which was estimated as both reliable and valid. The data were analyzed by SPSS software descriptive statistics and analytical statistics. 58.2% of respondents were female and their mean age and work experience were 37.7 and 11.2 years, respectively and most respondents (52.5%) was bachelor. In terms of job, the maximum rate was related to nursing (33 %) and physician (21 %). the main category of critical success factors in Implementation EHRs, the highest rate related to Project Management (4.62) and lowest related to Organizational factors (3.98). success in implementation EHRs requirement more centralization to project management and human factors. Therefore must be Creating to EHR roadmap implementation, establishment teamwork to participation of end-users and select prepare leadership, users obtains sufficient training to use of system and also prepare support from maintain and promotion system.

  17. Does Technical Success of Angioplasty in Dysfunctional Hemodialysis Accesses Correlate with Access Patency?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sidhu, Arshdeep; Tan, Kong T.; Noel-Lamy, Maxime; Simons, Martin E.; Rajan, Dheeraj K., E-mail: dheeraj.rajan@uhn.ca [University Health Network, University of Toronto, Division of Vascular and Interventional Radiology, Peter Munk Cardiac Center (Canada)

    2016-10-15

    PurposeTo study if <30 % residual stenosis post angioplasty (PTA) correlates with primary access circuit patency, and if any variables predict technical success.Materials and MethodsA prospective observational study was performed between January 2009 and December 2012, wherein 76 patients underwent 154 PTA events in 56 prosthetic grafts (AVG) and 98 autogenous fistulas (AVF). Data collected included patient age, gender, lesion location and laterality, access type and location, number of prior interventions, and transonic flow rates pre- and postintervention. Impact of technical outcome on access patency was assessed. Univariate logistic regression was used to assess the impact of variables on technical success with significant factors assessed with a multiple variable model.ResultsTechnical success rates of PTA in AVFs and AVGs were 79.6 and 76.7 %, respectively. Technical failures of PTA were associated with an increased risk of patency loss among circuits with AVFs (p < 0.05), but not with AVGs (p = 0.7). In AVFs, primary access patency rates between technical successes and failures at three and 6 months were 74.4 versus 61.9 % (p = 0.3) and 53.8 versus 23.8 % (p < 0.05), respectively. In AVGs, primary access patency rates between technical successes and failures at three and six months were 72.1 versus 53.9 % (p = 0.5) and 33.6 versus 38.5 % (p = 0.8), respectively. Transonic flow rates did not significantly differ among technically successful or failed outcomes at one or three months.ConclusionTechnical failures of PTA had a significant impact on access patency among AVFs with a trend toward poorer access patency within AVGs.

  18. Does Technical Success of Angioplasty in Dysfunctional Hemodialysis Accesses Correlate with Access Patency?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sidhu, Arshdeep; Tan, Kong T.; Noel-Lamy, Maxime; Simons, Martin E.; Rajan, Dheeraj K.

    2016-01-01

    PurposeTo study if <30 % residual stenosis post angioplasty (PTA) correlates with primary access circuit patency, and if any variables predict technical success.Materials and MethodsA prospective observational study was performed between January 2009 and December 2012, wherein 76 patients underwent 154 PTA events in 56 prosthetic grafts (AVG) and 98 autogenous fistulas (AVF). Data collected included patient age, gender, lesion location and laterality, access type and location, number of prior interventions, and transonic flow rates pre- and postintervention. Impact of technical outcome on access patency was assessed. Univariate logistic regression was used to assess the impact of variables on technical success with significant factors assessed with a multiple variable model.ResultsTechnical success rates of PTA in AVFs and AVGs were 79.6 and 76.7 %, respectively. Technical failures of PTA were associated with an increased risk of patency loss among circuits with AVFs (p < 0.05), but not with AVGs (p = 0.7). In AVFs, primary access patency rates between technical successes and failures at three and 6 months were 74.4 versus 61.9 % (p = 0.3) and 53.8 versus 23.8 % (p < 0.05), respectively. In AVGs, primary access patency rates between technical successes and failures at three and six months were 72.1 versus 53.9 % (p = 0.5) and 33.6 versus 38.5 % (p = 0.8), respectively. Transonic flow rates did not significantly differ among technically successful or failed outcomes at one or three months.ConclusionTechnical failures of PTA had a significant impact on access patency among AVFs with a trend toward poorer access patency within AVGs.

  19. Predicting Ranger Assessment and Selection Program 1 Success and Optimizing Class Composition

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-06-01

    Healthcare Specialist) 149 150 68X ( Mental Health Specialist) 1 74 74D (Chemical Operations Specialist) 15 15 88 88M (Motor Transport Operator) 27 27 89...regression and partition tree models to identify significant factors that contribute to a candidate’s success at RASP1 and predict graduation rates. We...tree models to identify significant factors that contribute to a candidate’s success at RASP1 and predict graduation rates. We use an integer linear

  20. The success and failure of product development in the Danish food sector

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kristensen, Kai; Østergaard, Peder; Juhl, Hans Jørn

    1997-01-01

    development should include factors such as: market share, sales objectives, profit objectives, technical aspects, impact on the company and company reputation and timing of the product development process. The main aim of the survey is to analyse the relationship between success in product development....... Learning is assumed to have a positive impact on the quality of prototypes being developed by the individual company, and the mathematical derivations in this paper show that there reason to believe that there is a linear relationship between the launching rate and the success rate. 5. The empirical...... in anticipating future changes and need for new products. A key factor in quality is customer information and ability to use such information. 2. Defining and doing quantitative survey of success in product development is a difficult task. It is generally agreed that the measurement of success in product...

  1. Web-Enhanced General Chemistry Increases Student Completion Rates, Success, and Satisfaction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amaral, Katie E.; Shank, John D.; Shibley, Ivan A., Jr.; Shibley, Lisa R.

    2013-01-01

    General Chemistry I historically had one of the highest failure and withdrawal rates at Penn State Berks, a four-year college within the Penn State system. The course was completely redesigned to incorporate more group work, the use of classroom response systems, peer mentors, and a stronger online presence via the learning management system…

  2. Successful microsurgical replantation of an amputated penis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sanchit Garg

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Penile amputation is an uncommon injury for which immediate surgical replantation is warranted. Microsurgical replantation is the “standard” method for penile replantation. Early replantation yields a high success and low complication rate. We report a case of a 34-year-old male who presented with amputation at the proximal penile shaft which was successfully replanted using microsurgical techniques. Minor skin necrosis was noted post-operatively which was debrided and covered with skin graft. Follow-up at 6 months showed satisfactory cosmetic appearance, normal voiding, return of sensations and erectile function. The level of evidence was V.

  3. The influence of experiencing success in math on math anxiety, perceived math competence, and math performance

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jansen, B.R.J.; Louwerse, J.; Straatemeier, M.; van der Ven, S.H.G.; Klinkenberg, S.; van der Maas, H.L.J.

    2013-01-01

    It was investigated whether children would experience less math anxiety and feel more competent when they, independent of ability level, experienced high success rates in math. Comparable success rates were achieved by adapting problem difficulty to individuals' ability levels with a

  4. STEM Success: Perceptions of Women of Color at Community Colleges

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cunningham, Nina Maria

    2017-01-01

    Women of color, particularly African-Americans and Hispanics, have a science, and engineering degree attainment rate of 11% whereas White women have a rate of 29%. Research has demonstrated that these underrepresented minorities experience various racial/ethnic and gender issues that impact their academic success in science, technology,…

  5. Human disturbance influences reproductive success and growth rate in California sea lions (Zalophus californianus.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Susannah S French

    Full Text Available The environment is currently undergoing changes at both global (e.g., climate change and local (e.g., tourism, pollution, habitat modification scales that have the capacity to affect the viability of animal and plant populations. Many of these changes, such as human disturbance, have an anthropogenic origin and therefore may be mitigated by management action. To do so requires an understanding of the impact of human activities and changing environmental conditions on population dynamics. We investigated the influence of human activity on important life history parameters (reproductive rate, and body condition, and growth rate of neonate pups for California sea lions (Zalophus californianus in the Gulf of California, Mexico. Increased human presence was associated with lower reproductive rates, which translated into reduced long-term population growth rates and suggested that human activities are a disturbance that could lead to population declines. We also observed higher body growth rates in pups with increased exposure to humans. Increased growth rates in pups may reflect a density dependent response to declining reproductive rates (e.g., decreased competition for resources. Our results highlight the potentially complex changes in life history parameters that may result from human disturbance, and their implication for population dynamics. We recommend careful monitoring of human activities in the Gulf of California and emphasize the importance of management strategies that explicitly consider the potential impact of human activities such as ecotourism on vertebrate populations.

  6. Prognostic factors of success of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) in the treatment of renal stones.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Ansari, Abdulla; As-Sadiq, Khalid; Al-Said, Sami; Younis, Nagy; Jaleel, Osama A; Shokeir, Ahmed A

    2006-01-01

    To evaluate the factors that affect the success rate of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) for treatment of renal stones. Between January 2000 and December 2003, 427 patients with single or multiple renal stones (ESWL monotherapy using Storz SL 20 lithotriptor. The results of treatment were evaluated after 3 months of follow-up. Treatment success was defined as complete clearance of the stones or presence of clinically insignificant residual fragments ESWL auxiliary procedures were required in 36 patients (8.4%). Post-ESWL complications were recorded in 16 patients (3.7%). Of the 10 prognostic factors studied, 5 had a significant impact on the success rate, namely: renal morphology, congenital anomalies, stone size, stone site and number of treated stones. Other factors including age, sex, nationality, stone nature (de novo or recurrent) and ureteric stenting had no significant impact on the success rate. The success rate of ESWL for the treatment of renal stones could be predicted by stone size, location and number, radiological renal features and congenital renal anomalies.

  7. Modeling student success in engineering education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jin, Qu

    In order for the United States to maintain its global competitiveness, the long-term success of our engineering students in specific courses, programs, and colleges is now, more than ever, an extremely high priority. Numerous studies have focused on factors that impact student success, namely academic performance, retention, and/or graduation. However, there are only a limited number of works that have systematically developed models to investigate important factors and to predict student success in engineering. Therefore, this research presents three separate but highly connected investigations to address this gap. The first investigation involves explaining and predicting engineering students' success in Calculus I courses using statistical models. The participants were more than 4000 first-year engineering students (cohort years 2004 - 2008) who enrolled in Calculus I courses during the first semester in a large Midwestern university. Predictions from statistical models were proposed to be used to place engineering students into calculus courses. The success rates were improved by 12% in Calculus IA using predictions from models developed over traditional placement method. The results showed that these statistical models provided a more accurate calculus placement method than traditional placement methods and help improve success rates in those courses. In the second investigation, multi-outcome and single-outcome neural network models were designed to understand and to predict first-year retention and first-year GPA of engineering students. The participants were more than 3000 first year engineering students (cohort years 2004 - 2005) enrolled in a large Midwestern university. The independent variables include both high school academic performance factors and affective factors measured prior to entry. The prediction performances of the multi-outcome and single-outcome models were comparable. The ability to predict cumulative GPA at the end of an engineering

  8. Climatology of successive equatorial plasma bubbles observed by GPS ROTI over Malaysia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buhari, S. M.; Abdullah, M.; Yokoyama, T.; Otsuka, Y.; Nishioka, M.; Hasbi, A. M.; Bahari, S. A.; Tsugawa, T.

    2017-02-01

    The occurrence rate of the equatorial plasma bubble (EPB) with season, solar activity, and geomagnetic conditions are investigated using long-term data sets of Malaysia Real-Time Kinematics Network (MyRTKnet) from 2008 to 2013. The rate of TEC (total electron content) change index (ROTI) in 5 min was derived from MyRTKnet data to detect the EPB with scale sizes around tens of kilometers. Then, the daily east-west cross sections of 2-D ROTI maps were used to examine the EPB features over 100°E-119°E longitudes. The EPBs tend to occur successively in one night along the observational coverage of MyRTKnet during equinoxes in high solar activity years. The perturbations in a form of wavelike structures along the observed longitudes might be responsible for the development of successive EPBs due to high growth rate of the Rayleigh-Taylor instability (RTI) process. On the contrary, the occurrence of successive EPBs is infrequent and the occurrence day of EPB remains active during equinoctial months in low solar activity years. The small growth rate of the RTI process during low solar activity years might require a strong seed perturbation to generate the EPB structure. The occurrence probability of the EPB was found to be similar during quiet and disturbed geomagnetic conditions. The results imply that the strong perturbations play an important role in the development of the EPB in low solar activity years. Nonetheless, the high growth rate of the RTI could cause the successive occurrence of the EPB in high solar activity years.

  9. Online Public Health Education for Low and Middle-Income Countries: Factors Influencing Successful Student Outcomes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Keir Elmslie James Philip

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Background: Affordable, online public health education could assist health and development in low and middle-income countries. The Peoples-uni (www.Peoples-uni.org aims to provide this through a fully accredited, low cost, online Masters in Public Health. Although literature exists relating to online learners in general, we lack research regarding the characteristics of successful learners in this new student group. This study assessed which readily available information on learners could predict success in course modules. Methods: A descriptive survey method was used to assess correlations between pass rates with students’ personal characteristics (gender, nationality etc and indicators of course engagement (discussion contributions, online profile etc. We sampled all students starting modules between September 2009 and March 2010 (n=218. Results: All indicators of engagement correlated strongly with pass rates, particularly online presence (photo/personal information on profile. Paying for modules correlated with higher pass rates than not. Interestingly, waiving fees correlated with lower pass rates than those who had not paid. Personal characteristics were not related to pass rates. Conclusion: Engagement is important for success, and indicators of which can predict pass rates, the personal characteristics investigated were not related to success. Further research is required to understand the nature of associations this study highlights.

  10. Trace DNA Sampling Success from Evidence Items Commonly Encountered in Forensic Casework.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dziak, Renata; Peneder, Amy; Buetter, Alicia; Hageman, Cecilia

    2018-05-01

    Trace DNA analysis is a significant part of a forensic laboratory's workload. Knowing optimal sampling strategies and item success rates for particular item types can assist in evidence selection and examination processes and shorten turnaround times. In this study, forensic short tandem repeat (STR) casework results were reviewed to determine how often STR profiles suitable for comparison were obtained from "handler" and "wearer" areas of 764 items commonly submitted for examination. One hundred and fifty-five (155) items obtained from volunteers were also sampled. Items were analyzed for best sampling location and strategy. For casework items, headwear and gloves provided the highest success rates. Experimentally, eyeglasses and earphones, T-shirts, fabric gloves and watches provided the highest success rates. Eyeglasses and latex gloves provided optimal results if the entire surfaces were swabbed. In general, at least 10%, and up to 88% of all trace DNA analyses resulted in suitable STR profiles for comparison. © 2017 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

  11. Distribution patterns and feeding success of anchovy, Engraulis anchoita, larvae off southern Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcelo Cunha Vasconcellos

    1998-12-01

    Full Text Available Feeding success and changes in horizontal patchiness relative to size were studied for anchovy, Engraulis anchoita, larvae caught with a Bongo net off southern Brazil. Results show higher feeding success rates during winter, when the combined effect of enrichment, stability and retention mechanisms seems to create optimal conditions for larval feeding. Under optimal feeding conditions larvae of more than 10 mm have higher feeding success rates than smaller size classes. With a simple body structure and low swimming capabilities, larvae of up to 10 mm show a low level of patchiness, low evasion rate of the sampling gear and feeding on small food particles only. Results corroborate the hypothesis of a critical period between two important ontogenic phases: the beginning of exogenous feeding and the onset of active swimming, gas gland buoyancy and school forming behavior.

  12. Comparison on models for genetic evaluation of non-return rate and success in first insemination of the Danish Holstein cow

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sun, C; Su, G

    2010-01-01

    The aim of is study was to compare a linear Gaussian model with logit model and probit model for genetic evaluation of non-return rate within 56 d after first-insemination (NRR56) and success in first insemination (SFI). The whole dataset used in the analysis contained 471,742 records from...... the EBV of proven bulls, obtained from the whole dataset and from a reduced dataset which only contains the first-crop daughters of sires; 2) χ2 statistic for the expected and observed frequency in a cross validation. Heritabilities estimated using linear, probit and logit models were 0.011, 0.014 and 0....... Model validation showed that there was no difference between probit model and logit model, but the two models were better than linear model in stability and predictive ability for genetic evaluation of NRR56 and SFI. However, based on the whole dataset, the correlations between EBV estimated using...

  13. Pathways, mechanisms and predictability of vegetation change during tropical dry forest succession

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lebrija Trejos, E.E.; Meave, J.; Poorter, L.; Pérez- García, E.A.; Bongers, F.

    2010-01-01

    The development of forest succession theory has been based on studies in temperate and tropical wet forests. As rates and pathways of succession vary with the environment, advances in successional theory and study approaches are challenged by controversies derived from such variation and by the

  14. Measuring the Success of the Academic Library Website Using Banner Advertisements and Web Conversion Rates: A Case Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whang, Michael

    2007-01-01

    Measuring website success is critical not only to the web development process but also to demonstrate the value of library services to the institution. This article documents one library's approach to the measurement of website success. LibQUAL+[TM] results and strategic-planning documents indicated a need for a new type of measurement. The…

  15. Determinants of successful clinical networks: the conceptual framework and study protocol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haines, Mary; Brown, Bernadette; Craig, Jonathan; D'Este, Catherine; Elliott, Elizabeth; Klineberg, Emily; McInnes, Elizabeth; Middleton, Sandy; Paul, Christine; Redman, Sally; Yano, Elizabeth M

    2012-03-13

    Clinical networks are increasingly being viewed as an important strategy for increasing evidence-based practice and improving models of care, but success is variable and characteristics of networks with high impact are uncertain. This study takes advantage of the variability in the functioning and outcomes of networks supported by the Australian New South Wales (NSW) Agency for Clinical Innovation's non-mandatory model of clinical networks to investigate the factors that contribute to the success of clinical networks. The objective of this retrospective study is to examine the association between external support, organisational and program factors, and indicators of success among 19 clinical networks over a three-year period (2006-2008). The outcomes (health impact, system impact, programs implemented, engagement, user perception, and financial leverage) and explanatory factors will be collected using a web-based survey, interviews, and record review. An independent expert panel will provide judgements about the impact or extent of each network's initiatives on health and system impacts. The ratings of the expert panel will be the outcome used in multivariable analyses. Following the rating of network success, a qualitative study will be conducted to provide a more in-depth examination of the most successful networks. This is the first study to combine quantitative and qualitative methods to examine the factors that contribute to the success of clinical networks and, more generally, is the largest study of clinical networks undertaken. The adaptation of expert panel methods to rate the impacts of networks is the methodological innovation of this study. The proposed project will identify the conditions that should be established or encouraged by agencies developing clinical networks and will be of immediate use in forming strategies and programs to maximise the effectiveness of such networks.

  16. Estimating success probability of a rugby goal kick and developing a ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The objective of this study was firstly to derive a formula to estimate the success probability of a particular rugby goal kick and, secondly to derive a goal kicker rating measure that could be used to rank rugby union goal kickers. Various factors that could influence the success of a particular goal kick were considered.

  17. Stressing Success: Examining Hmong Student Success in Career and Technical Education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carmen M. Iannarelli

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available This study examines factors affecting the academic performance of Hmong students at Chippewa Valley Technical College in Eau Claire, WI. Factors specifically analyzed for their impact upon student success are socioeconomic status, family support, the use of academic support programs, and the influence of agents of socialization. Through the use of archival institutional data, Hmong students were compared to white students at CVTC in terms of their relative grade point averages, course completion rates, and retention rates. Data revealed significant disparities in grade point average performance between Hmong and white students. The data also showed that eligibility for financial aid was significantly higher among Hmong students, and that this difference was commensurate with educational performance gaps between the two groups. Additionally, online surveys were used to assess family support while attending CVTC, the role of academic support programs, and influential agents of socialization. Gender differences in grade point average performance and socialization also were analyzed. Implications of the study’s findings are discussed and recommendations for improving the performance of Hmong students are provided.

  18. Intubation of prehospital patients with curved laryngoscope blade is more successful than with straight blade.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alter, Scott M; Haim, Eithan D; Sullivan, Alex H; Clayton, Lisa M

    2018-02-17

    Direct laryngoscopy can be performed using curved or straight blades, and providers usually choose the blade they are most comfortable with. However, curved blades are anecdotally thought of as easier to use than straight blades. We seek to compare intubation success rates of paramedics using curved versus straight blades. Design: retrospective chart review. hospital-based suburban ALS service with 20,000 annual calls. prehospital patients with any direct laryngoscopy intubation attempt over almost 9years. First attempt and overall success rates were calculated for attempts with curved and straight blades. Differences between the groups were calculated. 2299 patients were intubated by direct laryngoscopy. 1865 had attempts with a curved blade, 367 had attempts with a straight blade, and 67 had attempts with both. Baseline characteristics were similar between groups. First attempt success was 86% with a curved blade and 73% with a straight blade: a difference of 13% (95% CI: 9-17). Overall success was 96% with a curved blade and 81% with a straight blade: a difference of 15% (95% CI: 12-18). There was an average of 1.11 intubation attempts per patient with a curved blade and 1.13 attempts per patient with a straight blade (2% difference, 95% CI: -3-7). Our study found a significant difference in intubation success rates between laryngoscope blade types. Curved blades had higher first attempt and overall success rates when compared to straight blades. Paramedics should consider selecting a curved blade as their tool of choice to potentially improve intubation success. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Transarterial embolization for uterine fibroids: clinical success rate and results of magnetic resonance imaging; Transarterielle Embolisation bei Uterus myomatosus: klinische Erfolgsrate und kernspintomographische Ergebnisse

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kroencke, T.J.; Scheurig, C.; Kluener, C.; Fischer, T.; Klessen, C.; Rudolph, J.; Siara, K.; Zimmermann, E.; Hamm, B. [Inst. fuer Radiologie, Charite Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Campus Mitte, Humboldt-Univ. zu Berlin (Germany); Gauruder-Burmester, A. [Klinik fuer Frauenheilkunde und Geburtshilfe, Charite Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Campus Mitte, Humboldt-Univ. zu Berlin (Germany); Gronewold, M. [Klinik und Poliklinik fuer Frauenheilkunde und Geburtshilfe, Universitaetsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf (Germany)

    2005-01-01

    Purpose: to analyze the clinical success rate and the findings of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) after uterine artery embolization of symptomatic leiomyomas (fibroids) of the uterus. Materials and methods: this is a prospective single-center case study of 80 consecutively treated patients, followed for 3-6 months (group I), 7-12 months, (group II), and 13-25 months (group III). MRI was used to determine the uterine volume and size of the dominant leiomyoma. Symptoms and causes requiring repeat interventions were analyzed. Results: significant (p < 0.01) volume reduction of the uterus (median: 34.95% confidence interval [CI]: 30.41 - 41.76%) and dominant leiomyoma (median: 52.07%, CI: 47.71 - 61.57%) was found. The decrease in uterine volume (I-III: 22.68%, 33.56%, 47.93%) and dominant leiomyoma volume (I-III: 41.86%, 62.16%, 73.96%) progressed with the follow-up time. Bleeding resolved significantly (p < 0.0001) in all three follow-up groups (groups I-III: 92.86%, 95.23%, 96.67%). Furthermore, urinary frequency (groups I-III: 70%, 75%, 82.35%) and sensation of pelvic pressure (groups I-III: 42.86%, 60%, 93.75%) improved, which was statistically significant in group III (p < 0.01). The number of leiomyomas correlated (p < 0.05) with improvement of the bleeding and the pelvic pressure. Repeat therapy was necessary for complications in four patients (5%) and for therapeutic failure in three patients (3.8%). Permanent amenorrhea was observed in four patients (5%) of age 45 years or older. Conclusion: uterine artery embolization of uterine leiomyomas has a high clinical success rate with an acceptable incidence of complications and repeat interventions. (orig.)

  20. Refining Success and Dropout in MOOCs Based on the Intention-Behaviour Gap

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Henderikx, Maartje; Kreijns, Karel; Kalz, Marco

    2016-01-01

    Currently success measurement of MOOCs is certificate- and completion-centric and fails to take student intention into account. This results in high dropout rates of 90-95%. While this view of success has been critiqued by the research community, no suitable alternative has yet been developed. This

  1. Wealth Accumulation and Factors Accounting for Success.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pawasutipaisit, Anan; Townsend, Robert M

    2011-03-01

    We use detailed income, balance sheet, and cash flow statements constructed for households in a long monthly panel in an emerging market economy, and some recent contributions in economic theory, to document and better understand the factors underlying success in achieving upward mobility in the distribution of net worth. Wealth inequality is decreasing over time, and many households work their way out of poverty and lower wealth over the seven year period. The accounts establish that, mechanically, this is largely due to savings rather than incoming gifts and remittances. In turn, the growth of net worth can be decomposed household by household into the savings rate and how productively that savings is used, the return on assets (ROA). The latter plays the larger role. ROA is, in turn, positively correlated with higher education of household members, younger age of the head, and with a higher debt/asset ratio and lower initial wealth, so it seems from cross-sections that the financial system is imperfectly channeling resources to productive and poor households. Household fixed effects account for the larger part of ROA, and this success is largely persistent, undercutting the story that successful entrepreneurs are those that simply get lucky. Persistence does vary across households, and in at least one province with much change and increasing opportunities, ROA changes as households move over time to higher-return occupations. But for those households with high and persistent ROA, the savings rate is higher, consistent with some micro founded macro models with imperfect credit markets. Indeed, high ROA households save by investing in their own enterprises and adopt consistent financial strategies for smoothing fluctuations. More generally growth of wealth, savings levels and/or rates are correlated with TFP and the household fixed effects that are the larger part of ROA.

  2. Prediction of successful trial of labour in patients with a previous caesarean section

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shaheen, N.; Khalil, S.; Iftikhar, P.

    2014-01-01

    Objective: To determine the prediction rate of success in trial of labour after one previous caesarean section. Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Cantonment General Hospital, Rawalpindi, from January 1, 2012 to January 31, 2013, and comprised women with one previous Caesarean section and with single alive foetus at 37-41 weeks of gestation. Women with more than one Caesarean section, unknown site of uterine scar, bony pelvic deformity, placenta previa, intra-uterine growth restriction, deep transverse arrest in previous labour and non-reassuring foetal status at the time of admission were excluded. Intrapartum risk assessment included Bishop score at admission, rate of cervical dilatation and scar tenderness. SPSS 21 was used for statistical analysis. Results: Out of a total of 95 women, the trial was successful in 68 (71.6%). Estimated foetal weight and number of prior vaginal deliveries had a high predictive value for successful trial of labour after Caesarean section. Estimated foetal weight had an odds ratio of 0.46 (p<0.001), while number of prior vaginal deliveries had an odds ratio of 0.85 with (p=0.010). Other factors found to be predictive of successful trial included Bishop score at the time of admission (p<0.037) and rate of cervical dilatation in the first stage of labour (p<0.021). Conclusion: History of prior vaginal deliveries, higher Bishop score at the time of admission, rapid rate of cervical dilatation and lower estimated foetal weight were predictive of a successful trial of labour after Caesarean section. (author)

  3. Factors affecting successful colonoscopy procedures: Single-center experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kozan, Ramazan; Yılmaz, Tonguç Utku; Baştuğral, Uygar; Kerimoğlu, Umut; Yavuz, Yücel

    2018-01-01

    Colonoscopy is a gold standard procedure for several colon pathologies. Successful colonoscopy means demonstration of the ileocecal valve and determination of colon polyps. Here we aimed to evaluate our colonoscopy success and results. This retrospective descriptive study was performed in İstanbul Eren hospital endoscopy unit between 2012 and 2015. Colonoscopy results and patient demographics were obtained from the hospital database. All colonoscopy procedures were performed under general anesthesia and after full bowel preparation. In all, 870 patients were included to the study. We reached to the cecum in 850 (97.8%) patients. We were unable to reach the cecum in patients who were old and obese and those with previous lower abdominal operations. Angulation, inability to move forward, and tortuous colon were the reasons for inability to reach the cecum. Total 203 polyp samplings were performed in 139 patients. We performed 1, 2, and 3 polypectomies in 97, 28, and 10 patients, respectively. There were 29 (3.3%) colorectal cancers in our series. There was no mortality or morbidity in our study. General anesthesia and full bowel preparation may be the reason for increased success of colonoscopy. Increased experience and patient-endoscopist cooperation increased the rate of cecum access and polyp resection and decreased the complication rate.

  4. Predictive Score Card in Lumbar Disc Herniation: Is It Reflective of Patient Surgical Success after Discectomy?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Parisa Azimi

    Full Text Available Does the Finneson-Cooper score reflect the true value of predicting surgical success before discectomy? The aim of this study was to identify reliable predictors for surgical success two year after surgery for patients with LDH. Prospective analysis of 154 patients with LDH who underwent single-level lumbar discectomy was performed. Pre- and post-surgical success was assessed by the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI over a 2-year period. The Finneson-Cooper score also was used for evaluation of the clinical results. Using the ODI, surgical success was defined as a 30% (or more improvement on the ODI score from the baseline. The ODI was considered the gold standard in this study. Finally, the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive power of the Finneson-Cooper score in predicting surgical success were calculated. The mean age of the patients was 49.6 (SD = 9.3 years and 47.4% were male. Significant improvement from the pre- to post-operative ODI scores was observed (P < 0.001. Post-surgical success was 76.0% (n = 117. The patients' rating on surgical success assessments by the ODI discriminated well between sub-groups of patients who differed with respect to the Finneson-Cooper score. Regarding patients' surgical success, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the Finneson-Cooper ratings correlated with success rate. The findings indicated that the Finneson-Cooper score was reflective of surgical success before discectomy.

  5. Fear for external cephalic version and depression: predictors of successful external cephalic version for breech presentation at term?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ciliacus, Emily; van der Zalm, Marieke; Truijens, Sophie E; Hasaart, Tom H; Pop, Victor J; Kuppens, Simone M

    2014-03-12

    Objective was to determine whether fear for external cephalic version (ECV) and depression are associated with the success rate of ECV in women with a breech presentation at term. Prospective study conducted in the Catharina Hospital Eindhoven between October 2007 and May 2012. Participants fulfilled The Edinburgh Depression Scale (EDS) questionnaire and expressed their degree of fear on a visual analogue scale from one to ten before ECV. Obstetric factors were evaluated as well. Primary outcome was the relation between psychological factors (fear for ECV and depression EDS scores) and ECV success rate. Secondary outcome was a possible relation between fear for ECV and increased abdominal muscle tension. The overall success rate was 55% and was significantly lower (p < 0.001) in nulliparous women (44.3%) compared with parous women (78.0%). Fear for ECV and depression EDS-scores were not related with ECV success rate. Parity, placental location, BMI and engagement of the fetal breech were obstetric factors associated with ECV outcome. There was no relation between fear for ECV and abdominal muscle tone. Fear for ECV and depression were not related with ECV success rate in this study. Engagement of the fetal breech was the most important factor associated with a successful ECV. The Eindhoven Breech Intervention Study, NCT00516555.

  6. College Success Courses: Success for All

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coleman, Sandra Lee; Skidmore, Susan Troncoso; Weller, Carol Thornton

    2018-01-01

    College success courses (CSCs), or orientation courses, are offered by community colleges and universities to facilitate the success of first-time-in-college students. Primarily, these courses are designed to address students' nonacademic deficiencies, such as weak study habits and poor organizational skills, and to familiarize students with…

  7. Health information systems: failure, success and improvisation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heeks, Richard

    2006-02-01

    The generalised assumption of health information systems (HIS) success is questioned by a few commentators in the medical informatics field. They point to widespread HIS failure. The purpose of this paper was therefore to develop a better conceptual foundation for, and practical guidance on, health information systems failure (and success). Literature and case analysis plus pilot testing of developed model. Defining HIS failure and success is complex, and the current evidence base on HIS success and failure rates was found to be weak. Nonetheless, the best current estimate is that HIS failure is an important problem. The paper therefore derives and explains the "design-reality gap" conceptual model. This is shown to be robust in explaining multiple cases of HIS success and failure, yet provides a contingency that encompasses the differences which exist in different HIS contexts. The design-reality gap model is piloted to demonstrate its value as a tool for risk assessment and mitigation on HIS projects. It also throws into question traditional, structured development methodologies, highlighting the importance of emergent change and improvisation in HIS. The design-reality gap model can be used to address the problem of HIS failure, both as a post hoc evaluative tool and as a pre hoc risk assessment and mitigation tool. It also validates a set of methods, techniques, roles and competencies needed to support the dynamic improvisations that are found to underpin cases of HIS success.

  8. The Influence of Experiencing Success in Math on Math Anxiety, Perceived Math Competence, and Math Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jansen, Brenda R. J.; Louwerse, Jolien; Straatemeier, Marthe; Van der Ven, Sanne H. G.; Klinkenberg, Sharon; Van der Maas, Han L. J.

    2013-01-01

    It was investigated whether children would experience less math anxiety and feel more competent when they, independent of ability level, experienced high success rates in math. Comparable success rates were achieved by adapting problem difficulty to individuals' ability levels with a computer-adaptive program. A total of 207 children (grades 3-6)…

  9. Age-related decline in lateralised prey capture success in Garnett's bushbaby (Otolemur garnettii).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hanbury, David B; Edens, Kyle D; Legg, Claire E; Harrell, Shane P; Greer, Tammy F; Watson, Sheree L

    2012-01-01

    We examined differences in prey capture success when reaching for moving prey with the preferred and non-preferred hand (as determined previously using stationary food items) in 12 Garnett's bushbabies (Otolemur garnettii). Hand preference was determined by a test of simple reaching for stationary food items. We assessed both the frequency of hand use and success rates for each hand in capturing live mealworms. We also examined the effect of age on overall prey capture success. Subjects were individually presented with live mealworms in a cup partially filled with a cornmeal medium. The preferred hand was used significantly more often than the non-preferred hand to obtain the moving prey; however, no differences were found in the frequency of usage of the left vs the right hand. Furthermore, there were no differences in the success rates of the left vs the right hand, nor the preferred vs the non-preferred hand. There was a significant negative correlation between age and prey capture success. These data suggest that age, rather than preferred hand, may be the most relevant factor in the bushbabies' prey capture success.

  10. Athletics, Applications, & Yields: The Relationship between Successful College Football and Institutional Attractiveness

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Willis A.

    2009-01-01

    This study examines the impact of fielding a successful college football team on institutional popularity using a dependent variable (admissions yield) and an independent variable (bowl game television rating) which have been unexamined in previous research on this topic. The findings suggest that college football success is correlated with a…

  11. High success rates of sedation-free brain MRI scanning in young children using simple subject preparation protocols with and without a commercial mock scanner–the Diabetes Research in Children Network (DirecNet) experience

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barnea-Goraly, Naama; Weinzimer, Stuart A.; Mauras, Nelly; Beck, Roy W.; Marzelli, Matt J.; Mazaika, Paul K.; Aye, Tandy; White, Neil H.; Tsalikian, Eva; Fox, Larry; Kollman, Craig; Cheng, Peiyao; Reiss, Allan L.

    2013-01-01

    Background The ability to lie still in an MRI scanner is essential for obtaining usable image data. To reduce motion, young children are often sedated, adding significant cost and risk. Objective We assessed the feasibility of using a simple and affordable behavioral desensitization program to yield high-quality brain MRI scans in sedation-free children. Materials and methods 222 children (4–9.9 years), 147 with type 1 diabetes and 75 age-matched non-diabetic controls, participated in a multi-site study focused on effects of type 1 diabetes on the developing brain. T1-weighted and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) MRI scans were performed. All children underwent behavioral training and practice MRI sessions using either a commercial MRI simulator or an inexpensive mock scanner consisting of a toy tunnel, vibrating mat, and video player to simulate the sounds and feel of the MRI scanner. Results 205 children (92.3%), mean age 7±1.7 years had high-quality T1-W scans and 174 (78.4%) had high-quality diffusion-weighted scans after the first scan session. With a second scan session, success rates were 100% and 92.5% for T1-and diffusion-weighted scans, respectively. Success rates did not differ between children with type 1 diabetes and children without diabetes, or between centers using a commercial MRI scan simulator and those using the inexpensive mock scanner. Conclusion Behavioral training can lead to a high success rate for obtaining high-quality T1-and diffusion-weighted brain images from a young population without sedation. PMID:24096802

  12. High success rates of sedation-free brain MRI scanning in young children using simple subject preparation protocols with and without a commercial mock scanner-the Diabetes Research in Children Network (DirecNet) experience

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barnea-Goraly, Naama; Marzelli, Matt J.; Mazaika, Paul K.; Weinzimer, Stuart A.; Ruedy, Katrina J.; Beck, Roy W.; Kollman, Craig; Cheng, Peiyao; Mauras, Nelly; Fox, Larry; Aye, Tandy; White, Neil H.; Tsalikian, Eva; Reiss, Allan L.

    2014-01-01

    The ability to lie still in an MRI scanner is essential for obtaining usable image data. To reduce motion, young children are often sedated, adding significant cost and risk. We assessed the feasibility of using a simple and affordable behavioral desensitization program to yield high-quality brain MRI scans in sedation-free children. 222 children (4-9.9 years), 147 with type 1 diabetes and 75 age-matched non-diabetic controls, participated in a multi-site study focused on effects of type 1 diabetes on the developing brain. T1-weighted and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) MRI scans were performed. All children underwent behavioral training and practice MRI sessions using either a commercial MRI simulator or an inexpensive mock scanner consisting of a toy tunnel, vibrating mat, and video player to simulate the sounds and feel of the MRI scanner. 205 children (92.3%), mean age 7 ± 1.7 years had high-quality T1-W scans and 174 (78.4%) had high-quality diffusion-weighted scans after the first scan session. With a second scan session, success rates were 100% and 92.5% for T1-and diffusion-weighted scans, respectively. Success rates did not differ between children with type 1 diabetes and children without diabetes, or between centers using a commercial MRI scan simulator and those using the inexpensive mock scanner. Behavioral training can lead to a high success rate for obtaining high-quality T1-and diffusion-weighted brain images from a young population without sedation. (orig.)

  13. High success rates of sedation-free brain MRI scanning in young children using simple subject preparation protocols with and without a commercial mock scanner-the Diabetes Research in Children Network (DirecNet) experience

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Barnea-Goraly, Naama; Marzelli, Matt J.; Mazaika, Paul K. [Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences Research, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford, CA (United States); Weinzimer, Stuart A. [Yale University, Pediatric Endocrinology, New Haven, CT (United States); Ruedy, Katrina J.; Beck, Roy W.; Kollman, Craig; Cheng, Peiyao [Jaeb Center for Health Research, Tampa, FL (United States); Mauras, Nelly; Fox, Larry [Nemours Children' s Clinic, Pediatric Endocrinology, Jacksonville, FL (United States); Aye, Tandy [Stanford University, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford, CA (United States); White, Neil H. [Washington University in St. Louis, Department of Pediatrics, St. Louis, MO (United States); Tsalikian, Eva [University of Iowa, Pediatric Endocrinology, Iowa City, IA (United States); Reiss, Allan L. [Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences Research, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford, CA (United States); Stanford University, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford, CA (United States); Stanford University, Department of Radiology, Diabetes Research in Children Network (DirecNet), Stanford, CA (United States); Collaboration: on behalf of the Diabetes Research in Children Network (DirecNet)

    2014-02-15

    The ability to lie still in an MRI scanner is essential for obtaining usable image data. To reduce motion, young children are often sedated, adding significant cost and risk. We assessed the feasibility of using a simple and affordable behavioral desensitization program to yield high-quality brain MRI scans in sedation-free children. 222 children (4-9.9 years), 147 with type 1 diabetes and 75 age-matched non-diabetic controls, participated in a multi-site study focused on effects of type 1 diabetes on the developing brain. T1-weighted and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) MRI scans were performed. All children underwent behavioral training and practice MRI sessions using either a commercial MRI simulator or an inexpensive mock scanner consisting of a toy tunnel, vibrating mat, and video player to simulate the sounds and feel of the MRI scanner. 205 children (92.3%), mean age 7 ± 1.7 years had high-quality T1-W scans and 174 (78.4%) had high-quality diffusion-weighted scans after the first scan session. With a second scan session, success rates were 100% and 92.5% for T1-and diffusion-weighted scans, respectively. Success rates did not differ between children with type 1 diabetes and children without diabetes, or between centers using a commercial MRI scan simulator and those using the inexpensive mock scanner. Behavioral training can lead to a high success rate for obtaining high-quality T1-and diffusion-weighted brain images from a young population without sedation. (orig.)

  14. The importance of tracheostomy to the weaning success in patients with conscious disturbance in the respiratory care center

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yu-Chan Lee

    2016-02-01

    Conclusion: Tracheostomy increases the success rate of weaning in patients with low GCS, but not in patients with high GCS. Mental status graded by GCS did affect the outcomes in patients with conscious disturbance in the RCC. The low tracheostomy rate in patients with low GCS affected the rate of successful weaning, which might have contributed to the higher mortality rate in patients with low GCS in the RCC.

  15. De behandeling van kinderen met chronische hepatitis C

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Koot, B. G. P.; Benninga, M. A.; Weegink, C. J.; Peters, M.

    2005-01-01

    A 9-year-old boy, a 15-year-old boy, and a 6-year-old girl were infected with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV). They had no physical complaints and a virus genotype that was favourable to treatment with peginterferon-alpha and ribavirin. The younger boy and the girl had liver fibrosis and were

  16. The Role of the Project Management Office on Information Technology Project Success

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stewart, Jacob S.

    2010-01-01

    The rate of failed and challenged Information Technology (IT) projects is too high according to the CHAOS Studies by the Standish Group and the literature on project management (Standish Group, 2008). The CHAOS Studies define project success as meeting the triple constraints of scope, time, and cost. Assessing critical success factors is another…

  17. Correlation of improved erectile function and rate of successful intercourse with improved emotional well-being assessed with the Self-Esteem And Relationship questionnaire in men treated with sildenafil for erectile dysfunction and stratified by age.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steidle, Christopher P; Stecher, Vera J; Pace, Cindy; Tseng, Li-Jung

    2006-05-01

    The quality of life consequences of erectile dysfunction (ED) include depression, anxiety, and loss of self-esteem. The Self-Esteem And Relationship (SEAR) questionnaire is a validated, patient-administered, psychometric instrument specific to ED. To determine correlations between erectile function (EF), intercourse success, and emotional well-being measured with the SEAR questionnaire in men treated with sildenafil citrate for ED and stratified by age ( 65 years). This was an open-label, flexible-dose trial of sildenafil (25, 50 and 100 mg) administered for 10 weeks to 382 men with ED (mean +/- SD age, 55 +/- 13 years; mean ED duration, 4 years), which was conducted at 62 centers in the United States. Analysis (by intent-to-treat, n = 368) of the change from baseline to the week-10 endpoint in the SEAR questionnaire Self-Esteem subscale, the intercourse success rate (percent of occasions at which an erection that lasted long enough for successful intercourse was achieved), and their correlation. For the overall population, there was mean +/- SD improvement (p Erectile Function; event log frequency of erection hard enough for sexual intercourse and of ejaculation/orgasm) also improved (p 65 years, and six were positive in men aged erectile function and an increased intercourse success rate, which correlated positively with improvement in SEAR measures of self-esteem and sexual relationship.

  18. REAL INTEREST RATES AND GOVERNMENT DEBT DURING STABILIZATION

    OpenAIRE

    Velasco, Andres

    1989-01-01

    High real interest rates typically accompany successful disinflations. If government deficits are financed with domestic debt, this behavior of interest rates can be destabilizing. High interest rates increase debt service costs and contribute to the accumulation of debt, threatening the whole anti-inflation effort. The exchange rate regime matters in this context. Under perfectly flexible exchange rates, the real interest rate is invariant to changes in the rate of money creation. By contras...

  19. Uninformed Decisions? The Online Presentation of Success and Failure of IVF and Related Methods on German IVF Centre Websites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kadi, S; Wiesing, U

    2015-12-01

    Background: Patients increasingly use the internet as a source of medical information before initial contact with doctors and during treatment. This applies to reproductive medicine too, where the internet could offer patients the chance to inform themselves in advance about specific procedures and the treatment centres that offer them. In this way it could potentially contribute to informed patient decision-making. This article analyses the web presence of German fertility treatment centres with respect to the provision of information on success rates, risks and side effects of treatment. Methods: Analysis of published success rates and information on the risks and adverse effects of IVF and related methods on German IVF centre websites. Results: Over half of the 129 centres (62.02 %) state a general success rate or their own institution's success rate. Less than a quarter (24.03 %) states their own institution's pregnancy rate and only 7.75 % their own birth rate. The published success rates are mostly pregnancy rates (pregnancy per embryo transfer), which by definition are higher than baby take-home-rates creating unrealistic expectations. Only 61 centres (47.29 %) mention risks and side effects of the procedures offered, and that in varying detail. Only 7 centres (5.43 %) provide information on the risk of psychological stress associated with unsuccessful fertility treatment. Conclusion: There is insufficient opportunity for women and their partners to inform themselves adequately on the internet in advance of treatment about available treatment methods, their success rates and associated risks/side effects; this applies both to specific facilities as well as to the procedures in general. In contrast to other countries, in Germany there is a lack of discussion on content requirements for fertility treatment facility websites.

  20. Tracing the origins of success: implications for successful aging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peterson, Nora M; Martin, Peter

    2015-02-01

    This paper addresses the debate about the use of the term "successful aging" from a humanistic, rather than behavioral, perspective. It attempts to uncover what success, a term frequently associated with aging, is: how can it be defined and when did it first come into use? In this paper, we draw from a number of humanistic perspectives, including the historical and linguistic, in order to explore the evolution of the term "success." We believe that words and concepts have deep implications for how concepts (such as aging) are culturally and historically perceived. We take a comparative approach, turning to the etymological roots of this term in British, French, and German literature. According to the earliest entries of the term in the Oxford English Dictionary, events can have good or bad success. Another definition marks success as outcome oriented. Often used in the context of war, religion, and medicine, the neutral, but often negative, use of "success" in literature of the Renaissance demonstrates the tensions that surround the word, and suggests that success is something to be approached carefully. Ignoring the ambiguous origins of success erases the fact that aging in earlier centuries echoes much of the same ambivalence with which many people discuss it today. Attending to the origins of success can help gerontologists understand the humanistic tradition behind their inquiry into what successful aging means today. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  1. Estimates of success in patients with sciatica due to lumbar disc herniation depend upon outcome measure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haugen, Anne Julsrud; Grøvle, Lars; Brox, Jens Ivar; Natvig, Bård; Keller, Anne; Soldal, Dag; Grotle, Margreth

    2011-10-01

    The objectives were to estimate the cut-off points for success on different sciatica outcome measures and to determine the success rate after an episode of sciatica by using these cut-offs. A 12-month multicenter observational study was conducted on 466 patients with sciatica and lumbar disc herniation. The cut-off values were estimated by ROC curve analyses using Completely recovered or Much better on a 7-point global change scale as external criterion for success. The cut-off values (references in brackets) at 12 months were leg pain VAS 17.5 (0-100), back pain VAS 22.5 (0-100), Sciatica Bothersomeness Index 6.5 (0-24), Maine-Seattle Back Questionnaire 4.5 (0-12), and the SF-36 subscales bodily pain 51.5, and physical functioning 81.7 (0-100, higher values indicate better health). In conclusion, the success rates at 12 months varied from 49 to 58% depending on the measure used. The proposed cut-offs may facilitate the comparison of success rates across studies.

  2. Successful External Cephalic Version: Factors Predicting Vaginal Birth

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lim, Pei Shan; Ng, Beng Kwang; Ali, Anizah; Shafiee, Mohamad Nasir; Kampan, Nirmala Chandralega; Mohamed Ismail, Nor Azlin; Omar, Mohd Hashim; Abdullah Mahdy, Zaleha

    2014-01-01

    Purpose. To determine the maternal and fetal outcomes of successful external cephalic version (ECV) as well as factors predicting vaginal birth. Methods. The ECV data over a period of three years at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre (UKMMC) between 1 September 2008 and 30 September 2010 was reviewed. Sixty-seven patients who had successful ECV were studied and reviewed for maternal, fetal, and labour outcomes. The control group comprised patients with cephalic singletons of matching parity who delivered following the index cases. Results. The mean gestational age at ECV was 263 ± 6.52 days (37.5 weeks ± 6.52 days). Spontaneous labour and transient cardiotocographic (CTG) changes were the commonest early adverse effects following ECV. The reversion rate was 7.46%. The mean gestational age at delivery of the two groups was significantly different (P = 0.000) with 277.9 ± 8.91 days and 269.9 ± 9.68 days in the study group and control groups, respectively. The study group needed significantly more inductions of labour. They required more operative deliveries, had more blood loss at delivery, a higher incidence of meconium-stained liquor, and more cord around the neck. Previous flexed breeches had a threefold increase in caesarean section rate compared to previous extended breeches (44.1% versus 15.2%, P = 0.010). On the contrary, an amniotic fluid index (AFI) of 13 or more is significantly associated with a higher rate of vaginal birth (86.8% versus 48.3%, P = 0.001). Conclusions. Patients with successful ECV were at higher risk of carrying the pregnancy beyond 40 weeks and needing induction of labour, with a higher rate of caesarean section and higher rates of obstetrics complications. Extended breech and AFI 13 or more were significantly more likely to deliver vaginally postsuccessful ECV. This additional information may be useful to caution a patient with breech that ECV does not bring them to behave exactly like a normal cephalic, so that they

  3. Successful External Cephalic Version: Factors Predicting Vaginal Birth

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pei Shan Lim

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose. To determine the maternal and fetal outcomes of successful external cephalic version (ECV as well as factors predicting vaginal birth. Methods. The ECV data over a period of three years at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre (UKMMC between 1 September 2008 and 30 September 2010 was reviewed. Sixty-seven patients who had successful ECV were studied and reviewed for maternal, fetal, and labour outcomes. The control group comprised patients with cephalic singletons of matching parity who delivered following the index cases. Results. The mean gestational age at ECV was 263±6.52 days (37.5 weeks ± 6.52 days. Spontaneous labour and transient cardiotocographic (CTG changes were the commonest early adverse effects following ECV. The reversion rate was 7.46%. The mean gestational age at delivery of the two groups was significantly different (P=0.000 with 277.9±8.91 days and 269.9±9.68 days in the study group and control groups, respectively. The study group needed significantly more inductions of labour. They required more operative deliveries, had more blood loss at delivery, a higher incidence of meconium-stained liquor, and more cord around the neck. Previous flexed breeches had a threefold increase in caesarean section rate compared to previous extended breeches (44.1% versus 15.2%, P=0.010. On the contrary, an amniotic fluid index (AFI of 13 or more is significantly associated with a higher rate of vaginal birth (86.8% versus 48.3%, P=0.001. Conclusions. Patients with successful ECV were at higher risk of carrying the pregnancy beyond 40 weeks and needing induction of labour, with a higher rate of caesarean section and higher rates of obstetrics complications. Extended breech and AFI 13 or more were significantly more likely to deliver vaginally postsuccessful ECV. This additional information may be useful to caution a patient with breech that ECV does not bring them to behave exactly like a normal cephalic, so that they

  4. Identifying the most successful dose (MSD) in dose-finding studies in cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zohar, Sarah; O'Quigley, John

    2006-01-01

    For a dose finding study in cancer, the most successful dose (MSD), among a group of available doses, is that dose at which the overall success rate is the highest. This rate is the product of the rate of seeing non-toxicities together with the rate of tumor response. A successful dose finding trial in this context is one where we manage to identify the MSD in an efficient manner. In practice we may also need to consider algorithms for identifying the MSD which can incorporate certain restrictions, the most common restriction maintaining the estimated toxicity rate alone below some maximum rate. In this case the MSD may correspond to a different level than that for the unconstrained MSD and, in providing a final recommendation, it is important to underline that it is subject to the given constraint. We work with the approach described in O'Quigley et al. [Biometrics 2001; 57(4):1018-1029]. The focus of that work was dose finding in HIV where both information on toxicity and efficacy were almost immediately available. Recent cancer studies are beginning to fall under this same heading where, as before, toxicity can be quickly evaluated and, in addition, we can rely on biological markers or other measures of tumor response. Mindful of the particular context of cancer, our purpose here is to consider the methodology developed by O'Quigley et al. and its practical implementation. We also carry out a study on the doubly under-parameterized model, developed by O'Quigley et al. but not

  5. Effect of communication channels on success rate of entrepreneurial SMEs in the agricultural sector (a case study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Z. Khoshnodifar

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The present research aimed at investigating the effect of communication channels on the economic success of early profitable and entrepreneur small and medium enterprises in the agricultural sector. It was an applied research in which the descriptive-survey method was used. The research sample included 356 founders of entrepreneur small and medium enterprises (at the time of conducting the research in the Markazi province, Iran, among which 100 founders were selected according to the Cochran formulation using the stratified random sampling method. A questionnaire was used as the research tool and its validity was confirmed as the face validity by a group of teachers and experts. The questionnaire’s reliability was calculated using Cronbach’s alpha (α = 0.82. The results indicated that the information seeking facilities of most of the entrepreneurs were seen at a good level (53 persons, 53% and acquiring information from other businesses and consulting contacts with the neighbors and relatives, product sellers and promoting factors were listed as the highest priorities of the respondents, respectively. Also, there was a meaningful relationship between rate of using information and communication resources with the variables namely age, duration of operation on the job, number of people operating the business and number using loans. The results of regression analysis indicated that seven communication channels, promoters, other producers, product sellers, group visit, training films, creditors, radio and TV in the order of significance have defined 78.4% of the dependent variable changes.

  6. Importance of relationship quality in the success of data warehouse systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Almabhouh, Alaaeddin; Saleh, Abdul; Ahmad, Azizah

    2011-10-01

    Increased organizational dependence on data warehouse (DW) systems drives management attention towards improving DW systems success. However, the successful implementation rate of DW systems is low and many firms did not achieve intended goals. A recent studies show that improves and evaluates DW success is one of the top concerns facing IT/DW executives. Existing information system (IS) research has studied DW success more from information quality and system quality. Researchers argue in this study that we should also take the relationship quality, which has significant research and practical implications in that it connects to IS success directly. As our first attempt, this study, referring to both IS and marketing literature, examines how communication, coordination, cooperation, commitment, and trust can be achieved to some degrees by high quality relationships between DW parties.

  7. The Influence of Different Cover Types on American Robin Nest Success in Organic Agroecosystems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    James R. Brandle

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available There are many opportunities for biodiversity conservation in organic farm systems. Successful and sustainable conservation efforts in organic systems, however, need to measure appropriate outcomes. In particular, data are needed on the breeding success of associated wildlife species. We measured nesting success of the American Robin (Turdus migratorius in woodlands embedded within eight organic farms in eastern Nebraska. We modeled daily nest survival rate to identify land use and land cover patterns that optimize conservation of birds in organic farm systems. The percentage of a crop in the fields adjacent to linear woodlands best predicted daily survival rate. Daily survival rate was lower in fields adjacent to wheat and greater in woodlands adjacent to soybean fields, though the latter may be a weak effect. There was no evidence that reducing the area allocated to organic crop production would improve daily survival rate but rather an evidence of a patch-matrix interaction. These results suggest that, if suitable nesting sites exist, organic farmers can complement local conservation efforts without losing working farmland.

  8. MicroRNAs and vascular remodeling in pulmonary hypertension

    OpenAIRE

    Brock, Matthias

    2012-01-01

    Die pulmonale Hypertonie (PH) ist der Überbegriff für verschiedene Krankheitsbilder, welche in einer signifikanten Erhöhung des Blutdrucks im Lungenkreislauf resultieren und auf Grund des vermehrten rechtsventrikulären Afterloads letztendlich zum Rechtsherzversagen führt. Die chronisch Drucksteigerung in der Lungenblutbahn wird im Wesentlichen durch drei pathogenetische Ereignisse verursacht: eine Mikrothrombosierung der Gefässbahn, eine übermässige Vasokonstriktion, sowie durch einen fibroti...

  9. Die Rolle der microRNA-15b in der Pathogenese des experimentellen allergischen Asthma bronchiale

    OpenAIRE

    Müllers, Charlotte; Renz, Harald (Prof. Dr. med.)

    2016-01-01

    Das allergische Asthma bronchiale zeichnet sich durch eine von T-Helferzellen gesteuerte, komplexe und bis heute nicht vollständig verstandene chronische Entzündungsreaktion aus. Auch wenn im Rahmen des Krankheitsbildes zunehmend von einer Heterogenität und Plastizität der T-Helferzellen insgesamt ausgegangen wird, so nimmt die Gruppe der TH2-Zellen im Speziellen weiterhin eine zentrale Rolle in der Pathogenese der Erkrankung ein....

  10. Funktionale Charakterisierung an der Biofilmbildung beteiligter Faktoren pathogener und kommensaler Escherichia coli

    OpenAIRE

    Reidl, Sebastian

    2009-01-01

    Multizelluläre Gemeinschaften in Form bakterieller Biofilme stellen aus medizinischer Sicht ein großes klinisches Problem dar. Häufig lassen sich chronische oder rezidivierende Erkrankungen aber auch nosokomiale Infektionen auf die multizelluläre Lebensweise von humanpathogenen Erregern zurückführen. Sowohl fakultativ als auch obligat pathogene Escherichia coli-Stämme besitzen eine Vielzahl unterschiedlicher Faktoren, die die Biofilmbildung beeinflussen. Daran beteiligt sind unter anderem Fla...

  11. Educational Attainment: Success to the Successful

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anthony, Peter; Gould, David; Smith, Gina

    2013-01-01

    Systems archetypes are patterns of structure found in systems that are helpful in understanding some of the dynamics within them. The intent of this study was to examine educational attainment data using the success-to-the-successful archetype as a model to see if it helps to explain the inequality observed in the data. Data covering 1990 to 2009…

  12. Cumulative live-birth rates per total number of embryos needed to reach newborn in consecutive in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles: a new approach to measuring the likelihood of IVF success.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garrido, Nicolás; Bellver, José; Remohí, José; Simón, Carlos; Pellicer, Antonio

    2011-07-01

    To report the use of cumulative live-birth rates (CLBRs) per ovarian stimulation cycle to measure the success of IVF is proving to be the most accurate method for advising couples who failed to conceive, although the accuracy yielded is relatively low, and cycle outcome is highly dependent on the number of embryos replaced. Our aim with this work is to report the CLBRs of IVF as a function of the number of embryos required to reach a live birth (EmbR), considering age, day of ET, and infertility etiology. Survival curves and Kaplan-Meier methods to analyze CLBR in a retrospective cohort with respect to the number of EmbR. University-affiliated infertility center. Infertile couples undergoing IVF using own oocytes. None. CLBR per embryo transferred. CLBRs increase rapidly between 1 and 5 EmbR, moderately between 5 and 15, and slowly thereafter. Live-birth rates rise more slowly when embryos are transferred on days 2-3 rather than on days 5-6, with comparable long-term results. Women's age is a negative factor from 35 to 37 years old, with a dramatic decrease in live-birth rates beyond age 40 years. In addition, there are significant worse results in endometriosis patients. The relationship between CLBR and number of EmbR provides realistic and precise information regarding IVF success and can be used to guide couples and practitioners. Copyright © 2011 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Explanatory Definitions of the Technology Push Success Factors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jari Matti Sarja

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available The main task for most development-intensive organizations is to create, develop and commercialize new products and services. Because development processes are risky and failure rates are high, especially in the case of technology pushed projects, unambiguous success factors are valuable knowledge for the management of development-intensive firms. New product development and innovation literature has presented many success factors for developed products, but, unfortunately, many of them are nebulous in nature. The aim of this paper is to clarify what elements comprise the exact factors. After an extensive review and screening of the technology push success factor related literature, a total of 13 success factors were rationalized and transcribed according the previous literature. As a result, three separate keynotes were recognized, and the survey instrument framework was proposed. The practical relevance of this study is to help firm management to recognize the real actions needed to reduce product development risks and also to help scholars to focus on key issues when studying the key factors of breakthrough development cases.

  14. Establishing predictors for successfully planned endotracheal extubation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lai, Chih-Cheng; Chen, Chin-Ming; Chiang, Shyh-Ren; Liu, Wei-Lun; Weng, Shih-Feng; Sung, Mei-I; Hsing, Shu-Chen; Cheng, Kuo-Chen

    2016-10-01

    The aim of this study was to establish predictors for successfully planned extubation, which can be followed by medical personnel. The patients who were admitted to the adult intensive care unit of a tertiary hospital and met the following criteria between January 2005 and December 2014 were collected retrospectively: intubation > 48 hours; and candidate for extubation. The patient characteristics, including disease severity, rapid shallow breath index (RSBI), maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP), maximal expiratory pressure (MEP), cuff leak test (CLT) before extubation, and outcome, were recorded. The CLT was classified as 2+ with audible flow without a stethoscope, 1+ with audible flow using a stethoscope, and negative (N) with no audible flow, even with a stethoscope. Failure to extubate was defined as reintubation within 48 hours. In total, 6583 patients were enrolled and 403 patients (6.1%) had extubation failures. Male patients dominated the patient cohort (4261 [64.7%]). The mean age was 64.5±16.3 years. The overall in-hospital mortality rate was 11.3%. The extubation failure rate for females was greater than males (7.7% vs 5.3%, P respiratory capacity, was developed to better predict extubation success.

  15. Factors that Impact Software Project Success in Offshore Information Technology (IT) Companies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edara, Venkatarao

    2011-01-01

    Information technology (IT) projects are unsuccessful at a rate of 65% to 75% per year, in spite of employing the latest technologies and training employees. Although many studies have been conducted on project successes in U.S. companies, there is a lack of research studying the impact of various factors on software project success in offshore IT…

  16. Evaluation the success of osseointegrated implants in maxillary sinus grafts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rubens Eduardo Gigli

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To analyze implants placed in maxillary sinus grafts with biomaterial of bovine origin and platelet-rich plasma, observing bone neoformation and the clinical and histologic success rate presented.Methods: Analysis of the clinical findings was based on 36 maxillary sinus grafts with 101 implants placed in 30 patients with a mean age of 47 years, and the histologic analysis, based on nine samples of the 36 grafts performed, with a mean interval of 7.5 months time of the graft, the majority of patients being men with a mean age of 42 years. Results: Clinically, 91 implants placed were osseointegrated.Conclusion: Based on the results presented, it was concluded that when implants are placed in the maxillary sinus region grafted with biomaterial, they present a high success rate. ISRCTN24003246

  17. Are We Successful in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nalan Kozaci

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: In this study, we aimed to determine the success rate of cardiopulmonary resuscitation performed in the patients with diagnosis of cardiac arrest, and demographic characteristics of these patients. Material and Methods: The patients admitted to Adana Numune Education and Research Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine between 01.01.2011 and 31.12.2012, and who underwent cardiopulmonary resuscitation were included to this study planned as retrospectively. The age, gender, status of judicial cases, causes and time of cardiac arrest, first observed arrest rhythm, the diseases prior to the arrest, means of arrival to emergency department, duration of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, results of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the name of the hospitalised clinic, the existence of the operation, and outcome of the patients who underwent cardiopulmonary resuscitation in accordance with current advanced life support protocols were recorded in standard data entry form. Results: A total of 290 patients with completely accessible data were included to the study. Most of these patients were men (65.2%. The mean ages were 61 ± 19 years for men, 67 ± 14 years for women (p = 0.018. The most common diagnosis were ischemic heart disease and heart failure according to the analysis of the patient's medical history. 92 patients (31.7% were brought to the emergency department after death, and all of these patients were unsuccessful following to cardiopulmonary resuscitation. 198 patients (68.3% had cardiac arrest in the emergency department, and we determined that cardiopulmonary resuscitation application of 102 patients were successful. The most common causes of cardiac arrest were myocardial infarction and heart failure. Mostly first observed rhythm in the monitor was asystole. The response rate of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in patients with ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia was higher. Most patients were hospitalised to the

  18. Exchange rate regulation, the behavior of exchange rates, and macroeconomic stability in Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francisco Eduardo Pires de Souza

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available In the last two decades an entirely new set of rules governing the foreign exchange transactions was established in Brazil, substituting for the framework inherited from the 1930s. Foreign exchange controls were dismantled and a floating exchange rate regime replaced different forms of peg. In this paper we argue that although successful by comparison to previous experiences, the current arrangement has important flaws that should be addressed. We discuss how it first led to high volatility and extremely high interest rates, which, when overcome, gave way to a long lasting appreciation of the real exchange rate with adverse consequences to industry.

  19. Information Systems Success: An empirical study on the appropriate success criteria and the real value of critical success factors

    OpenAIRE

    Skovly, Jørgen

    2013-01-01

    Success is a complex concept, that people have been trying to understand for some time. Extensive research has been conducted in order to improve our understanding, and thus increase our chances for achieving success. However, as projects still continue to fail, the real value of this research seems unclear. This thesis emphasizes the distinction between variables that may cause success (success factors), and variables that are part of success (success criteria). Success is not a 'black and w...

  20. Comparison of the Rowe-Kahn Model of Successful Aging With Self-rated Health and Life Satisfaction: The West of Scotland Twenty-07 Prospective Cohort Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whitley, Elise; Popham, Frank; Benzeval, Michaela

    2016-12-01

    With increasing longevity in industrialized populations, there is growing interest in what defines "successful aging" (SA). Various SA measures have been proposed but no consensus has been reached and many have been criticized for not representing the views and priorities of older people. We consider whether the Rowe-Kahn SA model captures older individual's perceptions of their own health and aging. Using two cohorts of 886 and 483 men and women from the West of Scotland Twenty-07 Study, aged around 57 and 76, respectively, we explored associations between Rowe-Kahn SA dimensions (absence of disease/disability; good physical/cognitive functioning; good interpersonal/productive social engagement) and four aspects of self-rated health and satisfaction (current general health; health for age; satisfaction with health; satisfaction with life). Respondents' self-rated health and satisfaction was generally good but few had all six Rowe-Kahn dimensions positive, the conventional definition of SA. All individual positive SA dimensions were associated with better self-rated health and satisfaction. This was consistent across age, gender, manual/nonmanual occupations, and personality. The prevalence of good self-rated health and satisfaction increased with increasing numbers of positive SA dimensions. The Rowe-Kahn model provides a functional definition of SA. Future work on ageing should include all Rowe-Kahn dimensions and consider SA as a continuum. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America.

  1. Independent predictors of retrograde failure in CTO-PCI after successful collateral channel crossing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suzuki, Yoriyasu; Muto, Makoto; Yamane, Masahisa; Muramatsu, Toshiya; Okamura, Atsunori; Igarashi, Yasumi; Fujita, Tsutomu; Nakamura, Shigeru; Oida, Akitsugu; Tsuchikane, Etsuo

    2017-07-01

    To evaluate factors for predicting retrograde CTO-PCI failure after successful collateral channel crossing. Successful guidewire/catheter collateral channel crossing is important for the retrograde approach in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for chronic total occlusion (CTO). A total of 5984 CTO-PCI procedures performed in 45 centers in Japan from 2009 to 2012 were studied. The retrograde approach was used in 1656 CTO-PCIs (27.7%). We investigated these retrograde procedures to evaluate factors for predicting retrograde CTO-PCI failure even after successful collateral channel crossing. Successful guidewire/catheter collateral crossing was achieved in 77.1% (n = 1,276) of 1656 retrograde CTO-PCI procedures. Retrograde procedural success after successful collateral crossing was achieved in 89.4% (n = 1,141). Univariate analysis showed that the predictors for retrograde CTO-PCI failure were in-stent occlusion (OR = 1.9829, 95%CI = 1.1783 - 3.3370 P = 0.0088), calcified lesions (OR = 1.9233, 95%CI = 1.2463 - 2.9679, P = 0.0027), and lesion tortuosity (OR = 1.5244, 95%CI = 1.0618 - 2.1883, P = 0.0216). On multivariate analysis, lesion calcification was an independent predictor of retrograde CTO-PCI failure after successful collateral channel crossing (OR = 1.3472, 95%CI = 1.0614 - 1.7169, P = 0.0141). The success rate of retrograde CTO-PCI following successful guidewire/catheter collateral channel crossing was high in this registry. Lesion calcification was an independent predictor of retrograde CTO-PCI failure after successful collateral channel crossing. Devices and techniques to overcome complex CTO lesion morphology, such as lesion calcification, are required to further improve the retrograde CTO-PCI success rate. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  2. Predictors of successful outcomes after external cephalic version in singleton term breech pregnancies: a nine-year historical cohort study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cho, L Y; Lau, W L; Lo, T K; Tang, Helen H T; Leung, W C

    2012-02-01

    To study the success rate, predictors for success, and pregnancy outcomes after external cephalic version. Historical cohort study. Regional hospital, Hong Kong. All women who had singleton term breech pregnancies at term and opted for external cephalic version during 2001 and 2009. Their demographic data, clinical and ultrasound findings, procedure details, complications, and delivery outcomes were analysed. Predictive factors for successful external cephalic version. A total of 209 external cephalic versions were performed during the 9-year period. The success rate was 63% (75% for multiparous and 53% for nulliparous women). There was no significant complication. On univariate analysis, predictors of successful external cephalic version were: multiparity, unengaged presenting part, higher amniotic fluid index (≥ 10 cm), thin abdominal wall, low uterine tone, and easily palpable fetal head (subjective assessment by practitioners before external cephalic version). On multivariate analysis, only multiparity, non-engagement of the fetal buttock and thin maternal abdomen were associated with successful external cephalic version. In all, 69% of those who had successful external cephalic version succeeded in the first roll (Pexternal cephalic versions had vaginal deliveries (93% in multiparous and 69% in nulliparous women). Uptake rate of external cephalic version was studied in the latter part of the study period (2006-2009). Whilst 735 women were eligible for external cephalic version, 131 women chose to have the procedure resulting in an uptake rate of 18%. External cephalic version was effective in reducing breech presentations at term and corresponding caesarean section rates, but the uptake rate was low. Further work should address the barriers to the low acceptance of external cephalic version. The results of this study could encourage women to opt for external cephalic version.

  3. Successful Adrenal Venous Sampling by Non-experts with Reference to CT Images

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morita, Satoru; Yamazaki, Hiroshi; Sonoyama, Yasuyuki; Nishina, Yu; Ichihara, Atsuhiro; Sakai, Shuji

    2016-01-01

    PurposeTo establish technical success rates and safety of adrenal venous sampling (AVS) performed by non-experts with reference to CT images.Materials and Methods104 AVS procedures with adrenocorticotropic hormone stimulation were performed for patients with suspected primary aldosteronism. One of three radiology residents with 2nd, 5th, and 5th grade experience undertook the procedure under the guidance of an experienced, board-certified interventional radiologist with reference to contrast-enhanced CT images obtained in 102 cases. Successful catheterization of the adrenal veins was assessed using three criteria: an adrenal venous cortisol concentration of more than 200 μg/dL (criterion A); an adrenal vein/inferior vena cava cortisol ratio of more than 5:1 (criterion B); and an adrenal vein/inferior vena cava cortisol ratio of more than 10:1 (criterion C).ResultsThe operators were aware of the anatomy of the left adrenal veins in 102 cases (98 %) and of the right adrenal veins in 99 cases (95 %) prior to the procedure. CT identified the correct position of the right adrenal vein orifice in 82 of 99 cases (83 %). The overall technical success rates for AVS from the right adrenal vein according to criteria A, B, and C, were 96, 96, and 94 %, respectively. Those for the left adrenal vein were 97, 98, and 94 %, respectively. No significant differences in success rates were observed between the operators (p = 0.922–0.984). No major complications, including adrenal vein rupture, were observed.ConclusionsWhen CT images are used to guide AVS, the procedure can be performed successfully and safely even by non-experts.

  4. Successful Adrenal Venous Sampling by Non-experts with Reference to CT Images

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Morita, Satoru, E-mail: i@imodey.com; Yamazaki, Hiroshi; Sonoyama, Yasuyuki; Nishina, Yu [Tokyo Women’s Medical University Hospital, Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine (Japan); Ichihara, Atsuhiro [Tokyo Women’s Medical University Hospital, Department of Medicine II, Endocrinology and Hypertension (Japan); Sakai, Shuji [Tokyo Women’s Medical University Hospital, Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine (Japan)

    2016-07-15

    PurposeTo establish technical success rates and safety of adrenal venous sampling (AVS) performed by non-experts with reference to CT images.Materials and Methods104 AVS procedures with adrenocorticotropic hormone stimulation were performed for patients with suspected primary aldosteronism. One of three radiology residents with 2nd, 5th, and 5th grade experience undertook the procedure under the guidance of an experienced, board-certified interventional radiologist with reference to contrast-enhanced CT images obtained in 102 cases. Successful catheterization of the adrenal veins was assessed using three criteria: an adrenal venous cortisol concentration of more than 200 μg/dL (criterion A); an adrenal vein/inferior vena cava cortisol ratio of more than 5:1 (criterion B); and an adrenal vein/inferior vena cava cortisol ratio of more than 10:1 (criterion C).ResultsThe operators were aware of the anatomy of the left adrenal veins in 102 cases (98 %) and of the right adrenal veins in 99 cases (95 %) prior to the procedure. CT identified the correct position of the right adrenal vein orifice in 82 of 99 cases (83 %). The overall technical success rates for AVS from the right adrenal vein according to criteria A, B, and C, were 96, 96, and 94 %, respectively. Those for the left adrenal vein were 97, 98, and 94 %, respectively. No significant differences in success rates were observed between the operators (p = 0.922–0.984). No major complications, including adrenal vein rupture, were observed.ConclusionsWhen CT images are used to guide AVS, the procedure can be performed successfully and safely even by non-experts.

  5. Therapeutic Success of the Ketogenic Diet as a Treatment Option for Epilepsy: a Meta-analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Hai-feng; Zou, Yan; Ding, Gangqiang

    2013-01-01

    Objective To systematically evaluate therapeutic success of the ketogenic diet (KD) as a treatment option for epilepsy. Methods Using MEDLINE and Google Scholar search, we searched for studies investigating the therapeutic success of ketogenic diet for epilepsy. We estimated therapeutic success rate for ketogenic diet as a treatment option for epilepsy and its 95% CIs using generic inverse variance method. Findings A total of 38 studies met the inclusion criteria. In retrospective studies, the weighted success rate of the patients who take the KD as a treatment option for epilepsy was 58.4% (95% confidence interval (95%CI)=48.7% – 69.9%) at 3 months (n=336); 42.8% (95%CI =36.3% – 50.3%) at 6 months (n=492), and 30.1% (95%CI =24.3% – 37.2%) at 12 months (n=387); in prospective studies, weighted success rate was 53.9% (95%CI 45.5% – 63.8%) at 3 months (n=474); 53.2% (95%CI =44.0% – 64.2%) at 6 months (n=321), and 55.0% (95%CI =45.9% – 65.9%) at 12 months (n=347). Conclusion This meta-analysis provides formal statistical support for the efficacy of the ketogenic diet in the treatment of epileptic patients. PMID:24910737

  6. Excess Success for Psychology Articles in the Journal Science

    Science.gov (United States)

    Francis, Gregory; Tanzman, Jay; Matthews, William J.

    2014-01-01

    This article describes a systematic analysis of the relationship between empirical data and theoretical conclusions for a set of experimental psychology articles published in the journal Science between 2005–2012. When the success rate of a set of empirical studies is much higher than would be expected relative to the experiments' reported effects and sample sizes, it suggests that null findings have been suppressed, that the experiments or analyses were inappropriate, or that the theory does not properly follow from the data. The analyses herein indicate such excess success for 83% (15 out of 18) of the articles in Science that report four or more studies and contain sufficient information for the analysis. This result suggests a systematic pattern of excess success among psychology articles in the journal Science. PMID:25474317

  7. Women Astronomers at Gemini: A Success Story

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodgers, Bernadette; Jorgensen, I.; Barker, N.; Edwards, M.; Trancho, G.

    2010-01-01

    Gemini Observatory has been very successful at attracting, hiring and retaining female Scientists. We present data on the growth of the scientific staff since the start of the Observatory, and science fellow recruiting from 2006-2008. At Gemini 31% of the Science Staff holding PhDs are female compared with 13.9% within the United States. The Science Management is 75% female, as is 50% of the Gemini Directorate. This critical mass of female representation within the science staff and management appears to have had a positive effect on female recruitment and hiring. The science fellow recruitment during the past 3 years has attracted 21-38% female applicants and 57% of new hires during this period have been female scientists. Perhaps even more significant, the retention rate of female science staff at Gemini is 88%, compared to 64% for male science staff. There are likely many factors that contribute to this success, but the conclusion is that Gemini has earned a reputation in the scientific community as a place where female scientists are valued and can be successful.

  8. Failures (with some successes) of assisted reproduction and gamete donation programs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-01

    Although the possibilities for the treatment of infertility have been improved tremendously, not every couple will be treated successfully. Crude overall pregnancy rates of 50-65% per patient can be achieved nowadays, irrespective of the type of profertility treatment applied first. IVF only accounts for about 20% of the pregnancies achieved. Dropout is an important reason for not reaching the estimated pregnancy rate. Even after failed IVF, spontaneous pregnancies do occur. Sperm and oocyte donation (OD) offer additional chances to subfertile couples. Severity of the male factor (in sperm donation) and young donor age (in OD) are important determinants of success. Analysis of assisted reproduction technology outcomes would benefit from more universally accepted definitions and deserves better statistical analysis. Long-term cumulative live birth rates of 80% may be expected if dropout can be limited. Milder stimulation, a patient-friendlier approach and better counseling may help to keep more patients in the program.

  9. The Impact of School Community Partnerships on the Success of Elementary Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grady, Kevin Richard

    2010-01-01

    This study employed multiple regression modeling to examine the success of 63 California elementary schools in terms of (a) school-community social capital, (b) student academic performance, (c) student behavioral incident rate, and (d) teacher turnover rate with respect to the extent of school-community partnership programs. Also of interest to…

  10. Growth, fledging success and post-fledging survival of juvenile Oystercatchers Haematopus ostralegus

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kersten, Marcel; Brenninkmeijer, Alex

    We studied the consequences of differences in growth rate on the subsequent survival of Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus chicks. Fledging success increased sharply with growth rate, from zero in chicks growing at less than 6 g per day to about 85% in chicks growing at more than 10 g per day. The

  11. Differential effects of coyotes and red foxes on duck nest success

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sovada, Marsha A.; Sargeant, A.; Grier, J.W.

    1995-01-01

    Low recruitment rates prevail among ducks in the Prairie Pothole Region of North America, primarily because of high nest depredation rates. The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is a major predator of duck eggs, but fox abundance is depressed by coyotes (Canis latrans). We tested the hypothesis that nest success of upland-nesting ducks is higher in areas with coyotes than in areas with red foxes. We conducted the study during 1990-92 in uplands of 36 areas managed for nesting ducks in North Dakota and South Dakota. Overall nest success averaged 32% (95% CI = 25-40) on 17 study areas where coyotes were the principal canid and 17% (CI = 11-25) on 13 study areas where red foxes were the principal canid (P = 0.01). Both canids were common on 6 other areas, where nest success averaged 25% (CI = 13-47). Habitat composition, predator communities with the exception of canids, and species composition of duck nests in coyote and red fox areas were similar overall. Upon examining only nests with greater than or equal to 6 eggs on the last visit prior to hatch or depredation, we determined nests with evidence characteristic of fox predation accounted for 4% of depredated nests in coyote areas and 27% in fox areas (P = 0.001). An expanding coyote population is contributing to higher overall nest success. Management of coyotes may be an effective method for increasing duck nest success.

  12. Association of postoperative nausea/vomiting and pain with breastfeeding success

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ramon Abola

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Successful breastfeeding is a goal set forth by the World Health Organization to improve neonatal care. Increasingly, patients express the desire to breastfeed, and clinicians should facilitate successful breastfeeding. The primary aim of this study is to determine if postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV or postoperative pain are associated with decreased breastfeeding success after cesarean delivery. Methods This is a historical cohort study using the Stony Brook Elective Cesarean Delivery Database. Self-reported breastfeeding success at 4 weeks postoperative was analyzed for associations with postoperative antiemetic use and postoperative pain scores. Breastfeeding success was also analyzed for associations with patient factors and anesthetic medications. Results Overall, 86% of patients (n = 81 who intended on breastfeeding reported breastfeeding success. Breastfeeding success was not associated with postoperative nausea or vomiting as measured by post anesthesia care unit antiemetic use (15% use in successful vs. 18% use in unsuccessful, p = 0.67 or 48-h antiemetic use (28% use in successful group vs 36% use in unsuccessful group, p = 0.732. Pain visual analog scale scores at 6, 12 and 24 h postoperatively were not significantly different between patients with or without breastfeeding success. Breastfeeding success was associated with having had at least 1 previous child (86% vs 36%, p < 0.001. Patients with asthma were less likely to have breastfeeding success (45% vs 4%, p = 0.002. Conclusions Efforts to improve PONV and pain after cesarean delivery may not be effective in improving breastfeeding success. To possibly improve breastfeeding rates, resources should be directed toward patients with no previous children and patients with asthma.

  13. Life-history constraints on the success of the many small eggs reproductive strategy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Ken Haste; Beyer, Jan; Pedersen, Martin

    2008-01-01

    The reproductive strategy of most fishes is to produce a large number of tiny eggs, leading to a huge difference between egg size and asymptotic body size. The viability of this strategy is examined by calculating the life-time reproductive success R0 as a function of the asymptotic body size....... A simple criterion for the optimality of producing small eggs is found, depending on the rate of predation relative to the specific rate of consumption. Secondly it is shown that the success of the reproductive strategy is increasing with asymptotic body size. Finally the existence of both upper and lower...

  14. Biomass is the main driver of changes in ecosystem process rates during tropical forest succession

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lohbeck, M.W.M.; Poorter, L.; Martinez-Ramos, M.; Bongers, F.

    2015-01-01

    Over half of the world's forests are disturbed, and the rate at which ecosystem processes recover after disturbance is important for the services these forests can provide. We analyze the drivers' underlying changes in rates of key ecosystem processes (biomass productivity, litter productivity,

  15. Evaluation of the success rate of cone beam computed tomography in determining the location and direction of screw access holes in cement-retained implant-supported prostheses: An in vitro study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neshandar Asli, Hamid; Dalili Kajan, Zahra; Gholizade, Fatemeh

    2018-02-21

    Cement-retained implant-supported restorations have advantages over screw-retained restorations but are difficult to retrieve. Identifying the approximate location of the screw access hole (SAH) may reduce damage to the prosthesis. The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the ability of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging to determine the location and direction of SAHs in cement-retained implant prostheses. Five clear acrylic resin casts were made based on a mandibular model. Several implant osteotomies (n=30) were created on the models with surgical burs, and crowns were made using the standard laboratory method with a transfer coping and the closed tray impression technique. CBCT images from the acrylic resin casts were evaluated by a maxillofacial radiologist who was blind to the locations and angles of the osteotomies. The locations of the access holes were determined on multiplanar reconstruction images and transferred to the clinical crown surface as defined points. Based on cross-sectional images, the predicted angle of the access hole was provided to a prosthodontist who was requested to pierce the crown at the proposed location in the specified direction. If the location and/or direction of the access hole were found, the process was considered successful, as the crown could then be removed from the implant abutment through the SAH. The success rate in the detection of the location and direction of the SAH was calculated, and chi-square and Fisher exact tests were applied for data analysis (α=.05). According to the results of this study, the success rate of CBCT to define the location of SAHs was 83.3% and 80% to determine the direction. No significant differences were found among the different dental groups in determination of the location (P=.79) or the direction (P=.53) of the SAHs. Most of the failures in determining the location and direction of the access hole in the buccolingual and mesiodistal directions were in the buccal and

  16. SetonWorldWide: A Case Study of Student Success

    Science.gov (United States)

    DiSalvio, Philip

    2009-01-01

    This case study offers a strategic model of methods and services resulting in relatively high student success rates as defined by course completion of introductory first and second semester online courses. This strategic model is presented in the context of Sloan-C's "Five Pillars of Quality Online Education."

  17. Einflussfaktoren auf den persönlichen Stress bei Studienanfängern in der Humanmedizin

    OpenAIRE

    Schulze, Johannes; Duderstadt, Monika; Hodjat, Beheshta; Wu, Yue-Ying

    2013-01-01

    Die derzeitige Regelung der Zulassung zum Medizinstudium berücksichtigt die Abiturnote und Wartezeiten; universitäre Parameter können diese Kriterien modifizieren. Hierzu zählen z.B. die Leistungskurswahl, wie es an der Goethe-Universität Frankfurt gehandhabt wird. Im Rahmen der Untersuchung zu Stress und Resilienz bei Medizinstudenten haben wir bei den Studenten des 1. vorklinischen Semesters soziodemographische Daten erhoben, die einen Kohortenvergleich erlauben. Die chronische Stressbelast...

  18. Predictors for a successful external cephalic version: a single centre experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ebner, Florian; Friedl, Thomas W P; Leinert, Elena; Schramm, Amelie; Reister, Frank; Lato, Kristian; Janni, Wolfgang; DeGregorio, Nikolaus

    2016-04-01

    The external cephalic version (ECV) is one of the options patients presenting with a breech pregnancy should be offered. Various fetal, maternal and other predictors for a successful ECV have been published in the past. This is a retrospective multivariate analysis of our ECV patient database at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University Hospital Ulm. In an outpatient setting, patients with fetal breech position were routinely offered an ECV attempt after 36 weeks of gestation if the patient was willing to consent. Contraindications for ECV were placental abruption, placenta praevia, uterus malformations, regular contractions, premature rupture of membranes, and non-reassuring fetal heart rate patterns. From January 1st 2010 to July 31st 2013, 444 patients with a minimum of 36 weeks gestational age (i.e. >35 + 6 weeks) attended our clinic with a breech presentation. Of those 118 had an ECV attempt and an extended ultrasound examination within 21 days. In 33 patients the procedure was successful (success rate 28 %). A multivariate binary logistic regression analysis revealed that an increased Amniotic Fluid Index (AFI; p < 0.001), at least one prior vaginal delivery (p = 0.002) or a high estimated fetal weight (p = 0.045) were significant independent predictors for a successful ECV. In our series no delivery occurred within 48 h after the ECV. An ECV is a safe procedure. ECV should be offered as an option for the mother-to-be on the basis of an informed consent. Identified fetal and maternal factors can help to estimate the chances of success and in particular multi-parity and increased amniotic fluid seem to be associated with successful ECV.

  19. A Quantitative Examination of Critical Success Factors Comparing Agile and Waterfall Project Management Methodologies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pedersen, Mitra

    2013-01-01

    This study investigated the rate of success for IT projects using agile and standard project management methodologies. Any successful project requires use of project methodology. Specifically, large projects require formal project management methodologies or models, which establish a blueprint of processes and project planning activities. This…

  20. Geographic Variability in Geocoding Success for West Nile Virus Cases in South Dakota

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wey, Christine L.; Griesse, Jennifer; Kightlinger, Lon; Wimberly, Michael C.

    2009-01-01

    Background Geocoding, the process of assigning each case a set of coordinates that closely approximates its true location, is an important component of spatial epidemiological studies. The failure to accurately geocode cases adversely affects the validity and strength of conclusions drawn from the analysis. We investigated whether there were differences among geographic locations and demographic classes in the ability to successfully geocode West Nile virus (WNV) cases in South Dakota. We successfully geocoded 1,354 cases (80.8%) to their street address locations and assigned all 1,676 cases to ZIP code tabulation areas (ZCTAs). Using spatial scan statistics, significant clusters of non-geocoded cases were identified in central and western South Dakota. Geocoding success rates were lower in areas of low population density and on Indian reservations than in other portions of the state. Geocoding success rates were lower for Native Americans than for other races. Spatial epidemiological studies should consider the potential biases that may result from excluding non-geocoded cases, particularly in rural portions of the Great Plains that contain large Native American populations. PMID:19577505

  1. Factors predicting labor induction success: a critical analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crane, Joan M G

    2006-09-01

    Because of the risk of failed induction of labor, a variety of maternal and fetal factors as well as screening tests have been suggested to predict labor induction success. Certain characteristics of the woman (including parity, age, weight, height and body mass index), and of the fetus (including birth weight and gestational age) are associated with the success of labor induction; with parous, young women who are taller and lower weight having a higher rate of induction success. Fetuses with a lower birth weight or increased gestational age are also associated with increased induction success. The condition of the cervix at the start of induction is an important predictor, with the modified Bishop score being a widely used scoring system. The most important element of the Bishop score is dilatation. Other predictors, including transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) and biochemical markers [including fetal fibronectin (fFN)] have been suggested. Meta-analyses of studies identified from MEDLINE, PubMed, and EMBASE and published from 1990 to October 2005 were performed evaluating the use of TVUS and fFN in predicting labor induction success in women at term with singleton gestations. Both TVUS and Bishop score predicted successful induction [likelihood ratio (LR)=1.82, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.51-2.20 and LR=2.10, 95%CI=1.67-2.64, respectively]. As well, fFN and Bishop score predicted successful induction (LR=1.49, 95%CI=1.20-1.85, and LR=2.62, 95%CI=1.88-3.64, respectively). Although TVUS and fFN predicted successful labor induction, neither has been shown to be superior to Bishop score. Further research is needed to evaluate these potential predictors and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1), another potential biochemical marker.

  2. Influence of lithotripsy modalities on complication rate

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Radulović Slobodan

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. Localization of ureteric stones and difference in disintegration success are the most important factors in determining the first treatment approach for ureteric stones. Objective. The aim of our study was to evaluate the difference in complication rate between different ureteric stone lithotripsy modalities. Methods. Two hundred sixty patients with ureteric stones were analyzed in a prospective bicentric study that lasted 1 year. The patients were divided into two groups: I - 120 patients who underwent ESWL (extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy treatment and II - 140 patients who were treated endoscopically with ballistic lithotripsy. Results. Ureteroscopic lithotripsy of all pelvic and iliac stones was significantly more successful comparing to ESWL, while lumbar ureteric stone treatment with ureteroscopic lithotripsy was not significantly more successful than ESWL, except for lumbar stones larger than 100mm2 that were significantly better treated endoscopically. In the I group complications after lithotripsy were recorded in 64 (59.3% and in the II group in 58 (42.0% patients, meaning that complications were statistically significantly more frequent in the I than in the II group. In the II group complications were significantly more often recorded after treatment of proximal comparing to ureteric stones of other localizations, while in the I group complications were significantly more often detected after treatment of impacted stones than in the II group. Conclusion. Being significantly successful comparing to ESWL, ureteric stone treatment with ureteroscopic lithotripsy should be considered as the first therapeutic option for all, especially impacted stones located in the iliac and pelvic ureteric portion. In spite of absent statistical difference in the success rate, ESWL should be chosen as the first treatment option in all cases of lumbar ureteric stones due to lower complication rate except for stones larger than 100mm2 that

  3. ORCID @ CMU: Successes and Failures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Denise Troll Covey

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Setting and Objectives: Carnegie Mellon University (CMU recently planned and implemented a project to help CMU researchers get an Open Researcher and Contributor Identifier (ORCID and to enable administrators to integrate the ORCIDs into university systems. This article describes and assesses the planning, performance, and outcome of this initiative, branded ORCID @ CMU. Design and Methods: The article chronicles why and how ORCID was integrated at CMU, including the rationale for changes in strategic plans. It assesses researcher participation in the project using transaction log and content analyses, and the performance of the ORCID project team using recommendations in the Jisc ORCID project report, frankly reporting the team’s successes and failures. The article concludes with lessons learned that should inform ORCID integration projects and expectations at other institutions. Results: The ORCID @ CMU web application was a great success. However, the project team did not allow enough time to prepare or devote enough attention to advocacy. The marketing message was not sufficiently persuasive and the marketing channels were not particularly effective. The overall participation rate in ORCID @ CMU was far below the target of 40%, though participation in many demographics exceeded the goal. Conclusions: Strategic planning does not guarantee success. Secure more than lip service from senior administrators. Recruit champions from across the institution. Develop a message that resonates with researchers. Allow sufficient time to prepare. Empower the project manager. Start with the low hanging fruit. Develop special outreach to doctoral students and postdocs.

  4. Prediction of successful treatment by extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy based on crystalluriacomposition correlations of urinary calculi

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nadia Messaoudi

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To provide correlations between crystalluria and chemical structure of calculi in situ to help making decision in the use of the extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL. Methods: A crystalluria study was carried out on 644 morning urines of 172 nephrolithiasis patients (111 males and 61 females, and 235 of them were in situ stone carriers. After treating by ESWL, the recovered calculi have been analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and their compositions were correlated to the nature of urinary crystals. Results: We obtained successful treatment for 109 patients out of 157 and 63 patients out of 78 with stones had a treatment failure (33.2%. The correlations showed that for the overwhelming crystalluria containing calcium oxalate dihydrate (COD with mixed crystals without calcium oxalate monohydrate, we should have 68% to 88 % success rate. However, the obtained result was 79%. Similarly, for crystalluria with COD + calcium oxalate monohydrate ± carbapatite, the prediction was 11% to 45% and the result was approximately 39%. When the majority of crystalluria was calcium phosphate, the prediction of 50% to 80% was confirmed by 71% success rate. For those majority containing magnesium ammonium phosphate hexahydrate (struvite ± diammonium urate ± COD, we predicted between 80% to 100%, and the result gave a success rate of 84%. Conclusions: The analysis of crystalluria of morning urine can help to know the composition of calculi in situ and can predict the success rate of ESWL for maximum efficiency.

  5. Predicting Educational Success and Attrition in Problem-Based Learning: Do First Impressions Count?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wijnia, Lisette; Loyens, Sofie M. M.; Derous, Eva; Koendjie, Nitaasha S.; Schmidt, Henk G.

    2014-01-01

    This study examines whether tutors (N?=?15) in a problem-based learning curriculum were able to predict students' success in their first year and their entire bachelor programme. Tutors were asked to rate each student in their tutorial group in terms of the chance that this student would successfully finish their first year and the entire…

  6. Sonography-guided hydrostatic reduction of ileocolic intussusception in children: analysis of failure and success in consecutive patients presenting timely to the hospital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Menke, Jan; Kahl, Fritz

    2015-03-01

    In children with ileocolic intussusception sonography is increasingly being used for diagnosis, whereas fluoroscopy is frequently used for guiding non-invasive reduction. This study assessed the success rate of radiation-free sonography-guided hydrostatic reduction in children with ileocolic intussusception, using novel well-defined success rate indices. All children were evaluated who presented from 2005 to 2013 to the local university hospital with ileocolic intussusception. The patients were treated with sonography-guided hydrostatic reduction unless primary surgery was clinically indicated. The according success rate was determined by indices of Bekdash et al. They represent the ratio of persistently successful non-surgical reductions versus four different denominators, depending on including/excluding cases with primary surgery and including/excluding cases requiring bowel resection/intervention. Fifty-six consecutive patients were included (age, 3 months to 7.8 years). About 80% of the patients presented until 24 h and 20% until 48 h after the onset of symptoms. Seven patients underwent primary surgery, with bowel resection required in three cases. Hydrostatic reduction was attempted in 49 patients, being permanently successful in 41 cases (selective reduction rate 41/49 = 83.7%; crude reduction rate 41/56 = 73.2%). The remaining eight patients underwent secondary surgery, with just two patients not requiring surgical bowel resection/intervention (corrected selective reduction rate 41/43 = 95.3%). The composite reduction rate was 87.2% (successful/feasible reductions, 41/47). Radiation-free sonography-guided hydrostatic reduction has a good success rate in children with ileocolic intussusception. It may be particularly valuable in centers that are already experienced with using sonography for the diagnosis.

  7. Attitudes of Success.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pendarvis, Faye

    This document investigates the attitudes of successful individuals, citing the achievement of established goals as the criteria for success. After offering various definitions of success, the paper focuses on the importance of self-esteem to success and considers ways by which the self-esteem of students can be improved. Theories of human behavior…

  8. Approaching the MIMO Capacity with a Low-Rate Feedback Channel in V-BLAST

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lozano Angel

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents an extension of the vertical Bell Laboratories Layered Space-Time (V-BLAST architecture in which the closed-loop multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO capacity can be approached with conventional scalar coding, optimum successive decoding (OSD, and independent rate assignments for each transmit antenna. This theoretical framework is used as a basis for the proposed algorithms whereby rate and power information for each transmit antenna is acquired via a low-rate feedback channel. We propose the successive quantization with power control (SQPC and successive rate and power quantization (SRPQ algorithms. In SQPC, rate quantization is performed with continuous power control. This performs better than simply quantizing the rates without power control. A more practical implementation of SQPC is SRPQ, in which both rate and power levels are quantized. The performance loss due to power quantization is insignificant when 4–5 bits are used per antenna. Both SQPC and SRPQ show an average total rate close to the closed-loop MIMO capacity if a capacity-approaching scalar code is used per antenna.

  9. A Lotka-Volterra competition model with seasonal succession.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsu, Sze-Bi; Zhao, Xiao-Qiang

    2012-01-01

    A complete classification for the global dynamics of a Lotka-Volterra two species competition model with seasonal succession is obtained via the stability analysis of equilibria and the theory of monotone dynamical systems. The effects of two death rates in the bad season and the proportion of the good season on the competition outcomes are also discussed. © Springer-Verlag 2011

  10. Success in the Academic Labour Market for Economics - The German Experience

    OpenAIRE

    Heining, Jörg; Jerger, Jürgen; Lingens, Jörg

    2007-01-01

    Based on CV information of tenured professors and post-doc researchers in the field of economics at German universities we construct a unique data set. This data set contains detailed information on the career path and on personal characteristics of individuals. Using this data we analyse the determinants of success in the academic labour market. Our notion of success is the (conditional) probability of becoming tenured, i.e. the hazard rate. Estimating a Cox (1972) regressi...

  11. Free vascularized flaps for reconstruction of the mandible: complications, success, and dental rehabilitation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Gemert, Johannes T M; van Es, Robert J J; Rosenberg, Antoine J W P; van der Bilt, Andries; Koole, Ron; Van Cann, Ellen M

    2012-07-01

    To evaluate complications and success of mandibular reconstruction with free fibula flaps, iliac crest flaps, and forearm flaps with reconstruction plates and to evaluate dental rehabilitation after these reconstructions. Eighty-three patients with segmental mandibular defects were included. Correlation analyses were used to determine the relationship between reconstruction type and clinical parameters with recipient-site complications and success. The dental rehabilitation was evaluated in successfully reconstructed survivors. Multivariate analyses showed significant correlations between flap type and success (P < .0001). Of the patients, 51 (61%) were alive 2 years after the reconstruction. Mandibular reconstruction with a free forearm flap and reconstruction plate was associated with higher complication rates at the recipient site and higher failure rates compared with reconstruction with free vascularized bone flaps. Of the 32 successfully reconstructed survivors, 14 (44%) had a complete dental rehabilitation, of which 10 had dental implants and 4 did not. Only 6 (29%) of the edentulous survivors ultimately had an implant-supported prosthesis. Reconstruction of the mandible with a free vascularized bone flap is superior to reconstruction with a free forearm flap with a reconstruction plate. Complete dental rehabilitation was reached in fewer than half of the surviving patients. Copyright © 2012 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Comparison of the effect of sevoflurane and halothane anesthesia on the fall in hear rate as a predictor of successful single shot caudal epidural in children

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mercan, A.; Ture, H.; Sayin, Murat M.; Koner, O.; Aykac, B.; Sozubir, S.

    2009-01-01

    Objective was to investigate the effect of sevoflurane anesthesia on heart rate (HR) fall with the injection of the initial drug in caudal space to confirm the correct needle placement. After the ethical approval was obtained from the hospital's ethics committee, a prospective randomized, clinical study was designed in Yeditepe University Hospital, in 2007. Children aged 1-12 years, scheduled for infraumblical surgery under general anesthesia and caudal block were included in the study. Anesthesia was induced and maintained by sevoflurane in group S (n=8) and by halothane in group H (n=82). Baseline HR was recorded before the caudal block was performed. The HR changes during the initial dose and total drug injection was recorded followed by 2 more HR recordings taken 5 and 10 minutes after caudal injection. The success of the block was recorded by a blind observer. There were 167 children included in the study. Caudal block success was 96.5% in group S and 97.6% in group H. Basal HR was 110.9+-10.9 in group S and 105.9+-10.1 in group H. Following the initial drug injection, mean HR was 109.8+-10.9 in group S and 102.9+-9.9 in group H. It was significantly lower than the baseline in group. The only significant decrease in the HR of the patients in group S was at the tenth minute following caudal injection. The decrease in HR with drug injection has no value to predict the success of caudal block under sevoflurane anesthesia. (author)

  13. Determinants of successful ablation and complete remission after total thyroidectomy and 131I therapy of paediatric differentiated thyroid cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Verburg, Frederik A.; Maeder, Uwe; Luster, Markus; Haenscheid, Heribert; Reiners, Christoph

    2015-01-01

    In adult differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) patients, successful ablation and the number of 131 I therapies needed carry a prognostic significance. The goal was to assess the prognosis of DTC in children and adolescents treated in our centre in relation to the number of treatments needed and to establish the determinants of both complete remission (CR) and successful ablation. Seventy-six DTC patients <21 years of age at diagnosis were included. Recurrence and death rates, rates of CR (=negative stimulated thyroglobulin, negative neck ultrasound and negative 131 I whole-body scintigraphy) and successful ablation (=CR after initial 131 I therapy) were studied. No patients died of DTC. Seven patients were treated by surgery alone and did not show signs of recurrence during follow-up. Of the 69 patients also treated with 131 I therapy, 47 patients achieved CR, 25 of whom had successful ablation. In multivariate analysis, female gender and the absence of distant metastases were independent determinants of a higher CR rate. Female gender, lower T stage and higher 131 I activity (successful ablation, median activity 3.1 GBq, unsuccessful ablation 2.6 GBq) were determinants of a higher rate of successful ablation. After 131 I therapy no patient showed recurrence after reaching CR or disease progression if CR was not reached. In our paediatric DTC population prognosis is extremely good with no deaths or recurrences occurring regardless of the number of 131 I therapies needed or whether CR was reached. The determinants of CR and successful ablation can be used to optimize the chance of therapy success. (orig.)

  14. DETERMINANTS AFFECTING THE SUCCESS OF DISTRIBUTION GRID PROJECTS IN BINH THUAN POWER COMPANY, VIETNAM

    OpenAIRE

    Pham Van Tai* & Le Duc Thu

    2017-01-01

    The research identified the critical factors affecting the success of the distribution grid project in Binh Thuan Power Company, clarify the mutual relationship between the critical factors affecting the success of the distribution grid project in Binh Thuan Power Company and recommended and rated the solution to enhance the success of the distribution grid project in Binh Thuan Power Company. The research had found fours critical factors: External factors of project, Controlling and coordina...

  15. Spring weather conditions influence breeding phenology and reproductive success in sympatric bat populations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Linton, Danielle M; Macdonald, David W

    2018-04-10

    Climate is known to influence breeding phenology and reproductive success in temperate-zone bats, but long-term population level studies and interspecific comparisons are rare. Investigating the extent to which intrinsic (i.e. age), and extrinsic (i.e. spring weather conditions), factors influence such key demographic parameters as the proportion of females becoming pregnant, or completing lactation, each breeding season, is vital to understanding of bat population ecology and life-history traits. Using data from 12 breeding seasons (2006-2017), encompassing the reproductive histories of 623 Myotis daubentonii and 436 Myotis nattereri adult females, we compare rates of recruitment to the breeding population and show that these species differ in their relative sensitivity to environmental conditions and climatic variation, affecting annual reproductive success at the population level. We demonstrate that (1) spring weather conditions influence breeding phenology, with warm, dry and calm conditions leading to earlier parturition dates and advanced juvenile development, whilst cold, wet and windy weather delays birth timing and juvenile growth; (2) reproductive rates in first-year females are influenced by spring weather conditions in that breeding season and in the preceding breeding season when each cohort was born. Pregnancy and lactation rates were both higher when favourable spring foraging conditions were more prevalent; (3) reproductive success increases with age in both species, but at different rates; (4) reproductive rates were consistently higher, and showed less interannual variation, in second-year and older M. daubentonii (mean 91.55% ± 0.05 SD) than M. nattereri (mean 72.74% ± 0.15 SD); (5) estimates of reproductive success at the population level were highly correlated with the size of the juvenile cohort recorded each breeding season. Improving understanding of the influence of environmental conditions, especially extreme climatic

  16. FFTF integrated leak rate computer system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hubbard, J.A.

    1987-01-01

    The Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) is a liquid-metal-cooled test reactor located on the Hanford site. The FFTF is the only reactor of this type designed and operated to meet the licensing requirements of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Unique characteristics of the FFTF that present special challenges related to leak rate testing include thin wall containment vessel construction, cover gas systems that penetrate containment, and a low-pressure design basis accident. The successful completion of the third FFTF integrated leak rate test 5 days ahead of schedule and 10% under budget was a major achievement for the Westinghouse Hanford Company. The success of this operational safety test was due in large part to a special network (LAN) of three IBM PC/XT computers, which monitored the sensor data, calculated the containment vessel leak rate, and displayed test results. The equipment configuration allowed continuous monitoring of the progress of the test independent of the data acquisition and analysis functions, and it also provided overall improved system reliability by permitting immediate switching to backup computers in the event of equipment failure

  17. SUCCESSION MANAGEMENT: UPAYA HUMAN RESOURCE PLANNING MENUJU SUCCESS CORPORATE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rini Kuswati

    2010-06-01

    create a more flexible and dynamic approach for preparing future executive and have the leadership necessary ready to meet the business challenges of the remainder of the decade and beyond. Succession management allows the corporate leadership to instill a more dynamic process became easier to integrate with the firm’s strategic initiatives. It better aligns organizational thinking with the external environment where the discontinuities make it possible to anticipate the full spectrum of change that a corporation will confront. It is the leadership and succession philosophy that focuses on developing the creativity and flexibility that allows for a more rapid response to change. So succession management as one way to became the success corporate.

  18. Cultural Community Connection and College Success: An Examination of Southeast Asian American College Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Museus, Samuel D.; Shiroma, Kiana; Dizon, Jude Paul

    2016-01-01

    Low rates of college success continue to be a persisting problem in the United States, particularly among Southeast Asian Americans and other populations of color. The purpose of the current inquiry was to understand how cultural community connections influence the success of Southeast Asian American college students. Qualitative methods were…

  19. CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS FOR INFRASTRUCTURE EUROPEAN FUNDED PROJECTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sebastian-Ion Ceptureanu

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Absorption of European funds is on top of Romania’s public agenda for the last years although the first programming period has ended and the necessary lessons were learned so far. To have a high degree of absorption of funds provided by the EU must be of quality projects and their implementation to be successful. Through this work we aimed to investigate the success factors of infrastructure projects with European funding in Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, Ukraine, Serbia and Kosovo, and identify critical success factors of these projects through a research surveying the teams of consultants and support personnel from the countries in an international consulting company. The research results are therefore constitute the empirical evidence of what constitutes critical success factors of infrastructure projects financed by the European Union and can be used as a starting point for scientific studies of the management of European projects or other actions that investigates measures that can be taken to improve the success rate of projects implemented in the area mentioned above.One of the contributions of this paper is to identify the critical success factors of success factors present in literature. With more so as they are critical success factors of infrastructure projects with European funding still required field studies and analysis performed in the present context. In addition, the critical factors were operationalized in a conceptual framework. Moreover, this framework includes leadership style of project manager as critical success factor has been identified in the research as the most important in the context in which it was conducted. As such, this paper demonstrates, with the necessary limitations, the importance of management style of project managers in the context of specific European funded infrastructure projects. And this is happening even though there are sophisticated project management tools availabe and relevant knowledge exists

  20. Success in Science, Success in Collaboration

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Johnston, Mariann R. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

    2016-08-25

    This is a series of four different scientific problems which were resolved through collaborations. They are: "Better flow cytometry through novel focusing technology", "Take Off®: Helping the Agriculture Industry Improve the Viability of Sustainable, Large-Production Crops", "The National Institutes of Health's Models of Infectious Disease Agent Study (MIDAS)", and "Expanding the capabilities of SOLVE/RESOLVE through the PHENIX Consortium." For each one, the problem is listed, the solution, advantages, bottom line, then information about the collaboration including: developing the technology, initial success, and continued success.

  1. COMPARISON OF ETHNIC MINORITY AND NATIVE MAJORITY YOUTH IN THEIR PERCEPTION OF SUCCESS IN LIFE

    OpenAIRE

    Katrien MERTENS

    2010-01-01

    This study investigated ethnic similarities and differences in the perception of success in life among Belgian adolescents. A specifically develop ed scale (Perception of Success in Life scale) was administered to 1726 partic ipants. Respondents rated the impo rtance of 20 success-items. The dichotomy individualism-collectivism was employed to better understand differences between both groups. According to this dimension Muslim ethn ic minority youth h...

  2. Encopresis in children. Outcome and predictive factors of successful management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohammed, Adnan A; Mekael, Farag M

    2012-06-01

    To elucidate our experience and outcome in the management of childhood encopresis, and to emphasize the factors that may predict successful management. This prospective study was carried out between September 2003 and September 2011 in the Department of Pediatric Surgery, Al-Thoura Teaching Hospital, Al-Beida and Al-Butnan Medical Teaching Center, Tobruk, Libya. One hundred and thirty-two patients (117 male, 15 female) took part of the study. The male and female ratio was 7.8:1. The participants were patients aged 4-9 years. There were 30 (22.7%) patients between 4-5 years, 61 (46.2%) between 6-7 years, and 41 (31%) between 8-9 years. Nonretentive encopresis patients were 36 (27.2%) (Group I) and 96 (72.8%) patients had retentive encopresis (Group II). Patients with low fluid intake were 87 (65.9%) and low fiber diet were 91 (68.9%). Patients with delayed toilet training were 99 (75%). The total rate of successful conservative treatment was 70.5%. The rate of successful treatment in Group I was 94.4% and in Group II was 61.5%. We observed 18.2% of the patients had recurrence of encopresis. The factors found to predict good resolution rate after medical treatment included: cooperation of the parent and patient, female gender, ages above 5 years, and non-retentive encopresis. Encopresis remains a problem for the parents and the patients. Clinical evaluation is indispensable. Good outcome can be achieved effectively. Cooperative parents and patient, female gender, age above 5 years, and nonretentive encopresis are predictors for good response to medical treatment.

  3. Combining Review Text Content and Reviewer-Item Rating Matrix to Predict Review Rating

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Bingkun; Huang, Yongfeng; Li, Xing

    2016-01-01

    E-commerce develops rapidly. Learning and taking good advantage of the myriad reviews from online customers has become crucial to the success in this game, which calls for increasingly more accuracy in sentiment classification of these reviews. Therefore the finer-grained review rating prediction is preferred over the rough binary sentiment classification. There are mainly two types of method in current review rating prediction. One includes methods based on review text content which focus almost exclusively on textual content and seldom relate to those reviewers and items remarked in other relevant reviews. The other one contains methods based on collaborative filtering which extract information from previous records in the reviewer-item rating matrix, however, ignoring review textual content. Here we proposed a framework for review rating prediction which shows the effective combination of the two. Then we further proposed three specific methods under this framework. Experiments on two movie review datasets demonstrate that our review rating prediction framework has better performance than those previous methods. PMID:26880879

  4. Combining Review Text Content and Reviewer-Item Rating Matrix to Predict Review Rating.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Bingkun; Huang, Yongfeng; Li, Xing

    2016-01-01

    E-commerce develops rapidly. Learning and taking good advantage of the myriad reviews from online customers has become crucial to the success in this game, which calls for increasingly more accuracy in sentiment classification of these reviews. Therefore the finer-grained review rating prediction is preferred over the rough binary sentiment classification. There are mainly two types of method in current review rating prediction. One includes methods based on review text content which focus almost exclusively on textual content and seldom relate to those reviewers and items remarked in other relevant reviews. The other one contains methods based on collaborative filtering which extract information from previous records in the reviewer-item rating matrix, however, ignoring review textual content. Here we proposed a framework for review rating prediction which shows the effective combination of the two. Then we further proposed three specific methods under this framework. Experiments on two movie review datasets demonstrate that our review rating prediction framework has better performance than those previous methods.

  5. The importance of tracheostomy to the weaning success in patients with conscious disturbance in the respiratory care center.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Yu-Chan; Wang, Hao-Chien; Hsu, Chia-Lin; Wu, Huey-Dong; Hsu, Han-Shui; Kuo, Cheng-Deng

    2016-02-01

    When to extubate the endotracheal tube is controversial in patients with depressed mental status. The use of the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) with score 8 or above as a criterion for extubation by many investigators is questionable. A total of 133 consecutive patients (M/F: 86/47; age: 71 ± 17 years) admitted to the respiratory care center (RCC) of the hospital were enrolled. The effects of GCS score on the outcomes and weaning rate of the patients were evaluated. The mortality rate was significantly higher in patients with a GCS scoretracheostomy was significantly higher than that in patients without tracheostomy (GCS and dGCS: 94.4% vs. 38.5%, p = 0.001). However, tracheostomy in patients with a high GCS (GCS score ≥ 7T or dGCS score ≥ 10) did not lead to a higher success rate of weaning. In multivariable analysis, tracheostomy was still an independent determinant of successful weaning in patients with low GCS. Tracheostomy increases the success rate of weaning in patients with low GCS, but not in patients with high GCS. Mental status graded by GCS did affect the outcomes in patients with conscious disturbance in the RCC. The low tracheostomy rate in patients with low GCS affected the rate of successful weaning, which might have contributed to the higher mortality rate in patients with low GCS in the RCC. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Taiwan LLC.

  6. Drought, pollen and nectar availability, and pollination success.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Waser, Nickolas M; Price, Mary V

    2016-06-01

    Pollination success of animal-pollinated flowers depends on rate of pollinator visits and on pollen deposition per visit, both of which should vary with the pollen and nectar "neighborhoods" of a plant, i.e., with pollen and nectar availability in nearby plants. One determinant of these neighborhoods is per-flower production of pollen and nectar, which is likely to respond to environmental influences. In this study, we explored environmental effects on pollen and nectar production and on pollination success in order to follow up a surprising result from a previous study: flowers of Ipomopsis aggregata received less pollen in years of high visitation by their hummingbird pollinators. A new analysis of the earlier data indicated that high bird visitation corresponded to drought years. We hypothesized that drought might contribute to the enigmatic prior result if it decreases both nectar and pollen production: in dry years, low nectar availability could cause hummingbirds to visit flowers at a higher rate, and low pollen availability could cause them to deposit less pollen per visit. A greenhouse experiment demonstrated that drought does reduce both pollen and nectar production by I. aggregata flowers. This result was corroborated across 6 yr of variable precipitation and soil moisture in four unmanipulated field populations. In addition, experimental removal of pollen from flowers reduced the pollen received by nearby flowers. We conclude that there is much to learn about how abiotic and biotic environmental drivers jointly affect pollen and nectar production and availability, and how this contributes to pollen and nectar neighborhoods and thus influences pollination success.

  7. Evaluating Managerial Styles for System Development Life Cycle Stages to Ensure Software Project Success

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kocherla, Showry

    2012-01-01

    Information technology (IT) projects are considered successful if they are completed on time, within budget, and within scope. Even though, the required tools and methodologies are in place, IT projects continue to fail at a higher rate. Current literature lacks explanation for success within the stages of system development life-cycle (SDLC) such…

  8. Building Successful Information Systems – a Key for Successful Organization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Doina ROSCA

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Building Successful Information Systems – a Key for Successful OrganizationAbstract: An Information System (IS can have a major impact on corporate strategy and organizational success. The involvement of managers and decision makers in all aspects of information systems is a major factor for organizational success, including higher profits and lower costs. Some of the benefits business organization seek to achieve through information systems include: better safety, competitive advantage, fewer errors, greater accuracy, higher quality products, improved communications, increased efficiency and productivity, more efficient administration, superior financial and managerial decision making.

  9. Predictors of Interventional Success of Antegrade PCI for CTO.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Chun; Huang, Meiping; Li, Jinglei; Liang, Changhong; Zhang, Qun; Liu, Hui; Liu, Zaiyi; Qu, Yanji; Jiang, Jun; Zhuang, Jian

    2015-07-01

    This study aimed to identify significant lesion features of chronic total occlusions (CTOs) that predict failure of antegrade (A) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) using pre-procedure coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) combined with conventional coronary angiography (CCA). The current predictors of successful A-PCI in the setting of CTOs are uncertain. Such knowledge might prompt early performance of a retrograde (R)-PCI approach if predictors of A-PCI failure are present. Consecutive patients confirmed to have at least 1 CTO of native coronary arteries underwent coronary CTA- and CCA-guided PCI in which computed tomography and fluoroscopic images were placed side by side before or during PCI. The study included 103 patients with 108 CTOs; 80 lesions were successfully treated with A-PCI and 28 lesions failed this approach, for an A-PCI success rate of 74%. A total of 15 of 28 failed cases underwent attempted R-PCI. Only 1 case also failed R-PCI; thus, the total PCI success rate was 87%. By multivariable analysis, the factors significantly predictive of failed A-PCI included negative remodeling (odds ratio [OR]: 137.82) and lesion length >31.89 mm on coronary CTA (OR: 7.04), and ostial or bifurcation lesions on CCA (OR: 8.02). R-PCI was successful in 14 of 15 patients (93.3%), in whom good appearance of the occluded distal segment and well-developed collateral vessels were present. Morphologic predictors of failed A-PCI on the basis of pre-procedure coronary CTA and CCA imaging may be identified, which may assist in determining which patients with CTO lesions would benefit from an early R-PCI strategy. Copyright © 2015 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Managing export success – An empirical picture of German wineries’ performance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dressler Marc

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Export represents an important strategic lever for enterprises to reach new clients, to diversify, and to participate in regional economic growth. An online based survey invited more than 800 wine experts to assess wine export success factors as well as the performance of German producers. The questionnaire tested a literature based success factor framework with the four success factors. The experts assessed the relevance of the levers for the wine industry and the performance of German produc- ers. Respondents judged all four success factors as well as all underlying 27 criteria to be relevant in the wine industry. Export strategy receives highest value of the success factor rating. The survey depicts a heterogeneous performance of German produc- ers comparing the success factors but a homogeneous performance for all the underlying criteria within each success factor. The responses reveal a performance gap for the success factors export commitment and export strategy. For the success factor export knowledge German producers apparently overperform. Export programs are of importance and in the case of Germany appar- ently meet the needed level of support and activity. The results thereby support empiric findings in the context of cultural differ- ences of different nations. The study provides orientation for German wine producers but also small and medium enterprises of other industries.

  11. International trade and exchange rate volatility

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    J.M.A. Viaene (Jean-Marie); C.G. de Vries (Casper)

    1992-01-01

    textabstractFor currencies with well developed forward markets several papers have investigated the conjectured negative relationship between trade and short term exchange rate volatility, without being very successful. A theoretical explanation for the empirical anomalies is provided by solving

  12. Obesity is a negative predictor of success after surgery for complex anal fistula

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Schwandner O

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background It was the aim of this study to compare the outcome of surgery for complex anal fistulas in obese and non-obese patients. Methods All patients with complex anorectal fistulas who underwent fistulectomy and/or rectal advancement flap repair were prospectively recorded. Surgery was performed in a standardized technique. Body mass index (BMI [kg/m2] was used as objective measure to indicate morbid obesity. Patients with a BMI greater than 30 were defined as obese, and patients with a BMI below 30 were defined as non-obese. The parameters analyzed related to BMI included success or failure, and reoperation rate due to recurrent abscess. Success was defined as closure of both internal and external openings, absence of drainage without further intervention, and absence of abscess formation. Results Within two years, 220 patients underwent advancement flap repair and met the inclusion criteria. 55% of patients were females, mean age was 39 (range 18-76 years, and the majority of fistulas were located at the posterior site. 69% of patients (152/220 were non-obese (BMI 30. After a median follow-up of 6 months, primary healing rate ("success" for the whole collective was 82% (180/220. Success was significantly different between non-obese and obese patients: In non-obese patients, recurrence rate was significantly lower than in obese patients (14% vs. 28%; p Conclusion Obese patients are at higher risk for failure after surgery for complex anal fistula.

  13. Relationship of Total Motile Sperm Count and Percentage Motile Sperm to Successful Pregnancy Rates Following Intrauterine Insemination

    OpenAIRE

    Pasqualotto, Eleonora B.; Daitch, James A.; Hendin, Benjamin N.; Falcone, Tommaso; Thomas, Anthony J.; Nelson, David R.; Agarwal, Ashok

    1999-01-01

    Purpose:This study sought (i) to investigate the relationship between postwash total motile sperm count and postwash percentage motile sperm in predicting successful intrauterine insemination and (ii) to determine the minimal postwash total motile sperm count required to achieve pregnancy with intrauterine insemination.

  14. Succession pattern of carrion-feeding insects in Paramo, Colombia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martinez, Efrain; Duque, Patricia; Wolff, Marta

    2007-03-02

    The minimum postmortem interval can be estimated based on knowledge of the pattern of insect succession on a corpse. To use this approach requires that we take into account the rates of insect development associated with particular climatological conditions of the region. This study is the first to look at insect succession on decomposing carcasses in the high altitude plains (Paramo) in Colombia, at 3035 m above sea level. Five stages of decomposition were designated with indicator species identified for each stage: Callíphora nigribasis at the fresh stage; Compsomyiops verena at the bloated stage; Compsomyiops boliviana during active decay; Stearibia nigriceps and Hydrotaea sp. during advanced decay and Leptocera sp. for dry remains. A succession table is presented for carrion-associated species of the region, which can be used for estimating time since death in similar areas. Compsomyiops boliviana is reported for the first time in Colombia.

  15. RISK FACTOR EPIDEMIOLOGY OF ECTOPIC PREGNANCY AND SUCCESS OF NONSURGICAL MANAGEMENT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vijayan C.P

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND Ectopic pregnancies are increasing in number and proportions. Real increase and better detection methods are contributing for this rise. All the cases diagnosed now are not surgical emergencies. Medical management and expectant line of management are possible. Revised clinical guidelines are there for the selection of cases for nonsurgical management. Knowledge about the risk factors is good for prophylaxis and to have a high suspicion about ectopic pregnancy in high-risk individuals. Knowing the success rate is absolutely essential for counselling before starting the therapy. Aim of the study- 1. To study the risk factor profile of ectopic pregnancies and to compare them with the old data of the study setting. 2. To follow up the cases receiving nonsurgical treatment and to assess the success rate. MATERIALS AND METHODS Study Setting- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Government Medical College, Kottayam. It is a tertiary care centre with 1500 beds and catering for the population of five districts of Kerala. Study Design- Observational Study Study Period- This study was completed by eighteen months from April 2014 to September 2015. RESULTS 219 cases of ectopic pregnancies were diagnosed during the study period. The ratio of this number with the total number of deliveries during that period is 3.48% and this is three times higher than that of the ratio twenty years ago (1.23%. Risk factor profile is also showing changes over this period. 15.1% had medical treatment and 11% had expectant line of therapy. Success rates are 87.87% and 95.65%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Incidence and detection of ectopic pregnancies are increasing and the risk factor profile is changing. In properly selected cases, the success of nonsurgical management is excellent.

  16. Success rate of IR midazolam sedation in combination with C-CLAD in pediatric dental patients—a prospective observational study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Malka Ashkenazi

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Objective. To evaluate the success rate of intra-rectal (IR midazolam in combination with nitrous oxide/oxygen (N2O sedation in young uncooperative dental patients when the local anesthesia is delivered by a computerized controlled local anesthetic delivery (C-CLAD.Study Design. This observational study consisted of 219 uncooperative children (age: 4.3 ± 1.69 y who received IR midazolam (0.4 mg/kg and N2O to complete their dental treatment. Measured variables included: child’s pain disruptive behavior during delivery of anesthesia by C-CLAD (CHEOP Scale, child behavior during treatment (Houpt scale, dental procedure performed, and side effects that appeared during treatment.Results. There was a high level of cooperation (mean score: 6.69 ± 2.1 during administration of local anesthesia. Good-to-excellent behavior was shown by 87% of the children during treatment. Planned treatment was completed by 184 (92% patients. No statistically significant changes were noticed in the oxygen saturation levels before and after treatment. Children with side effects included 3 (1.3% with nistagmus, 5 (2.3% with diplopia, and 18 (8.2% with hiccups. Three consecutive sedations decreased the overall behavior score by 5.7% compared to the first appointment (p < .05.Conclusions. IR midazolam-N2O sedation in combination with C-CLAD is very effective for delivery of dental treatment to young uncooperative children.

  17. Effective Ninth-Grade Transition Programs Can Promote Student Success

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roybal, Victoria; Thornton, Bill; Usinger, Janet

    2014-01-01

    The transition from middle into high school can be perilous for some students. High school freshmen fail at an alarming rate. In a general sense, the environment, expectations, structure, and culture of high schools are different from middle schools. However, school leaders can implement transition programs that may promote success of 9th graders.…

  18. Strategy: What Universities Can Learn from Corporate Success Stories

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aleong, Chandra

    2018-01-01

    This paper identifies the need to view strategic management and implementation with new insights from entrepreneurs and researchers who have attained and studied successful enterprises. The backdrop is the rate of disruption taking place all over the U.S. as well as globally. The objective is to understand major changes to garner ideas for more…

  19. Extracorporeal Shock-wave Lithotripsy Success Rate and Complications: Initial Experience at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammed S. Al-Marhoon

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To assess the efficacy and safety of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy with Modularis Vario Siemens in the management of patients with renal and ureteral stones.Methods: Between 2007 and 2009, 225 outpatients were treated with Siemens Modularis Vario lithotripter at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital. Stone size, location, total number of shockwaves, stone-free rate, complications and adjunctive interventions were investigated. Chi-Square and Logistic Regression analyses were used, with p<0.05 set as the level of significance.Results: Of the 225 initial consecutive patients who underwent extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, 192 (85% had renal stones and 33 (15% had ureteric stones. The mean±SD stone size was 11.3 ± 4.5 mm, while the mean age of the patients was 39.9 ± 12.8 years with 68.5% males. The mean renal stone size was 11.6 ± 4.7 mm; a mean of 1.3 sessions was required. The mean ureteric stone size was 9.9 ± 3 mm; and a mean of 1.3 sessions was required. Treatment success (defined as complete clearance of ureteric stones, stone-free or clinically insignificant residual fragments of <4 mm for renal stones was 74% for renal stones and 88% for ureteric stones. Additional extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy and ureteroscopy were the most adjunctive procedures used for stone clearance. Complications occurred in 74 patients (38.5% with renal stones and 13 patients (39.4% with uretetric stones. The most common complication was loin pain (experienced by 16.7% with renal stones and 21% with ureteric stones. Severe renal colic mandating admission occurred in 2% of patients with renal stones and 6% of patients with ureteric stones. In patients with renal stone, steinstrasse occurred in 3.6% and infection post extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy in 0.5%. Using Multivariate Logistic Regression analysis, factors found to have significant effect on complete stone clearance were serum creatinine (p=0.004 and the number of

  20. Does the presence of antagonist remaining teeth affect implant overdenture success? A systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ohkubo, C; Baek, K W

    2010-04-01

    Many patients who need implant overdentures are not completely edentulous; they still have antagonist natural teeth or implant fixed prostheses. In such cases, however, little is known about whether existing natural teeth affect the success of implant overdentures positively or act as a complicating factor. This systematic review attempts to clarify the correlation between existing remaining teeth and the survival/success rate of maxillary and mandibular implant overdentures. An assessment of available relevant articles published in English from 1990 to 2009 was performed using an online database and a manual search in libraries. Although the opposing natural dentition was not sufficiently described in the literature, 10 articles about the mandible and 10 articles about the maxilla were selected. As there was no controlled study on the natural teeth opposing implant overdentures, this review could not reach a clear conclusion. The review did reveal a remarkably high success/survival rate for mandibular implant overdentures; maxillary implant overdentures showed a lower rate. The presence of antagonist teeth hardly seems to be a risk factor for success for mandibular implant overdentures. For maxillary implant overdentures, the existence of antagonist teeth might act negatively for implant survival, but they are certainly not a contraindication. Although a few articles stated this relationship, we could not find an apparent correlation between the remaining antagonist teeth and the success of the implant overdentures. A detailed description of the opposing dentate status and results of randomized controlled clinical trials would be required to characterize this evidence-based implant overdenture treatment.

  1. Confinement lowers fertility rate of helmeted guinea fowl ( Numida ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ... common game bird in Africa and there have been efforts to domesticate it for use as a source of human food. An important obstacle in successful domestication of guinea fowl is their low fertility rate.We studied the effects of semi-confinement on the fertility rates of helmeted guinea fowl by comparing egg fertility, hatch rate ...

  2. Evaluation of some predictors for successful weaning from mechanical ventilation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ali A. Mabrouk

    2015-07-01

    Conclusion: ABG and RSBI can be used as good weaning predictors and the CORE index is better in predicting the weaning outcome than the CROP index, the IWI and the RSBI as their value is better in the NPPV group which expresses the highest success rate.

  3. Formation of community-based hypertension practice networks: success, obstacles, and lessons learned.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dart, Richard A; Egan, Brent M

    2014-06-01

    Community-based practice networks for research and improving the quality of care are growing in size and number but have variable success rates. In this paper, the authors review recent efforts to initiate a community-based hypertension network modeled after the successful Outpatient Quality Improvement Network (O'QUIN) project, located at the Medical University of South Carolina. Key lessons learned and new directions to be explored are highlighted. ©2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  4. Wirkung der seriellen Ganzkörperkältetherapie auf den aktuellen Gesundheitszustand sowie pro- und antiinflammatorische Zytokine bei Patienten mit Fibromyalgie

    OpenAIRE

    Becker, Johanna

    2016-01-01

    Hintergrund: Seit 1980 besteht die Möglichkeit zur Ganzkörperkältetherapie (GKKT), die heute sowohl in geschlossenen wie auch offenen Kammersystemen durchgeführt werden kann. Als Indikationen gelten v. a. rheumatische Erkrankungen. Die Fibromyalgie stellt eine chronische Schmerzerkrankung mit beachtlicher Heterogenität bzgl. ihrer Symptome, biomedizinischen Parameter sowie Therapieantworten dar. Gut 2% der Bevölkerung sind dadurch in ihrer Lebensqualität stark eingeschränkt. Die zur Verfügung...

  5. Unraveling the controls on biogeomorphic succession: the influence of groundwater, soil and geomorphic setting on bio-geomorphic channel evolution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bätz, Nico; Verrecchia, Eric P.; Lane, Stuart N.

    2017-04-01

    Braided rivers are characterized by high rates of morphological change. However, despite the potential for frequent disturbance, vegetated patches may develop within this system and influence long-term channel dynamics and channel patterns through the "engineering effects" of biogeomorphic succession. The stabilizing effect of developing vegetation on morphological change has been widely shown by flume experiments and (historic) aerial pictures analysis. Thus, there is a balance between disturbance and stabilization, mediated through biogeomorphic succession, that may determine the long-term geomorphic and biogeomorphic evolution of the river. Research has addressed how changes in disturbance frequency affect river channel pattern, but much less has been done to understand what influences the rate of biogeomorphic succession and how it affects river morphodynamics. This study explores the complex pattern of ambient conditions in braided river systems driving the rate of biogeomorphic succession. In particular, we focus on the interplay between groundwater access, soil formation, disturbance frequency and geomorphic setting, in defining what drives vegetation succession rates and its long-term implications on channel pattern evolution. We studied these feedbacks in a transitional gravel-bed river system (braided, wandering, meandering) close to Geneva (Switzerland) - the Allondon River. Results show that, at the beginning of the succession, humification plays a negative role on local ambient conditions necessary for sprouting. Successful vegetation establishment is then related positively to humification, but also to higher disturbance rates. The third biogeomorphic phase, with the highest feedbacks on river morphology, appears to be mainly driven by groundwater access, which in turn defines the rates of humification in this gravelly environment. This in turn defines the decadal morphological response of the channel after a reduction in disturbance frequency over

  6. Effectiveness of Consultation on Student Ratings Feedback: A Meta-Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Penny, Angela R.; Coe, Robert

    2004-01-01

    Consultation on student ratings is recognized as an important strategy to support university teachers in learning from student ratings feedback. However, there is little evidence to suggest which practices and strategies are most important for successful consultation. As the use of student ratings increases, such evidence becomes increasingly…

  7. Successful Replantation of Amputated Penile Shaft following Industrial Injury

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M Salehipour

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available Penile amputation is an uncommon urological emergency. Although rare, traumatic amputation of penis is a challenging injury to treat. However, modern microsurgical reconstruction techniques have improved success rate of penile replantation and become the procedure of choice for managing these patients. Herein, we report on a case of penile amputation following an industrial accident.

  8. Determinants of Graduation Rate of Public Alternative Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Izumi, Masashi; Shen, Jianping; Xia, Jiangang

    2015-01-01

    In this study we investigated determinants of the graduation rate of public alternative schools by analyzing the most recent, nationally representative data from Schools and Staffing Survey 2007-2008. Based on the literature, we built a series of three regression models via successive block entry, predicting the graduate rate first by (a) student…

  9. How Types of Organisational Culture Shapes Successful Start-ups within Malaysia

    OpenAIRE

    Kuah, Shen Yang

    2016-01-01

    Start-ups is the new wave of firms which are now mushrooming around Malaysia. However, as this wave is still at its infancy the success rate of start-ups in Malaysia is extremely low. It has been long established that organisational culture does indeed effect the performance of a firm, however there haven’t been any reports on the effect of organisational culture on the success of start-ups. The objective of this report is to investigate how different types of organisational cultures contribu...

  10. Determining Success Criteria and Success Factors for International Construction Projects for Malaysian Contractors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ali Mohammed Alashwal

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available The success of international construction projects is fraught with various challenges such as competitiveness, lack of resources, versatile global economy, and specific conditions in the host country. Malaysian contractors have been venturing into global construction market since early 1980s. However, their venturing was not successful all the time. The number of international projects awarded to Malaysian contractors has reduced drastically during the past decade. Taking advantage of this experience, this paper aims to identify the success criteria and success factors of international construction projects. The data was collected from 120 respondents using a questionnaire survey and analysed using principal component analysis and regression analysis. The results revealed three principal criteria of project success namely, Management Success, Functional Success, and Organisation Success. The main components of success factors include Team Power and Skills, Resource Availability, External Environment, Organisation Capability, Project Support, and Project Organisation. Further analysis emphasized the importance of strong financing capacity of contractors, project social environment, and competence of the project manager in achieving project success. The results of this paper can serve as a guideline for contractors and project managers to achieve success in this context. Future studies may provide in-depth analysis of success criteria and success factors specific for construction project type and host-country location.

  11. Improving student success using predictive models and data visualisations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hanan Ayad

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available The need to educate a competitive workforce is a global problem. In the US, for example, despite billions of dollars spent to improve the educational system, approximately 35% of students never finish high school. The drop rate among some demographic groups is as high as 50–60%. At the college level in the US only 30% of students graduate from 2-year colleges in 3 years or less and approximately 50% graduate from 4-year colleges in 5 years or less. A basic challenge in delivering global education, therefore, is improving student success. By student success we mean improving retention, completion and graduation rates. In this paper we describe a Student Success System (S3 that provides a holistic, analytical view of student academic progress.1 The core of S3 is a flexible predictive modelling engine that uses machine intelligence and statistical techniques to identify at-risk students pre-emptively. S3 also provides a set of advanced data visualisations for reaching diagnostic insights and a case management tool for managing interventions. S3's open modular architecture will also allow integration and plug-ins with both open and proprietary software. Powered by learning analytics, S3 is intended as an end-to-end solution for identifying at-risk students, understanding why they are at risk, designing interventions to mitigate that risk and finally closing the feedback look by tracking the efficacy of the applied intervention.

  12. Critical success factors for positive user experience in hotel websites:applying Herzberg’s two factor theory for user experience modeling

    OpenAIRE

    Sambhanthan, Arunasalam; Good, Alice

    2013-01-01

    This research presents the development of a critical success factor matrix for increasing positive user experience of hotel websites based upon user ratings. Firstly, a number of critical success factors for web usability have been identified through the initial literature review. Secondly, hotel websites were surveyed in terms of critical success factors identified through the literature review. Thirdly, Herzberg’s motivation theory has been applied to the user rating and the critical succ...

  13. Successive approximation analog to digital conversion system with good differential linearity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Carter, D E; Randers-Pehrson, G [Ohio Univ., Athens (USA). Dept. of Physics

    1982-08-15

    A high speed modified successive approximation 4 input ADC system has been designed and constructed. Throughput rates of 250 kHz at 12 bit conversion gain with good differential linearity is achieved at low cost, using the MPX4 ADC system.

  14. MRI predictors of clinical success in MR-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) treatments of uterine fibroids: results from a single centre

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mindjuk, Irene; Herzog, Peter; Matzko, Matthias [Helios-Amper Klinikum Dachau, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Helios-Amper Klinikum Dachau, Dachau, Dachau (Germany); Trumm, Christoph G.; Stahl, Robert [Klinikum der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Muenchen-Grosshadern, Muenchen, Department of Clinical Radiology, Muenchen (Germany)

    2015-05-01

    To assess the technical and clinical results of MRgFUS treatment and factors affecting clinical treatment success. A total of 252 women (mean age, 42.1 ± 6.9 years) with uterine fibroids underwent MRgFUS. All patients underwent MRI before treatment. Results were evaluated with respect to post-treatment nonperfused volume (NPV), symptom severity score (SSS), reintervention rate, pregnancy and safety data. NPV ratio was significantly higher in fibroids characterized by low signal intensity in contrast-enhanced T1-weighted fat saturated MR images and in fibroids distant from the spine (>3 cm). NPV ratio was lower in fibroids with septations, with subserosal component and in skin-distant fibroids (p < 0.001). NPV ratio was highly correlated with clinical success: NPV of more than 80 % resulted in clinical success in more than 80 % of patients. Reintervention rate was 12.7 % (mean follow-up time, 19.4 ± 8 months; range, 3-38). Expulsion of fibroids (21 %) was significantly correlated with a high clinical success rate. No severe adverse events were reported. Adequate patient selection and correct treatment techniques, based on the learning curve of this technology, combined with technical advances of the system, lead to higher clinical success rates with low complications rate, comparable to other uterine-sparing treatment options. (orig.)

  15. From Project Management Capabilities to ERP Implementation Success: The Mediating Effect of IT Executives' Capabilities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Touir, Maatallah

    2016-01-01

    Enterprise resource planning project implementation success is necessary for organizations to enhance productivity and achieve operational efficiency; however, the failure rates of ERP projects remain high, ranging between 10% and 90%, and costing organizations $500,000 to $300 million. The problem addressed in this study was the low success rate…

  16. Ook de chronische fase na een beroerte kent behandelmogelijkheden

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Visser-Meily, J. M.; van Heugten, C. M.; Schepers, V. P. M.; van den Bos, G. A. M.

    2007-01-01

    In contrast to the chronic phase, for the acute and rehabilitation phases following a stroke it is sufficiently clear what care is adequate care. Most stroke patients no longer have contact with healthcare professionals in the chronic phase. In this phase, new psychosocial problems may develop. Long

  17. Vergrijzing en toekomstige ziektelast. Prognose chronische ziektenprevalentie 2005-2025

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Blokstra A; Baan CA; Boshuizen HC; Feenstra TL; Hoogenveen RT; Picavet HSJ; Smit HA; Wijga AH; Verschuren WMM; Blokstra A; Verschuren WMM; PZO

    2007-01-01

    Due to ageing and growth of the population, the number of persons with a chronic disease will increase in the next twenty years, with the largest increase expected in the number of persons with diabetes and osteoporosis. In the next twenty years, 300,000 additional cases of diabetes are expected,

  18. A successful enterprise system re-implementation against all odds – A multisourcing case study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Svejvig, Per

    2011-01-01

    Achieving success in enterprise systems (ES) implementations is challenging. The success rate is not high in view of the sums invested by many organizations in these companywide systems. The literature is charged with reasons for unsuccessful implementations, such as a lack of top management supp...... support and insufficient change management. Contrary to this research, empirical data from an ES re-implementation in a Scandinavian high-tech company shows successful implementation despite many problematic shifts in outsourcing partners. Therefore, it is natural to ask: why was the re...

  19. Football and exchange rates: empirical support for behavioral economics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eker, Gulin; Berument, Hakan; Dogan, Burak

    2007-10-01

    Recently, economic theory has been expanded to incorporate emotions, which have been assumed to play an important role in financial decisions. The present study illustrates this by showing a connection between the sports performance of popular national football teams (Besiktas, Fenerbahce, and Galatasaray) and performance of the Turkish economy. Specifically, a significant positive association was found between the success of three major professional Turkish football teams and the exchange rate of the Turkish lira against the U.S. dollar. The effect of the football success of several Turkish football teams on the exchange rate of the Turkish lira was examined using the simultaneous multiple regression model with predictor measures of wins, losses, and ties for different combinations of teams to predict the depreciation rate of the Turkish lira between the years 1987 and 2003. Wins by Turkish football teams against foreign (non-Turkish) rivals increased with exchange rate depreciation of the Turkish lira against the U.S. dollar.

  20. Evaluation of success after second Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nilforushan, Naveed; Yadgari, Maryam; Jazayeri, Anis Alsadat; Karimi, Nasser

    2016-03-01

    To evaluate the outcome of the second Ahmed glaucoma valve (AGV) surgery in eyes with failed previous AGV surgery. Retrospective case series. Following chart review, 36 eyes of 34 patients with second AGV implantation were enrolled in this study. The primary outcome measure was surgical success defined in terms of intraocular pressure (IOP) control using two criteria: Success was defined as IOP ≤21 mmHg (criterion 1) and IOP ≤16 mmHg (criterion 2), with at least 20% reduction in IOP, either with no medication (complete success) or with no more than two medications (qualified success). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to determine the probability of surgical success. The average age of the patients was 32.7 years (range 4-65), and the mean duration of follow-up was 21.4 months (range 6-96). Preoperatively, the mean IOP was 26.94 mmHg (standard deviation [SD] 7.03), and the patients were using 2.8 glaucoma medications on average (SD 0.9). The mean IOP decreased significantly to 13.28 mmHg (SD 3.59) at the last postoperative visit (P = 0.00) while the patients needed even fewer glaucoma medications on average (1.4 ± 1.1, P = 0.00). Surgical success of second glaucoma drainage devices (Kaplan-Meier analysis), according to criterion 1, at 6, 12, 18, and 42 months was 94%, 85%, 80%, and 53% respectively, and according to criterion 2, was 94%, 85%, 75%, and 45%, respectively. Repeated AGV implantation seems to be a safe modality of treatment with acceptable success rate in cases with failed previous AGV surgery.

  1. Redefining reproductive success in songbirds: Moving beyond the nest success paradigm

    Science.gov (United States)

    Streby, Henry M.; Refsnider, Jeanine M.; Andersen, David E.

    2014-01-01

    One of the most commonly estimated parameters in studies of songbird ecology is reproductive success, as a measure of either individual fitness or population productivity. Traditionally, the “success” in reproductive success refers to whether, or how many, nestlings leave nests. Here, we advocate that “reproductive success” in songbirds be redefined as full-season productivity, or the number of young raised to independence from adult care in a breeding season. A growing body of evidence demonstrates interdependence between nest success and fledgling survival, and emphasizes that data from either life stage alone can produce misleading measures of individual fitness and population productivity. Nest success, therefore, is an insufficient measure of reproductive success, and songbird ecology needs to progress beyond this long-standing paradigm. Full-season productivity, an evolutionarily rational measure of reproductive success, provides the framework for appropriately addressing unresolved questions about the adaptive significance of many breeding behaviors and within which effective breeding-grounds conservation and management can be designed.

  2. Combining Review Text Content and Reviewer-Item Rating Matrix to Predict Review Rating

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bingkun Wang

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available E-commerce develops rapidly. Learning and taking good advantage of the myriad reviews from online customers has become crucial to the success in this game, which calls for increasingly more accuracy in sentiment classification of these reviews. Therefore the finer-grained review rating prediction is preferred over the rough binary sentiment classification. There are mainly two types of method in current review rating prediction. One includes methods based on review text content which focus almost exclusively on textual content and seldom relate to those reviewers and items remarked in other relevant reviews. The other one contains methods based on collaborative filtering which extract information from previous records in the reviewer-item rating matrix, however, ignoring review textual content. Here we proposed a framework for review rating prediction which shows the effective combination of the two. Then we further proposed three specific methods under this framework. Experiments on two movie review datasets demonstrate that our review rating prediction framework has better performance than those previous methods.

  3. Exceptional Antibodies Produced by Successive Immunizations.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patricia J Gearhart

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Antibodies stand between us and pathogens. Viruses mutate quickly to avoid detection, and antibodies mutate at similar rates to hunt them down. This death spiral is fueled by specialized proteins and error-prone polymerases that change DNA sequences. Here, we explore how B lymphocytes stay in the race by expressing activation-induced deaminase, which unleashes a tsunami of mutations in the immunoglobulin loci. This produces random DNA substitutions, followed by selection for the highest affinity antibodies. We may be able to manipulate the process to produce better antibodies by expanding the repertoire of specific B cells through successive vaccinations.

  4. Characteristics of successful aviation leaders of Oklahoma

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kutz, Mary N. Hill

    Scope and method of study. The purpose of the study was to examine the personal traits, skills, practices, behaviors, background, academic, and career success patterns of selected aviation leaders in Oklahoma. A purposive sample of 18 leaders who had achieved a top-ranked position of aviation leadership in an organization or a position of influence in the community was selected for interview. The leaders chosen for interview came from a variety of aviation organizations including government, academia, military, corporate aviation, and air carrier leadership as well as community leadership (specifically those aviation personnel who were engaged in a political or civic leadership role). Findings and conclusions. This study identified no common career choices, educational, family, or other background factors exclusively responsible for leadership success of all of the participants. Some of the more significant findings were that a high percentage of the leaders held undergraduate and advanced degrees; however, success had been achieved by some who had little or no college education. Aviation technical experience was not a prerequisite for aviation leadership success in that a significant number of the participants held no airman rating and some had entered positions of aviation leadership from non-aviation related careers. All had received some positive learning experience from their family background even those backgrounds which were less than desirable. All of the participants had been involved in volunteer civic or humanitarian leadership roles, and all had received numerous honors. The most frequently identified value expressed by the leaders was honesty; the predominant management style was participative with a strong backup style for directing, the most important skills were communication and listening skills, and the most frequently mentioned characteristics of success were honesty, credibility, vision, high standards, love for aviation and fiscal

  5. Correlates of Success in World Bank Development Policy Lending

    OpenAIRE

    Moll, Peter; Geli, Patricia; Saavedra, Pablo

    2015-01-01

    This paper examines the correlates of success of development policy lending operations of the World Bank between 2004 and 2012. The paper uses a data set constructed of individual loan characteristics and ex-post loan ratings produced by the World Bank's Independent Evaluation Group. Departing from the related literature, the paper focuses mostly on examining the impact of loan characteris...

  6. Determinants of successful ablation and complete remission after total thyroidectomy and {sup 131}I therapy of paediatric differentiated thyroid cancer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Verburg, Frederik A. [University of Wuerzburg, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Wuerzburg (Germany); RWTH University Hospital Aachen, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Aachen (Germany); Maeder, Uwe [University of Wuerzburg, Comprehensive Cancer Center Mainfranken, Wuerzburg (Germany); Luster, Markus [University Hospital Giessen and Marburg, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Marburg (Germany); Haenscheid, Heribert; Reiners, Christoph [University of Wuerzburg, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Wuerzburg (Germany)

    2015-08-15

    In adult differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) patients, successful ablation and the number of {sup 131}I therapies needed carry a prognostic significance. The goal was to assess the prognosis of DTC in children and adolescents treated in our centre in relation to the number of treatments needed and to establish the determinants of both complete remission (CR) and successful ablation. Seventy-six DTC patients <21 years of age at diagnosis were included. Recurrence and death rates, rates of CR (=negative stimulated thyroglobulin, negative neck ultrasound and negative {sup 131}I whole-body scintigraphy) and successful ablation (=CR after initial {sup 131}I therapy) were studied. No patients died of DTC. Seven patients were treated by surgery alone and did not show signs of recurrence during follow-up. Of the 69 patients also treated with {sup 131}I therapy, 47 patients achieved CR, 25 of whom had successful ablation. In multivariate analysis, female gender and the absence of distant metastases were independent determinants of a higher CR rate. Female gender, lower T stage and higher {sup 131}I activity (successful ablation, median activity 3.1 GBq, unsuccessful ablation 2.6 GBq) were determinants of a higher rate of successful ablation. After {sup 131}I therapy no patient showed recurrence after reaching CR or disease progression if CR was not reached. In our paediatric DTC population prognosis is extremely good with no deaths or recurrences occurring regardless of the number of {sup 131}I therapies needed or whether CR was reached. The determinants of CR and successful ablation can be used to optimize the chance of therapy success. (orig.)

  7. Admission Scores as a Predictor of Academic Success in the Fiji School of Medicine

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ezeala, Christian C.; Swami, Niraj S.; Lal, Nilesh; Hussain, Shagufta

    2012-01-01

    Secondary education in Fiji ends with the Form 7 examination. Predictive validity for academic success of Form 7 scores which form the basis for admission into the Bachelor of Medicine Bachelor of Surgery programme of the Fiji School of Medicine was examined via a cohort of 129 students. Success rates for year 1 in 2008, 2009, and 2010 were 90.7…

  8. Research into Success

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bogomir Novak

    1997-12-01

    Full Text Available As competition is becoming ever more fierce, research into the prerequisites for success is gaining ground. By most people, success is perceived as an external phenomenon, but it is in fact the consequence of a person's readiness to perform in the world (of business. In the paper, Novak distinguishes between internal, external and group success. The essence of interna!success, which is the condition for the other two types of success, is assuming responsibility for, and exercising self-control over one's psychic phenomena. This in fact means that one needs to "reprogramme" the old patterns of behaviour and substitute them for the new, which leads to personality changes based on the understanding and acceptance of the self and others as they are. In realizing personal abilities, motives and goals, mental guiding laws must also be taken into account. Nowadays, the overall success of an organization is an important indicator of the quality of gro up work. The working patterns of individuals comply with the patterns used by his or her colleagues. When we do something for ourselves, we do it for others. In certain organizations, through accepted ways of communication all people become successful, and no body needs to be paid off. Employees wholly identify themselves with their organization, and vice versa. This three-part paradigm (I-Others-Community is the basis for various models of practical training for success, which are often idealized, but are primarily aimed at abolishing passivity and flaws in the system and its wider environment.

  9. Successful treatment of chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis using low-dose radiotherapy. A case report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dietzel, Christian T.; Vordermark, Dirk [Klinikum der Martin-Luther-Universitaet Halle-Wittenberg, Universitaetslinik und Poliklinik fuer Strahlentherapie, Halle (Saale) (Germany); Schaefer, Christoph [Klinikum der Martin-Luther-Universitaet Halle-Wittenberg, Universitaetsklinik und Poliklinik fuer Innere Medizin II, Halle (Saale) (Germany)

    2017-03-15

    Chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis (CRMO) is a rare autoinflammatory disease, which lacks an infectious genesis and predominantly involves the metaphysis of long bones. Common treatments range from nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and corticosteroids at first onset of disease, to immunosuppressive drugs and bisphosphonates in cases of insufficient remission. The therapeutic use of low-dose radiotherapy for CRMO constitutes a novelty. A 67-year-old female patient presented with radiologically proven CRMO affecting the right tibia/talus and no response to immunosuppressive therapy. Two treatment series of radiation therapy were applied with an interval of 6 weeks. Each series contained six fractions (three fractions per week) with single doses of 0.5 Gy, thus the total applied dose was 6 Gy. Ten months later, pain and symptoms of osteomyelitis had completely vanished. Radiotherapy seems to be an efficient and feasible complementary treatment option for conventional treatment refractory CRMO in adulthood. The application of low doses per fraction is justified by the inflammatory pathomechanism of disease. (orig.) [German] Die chronisch rekurrierende multifokale Osteomyelitis (CRMO) ist eine seltene autoimmunologische Erkrankung und befaellt vorzugsweise die Metaphysen der langen Roehrenknochen. Die Therapie umfasst nichtsteroidale Antirheumatika (NSAIDs) und Kortikosteroide bei Erstbefall und reicht bis hin zu Immunsuppressiva und Bisphosphonaten bei insuffizientem Ansprechen. Die Anwendung einer niedrigdosierten Radiatio stellt ein therapeutisches Novum dar. Eine 67-jaehrige Patientin stellte sich mit einem radiologisch gesicherten Befall im Sinne einer CRMO im Bereich des rechten Talus und der Tibia vor. Eine initiale Behandlung mit Immunsuppressiva verblieb erfolglos. Wir fuehrten zwei Bestrahlungsserien im Intervall von 6 Wochen durch. Jede Serie bestand aus 6 Fraktionen (3 Fraktionen/Woche), mit einer Einzeldosis von jeweils 0,5 Gy. Die

  10. Overhead Bryant's Traction Does Not Improve the Success of Closed Reduction or Limit AVN in Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sucato, Daniel J; De La Rocha, Adriana; Lau, Karlee; Ramo, Brandon A

    2017-03-01

    Preoperative Bryant's overhead traction before closed reduction (CR) in developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) remains controversial and its success in increasing CR rates and reducing avascular necrosis (AVN) rates has not been specifically reported in a large cohort. IRB-approved retrospective study of patients (below 3 y)who were treated with attempted CR for idiopathic DDH from 1980 to 2009. Successful CR was defined as a hip that remained reduced and did not require repeat CR or open reduction. Patients were grouped by age, hip instability [Ortolani positive (reducible) vs. fixed dislocation], and Tonnis classification and rates of successful CR were compared between groups with PAVN between the traction (18%) and no-traction (8%) groups for all patients (P=0.15). In this retrospective series, preoperative Bryant's traction does not improve the rate of a successful CR for patients with DDH and has no protective effect on the development of AVN of the femoral head. These results suggest that Bryant's overhead traction may not be warranted for patients below 3 years of age with DDH. Level III.

  11. Amniopatch treatment for preterm premature rupture of membranes before 23 weeks' gestation and factors associated with its success

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ji-Hee Sung

    2017-10-01

    Conclusion: The amniopatch treatment success rate was higher in the iPPROM group than the sPPROM group, but was not statistically significant. The neonatal outcome was more favorable when the amniopatch was successful. However, the only predictive factor associated with successful amniopatch was a larger amniotic fluid volume before the procedure.

  12. Colony Development and Reproductive Success of Bumblebees in an Urban Gradient

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chatura Vaidya

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available Approximately 35% of all crop production is dependent on animal-mediated pollination. Many wild bee species are declining rapidly across North America and Europe, a potential consequence of land-use change driven by agricultural intensification and urbanization. In this study we assessed the impact of urbanization on the reproductive success and population growth rate of bumblebees in an urbanization gradient. We placed experimental nests in ten sites; all except one were community gardens, ranging from a 0–99% degree of urbanization. Reproductive success and colony size were positively correlated with cumulative weight gain of the nests (p < 0.05. We did not find an effect of urbanization on the population growth rate of the nests or on forager activity (p > 0.05. Growth rate was strongly negatively affected by the abundance of wax moth larvae (p < 0.05 and positively correlated with parasite diversity (p < 0.05 and the number of foragers entering the nest (p < 0.01. With this study we show that not only bottom-up but also top-down effects are equally important for pollinator population dynamics.

  13. Cohort Study of the Success of Controlled Weight Loss Programs for Obese Dogs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    German, A J; Titcomb, J M; Holden, S L; Queau, Y; Morris, P J; Biourge, V

    2015-01-01

    Most weight loss studies in obese dogs assess rate and percentage of weight loss in the first 2-3 months, rather than the likelihood of successfully reaching target weight. To determine outcome of controlled weight loss programs for obese dogs, and to determine the factors associated with successful completion. 143 obese dogs undergoing a controlled weight loss program. This was a cohort study of obese dogs attending a referral weight management clinic. Dogs were studied during their period of weight loss, and cases classified according to outcome as "completed" (reached target weight), "euthanized" (was euthanized before reaching target weight), or "stopped prematurely" (program stopped early for other reasons). Factors associated with successful completion were assessed using simple and multiple logistic regression. 87/143 dogs (61%) completed their weight loss program, 11 [8%] died or were euthanized, and the remaining 45 [32%] stopped prematurely. Reasons for dogs stopping prematurely included inability to contact owner, refusal to comply with weight management advice, or development of another illness. Successful weight loss was positively associated with a faster rate (P obese dogs on a controlled weight loss program reach their target weight. Future studies should better clarify reasons for success in individual cases, and also the role of factors such as activity and behavioral modification. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

  14. What governs successful performance of a complex whole body movement: The Kovacs release-regrasp on horizontal bar?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hiley, Michael J; Yeadon, Maurice R

    2016-12-08

    The Kovacs is a release and regrasp skill performed on the horizontal bar in men׳s artistic gymnastics. It is a popular skill in elite competitive gymnastics with over 40% of male gymnasts performing a variation of the Kovacs at the London 2012 Olympics. In the qualifying competition 84% of Kovacs were successfully regrasped, with the remaining 16% resulting in a fall. The aim of the present study was to determine why some gymnasts are more successful than others at regrasping the bar, with a secondary aim to determine how a less successful gymnast could alter his technique in order to become more successful. Nine performances of the Kovacs by each of two gymnasts, one 100% successful and one 11% successful, were analysed to determine differences in release and regrasp parameters. The technique of the less successful gymnast was optimised using a computer simulation model to increase the percentage of catches (success rate). The successful gymnast had larger and more consistent release windows and a radial velocity towards the bar at regrasp. The less successful gymnast had higher horizontal velocity at release and a mean radial velocity away from the bar at regrasp. Optimising his simulated technique increased the rate of success from 11% to 93%. The actions prior to release were performed earlier than in the recorded performances leading to a more vertical path of the mass centre at release and a radial velocity towards the bar at regrasp. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Help-seeking for mental health problems from the patient perspective – A qualitative study / Das Hilfe(aufsuchen bei psychischen Gesundheitsproblemen aus der Betroffenenperspektive – Eine qualitative Studie

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tola Eva

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Hintergrund: Für Menschen mit psychischen Gesundheitsproblemen ist eine frühzeitige fachspezifische Betreuung wichtig, um u. a. einen chronisch-progredienten Verlauf abzuwenden. Gezielte professionell initiierte Interventionen zur Stabilisierung der psychischen Gesundheit sind jedoch nur möglich, wenn Betroffene formelle Unterstützung aufsuchen. Gründe für die geringe Inanspruchnahme formeller Angebote wurden bisher kaum aus der Perspektive der Betroffenen untersucht. Insgesamt existiert wenig Wissen zum Hilfe(aufsuchverhalten („Help-Seeking“ von Menschen mit psychischen Gesundheitsproblemen.

  16. Predicting red wolf release success in the southeastern United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Manen, Frank T.; Crawford, Barron A.; Clark, Joseph D.

    2000-01-01

    Although the red wolf (Canis rufus) was once found throughout the southeastern United States, indiscriminate killing and habitat destruction reduced its range to a small section of coastal Texas and Louisiana. Wolves trapped from 1973 to 1980 were taken to establish a captive breeding program that was used to repatriate 2 mainland and 3 island red wolf populations. We collected data from 320 red wolf releases in these areas and classified each as a success or failure based on survival and reproductive criteria, and whether recaptures were necessary to resolve conflicts with humans. We evaluated the relations between release success and conditions at the release sites, characteristics of released wolves, and release procedures. Although <44% of the variation in release success was explained, model performance based on jackknife tests indicated a 72-80% correct prediction rate for the 4 operational models we developed. The models indicated that success was associated with human influences on the landscape and the level of wolf habituation to humans prior to release. We applied the models to 31 prospective areas for wolf repatriation and calculated an index of release success for each area. Decision-makers can use these models to objectively rank prospective release areas and compare strengths and weaknesses of each.

  17. Improving professional IT doctorate completion rates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oliver Kisalay Burmeister

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Professional doctorates in Information Technology (IT have been a relatively recent phenomenon, giving IT professionals career management choices not previously available to them. However, successful completion rates are the lowest of all disciplines. Completed doctorates rate in quality equivalent to PhDs, and retention has been identified as a major obstacle to completion. This qualitative study, involving 44 semi-structured interviews with students, supervisors and institutional support personnel, investigated the obstacles. Amongst the strategies discovered to improve completion rates were retention, student engagement with supervisors, feedback on progress, student engagement in the course, and student involvement in institutional communities of practice.

  18. Chance of success and its use in petroleum exploration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rose, P.R.

    1992-01-01

    For a given prospect, geologists can assess the likelihood of key geological factors (reservoir rock, hydrocarbon charge, etc.) recognized as essential for an accumulation of petroleum to exist in the subsurface. This leads to estimating the change of hydrocarbon presence-or geological success-as described in this paper. A second issue concerns the quality of the accumulation (reserve volumes and production rates) in relation to costs and wellhead revenues. However, many exploratory wells that are completed do not repay the costs of completing them, or even finding them. So a third consideration is the commerciality of the completed well and the accumulation it discovered. Techniques are available, however, to make useful predictions of success, but only if we use consistent and strict definitions

  19. Study on the main factors that contribute to the success or failure of strategic alliances

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    TANG Yu; WANG Hong-qi

    2006-01-01

    Strategic alliance is an effective way for enterprise to realize its development and to enhance its competitiveness; however, the success rate of strategic alliances is less than fifty percent. According to this problem, this paper makes systematic research on the factors that relevant to the failure or success of strategic alliance based on comprehensive analysis on internal and external motivation for the formation of strategic alliance,the purpose of which is to give some references and supports for successfully constructing the strategic alliance.

  20. Estimating pollination success with novel artificial flowers: Effects of nectar concentration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    James D. Thomson

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available We developed novel artificial flowers that dispense and receive powdered food dyes as pollen analogues while their nectar is replenished by capillary action. Dye receipt, which can be measured colourimetrically, is a direct surrogate for pollen receipt or female reproductive success, but can also serve to compare pollen donation (male reproductive success from flowers with different colours of dye. By allowing captive bumble bee colonies to visit large arrays of such flowers, we investigated whether total dye receipt depended on the sugar concentration of a flower’s nectar. Estimating pollen transfer, rather than simply visitation rate, is appropriate for this question because flowers with more concentrated nectar might accrue more pollen not only through higher visitation rates but also through longer visits that transfer more pollen per visit. Flowers with richer nectar did receive more dye regardless of their spatial arrangement, but the effect was greatest when rich and poor flowers were segregated in large blocks, as opposed to being intermingled.

  1. Review of successful hospital readmission reduction strategies and the role of health information exchange.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kash, Bita A; Baek, Juha; Davis, Elise; Champagne-Langabeer, Tiffany; Langabeer, James R

    2017-08-01

    The United States has invested substantially in technologies that enable health information exchange (HIE), which in turn can be deployed to reduce avoidable hospital readmission rates in many communities. With avoidable hospital readmissions as the primary focus, this study profiles successful hospital readmission rate reduction initiatives that integrate HIE as a strategy. We hypothesized that the use of HIE is associated with decreased hospital readmissions beyond other observed population health benefits. Results of this systematic review are used to describe and profile successful readmission reduction programs that integrate HIE as a tool. A systematic review of literature provided an understanding of the use of HIE as a strategy to reduce hospital readmission rates. We conducted a review of 4,862 citations written in English about readmission reduction strategies from January 2006 to September 2016 in the MEDLINE-PubMed database. Of these, 106 studies reported 30-day readmission rates as an outcome and only 13 articles reported using HIE. Only a very small number (12%) of hospitals incorporated HIE as a primary tool for evidence-based readmission reduction initiatives. Information exchange between providers has been suggested to play a key role in reducing avoidable readmission rates, yet there is not currently evidence supporting current HIE-enabled readmission initiatives. Most successful readmission reduction programs demonstrate collaboration with primary care providers to augment transitions of care to existing care management functions without additional staff while using effective information exchange capabilities. This research confirms there is very little integration of HIE into health systems readmissions initiatives. There is a great opportunity to achieve population health targets using the HIE infrastructure. Hospitals should consider partnering with primary care clinics to implement multifaceted transitions of care programs to significantly

  2. Recruitment strategies should not be randomly selected: empirically improving recruitment success and diversity in developmental psychology research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sugden, Nicole A.; Moulson, Margaret C.

    2015-01-01

    Psychological and developmental research have been critiqued for the lack of diversity of research samples. Because differences in culture, race, and ethnicity can influence participant behavior, limited diversity limits the generalizability of the findings. These differences may also impact how participants behave in response to recruitment attempts, which suggests that recruitment itself may be leveraged to increase sample diversity. The goal of the current study was to determine what factors, within a recruitment interaction, could be leveraged to increase success and diversity when recruiting families with children for developmental research. Study 1 found three factors influenced success: (1) recruitment was more successful when other potential participants were also interested (i.e., recruiters were busy), (2) recruiters of particular races were more successful than recruiters of other races, and (3) differences in success were related to what the recruiter said to engage the potential participant (i.e., the script). The latter two factors interacted, suggesting some recruiters were using less optimal scripts. To improve success rates, study 2 randomly assigned scripts to recruiters and encouraged them to recruit more vigorously during busy periods. Study 2 found that two factors influenced success: (1) some scripts were more successful than others and (2) we were more successful at recruiting non-White potential participants than White participants. These two interacted, with some scripts being more successful with White and other scripts being more successful with non-White families. This intervention significantly increased recruitment success rate by 8.1% and the overall number of families recruited by 15.3%. These findings reveal that empirically evaluating and tailoring recruitment efforts based on the most successful strategies is effective in boosting diversity through increased participation of children from non-White families. PMID:25972829

  3. Factors Affecting Choice, Satisfaction, and Success in the Female Self-Employed.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Waddell, Frederick T.

    1983-01-01

    Compared female business owners, managers, and secretaries to examine predictors of occupational choice, satisfaction, and success in the self-employment of women. Results showed owners rated higher than secretaries in achievement motivation, locus of control, and sex role, while owners and managers were similar except in parental models. (JAC)

  4. Attitude Counts: Self-Concept and Success in General Chemistry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lewis, Scott E.; Shaw, Janet L.; Heitz, Judith O.; Webster, Gail H.

    2009-06-01

    General chemistry is a required first step for students who wish to pursue a career in science or health professions. The course often has low rates of student success and as a result serves as a gateway limiting access to science fields. This study seeks to better understand factors that are related to student success in general chemistry by focusing on the affective domain, in this case students' self-concept, or self-evaluation of ability as it pertains to a specific field of study. First, a profile of students' self-concept in the general chemistry setting is created. Next, the relationship between self-concept and success in the course is investigated, including examining the role of self-concept after taking into account a cognitive measure (SAT scores). This study is unique in that evidence is found for the impact of self-concept after taking into account a cognitive measure. Finally, the effect of a semester-long, inquiry-oriented learning environment on students' self-concept is described. Suggested interventions to improve student self-concept are also discussed.

  5. Risk factors for cesarean section and instrumental vaginal delivery after successful external cephalic version.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Hundt, Marcella; Vlemmix, Floortje; Bais, Joke M J; de Groot, Christianne J; Mol, Ben Willem; Kok, Marjolein

    2016-01-01

    Aim of this article is to examine if we could identify factors that predict cesarean section and instrumental vaginal delivery in women who had a successful external cephalic version. We used data from a previous randomized trial among 25 hospitals and their referring midwife practices in the Netherlands. With the data of this trial, we performed a cohort study among women attempting vaginal delivery after successful ECV. We evaluated whether maternal age, gestational age, parity, time interval between ECV and delivery, birth weight, neonatal gender, and induction of labor were predictive for a vaginal delivery on one hand or a CS or instrumental vaginal delivery on the other hand. Unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios were calculated with univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Among 301 women who attempted vaginal delivery after a successful external cephalic version attempt, the cesarean section rate was 13% and the instrumental vaginal delivery rate 6%, resulting in a combined instrumental delivery rate of 19%. Nulliparity increased the risk of cesarean section (OR 2.7 (95% CI 1.2-6.1)) and instrumental delivery (OR 4.2 (95% CI 2.1-8.6)). Maternal age, gestational age at delivery, time interval between external cephalic version and delivery, birth weight and neonatal gender did not contribute to the prediction of failed spontaneous vaginal delivery. In our cohort of 301 women with a successful external cephalic version, nulliparity was the only one of seven factors that predicted the risk for cesarean section and instrumental vaginal delivery.

  6. [The Feasibility of CT Attenuation Value to Predict the Composition of Upper Urinary Calculi and Success Rate of Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fan, Yu; Liu, Zhen-Hua; Wei, Qiang; Tang, Zhuang; Liu, Liang-Ren; Ren, Bi-Hua; Li, Xiang; Bao, Yi-Ge; Yang, Lu

    2017-09-01

    To explore the feasibility of CT attenuation value (CTvalue) to predict the composition of upper urinary calculi and the number of shock waves (NSW) and success rate (SR) of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL). A total of 146 patients with upper urinary calculi treated by ESWL were included. CT scan was performed before ESWL. Upper urinary calculi with the maximum diameters of less than or equal to 2 cm were included. Infrared spectroscopy was used to analyze the composition of calculi. The effect of ESWL was estimated at 1 month followup. The factors that influence NSW and SR of ESWL were analyzed by correlation analysis. The CTvalue of calcium calculi were larger than that of noncalcium calculi ( P ESWL and CTvalues of calculi between the patients with different ages,skintostone distances and genders were not statistically significant. The partial correlation analysis found that CTvalue and long diameter of calculi were positively correlated with the NSW ( P ESWL ( P ESWL in subgroup analysis. The power of CTvalue to predict upper urinary calculi composition is insufficient. Higher CTvalue suggests more NSW in ESWL,but CTvalue is not suitable to predict SR of ESWL.

  7. Rising Tide II: Do Black Students Benefit as Grad Rates Increase?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nichols, Andrew Howard; Eberle-Sudré, Kimberlee; Welch, Meredith

    2016-01-01

    "Rising Tide II: Do Black Students Benefit as Grad Rates Increase?" looks at a decade of graduation rates for African American students at four-year, public institutions that improved student success during the past decade. It shows that while a majority (almost 70 percent) of institutions we examined improved graduation rates for black…

  8. Factors associated with smoking cessation success in Lebanon

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bacha ZA

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Objective: The objective is to assess factors associated with the success rate of smoking cessation among Lebanese smokers in a smoking cessation center. Methods: A cross-sectional data study, conducted between March 2014 and March 2016 in an outpatient smoking cessation center with 156 enrolled patients. The patient’s nicotine dependence and motivation to quit smoking were evaluated according to the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence and Richmond tests respectively. Results: The number of packs smoked per year decreased the odds of smoking cessation success (p=0.004, ORa=0.982, CI 0.97-0.994, while the compliance with the offered treatment increased the odds of success by 7.68 times (p<0.001, ORa=7.68, CI 3.438-17.187. Highly dependent and highly motivated smokers had more success in the quitting process compared to those with a lower dependence and motivation respectively. Conclusion: Our findings showed that many factors can influence smoking cessation, an experience described as difficult, most significantly the number of packs per year and compliance with the smoking cessation treatment. Moreover, although these outcomes are not representative of the entire Lebanese population, we believe that health authorities could utilize these results when implementing upcoming smoking cessations programs. All attempts at cessation should have a goal of reducing the number of packs smoked per year to improve the chances of ceasing into the future.

  9. Project description and crowdfunding success: an exploratory study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Mi Jamie; Lu, Baozhou; Fan, Weiguo Patrick; Wang, G Alan

    2018-01-01

    Existing research on antecedent of funding success mainly focuses on basic project properties such as funding goal, duration, and project category. In this study, we view the process by which project owners raise funds from backers as a persuasion process through project descriptions. Guided by the unimodel theory of persuasion, this study identifies three exemplary antecedents (length, readability, and tone) from the content of project descriptions and two antecedents (past experience and past expertise) from the trustworthy cue of project descriptions. We then investigate their impacts on funding success. Using data collected from Kickstarter, a popular crowdfunding platform, we find that these antecedents are significantly associated with funding success. Empirical results show that the proposed model that incorporated these antecedents can achieve an accuracy of 73 % (70 % in F-measure). The result represents an improvement of roughly 14 percentage points over the baseline model based on informed guessing and 4 percentage points improvement over the mainstream model based on basic project properties (or 44 % improvement of mainstream's performance over informed guessing). The proposed model also has superior true positive and true negative rates. We also investigate the timeliness of project data and find that old project data is gradually becoming less relevant and losing predictive power to newly created projects. Overall, this study provides evidence that antecedents identified from project descriptions have incremental predictive power and can help project owners evaluate and improve the likelihood of funding success.

  10. Successful ageing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bülow, Morten Hillgaard; Söderqvist, Thomas

    2014-01-01

    Since the late 1980s, the concept of ‘ successful ageing’ has set the frame for discourse about contemporary ageing research. Through an analysis of the reception to John W. Rowe and Robert L. Kahn's launch of the concept of ‘ successful ageing’ in 1987, this article maps out the important themes...... and discussions that have emerged from the interdisciplinary field of ageing research. These include an emphasis on interdisciplinarity; the interaction between biology, psycho-social contexts and lifestyle choices; the experiences of elderly people; life-course perspectives; optimisation and prevention...... strategies; and the importance of individual, societal and scientific conceptualisations and understandings of ageing. By presenting an account of the recent historical uses, interpretations and critiques of the concept, the article unfolds the practical and normative complexities of ‘ successful ageing’....

  11. Who's #1? The Science of Rating and Ranking

    CERN Document Server

    Langville, Amy N

    2012-01-01

    A website's ranking on Google can spell the difference between success and failure for a new business. NCAA football ratings determine which schools get to play for the big money in postseason bowl games. Product ratings influence everything from the clothes we wear to the movies we select on Netflix. Ratings and rankings are everywhere, but how exactly do they work? Who's #1? offers an engaging and accessible account of how scientific rating and ranking methods are created and applied to a variety of uses. Amy Langville and Carl Meyer provide the first comprehensive overview of the mathemat

  12. Correlation of Acute M1 Middle Cerebral Artery Thrombus Location with Endovascular Treatment Success and Clinical Outcome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pavabvash, Seyedmehdi; Taleb, Shayandokht; Majidi, Shahram; Qureshi, Adnan I

    2017-01-01

    The location of the arterial occlusion can help with prognostication and treatment triage of acute stroke patients. We aimed to determine the effects of M1 distance-to-thrombus on angiographic recanalization success rate and clinical outcome following endovascular treatment of acute M1 occlusion. All acute ischemic stroke patients with M1 segment middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion on admission CT angiography (CTA) who underwent endovascular treatment were analyzed. The distance between thrombus origin and internal carotid artery (ICA) bifurcation was measured on admission CTA. The modified thrombolysis in cerebral infarction (mTICI) grades 2 b (>50% of distal branch filling) and 3 (complete) were considered as successful recanalization. Favorable outcome was defined by 3-month follow-up modified Rankin scale (mRs) score ≤2. Successful recanalization was achieved in 24 (71%) of 34 consecutive patients included in this study. The M1 distance-to-thrombus was shorter among patients with successful recanalization (5.4 ± 5.4 mm) versus those without (11.3 ± 7.6 mm, p = 0.015). The successful recanalization rate was higher among patients with M1 distance-to-thrombus ≤6 mm (odds ratio: 8, 95% confidence interval: 1.37-46.81, p = 0.023) compared with those with distance-to-thrombus >6 mm. There was no significant correlation between M1 distance-to-thrombus and 3-month mRs (rho: 0.131, p = 0.461); however, the distance-to-thrombus negatively correlated with admission National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores (rho: -0.350, p=0.043). On the other hand, successful recanalization and admission NIHSS score were the only independent predictors of favorable outcome. Shorter distance of M1 thrombus from ICA bifurcation is associated with higher rate of successful recanalization following endovascular treatment.

  13. Correlation of Acute M1 Middle Cerebral Artery Thrombus Location with Endovascular Treatment Success and Clinical Outcome

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pavabvash, Seyedmehdi; Taleb, Shayandokht; Majidi, Shahram; Qureshi, Adnan I.

    2017-01-01

    Purpose The location of the arterial occlusion can help with prognostication and treatment triage of acute stroke patients. We aimed to determine the effects of M1 distance-to-thrombus on angiographic recanalization success rate and clinical outcome following endovascular treatment of acute M1 occlusion. Methods All acute ischemic stroke patients with M1 segment middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion on admission CT angiography (CTA) who underwent endovascular treatment were analyzed. The distance between thrombus origin and internal carotid artery (ICA) bifurcation was measured on admission CTA. The modified thrombolysis in cerebral infarction (mTICI) grades 2b (>50% of distal branch filling) and 3 (complete) were considered as successful recanalization. Favorable outcome was defined by 3-month follow-up modified Rankin scale (mRs) score ≤2. Results Successful recanalization was achieved in 24 (71%) of 34 consecutive patients included in this study. The M1 distance-to-thrombus was shorter among patients with successful recanalization (5.4 ± 5.4 mm) versus those without (11.3 ± 7.6 mm, p = 0.015). The successful recanalization rate was higher among patients with M1 distance-to-thrombus ≤6 mm (odds ratio: 8, 95% confidence interval: 1.37–46.81, p = 0.023) compared with those with distance-to-thrombus >6 mm. There was no significant correlation between M1 distance-to-thrombus and 3-month mRs (rho: 0.131, p = 0.461); however, the distance-to-thrombus negatively correlated with admission National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores (rho: −0.350, p=0.043). On the other hand, successful recanalization and admission NIHSS score were the only independent predictors of favorable outcome. Conclusion Shorter distance of M1 thrombus from ICA bifurcation is associated with higher rate of successful recanalization following endovascular treatment. PMID:28243346

  14. Prolonged Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Process and Lower Frequency of Medical Staff Visit Predicts Independently In-hospital Resuscitation Success in the Elderly Population

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jui-Chen Tsai

    2012-09-01

    Conclusion: Although the initial resuscitation success rate was not affected by age, a longer time interval between the last medical staffs’ visit and the onset of resuscitation did result in a worse success rate in elderly patients. Our data suggest that more frequent staff visits to the elderly population during hospitalization could alter initial resuscitation results.

  15. The natural gas industry and interest rates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoon, Y.J.

    1995-01-01

    In discussing the impact of Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Order 636, the latest rule on the restructuring and deregulation of the US natural gas industry, the effect of interest rates on the success of the FERC policy is often overlooked. The thesis of this paper is that interest rates play an important role in integrating seasonal gas markets and in stimulating investment in storage infrastructure. We propose a model to analyse the equilibrium condition for an efficient gas market. Also analysed are the implications of pipeline rate design of FERC 636 for gas despatch decisions. (author)

  16. CT-guided percutaneous gastrostomy: success rate, early and late complications; CT-gesteuerte perkutane Gastrostomie: Technischer Erfolg, Frueh- und Spaetkomplikationen

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gottschalk, A.; Voelk, M. [Radiologie, Bundeswehrkrankenhaus Ulm (Germany); Strotzer, M. [Radiologie, Klinikum Hohe Warte (Germany); Feuerbach, S.; Rogler, G. [Radiologie, Klinikum der Universitaet Regensburg (Germany); Seitz, J. [Radiologie, MVZ Dr. Neumaier und Kollegen (Germany)

    2007-04-15

    Purpose: Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) and percutaneous radiologic gastrostomy (PRG) are the standard methods of ensuring long-term enteral food intake in patients with dysphagia caused by neoplasia or neurological disorders. High-grade obstructions of the upper digestive tract or inadequate transillumination can prevent PEG. CT-guided percutaneous gastrostomy (PG) represents a special technique for enabling gastrostomy in patients for whom the endoscopic method is impossible. The aim of this study was to evaluate the results and complications of CT-guided percutaneous gastrostomy. Materials and Methods: CT-guided PG was performed in 83 patients, mostly with malignancy of the upper respiratory or digestive tract. Medical records for these patients were reviewed, and the results and complications of the CT-guided PG were analyzed retrospectively. Complications were grouped into four categories: Major and minor complications as well as early and late complications. Results: In 95.2 % of all cases (79/83), CT-guided PG was successful in the first attempt. Within the first 3 days, 5 major complications including 4 tube dislocations and one case of peritonitis were found in 4/79 patients (5.1 %). One of these patients experienced two early major complications. Early minor complications, mainly local skin irritations and temporary stomachache, were observed in 31 patients (39.2 %). Three days after CT-guided PG, 4 cases of major complications were documented, yielding a total rate of major complications was 8.7 % (7/79). Hemorrhage requiring blood transfusion or perforation after gastrostomy was not observed. 29.1 % of the patients (23/79) experienced late minor complications. (orig.)

  17. Dispersal and colonisation of plants in lowland streams: success rates and bottlenecks

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Riis, Tenna

    2008-01-01

    -rich lowland streams. Rather, I conclude that primary colonisation is the main constraint to regaining vegetation in lowland streams in general and in vegetation-free rehabilitated streams in particular. Therefore, if plant colonisation is a target for stream rehabilitation, it is important to enhance......Plant dispersal and colonisation, including rates of dispersal, retention, colonisation and survival of dispersed propagules (shoots and seeds), were studied in a 300-m stream reach in a macrophyte-rich lowland stream during one growing season. Relationships between colonisation processes...... and simple flow parameters were tested. Each fortnight during a growing season, the number of dispersed plant propagules and the number of new and lost plant colonisations since the last sampling day were recorded. The retention of dispersing shoots was tested on two occasions during the growing season...

  18. Identifying factors associated with perceived success in the transition from hospital to home after brain injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nalder, Emily; Fleming, Jennifer; Foster, Michele; Cornwell, Petrea; Shields, Cassandra; Khan, Asad

    2012-01-01

    : To identify the factors associated with perceived success of the transition from hospital to home after traumatic brain injury (TBI). : Prospective longitudinal cohort design with data collection at discharge and 1, 3, and 6 months postdischarge. : A total of 127 individuals with TBI discharged to the community and 83 significant others. : An analog scale (0-100) of perceived success of the transition from hospital to home rated by individuals and significant others; Sentinel Events Questionnaire; EuroQol Group Quality-of-Life measure visual analog scale; Sydney Psychosocial Reintegration Scale; Mayo-Portland Adaptability Inventory-4; short form of the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scales; Craig Hospital Inventory of Environmental Factors; and Caregiver Strain Index. : Greater perceived success of transition for individuals with a TBI was associated with higher levels of health-related quality of life, level of community integration, and more severe injury. Among survivors, sentinel events such as returning to work and independent community access and changing living situation were associated with greater perceived success; financial strain and difficulty accessing therapy services were associated with less success. Among significant others, lower ratings of transition success were associated with higher significant other stress levels as well as lower levels of community integration and changes in the living situation of the individual with TBI. : A combination of sentinel events and personal and environmental factors influences the perceptions of individuals and their families regarding the success of the transition from hospital to home.

  19. Pilot States Program report: Home energy ratings systems and energy-efficient mortgages

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Farhar, B.

    2000-04-04

    This report covers the accomplishments of the home energy ratings systems/energy-efficient mortgages (HERS/EEMs) pilot states from 1993 through 1998, including such indicators as funding, ratings and EEMs achieved, active raters, and training and marketing activities. A brief description of each HERS program's evolution is included, as well as their directors' views of the programs' future prospects. Finally, an analysis is provided of successful HERS program characteristics and factors that appear to contribute to HERS program success.

  20. The Project of Success

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kreiner, Kristian

    more complicated matter than meeting targets. While success may ultimately be justified in terms of a correspondence between aims and achievements, the understanding of both aspects is highly dependent on the project process. An example of a successful project that did not meet the original performance...... targets will serve to show that success is at matter of perspective as much as it is a matter of achievement. Other types of research, e.g. social psychology, have addressed the issue of success more explicitly. I draw on such literature to conceptualize project success anew and to reestablish...

  1. Impact of Collateral Status on Successful Revascularization in Endovascular Treatment: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leng, Xinyi; Fang, Hui; Leung, Thomas W H; Mao, Chen; Xu, Yuming; Miao, Zhongrong; Liu, Liping; Wong, K S Lawrence; Liebeskind, David S

    2016-01-01

    Pre-treatment collateral status may be associated with the rates of successful revascularization in acute ischemic stroke patients receiving endovascular treatment (EVT). We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to synthesize relevant evidence currently available. Relevant full-text articles published in English since January 1, 2000, reporting associations between collateral status and successful reperfusion and/or recanalization in acute ischemic stroke patients receiving EVT in cohort or case-control studies, or randomized clinical trials, were retrieved through search of PubMed. Study selection, data extraction and study quality assessment were carried out by 2 investigators. Risk ratios (RR) were pooled for good vs. poor collaterals for the outcomes of successful reperfusion and recanalization, based on random-effects models. Subgroup analyses were conducted to explore for potential factors that might interfere with the effects of pre-treatment collateral status on reperfusion by EVT. In total, 27 studies (2,366 subjects) were included in qualitative analysis, among which 24 studies (2,239 subjects) were quantitatively analyzed. Overall, good pre-treatment collaterals significantly increased the rate of both successful reperfusion (RR 1.28, 95% CI 1.17-1.40; p collaterals. Subgroup analyses revealed that the effects of collateral status on successful reperfusion by EVT might be different between populations with different ethnicities. Good pre-treatment collaterals may enhance the rates of successful reperfusion and recanalization in EVT for acute ischemic stroke. This may partly explain the favorable effects of good pre-treatment collaterals on clinical outcomes of stroke patients receiving EVT. Thus, it would be valuable to assess the collateral status prior to EVT in acute ischemic stroke. But studies are needed to further verify if the positive effects of good collaterals on revascularization by EVT are restricted to certain subgroups of patients

  2. Paving the Road to Success: A Framework for Implementing the Success Tutoring Approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Spark Linda

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The exponential growth of higher education enrolment in South Africa has resulted in increased diversity of the student body, leading to a proliferation of factors that affect student performance and success. Various initiatives have been adopted by tertiary institutions to mitigate the negative impact these factors may have on student success, and it is suggested that interventions that include aspects of social integration are the most successful. This paper outlines an approach called Success Tutoring (a non-academic tutorial approach used as part of a student success and support programme in the Faculty of Commerce, Law, and Management at the University of the Witwatersrand, which is underscored by empirical evidence drawn from evaluation data collected during Success Tutor symposia. The authors draw conclusions and make recommendations based on a thematic analysis of the dataset, and ultimately provide readers with a framework for implementing Success Tutoring at their tertiary institutions.

  3. Diet composition and quality for Calanus finmarchicus egg production and hatching success off south-west Iceland

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jonasdottir, Sigrun; Gudfinnsson, H.G.; Gislason, A.

    2002-01-01

    Egg production and hatching success of the copepod Calanus finmarchicus was measured during spring and summer in the waters south-west of Iceland. Egg-production rates varied greatly, both temporally and spatially, with highest average rates found at a station with low chlorophyll-a concentrations...

  4. Models of Anaylzing the Influence of Factors on Forming Profit Rate

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Klara S. Jakovčević

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available The analysis in this paper is focused on identifying the impact of individual factors on the elements of the profit rate. The primary aim of this work is a methodological overview of solutions for understanding the full content of the profit rate as a cause of economic quality as well as indicators of the results of reproduction. Application of model analysis of profit rate factors was performed in an enterprise from Serbia that manufactures construction materials from baked clay. The aim is of application is to test the range in determining elements and factors of economic success of the enterprise, and quantification of changes in its assumptions. The results are useful guideline for the management to take organizational measures to increase the economic success of the enterprise. This means eliminating the negative, emphasizing the positive impact of objectively, and organizational factors to make higher economic success. Based on empirical research, it could be concluded that the proposed quantitative models of analyzing the dynamics of enterprise business quality could be applied in practice.

  5. What are the keys to successful adrenal venous sampling (AVS) in patients with primary aldosteronism?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Young, William F; Stanson, Anthony W

    2009-01-01

    Adrenal venous sampling (AVS) is the criterion standard to distinguish between unilateral and bilateral adrenal disease in patients with primary aldosteronism. The keys to successful AVS include appropriate patient selection, careful patient preparation, focused technical expertise, defined protocol, and accurate data interpretation. The use of AVS should be based on patient preferences, patient age, clinical comorbidities, and the clinical probability of finding an aldosterone-producing adenoma. AVS is optimally performed in the fasting state in the morning. AVS is an intricate procedure because the right adrenal vein is small and may be difficult to locate - the success rate depends on the proficiency of the angiographer. The key factors that determine the successful catheterization of both adrenal veins are experience, dedication and repetition. With experience, and focusing the expertise to 1 or 2 radiologists at a referral centre, the AVS success rate can be as high as 96%. A centre-specific, written protocol is mandatory. The protocol should be developed by an interested group of endocrinologists, radiologists and laboratory personnel. Safeguards should be in place to prevent mislabelling of the blood tubes in the radiology suite and to prevent sample mix-up in the laboratory.

  6. What Does Successful Aging Mean? Lay Perception of Successful Aging Among Elderly Singaporeans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feng, Qiushi; Straughan, Paulin Tay

    2017-03-01

    We explore the culturally specific meaning of successful aging in Singapore, an ethnically diverse city-state in Asia. We aim to investigate lay perceptions of successful aging among the elderly individuals in Singapore and further examine variations of these perceptions. We applied a mixed-method research design. Firstly, we conducted qualitative interviews with 49 elderly respondents, generating 12 main subjective components of successful aging. Next, we did a national survey with a sample of 1,540 local residents aged 50 to 69 years, in which respondents were asked to evaluate the importance of each subjective component of successful aging. We used the regression models and latent class analysis to analyze the correlatives of successful aging and to classify the elderly individuals by perception types. Among 12 components of successful aging, those related to self-sufficiency received the highest acknowledgment among the elderly individuals in Singapore. At least half of them simultaneously highlighted independence from family and dependence on family. Malays and Indians in Singapore valued more of the roles of spouse and children in successful aging, as compared with Chinese. The latent class analysis classified four groups of the elderly individuals according to their lay views on successful aging. As compared with the western model of successful aging, the elderly individuals in Singapore perceived successful aging with a strong focus on familism. These lay perceptions also significantly varied among these elderly individuals. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  7. Natural acidification changes the timing and rate of succession, alters community structure, and increases homogeneity in marine biofouling communities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Norah E M; Milazzo, Marco; Rastrick, Samuel P S; Hall-Spencer, Jason M; Therriault, Thomas W; Harley, Christopher D G

    2018-01-01

    Ocean acidification may have far-reaching consequences for marine community and ecosystem dynamics, but its full impacts remain poorly understood due to the difficulty of manipulating pCO 2 at the ecosystem level to mimic realistic fluctuations that occur on a number of different timescales. It is especially unclear how quickly communities at various stages of development respond to intermediate-scale pCO 2 change and, if high pCO 2 is relieved mid-succession, whether past acidification effects persist, are reversed by alleviation of pCO 2 stress, or are worsened by departures from prior high pCO 2 conditions to which organisms had acclimatized. Here, we used reciprocal transplant experiments along a shallow water volcanic pCO 2 gradient to assess the importance of the timing and duration of high pCO 2 exposure (i.e., discrete events at different stages of successional development vs. continuous exposure) on patterns of colonization and succession in a benthic fouling community. We show that succession at the acidified site was initially delayed (less community change by 8 weeks) but then caught up over the next 4 weeks. These changes in succession led to homogenization of communities maintained in or transplanted to acidified conditions, and altered community structure in ways that reflected both short- and longer-term acidification history. These community shifts are likely a result of interspecific variability in response to increased pCO 2 and changes in species interactions. High pCO 2 altered biofilm development, allowing serpulids to do best at the acidified site by the end of the experiment, although early (pretransplant) negative effects of pCO 2 on recruitment of these worms were still detectable. The ascidians Diplosoma sp. and Botryllus sp. settled later and were more tolerant to acidification. Overall, transient and persistent acidification-driven changes in the biofouling community, via both past and more recent exposure, could have important

  8. Hypnose et douleurs chroniques: "est-ce que l'hypnose peut améliorer la qualité de vie des patients douloureux chroniques ?"

    OpenAIRE

    Granger, Julie; Duc, Céline; Hilfiker, Roger

    2012-01-01

    Au travers de cette revue systématique, nous souhaitons confirmer l’efficacité de l’hypnose dans le traitement de la douleur chronique. Nous avons recherché des études comparant deux groupes, l’un recevant uniquement des traitements physiothérapeutiques et l’autre de l’hypnose combinée à des traitements physiothérapeutiques. Mit dieser Systematischen Literaturübersicht möchten wir die Effizienz der Hypnose die Behandlung chronischer Schmerzen untersuchen. Wir haben Studien gesucht, die 2 G...

  9. Dive characteristics can predict foraging success in Australian fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus as validated by animal-borne video

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Beth L. Volpov

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Dive characteristics and dive shape are often used to infer foraging success in pinnipeds. However, these inferences have not been directly validated in the field with video, and it remains unclear if this method can be applied to benthic foraging animals. This study assessed the ability of dive characteristics from time-depth recorders (TDR to predict attempted prey capture events (APC that were directly observed on animal-borne video in Australian fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus, n=11. The most parsimonious model predicting the probability of a dive with ≥1 APC on video included only descent rate as a predictor variable. The majority (94% of the 389 total APC were successful, and the majority of the dives (68% contained at least one successful APC. The best model predicting these successful dives included descent rate as a predictor. Comparisons of the TDR model predictions to video yielded a maximum accuracy of 77.5% in classifying dives as either APC or non-APC or 77.1% in classifying dives as successful verses unsuccessful. Foraging intensity, measured as either total APC per dive or total successful APC per dive, was best predicted by bottom duration and ascent rate. The accuracy in predicting total APC per dive varied based on the number of APC per dive with maximum accuracy occurring at 1 APC for both total (54% and only successful APC (52%. Results from this study linking verified foraging dives to dive characteristics potentially opens the door to decades of historical TDR datasets across several otariid species.

  10. Estimating Survival Rates in Engineering for Community College Transfer Students Using Grades in Calculus and Physics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laugerman, Marcia; Shelley, Mack; Rover, Diane; Mickelson, Steve

    2015-01-01

    This study uses a unique synthesized set of data for community college students transferring to engineering by combining several cohorts of longitudinal data along with transcript-level data, from both the Community College and the University, to measure success rates in engineering. The success rates are calculated by developing Kaplan-Meier…

  11. Rate of dehydration, state of subcellular organisation and nature of cryoprotection are critical factors contributing to the variable success of cryopreservation: studies on recalcitrant zygotic embryos of Haemanthus montanus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sershen; Berjak, Patricia; Pammenter, N W; Wesley-Smith, James

    2012-01-01

    Effects of sequential procedures required for cryopreservation of embryos excised from the recalcitrant seeds of Haemanthus montanus were assessed ultrastructurally and in conjunction with respiratory activity and the rate of protein synthesis. Fresh material (water content, 5.05 ± 0.92 g g(-1) dry mass) afforded ultrastructural evidence of considerable metabolic activity, borne out by respiratory rates. Neither exposure to glycerol nor sucrose as penetrating and non-penetrating cryoprotectants, respectively, brought about degradative changes, although increased vacuolation and autophagy accompanied both, while respiratory and protein synthetic activity were not adversely affected. Glycerol-cryoprotected embryos flash dried to water contents >0.4 g g(-1) showed organised ultrastructural features and considerable autophagy consistent with metabolic activity, and although respiratory activity was lower, protein synthesis rate was enhanced relative to fresh material. However, at water contents Success, assessed as ≥50% axes forming seedlings after cryogen exposure, was obtained only when glycerol-cryoprotected embryos at water contents >0.4 g g(-1)-in which the degree of vacuolation remained moderate-were rapidly cooled. The outcomes of this study are considered particularly in terms of the stresses imposed by prolonged, relatively slow dehydration and ultimate water contents, on embryos showing considerable metabolic activity.

  12. Effects of temperature and precipitation on grassland bird nesting success as mediated by patch size.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zuckerberg, Benjamin; Ribic, Christine A; McCauley, Lisa A

    2018-02-06

    Grassland birds are declining faster than any other bird guild across North America. Shrinking ranges and population declines are attributed to widespread habitat loss and increasingly fragmented landscapes of agriculture and other land uses that are misaligned with grassland bird conservation. Concurrent with habitat loss and degradation, temperate grasslands have been disproportionally affected by climate change relative to most other terrestrial biomes. Distributions of grassland birds often correlate with gradients in climate, but few researchers have explored the consequences of weather on the demography of grassland birds inhabiting a range of grassland fragments. To do so, we modeled the effects of temperature and precipitation on nesting success rates of 12 grassland bird species inhabiting a range of grassland patches across North America (21,000 nests from 81 individual studies). Higher amounts of precipitation in the preceding year were associated with higher nesting success, but wetter conditions during the active breeding season reduced nesting success. Extremely cold or hot conditions during the early breeding season were associated with lower rates of nesting success. The direct and indirect influence of temperature and precipitation on nesting success was moderated by grassland patch size. The positive effects of precipitation in the preceding year on nesting success were strongest in relatively small grassland patches and had little effect in large patches. Conversely, warm temperatures reduced nesting success in small grassland patches but increased nesting success in large patches. Mechanisms underlying these differences may be patch-size-induced variation in microclimates and predator activity. Although the exact cause is unclear, large grassland patches, the most common metric of grassland conservation, appears to moderate the effects of weather on grassland-bird demography and could be an effective component of climate-change adaptation.

  13. The use of laser diodes for control of uranium vaporization rates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hagans, K.; Galkowski, J.

    1993-09-01

    Within the Atomic Vapor Laser Isotope Separation (AVLIS) program we have successfully used the laser absorption spectroscopy technique (LAS) to diagnose process physics performance and control vaporization rate. In the LAS technique, a narrow line-width laser is tuned to an absorption line of the species to be measured. The laser light that is propagated through the sample is and, from this data, the density of the species can be calculated. These laser systems have exclusively consisted of expensive, cumbersome, and difficult to maintain argon-ion-pumped ring dye lasers. While the wavelength flexibility of dye lasers is very useful in a laboratory environment, these laser systems are not well suited for the industrial process control system under development for an AVLIS plant. Diode-lasers offer lower system costs, reduced man power requirements, reduced space requirements, higher system availability, and improved operator safety. We report the. successful deployment and test of a prototype laser diode based uranium vapor rate control system. Diode-laser generated LAS data was used to control the uranium vaporization rate in a hands-off mode for greater than 50 hours. With one minor adjustment the system successfully controlled the vaporization rate for greater than 147 hours. We report excellent agreement with ring dye laser diagnostics and uranium weigh-back measurements

  14. Heart rate variability in healthy population

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alamgir, M.; Hussain, M.M.

    2010-01-01

    Background: Heart rate variability has been considered as an indicator of autonomic status. Little work has been done on heart rate variability in normal healthy volunteers. We aimed at evolving the reference values of heart rate variability in our healthy population. Methods: Twenty-four hour holter monitoring of 37 healthy individuals was done using Holter ECG recorder 'Life card CF' from 'Reynolds Medical'. Heart rate variability in both time and frequency domains was analysed with 'Reynolds Medical Pathfinder Digital/700'. Results: The heart rate variability in normal healthy volunteers of our population was found in time domain using standard deviation of R-R intervals (SDNN), standard deviation of average NN intervals (SDANN), and Square root of the mean squared differences of successive NN intervals (RMSSD). Variation in heart rate variability indices was observed between local and foreign volunteers and RMSSD was found significantly increased (p<0.05) in local population. Conclusions: The values of heart rate variability (RMSSD) in healthy Pakistani volunteers were found increased compared to the foreign data reflecting parasympathetic dominance in our population. (author)

  15. ABILITY TO SELF-CONTROL IN BIOFEEDBACK GAMES AND SUCCESS OF PUPILS OF 11–13 YEARS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    O. B. Gileva

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The relation of indicators of biofeedback and the school success was studied. The relation of pulse interval, wave structure of heart rate, Sacred George's index (StGe and progress of children is found out. Results are discussed with relations of use of computer biofeedback games for studying of psychophysiological features and predictors of school success.

  16. The role of motivation for treatment success.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Medalia, Alice; Saperstein, Alice

    2011-09-01

    Learning during skills-based psychosocial treatments for schizophrenia is influenced by the motivating properties of the treatment context and the motivational orientation of the client. Given that motivational impairment is a core feature of schizophrenia with significant functional implications, intervention strategies emphasizing extrinsic and/or intrinsic goals may be prescribed to enhance skill learning and treatment outcomes. The purpose of this article is to consider the role that motivation plays in treatment success by evaluating the relationship between motivation and learning during cognitive remediation for schizophrenia. As intrinsic motivation (IM) is most often associated with learning, we will integrate research findings which address 3 main questions: (1) is IM in schizophrenia static or dynamic, (2) is it possible to manipulate the state of being intrinsically motivated and if so do manipulations of IM affect learning? and (3) can motivation theory be translated into clinical practice? This knowledge can facilitate treatment strategies to address the low base rate of IM that is characteristic of schizophrenia and can be applied to cognitive remediation as well as other psychosocial interventions which require learning for treatment success.

  17. European projects: a new wave of success

    CERN Document Server

    2011-01-01

    Since the beginning of this year, no fewer than six new EU projects at CERN have been launched. These are just a third of the projects selected by the European Commission for funding during the course of 2010, bringing in some 23 M€ over a period of two to five years. This makes last year our most successful yet in securing EU support, and places CERN among the top 50 out of more than 10,000 participants in the EU’s seventh Framework Programme.   The success rate of our proposals has been very good ever since the beginning of FP7 in 2007, particularly for projects coordinated by CERN. There has been a clear evolution of CERN’s involvement in EU projects over the last 10 years. In the early days, we tended to target the Marie Curie actions and the e-Infrastructures Programme. The former help us to fulfil our mission to train young people, while the latter supported the development of the European Grid, mainly through the EGEE projects. Later, the Organization became a...

  18. Psychological approach to successful ageing predicts future quality of life in older adults

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Iliffe Steve

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Public policies aim to promote well-being, and ultimately the quality of later life. Positive perspectives of ageing are underpinned by a range of appraoches to successful ageing. This study aimed to investigate whether baseline biological, psychological and social aproaches to successful ageing predicted future QoL. Methods Postal follow-up in 2007/8 of a national random sample of 999 people aged 65 and over in 1999/2000. Of 496 valid addresses of survivors at follow-up, the follow-up response rate was 58% (287. Measures of the different concepts of successful ageing were constructed using baseline indicators. They were assessed for their ability to independently predict quality of life at follow-up. Results Few respondents achieved all good scores within each of the approaches to successful ageing. Each approach was associated with follow-up QoL when their scores were analysed continuously. The biomedical (health approach failed to achieve significance when the traditional dichotomous cut-off point for successfully aged (full health, or not (less than full health, was used. In multiple regression analyses of the relative predictive ability of each approach, only the psychological approach (perceived self-efficacy and optimism retained significance. Conclusion Only the psychological approach to successful ageing independently predicted QoL at follow-up. Successful ageing is not only about the maintenance of health, but about maximising one's psychological resources, namely self-efficacy and resilience. Increasing use of preventive care, better medical management of morbidity, and changing lifestyles in older people may have beneficial effects on health and longevity, but may not improve their QoL. Adding years to life and life to years may require two distinct and different approaches, one physical and the other psychological. Follow-up health status, number of supporters and social activities, and self-rated active ageing

  19. Physical Layer Security Using Two-Path Successive Relaying

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qian Yu Liau

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Relaying is one of the useful techniques to enhance wireless physical-layer security. Existing literature shows that employing full-duplex relay instead of conventional half-duplex relay improves secrecy capacity and secrecy outage probability, but this is at the price of sophisticated implementation. As an alternative, two-path successive relaying has been proposed to emulate operation of full-duplex relay by scheduling a pair of half-duplex relays to assist the source transmission alternately. However, the performance of two-path successive relaying in secrecy communication remains unexplored. This paper proposes a secrecy two-path successive relaying protocol for a scenario with one source, one destination and two half-duplex relays. The relays operate alternately in a time division mode to forward messages continuously from source to destination in the presence of an eavesdropper. Analytical results reveal that the use of two half-duplex relays in the proposed scheme contributes towards a quadratically lower probability of interception compared to full-duplex relaying. Numerical simulations show that the proposed protocol achieves the ergodic achievable secrecy rate of full-duplex relaying while delivering the lowest probability of interception and secrecy outage probability compared to the existing half duplex relaying, full duplex relaying and full duplex jamming schemes.

  20. Pediatric extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy: Predicting successful outcomes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sean McAdams

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL is currently a first-line procedure of most upper urinary tract stones <2 cm of size because of established success rates, its minimal invasiveness and long-term safety with minimal complications. Given that alternative surgical and endourological options exist for the management of stone disease and that ESWL failure often results in the need for repeat ESWL or secondary procedures, it is highly desirable to identify variables predicting successful outcomes of ESWL in the pediatric population. Despite numerous reports and growing experience, few prospective studies and guidelines for pediatric ESWL have been completed. Variation in the methods by which study parameters are measured and reported can make it difficult to compare individual studies or make definitive recommendations. There is ongoing work and a need for continuing improvement of imaging protocols in children with renal colic, with a current focus on minimizing exposure to ionizing radiation, perhaps utilizing advancements in ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging. This report provides a review of the current literature evaluating the patient attributes and stone factors that may be predictive of successful ESWL outcomes along with reviewing the role of pre-operative imaging and considerations for patient safety.