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Different Definitions (different + definition)
Selected AbstractsRelationship between group sunspot numbers and Wolf sunspot numbersASTRONOMISCHE NACHRICHTEN, Issue 7 2010K.J. Li Abstract Continuous wavelet transform and cross-wavelet transform have been used to investigate the phase periodicity and synchrony of the monthly mean Wolf (Rz) and group (Rg) sunspot numbers during the period of June 1795 to December 1995. The Schwabe cycle is the only one common period in Rg and Rz, but it is not well-defined in case of cycles 5,7 of Rg and in case of cycles 5 and 6 of Rz. In fact, the Schwabe period is slightly different in Rg and Rz before cycle 12, but from cycle 12 onwards it is almost the same for the two time series. Asynchrony of the two time series is more obviously seen in cycles 5 and 6 than in the following cycles, and usually more obviously seen around the maximum time of a cycle than during the rest of the cycle. Rg is found to fit Rz better in both amplitudes and peak epoch during the minimum time time of a solar cycle than during the maximum time of the cycle, which should be caused by their different definition, and around the maximum time of a cycle, Rg is usually less than Rz. Asynchrony of Rg and Rz should somewhat agree with different sunspot cycle characteristics exhibited by themselves (© 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] Levels of literacy among juvenile offenders: the incidence of specific reading difficultiesCRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR AND MENTAL HEALTH, Issue 4 2000Margaret J. Snowling Introduction Academic achievement is low among offenders. Yet there is little evidence that prisoners are less literate than the general population. Do they have more dyslexia? This paper considers three definitions of dyslexia to see whether they relate to young offenders' literacy difficulties. Method The reading and spelling skills of 91 15- to 17-year-old male juvenile offenders who were incarcerated are reported, together with assessments of their vocabulary and non-verbal (spatial) skills. Estimates of the prevalence of reading disability are considered in relation to different definitions of dyslexia. Results The regression of literacy skills on non-verbal ability yielded an estimated prevalence of 57% while a more conservative estimate of 43% followed from the regression of literacy skill on verbal ability, and 38% of the sample had specific phonological deficits. Many of the offenders had experienced social and family adversity and reported poor school attendance. Discussion It is proposed that as a group, juvenile offenders are best described as having general verbal deficits encompassing problems of language and literacy. Copyright © 2000 Whurr Publishers Ltd. [source] Trends and opportunities in the metabolic syndromeDRUG DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH, Issue 7 2006John H. "Wick" JohnsonArticle first published online: 16 NOV 200 Abstract Metabolic Syndrome consists of a multifactoral set of indications and, unfortunately, definitions. There is, at present, no consensus definition for Metabolic Syndrome and physicians who recognize the syndrome use different definitions. Some of the major stakeholder associations do not believe that Metabolic Syndrome is an approvable indication and no regulatory agency has weighed in on the matter. This has been the cause of confusion among many physicians resulting in different emphasis on intervention. However, there is close agreement between physicians surveyed in major markets as to the top three indications. The largest unmet medical need among these indications is obesity and obesity represents the largest opportunity. However, any single NCE or combination of existing drugs that can treat 3 indications will be a major advance. Any therapy will be an intervention and will have to have a very clean safety profile. Morbidity and mortality studies with existing therapies and combinations will be needed to establish outcomes. Drug Dev. Res. 67:539,544, 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] A diversity of beta diversities: straightening up a concept gone awry.ECOGRAPHY, Issue 1 2010Part 1. The term beta diversity has been used to refer to a wide variety of phenomena. Although all of these encompass some kind of compositional heterogeneity between places, many are not related to each other in any predictable way. The present two-part review aims to put the different phenomena that have been called a beta component of diversity into a common conceptual framework, and to explain what each of them measures. In this first part, the focus is on defining beta diversity. This involves deciding what diversity is and how the observed total or gamma diversity (,) is partitioned into alpha (,) and beta (,) components. Several different definitions of "beta diversity" that result from these decisions have been used in the ecological literature. True beta diversity is obtained when the total effective number of species in a dataset (true gamma diversity,) is multiplicatively partitioned into the effective number of species per compositionally distinct virtual sampling unit (true alpha diversity,d) and the effective number of such compositional units (,Md=,/,d). All true diversities quantify the effective number of types of entities. Because the other variants of "beta diversity" that have been used by ecologists quantify other phenomena, an alternative nomenclature is proposed here for the seven most popular beta components: regional-to-local diversity ratio, two-way diversity ratio, absolute effective species turnover (=regional diversity excess), Whittaker's effective species turnover, proportional effective species turnover, regional entropy excess and regional variance excess. In the second part of the review, the focus will be on how to quantify these phenomena in practice. This involves deciding how the sampling units that contribute to total diversity are selected, and whether the entity that is quantified is all of "beta diversity", a specific part of "beta diversity", the rate of change in "beta diversity" in relation to a given external factor, or something else. [source] Social class and smoking at age 15: the effect of different definitions of smokingADDICTION, Issue 9 2001Helen Sweeting Aim. To explore whether the association between social class and smoking among teenagers varies according to the definition of smoking adopted. Design, setting and participants. A survey of 2196 15-year-olds in 43 secondary schools in the West of Scotland. Measures. Current smoking status and number of cigarettes smoked, and social class based on the occupation of the head of the household. Findings. 'Current smoker' was the only category not significantly differentiated by class; the ratio of smokers from unskilled compared with professional backgrounds rose with increasingly stringent definitions of smoking. Conclusion. The extent to which teenage smoking is patterned by social class depends on the definition of smoking adopted. [source] Definitions of antiretroviral treatment failure for measuring quality outcomesHIV MEDICINE, Issue 7 2010A Samaranayake Objectives Our aim was to compare three different definitions of treatment failure and discuss their use as quality outcome measures for a clinical service. Methods Data for treatment-naïve patients who attended the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre (MSHC) between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2008 were analysed. Definition 1 was the strict Food and Drug Administration (FDA) definition of treatment failure as determined using the time to loss of virological response (TLOVR) algorithm. Definition 2 defined treatment failure as occurring in those whose viral load never fell to <400 HIV-1 RNA copies/mL or who developed two consecutive viral loads ,400 copies/mL on any treatment (switching or stopping treatment with a viral load <400 copies/mL was permitted). Definition 3 was the same as definition 2 except that individuals were also deemed to have failed if they stopped treatment for 6 months or longer. Results There were 310 antiretroviral-naïve patients who started treatment in the study period. Of these, 156 [50.3%; 95% confidence interval (CI) 42.1,53.3%] experienced treatment failure under definition 1, 10 (3.2%; 95% CI 1.5,5.8%) experienced treatment failure under definition 2, and 16 (4.5%; 95% CI 2.5,7.4%) experienced treatment failure under definition 3 over the 108 months of follow-up. The probability of failing definition 1 was statistically different from the probability of failing definition 2 or 3 (P=0.01). Conclusion There were significant differences in treatment failure for the three definitions. If definition 1 were used, the outcomes would be sufficiently common to enable clinics to be compared but would be less meaningful. If definition 2 or 3 were used, the events would be too rare to enable clinics to be compared, but it would be possible to set a benchmark level of success that clinics could aim to reach. [source] The prevalence of lipodystrophy in an ambulant HIV-infected population: it all depends on the definitionHIV MEDICINE, Issue 3 2001VM Carter Objectives This study's objective was to determine the prevalence of body shape changes and metabolic abnormalities in an ambulant population with HIV infection. Three different definitions of lipodystrophy were used to assess these changes. Patients' anthropometric measures and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scans were compared in order to estimate fat distribution in this population. We sought to evaluate potential predictors for lipodystrophy according to each of the three definitions. Methods We performed a cross-sectional study in the outpatient clinic of a tertiary referral hospital in Melbourne, Australia. We enrolled a total of 167 HIV-infected ambulatory patients over 3 months in mid-1998. Data on 159 males, 149 of whom were receiving triple combination antiretroviral therapy, were evaluated. Anthropometric measures, clinical examination, self-report of body shape changes, biochemical measures and DEXA scan were used to assess lipodystrophy and risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Patients described body shape changes in the face, trunk, arms and legs. Laboratory parameters measured included fasting triglyceride (TG), cholesterol, high-density lipoproteins (HDL), glucose, insulin, CD4 cell count and plasma HIV RNA. Current and past antiretroviral therapies were ascertained. Results According to one proposed Australian national definition of lipodystrophy (LDNC), the prevalence of lipodystrophy in this population was 65%. This definition included an objective assessment with major and minor criteria. Patient-defined lipodystrophy (LDP), which involved a subjective assessment of thinning arms and legs and central adiposity, occurred in 19%. Patient-defined lipoatrophy (LAP), which involved a subjective assessment of thinning arms and legs without central adiposity, occurred in 21.3%. No change in body habitus was noted by 37% of the cohort. Hypercholesterolaemia was recorded in 44%, hypertriglyceridaemia in 52% and elevated insulin levels in 23%. Anthropometry was predictive of the per cent total body fat recorded by DEXA scan, but produced consistently lower values. In multivariate analysis, LDP and LAP were significantly associated with stavudine (d4T) use, while LAP was also associated with zidovudine (ZDV) treatment. There were no treatment associations with LDNC. Protease inhibitor (PI) exposure was associated with metabolic changes but not patient perceived body shape changes, while d4T and ZDV exposure was associated with increased triglycerides and reduced peripheral fat stores. Conclusions The prevalence of body shape changes in a single population varied depending on the definition applied. The LDNC definition overestimated body shape abnormalities in comparison with patient perception. LAP was associated with significantly lower fat stores measured by anthropometry and DEXA scan than those identified under the LDNC definition. In contrast to LDNC, LAP was associated with d4T exposure, nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) and ZDV duration of use, but not PI use. Until a consensus definition for lipodystrophy is developed, including agreement on objective measurement and thresholds for abnormality, careful description of the individual components of the syndrome is required to enable cohort comparisons so that predictors of the syndrome can be assessed more accurately and outcome studies made feasible. [source] Definitions of hypotension after spinal anaesthesia for caesarean section: literature search and application to parturientsACTA ANAESTHESIOLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 8 2010S. KlÖHR Background: Spinal anaesthesia for caesarean section may cause hypotension, jeopardizing the foetus and its mother. We aimed to identify the spectrum of definitions of hypotension used in the scientific literature. In a second part, we applied these definitions to a prospective cohort in order to evaluate the effect of different definitions on the incidence of hypotension. Methods: A systematic literature search in PubMed was performed from 1999 to 2009 with the search terms ,hypotension' and ,caesarean section'. Consecutive parturients undergoing caesarean section under spinal anaesthesia were included in a prospective study. Results: Sixty-three eligible publications (7120 patients) were retrieved, revealing 15 different definitions of hypotension. A decrease below 80% baseline and the combined definition of a blood pressure below 100 mmHg or a decrease below 80% baseline were the two most frequent definitions, found in 25.4% and 20.6% of the papers, respectively. When applying the spectrum of definitions to a prospective cohort, the incidences of hypotension varied between 7.4% and 74.1%. The incidence increased from 26.7% to 38.5% when using a value below 75% of baseline instead of below 70% of baseline. Conclusion: There is not one accepted definition of hypotension in the scientific literature. The incidence of hypotension varies depending on the chosen definition. Even minor changes of the definition cause major differences in the frequency of hypotension. This makes it difficult to compare studies on interventions to treat/prevent hypotension and probably hampers progress in this area of research. [source] The Concept of Modularity in Management Studies: A Literature ReviewINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT REVIEWS, Issue 3 2010Diego Campagnolo During the last decade, modularity has attracted the attention of numerous management scholars, and both theoretical and empirical studies on this topic have flourished. However, this broad-based appeal has generated some controversies and ambiguities on how modularity should be defined, measured and used in managerially meaningful ways. This paper reviews the concept of modularity as a design principle of complex systems in management studies. Applying this criterion, 125 studies were selected and classified, grouped according to their prevalent unit of analysis: products, production systems and organizations. Although all these studies are based on Simon's seminal work on the hierarchical and nearly decomposable nature of complex systems (Simon, H.A. (1962). The architecture of complexity. Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, 106, 467,482), this paper shows that they offer different definitions, measures and applications of the modularity concept. This review reveals the implicit structure of meanings underlying this literature and emphasizes that ambiguity in definitions and measures impedes rigorous empirical studies capable of understanding the relationship between modularity in product, in production and in organization design. Cautions and directions for future research are discussed. [source] Testing atypical depression definitionsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF METHODS IN PSYCHIATRIC RESEARCH, Issue 2 2005Franco Benazzi Abstract The evidence supporting the DSM-IV definition of atypical depression (AD) is weak. This study aimed to test different definitions of AD. Major depressive disorder (MDD) patients (N = 254) and bipolar-II (BP-II) outpatients (N = 348) were interviewed consecutively, during major depressive episodes, with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV. DSM-IV criteria for AD were followed. AD validators were female gender, young onset, BP-II, axis I comorbidity, bipolar family history. Frequency of DSM-IV AD was 43.0%. AD, versus non-AD, was significantly associated with all AD validators, apart from comorbidity when controlling for age and sex. Factor analysis of atypical symptoms found factor 1 including oversleeping, overeating and weight gain (leaden paralysis at trend correlation), and factor 2 including interpersonal sensitivity, mood reactivity, and leaden paralysis. Multiple logistic regression of factor 1 versus AD validators found significant associations with several validators (including bipolar family history), whereas factor 2 had no significant associations. Findings may support a new definition of AD based on the state-dependent features oversleeping and overeating (plus perhaps leaden paralysis) versus the current AD definition based on a combination of state and trait features. Pharmacological studies are required to support any new definition of AD, as the current concept of AD is based on different response to TCA antidepressants versus non-AD. Copyright © 2005 Whurr Publishers Ltd. [source] Setting Eligibility Criteria for a Care-Coordination BenefitJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 12 2005Christine T. Cigolle MD Objectives: To examine different clinically relevant eligibility criteria sets to determine how they differ in numbers and characteristics of individuals served. Design: Cross-sectional analysis of the 2000 wave of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a nationally representative longitudinal health interview survey of adults aged 50 and older. Setting: Population-based cohort of community-dwelling older adults, subset of an ongoing longitudinal health interview survey. Participants: Adults aged 65 and older who were respondents in the 2000 wave of the HRS (n=10,640, representing approximately 33.6 million Medicare beneficiaries). Measurements: Three clinical criteria sets were examined that included different combinations of medical conditions, cognitive impairment, and activity of daily living/instrumental activity of daily living (ADL/IADL) dependency. Results: A small portion of Medicare beneficiaries (1.3,5.8%) would be eligible for care coordination, depending on the criteria set chosen. A criteria set recently proposed by Congress (at least four severe complex medical conditions and one ADL or IADL dependency) would apply to 427,000 adults aged 65 and older in the United States. Criteria emphasizing cognitive impairment would serve an older population. Conclusion: Several criteria sets for a Medicare care-coordination benefit are clinically reasonable, but different definitions of eligibility would serve different numbers and population groups of older adults. [source] A Primer on Financial ContagionJOURNAL OF ECONOMIC SURVEYS, Issue 4 2003Marcello Pericoli Abstract., This paper presents a theoretical framework to highlight possible channels for the international transmission of financial shocks. We first review the different definitions and measures of contagion adopted by the literature. We then use a simple multi-country asset pricing model to classify the main elements of the current debate on contagion and provide a stylized account of how a crisis in one country can spread to the world economy. In particular, the model shows how crises can be transmitted across countries, without assuming ad hoc portfolio management rules or market imperfections. Finally, tracking our classification, we survey the results of the empirical literature on contagion. [source] What have We Learnt from the Convergence Debate?JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC SURVEYS, Issue 3 2003Nazrul Islam This paper surveys the convergence literature. It begins by laying out different definitions of convergence and by showing the link between the convergence issue and the growth theory debate. The paper then follows the convergence research conducted along four different approaches, namely the cross-section, panel, time-series, and distribution approaches. The paper shows the association of these methodological approaches with various definitions of convergence and highlights the connections among the convergence results. It shows that, despite some impressions to the contrary, there is considerable agreement among the results. Although the convergence research might not have solved the growth debate entirely, it has helped both the neoclassical and the new growth theories to adapt and evolve. The research on convergence has established new stylized facts regarding cross-country growth regularities. It has brought to fore the existence of large technological and institutional differences across countries and has given rise to new methodologies for quantifying and analyzing these differences. This is providing a new information base for analysis of technological and institutional diffusion and for further development of growth theory in general. [source] The standard of neutrality: still flapping in the breeze?JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY, Issue 7 2010S. R. PROULX Abstract Neutrality plays an important role as a null model in evolutionary biology. Recent theoretical advances suggest that neutrality is not a unitary concept, and we identify three distinct forms of neutrality. Eu-neutrality means that types do not differ in any measurable way and is thus the idealized form of neutrality. However, individuals or species that do differ in important ways can behave neutrally under some circumstances, both broadening and complicating the applicability of the concept of neutrality. Our second two types of neutrality address two quite different forms of context-dependent neutrality. Circum-neutrality means that two character states have the same direct effect on fitness but do not evolve neutrally because of differences in their circumstances. Iso-neutrality means that two types are equivalent in some population or ecological contexts but not in others, producing an isocline. Confounding of these different definitions has created significant confusion about which models are truly neutral, why some models behave neutrally even when there are large differences in reproductive outputs, and what these different views of neutrality mean to practicing biologists. These complications call into question the acceptance of neutral models as null models and suggest that a better approach is to compare the predictions of models that differ in sources of stochasticity and degree of selection. [source] What, if anything, is sympatric speciation?JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY, Issue 6 2008B. M. FITZPATRICK Abstract Sympatric speciation has always fascinated evolutionary biologists, and for good reason; it pits diversifying selection directly against the tendency of sexual reproduction to homogenize populations. However, different investigators have used different definitions of sympatric speciation and different criteria for diagnosing cases of sympatric speciation. Here, we explore some of the definitions that have been used in empirical and theoretical studies. Definitions based on biogeography do not always produce the same conclusions as definitions based on population genetics. The most precise definitions make sympatric speciation an infinitesimal end point of a continuum. Because it is virtually impossible to demonstrate the occurrence of such a theoretical extreme, we argue that testing whether a case fits a particular definition is less informative than evaluating the biological processes affecting divergence. We do not deny the importance of geographical context for understanding divergence. Rather, we believe this context can be better understood by modelling and measuring quantities, such as gene flow and selection, rather than assigning cases to discrete categories like sympatric and allopatric speciation. [source] Human security,national perspectives and global agendas: insights from national human development reports,JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, Issue 4 2007Richard Jolly Abstract Since its introduction in UNDP's Human Development Report 1994, ,human security' has been a topic of lively debate. The purpose of this paper is to explore empirically how human security has been treated in National Human Development Reports (NHDRs), produced in 13 countries since 1997 with different definitions and points of focus. We use an inductive approach to examine how these stand up to the criticisms levelled in the literature against broader concepts of human security. The NHDRs of Afghanistan, Latvia, Macedonia and Bangladesh are of particular interest, both because of their rich analysis and because of the originality of the methodology they use. The paper concludes that broader definitions of human security are operational for both analysis and policy making. Limits to define a core of high-priority concerns with human security can be set after exploring the concerns of people in specific situations rather than before. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Survey of the management of neonatal hyperglycaemia in AustralasiaJOURNAL OF PAEDIATRICS AND CHILD HEALTH, Issue 9 2007Jane M Alsweiler Aim: Hyperglycaemia is a common problem in very low birthweight (VLBW) preterm neonates and has been associated with an increase in intraventricular haemorrhage and mortality. There are few data to guide clinicians on the best range of blood glucose levels to aim for when treating hyperglycaemic preterm babies with insulin. The aim of this study was to survey all Australasian tertiary neonatal intensive care units for their current practice in the definition and management of neonatal hyperglycaemia to aid in the design of a randomised controlled trial of the effect of tight glycaemic control on long-term outcome in VLBW babies. Methods: An online survey was sent to the 27 tertiary neonatal units in Australasia asking the respondents for details of their unit's definition and management of hyperglycaemia in VLBW infants. Results: Twenty-three tertiary neonatal units responded to the questionnaire. There were six different definitions of hyperglycaemia, with most units defining neonatal hyperglycaemia as a blood glucose level greater than 10 mM. There were large variations in the criteria for commencing insulin (blood glucose level 8,15 mM ± glycosuria) and target blood glucose ranges for babies on insulin (ranging from 2.5,8 mM to 8,15 mM). Conclusions: There is a wide variation in the management of neonatal hyperglycaemia between tertiary neonatal units in Australasia. This reflects the paucity of data available in this area. Further research on the management of neonatal hyperglycaemia is needed. [source] Research and sudden infant death syndrome: Definitions, diagnostic difficulties and discrepanciesJOURNAL OF PAEDIATRICS AND CHILD HEALTH, Issue 8 2004RW Byard Abstract: The diagnosis of causes of sudden infant death is an often complex and difficult process. Variable standards of autopsy practice and the use of different definitions for entities such as sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) have also contributed to confusion and discrepancies. For example, the term SIDS has been used when the requirements of standard definitions have not been fulfilled. In an attempt to correct this situation recent initiatives have been undertaken to stratify cases of unexpected infant death and to institute protocols that provide frameworks for investigations. However, if research is to be meaningful, researchers must be scrupulous in assessing how extensively cases have been investigated and how closely cases fit with internationally recognized definitions and standards. Unless this approach is adopted, evaluation of research findings in SIDS will be difficult and the literature will continue to be beset by contradictions and unsubstantiated conclusions. [source] Information theory description of synthetic strategies.JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ORGANIC CHEMISTRY, Issue 1 2003A new similarity index Abstract Information theory was used to analyse and compare organic syntheses leading to the targets, daucene, longifolene and estrone. This paper expands the work of Bertz, who analysed syntheses from the complexity of molecular structures. Herein, a more complete model involving similarity was evaluated. We published previously a study in this direction limited to a skeletal level. In order to improve on this initial approach, we attempted to analyse some syntheses not only limited to the skeleton by including different definitions of similarity. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The substructure hierarchy in dark matter haloesMONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 1 2010Carlo Giocoli ABSTRACT We present a new algorithm for identifying the substructure within simulated dark matter haloes. The method is an extension of that proposed by Tormen, Moscardini & Yoshida and Giocoli, Tormen & van den Bosch, which identifies a subhalo as a group of self-bound particles that prior to being accreted by the main progenitor of the host halo belonged to one and the same progenitor halo (hereafter ,satellite'). However, this definition does not account for the fact that these satellite haloes themselves may also have substructure, which thus gives rise to sub-subhaloes, etc. Our new algorithm identifies substructures at all levels of this hierarchy, and we use it to determine the mass function of all substructure (counting subhaloes, sub-subhaloes, etc.). On average, haloes which are formed more recently tend to have a larger mass fraction in substructure and to be less concentrated than average haloes of the same mass. We provide quantitative fits to these correlations. Even though our algorithm is very different from that of Gao et al., we also find that the subhalo mass function per unit mass at redshift z= 0 is universal. This universality extends to any redshift only if one accounts for the fact that host haloes of a given mass are less concentrated at higher redshifts, and concentration and substructure abundance are anticorrelated. This universality allows a simple parametrization of the subhalo mass function integrated over all host halo masses, at any given time. We provide analytic fits to this function which should be useful in halo model analyses which equate galaxies with halo substructure when interpreting clustering in large sky surveys. Finally, we discuss systematic differences in the subhalo mass function that arise from different definitions of (host) halo mass. [source] A comparison of the Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand-Perinatal Death Classification system and relevant condition at death stillbirth classification systemsAUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNAECOLOGY, Issue 5 2009Jye Ru LU Background: Stillbirths comprise two-thirds of all perinatal mortality. A classification system with low ,unexplained' stillbirth rates is important when developing prevention strategies. Aims:, This study aims to (i) determine whether the proportion of stillbirths classified as ,unexplained' is reduced, by using the relevant condition at death (ReCoDe) stillbirth classification system, compared with the Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand , Perinatal Death Classification (PSANZ-PDC) system; and (ii) compare the proportion of stillbirths attributed to fetal growth restriction and other causes by each system. Methods:, The ReCoDe stillbirth classification system was applied to the National Women's Health's stillbirth database for years 2004,2007. The proportion of stillbirths classified as ,unexplained' and as a result of fetal growth restriction was compared between the ReCoDe and the PSANZ-PDC systems using the ,2 test. Results:, The proportion of stillbirths classified as unexplained was less with ReCoDe compared with PSANZ-PDC (8.5% (n = 26) vs 14.1% (n = 43) P = 0.04). The proportion with the primary cause attributed to fetal growth restriction was increased with ReCoDe compared with PSANZ-PDC (23.2% (n = 71) vs 8.2% (n = 25) P < 0.0001). However, 44.8% (n = 137) of all stillbirths were small for gestational age (birthweight < 10th customised centile). The most common primary cause or condition at death by both systems was congenital abnormalities. Conclusion:, The proportion of stillbirths classified as unexplained was less with ReCoDe compared with PSANZ-PDC but rates with either method were low compared with earlier classification systems. Fetal growth restriction was listed as the primary condition more commonly with ReCoDe compared with PSANZ-PDC because of different definitions. [source] High-intensity focused ultrasound for prostate cancer: comparative definitions of biochemical failureBJU INTERNATIONAL, Issue 8 2009Andreas Blana OBJECTIVES To compare the specificity and sensitivity of different definitions of biochemical failure in patients treated with high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) for prostate cancer, to identify the most accurate predictor of clinical failure after HIFU. PATIENTS AND METHODS Consecutively treated patients who underwent HIFU between October 1997 and July 2006 at two centres (Lyon, France; and Regensburg, Germany) were prospectively maintained within a central database and retrospectively reviewed for this study. Clinical failure was defined as a positive prostate biopsy after treatment, radiographic evidence of lymphatic or bony metastatic disease, or salvage treatment for prostate cancer (surgery, radiation, hormonal therapy or second HIFU). The serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) values after HIFU were assessed as a biochemical surrogate of a therapeutic success or failure. PSA threshold values, ,PSA nadir plus', PSA velocity, PSA doubling time and the American Society or Therapeutic Radiotherapy and Oncology and Phoenix definition of biochemical failure were all considered. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of each biochemical definition for predicting clinical failure were determined. RESULTS The data from 285 patients (stage ,,T2, PSA <15 ng/mL, Gleason score ,7) were analysed. The median (range) follow-up was 4.7 (2,10.9) years. The median PSA nadir was 0.13 ng/mL, which occurred at a median of 12.9 weeks after HIFU, and the median PSA at the last follow-up was 0.76 (1.6,2.7) ng/mL. Clinical failure occurred in 71 patients (25%); 24 due to a positive biopsy and 47 through the use of an additional therapy. Biochemical events that best predicted clinical failure were ,PSA nadir plus' values of 1.1,1.3 ng/mL, PSA velocities of <0.3 ng/mL/year and PSA doubling times of 1.25,1.75 years. CONCLUSION A new definition of biochemical failure that is specific to patients treated with HIFU therapy is established, i.e. the ,Stuttgart definition', the ,PSA nadir plus 1.2 ng/mL'. [source] Benign multiple sclerosis: a need for a consensusACTA NEUROLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 2010S. B. Glad Glad SB, Aarseth JH, Nyland H, Riise T, Myhr K-M. Benign multiple sclerosis: a need for a consensus. Acta Neurol Scand: 2010: 122 (Suppl. 190): 44,50. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Objectives,,, To investigate the impact of different definitions on the frequency of benign multiple sclerosis (MS) in patients with a long follow-up, and to study the presence of non-motor symptoms and employment across the definitions. Materials and methods,,, All patients alive (n = 188) with disease onset during 1976,1986 in Hordaland County, Norway, were clinically examined including the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) in 2003. Non-motor symptoms which included depression, cognitive impairment, fatigue and pain, and employment status were also registered. Three definitions of benign MS were used based on the following EDSS cut-off values: 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0. Two additional definitions were added using an EDSS ,4.0 and incorporating either full-time or full- and part-time employment status. Results,,, The frequency of benign MS increased from 14.5% for EDSS ,2.0 to 40.8% for EDSS ,4.0, but was only 12.3% for the definition based on full-time employment. Patients with an EDSS ,2.0 had markedly less non-motor symptoms and lower unemployment rates than the other groups. Conclusions,,, An EDSS score ,2.0 with at least 10 years of disease duration seems to be the most appropriate criterion in identifying patients with benign MS. [source] A uniform residual tumor (R) classificationCANCER, Issue 15 2009Integration of the R classification, the circumferential margin status Abstract BACKGROUND: Since the introduction of the TNM residual tumor (R) classification, the involvement of resection margins has been defined either as a microscopic (R1) or a macroscopic (R2) demonstration of tumor directly at the resection margin ("tumor transected"). METHODS: The recognition of the importance of the circumferential resection margin (CRM) in patients with rectal cancer patients raises the need for an alternative definition of resection margin involvement, namely, the importance of delineating tumor with a minimal distance from the CRM of ,1 mm (CRM-positive) from tumor directly at the resection margin. The different use of both definitions of resection margin involvement prevents valid comparisons between reports on treatment results. RESULTS: To avoid confusion by different definitions, the authors proposed including the minimal distance between tumor and resection margin into the current R classification. CONCLUSIONS: By using the proposed expanded classification, comparisons of new data with previous publications will be possible. Cancer 2009. © 2009 American Cancer Society. [source] Multipolar Ordering in Electro- and Magnetostatic Coupled NanosystemsCHEMPHYSCHEM, Issue 9 2008Elena Y. Vedmedenko Dr. habil. Abstract Electric and magnetic multipole moments and polarizabilities are important quantities in studies of intermolecular forces, non-linear optical phenomena, electrostatic, magnetostatic or gravitational potentials and electron scattering. The experimental determination of multipole moments is difficult and therefore the theoretical prediction of these quantities is important. Depending on purposes of the investigation several different definitions of multipole moments and multipole,multipole interactions are used in the literature. Because of this variety of methods it is often difficult to use published results and, therefore, even more new definitions appear. The first goal of this review is to give an overview of mathematical definitions of multipole expansion and relations between different formulations. The second aim is to present a general theoretical description of multipolar ordering on periodic two-dimensional lattices. After a historical introduction in the first part of this manuscript the static multipole expansion in cartesian and spherical coordinates as well as existing coordinate transformations are reviewed. On the basis of the presented mathematical description multipole moments of several symmetric charge distributions are summarized. Next, the established numerical approach for the calculation of multipolar ground states, namely Monte Carlo simulations, are reviewed. Special emphasis is put on the review of ground states in multipolar systems consisting of moments of odd or even order. The last section is devoted to the magnetization reversal in dense packed nanomagnetic arrays, where the magnetic multipole,multipole interactions play an important role. Comparison between the theory and recent experimental results is given. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||