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Terms modified by Generic Selected AbstractsPHYLOGENETIC AND BIOGEOGRAPHIC AFFINITIES OF THE HALYMENIALES AND RHODYMENIALES (RHODOPHYTA) FROM THE GULF OF MEXICOJOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY, Issue 2000B. Gavio Generic and species concepts within the red algal assemblages Halymeniales and Rhodymeniales are discussed for taxa inhabiting the western Gulf of Mexico. Two principal biogeographic assemblages occur: an off-shore deep-water group (including Coelarthrum cliftonii, Halymenia spp., Botryocladia spp., Gloiocladia) representing remnants of a Tethyan distribution, and a near-shore intertidal flora (comprising Rhodymenia, Grateloupia and Prionitis) which instead reveals biogeographic affinities with the Carolinian Province. These two distinct marine floras will be contrasted phylogenetically based on DNA sequence analysis inferred from chloroplast-encoded rbcL. The generic descriptions of Grateloupia and Prionitis are in need of taxonomic revision based on a survey of species from Caribbean and Pacific Mexico. [source] Sexual dysfunction in dermatological diseasesJOURNAL OF THE EUROPEAN ACADEMY OF DERMATOLOGY & VENEREOLOGY, Issue 9 2009AT Ermertcan Abstract Decrease or loss of sexual function in many chronic diseases has recently attracted significant attention owing to its impact on quality of life. Generic and disease-specific quality-of-life questionnaires measure changes in work, school, social life and emotional status regarding the disease and its treatment. Specific questionnaires have been designed to evaluate changes in sexuality and sexual function. Sexual dysfunction, especially female sexual dysfunction, in different diseases became a popular and important health concern in recent years. There are a lot of studies about sexual dysfunction in the areas of other specialities of medicine, but there are only a few studies in dermatological diseases. In this paper, sexual dysfunction and the studies performed about this subject in dermatology will be reviewed. Conflict of Interest None declared. [source] Generalizing Detached Self-Reference and the Semantics of Generic OneMIND & LANGUAGE, Issue 4 2010FRIEDERIKE MOLTMANN In this paper I will give an analysis of what I call ,generalizing detached self-reference' within a general account of reference to the first person. With generalizing detached self-reference an agent attributes properties to a range of individuals by putting himself into their shoes, or simulating them. I will show that generalizing detached self-reference plays an important role in the semantics of natural language, in particular in the English generic one and in what syntacticians call arbitrary PRO. [source] Probabilistic Neural Network for Reliability Assessment of Oil and Gas PipelinesCOMPUTER-AIDED CIVIL AND INFRASTRUCTURE ENGINEERING, Issue 5 2002Sunil K. Sinha A fuzzy artificial neural network (ANN),based approach is proposed for reliability assessment of oil and gas pipelines. The proposed ANN model is trained with field observation data collected using magnetic flux leakage (MFL) tools to characterize the actual condition of aging pipelines vulnerable to metal loss corrosion. The objective of this paper is to develop a simulation-based probabilistic neural network model to estimate the probability of failure of aging pipelines vulnerable to corrosion. The approach is to transform a simulation-based probabilistic analysis framework to estimate the pipeline reliability into an adaptable connectionist representation, using supervised training to initialize the weights so that the adaptable neural network predicts the probability of failure for oil and gas pipelines. This ANN model uses eight pipe parameters as input variables. The output variable is the probability of failure. The proposed method is generic, and it can be applied to several decision problems related with the maintenance of aging engineering systems. [source] A flexible content repository to enable a peer-to-peer-based wikiCONCURRENCY AND COMPUTATION: PRACTICE & EXPERIENCE, Issue 7 2010Udo Bartlang Abstract Wikis,being major applications of the Web 2.0,are used for a large number of purposes, such as encyclopedias, project documentation, and coordination, both in open communities and in enterprises. At the application level, users are targeted as both consumers and producers of dynamic content. Yet, this kind of peer-to-peer (P2P) principle is not used at the technical level being still dominated by traditional client,server architectures. What lacks is a generic platform that combines the scalability of the P2P approach with, for example, a wiki's requirements for consistent content management in a highly concurrent environment. This paper presents a flexible content repository system that is intended to close the gap by using a hybrid P2P overlay to support scalable, fault-tolerant, consistent, and efficient data operations for the dynamic content of wikis. On the one hand, this paper introduces the generic, overall architecture of the content repository. On the other hand, it describes the major building blocks to enable P2P data management at the system's persistent storage layer, and how these may be used to implement a P2P-based wiki application: (i) a P2P back-end administrates a wiki's actual content resources. (ii) On top, P2P service groups act as indexing groups to implement a wiki's search index. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Data partitioning-based parallel irregular reductionsCONCURRENCY AND COMPUTATION: PRACTICE & EXPERIENCE, Issue 2-3 2004Eladio Gutiérrez Abstract Different parallelization methods for irregular reductions on shared memory multiprocessors have been proposed in the literature in recent years. We have classified all these methods and analyzed them in terms of a set of properties: data locality, memory overhead, exploited parallelism, and workload balancing. In this paper we propose several techniques to increase the amount of exploited parallelism and to introduce load balancing into an important class of these methods. Regarding parallelism, the proposed solution is based on the partial expansion of the reduction array. Load balancing is discussed in terms of two techniques. The first technique is a generic one, as it deals with any kind of load imbalance present in the problem domain. The second technique handles a special case of load imbalance which occurs whenever a large number of write operations are concentrated on small regions of the reduction arrays. Efficient implementations of the proposed optimizing solutions for a particular method are presented, experimentally tested on static and dynamic kernel codes, and compared with other parallel reduction methods. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The relationships between generic and forensic psychiatric servicesCRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR AND MENTAL HEALTH, Issue S1 2001Alec Buchanan First page of article [source] The locus of control in patients with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes managed by individual and group careDIABETIC MEDICINE, Issue 1 2008M. Trento Abstract Aims The locus of control theory distinguishes people (internals) who attribute events in life to their own control, and those (externals) who attribute events to external circumstances. It is used to assess self-management behaviour in chronic illnesses. Group care is a model of systemic group education that improves lifestyle behaviour and quality of life in patients with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. This study investigated the locus of control in Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes and the possible differences between patients managed by group care and control subjects followed by traditional one-to-one care. Methods Cross-sectional administration of two questionnaires (one specific for diabetes and one generic for chronic diseases) to 83 patients followed for at least 5 years by group care (27 Type 1 and 56 Type 2) and 79 control subjects (28 Type 1 and 51 Type 2) of similar sex, age and diabetes duration. Both tools explore internal control of disease, the role of chance in changing it and reliance upon others (family, friends and health professionals). Results Patients with Type 1 diabetes had lower internal control, greater fatalistic attitudes and less trust in others. Patients with either type of diabetes receiving group care had higher internal control and lower fatalism; the higher trust in others in those with Type 1 diabetes was not statistically significant. The differences associated with group care were independent of sex, age and diabetes duration. Conclusions Patients with Type 1 diabetes may have lower internal control, fatalism and reliance upon others than those with Type 2 diabetes. Receiving group care is associated with higher internal control, reduced fatalism and, in Type 1 diabetes, increased trust in others. [source] Evaluation of a programme of group visits and computer-assisted consultations in the treatment of adolescents with Type 1 diabetesDIABETIC MEDICINE, Issue 11 2005M. Graue Abstract Aim To examine the effects of group visits and computer-assisted consultations on quality of life and glycaemic control in adolescents with Type 1 diabetes. Methods A total of 116 adolescents, aged 11,17 years, and their parents were randomly assigned to an intervention (n = 62) or a control group (n = 54). The intervention group was invited to a 15-month programme comprising group visits and computer-assisted consultations. The control group was offered traditional out-patient consultations. Outcomes included changes in HbA1c and the adolescents' assessment of generic and disease-specific health-related quality of life measured by the Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ-CF87) and the Diabetes Quality of Life Questionnaire (DQOL), respectively. Results One hundred and one adolescents (55/46) agreed to participate, mean age 14.2 years (sd 1.5), mean diabetes duration 6.5 years (sd 3.6, range 1,16 years), mean HbA1c 9.3% (sd 1.4, range 6.1,12.8%). Eighty-three (72%) completed the questionnaires at follow-up (intervention/control 45/38). There were significant age by randomization group interactions for diabetes-related impact (P = 0.018), diabetes-related worries (P = 0.004), mental health (P = 0.046) and general behaviour (P = 0.029), implying that the intervention was effective in older adolescents (above 13,14 years). No significant effects on mean HbA1c were identified. Conclusions Group visits and computer-assisted consultations had beneficial effects on health-related quality of life in older adolescents, the role of this intervention being questionable in younger adolescents. [source] Social Functioning, Psychological Functioning, and Quality of Life in EpilepsyEPILEPSIA, Issue 9 2001Theo P. B. M. Suurmeijer Summary: ,Purpose: Part of our research intended to explain "Quality of Life" (QoL) differences between people with epilepsy. To this end, a series of already existing generic and disease-specific health status measures were used. In this study, they were considered as determinants of people's QoL, whereas QoL itself was conceived as a general "value judgment" about one's life. Methods: From the records of four outpatient clinics, 210 persons with epilepsy were randomly selected. During their visit to the outpatient clinic, they completed a questionnaire assessing, among other things, health perceptions and social and psychological functioning. Additional information about their medical and psychosocial status was gathered from the patient files. Data were analysed by using a hierarchical regression analysis. Results: In decreasing order of importance, "psychological distress,""loneliness,""adjustment and coping," and "stigma perception" appeared to contribute most significantly to the outcome QoL as judged by the patients themselves, regardless of their physical status. In the final model, none of the clinical variables (onset, seizure frequency, side effects of antiepileptic drugs) contributed significantly anymore to the patients' "quality-of-life judgement." Apparently the effect of other variables such as seizure frequency and health perceptions, medication and side effects, life fulfilment, self-esteem, and mastery is mediated by these variables. Conclusions: Because all of the variance in QoL of the patients was explained by the psychosocial variables included in this study, health professionals should be aware of the significance of the psychosocial functioning of the patients and the role it plays in the achievement of a good QoL. Both informal and professional support may be an adjunct to conventional treatment. In future research, this issue should be given high priority. [source] Changes in Quality of Life in Epilepsy: How Large Must They Be to Be Real?EPILEPSIA, Issue 1 2001Samuel Wiebe Summary: ,Purpose: The study goal was to assess the magnitude of change in generic and epilepsy-specific health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) instruments needed to exclude chance or error at various levels of certainty in patients with medically refractory epilepsy. Methods: Forty patients with temporal lobe epilepsy and clearly defined criteria of clinical stability received HRQOL measurements twice, 3 months apart, using the Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventory-89 and -31 (QOLIE-89 and QOLIE-31), Liverpool Impact of Epilepsy, adverse drug events, seizure severity scales, and the Generic Health Utilities Index (HUI-III). Standard error of measurement and test-retest reliability were obtained for all scales and for QOLIE-89 subscales. Using the Reliable Change Index described by Jacobson and Truax, we assessed the magnitude of change required by HRQOL instruments to be 90 and 95% certain that real change has occurred, as opposed to change due to chance or measurement error. Results: Clinical features, point estimates and distribution of HRQOL measures, and test-retest reliability (all > 0.70) were similar to those previously reported. Score changes of ±13 points in QOLIE-89, ±15 in QOLIE-31, ±6.3 in Liverpool seizure severity,ictal, ±11 in Liverpool adverse drug events, ±0.25 in HUI-III, and ±9.5 in impact of epilepsy exclude chance or measurement error with 90% certainty. These correspond, respectively, to 13, 15, 17, 18, 25, and 32% of the potential range of change of each instrument. Conclusions: Threshold values for real change varied considerably among HRQOL tools but were relatively small for QOLIE-89, QOLIE-31, Liverpool Seizure Severity, and adverse drug events. In some instruments, even relatively large changes cannot rule out chance or measurement error. The relation between the Reliable Change Index and other measures of change and its distinction from measures of minimum clinically important change are discussed. [source] Simulation of patient encounters using a virtual patient in periodontology instruction of dental students: design, usability, and learning effect in history-taking skillsEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF DENTAL EDUCATION, Issue 3 2004M. Schittek Janda Simulations are important educational tools in the development of health care competence. This study describes a virtual learning environment (VLE) for diagnosis and treatment planning in oral health care. The VLE is a web-based, database application where the learner uses free text communication on the screen to interact with patient data. The VLE contains forms for history taking, clinical images, clinical data and X-rays. After reviewing the patient information, the student proposes therapy and makes prognostic evaluations of the case in free text. A usability test of the application was performed with seven dental students. The usability test showed that the software responded with correct answers to the majority of the free text questions. The application is generic in its basic functions and can be adapted to other dental or medical subject areas. A randomised controlled trial was carried out with 39 students who attended instruction in history taking with problem-based learning cases, lectures and seminars. In addition, 16 of the 39 students were randomly chosen to practise history taking using the virtual patient prior to their first patient encounter. The performance of each student was recorded on video during the patient sessions. The type and order of the questions asked by the student and the degree of empathy displayed towards the patient were analysed systematically on the videos. The data indicate that students who also undertook history taking with a virtual patient asked more relevant questions, spent more time on patient issues, and performed a more complete history interview compared with students who had only undergone standard teaching. The students who had worked with the virtual patient also seemed to have more empathy for the patients than the students who had not. The practising of history taking with a virtual patient appears to improve the capability of dental students to take a relevant oral health history. [source] An integrative approach identifies developmental sequence heterochronies in freshwater basommatophoran snailsEVOLUTION AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 2 2007Jennifer J. Smirthwaite SUMMARY Adopting an integrative approach to the study of sequence heterochrony, we compared the timing of developmental events encompassing a mixture of developmental stages and functional traits in the embryos of 12 species of basommatophoran snails in an explicit phylogenetic framework. PARSIMOV analysis demonstrated clear functional heterochronies associated both with basal branches within the phylogeny and with terminal speciation events. A consensus of changes inferred under both accelerated transformation and delayed transformation optimizations identified four heterochronies where the direction of movement was known plus six twin heterochronies where the relative movements of the two events could not be assigned. On average, 0.5 and 0.58 events were inferred to have changed their position in the developmental sequence on internal and terminal branches of the phylogeny, respectively; these values are comparable with frequencies of sequence heterochrony reported in mammals. Directional heterochronies such as the early occurrence of body flexing in relation to the ontogeny of the eye spots, heart beat, and free swimming events occurred convergently and/or at different levels (i.e., familial, generic, and species) within the phylogeny. Such a functional approach to the study of developmental sequences has highlighted the possibility that heterochrony may have played a prominent role in the evolution of this group of invertebrates. [source] Pollen morphology of Alcea L. and Althaea L. genera (Malvaceae) in TurkeyFEDDES REPERTORIUM, Issue 7-8 2009E. Cabi Pollen grains of 22 taxa from Alcea L. and Althaea L. genera (Malvaceae) were examined using light microscope and scanning electron microscope to assess whether pollen traits can be used to delimitate at generic and specific levels. Furthermore quantitative data were subjected to cluster analysis. The pollen grains of Althaea genus are spheroidal, pantoporate, echinate which is characterized by having subglobose pattern at the base of echinae. The pollen of Alcea are spheroidal, pantoporate, echinate and baculate. Distances between pori are longer in Althaea (9.04,12.75 ,m) pollens than pollens of Alcea (5.12,7.28 ,m). The results of this study confirmed that differences about pollen characteristics among the taxa are not functional in separating taxa at specific level especially in Alcea genus, whereas there have been clear differences based on pollen morphology between two closely related genera. (© 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] Simulation and quantification of enrichment and retention processes in the southern Benguela upwelling ecosystemFISHERIES OCEANOGRAPHY, Issue 5 2006CHRISTOPHE LETT Abstract Important environmental processes for the survival and recruitment of early life stages of pelagic fishes have been synthesized through Bakun's fundamental triad as enrichment, concentration and retention processes (A. Bakun, 1996, Patterns in the Ocean. Ocean Processes and Marine Population Dynamics. San Diego, CA, USA: University of California Sea Grant). This conceptual framework states that from favourable spawning habitats, eggs and larvae would be transported to and/or retained in places where food originating from enrichment areas would be concentrated. We propose a method for quantifying two of the triad processes, enrichment and retention, based on the Lagrangian tracking of particles transported within water velocity fields generated by a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model. We apply this method to the southern Benguela upwelling ecosystem, constructing putative maps of enrichment and retention. We comment on these maps regarding main features of the circulation in the region, and investigate seasonal variability of the processes. We finally discuss the results in relation to available knowledge on the reproductive strategies of two pelagic clupeoid species abundant in the southern Benguela, anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) and sardine (Sardinops sagax). Our approach is intended to be sufficiently generic so as to allow its application to other upwelling systems. [source] The role of prophylaxis in bleeding disordersHAEMOPHILIA, Issue 2010E. BERNTORP Summary., The rationale for long-term prophylaxis in more severe forms of von Willebrand's disease (VWD) is obvious, as mucosal bleeding and haemophilia-like joint bleeds resulting in chronic morbidity may occur. However, the experience with prophylactic treatment in this group is scanty. An international VWD Prophylaxis Network (VWD PN) was established in 2006. The VWD PN will investigate prophylaxis with retrospective and prospective studies. Eighteen centres in Europe and North America are recruiting patients and an additional 40 centres are preparing for or evaluating participation. In the absence of randomized prospective studies for most rare bleeding disorders, guidelines for prophylaxis are a subject of controversy. In situations where there is a strong family history of bleeding, long-term prophylaxis is administered in selected cases. Short intervals of prophylaxis can also be given before some surgeries or during pregnancy. The benefits of prophylaxis must be balanced by the risk of side effects. Therefore, it is essential to delineate its management in a specialized comprehensive care environment. In haemophilia, decades of clinical experience and numerous retrospective and, recently, prospective studies clearly demonstrate that prophylactic treatment is superior to on-demand treatment, regardless of whether the outcome is the number of joint- or life-threatening bleeds, arthropathy evaluated by X-ray or MRI, or quality of life measured by generic or haemophilia-specific instruments. Optimal prophylactic treatment should be started early in life (primary prophylaxis) but various options exist for the dose and dose interval. These depend on the objective of treatment in the individual patient, which, in turn, is dependent on resources in the health care system. [source] Patient-reported outcome measures in the NHS: new methods for analysing and reporting EQ-5D dataHEALTH ECONOMICS, Issue 8 2010Nancy J. Devlin Abstract In a landmark move, the UK Department of Health (DH) has introduced the routine collection of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) to measure the performance of health-care providers. From April 2009, generic (EQ-5D) and condition-specific PROMs are being collected from patients before and after four surgical procedures; eventually this will be extended to include a wide range of other NHS services. The aim of this article is to report analysis of the EQ-5D data generated from a pilot study commissioned by the DH and to consider the implications for the use of EQ-5D data in performance indicators and measures of patient benefit. We present two new methods that we have developed for analysing and displaying EQ-5D profile data: a Paretian Classification of Health Change and a health profile grid. We show that EQ-5D profile data can be readily analysed to generate insights into the nature of changes in patient-reported health that would be obscured by summarising these profiles by their index scores, or focusing just on the post operative outcomes. Our methods indicate differences between providers and between sub-groups of patients. Our results also show striking differences in changes in EQ-5D profiles between surgical procedures, which require further investigation. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Commentary on Jack Dowie, "Decision validity should determine whether a generic or condition-specific HRQOL measure is used in health care decisions"HEALTH ECONOMICS, Issue 1 2002Gordon Guyatt First page of article [source] Commentary on Jack Dowie, "Decision validity should determine whether a generic or condition-specific HRQOL measure is used in health care decisions"HEALTH ECONOMICS, Issue 1 2002David Feeny First page of article [source] Effect of an Expenditure Cap on Low-Income Seniors' Drug Use and Spending in a State Pharmacy Assistance ProgramHEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH, Issue 3 2009Christine E. Bishop Objective. To estimate the impact of a soft cap (a ceiling on utilization beyond which insured enrollees pay a higher copayment) on low-income elders' use of prescription drugs. Data Sources and Setting. Claims and enrollment files for the first year ( June 2002 through May 2003) of the Illinois SeniorCare program, a state pharmacy assistance program, and Medicare claims and enrollment files, 2001 through 2003. SeniorCare enrolled non-Medicaid-eligible elders with income less than 200 percent of Federal Poverty Level. Minimal copays increased by 20 percent of prescription cost when enrollee expenditures reached $1,750. Research Design. Models were estimated for three dependent variables: enrollees' average monthly utilization (number of prescriptions), spending, and the proportion of drugs that were generic rather than brand. Observations included all program enrollees who exceeded the cap and covered two periods, before and after the cap was exceeded. Principle Findings. On average, enrollees exceeding the cap reduced the number of drugs they purchased by 14 percent, monthly expenditures decreased by 19 percent, and the proportion generic increased by 4 percent, all significant at p<.01. Impacts were greater for enrollees with greater initial spending, for enrollees without one of five chronic illness diagnoses in the previous calendar year, and for enrollees with lower income. Conclusions. Near-poor elders enrolled in plans with caps or coverage gaps, including Part D plans, may face sharp declines in utilization when they exceed these thresholds. [source] Potential Savings from an Evidence-Based Consumer-Oriented Public Education Campaign on Prescription DrugsHEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH, Issue 5p1 2008Julie M. Donohue Objective. To estimate potential savings associated with the Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs program, a national educational program that provides consumers with price and effectiveness information on prescription drugs. Data Sources. National data on 2006 prescription sales and retail prices paid for angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs), ,-blockers, calcium channel blockers, and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-coA) reductase inhibitors (statins). Study Design. We converted national data on aggregate unit sales of drugs in the four classes to defined daily doses (DDD) and estimated a range of potential savings from generic and therapeutic substitution. Principal Findings. We estimated that $2.76 billion, or 7.83 percent of sales, could be saved if use of the drugs recommended by the educational program was increased. The recommended drugs' prices were 15,65 percent lower per DDD than their therapeutic alternatives. The majority (57.4 percent) of potential savings would be achieved through therapeutic substitution. Conclusions. Substantial savings can be achieved through greater use of comparatively effective and lower cost drugs recommended by a national consumer education program. However, barriers to dissemination of consumer-oriented drug information must be addressed before savings can be realized. [source] In search of legitimacy: personnel management associations worldwideHUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT JOURNAL, Issue 3 2005Elaine Farndale In considering the development of the HR ,profession', there has been little exploration of the role of the professional association. This is particularly true looking across national boundaries, raising questions about the impact and extent of homogeneity of personnel management association activities. It is argued that professional associations have a legitimising role to play in establishing a specialist body of knowledge, regulating practice and providing a source of internal and external identity for practitioners. A recent worldwide survey of personnel management associations found that, although associations are active in these areas, there is a lack of mandatory control and regulation across the profession, diluting the legitimacy accorded by such activities. Association activities were also found to be largely generic across countries, resulting from inter-association collaboration, although different contexts result in different outcomes. [source] What makes a good project manager?HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT JOURNAL, Issue 1 2005Mei-I Cheng There is a growing awareness within project-based sectors of the relationship between performance and managers' competencies. This article reports on research that investigated the competency profile of ,superior' project managers working within the construction industry, one of the most complex and dynamic project-based industrial sectors. The study combined an assessment of both their behavioural competencies and job-task competencies. The results reveal that while their job-task competencies are highly specific to the industry in which they work, the behavioural competencies of superior project managers are mostly generic in nature and apply to a range of other management positions. This research shows how it is practically possible to identify the competency profile of superior managers and utilise this framework for managing the performance of this key management group. [source] Suppression of allergic airway inflammation in a mouse model by Der p2 recombined BCGIMMUNOLOGY, Issue 1pt2 2009Hai-Feng Ou-Yang Summary Allergic asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease mediated by T helper (Th)2 cell immune responses. Currently, immunotherapies based on both immune deviation and immune suppression, including the development of recombinant mycobacteria as immunoregulatory vaccines, are attractive treatment strategies for asthma. In our previous studies, we created a genetically recombinant form of bacille Calmette,Guerin (rBCG) that expressed Der p2 of house dust mites and established that it induced a shift from a Th2 response to a Th1 response in naive mice. However, it is unclear whether rBCG could suppress allergic airway inflammation in a mouse model. In this article we report that rBCG dramatically inhibited airway inflammation, eosinophilia, mucus production and mast cell degranulation in allergic mice. Analysis of interferon-, (IFN-,) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and lung tissue revealed that the suppression was associated with a shift from a Th2 response to a Th1 response. At the same time, rBCG induced a CD4+ CD25+ Foxp3+ T-cell subtype that could suppress the proliferation of Th2 effector cells in vitro in an antigen-specific manner. Moreover, suppression of CD4+ CD25+ T cells could be adoptively transferred. Thus, our results demonstrate that rBCG induces both generic and specific immune responses. The generic immune response is associated with a shift from a Th2 to a Th1 cytokine response, whereas the specific immune response against Der p2 appears to be related to the expansion of transforming growth factor-, (TGF-,)-producing CD4+ CD25+ Foxp3+ regulatory T cells. rBCG can suppress asthmatic airway inflammation through both immune deviation and immune suppression and may be a feasible, efficient immunotherapy for asthma. [source] CFD-based optimization of aerofoils using radial basis functions for domain element parameterization and mesh deformationINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN FLUIDS, Issue 8 2008A. M. Morris Abstract A novel domain element shape parameterization method is presented for computational fluid dynamics-based shape optimization. The method is to achieve two aims: (1) provide a generic ,wrap-around' optimization tool that is independent of both flow solver and grid generation package and (2) provide a method that allows high-fidelity aerodynamic optimization of two- and three-dimensional bodies with a low number of design variables. The parameterization technique uses radial basis functions to transfer domain element movements into deformations of the design surface and corresponding aerodynamic mesh, thus allowing total independence from the grid generation package (structured or unstructured). Independence from the flow solver (either inviscid, viscous, aeroelastic) is achieved by obtaining sensitivity information for an advanced gradient-based optimizer (feasible sequential quadratic programming) by finite-differences. Results are presented for two-dimensional aerofoil inverse design and drag optimization problems. Inverse design results demonstrate that a large proportion of the design space is feasible with a relatively low number of design variables using the domain element parameterization. Heavily constrained (in lift, volume, and moment) two-dimensional aerofoil drag optimization has shown that significant improvements over existing designs can be achieved using this method, through the use of various objective functions. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] PRICE: primitive centred schemes for hyperbolic systemsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN FLUIDS, Issue 12 2003E. F. Toro Abstract We present first- and higher-order non-oscillatory primitive (PRI) centred (CE) numerical schemes for solving systems of hyperbolic partial differential equations written in primitive (or non-conservative) form. Non-conservative systems arise in a variety of fields of application and they are adopted in that form for numerical convenience, or more importantly, because they do not posses a known conservative form; in the latter case there is no option but to apply non-conservative methods. In addition we have chosen a centred, as distinct from upwind, philosophy. This is because the systems we are ultimately interested in (e.g. mud flows, multiphase flows) are exceedingly complicated and the eigenstructure is difficult, or very costly or simply impossible to obtain. We derive six new basic schemes and then we study two ways of extending the most successful of these to produce second-order non-oscillatory methods. We have used the MUSCL-Hancock and the ADER approaches. In the ADER approach we have used two ways of dealing with linear reconstructions so as to avoid spurious oscillations: the ADER TVD scheme and ADER with ENO reconstruction. Extensive numerical experiments suggest that all the schemes are very satisfactory, with the ADER/ENO scheme being perhaps the most promising, first for dealing with source terms and secondly, because higher-order extensions (greater than two) are possible. Work currently in progress includes the application of some of these ideas to solve the mud flow equations. The schemes presented are generic and can be applied to any hyperbolic system in non-conservative form and for which solutions include smooth parts, contact discontinuities and weak shocks. The advantage of the schemes presented over upwind-based methods is simplicity and efficiency, and will be fully realized for hyperbolic systems in which the provision of upwind information is very costly or is not available. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Mathematical framework towards the analysis of a generic traffic markerINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS, Issue 4 2007Nasser-Eddine Rikli Abstract DiffServ architecture has been widely adopted for the provision of QoS over the Internet. This makes the full understanding of its operation imperative. We believe that only mathematical analysis may have the power of such goal. As the heart of a DiffServ router is the token bucket algorithm, a generic one, with two-colours marking, is to be considered here. A mathematical framework will be first developed for its analysis. Then, assuming an input traffic with Poisson arrivals and Exponential packet lengths, and a memoryless token bucket system, the two types of generated streams will be statistically characterized through their distributions and averages. This analysis will be carried out for two types of buckets, one with infinite size and a second with finite size. It will be shown how the derived equations will allow the prediction of the output traffic streams for given bucket and input traffic stream parameters. The paper will be then complemented by conclusions and suggestions. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] A UK survey of psychiatric services for older people in general hospitalsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 8 2003John Holmes Abstract Background Psychiatric illness is common in older people in general hospitals, but little is known of the service models operating in the UK, or of the views of old age psychiatrists regarding service provision in this area. We set out to determine the range of UK old age psychiatry service models for older people in general hospital wards, and the opinions of clinicians on future service priorities and development. Method A postal questionnaire survey of old age psychiatrists providing psychiatric services to older people in general hospital wards. Results 73% of services were provided through a generic, sector-based, consultation psychiatry model. The remaining 27% employed a range of general hospital-based liaison psychiatry services for older people, involved in proactively seeking referrals and educating general hospital staff. Those providing a generic sector-based model were significantly slower at responding to referrals. 89% of respondents were unhappy with their service to older people in general hospital wards, with only 11% preferring the generic sector-based model. Organisational barriers to change identified included the management of mental health care and physical care by different organisations. Training, both of psychiatric staff in this specialist area, and of general hospital staff in the detection and basic management of common psychiatric conditions in the general hospital setting, was felt to be necessary. Conclusions The management of co-morbid psychiatric and physical illness in older people is an important issue for health services. Old age psychiatrists are unhappy with the prevalent, reactive, consultation-based model, preferring a range of liaison psychiatry models based in the general hospital. The most important barriers to service development in this area were the separate managerial arrangements for psychiatric and physical care services, and a lack of evidence for effective old age psychiatry services in this setting. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Paediatric antibiotic prescribing by general dental practitioners in EnglandINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PAEDIATRIC DENTISTRY, Issue 4 2001N.O.A. Palmer Objectives. The inappropriate use of antibiotics is known to be a major contributory factor to the problem of antimicrobial resistance. No information is available on how practitioners prescribe antibiotics for children. This study investigated the prescribing of liquid-based antibiotics for children by general dental practitioners in England. Design. Analysis of National Health Service liquid-based prescriptions issued by general dental practitioners in England. Sample and methods. All prescriptions issued by practitioners in 10 Health Authorities in England for February 1999 were collected. All the liquid-based antibiotic prescriptions for children were selected and we investigated the type of antibiotic prescribed, whether sugar free, the dose, frequency and duration. Results. A total of 18614 prescriptions were issued for antibiotics. Of the 1609 liquid-based paediatric prescriptions 88·3% were for generic and 11·7% for proprietary antibiotics, of which 75·5% were for amoxicillin, 15·2% for phenoxymethylpenicillin, 6·6% for erythromycin, 1·7% for metronidazole. Cephalexin, ampicillin, cephadrine and combinations of two antibiotics were also prescribed. There was a wide variation in dosages for all the antibiotics prescribed. A significant proportion of practitioners prescribed at frequencies inconsistent with manufacturers' recommendations and for prolonged periods, with some practitioners prescribing for periods up to 10 days. Only 29·1% of all the prescriptions issued were sugar free. Conclusions. The results of this study show that some practitioners prescribe liquid-based antibiotics inappropriately for children. This may contribute to the problem of antimicrobial resistance. Clear guidelines on the choice of antibiotic, dose, frequency and duration along with educational initiatives for GDPs might reverse this trend. [source] Consumers' views on generic medicines: A review of the literatureINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACY PRACTICE, Issue 2 2009Mohamed A. A. Hassali Abstract Objectives To review the literature on consumers' knowledge, attitudes and opinions of the use of generic medicines. Method A narrative review of studies conducted from 1970 to 2008 on consumers' perceptions and views towards generic medicines was performed. An extensive literature search was undertaken using indexing services available at the authors' institution library. The following keywords were used for the search: brand, generic, multisource, medications, medicines, drugs, pharmaceuticals and consumers, customers, and patients. Electronic databases searched were Medline, Inside Web, ISI Web of Knowledge, Science Direct, Springer Link, JSTOR, Proquest, Ebsco Host and Google Scholar. These electronic databases were searched for full text papers published in English from 1970 to October 2008. Key findings Twenty studies were identified. Eleven were from the USA, four were from Europe, two were from Canada and one each was from Australia, Brazil and Malaysia. In general, consumers showed mixed reactions towards the use of generic medicines. This was evident from the divergence of views observed by country development level, consumers' socioeconomic characteristics, drug product characteristics, pharmaceutical reimbursement system, policy environment, contact with health care professionals, past experience with medications, and knowledge of the seriousness of a medical condition. Conclusions Patient confidence and knowledge pertaining to generic medicines use have increased over the past four decades, especially in developed countries. Mass educational efforts, financial incentives, and greater communication among patients and health care professionals were seen as major drivers to the uptake of generic medicines among consumers. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||