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Selected AbstractsPositive health-care effects of an alcohol ignition interlock programme among driving while impaired (DWI) offendersADDICTION, Issue 11 2007Bo Bjerre ABSTRACT Aims To compare the costs of hospital care and sick leave/disability pensions between two groups of driving while impaired (DWI) offenders: participants in an alcohol ignition interlock programme (AIIP) and controls with revoked licences, but with no comparable opportunity to participate in an AIIP. Setting As an alternative to licence revocation DWI offenders can participate in a voluntary 2-year AIIP permitting the offender to drive under strict regulations entailing regular medical check-ups. The participants are forced to alter their alcohol habits and those who cannot demonstrate sobriety are dismissed from the programme. Participants are liable for all costs themselves. Design Quasi-experimental, with a non-equivalent control group used for comparison; intent-to-treat design. Based on the number of occasions/days in hospital and on sick leave/disability pension, the health-care costs for public insurance have been calculated. Finding Average total health-care costs were 25% lower among AIIP participants (1156 individuals) than among controls (815 individuals) during the 2-year treatment period. This corresponds to over ,1000 (SEK9610) less annual costs per average participant. For those who complete the 2-year programme the cost reduction was more pronounced; 37% during the treatment and 20% during the post-treatment period. Conclusions The positive health-care effects were due apparently to reduced alcohol consumption. The social benefit of being allowed to drive while in the AIIP may also have contributed. The reduction in health-care costs was significant only during the 2-year treatment period, but among those who completed the entire AIIP sustained effects were also observed in the post-treatment period. The effects were comparable to those of regular alcoholism treatment programmes. [source] Linking opioid-dependent hospital patients to drug treatment: health care use and costs 6 months after randomizationADDICTION, Issue 12 2006Paul G. Barnett ABSTRACT Aims To conduct an economic evaluation of the first 6 months' trial of treatment vouchers and case management for opioid-dependent hospital patients. Design Randomized clinical trial and evaluation of administrative data. Setting Emergency department, wound clinic, in-patient units and methadone clinic in a large urban public hospital. Participants The study randomized 126 opioid-dependent drug users seeking medical care. Interventions Participants were randomized among four groups. These received vouchers for 6 months of methadone treatment, 6 months of case management, both these interventions, or usual care. Findings During the first 6 months of this study, 90% of those randomized to vouchers alone enrolled in methadone maintenance, significantly more than the 44% enrollment in those randomized to case management without vouchers (P < 0.001). The direct costs of substance abuse treatment, including case management, was $4040 for those who received vouchers, $4177 for those assigned to case management and $5277 for those who received the combination of both interventions. After 3 months, the vouchers alone group used less heroin than the case management alone group. The difference was not significant at 6 months. There were no significant differences in other health care costs in the 6 months following randomization. Conclusion Vouchers were slightly more effective but no more costly than case management during the initial 6 months of the study. Vouchers were as effective and less costly than the combination of case management and vouchers. The finding that vouchers dominate is tempered by the possibility that case management may lower medical care costs. [source] Summary of contributions to GAW15 Group 16: Processing/normalization of expression traitsGENETIC EPIDEMIOLOGY, Issue S1 2007Aurélie Labbe Abstract Here, we summarize the contributions to group 16 of Genetic Analysis Workshop 15, held in Florida, U.S.A. The theme of this group was preprocessing of expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) studies using the Affymetrix platform. The objective of the Genetic Analysis Workshop 15 problem 1 dataset was to use transcript levels that are measured using DNA microarrays as quantitative traits and localize the genes or other features of the DNA that control gene expression by quantitative trait loci linkage analyses. All contributors of this group used the microarray expression profiles (problem 1) data. Various approaches and questions were examined to investigate the effects of preprocessing methods and/or gene filtering on the interpretation of data, specifically on heritability estimates of gene expression and on linkage results. In addition, some contributors focused on the statistical issues involved in large-scale genetic analyses of quantitative traits that account for or build composite phenotypes from a large number of correlated traits. Since the true eQTLs are not known in the problem 1 data, results from the 11 studies cannot be fully evaluated for the methods employed. However, several common trends were found. All reports concluded that preprocessing statistical analyses may have an important impact on eQTL analyses and on the identification of cis -/trans -regulators and/or major biological pathways. Genet. Epidemiol. 31(Suppl. 1):S132,S138, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Genotyping errors, pedigree errors, and missing dataGENETIC EPIDEMIOLOGY, Issue S1 2005Anthony L. Hinrichs Abstract Our group studied the effects of genotyping errors, pedigree errors, and missing data on a wide range of techniques, with a focus on the role of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Half of our group used simulated data, and half of our group used data from the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA). The simulated data had no missing genotypes and no genotyping errors, so our group, as a whole, removed data and introduced artificial errors to study the robustness of various techniques. Our teams showed that genotyping errors are less detectable and may have a greater impact on SNPs than on microsatellites, but recently developed methods that account for genotyping errors help reduce false positives, and the assumptions of these methods appear to be supported by observations from repeated genotyping. The ability to detect linkage disequilibrium (LD) was also substantially reduced by missing data; this in turn could affect tagging SNPs chosen to generate haplotypes. In the COGA sample, genotyping measurements were repeated in three ways. First, full-genome screens were performed on three sets of markers: 328 microsatellites, 11,560 SNPs from the Affymetrix GeneChip Mapping 10,K Array marker set, and 4,720 SNPs from the Illumina Linkage III panel. Second, the entire Affymetrix marker set was typed on the same 184 individuals by two different laboratories. Finally, the Affymetrix and Illumina marker panels had 94 SNPs in common. Our teams showed that both SNPs and microsatellites can be readily used to identify pedigree errors, and that SNPs have fewer genotyping errors and a low inconsistency rate. However, a fairly high rate of no-calls, especially for the Affymetrix platform, suggests that the inconsistency rate may be higher than observed. Genet. Epidemiol. 29(Suppl. 1):S120,S124, 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Photocleavage of Peptides and Oligodeoxynucleotides Carrying 2-Nitrobenzyl GroupsHELVETICA CHIMICA ACTA, Issue 4 2009Roger Ramos Abstract Peptides and oligodeoxynucleotides containing photolabile 2-nitrobenzyl groups as mid-sequences were prepared. Photocleavage of aqueous solutions of these compounds neared completion within 30,min to a few hours depending on the photolabile group used. A photolabile group was introduced in the loop of an intramolecular oligodeoxynucleotide hairpin. Melting curves of the hairpin with and without the complementary oligodeoxynucleotide showed a preference for the intramolecular hairpin form, but an intermolecular duplex was observed after photolysis. These results open the possibility of using photolabile DNA hairpins for the fabrication of patterned surfaces. [source] Effects of SCN,/H2O2 combinations in dentifrices on plaque and gingivitisJOURNAL OF CLINICAL PERIODONTOLOGY, Issue 3 2001Michael Rosin Abstract Objectives: A 10-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study on 140 male subjects was conducted to determine the effect on plaque and gingivitis of 5 dentifrices containing various thiocyanate (SCN,)/hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) combinations. Materials and Methods: The dentifrices consisted of a gel base without any detergents or abrasives (placebo, group A) to which SCN, and/or H2O2 were added as follows: 0.1% SCN, (group B), 0.5% SCN, (group C), 0.1% SCN,/ 0.1% H2O2 (group D), 0.5% SCN,/0.1% H2O2 (group E) and 0.1% H2O2 (group F). A baseline examination was performed in which the Silness and Löe Plaque Index (PI), the Mühlemann and Son Sulcus Bleeding Index (SBI), and the amount of gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) were recorded using the Periotron 6000 on teeth 16, 12, 24, 36, 32, and 44. The subjects were randomly assigned to either the placebo group (n=40) or one of the test groups (n=20) and used their respective dentifrices over a period of 8 weeks. Finally, each group used the placebo for another 2 weeks (wash-out). Re-examinations were performed after 1, 4, and 8 weeks and the 2-week wash-out period employing the clinical parameters used at baseline. Intragroup changes were analyzed with the Wilcoxon signed-ranks test, using the baseline and wash-out points as references. The Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparisons between the treatment groups and the placebo group. Results: At the 8-week examination, the plaque index in group E (p=0.017) and group F (p=0.032) was lower than in the placebo group. The Sulcus Bleeding Index in group F after 1 week was increased (p=0.023) and the SBI in group E after 8 weeks was reduced (p=0.047) as compared to the placebo group. Conclusion: The results demonstrated that a dentifrice containing 0.5% SCN, and 0.1% H2O2 but no detergents or abrasives inhibited plaque and decreased gingivitis. Zusammenfassung Zielsetzung: Eine 10 Wochen dauernde placebokontrollierte Doppelblindstudie wurde bei 140 männlichen Probanden durchgeführt, um die Auswirkungen von 5 Zahnpasten, die verschiedene Kombinationen von Thiozyanat (SCN,) und Wasserstoffperoxide (H2O2) enthielten, auf Plaque und Gingivitis zu untersuchen. Material und Methoden: Die Zahnpasten bestanden aus einer Gelbasis ohne jegliche Detergentien oder Putzkörper (Placebo, Gruppe A), der SCN, und/oder H2O2 wie folgt beigemengt waren: 0.1% SCN, (Gruppe B), 0.5% SCN, (Gruppe C), 0.1% SCN,/0.1% H2O2 (Gruppe D), 0.5% SCN,/0.1% H2O2 (Gruppe E) und 0.1% H2O2 (Gruppe F). Zu Beginn der Studie wurden der Plaque Index (PI), der Sulkus-Blutungs-Index (SBI) und die Sulkusflüssigkeitsfließrate (SFFR) mit dem Periotron 6000 an den Zähnen 16, 12, 24, 36, 32 und 44 bestimmt. Die Probanden wurden zufällig der Placebogruppe (n=40) oder einer der 5 Testgruppen (n=20) zugewiesen und benutzten die entsprechende Zahnpasta über einen Zeitraum von 8 Wochen. Schließlich benutzte jeder Proband die Placebopasta für weitere 2 Wochen ("wash-out"). Nachuntersuchungen fanden nach 1, 4 und 8 Wochen sowie nach der "wash-out"-Periode statt. Ergebnisse: Zur 8-Wochen-Nachuntersuchung war der PI in den Gruppen E (p=0.017) und F (p=0.032) niedriger als in der Placebogruppe. Der SBI in Gruppe F war im Vergleich zur Placebogruppe nach einer Woche erhöht (p=0.023) und in Gruppe E nach 8 Wochen reduziert (p=0.047). Schlußfolgerungen: Die Ergebnisse zeigen, daß eine Zahnpasta, die 0.5% SCN, und 0.1% H2O2 aber keinerlei Detergentien oder Putzkörper enthält Plaque hemmen und Gingivitis reduzieren kann. Résumé Une étude clinique en double aveugle, controlée par un placebo, sur 10 semaines a été réalisée sur 140 sujets masculins pour déterminer les effets sur la plaque et la gingivite de 5 dentifrices contenant des combinaisons variées de thiocyanate (SCN,)/peroxyde d'hydrogene (H2O2). Les dentifrices étaient constitués d'une base de gel sans détergents ni abrasifs (placebo, groupe A) à laquelle étaient ajoutés SCN, et/ou H2O2 comme suit: 0.1% SCN, (groupe B), 0.5% SCN, (groupe C), 0.1% SCN,/0.1% H2O2 (groupe D), 0.5% SCN,/1% H2O2 (groupe E), et 0.1% H2O2 (groupe F). Un examen initial était réalise au cours duquel, l'indice de plaque de Silness et Löe (PI), l'indice de saignement sulculaire de Mühlemann et Son (SBI), et la quantité de fluide gingival (GCF) étaient enregistrés en utilisant le Periotron 6000 sur les dents 16, 12, 24, 36, 32 et 44. Les sujets étaient assignés au hasard soit dans le groupe placebo (n=20), soit dans un groupe test (n=20) et utilisaient leur dentifrices respectifs pendant une période de 8 semaines. Finalement, chaque groupe utilisait le placebo pendant 2 semaines supplémentaires (lessivage). Une réexamination était réalisée après 1, 4, 8 semaines et après la période de lessivage final de 2 semaines avec les mênes indices qu'à l'examen initial. Les modifications intragroupe étaient analysées par le test de Wilcoxon signed ranks, en utilisant les indices initiaux et ceux relevés lors de la période de lessivage. Le test de Mann-Whitney U fut utilisé pour comparer les groupes test et le groupe placebo. A l'examen de la huitième semaine, les indices de plaque du groupe E (p=0.017) et du groupe F (p=0.032) étaient plus bas que dans le groupe placebo. L'indice de saignement sulculaire du groupe F après une semaine était augmenté (p=0.023) et le SBI du groupe E après 8 semaines était diminué (p=0.047), comparé au groupe placebo. Les résultats montrent qu'un dentifrice contenant 0.5% SCN, et 0.1% H2O2, mais ni détergents, ni abrasifs, inhibe la plaque et réduit la gingivite. [source] Implementation of new working methods in the floor-laying trade: Long-term effects on knee load and knee complaintsAMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 6 2010Lilli Kirkeskov Jensen MD Abstract Background This study compared floor laying using new working methods involving standing up, to the traditional methods involving working on one's knees. Methods The study group, 216 subjects, completed a training class in the use of the new floor-laying methods, and received free tools and advice in their use. The control group, 454 subjects, did not get any training, but were free to use the new methods if they wished. In a 2-year-follow-up the effects were evaluated by questionnaires and by in-depth interviews of industry representatives. Regression analysis was used to control for age, body mass index (BMI), and self-reported stress. The quality of the work and time used to perform it comparing the new methods and the traditional methods was evaluated. Results Two years after the training, 38% of participants in the study group used the new working methods weekly or daily compared with 16% of the control group. The risk was at least double for serious knee complaints among floor layers who had not used the new working methods. There were no increased risks for other musculoskeletal complaints involving any other part of the body associated with the use of the new method. Conclusions Within a 2-year time period, the introduction of new working methods in the floor-laying trade has succeeded. More efforts are needed to sustain the use of the methods among those workers who have been trained and to introduce the methods to those workers who do not yet use them. Am. J. Ind. Med. 53: 615,627, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Questioning as an instructional method: Does it affect learning from lectures?APPLIED COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 6 2009Julie Campbell What can be done to improve student engagement and learning in college lectures? One approach is to ask questions that students answer during the lecture. In two lab experiments, students received a 25-slide PowerPoint lecture in educational psychology that included four inserted multiple-choice questions (questioning group) or four corresponding statements (control group). Students in the questioning group used a personal response system (PRS), in which they responded to questions using a hand-held remote control, saw a graph displaying the percentage of students voting for each answer, and heard the teacher provide an explanation for the correct answer. Students in the control group received the corresponding slide as a statement and heard the teacher provide an explanation. The questioning group outperformed the control group on a retention test in Experiment 1 (d,=,1.23) and on a transfer test in Experiment 2 (d,=,0.74), but not on other tests. The results are consistent with a generative theory of learning, and encourage the appropriate use of questioning as an instructional method. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Urology and the Internet: an evaluation of Internet use by urology patients and of information available on urological topicsBJU INTERNATIONAL, Issue 3 2000G.O. Hellawell Objective To determine the use of the Internet by urological patients for obtaining information about their disease, and to conduct an evaluation of urological websites to determine the quality of information available. Patients and methods Questionnaires about Internet use were completed by 180 patients attending a general urological outpatient clinic and by 143 patients attending a prostate cancer outpatient clinic. The Internet evaluation was conducted by reviewing 50 websites listed by the HotbotÔ search engine for two urological topics, prostate cancer and testicular cancer, and recording details such as authorship, information content, references and information scores. Results Of the patients actively seeking further information about their health, 19% of the general urological outpatient group and 24% of the prostate cancer group used the Internet to obtain this information. Most websites were either academic or biomedical (62%), provided conventional information (95%), and were not referenced (71%). The information score (range 10,100) was 44.3 for testicular cancer and 50.7 for prostate cancer; the difference in scores was not significant. Conclusion The use of the Internet by patients is increasing, with > 20% of urology patients using the Internet to obtain further information about their health. Most Internet websites for urological topics provide conventional and good quality information. Urologists should be aware of the need to familiarize themselves with urological websites. Patients can then be directed to high-quality sites to allow them to educate themselves and to help them avoid misleading or unconventional websites. [source] Higher retention after a new take-home computerised testBRITISH JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY, Issue 3 2008Jooyong Park A new computerised testing system was used at home to promote learning and also to save classroom instruction time. The testing system combined the features of short-answer and multiple-choice formats. The questions of the multiple-choice problems were presented without the options so that students had to generate answers for themselves; they could click for the options when they were ready, and could choose one of the options within a brief, specified time period. One hundred thirty-eight Korean sixth-grade students (12-year olds) were divided into two groups: the experimental group took the intervening test on social studies using the new computerised testing method, and the control group used a computerised version of the traditional multiple-choice method. A few days after the intervening computerised test, a recall posttest was given in paper-and-pencil format. The mean posttest score was greater for the experimental group than for the control group. Implications of the result are discussed. [source] Development of the Capacity Necessary to Perform and Promote Knowledge Translation Research in Emergency MedicineACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 11 2007Peter S. Dayan MD Knowledge translation (KT) research in emergency medicine (EM) is in its infancy, and few EM investigators have the skills needed to perform KT research. Furthermore, the capacity to perform such KT research is underdeveloped in the field of EM. This consensus group used an iterative process to set forth initial recommendations and suggest methods for the development of EM KT research capacity. We have emphasized the need to form sustainable linkages, particularly between EM researchers and KT scientists, and to educate EM researchers in KT research methods to help create and sustain a culture of KT in our field. EM KT researchers must also engage local and national organizations and stakeholders to fund and promote KT research. Finally, we see the need to further develop and support EM research networks, as these networks will be both the clinical laboratories in which to perform the KT research and the incubators for the development of EM KT research experts. [source] Diffusion of Medical Progress: Early Spinal Immobilization in the Emergency DepartmentACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 11 2007Mark Hauswald MD Objectives: To examine the spread of new techniques of spinal care through one state's emergency departments (EDs). Methods This was a telephone survey of all 36 EDs in a single state. One physician from each ED was contacted and given a short structured survey instrument to determine when patients who arrived at the ED on backboards were removed from the backboards. Removal was classified as "immediate" if it was done before clinical or radiographic exclusion of cervical spine injury and "delayed" if it was done only after interpretation of any indicated diagnostic radiologic procedures. Further questions were asked to determine if all physicians in the group used the same technique and how this technique had been adopted. Results In all but four hospitals, patients were removed from backboards in the same manner by all physicians, using a protocol or standard procedure. Fifteen of these did immediate and seventeen did delayed removal. In all but one case, the approach of immediate removal was initiated at the hospital by a physician trained or recently working at a university facility. Eight respondents stated that transport service requirements influenced their decision. Conclusions Although logic and the medical literature support removing all patients from a backboard immediately, physicians were unlikely to change their practice after their formal training had been completed until a new member of their group had done so. [source] Fluorometric Investigation of the Acid-Base and Complexation Behaviour of Tetracycline and OxytetracyclineCHINESE JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY, Issue 2 2004Hong-Xia Li Abstract The widely used antibiotics tetracyclines have been effectively used for ailing heart attack, ulcer cure and gene therapy. The actual mechanism of their activity has been proposed to link with the complexes with many metal ions. However, the sites at which complex formation takes place are not well established. In the present work, the deprotonation sequence of tetracycline (TC) and oxytetracycline (OTC), and their specific group used to bind europium ion were investigated by examining the character of fluorescence of TC and OTC as well as that of their complexes. It was concluded that the site of complexation is coordinated with the deprotonation sequence changing with the acidity/basicity of the solution. And it was inferred that five hydrogens in TC and OTC could be dissociated. The deprotonation sequence is as follows: C(3) hydroxy, C(10) phenol, C(4) dimethylamine, C(12) hydroxy and C(12a) hydroxy. The corresponding complexation site changed with pH increase in solution as follows: C(2) acylamino and C(3) hydroxy moiety, C(10)-C(11) ketophenol moiety, C(4) dimethylamine and C(3) hydroxy moiety, C(11)-C(12) ,-diketone moiety, C(12) hydroxy and C(12a) hydroxy moiety, and C(12) hydroxy and C(1) ketone moiety respectively. [source] | |||||||||||||