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Main Indicators (main + indicator)
Selected AbstractsFrom gap gazing to promising cases: Moving toward equity in urban education reform,JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING, Issue 10 2001Alberto J. Rodriguez A case analysis of the Miami-Dade Urban Systemic Initiative is presented in this article, citing this initiative as one of the sites with the greatest promise for affecting equity issues. Using a grounded-theory methodological approach, a general framework for systemic reform was developed as a tool to examine the particulars of systemic reform initiatives and their potential to impact the teaching and learning of science and mathematics in diverse school contexts. It was found that to better understand the effectiveness of systemic reform initiatives requires answering two basic questions: What is the (pedagogical and ideological) systemic conceptual clarity guiding the reform efforts? And, what is the operational approach? Once answers to these questions are found, it becomes easier to explore how key officials are implementing or not implementing other aspects of systemic reform. The article also explains why less attention should be given to student outcomes (based on standardized tests) as the main indicator of success in systemic reform. Instead, it is proposed that insights gained from studying the particulars of promising initiatives can help others stimulate systemic reform in their own contexts, especially in urban contexts, which usually have few resources and a large population of students who are traditionally underserved. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 38: 1115,1129, 2001 [source] Refined analysis of genetic variability parameters in hepatitis C virus and the ability to predict antiviral treatment responseJOURNAL OF VIRAL HEPATITIS, Issue 8 2008J. M. Cuevas Summary., Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infects approximately 3% of the world population. The chronicity of hepatitis C seems to depend on the level of genetic variability. We have recently (Torres-Puente et al., J Viral Hepat, 2008; 15: 188) reported genetic variability estimates from a large-scale sequence analysis of 67 patients infected with HCV subtypes 1a (23 patients) and 1b (44 patients) and related them to response, or lack of, to alpha-interferon plus ribavirin treatment.. Two HCV genome regions were analysed in samples prior to antiviral therapy, one compressing the three hypervariable regions of the E2 glycoprotein and another one including the interferon sensitive determining region and the V3 domain of the NS5A protein. Haplotype and nucleotide diversity measures showed a clear tendency to higher genetic variability levels in nonresponder than in responder patients. Here, we have refined the analysis of genetic variability (haplotype and nucleotide diversity, number of haplotypes and mutations) by considering their distribution in each of the biologically meaningful subregions mentioned above, as well as in their surrounding and intervening regions. Variability levels are very heterogeneous among the different subregions, being higher for nonresponder patients. Interestingly, significant differences were detected in the biologically relevant regions, but also in the surrounding regions, suggesting that the level of variability of the whole HCV genome, rather than exclusively that from the hypervariable regions, is the main indicator of the treatment response. Finally, the number of haplotypes and mutations seem to be better discriminators than haplotype and nucleotide diversity, especially in the NS5A region. [source] Patients' Evaluation of Two Occlusal Schemes for Implant OverdenturesCLINICAL IMPLANT DENTISTRY AND RELATED RESEARCH, Issue 3 2008BHealSc, John M. Aarts BEd, MhealSc, PGDipCDTech ABSTRACT Background: There is an absence of conclusive evidence for occlusal schemes in implant overdentures. Purpose: To investigate the consequences of two different occlusal schemes on levels of satisfaction for patients wearing implant overdentures. Materials and Methods: Within an existing randomized controlled clinical trial, a physiologic occlusal scheme was compared with a lingualized occlusal scheme for 18 selected participants all with implant overdentures. Nine participants had conventional maxillary complete dentures opposing mandibular 2-implant overdentures; a further nine participants had maxillary 3-implant overdentures opposing mandibular 2-implant overdentures. All participants recruited had been wearing their original prostheses for 3 years with a bilateral balance occlusal scheme. The participants' existing satisfaction levels, as a baseline, were determined using visual analogue scale questionnaires. They were followed by similar assessments of two further occlusal schemes using 2-month assessment periods. On completion of the study, the participants selected their preferred occlusal scheme and semiformal interviews were conducted to assess the rationale for their choices. Results: Baseline data showed all the participants had pre-existing high satisfaction levels. Thereafter, of those participants that received lingualized occlusion first, 55.6% reported that the physiologic occlusion was better than lingualized occlusion. For those participants who received the physiologic occlusion first, 85.7% reported that physiologic occlusion was better than lingualized occlusion. On completion of the study, 64.7% of the participants preferred the physiologic occlusion, 35.3% preferred the lingualized occlusion. However, when the two groups' satisfaction scores were modeled using the three main key indicator questions (general satisfaction, general ability to chew, or general function), there were no significant differences between them. Conclusions: Within the limitations of a small number of participants, the majority of them still indicated a preference for a physiologic occlusion for implant overdentures. Improved function was given as the main indicator for that preference. Having implant overdentures in one or both jaws is not a formative factor in patient's opinions on occlusal schemes. [source] ,Europeanizing' Civil Society: NGOs as Agents of Political SocializationJCMS: JOURNAL OF COMMON MARKET STUDIES, Issue 4 2001Alex Warleigh As a strategy for tackling the ,democratic deficit', attention is increasingly shifting towards the ,Europeanization' of civil society, the latter being traditionally viewed as a means both to limit state power and to promote intra-citizenry solidarity. However, this attempted change requires in turn actors who are both able and willing to act as agents of political socialization in the context of EU policy-making. This article examines the emphasis placed by both EU actors and the current academic literature on NGOs as such agents. Drawing on an analysis of similar claims made in development policy, I isolate the main indicators of NGOs' ability to foster the Europeanization of civil society via political socialization and put forward seven key tests of their ability to carry out this function in the EU context. These are then evaluated against the results of original empirical investigations. I argue that NGOs are currently unsuited to the task of Europeanizing civil society thanks to their inability to promote the political socialization of their supporters. As a consequence that task requires EU-level institutional reform informed by iterated public dialogue, as well as change in the working practices of NGOs. [source] Oral candidiasis as a clinical marker related to viral load, CD4 lymphocyte count and CD4 lymphocyte percentage in HIV-infected patientsJOURNAL OF ORAL PATHOLOGY & MEDICINE, Issue 1 2002J. Campo Abstract Background:, High viral load is currently considered to be one of the main indicators of the progression of HIV-induced immunodepression, but few studies have analysed its relationship to the presence of oral candidiasis (OC). The aim of this cross-sectional study is to analyse the relationship between viral load, total CD4 lymphocyte count, and percentage of CD4 lymphocytes to the occurrence of OC. Methods:, The present cross-sectional study included 156 HIV-infected patients seen at a clinic for sexually transmitted diseases and HIV. We assesed the presence or absence of OC, and microbiological samples were obtained from the palatine mucosa and dorsal tongue for a smear stained with KOH (potassium hydroxide) and culture on Sabouraud's dextrose agar in all patients. Viral load was determined by quantification of viral RNA in peripheral blood with a minimum detectable level of 500 RNA copies/ml. CD4+ counts/CD4+ percentage were categorized as <200/<14%, 200,499/14,28%, and >500/>29%, and HIV viral loads were categorized as <500, 500,10,000, >10,000 copies/ml. Results:, Thirty-eight percent (37.8%) of the patients had OC. Patients with CD4+ lymphocyte counts below 200×106/l and CD4+ percentages below 14% showed a significantly higher frequency of OC (57.9% and 48.0%, respectively). Patients with a viral load over 10,000 copies/ml also had OC more frequently (44.8%). In the multiple logistic regression analysis, OC showed a statistically significant association with high viral load [>10,000 vs <500, odds ratio (OR)=11.4], low percentage of CD4+ lymphocytes (<14% vs >28%, OR=5), and injection drug use (IDU vs heterosexual transmission, OR=10.2). In HIV-infected patients, high viral load was associated with more frequent OC, regardless of CD4+ lymphocyte level. Conclusions:, These findings suggest that oral candidiasis could be a useful clinical marker of patients with high viral load. In view of these results, emphasis should be placed on the importance of systematic examination of the oral cavity in all medical follow-up examinations of HIV-infected patients. [source] Effects of experimental acidification and alkalinization on soil and growth and health of Acer saccharum Marsh.JOURNAL OF PLANT NUTRITION AND SOIL SCIENCE, Issue 6 2008Rock Ouimet Abstract Experimental application of eight acidifying, neutral, or alkalizer compounds (range: ,16 to 16 kmol ha,1 of acid-neutralizing capacity [ANC]) was realized in two northern hardwood stands having significantly different soil base saturation (BS) (a "poor" and a "rich" site) to assess responses of soil physico-chemical properties, and nutrition, growth, and health of sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) trees in the short (3 y) and longer term (10 y). The treatments influenced the main indicators of acidity in the forest floor (soil exchangeable-Ca saturation [SCa], BS, exchangeable-acidity saturation [SH+Al], and the SCa/SH+Al ratio) at both sites, their values increasing (decreasing for SH+Al) along the ANC treatment gradient in both the short and longer term, except for pH. Base saturation of the upper 15,cm of the mineral B horizons of soils was influenced at the two sites 10 y after treatment application. Although ANC treatments affected nutrient concentrations of tree foliage in the short term, their effect was no longer detectable after 10 y at the two sites. Growth, however, was strongly related to ANC treatments after 10 y, but only at the poor site. From 1990 to 2000, the basal-area growth rate of trees at the poor site was (mean ± SE) ,0.62 ± 0.28,cm2 y,2 tree,1 for the most negative ANC treatment to +0.90 ± 0.20,cm2 y,2 tree,1 for the most positive ANC treatment. A climatic-stress episode occurring in 1995/96 appeared to accentuate the growth decline of trees subjected to the most negative ANC treatment at the poor site. The experimental results support the hypothesis that atmospheric acid deposition load can cause forest soil base-cation depletion, acidification, and predispose sugar maple to health and growth decline in the longer term in base-cation-poor soils, and that the phenomenon may be reversible by adding alkalizers. [source] Environmental management and strategic positioning of Spanish manufacturing industriesBUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, Issue 1 2004Roberto Fernández Gago This work is based on data collected from a survey of environmental managers in 277 Spanish manufacturing industries with the objective of analysing the attitudes of companies towards the environment. The analysis determined the main indicators of these companies' environmental strategy and classified them into strategic clusters according to the accumulative or progressive scale suggested theoretically in the existing economic literature. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. 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