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Several Domains (several + domain)
Selected AbstractsThe association between depression and health-related quality of life in people with type 2 diabetes: a systematic literature reviewDIABETES/METABOLISM: RESEARCH AND REVIEWS, Issue 2 2010Saima Ali Abstract The relationships between co-morbid depression in people with diabetes and adverse outcomes including poor HbA1c control, adherence to medication and mortality have been examined and confirmed. However, as the awareness of the decrement to health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in people with diabetes and its clinical consequences grows, investigators have become increasingly interested in measuring HRQOL in clinical trials. Given that the psychological factors such as depression may contribute to diminished HRQOL, the present review sought to summarize the association between these variables in people with type 2 diabetes. Articles for a systematic review were obtained via a search performed using MEDLINE, EMBASE and PsycINFO (1980,2007). Fourteen articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Studies indicated that self-reported depressive symptoms markedly impaired HRQOL on several domains. However, depression was not related to all sub-domains of HRQOL in all studies, suggesting that the effects of depression on certain aspects of HRQOL may vary between clinical and demographic subgroups. Although a number of shortcomings identified in the current literature should be taken into account for future research, the importance of this review lies in the possibility it raises that the improvements in HRQOL and clinical practice may potentially be achieved by placing greater attention on the identification and management of depression. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Neuropsychiatric disturbances in SLE are associated with antibodies against NMDA receptorsEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY, Issue 5 2005R. Omdal To determine whether neuropsychiatric manifestations in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are influenced by antibodies against the human N-methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA) receptor types NR2a or NR2b. A decapeptide was synthesized containing a sequence motif present in the extracellular ligand-binding domain of NMDA receptors NR2a and NR2b, bound by the monoclonal murine anti-DNA antibody R4A. In an ELISA with the murine monoclonal R4v as positive control, plasma samples of 57 patients with SLE were examined for the anti-peptide (anti-NR2) antibody after the patients had been subjected to comprehensive psychological and cognitive testing. Poor performance on the Visual Paired Associates test (immediate), the Grooved Pegboard test, as well as high scores on the Beck Depression Inventory, and scales D-2 (depression), Pd-4 (psychopathic deviate), Sc-8 (schizophrenia), and Ma-9 (hypomania) of the MMPI-2 were significantly associated with elevated levels of anti-NR2 antibodies. The findings in several domains indicate an association between anti-NR2 antibodies and depressed mood in addition to decreased short-time memory and learning. Antibodies to NMDA receptors thus may represent one of several mechanisms for cerebral dysfunction in patients with SLE. [source] Shoulder and neck morbidity in quality of life after surgery for head and neck cancerHEAD & NECK: JOURNAL FOR THE SCIENCES & SPECIALTIES OF THE HEAD AND NECK, Issue 10 2004C. P. van Wilgen PT Abstract Background. Quality of life has become a major issue in determining the outcome of treatment in head and neck surgery with curative intent. The aim of our study was to determine which factors in the postoperative care, especially shoulder and neck morbidity, are related to quality of life and how these outcomes compared between patients who had undergone surgery and a control group. Methods. We analyzed physical symptoms, psychological symptoms, and social and functional well-being at least 1 year after surgery and evaluated the differences in quality of life between patients who had undergone head and neck surgery and a control group. Results. Depression scores contributed significantly to all domains of quality of life. Reduced shoulder abduction, shoulder pain, and neck pain are related to several domains of quality of life. The patient group scored significantly worse for social functioning and limitations from physical problems but scored significantly better for bodily pain and health changes. Conclusion. Depression and shoulder and neck morbidity are important factors in quality of life for patients who have undergone surgery for head and neck cancer. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck26: 839,844, 2004 [source] Development of a knowledge-based system for nonpowered hand tools (Tool Expert): Part I,The scientific basisHUMAN FACTORS AND ERGONOMICS IN MANUFACTURING & SERVICE INDUSTRIES, Issue 3 2004Berman Kayis The need for developing a clear and concise guide for designing, selecting, and using hand tools would minimize if not eliminate acute,chronic trauma exposure factors and help improve efficiency, well-being, and morale. Despite several research efforts devoted to the exploration and understanding of the interrelation between human capabilities, task requirements, nature of tasks, and ergonomically designed hand tools, there appear to be several problems in utilizing existing knowledge in practical use. One of the most important barriers is the lack of interaction of several specialists from different backgrounds. In this article, TOOL-EXPERT, a knowledge-based system developed to assert the ergonomical nonpowered hand tool design, selection, and use, is explained, which will provide a guideline to several users from various backgrounds. The system is designed to run in any IBM-compatible personal computer system. Knowledge from several domains was included. The type of knowledge used in the research was selected to be a declarative knowledge. Altogether it includes 423 goals, 35 questions, and 40 rules. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Hum Factors Man 14: 257,268, 2004. [source] The role of trout in stream food webs: integrating evidence from field surveys and experimentsJOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY, Issue 2 2006KRISTIAN MEISSNER Summary 1We evaluated the effects of brown trout on boreal stream food webs using field surveys and enclosure/exclosure experiments. Experimental results were related to prey preference of uncaged trout in the same stream, as well as to a survey of macroinvertebrate densities in streams with vs. without trout. Finally, we assessed the generality of our findings by examining salmonid predation on three groups of macroinvertebrate prey (chironomid midges, epibenthic grazers, invertebrate predators) in a meta-analysis. 2In a preliminary experiment, invertebrate predators showed a strong negative response to trout, whereas chironomids benefited from trout presence. In the main experiment, trout impact increased with prey size. Trout had the strongest effect on invertebrate predators and cased caddis larvae, whereas Baetis mayfly and chironomid larvae were unaffected. Trout impact on the largest prey seemed mainly consumptive, because prey emigration rates were low and independent of fish presence. Despite strong effects on macroinvertebrates, trout did not induce a trophic cascade on periphyton. Uncaged trout showed a strong preference for the largest prey items (predatory invertebrates and aerial prey), whereas Baetis mayflies and chironomids were avoided by trout. 3Densities of invertebrate predators were significantly higher in troutless streams. Baetis mayflies also were less abundant in trout streams, whereas densities of chironomids were positively, although non-significantly, related to trout presence. Meta-analysis showed a strong negative impact of trout on invertebrate predators, a negative but variable impact on mobile grazers (mainly mayfly larvae) and a slightly positive impact on chironomid larvae. 4Being size-selective predators, salmonid fishes have a strong impact on the largest prey types available, and this effect spans several domains of scale. Discrepancies between our experimental findings and those from the field survey and meta-analysis show, however, that for most lotic prey, small-scale experiments do not reflect fish impact reliably at stream-wide scales. 5Our findings suggest that small-scale experiments will be useful only if the experimental results are evaluated carefully against natural history information about the experimental system and interacting species across a wide array of spatial scales. [source] Recent Research on Impulsivity in Individuals With Drug Use and Mental Health Disorders: Implications for AlcoholismALCOHOLISM, Issue 8 2010Robert D. Rogers Alcohol misuse and dependence, and many of its accompanying psychological problems, are associated with heightened levels of impulsivity that both accelerate the development of clinically significant illness and complicate clinical outcome. This article reviews recent developments in our understanding of impulsivity as they relate to brain circuitry that might underlie these comorbid factors, focusing upon the clinical features of substance use (and dependence), bipolar disorder, and pathological gambling. Individuals who are affected by these disorders exhibit problems in several domains of impulsive behavior including deficient response or "motor" control, and the tolerance of prolonged delays prior to larger rewards at the expense of smaller rewards ("delay-discounting"). These populations, like alcoholic dependents, also exhibit impairments in risky decision-making that may reflect dysfunction of monoamine and catecholamine pathways. However, several areas of uncertainty exist including the specificity of impairments across disorders and the relationship between impulse control problems and altered evaluation of reward outcomes underlying observed impairments in action selection. [source] Prucalopride, a systemic enterokinetic, for the treatment of constipationALIMENTARY PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS, Issue 7 2002A. V. Emmanuel Summary Background : Laxatives are frequently ineffective in treating constipation. An alternative therapeutic approach is to target serotonin-4 receptors, which are involved in initiating peristalsis. Aim : In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, to assess the efficacy and safety of a systemically active serotonin-4 agonist, prucalopride. Methods : Seventy-four women with constipation were stratified into slow or normal transit groups, and each group was randomized to receive either placebo or 1 mg prucalopride daily for 4 weeks. A bowel function diary was maintained. Whole-gut and orocaecal transit, visceral sensitivity, quality of life and psychological state were assessed before and after treatment. Results : Prucalopride, not placebo, increased spontaneous stool frequency (P=0.008) and reduced time to first stool (P < 0.001). Prucalopride reduced the number of retained markers in all patients compared to placebo (P=0.004). Prucalopride reduced the mean number of retained markers in slow transit (P=0.069), but did not alter the marker count in normal transit (P=0.86). Orocaecal transit was accelerated by prucalopride, not placebo (P=0.004). Prucalopride, notplacebo, increased rectal sensitivity to distension (urge volume, P=0.01) and electrical stimulation (P=0.001). Prucalopride significantly improved several domains of the Short Form Health Status Survey and the disease-specific quality of life. Adverse effects were similar for prucalopride and placebo. Conclusions : Prucalopride improves symptoms, upper gut transit and gut sensitivity in constipated patients with both slow and normal transit. It improves transit in patients with slow transit. These changes are associated with improved well-being. [source] EVIDENCE THEORY AS A PROCEDURE FOR HANDLING NOVEL EVENTSMETROECONOMICA, Issue 2 2009Article first published online: 12 AUG 200, Guido Fioretti ABSTRACT Evidence Theory is a branch of the mathematics of uncertain reasoning that entails profound epistemological differences with respect to Probability Theory. In fact, its paradigmatic situation is the judge who must evaluate testimonies, rather than the gambler who must evaluates odds. Unlike a gambler, who faces a definite set of possibilities, a judge maybe forced to change her evaluation because of novel possibilities suggested by unexpected testimonies. In this sense, Evidence Theory provides a formalization of some among Shackles intuitions. While the details of the connections between Shackle's theory and Evidence Theory have been explored elsewhere, this article is devoted to a detailed explanation of the working of Evidence Theory. An example is discussed in detail and several domains of application are briefly sketched. [source] Long-term effects of bilateral subthalamic nucleus stimulation on health-related quality of life in advanced Parkinson's diseaseMOVEMENT DISORDERS, Issue 6 2006Andrew Siderowf MD, MSCE Abstract We evaluated the long-term effects of subthalamic nucleus (STN) stimulation on health-related quality of life (HRQL) in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease (PD). STN stimulation improves motor function and decreases medication requirements in patients with advanced PD. The impact of STN stimulation on HRQL is less well established, especially beyond 1 year after surgery. We report HRQL outcomes for 18 patients with advanced PD. Patients were evaluated with the Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire-39 (PDQ-39), the Medical Outcome Study Short Form (SF-36), and the EuroQol visual analogue scale (VAS) before surgery, 6 months postoperatively, and at a long-term follow-up visit (mean, 35.9 months; range, 18,57 months after surgery). Preoperative scores on HRQL measures were compared to results obtained at short- and long-term follow-up evaluations. The VAS and all domains of the PDQ-39 except for cognition, communication, and social support showed marked improvements at 6 months after surgery. At the long-term follow-up, there were sustained improvements in the VAS (63% improvement; P = 0.0009) and in several domains of the PDQ-39 [mobility: 20%, P = 0.01; activities of daily living (ADL): 29%, P = 0.005; emotional well-being: 26%, P = 0.02; stigma: 43%, P = 0.003; and bodily discomfort: 35%, P = 0.007]. At the long-term evaluation, only the vitality domain of the SF-36 was significantly improved from baseline (16%; P = 0.01). In this selected group of patients, many of the short-term gains in HRQL persist beyond 18 months after STN implantation. Benefits in nonmotor aspects of HRQL such as bodily discomfort and stigma appear to be among the most durable. © 2006 Movement Disorder Society [source] Cultural consonance and adult body composition in urban BrazilAMERICAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN BIOLOGY, Issue 1 2008William W. Dressler In previous research in Brazil, we found socioeconomic and gender differences in body mass and percent body fat, consistent with a model in which individuals in higher socioeconomic strata, especially women, could achieve a cultural ideal of body size and shape. In this article, using new data, we examine these processes more precisely using measures of cultural consonance. Cultural consonance refers to the degree to which individuals approximate, in their own beliefs and behaviors, the shared prototypes for belief and behavior encoded in cultural models. We have found higher cultural consonance in several domains to be associated with health outcomes. Furthermore, there tends to be a general consistency in cultural consonance across domains. Here we suggest that measures of body composition can be considered indicators of individuals' success in achieving cultural ideals of the body, and that cultural consonance in several domains will be associated with body composition. Using waist circumference as an outcome, smaller waist size was associated with higher cultural consonance in lifestyle (, = ,0.311, P < 0.01) and higher cultural consonance in the consumption of high prestige foods (, = ,0.260, P < 0.01) for women (n = 161), but not for men (n = 106), controlling for age, family income, tobacco use, and dietary intake of protein and carbohydrates. Similar results were obtained using the body mass index and weight as outcomes, while there were no associations with height. These results help to illuminate the cultural mediation of body composition. Am. J. Hum. Biol., 2008. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] The Modern Call Center: A Multi-Disciplinary Perspective on Operations Management ResearchPRODUCTION AND OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT, Issue 6 2007Zeynep Aksin Call centers are an increasingly important part of today's business world, employing millions of agents across the globe and serving as a primary customer-facing channel for firms in many different industries. Call centers have been a fertile area for operations management researchers in several domains, including forecasting, capacity planning, queueing, and personnel scheduling. In addition, as telecommunications and information technology have advanced over the past several years, the operational challenges faced by call center managers have become more complicated. Issues associated with human resources management, sales, and marketing have also become increasingly relevant to call center operations and associated academic research. In this paper, we provide a survey of the recent literature on call center operations management. Along with traditional research areas, we pay special attention to new management challenges that have been caused by emerging technologies, to behavioral issues associated with both call center agents and customers, and to the interface between call center operations and sales and marketing. We identify a handful of broad themes for future investigation while also pointing out several very specific research opportunities. [source] Acrosome Biosynthesis in Spermatocytes and Spermatids Revealed by HPA Lectin CytochemistryTHE ANATOMICAL RECORD : ADVANCES IN INTEGRATIVE ANATOMY AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY, Issue 9 2008Galder Valbuena Abstract The origin of the acrosome is controversial, because of both its lysosomal nature and at the moment of its appearance, which seems to be species-specific. Considering the amazing organization shown by the acrosome of some urodele amphibians, HPA-colloidal gold cytochemistry was used to analyze the biogenesis of the acrosome in the urodele Pleurodeles waltl at electron microscopy level. The results showed that HPA-labeling is useful to label the acrosome and its precursor vesicles and, consequently, HPA-histochemistry could be used as a marker of acrosomal content. Labeling of the Golgi apparatus and precursor vesicles was seen in primary spermatocytes and round (stage I) spermatids, thus contributing solid evidence for the beginning of acrosome biogenesis before meiosis. In both primary spermatocytes and round spermatids, an enigmatic vesicle, probably related to the biosynthesis of the neck piece or the tail, was also labeled. Labeling in elongating spermatids (stage II,IV), showed a homogeneous distribution of colloidal gold particles in the acrosomal cap, but the perforatorium was not positive to the lectin. However, in mature (stage V,VI) spermatids, a regional distribution of labeling in the acrosome was seen, with the apical knob showing a stronger labeling than the lateral barb, and the lateral barb showing a stronger labeling than the principal piece of the acrosomal cap. This regional distribution of the labeling suggests that the acrosome develops several domains with different glycoconjugate compositions. Anat Rec, 291:1097-1105, 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Twenty Years of the Journal of Product Innovation Management: History, Participants, and Knowledge Stock and FlowsTHE JOURNAL OF PRODUCT INNOVATION MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2007Wim Biemans The Journal of Product Innovation Management (JPIM) serves as a marketplace for science-based, innovative ideas that are produced and consumed by scholars and businesspeople. Now that JPIM has existed for 20 years, two intriguing questions emerge: (1) How has the journal evolved over time in terms of knowledge stock, that is, what are the characteristics of the growing stock of knowledge published by JPIM over the years; and (2) how has the journal evolved in knowledge flow, that is, how is JPIM influenced by other scientific publications and what is its impact on other journals? In terms of knowledge stock, over 35% of the articles published over the 20 years investigate processes and metrics for performance management. The next most frequently published area was strategy, planning, and decision making (20%), followed by customer and market research (17%). The dominant research method used was a cross-sectional large-sample survey, and the focus most usually is at the project level of the firm. The large majority of JPIM authors (60%) have a marketing background, with the remaining 40% representing numerous functional domains. Academics at all levels publish in JPIM, and though most authors hail from North America, the Dutch are a significant second group. JPIM was analyzed from a knowledge-flow perspective by looking at the scientific sources used by JPIM authors to develop their ideas and articles. To this end a bibliometric analysis was performed by analyzing all references in articles published in JPIM. During 1984,2003 JPIM published 488 articles, containing 10,314 references to journals and 6,533 references to other sources. Some 20% of these references (2,020) were self-references to JPIM articles. The remaining 8,294 journal references were to articles in 287 journals in the fields of management (25%), marketing (24%), and management of technology (14%). However, it should be pointed out that many domains were dominated by a limited number of journals. The second component of knowledge flow concerns the extent to which the ideas developed in JPIM are consumed by other authors. Again, bibliometric analysis was used to analyze data from the Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) about citations to JPIM in other journals. For the period 1984,2005, the SSCI registered 7,773 citations to JPIM in 2,067 articles published in 278 journals (including the 2,020 self-citations in JPIM). The functional areas most frequently citing JPIM are management of technology (25%), marketing (15%), management (14%), and operations management and management science (9%). Again, several domains were found to be dominated by a limited number of journals. At the level of individual journals the analysis shows a growing impact of JPIM on management of technology journals. The knowledge-flow analysis demonstrates how JPIM functions as a bridge between the knowledge from various domains and the body of knowledge on management of technology. It suggests a growing specialization of the field of technology innovation management, with JPIM being firmly entrenched as the acknowledged leading journal. [source] Seeing Red (and Blue): Effects of Electoral College Depictions on Political Group PerceptionANALYSES OF SOCIAL ISSUES & PUBLIC POLICY, Issue 1 2009Abraham M. Rutchick Colored maps depicting electoral results may exacerbate perceptions of polarization, rather than merely reflecting them. Participants viewed maps of state-by-state Presidential election results that were either Electoral (red/Republican or blue/Democrat) or Proportional (purples that proportionally reflected each group's support). Half of the maps also displayed state-level numeric electoral results. Participants viewing Electoral maps perceived the nation as more politically divided, stereotyped the political beliefs of residents of various states more, and saw people holding views in the political minority as less agentic and less likely to vote. These differences occurred even in the presence of numeric data. Implications of these findings for intergroup perception in several domains are discussed, including the impact of electoral depictions on political campaigns and elections. [source] Cost,Benefit Associations and Financial BehaviorAPPLIED PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 3 2009Bernadette Kamleitner Financial behavior involves costs and benefits. How strongly costs and benefits are perceived as being related to each other is hypothesised to influence affect, cognition, and behavior. Thus, the subject of cost,benefit associations is relevant in several domains of applied psychology. Illustrated by examples from applied areas like consumption, work, and citizenship, the current paper underlines the importance of cost,benefit associations by presenting theoretical approaches to their analysis and discussing major antecedents and consequences. Le comportement financier implique des coûts et des bénéfices. Nous testons la façon dont la perception des liens entre coûts et bénéfices influence l'affect, la cognition et les comportements. L'analyse des liens coûts-bénéfices est pertinente pour différents domaines de la psychologie appliquée. Illustrés par des exemples pris dans des domaines d'application comme la consommation, le travail et la citoyenneté, cet article souligne l'importance des liens coûts-bénéfices en présentant les approches théoriques qui ont servis à leur analyse et en discutant de leurs antécédents et leurs conséquences majeurs. [source] Subgrouping of fibromyalgia patients on the basis of pressure-pain thresholds and psychological factorsARTHRITIS & RHEUMATISM, Issue 10 2003Thorsten Giesecke Objective Although the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria for fibromyalgia are used to identify individuals with both widespread pain and tenderness, individuals who meet these criteria are not a homogeneous group. Patients differ in their accompanying clinical symptoms, as well as in the relative contributions of biologic, psychological, and cognitive factors to their symptom expression. Therefore, it seems useful to identify subsets of fibromyalgia patients on the basis of which of these factors are present. Previous attempts at identifying subsets have been based solely on psychological and cognitive features. In this study, we attempt to identify patient subsets by incorporating these features as well as the degree of hyperalgesia/tenderness, which is a key neurobiologic feature of this illness. Methods Ninety-seven individuals meeting the ACR criteria for fibromyalgia finished the same battery of self-report and evoked-pain testing. Analyzed variables were obtained from several domains, consisting of 1) mood (evaluated by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale [for depression] and the State-Trait Personality Inventory [for symptoms of trait-related anxiety]), 2) cognition (by the catastrophizing and control of pain subscales of the Coping Strategies Questionnaire), and 3) hyperalgesia/tenderness (by dolorimetry and random pressure-pain applied at suprathreshold values). Cluster analytic procedures were used to distinguish subgroups of fibromyalgia patients based on these domains. Results Three clusters best fit the data. Multivariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) confirmed that each variable was differentiated by the cluster solution (Wilks' , [degrees of freedom 6,89] = 0.123, P < 0.0001), with univariate ANOVAs also indicating significant differences (all P < 0.05). One subgroup of patients (n = 50) was characterized by moderate mood ratings, moderate levels of catastrophizing and perceived control over pain, and low levels of tenderness. A second subgroup (n = 31) displayed significantly elevated values on the mood assessments, the highest values on the catastrophizing subscale, the lowest values for perceived control over pain, and high levels of tenderness. The third group (n = 16) had normal mood ratings, very low levels of catastrophizing, and the highest level of perceived control over pain, but these subjects showed extreme tenderness on evoked-pain testing. Conclusion These data help support the clinical impression that there are distinct subgroups of patients with fibromyalgia. There appears to be a group of fibromyalgia patients who exhibit extreme tenderness but lack any associated psychological/cognitive factors, an intermediate group who display moderate tenderness and have normal mood, and a group in whom mood and cognitive factors may be significantly influencing the symptom report. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||