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Systematic Application (systematic + application)
Selected AbstractsAnteroposterior patterning in the limb and digit specification: Contribution of mouse geneticsDEVELOPMENTAL DYNAMICS, Issue 9 2006Benoît Robert Abstract The limb has been a privileged object of investigation and reflection for scientists over the past two centuries and continues to provide a heuristic framework to analyze vertebrate development. Recently, accumulation of new data has significantly changed our view on the mechanisms of limb patterning, in particular along the anterior-posterior axis. These data have led us to revisit the mode of action of the zone of polarizing activity. They shed light on the molecular and cellular mechanisms of patterning linked to the Shh-Gli3 signaling pathway and give insights into the mechanism of activation of these cardinal factors, as well as the consequences of their activity. These new data are in good part the result of systematic Application of tools used in contemporary mouse molecular genetics. These have extended the power of mouse genetics by introducing mutational strategies that allow fine-tuned modulation of gene expression, interchromosomal deletions and duplication. They have even made the mouse embryo amenable to cell lineage analysis that used to be the realm of chick embryos. In this review, we focus on the data acquired over the last five years from the analysis of mouse limb development and discuss new perspectives opened by these results. Developmental Dynamics 235:2337,2352, 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Species prioritization for monitoring and management in regional multiple species conservation plansDIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS, Issue 3 2008Helen M. Regan ABSTRACT Successful conservation plans are not solely achieved by acquiring optimally designed reserves. Ongoing monitoring and management of the biodiversity in those reserves is an equally important, but often neglected or poorly executed, part of the conservation process. In this paper we address one of the first and most important steps in designing a monitoring program , deciding what to monitor. We present a strategy for prioritizing species for monitoring and management in multispecies conservation plans. We use existing assessments of threatened status, and the degree and spatial and temporal extent of known threats to link the prioritization of species to the overarching goals and objectives of the conservation plan. We consider both broad and localized spatial scales to capture the regional conservation context and the practicalities of local management and monitoring constraints. Spatial scales that are commensurate with available data are selected. We demonstrate the utility of this strategy through application to a set of 85 plants and animals in an established multispecies conservation plan in San Diego County, California, USA. We use the prioritization to identify the most prominent risk factors and the habitats associated with the most threats to species. The protocol highlighted priorities that had not previously been identified and were not necessarily intuitive without systematic application of the criteria; many high-priority species have received no monitoring attention to date, and lower-priority species have. We recommend that in the absence of clear focal species, monitoring threats in highly impacted habitats may be a way to circumvent the need to monitor all the targeted species. [source] Application of activity-based costing (ABC) for a Peruvian NGO healthcare providerINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HEALTH PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2001Dr. Hugh Waters Abstract This article describes the application of activity-based costing (ABC) to calculate the unit costs of the services for a health care provider in Peru. While traditional costing allocates overhead and indirect costs in proportion to production volume or to direct costs, ABC assigns costs through activities within an organization. ABC uses personnel interviews to determine principal activities and the distribution of individual's time among these activities. Indirect costs are linked to services through time allocation and other tracing methods, and the result is a more accurate estimate of unit costs. The study concludes that applying ABC in a developing country setting is feasible, yielding results that are directly applicable to pricing and management. ABC determines costs for individual clinics, departments and services according to the activities that originate these costs, showing where an organization spends its money. With this information, it is possible to identify services that are generating extra revenue and those operating at a loss, and to calculate cross subsidies across services. ABC also highlights areas in the health care process where efficiency improvements are possible. Conclusions about the ultimate impact of the methodology are not drawn here, since the study was not repeated and changes in utilization patterns and the addition of new clinics affected applicability of the results. A potential constraint to implementing ABC is the availability and organization of cost information. Applying ABC efficiently requires information to be readily available, by cost category and department, since the greatest benefits of ABC come from frequent, systematic application of the methodology in order to monitor efficiency and provide feedback for management. The article concludes with a discussion of the potential applications of ABC in the health sector in developing countries. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Development of psychophysics in Japan,JAPANESE PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH, Issue 4 2008TADASU OYAMA Abstract:, In Japan, psychophysics began as early as 1888 with the first lecture on it given by Yujiro Motora at the Imperial University (the University of Tokyo), following the completion of his PhD, at the laboratory of G. S. Hall. In 1910, A Photographic Album of Experimental Psychology was published, which included many photographs of psychophysical experiments. In 1933, Sadaji Takagi conducted the first experiment on animal psychophysics to investigate shape constancy in small birds. In 1949, the first experiment on infant psychophysics was conducted by Jyuji Misumi to study the early development of size constancy. And, in 1955, Tadasu Oyama proposed a new psychophysical technique, naming the method of transposition to measure perceived size ratios without using numerical expressions. This method has been successfully applied to the measurement of illusions, figural after-effects, and size constancy. In 1960, Tarow Indow and his collaborators published their first systematic application of multidimensional scaling to color perception. They also applied it to study the perceptual structure of visual space. Recent developments in those topics in Japan are also reviewed. [source] Neurorehabilitation of Upper Extremities in Humans with Sensory-Motor ImpairmentNEUROMODULATION, Issue 1 2002Dejan B. Popovic PhD Abstract Today most clinical investigators agree that the common denominator for successful therapy in subjects after central nervous system (CNS) lesions is to induce concentrated, repetitive practice of the more affected limb as soon as possible after the onset of impairment. This paper reviews representative methods of neurorehabilitation such as constraining the less affected arm and using a robot to facilitate movement of the affected arm, and focuses on functional electrotherapy promoting the movement recovery. The functional electrical therapy (FET) encompasses three elements: 1) control of movements that are compromised because of the impairment, 2) enhanced exercise of paralyzed extremities, and 3) augmented activity of afferent neural pathway. Liberson et al. (1) first reported an important result of the FET; they applied a peroneal stimulator to enhance functionally essential ankle dorsiflexion during the swing phase of walking. Merletti et al. (2) described a similar electrotherapeutic effect for upper extremities; they applied a two-channel electronic stimulator and surface electrodes to augment elbow extension and finger extension during different reach and grasp activities. Both electrotherapies resulted in immediate and carry-over effects caused by systematic application of FET. In studies with subjects after a spinal cord lesion at the cervical level (chronic tetraplegia) (3,5) or stroke (6), it was shown that FET improves grasping and reaching by using the following outcome measures: the Upper Extremity Function Test (UEFT), coordination between elbow and shoulder movement, and the Functional Independence Measure (FIM). Externally applied electrical stimuli provided a strong central sensory input which could be responsible for the changes in the organization of impaired sensory-motor mechanisms. FET resulted in stronger muscles that were stimulated directly, as well as exercising other muscles. The ability to move paralyzed extremities also provided awareness (proprioception and visual feedback) of enhanced functional ability as being very beneficial for the recovery. FET contributed to the increased range of movement in the affected joints, increased speed of joint rotations, reduced spasticity, and improved functioning measured by the UEFT, the FIM and the Quadriplegia Index of Function (QIF). [source] Hindbrain patterning revisited: timing and effects of retinoic acid signallingBIOESSAYS, Issue 11 2001Gerrit Begemann Retinoids play a critical role in patterning, segmentation, and neurogenesis of the posterior hindbrain and it has been proposed that they act as a posteriorising signal during hindbrain development. Until now, direct evidence that endogenous retinoid signalling acts through a gradient to specify cell fates along the anteroposterior axis has been missing. Two recent studies tested the requirement for retinoid signalling in the developing hindbrain through systematic application of a pan-retinoic acid receptor antagonist.(1,2) They demonstrate a stage-dependent requirement for increasing retinoid signalling activity along the hindbrain that proceeds from anterior to posterior. Together these findings challenge the concept of a stable gradient of retinoic acid across the hindbrain and warrant a re-interpretation of the phenotypes obtained by genetic and nutritional disruption of retinoid signalling in the amniote embryo. BioEssays 23:981,986, 2001. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. [source] Treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: the impact of comorbidityCLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHOTHERAPY (AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF THEORY & PRACTICE), Issue 5 2001William E. Pelham Jr A significant percentage of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have comorbid, associated problems, such as learning disabilities, oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, and internalizing disorders. However, it will be argued that comorbid diagnoses are not useful in treatment planning. In order to effectively treat the problematic behaviours associated with these comorbidities, clinicians must systematically assess for the impairment related to these comorbidities and implement treatment aimed to reduce impaired functioning and increase competencies in important functional domains. Clinicians who utilize this approach will find (1) that diagnosis matters little for treatment planning, while functional impairment matters a great deal, and (2) that the systematic application of behaviour modification principles improves functioning across diagnostic categories. A case study of a multiply comorbid child with ADHD is presented to illustrate effective treatment for ADHD and comorbid disorders. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] | ||||||||||||||||