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Time Frame (time + frame)
Kinds of Time Frame Selected AbstractsDynamic strategy for teaching structural analysisCOMPUTER APPLICATIONS IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION, Issue 4 2002Jamal El-Rimawi Abstract Improving students' understanding of structural analysis within a limited time represents a challenge for both students and lecturers. As a result, emphasis is usually placed on either the analytical or conceptual aspect of the subject. This paper argues that, within the same time frame, the simultaneous development of both aspects could lead to a better understanding of the subject. The development and implementation of a computer program suitable for this purpose is described, and its application to the compatibility method is illustrated. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 10: 194,203, 2002; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com); DOI 10.1002/cae.10028 [source] Volume Overload and Cardiorenal SyndromesCONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE, Issue 2010Claudio Ronco MD To include the vast array of interrelated derangements and to stress the bidirectional nature of the heart-kidney interactions, the classification of the cardiorenal syndrome today includes 5 subtypes whose terminology reflects their primary and secondary pathology, time frame, and the presence of concomitant cardiac and renal dysfunction. Cardiorenal syndromes (CRSs) are pathophysiologic disorders of the heart and kidneys whereby acute or chronic dysfunction of one organ may induce acute or chronic dysfunction of the other. Type 1 CRS reflects an abrupt worsening of cardiac function leading to acute kidney injury. Type 2 CRS describes chronic abnormalities in cardiac function causing progressive chronic kidney disease. Type 3 CRS consists in an abrupt worsening of renal function causing acute cardiac disorder. Type 4 CRS describes a state of chronic kidney disease contributing to decreased cardiac function, cardiac hypertrophy, and/or increased risk of adverse cardiovascular events. Type 5 CRS reflects a systemic condition (eg, sepsis) simultaneously causing both cardiac and renal dysfunction. Biomarkers can help characterize the subtypes of CRS as well as suggest the timing of treatment initiation and its likely effectiveness. The identification of patients and the pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying each syndrome subtype, including fluid overload or, in general, altered conditions of fluid status, can help physicians understand clinical derangements, provide the rationale for management strategies, and allow the design of future clinical trials with more accurate selection and stratification of the population under investigation. Congest Heart Fail. 2010;16(4)(suppl 1):Si,Siv. ©2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Phylogenetic Comparative Methods Strengthen Evidence for Reduced Genetic Diversity among Endangered TetrapodsCONSERVATION BIOLOGY, Issue 5 2010PATRICK A. FLIGHT evolución de la historia de vida; extinción; heterocigosidad de proteínas; regresión filogenética; tamaño poblacional efectivo Abstract:,The fitness of species with little genetic diversity is expected to be affected by inbreeding and an inability to respond to environmental change. Conservation theory suggests that endangered species will generally demonstrate lower genetic diversity than taxa that are not threatened. This hypothesis has been challenged because the time frame of anthropogenic extinction may be too fast to expect genetic factors to significantly contribute. I conducted a meta-analysis to examine how genetic diversity in 894 tetrapods correlates with extinction threat level. Because species are not evolutionarily independent, I used a phylogenetic regression framework to address this issue. Mean genetic diversity of tetrapods, as assessed by protein heterozygosity, was 29.7,31.5% lower on average in threatened species than in their nonthreatened relatives, a highly significant reduction. Within amphibians as diversity decreased extinction risk increased in phylogenetic models, but not in nonphylogenetic regressions. The effects of threatened status on diversity also remained significant after accounting for body size in mammals. These results support the hypothesis that genetic effects on population fitness are important in the extinction process. Resumen:,Se espera que la adaptabilidad de una especie con poca diversidad genética sea afectada por la endogamia y una incapacidad para responder a cambios ambientales. La teoría de la conservación sugiere que las especies en peligro generalmente muestran menor diversidad genética que taxa que no están amenazados. Esta hipótesis ha sido cuestionada porque el período de tiempo de la extinción antropogénica puede ser muy rápido para esperar que los factores genéticos contribuyan significativamente. Realice un meta-análisis para examinar cómo se correlaciona la diversidad genética de 894 tetrápodos con el nivel de amenaza de extinción. Debido a que las especies no son independientes evolutivamente, utilice un marco de regresión filogenética para abordar este tema. La media de la diversidad genética de tetrápodos, medida como la heterocigosidad de proteínas, fue 29.7,31.5% menor en las especies amenazadas que en sus parientes no amenazados, una reducción altamente significativa. En anfibios, a medida que disminuía la diversidad el riesgo de extinción incrementaba en los modelos filogenéticos, pero no en las regresiones no filogenéticas. El efecto del estatus de amenaza sobre la biodiversidad también permaneció significativo después de considerar el tamaño corporal de mamíferos. Estos resultados dan soporte a la hipótesis de que los efectos genéticos sobre la adaptabilidad de la población son importantes en el proceso de extinción. [source] Genetic Data and the Listing of Species Under the U.S. Endangered Species ActCONSERVATION BIOLOGY, Issue 5 2007SYLVIA M. FALLON Acta de Especies en Peligro de E. U. A.; decisiones de enlistado; segmento poblacional distinto Abstract:,Genetic information is becoming an influential factor in determining whether species, subspecies, and distinct population segments qualify for protection under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Nevertheless, there are currently no standards or guidelines that define how genetic information should be used by the federal agencies that administer the act. I examined listing decisions made over a 10-year period (February 1996,February 2006) that relied on genetic information. There was wide variation in the genetic data used to inform listing decisions in terms of which genomes (mitochondrial vs. nuclear) were sampled and the number of markers (or genetic techniques) and loci evaluated. In general, whether the federal agencies identified genetic distinctions between putative taxonomic units or populations depended on the type and amount of genetic data. Studies that relied on multiple genetic markers were more likely to detect distinctions, and those organisms were more likely to receive protection than studies that relied on a single genetic marker. Although the results may, in part, reflect the corresponding availability of genetic techniques over the given time frame, the variable use of genetic information for listing decisions has the potential to misguide conservation actions. Future management policy would benefit from guidelines for the critical evaluation of genetic information to list or delist organisms under the Endangered Species Act. Resumen:,La información genética se está convirtiendo en un factor influyente para determinar sí una especie, subespecie y segmentos poblacionales distintos califican para ser protegidos por el Acta de Especies en Peligro de E. U. A. Sin embargo, actualmente no hay estándares o lineamientos que definan como deben utilizar información genética las agencias federales que administran el acta. Examiné las decisiones de enlistado basadas en información genética tomadas en un período de 10 años (febrero 1996,febrero 2006). Hubo una amplia variación en los datos genéticos utilizados para informar las decisiones de enlistado en términos de cuáles genomas (mitocondrial vs. nuclear) fueron muestreados y el número de marcadores (o técnicas genéticas) y los loci evaluados. En general, las agencias federales identificaron diferencias genéticas entre unidades taxonómicas putativas o poblaciones dependiendo del tipo y cantidad de datos genéticos. Los estudios que se basaron en marcadores genéticos múltiples tuvieron mayor probabilidad de identificar distinciones, y esos organismos tuvieron mayor probabilidad de recibir protección, que los estudios basados en un solo marcador genético. Aunque los resultados pueden, en parte, reflejar la disponibilidad de técnicas genéticas para decisiones de enlistado en el período analizado, el uso variable de información genética para la toma de decisiones puede desinformar acciones de conservación. Las políticas de manejo futuras se beneficiarían de directrices para la evaluación crítica de información genética para enlistar o quitar de la lista a organismos bajo el Acta de Especies en Peligro. [source] Predicting juvenile delinquency: The nexus of childhood maltreatment, depression and bipolar disorderCRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR AND MENTAL HEALTH, Issue 4 2009Christopher A. Mallett Background,It is important to identify and provide preventative interventions for youth who are most at risk for offending behaviour, but the connection between early childhood or adolescent experiences and later delinquency adjudication is complicated. Aim,To test for associations between specified mental disorders or maltreatment and later delinquency adjudication. Method,Participants were a random sample of youth before the juvenile courts in two Northeast Ohio counties in the USA (n = 555) over a 4-year time frame (2003 to 2006). Results,Logistic regression analysis identified a lifetime diagnosis of depression and/or bipolar disorder to be predictive of later youth delinquency adjudication, but found that childhood maltreatment (or involvement with the child welfare system) made delinquency outcomes less likely. Implications,Study implications are discussed as they relate to professionals working in the fields of child welfare, social work, mental health and juvenile justice. Awareness of risks associated with maltreatment may have led to effective interventions, while there may be less awareness of risks from depression in young people; however, studies tend not to take account of intervention variables. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Knowledge Acquisition and Memory Effects Involving an Expert System Designed as a Learning Tool for Internal Control Assessment*DECISION SCIENCES JOURNAL OF INNOVATIVE EDUCATION, Issue 1 2003Mary Jane Lenard ABSTRACT The assessment of internal control is a consideration in all financial statement audits, as stressed by the Statement on Auditing Standards (SAS) No. 78. According to this statement, "the auditor should obtain an understanding of internal control sufficient to plan the audit" (Accounting Standards Board, 1995, p. 1). Therefore, an accounting student will progress through the auditing course with the responsibility of learning how and why internal controls are assessed. Research in expert systems applied to auditing has shown that there is strong support for the constructive dialogue used in expert systems as a means of encouraging their use in decision making (Eining, Jones, & Loebbecke, 1997). The purpose of this study is to provide the student or novice auditor with a method for developing a more comprehensive understanding of internal controls and the use of internal controls in audit planning. The results of the study reinforce previous findings that novices do better when an expert system applies analogies along with declarative explanations, and clarifies the length of time in which the use of active learning in a training system can provide an improvement to declarative knowledge, but procedural knowledge must be acquired over a longer time frame. [source] Authors in Dermatologic SurgeryDERMATOLOGIC SURGERY, Issue 12 2000Nathalie Q. Nguyen BS Authors of scientific papers have been evaluated in the past by how frequently the medical literature cites them. In this analysis, we specifically identify those individuals who have contributed to the field of cutaneous surgery through publications in Dermatologic Surgery. We further analyze those publications frequently cited in Dermatologic Surgery, allowing us to determine topics of utmost value and interest. Using a citation database provided by the Institute for Scientific Information, we first identify all publications and citations from 1981 to 1999 for Dermatologic Surgery and the Journal of Dermatologic Surgery and Oncology (the previous name for this journal). Of the original articles published during this time frame, 3099 authors published 2167 papers. We quantify the publications from each author, and identify 57 authors with at least 10 original articles. When expanding the database parameters to include original articles, reviews, notes, and proceedings (as defined by the Science Citation Index), we find that the eight authors with the greatest number of publications are the same individuals with the greatest number of original articles. This reflects significant contributions to the field of cutaneous surgery by these authors. This analysis further identifies source papers for authors in Dermatologic Surgery. Publications frequently cited include those papers discussing laser surgery, with Dermatologic Surgery serving as the most frequently cited journal. [source] Ganglion cell regeneration following whole-retina destruction in zebrafishDEVELOPMENTAL NEUROBIOLOGY, Issue 2 2008Tshering Sherpa Abstract The retinas of adult teleost fish can regenerate neurons following injury. The current study provides the first documentation of functional whole retina regeneration in the zebrafish, Danio rerio, following intraocular injection of the cytotoxin, ouabain. Loss and replacement of laminated retinal tissue was monitored by analysis of cell death and cell proliferation, and by analysis of retina-specific gene expression patterns. The spatiotemporal process of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) regeneration was followed through the use of selective markers, and was found to largely recapitulate the spatiotemporal process of embryonic ganglion cell neurogenesis, over a more protracted time frame. However, the re-expression of some ganglion cell markers was not observed. The growth and pathfinding of ganglion cell axons was evaluated by measurement of the optic nerve head (ONH), and the restoration of normal ONH size was found to correspond to the time of recovery of two visually-mediated behaviors. However, some abnormalities were noted, including overproduction of RGCs, and progressive and excessive growth of the ONH at longer recovery times. This model system for whole-retina regeneration has provided an informative view of the regenerative process. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol, 2008 [source] Perfusional evaluation of postesophagectomy gastroplasty with a radioisotopic studyDISEASES OF THE ESOPHAGUS, Issue 6 2008G. Gabiatti SUMMARY., Anastomotic fistula represents one of the frequent causes of postoperative morbidity and mortality following transhiatal esophageal resections. The main etiological factor is the ischemia of the gastric tube created for digestive transit reconstruction. Evidence suggests that per operative hypoperfusion can be maintained or even impaired after the surgery. Several methods have been employed in an attempt to assess the blood perfusion of the gastric flap, but they all pose limitations. However, there is a chronological relationship between perfusion assessments, which are almost exclusively performed per operatively, and the occurrence of a leak, which commonly appears several days after the surgery. The authors have developed a method of gastric perfusion evaluation by single photon emission computed tomography scintigraphy, which corrects that temporal matter, allowing the estimation of postoperative gastric perfusion. It is noninvasive, low cost, and may be applied by the time frame when most fistulas occur. High correlation between the event fistula and the low radiotracer uptake in the group of studied patients could be demonstrated. A role in the research of perfusion evaluation of different types of esophageal reconstruction is suggested. [source] Contribution of deep-seated bedrock landslides to erosion of a glaciated basin in southern AlaskaEARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS, Issue 9 2005Ann M. Arsenault Abstract Landslides represent a key component of catchment-scale denudation, though their relative contribution to the erosion of glaciated basins is not well known. Bedrock landslide contribution was investigated on the surface of one of eleven glaciers on a glaciated ridge in the Chugach-St Elias Range of southern Alaska, where the debris from four major landslides is easily distinguished from moraines and other supraglacial material. A series of aerial and satellite photos from 1972 to 2000 and field observations in 2001 and 2002 indicate that three of four landslides have fallen onto the surface of the glacier since about 1978. The landslides, which originated from the steeply dipping (60,70°) bedrock walls, were deposited onto the glacier in the ablation zone and are currently being transported downstream supraglacially. Individual glacial valleys with topographic relief of ,400 m are cut into high-grade metamorphic rock characterized by a steep north-dipping foliation and fractured by numerous large joints. Measurements of landslide area and average thickness obtained from high-resolution survey data indicate a total landslide volume of ,2·3 × 105 m3. This volume suggests a basin-averaged erosion rate from landslides of 0·48 mm a,1. An overall basin-scale erosion rate of 0·7 to 1·7 mm a,1 can be inferred, but depends on the percentage of the total-basin sediment yield contributed by supraglacial sources. A mean rockwall retreat rate of 6·7 mm a,1 is calculated and is considerably higher than published rates, which range from 0·04 to 4·0 mm a,1. Controls on landslide generation include seismicity, freeze,thaw processes, topography, rock strength, and debuttressing. It is likely all of these factors contribute to failure, although the primary controls for the landslides in this study are thought to be rock strength and topography. The absence of landslides on ten of the eleven glaciers on this ridge is attributed to landslide magnitude,frequency relationships and short temporal scale of this study. Large-volume bedrock landslides (>100 000 m3) may have low frequency, occurring less than once in a 55-year time frame. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] MEASURING POVERTY , WHAT HAPPENED TO COPENHAGEN?ECONOMIC AFFAIRS, Issue 3 2007Chris Sarlo Absolute poverty can be thought of as a condition of ,insufficiency', i.e. the inability to acquire the basic necessities of life. Relative poverty can be thought of as a condition of ,inequality'. At the World Summit on Social Development in Copenhagen in 1995, all participants made a commitment to produce official measures of both absolute and relative poverty and to strive to eradicate absolute poverty within a reasonable time frame. Despite these commitments, measures of absolute poverty are rare in the developed world. This paper concludes that both kinds of measures are needed for intelligent discussions and good policy-making. [source] Human sewage identified as likely source of white pox disease of the threatened Caribbean elkhorn coral, Acropora palmataENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 5 2010Kathryn Patterson Sutherland Summary Caribbean elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata, has been decimated in recent years, resulting in the listing of this species as threatened under the United States Endangered Species Act. A major contributing factor in the decline of this iconic species is white pox disease. In 2002, we identified the faecal enterobacterium, Serratia marcescens, as an etiological agent for white pox. During outbreaks in 2003 a unique strain of S. marcescens was identified in both human sewage and white pox lesions. This strain (PDR60) was also identified from corallivorious snails (Coralliophila abbreviata), reef water, and two non-acroporid coral species, Siderastrea siderea and Solenastrea bournoni. Identification of PDR60 in sewage, diseased Acropora palmata and other reef invertebrates within a discrete time frame suggests a causal link between white pox and sewage contamination on reefs and supports the conclusion that humans are a likely source of this disease. [source] Autoinducers extracted from microbial mats reveal a surprising diversity of N -acylhomoserine lactones (AHLs) and abundance changes that may relate to diel pHENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 2 2009Alan W. Decho Summary Microbial mats are highly structured and diverse communities, and one of the earliest-known life assemblages. Mat bacteria interact within an environment marked by strong geochemical gradients and fluctuations. We examined natural mat systems for the presence of autoinducers involved in quorum sensing, a form of cell,cell communication. Our results revealed that a diverse array of N -acylhomoserine lactones (AHLs) including C4 - to C14 -AHLs, were identified from mat extracts using mass spectrometry (MS), with further confirmation by MS/MS-collision-induced dissociation (CID), and additions of external standards. Microelectrode measurements showed that mats exhibited diel pH fluctuations, ranging from alkaline (pH 9.4) during daytime (net photosynthesis) to acidic (pH 6.8) during darkness (net respiration/fermentation). Under laboratory conditions, AHLs having shorter acyl-chains were degraded within the time frame that daily alkaline pH (> 8.2) conditions exist in mats. Intensive sampling of mats after full day- or night-time incubations revealed that accumulations of extractable shorter-chain AHLs (e.g. C8 - and C10 -AHLs) were significantly (P < 0.001) diminished during daytime. Our study offers evidence that stabilities of AHLs under natural conditions may be influenced by the proximal extracellular environment. We further propose that the ancient periodicity of photosynthesis/respiration in mats may potentially drive a mechanism for diel differences in activities of certain autoinducers, and hence bacterial activities mediated through quorum sensing. [source] Toxicological assessment of chemicals using Caenorhabditis elegans and optical oxygen respirometryENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 4 2009Katherine Schouest Abstract Oxygen consumption is indicative of an organism's metabolic state, whereby alterations in respiration rate can result from the presence of different stimuli. Here, we develop a novel approach based on quenched fluorescence oxygen sensing and respirometry method for toxicity screening assays using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Previously, C. elegans was established as a useful model in soil and aquatic toxicology studies. For existing toxicology screening approaches with C. elegans, however, the endpoint is lethality. In addition, the assay time frame for the existing approaches is considerably longer than that for the approach described here. We present a sensitive, robust, high-throughput platform using standard laboratory equipment for toxicological studies by measuring respiration rate in C. elegans animals using a phosphorescent probe. [source] What is Changing in Academic Research?EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF EDUCATION, Issue 2 2006Futures Scenarios, Trends What is changing in academic research? What has changed over the past decades and what might change in the coming ones? Could the research mission of universities be carried out in slightly or radically different ways in the medium term? This article aims to cast light on the trends and driving forces that can be observed in academic research over the past two decades in the OECD area. It gives an outlook of the main current characteristics of academic research at a macro level in terms of funding and activities in comparison with research performed by other sectors. It also highlights future challenges and sketches a few possible futures scenarios in a 20-year time frame. [source] EVOLUTION OF SUBTERRANEAN DIVING BEETLES (COLEOPTERA: DYTISCIDAE HYDROPORINI, BIDESSINI) IN THE ARID ZONE OF AUSTRALIAEVOLUTION, Issue 12 2003Remko Leys Abstract Calcrete aquifers in arid inland Australia have recently been found to contain the world's most diverse assemblage of subterranean diving beetles (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae). In this study we test whether the adaptive shift hypothesis (ASH) or the climatic relict hypothesis (CRH) is the most likely mode of evolution for the Australian subterranean diving beetles by using a phylogeny based on two sequenced fragments of mitochondrial genes (CO1 and 16S-tRNA-ND1) and linearized using a relaxed molecular clock method. Most individual calcrete aquifers contain an assemblage of diving beetle species of distantly related lineages and/or a single pair of sister species that significantly differ in size and morphology. Evolutionary transitions from surface to subterranean life took place in a relatively small time frame between nine and four million years ago. Most of the variation in divergence times of the sympatric sister species is explained by the variation in latitude of the localities, which correlates with the onset of aridity from the north to the south and with an aridity maximum in the Early Pliocene (five mya). We conclude that individual calcrete aquifers were colonized by several distantly related diving beetle lineages. Several lines of evidence from molecular clock analyses support the CRH, indicating that all evolutionary transitions took place during the Late Miocene and Early Pliocene as a result of aridification. [source] An evolutionary transition of vasa regulation in echinodermsEVOLUTION AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 5 2009Celina E. Juliano SUMMARY Vasa, a DEAD box helicase, is a germline marker that may also function in multipotent cells. In the embryo of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, Vasa protein is posttranscriptionally enriched in the small micromere lineage, which results from two asymmetric cleavage divisions early in development. The cells of this lineage are subsequently set aside during embryogenesis for use in constructing the adult rudiment. Although this mode of indirect development is prevalent among echinoderms, early asymmetric cleavage divisions are a derived feature in this phylum. The goal of this study is to explore how vasa is regulated in key members of the phylum with respect to the evolution of the micromere and small micromere lineages. We find that although striking similarities exist between the vasa mRNA expression patterns of several sea urchins and sea stars, the time frame of enriched protein expression differs significantly. These results suggest that a conserved mechanism of vasa regulation was shifted earlier in sea urchin embryogenesis with the derivation of micromeres. These data also shed light on the phenotype of a sea urchin embryo upon removal of the Vasa-positive micromeres, which appears to revert to a basal mechanism used by extant sea stars and pencil urchins to regulate Vasa protein accumulation. Furthermore, in all echinoderms tested here, Vasa protein and/or message is enriched in the larval coelomic pouches, the site of adult rudiment formation, thus suggesting a conserved role for vasa in undifferentiated multipotent cells set aside during embryogenesis for use in juvenile development. [source] Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene lake-level fluctuations in the Lahontan Basin, Nevada: Implications for the distribution of archaeological sitesGEOARCHAEOLOGY: AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, Issue 5 2008Kenneth D. Adams The Great Basin of the western U.S. contains a rich record of Late Pleistocene and Holocene lake-level fluctuations as well as an extensive record of human occupation during the same time frame. We compare spatial-temporal relationships between these records in the Lahontan basin to consider whether lake-level fluctuations across the Pleistocene-Holocene transition controlled distribution of archaeological sites. We use the reasonably well-dated archaeological record from caves and rockshelters as well as results from new pedestrian surveys to investigate this problem. Although lake levels probably reached maximum elevations of about 1230,1235 m in the different subbasins of Lahontan during the Younger Dryas (YD) period, the duration that the lakes occupied the highest levels was brief. Paleoindian and Early Archaic archaeological sites are concentrated on somewhat lower and slightly younger shorelines (_1220,1225 m) that also date from the Younger Dryas period. This study suggests that Paleoindians often concentrated their activities adjacent to large lakes and wetland resources soon after they first entered the Great Basin. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Safety update on the use of recombinant factor VIIa and the treatment of congenital and acquired deficiency of factor VIII or IX with inhibitorsHAEMOPHILIA, Issue 5 2008T. ABSHIRE Summary., Recombinant factor VIIa (rFVIIa, NovoSeven®) has been licensed for treatment of haemophilia with inhibitors in Europe since 1996 and in North America since 1999. Overall, approximately 1.5 million doses have since been administered. Safety data from licensure to April 2003 revealed 25 thromboembolic (TE) adverse events (AE) from over 700 000 doses given, a remarkably low incidence of TE events. Recent reports have cited a higher prevalence of TE events with rFVIIa use, especially when used off-label. This report reviews the TE and fatal events with use of rFVIIa for congenital and acquired haemophilia A or B from May 2003 to December 2006. Approximately 800 000 standard doses of rFVIIa have been administered during this time frame. All clinical trials, spontaneous and solicited reports, as well as a detailed literature review, were included in the data analysis. There were a total of 30 TE events and 6 TE-associated fatal events. Spontaneous reports captured 14/71 (20%) TE/AE and 2/34 TE-associated/total fatal events. From solicited reports, 5/40 (12.5%) were associated with a TE and 1/32 TE-associated fatal events. Literature review revealed 11/19 (58%) TE events and 3/6 TE-associated fatal events. Despite the use of high-dose rFVIIa (270 ,g kg,1) in some clinical trials and registries, rFVIIa appears safe, when used for congenital and acquired haemophilia. The prevalence of TE associated with rFVIIa use is less than 4/100 000 and a TE-associated fatal event is also extremely rare. However, use of rFVIIa for off-label indications should continue to be monitored closely via clinical trials and carefully designed registries. [source] Reversible Anorgasmia With Topiramate Therapy for Headache: A Report of 7 PatientsHEADACHE, Issue 9 2006Christina Sun MD Objective.,To describe 7 patients who developed new onset anorgasmia while using topiramate therapy for migraine prophylaxis. Background.,Topiramate is an effective drug for the prevention of migraine headaches. Though it is generally well tolerated, it may be associated with a dose-related anorgasmia. Methods.,Case reports Results.,Seven patients (5 women, 2 men), between the ages of 40 and 62, developed anorgasmia while using topiramate for headache prevention. Four women and 2 men had migraine without aura, and 1 woman had migraine with aura. None had a prior history of anorgasmia or sexual dysfunction. Doses associated with this side effect ranged from 45 to 200 mg daily. All subjects had symptom resolution. Six patients had resolution within 7 days of discontinuing or decreasing the medication; the exact time frame of resolution for the seventh patient is unknown. Conclusion.,In our series, anorgasmia was a reversible, dose-related adverse effect of topiramate. Physicians need to be aware of the potential for topiramate to cause sexual side effects, and should inquire about these symptoms in patients for whom this agent has been prescribed. [source] Accessibility, continuity and appropriateness: key elements in assessing integration of perinatal servicesHEALTH & SOCIAL CARE IN THE COMMUNITY, Issue 5 2003Danielle D'Amour RN PhD Abstract A trend toward the reduction in the length of hospital stays has been widely observed. This increasing shift is particularly evident in perinatal care. A stay of less than 48 hours after delivery has been shown to have no negative effects on the health of either the mother or the baby as long as they receive an adequate follow-up. This implies a close integration between hospital and community health services. The present article addresses the following questions: To what extent are postnatal services accessible to mothers and neonates? Are postnatal services in the community in continuity with those of the hospital? Are the services provided by the appropriate source of care? The authors conducted a telephone survey among 1158 mothers in a large urban area in the province of Quebec, Canada. The results were compared to clinical guidelines widely recognised by professionals. The results show serious discrepancies with these guidelines. The authors found a low accessibility to services: less than half of the mothers received a home visit by a nurse. In terms of continuity of care, less than 10% of the mothers received a follow-up telephone call within the recommended time frame and only 18% benefited from a home visit within the recommended period. Finally, despite guidelines to the contrary, hospitals continue to intervene after discharge. This results in a duplication of services for 44.7% of the new-borns. On the other hand, 40.7% are not seen in the recommended period after hospital discharge at all. These results raise concerns about the integration of services between agencies. Following earlier work, the present authors have grouped explanatory factors under four dimensions: the strategic dimension, particularly leadership; the structural dimension, including the size of the network; the technological dimension, with respect to information transmission system; and the cultural dimension, which concerns the collaboration process and the development of relationships based on trust. [source] Hippocampal granule cells opt for early retirementHIPPOCAMPUS, Issue 10 2010C.B. Alme Abstract Increased excitability and plasticity of adult-generated hippocampal granule cells during a critical period suggests that they may "orthogonalize" memories according to time. One version of this "temporal tag" hypothesis suggests that young granule cells are particularly responsive during a specific time period after their genesis, allowing them to play a significant role in sculpting CA3 representations, after which they become much less responsive to any input. An alternative possibility is that the granule cells active during their window of increased plasticity, and excitability become selectively tuned to events that occurred during that time and participate in later reinstatement of those experiences, to the exclusion of other cells. To discriminate between these possibilities, rats were exposed to different environments at different times over many weeks, and cell activation was subsequently assessed during a single session in which all environments were revisited. Dispersing the initial experiences in time did not lead to the increase in total recruitment at reinstatement time predicted by the selective tuning hypothesis. The data indicate that, during a given time frame, only a very small number of granule cells participate in many experiences, with most not participating significantly in any. Based on these and previous data, the small excitable population of granule cells probably correspond to the most recently generated cells. It appears that, rather than contributing to the recollection of long past events, most granule cells, possibly 90,95%, are effectively "retired." If granule cells indeed sculpt CA3 representations (which remains to be shown), then a possible consequence of having a new set of granule cells participate when old memories are reinstated is that new representations of these experiences might be generated in CA3. Whatever the case, the present data may be interpreted to undermine the standard "orthogonalizer" theory of the role of the dentate gyrus in memory. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Death rates from ecstasy (MDMA, MDA) and polydrug use in England and Wales 1996,2002HUMAN PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY: CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL, Issue 7 2003F. Schifano Abstract The present study reports on all deaths related to taking ecstasy (alone, or in a polydrug combination) occurring in England and Wales in the time frame August 1996,April 2002. Data presented here are based on all information recorded in the National Programme on Substance Abuse Deaths (np-SAD) database. The np-SAD regularly receives all information on drug related deaths in addicts and non addicts from coroners. A total of 202 ecstasy-related fatalities occurred in the chosen time-frame, showing a steady increase in the number of deaths each year. The ratio male:female was 4:1 and 3 of 4 victims were younger than 29. In 17% of cases ecstasy was the sole drug implicated in death and in the remaining cases a number of other drugs (mostly alcohol, cocaine, amphetamines and opiates) have been found. According to toxicology results, MDMA accounted for 86% of cases and MDA for 13% of cases; single deaths were associated with MDEA and PMA. This is the largest sample of ecstasy related deaths so far; possible explanations are given for the observed steady increase in ecstasy-related deaths and a tentative ,rationale' for this polypharmacy combination is then proposed. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Detection of trends in annual extreme rainfallHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 18 2003Kaz Adamowski Abstract Information on intensity,duration,frequency of rainfall is commonly required for a variety of hydrologic applications. In this study, trends are estimated for different durations of annual extreme rainfall using the regional average Mann,Kendall S trend test. The method of L-moments was employed to delineate homogeneous regions. The trend test was modified to account for observed autocorrelation, and a bootstrap methodology was used to account for the observed spatial correlation. Numerical analysis was performed on 44 rainfall stations from the province of Ontario, Canada, for a 20 year time frame. This was done using data from homogeneous regions established using the L-moments procedure for the annual maximum observations for the following durations: 5, 10, 15 and 30 min, and 1, 2, 6 and 12 h. Depending on different rainfall durations, four or five homogeneous regions were delineated. Based on a 5% significance level, approximately 23% of the regions tested had a significant trend, predominantly for short-duration storms. Serial dependency was observed in 2·3% of data sets and spatial correlation was found in 18% of the regions. The presence of serial and spatial correlation had a significant impact on trend determination. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Dynamic-window search for real-time simulation of dynamic systemsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING, Issue 11 2003Sugjoon Yoon Abstract 1Various parameter values are provided in the form of tables, where data keys are ordered and unevenly spaced in general, for real-time simulation of system components or dynamics of vehicles such as airplanes, automobiles, ships, and so on. The main purpose of this study is to compare conventional searching algorithms and to find or develop the most efficient searching method under constraint of real-time simulation, especially hardware-in-the-loop simulation. Since the real-time constraint enforces use of a fixed step size in the integration of system differential equations because of the inherent nature of input from and output to real hardware, the worst case of iterated probes in searching algorithms is the key measure of comparison. If a parameter value has certain dynamics because of its relation with the state variables of the simulated system, the integration algorithm and the step size, a searching region at a given time frame can be reduced dramatically from the entire data table taking advantage of the information. The size of the reduced searching region, named dynamic-searching window, varies and the window moves by its own dynamics as simulation time runs. Numerous numerical experiments were conducted with various data tables of different sizes and types, and yielded results compatible with relevant theories. In conclusion, whether bisection or interpolation or fast search is used in real-time hardware-in-the-loop simulation, the combination of dynamic-window search guarantees a more stable and faster search of parameter values than using conventional algorithms alone. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Fertility treatment in male cancer survivorsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ANDROLOGY, Issue 4 2007Kirsten Louise Tryde Schmidt Summary The present study reviews the use of assisted reproductive technology in male cancer survivors and their partners. As antineoplastic treatment with chemotherapy or radiation therapy, has the potential of inducing impairment of spermatogenesis through damage of the germinal epithelium, many male cancer survivors experience difficulties in impregnating their partners after treatment. The impairment can be temporary or permanent. While many cancer survivors regain spermatogenesis months to years after treatment, some become infertile with a-, oligo- or azoospermia. An option to secure the fertility potential of young cancer patients is to cryopreserve semen before cancer treatment for later use. A desired pregnancy may be obtained in couples where the husband has a history of cancer, using assisted reproductive technology with either fresh or cryopreserved/thawed semen. Successful outcomes have been obtained with intrauterine insemination (IUI) as well as in vitro fertilization (IVF) with or without the use of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). In conclusion, male cancer survivors and their partners who have failed to obtain a pregnancy naturally within a reasonable time frame after end of treatment should be referred to a fertility clinic. [source] A rapid method to clinically assess the effect of an anti-acne formulationINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF COSMETIC SCIENCE, Issue 1 2010N. Muizzuddin J. Cosmet. Sci., 60, 25,29 (January/February 2009) Synopsis Historically, clinical evaluation of acne treatment has been based on direct visual assessment and the counting of lesions over a period of several weeks of treatment. However, with advancing technology there has been ever-increasing speed in the effectiveness of these treatments. To successfully assess these faster treatments, acne pathology needs to be evaluated in a shorter time frame. The object of these studies was to develop techniques to evaluate individual acne lesions in a shorter time frame and to assess speedier treatment technologies. Ten healthy volunteers with acne lesions on their upper backs were recruited for the study. Two inflamed acne lesions were selected for each treatment, along with lesions to be left untreated, on each volunteer. Each lesion was marked, photographed, and visually graded. A skin surface microscope (Scopeman) was used to visualize size and to grade the lesions by two experts every day for five days. The sites were treated once a day for the course of the study. There was a remarkable reduction in the size and erythema of acne lesions after treatment with the acne formulation as compared to the untreated and vehicle-treated lesions. Individual lesions, both treated and untreated, appeared resolved in 14 days. This resolution can be noticeably accelerated by topical treatments. We have developed a simple and faster clinical method to evaluate the effects of topical anti-acne technology. [source] Dementia Care Mapping reconsidered: exploring the reliability and validity of the observational toolINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 8 2004A. Thornton Abstract Background Dementia Care Mapping (DCM) is a widely used observational method for evaluating the service quality provided to people with dementia. However, there is little evidence concerning its reliability and validity when used by routine care staff for whom it was designed. Method The study evaluated levels of inter-observer agreement; The ability of the five-minute time frame to reflect the ,actual passing of time'; And the nature of the relationship between individual Well/Ill-Being values (WIB) and dependency levels. Data collected using DCM and continuous time sampling (CTS) were compared. The methods were used in parallel where the CTS coder and the DCM mapper(s) observed the same participants. Observations were carried out with 64 people with dementia within a day hospital and a continuing care ward. Inter-observer agreement was calculated across 20 participants. Dependency levels were measured using the Clifton Assessment Procedure for the Elderly (CAPE) (Pattie and Gilleard, 1979). Results Low levels of inter-observer agreement were found where 11 of the 25 Behaviour Category codes and all six Well/Ill-being Codes produced unacceptable kappas (<0.6). The Behaviour coding frame provided a meaningful picture of activities participants engaged in, but significantly underestimated participant levels of inactivity. A strong relationship was demonstrated between participants' WIB score and levels of dependency, thus DCM was unable to measure well-/ill-being as a separate construct from participants' levels of dependency. Conclusions Questions were raised regarding the reliability and validity of DCM as used by routine care staff. Possible reasons for this, and suggestions for amendments are made. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Mining interval sequential patternsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS, Issue 3 2005Ding-An Chiang The main task of mining sequential patterns is to analyze the transaction database of a company in order to find out the priorities of items that most customers take when consuming. In this article, we propose a new method,the ISP Algorithm. With this method, we can find out not only the order of consumer items of each customer, but also offer the periodic interval of consumer items of each customer. Compared with other previous periodic association rules, the difference is that the period the algorithm provides is not the repeated purchases in a regular time, but the possible repurchases within a certain time frame. The algorithm utilizes the transaction time interval of individual customers and that of all the customers to find out when and who will buy goods, and what items of goods they will buy. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Int Syst 20: 359,373, 2005. [source] Home clinic programme: An alternative model for private mental health facilities and sufferers of major depressionINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 1 2006Eddie Blacklock ABSTRACT:, Depression demands high emotional and social costs to people suffering it while private hospitals and health funds are economically affected in respect to elongated episodes of care and readmission rates. There is a dearth of nurse-led initiatives aimed to reduce length of stay. An innovative model of care is proposed, offering the opportunity for depressed clients to return home earlier from hospital where they will receive the professional guidance and support of mental health registered nurses (RNs) providing contemporary counselling. Clinical links between the home and the hospital would be maintained by the RNs for a specified time frame. The framework of home clinic programme is to discharge clients from hospital into community within specified time frame (maximum 14 days hospitalization) and the clients will be visited by RNs in their homes five times in the first week, twice in the second week and once in the third week to ascertain their emotional and clinical needs and provide biopsychosocial support. The use of this model has potential benefits for mental health consumers, clinicians, services, and funders. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||