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Useful Criterion (useful + criterion)

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Medical Sciences60%

Selected Abstracts

Borderline nuclear change; can a subgroup be identified which is suspicious of high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, i.e. CIN 2 or worse?

CYTOPATHOLOGY, Issue 5 2002
J. M. Edwards
Borderline nuclear change; can a subgroup be identified which is suspicious of high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, i.e. CIN 2 or worse? Only 10% of first borderline smears are associated with a histological high-grade (HG) abnormality, i.e. CIN 2,3, invasive malignancy or glandular neoplasia on subsequent investigation. The advantages of highlighting this subgroup are obvious but is this possible? From 1996 and 1997, 242 borderline smears with histological follow-up were examined by two independent experienced observers (observer 1 and 2) without prior knowledge of further investigation results. For each smear a profile of nuclear details was produced, also noting the type of cell mainly affected by the process; then the observers were asked to assess the degree of worry of HG disease for each smear i.e. whether the smear fell into group 1 borderline changes indicative of low-grade (normal, inflammatory, CIN1/HPV) disease (BL/LG) or group 2 difficult borderline smear, HG disease (CIN 2,3, invasive neoplasia or glandular neoplasia) cannot be excluded (BL/HG). Observer 1 selected a group of BL/HG with a PPV for HG disease of 38%, with observer 2 having a PPV of 50%; this compared with the overall laboratory HG disease PPV for borderline smears of 14%. Both observers found the most useful criterion to be the increase in nuclear:cytoplasmic ratio. Our results show that it is possible to separate a small group of borderline smears which should be classified as ,borderline/high grade lesion difficult to exclude' (BL/HG). Both observers had some success in arriving at this classification although their method of selecting out this group was quite different. [source]

Modelling chorotypes of invasive vertebrates in mainland Spain

DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS, Issue 2 2008
Raimundo Real
ABSTRACT We investigated the existence of chorotypes , assemblages of species with similar geographical ranges , of invasive species in a host territory, and their potential use to advocate similar control or management strategies for species in the same chorotype. We analysed the distribution of 13 exotic terrestrial vertebrate species (six birds, six mammals, and one reptile) with well-known distributions in mainland Spain. We used the presence/absence data on a grid of 10 km × 10 km UTM cells from the Atlases of terrestrial vertebrates of Spain. These data were aggregated to a grid of 50 km × 50 km UTM cells, because it entailed no loss of meaningful information and allowed dealing with a much lower number of cells. Using cluster analysis and a probabilistic assessment of the classification, we identified seven significant chorotypes: four multispecific and three monospecific. The compound chorotypes grouped together species that tended to share certain characteristics about their introduction, release cause, establishment, and spread. We modelled the chorotypes using a favourability function based on a generalized linear model and 31 variables related to spatial situation, topography, lithology, climatic stability, energy availability, water availability, disturbances, productivity, and human activity. Climatic factors affected the favourability for every chorotype, whereas human variables had a high influence in the distribution of three chorotypes involving eight species. On the basis of these variables, we identified favourable areas for all the chorotypes in mainland Spain. The favourability for a chorotype in an area may be a useful criterion for evaluating the local conservation concern due to the whole set of species. Favourable but unoccupied areas can be used to infer possible colonization areas for each chorotype. We recommend using chorotypes to optimize broad-scale surveillance of invasive species. [source]

A useful criterion of cure in pemphigus vulgaris

JOURNAL OF THE EUROPEAN ACADEMY OF DERMATOLOGY & VENEREOLOGY, Issue 4 2000
Michael David
[source]

Levodopa responsiveness in disorders with parkinsonism: A review of the literature,

MOVEMENT DISORDERS, Issue 15 2007
Radu Constantinescu MD
Abstract A literature review was conducted to investigate whether or not levodopa (LD) responsiveness (LR) is a useful criterion in the diagnosis of parkinsonian disorders. Although LR does appear to differ among the parkinsonian disorders, there is considerable confusion in the literature. While most patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) have a sustained benefit from LD, a small minority of patients with documented PD do not respond. The literature suggests that the LR rate is higher for multiple system atrophy (MSA), progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), and corticobasal degeneration (CBD) than based on published diagnostic criteria. Magnitude and duration of response to LD and tolerability (time course, type and distribution of dyskinesias, mental effects and motor worsening) may be useful features in distinguishing PD, MSA, PSP, and CBD. Efforts should be directed toward better defining LR when used for diagnostic purposes and in scientific publications. © 2007 Movement Disorder Society [source]

The Conditional Analysis of Dispositions and the Intrinsic Dispositions Thesis

PHILOSOPHY AND PHENOMENOLOGICAL RESEARCH, Issue 3 2009
SUNGHO CHOI
The idea that dispositions are an intrinsic matter has been popular among contemporary philosophers of dispositions. In this paper I will first state this idea as exactly as possible. I will then examine whether it poses any threat to the two current versions of the conditional analysis of dispositions, namely, the simple and reformed conditional analysis of dispositions. The upshot is that the intrinsic nature of dispositions, when properly understood, doesn't spell trouble for either of the two versions of the conditional analysis of dispositions. Along the way, I will propose an extensionally correct and practically useful criterion for identifying nomically intrinsic dispositions and criticize one objection raised by Lewis against the simple conditional analysis of dispositions. [source]