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Useful Reference (useful + reference)
Selected AbstractsA FRAMEWORK FOR TEACHING SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT,PRODUCTION AND OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2000M. Eric Johnson The rise of global markets and increasingly virtual companies has focused management attention on competition between supply chains. Many schools of management and engineering are adopting integrated curricula that prepare students to design and manage the resulting complex global web of material and information flows. In this paper, we examine the curricula used by many top engineering and graduate business schools for courses in supply chain management. We present a framework for supply chain management and highlight supporting material and pedagogy. We also classify popular supply chain case studies within our framework and provide useful References to recent business press treatment of these issues. [source] Medical management of left-sided ulcerative colitis and ulcerative proctitis: Critical evaluation of therapeutic trialsINFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASES, Issue 10 2006Miguel Regueiro MD Abstract Background: The goal of this work was to critically evaluate the published studies on the treatment of ulcerative proctitis (UP) and left-sided ulcerative colitis (L-UC). The results of this review provided the content for the accompanying treatment guidelines, Clinical Guidelines for the Medical Management of Left-sided Ulcerative Colitis and Ulcerative Proctitis: Summary Statement. Methods: All English language articles published between 1995 and September 2005 were identified through a comprehensive literature search using OVID and PubMed. The quality of the data supporting or rejecting the use of specific therapies was categorized by a data quality grading scale. An "A+" grade was assigned to treatment supported by multiple high-quality randomized controlled trials with consistent results, whereas a "D" grade was given to therapy supported only by expert opinion. The therapeutic efficacy of a treatment was defined by its success in treating UP and L-UC compared with placebo. A medication was ranked as "excellent" if it was specifically studied for UP and L-UC and had consistently positive results compared with placebo or another agent. Quality and efficacy scores were agreed on by author consensus. Results: For the acute treatment of UP or L-UC, the rectally administered corticosteroids and mesalazine (5-ASA), either alone or in combination with oral 5-ASAs, are the most effective therapy: evidence quality, A+; efficacy, excellent. Only rectally administered 5-ASA received an A+/excellent rating for maintenance of remission. Infliximab received an A+ grade for induction and maintenance of remission but only a "good" rating because the studies were performed in all UC, not specifically UP or L-UC. Conclusions: This critical evaluation of treatment provides a "report card" on medications available for the management of patients with UP and L-UC. The guidelines should provide a useful reference and supplement for physicians treating UC patients. [source] A theory of meaning of caregiving for parents of mentally ill children in Taiwan, a qualitative studyJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 1-2 2010Wen-Jiuan Yen Aims and objectives., The aim of this study is to generate a theory of meaning of care-giving for parents of mentally ill children in Taiwan. Background., Studies indicate that the meaning of care-giving plays an important role in the psychological adjustment of care-givers to care-giving. With a positive meaning of care-giving, care-givers can accept their roles and adapt to them more readily. Design., The research employs the qualitative method of grounded theory, the inquiry is based on symbolic interactionism. Methods., Twenty parental care-givers of children with schizophrenia were recruited at a private hospital in central Taiwan. Semi-structured interviews were conducted. A comparative method was used to analyse the text and field notes. Results., Responsibility (zeren) emerges as the core category or concept. Responsibility expresses broadly the behavioural principles that are culturally prescribed and centred on familial ethics and values. Related concepts and principles that influence caregiver actions and affections include a return of karma, challenges from local gods and fate. By maintaining their culturally prescribed interpretations of care-giving, parents hope to give care indefinitely without complaints. Conclusions., The findings clearly suggest that the meaning of care-giving is determined through a process of internal debate that is shaped by culturally specific concepts. The paper attempts to explain some of these culturally specific determinants and explanations of care-giving behaviour. Relevance to clinical practice., The theory contributes knowledge about the meaning of care-giving for parents of mentally ill children in Taiwan. It should be useful reference for mental health professionals, who provide counselling services to ethnically Taiwanese care-givers. [source] Twenty-five pitfalls in the analysis of diffusion MRI data,NMR IN BIOMEDICINE, Issue 7 2010Derek K. Jones Abstract Obtaining reliable data and drawing meaningful and robust inferences from diffusion MRI can be challenging and is subject to many pitfalls. The process of quantifying diffusion indices and eventually comparing them between groups of subjects and/or correlating them with other parameters starts at the acquisition of the raw data, followed by a long pipeline of image processing steps. Each one of these steps is susceptible to sources of bias, which may not only limit the accuracy and precision, but can lead to substantial errors. This article provides a detailed review of the steps along the analysis pipeline and their associated pitfalls. These are grouped into 1 pre-processing of data; 2 estimation of the tensor; 3 derivation of voxelwise quantitative parameters; 4 strategies for extracting quantitative parameters; and finally 5 intra-subject and inter-subject comparison, including region of interest, histogram, tract-specific and voxel-based analyses. The article covers important aspects of diffusion MRI analysis, such as motion correction, susceptibility and eddy current distortion correction, model fitting, region of interest placement, histogram and voxel-based analysis. We have assembled 25 pitfalls (several previously unreported) into a single article, which should serve as a useful reference for those embarking on new diffusion MRI-based studies, and as a check for those who may already be running studies but may have overlooked some important confounds. While some of these problems are well known to diffusion experts, they might not be to other researchers wishing to undertake a clinical study based on diffusion MRI. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] A survey of pediatric caudal extradural anesthesia practicePEDIATRIC ANESTHESIA, Issue 9 2009ROBERT MENZIES MBBS FRCA Summary Background:, Caudal extradural blockade is one of the most commonly performed procedures in pediatric anesthesia. However, there is little information available on variations in clinical practice. Objectives:, To perform a survey of members of the Association of Paediatric Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland who undertake caudal anesthesia. Methods:, An ,online' World Wide Web questionnaire collected information on various aspects of clinical practice. The survey ran from April to June 2008. Results:, There were 366 questionnaires completed. The majority of respondents had >5 years of pediatric experience and performed up to ten caudal extradural procedures a month. The commonest device used was a cannula (69.7%) with 68.6% using a 22G device. There was a trend toward the use of a cannula in those anesthetists with <15 years experience, while those with >15 years experience tended to use a needle. Most anesthetists (91.5%) did not believe that there was a significant risk of implantation of dermoid tissue into the caudal extradural space. The majority used a combination of clinical methods to confirm correct placement. Only 27 respondents used ultrasound. The most popular local anesthetics were bupivacaine (43.4%) and levobupivacaine (41.7%). The most common additives were clonidine (42.3%) and ketamine (37.5%). The caudal catheter technique was used by 43.6%. Most anesthetists (74%) wear gloves for a single shot caudal injection. Conclusions:, This survey provides a snapshot of current practice and acts a useful reference for the development of enhanced techniques and new equipment in the future. [source] Reference equation for 6-min walk distance in healthy North African children 6,16 years old,PEDIATRIC PULMONOLOGY, Issue 4 2009Helmi Ben Saad MD Abstract Rationale To assess the need for a 6-min walk distance (6-MWD) reference equation for healthy North African children 6,16 years old. Methods Prospective cross-sectional study. Anthropometric data and 6-MWD were measured in 200 healthy Tunisian children (100 girls) from 6 to 16 years old. Results Published reference equations did not reliably predict measured 6-MWD in North African children. The 6-MWD was significantly correlated with age, height, and weight (P,<,0.001, each). The combination of these parameters explained 60% of the 6-MWD variability in the equation: 6-MWD (m),=,4.63,×,height (cm),,,3.53,×,weight (kg),+,10.42,×,age (years),+ 56.32. In an additional group of 41 children prospectively studied to validate the equation, the agreement between measured and predicted 6-MWD was satisfactory. Conclusion This reliable 6-MWD reference equation enriches the World Bank and provides a useful reference for the care of pediatric patients. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2009; 44:316,324. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Bound D-states of helium atom under Debye screeningINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF QUANTUM CHEMISTRY, Issue 2 2007Sabyasachi Kar Abstract We have investigated the 1snd1,3D (3 , n , 7) state energies of helium atom embedded in weakly coupled plasma environments using the Rayleigh,Ritz variational method. The effect of the plasma environment is taken care of using a Debye screening model. A correlated wave function involving exponential expansion has been used to represent correlation between the charge particles. The bound 1snd1,3D (3 , n , 7) state energies of helium for various Debye lengths along with the excitation energies of few singlet and triplet states are reported. Our results are useful references to atomic physics, plasma physics, and astrophysics research communities. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2007 [source] Birth weight charts for gestational age in 63 620 healthy infants born in Peruvian public hospitals at low and at high altitudeACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 3 2009Gustavo F Gonzales Abstract Aim: To construct distribution curves for birth weight, length and head circumference using a large sample of infants born at low (150 m) and high (3000,4400 m) altitude. Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of a perinatal database. All live singleton deliveries from public hospitals during 2001,2006 (gestational age from 26 to 42 weeks) with no history of perinatal deaths or smoking and no current obstetric complications (n = 63 620) were included. Fractional polynomial regression models were used to smooth curves for each gestational age. Results: Mean and median birth weight differences between those born at low and high altitudes reached statistical significance after 35 and 33 weeks, respectively. Values of the 10th percentile were higher at low altitude from 36 weeks, whereas values at the 90th percentile were different from 34 weeks. In the Peruvian growth curves, birth weight was greater at each gestational age than in the curves derived by Lubchenco. Conclusion: Altitude affects growth patterns; these growth standards will provide useful references for the care of the newborn in highland populations. In addition, the data have implications for the antepartum management of pregnant patients undergoing sonographic evaluation of fetal weight in whom new definitions of what represents small or large for gestational age in utero can result in differences in time or mode of delivery. [source] | ||||||||||