Home About us Contact
|
Home About us Contact | ||
|
|
||
Various Situations (various + situation)
Selected AbstractsDealing with the offer of drugs: the experiences of a sample of pre-teenage schoolchildrenADDICTION, Issue 7 2003James McIntosh ABSTRACT Aims To investigate the ways in which pre-teenage children anticipate and deal with the offer of drugs. Design A qualitative study based on semi-structured interviews with 10,12-year-old schoolchildren. Setting The cities of Glasgow (Scotland) and Newcastle (England), UK. Participants A sample of 216 pre-teenage children. Forty-three had used drugs on at least one occasion, 42 had been offered but had not used drugs and 131 had neither used drugs nor been offered them. Most of the results reported in the paper relate to the experiences of the 42 children who had declined the offer of drugs. Findings While children who had not been exposed to drug offers expressed a high degree of confidence in their ability to deal with them, those who had actually had to cope with such offers experienced a variety of difficulties. The ease with which an offer could be declined appeared to depend upon two main factors: who was making the offer and the context in which it was being made. According to the children, offers from people with whom they had a close relationship and those in which pressure or encouragement were involved were particularly difficult to deal with. Conclusions The paper concludes that there is a need to equip young people better with the interpersonal tools they require to deal with the various situations they are likely to encounter in which drugs may be offered. It is suggested that a broadly based life skills approach to drug education may provide the best way of helping young people to deal with these situations. [source] Mast cells and their role in the neuro-immune-endocrine axisEXPERIMENTAL DERMATOLOGY, Issue 9 2004J. Bienenstock It has become clear that the immune and nervous systems communicate constantly to maintain homeostasis and a coordinated and continuing adaptive response to an ever-changing environment. Evidence from mast cell nerve communication, as an example of this interaction, has been obtained in a variety of tissues and circumstances, most especially in the intestine and skin. Bidirectional communication has been shown in vivo, ex vivo, in vitro and in coculture experiments involving the two cell types. Examples will be given of these various situations and involve normal physiological situations and those involved in response to infection and inflammation as well as in response to ultraviolet light. More recent examples of the importance of mast cells in the regulation of central nervous activity including the secretion of hormones by the pituitary gland, and thereby the regulation of the HPA axis as well as involvement in behavioural change will be addressed. Through its potential communication with the nervous system, the mast cell can be regarded as a sentinel cell or receptor, especially located at surfaces exposed to the environment, which specifically and non-specifically react to molecules and substances, foreign to the organism, so as to help orchestrate the complex and integrated responses required to maintain homeostasis. [source] Antecedents of flow in online shopping: a test of alternative modelsINFORMATION SYSTEMS JOURNAL, Issue 4 2009Yi Maggie Guo Abstract Flow is an optimal state of experience that has been studied in various situations, including online environments. In such environments, it has been found to be positively related to exploratory behaviour, revisit and purchase intention, and positive attitude towards web sites. Based on flow theory, this study tests the complete structure of the flow model as it was originally formulated in an online shopping context. The role of the preconditions of flow is elaborated and the effect of web site complexity, an important interface design variable, on flow is examined. Results show that web site complexity affects flow through the mediating effects of the three preconditions of flow. Theoretical and practical implications of this finding are discussed. [source] Reducing signaling traffic in wireless ATM networks through handoff scheme improvementINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NETWORK MANAGEMENT, Issue 5 2002Professor Anna Ha We propose a new handoff call management scheme which reduces signaling traffic in wireless ATM networks and improves the efficiency of the virtual channel. Chaining followed by a make-break algorithm is a suitable handoff scheme for various situations. In the chaining part of the scheme, a chain routing algorithm is studied and compared with the hop-limiting scheme. When the algorithm is implemented in our scheme, it improves the performance of the existing scheme in call drop rates so as to reduce the signaling traffic in wireless ATM networks. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Opioid-taking tasks and behaviours in Taiwanese outpatients with cancerJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 15 2008Shu-Yuan Liang PhD Candidate Aim., The aim of this study was to describe those tasks and behaviours that contribute to self-efficacy in the context of opioid-taking in Taiwanese outpatients with cancer and to explore those factors that influence a patient's self-efficacy with engaging in these behaviours. Background., Self-management with prescribed opioid regimen has become a necessary component of the cancer pain experience at home. Tailoring prescribed regimens is a complex and continuing effort for cancer pain control. Few studies, however, have explored the specific skills and behaviours required by patients to manage their opioid analgesics effectively. Design., A qualitative approach was used to explore those behaviours that contribute to patients' ability to self-manage medication for their cancer pain. Method., Ten Taiwanese cancer patients aged between 41,75 years attending two oncology outpatient departments, who were prescribed opioid analgesics, were interviewed. All interviews were tape-recorded and were transcribed verbatim. Qualitative content analysis was undertaken to identify categories. Results., Five main categories of behaviours were identified, which reflected patient's perceptions of the actions required for effective opioid-taking. These behavioural domains included communicating about pain and analgesic-taking, taking analgesics according to schedule, obtaining help, tailoring medication regimens and managing treatment-related concerns. In addition, patients described various situations in which performance of these behaviours was more or less difficult. Conclusions., Our results suggest that self-efficacy with opioid-taking includes not only beliefs about the ability to communicate, but also the ability to fulfil more complex tailoring of medication regimens and management of treatment-related concerns. Relevance to clinical practice., Health professionals need to incorporate strategies to assist cancer patients' ability to engage in these behaviours and to manage situational impediments that may influence this ability. More importantly, clinicians need to assist patients to enhance their beliefs in their ability in overcoming various situation impediments for opioid-taking. [source] Violence in the care of adult persons with intellectual disabilitiesJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 4 2004MarieLouise Strand MSc Background., Violence, for example physical, psychological, financial and sexual abuse and neglect, exists and is an under-reported problem in caring situations involving adult persons with intellectual disabilities and their caregivers, where both parties can be seen as victims and perpetrators. Aims and objectives., To investigate violent situations involving Swedish adult persons with intellectual disabilities and their caregivers in group-dwellings. Design., A total population-based survey. Methods., A questionnaire, including violence towards adults with intellectual disabilities and violence towards staff members during 1 year, was sent to all staff members (n = 164) from 17 care settings for adults with intellectual disabilities with a response rate of 74%. Results., Thirty-five per cent of 122 respondents admitted they had been implicated in or witnessed a violent incident towards an adult person with intellectual disabilities and 14% of the staff members admitted they themselves had been the perpetrators. Sixty-one per cent of the staff members described various situations when they were exposed to violence from an adult person with intellectual disabilities. Physical violence was most frequently reported. Most of the aggression occurred in helping situations when persons with intellectual disabilities did not co-operate or when both actors reacted with violence. The violent situations led the staff members to feel powerless and inadequate. In order to cope they discussed with each other or with the manager. Conclusions., Violence seems to be accepted as a natural part of the daily care for adult persons with intellectual disabilities. Most of the violence is physical and psychological and occurs in close helping situations. Relevance to clinical practice., Supportive interventions, i.e. supervision for the staff members and training of communication skills individually or in group for the adults with intellectual disabilities. [source] The Role of Acinetobacter baumannii as a Nosocomial Pathogen for Dogs and Cats in an Intensive Care UnitJOURNAL OF VETERINARY INTERNAL MEDICINE, Issue 2 2000Thierry Francey Acinetobacter baumannii is a nosocomial pathogen associated with high morbidity and mortality in humans. Whereas infections with strains of Acinetobacter species have been reported in various situations, the importance of A baumannii as a nosocomial pathogen in veterinary hospitals has not been studied so far. In this retrospective case series, we describe 17 dogs and 2 cats from which A baumannii had been isolated during a 21/2-year period. In 7 dogs, A baumannii induced systemic signs of illness, whereas 12 animals showed signs of local infection. In all animals with systemic infection, and in 2 with localized infection, A baumannii contributed to the death of the animal or contributed to euthanasia; the remaining 8 dogs and both cats recovered. Molecular typing of the isolates with restriction polymorphisms of ribosomal DNA provided evidence of nosocomial spread of this pathogen and for the presence of several strains of A baumannii in the hospital environment. [source] Convergence conditions for a restarted GMRES method augmented with eigenspacesNUMERICAL LINEAR ALGEBRA WITH APPLICATIONS, Issue 4 2005Jan ZítkoArticle first published online: 9 AUG 200 Abstract We consider the GMRES(m,k) method for the solution of linear systems Ax=b, i.e. the restarted GMRES with restart m where to the standard Krylov subspace of dimension m the other subspace of dimension k is added, resulting in an augmented Krylov subspace. This additional subspace approximates usually an A -invariant subspace. The eigenspaces associated with the eigenvalues closest to zero are commonly used, as those are thought to hinder convergence the most. The behaviour of residual bounds is described for various situations which can arise during the GMRES(m,k) process. The obtained estimates for the norm of the residual vector suggest sufficient conditions for convergence of GMRES(m,k) and illustrate that these augmentation techniques can remove stagnation of GMRES(m) in many cases. All estimates are independent of the choice of an initial approximation. Conclusions and remarks assessing numerically the quality of proposed bounds conclude the paper. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] When and How Do High Status Group Members Offer Help: Effects of Social Dominance Orientation and Status ThreatPOLITICAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 6 2008Samer Halabi The present study explored the implications of an intergroup perspective on individual difference and situational influences on helping, specifically, outgroup members. In particular, we examined the effects of social dominance orientation (SDO) and group status threat on the amount and kind of help offered by Jewish participants (n = 99) to Arab and Jewish students. Dependent measures were the likelihood of helping outgroup and ingroup members across various situations of need and, when help is given, the likelihood that it would be dependency-oriented rather than autonomy-oriented assistance. As expected, higher SDO individuals offered less help to outgroup (Arab) students, particularly when they experienced threat to group status, but not to ingroup members. In addition, higher SDO participants, when they did report that they would help, were more likely to offer dependency-oriented help to outgroup than to ingroup members. The theoretical and applied implications are discussed. [source] Possible Role of Artificial Oxygen Carriers in Transfusion Medicine: A Retrospective Analysis on the Current Transfusion PracticeARTIFICIAL ORGANS, Issue 2 2009Fumiaki Yoshiba Abstract Artificial oxygen carriers (AOC) are under development as a substitute for red blood cells (RBC) in homologous transfusion (Tx). The lack of surface antigen in AOC makes ABO-typing and antibody-screening (T/S) unnecessary. Pathogen elimination renders it much safer, and long-term stability allows ubiquitous storage for emergency use. To delineate the utility of AOC, we retrospectively examined current Tx practices in Tokai University and the Japanese Red Cross Society. The emergency department of Tokai University Hospital has been using O(+)Rh(+) RBC in patients with hemorrhagic shock before Tx becomes available. Those who received the RBCs within 60 min of injury had a significantly higher survival rate than those who received it later (,60 min). The Red Cross Blood Center provided 411 units of RBC for 138 urgent requests for rare blood types. Our analysis suggests that if an AOC were available for the initial six units, 96% of such requests could have been covered to avoid urgent donor allocation, preparation, and Tx. Among 2079 surgical cases who ordered T/S, only 29% actually required Tx, rendering >70% of the T/S unnecessary. Because only 7.4% required nine units or more, more than 92% of T/S and Tx could have been avoided in retrospect if an AOC were available for the initial eight units. The results suggest that an AOC might be useful in various situations to alleviate problems, concerns, and technical burden in the current Tx practices. Because the expected utility is based mainly on physical characteristics, AOC may remain advantageous even when biogenetically derived RBC becomes available. [source] An Importance Sampling Method to Evaluate Value-at-Risk for Assets with Jump Risk,ASIA-PACIFIC JOURNAL OF FINANCIAL STUDIES, Issue 5 2009Ren-Her Wang Abstract Risk management is an important issue when there is a catastrophic event that affects asset price in the market such as a sub-prime financial crisis or other financial crisis. By adding a jump term in the geometric Brownian motion, the jump diffusion model can be used to describe abnormal changes in asset prices when there is a serious event in the market. In this paper, we propose an importance sampling algorithm to compute the Value-at-Risk for linear and nonlinear assets under a multi-variate jump diffusion model. To be more precise, an efficient computational procedure is developed for estimating the portfolio loss probability for linear and nonlinear assets with jump risks. And the titling measure can be separated for the diffusion and the jump part under the assumption of independence. The simulation results show that the efficiency of importance sampling improves over the naive Monte Carlo simulation from 7 times to 285 times under various situations. We also show the robustness of the importance sampling algorithm by comparing it with the EVT-Copula method proposed by Oh and Moon (2006). [source] A LOTTO SYSTEMS PROBLEMAUSTRALIAN & NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF STATISTICS, Issue 3 2005K.G. Russell Summary A Lotto Systems bet allows the player to nominate n numbers from which (s)he believes the winning six numbers will be drawn, and to bet on all combinations of six of these n numbers. Assume that the winning six numbers come from the nominated n. How many combinations must be entered to guarantee that one combination will include at least five of the winning six numbers? The problem is generalized in this paper, and the method of simulated annealing is used to find solutions for various situations. The case where two supplementary numbers are drawn after the initial six winning numbers is also considered. [source] Median Regression Models for Longitudinal Data with DropoutsBIOMETRICS, Issue 2 2009Grace Y. Yi Summary Recently, median regression models have received increasing attention. When continuous responses follow a distribution that is quite different from a normal distribution, usual mean regression models may fail to produce efficient estimators whereas median regression models may perform satisfactorily. In this article, we discuss using median regression models to deal with longitudinal data with dropouts. Weighted estimating equations are proposed to estimate the median regression parameters for incomplete longitudinal data, where the weights are determined by modeling the dropout process. Consistency and the asymptotic distribution of the resultant estimators are established. The proposed method is used to analyze a longitudinal data set arising from a controlled trial of HIV disease (Volberding et al., 1990, The New England Journal of Medicine322, 941,949). Simulation studies are conducted to assess the performance of the proposed method under various situations. An extension to estimation of the association parameters is outlined. [source] | ||||||||||||||||