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Blueprint
Selected AbstractsBLUEPRINT FOR TACKLING HEART DISEASEINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NURSING PRACTICE, Issue 5 2000David R Thompson Professor [source] A Blueprint for IMF Reform: More than just a Lender,INTERNATIONAL FINANCE, Issue 2 2007Barry EichengreenArticle first published online: 14 AUG 200 First page of article [source] The Tree Canopy as BlueprintARCHITECTURAL DESIGN, Issue 3 2010Mitchell Schwarzer Abstract As the opportunities for new territories become more limited, the only way is up. Mitchell Schwarzer explores the dizzying heights of the ,last biotic frontier' of arboreal architecture with its high platforms, walkways and canopy craft. Challenging in construction and engineering terms, the tree canopy also requires engaging with a different atmospheric and climatic range to those conditions encountered at ground level. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Qualities of a good psychiatristASIA-PACIFIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 1 2009Phern-Chern Tor MBBS MMed (Psych) Abstract Introduction: There is limited published work regarding the qualities of a good psychiatrist in Asia. With greater attention paid to psychiatry training in Singapore as a result of the Ministry of Health's National Mental Health Blueprint, there is a need to assess the qualities of a good psychiatrist to guide training. Methods: The present study consisted of two steps. First, a focus group of six senior psychiatrists was conducted to obtain a list of positive qualities of a psychiatrist. Second, an anonymous survey was sent to all psychiatry trainees and psychiatrists in Singapore to assess the relative importance of 40 qualities that were chosen from the list of qualities obtained from the focus group. Factor analysis was performed to elucidate the themes from the qualities and Friedman's ,2 test was used to compare the ratings between themes. Results: The response rate was 48.7% (74 of 152). Analysis showed four themes among the qualities assessed: "personal values", "professional", "relationship", "academic-executive". The highly ranked themes for a good psychiatrist were personal values and professional qualities. Lowly ranked themes were relationship and academic-executive. Discussion: A good psychiatrist in Singapore is narrowly defined by personal values and professional qualities. Training should correctly be focused on clinical skills. There may be a place to give more emphasis to qualities within the themes of relationship and academic-executive, which are related to the all-round development of a psychiatrist. [source] Blueprint for Computer-Assisted AssessmentBRITISH JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY, Issue 3 2004Article first published online: 16 APR 200 No abstract is available for this article. [source] Policy Paths and Governance BlueprintsINTERNATIONAL STUDIES PERSPECTIVES, Issue 2 2002Kurt Burch No abstract is available for this article. [source] Strategies for enhancing the adoption of school-based prevention programs: Lessons learned from the Blueprints for Violence Prevention replications of the Life Skills Training programJOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 3 2003Abigail A. Fagan Widespread implementation of effective programs is unlikely to affect the incidence of violent crime unless there is careful attention given to the quality of implementation, including identification of the problems associated with the process of implementation and strategies for overcoming these obstacles. Here we describe the results of a process evaluation focused on discovering common implementation obstacles faced by schools implementing the Life Skills Training (LST) drug prevention program. The evaluation was conducted by the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence (CSPV) under the Blueprints for Violence Prevention Initiative in conjunction with the designer of the LST program, Dr. Gilbert Botvin and his dissemination agency, National Health Promotion Associates (NHPA), and was funded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). This evaluation revealed that the 70 sites involved in the project faced many obstacles when implementing this science-based program in the "real" classroom setting, outside the rigorous controls of a research trial. Nonetheless, the schools were very successful in delivering the program in its entirety and with a high level of fidelity to the program model, and we attribute much of this success to the high level of independent monitoring provided by CSPV, as well as our ongoing efforts to work with schools to identify and overcome problems associated with implementation. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comm Psychol 31: 235,253, 2003. [source] On-Line Control Architecture for Enabling Real-Time Traffic System OperationsCOMPUTER-AIDED CIVIL AND INFRASTRUCTURE ENGINEERING, Issue 5 2004Srinivas Peeta Critical to their effectiveness are the control architectures that provide a blueprint for the efficient transmission and processing of large amounts of real-time data, and consistency-checking and fault tolerance mechanisms to ensure seamless automated functioning. However, the lack of low-cost, high-performance, and easy-to-build computing environments are key impediments to the widespread deployment of such architectures in the real-time traffic operations domain. This article proposes an Internet-based on-line control architecture that uses a Beowulf cluster as its computational backbone and provides an automated mechanism for real-time route guidance to drivers. To investigate this concept, the computationally intensive optimization modules are implemented on a low-cost 16-processor Beowulf cluster and a commercially available supercomputer, and the performance of these systems on representative computations is measured. The results highlight the effectiveness of the cluster in generating substantial computational performance scalability, and suggest that its performance is comparable to that of the more expensive supercomputer. [source] The Aid Paradigm for Poverty Reduction: Does It Make Sense?DEVELOPMENT POLICY REVIEW, Issue 4 2008John Weiss Thinking on economic policy for development has undergone many shifts in response to the perceived weak results of earlier adjustment reforms. A new donor consensus has emerged based around the central themes of economic growth, good governance and social development. This article examines the logic behind this new aid paradigm, revealing a nuanced story with country circumstances playing a critical role and particular interventions varying in impact. For example, growth does not always lead to gains for the poor that match the national average; public expenditure needs to be targeted to achieve social development, but effective targeting is difficult; governance reform may be critical but there is no simple governance blueprint, and the corruption-growth association need not always be negative. [source] Designing new institutions for implementing integrated disaster risk management: key elements and future directionsDISASTERS, Issue 4 2007Chennat Gopalakrishnan The goal of integrated disaster risk management is to promote an overall improvement in the quality of safety and security in a region, city or community at disaster risk. This paper presents the case for a thorough overhaul of the institutional component of integrated disaster risk management. A review of disaster management institutions in the United States indicates significant weaknesses in their ability to contribute effectively to the implementation of integrated disaster risk management. Our analysis and findings identify eight key elements for the design of dynamic new disaster management institutions. Six specific approaches are suggested for incorporating the identified key elements in building new institutions that would have significant potential for enhancing the effective implementation of integrated disaster risk management. We have developed a possible blueprint for effective design and construction of efficient, sustainable and functional disaster management institutions. [source] University of Michigan Addiction Research Center (UMARC): development, evolution, and directionADDICTION, Issue 6 2010Robert A. Zucker ABSTRACT A historical summary is provided of the evolution of the University of Michigan Addiction Research Center (UMARC) since its origins in 1988. Begun as an National Institutes of Health (NIH) research center within a Department of Psychiatry and focused solely upon alcohol and aging, early work emphasized treatment efficacy, differential outcome studies and characterization of the neurophysiological and behavioral manifestations of chronic alcoholism. Over the last 15 years, UMARC has extended its research focus along a number of dimensions: its developmental reach has been extended etiologically by studies of risk early in the life span, and by way of work on earlier screening and the development of early, brief treatment interventions. The addiction focus has expanded to include other drugs of abuse. Levels of analysis have also broadened, with work on the molecular genetics and brain neurophysiology underlying addictive processes, on one hand, and examination of the role of the social environment in long-term course of disorder on the other hand. Activities have been facilitated by several research training programs and by collaborative relationships with other universities around the United States and in Poland. Since 2002, a program for research infrastructure development and collaboration has been ongoing, initially with Poland and more recently with Ukraine, Latvia and Slovakia. A blueprint for the future includes expanded characterization of the neurobiology and genetics of addictive processes, the developmental environment, as well as programmatic work to address the public health implications of our ability to identify risk for disorder very early in life. [source] The introduction and perception of an OSCE with an element of self- and peer-assessmentEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF DENTAL EDUCATION, Issue 1 2008T. Larsen Abstract The purpose of the present study was to encourage reflective dental students by performing an educational Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) with an element of self- and peer-assessment. An interdisciplinary OSCE comprising cariology, endodontics and microbiology was set up for all third-year students. A blueprint secured representation of the skills to be tested, i.e. knowledge, interdisciplinary knowledge, communication, clinical reasoning and practical procedures. At each station positive and constructive feedback was given to the students based on predefined criteria. Further, the students received written marks after completion of the OSCE. At one station the feedback and marks were replaced by self- and peer-assessment performed by the students in groups after the OSCE. Afterwards, the 68 students and 8 teachers participating in the OSCE answered a questionnaire on their opinion and perception of the examination. The results showed good correlation between the marks given and the students' perception of task difficulty. Generally, there were no systematic variations in the marks given during the week or by individual assessors at the same station, except for one, as well as agreement with marks of the ordinary clinical assessment. The marks given during self- and peer-assessment differed widely, indicating a need for training in this aspect. The questionnaires revealed a very positive perception of the OSCE from both students and teachers. Thus, the majority found the examination relevant and of educational benefit, capable of improving the learning of the students and useful for assessment purposes. Also, the self- and peer-assessment was found useful by the students. In conclusion, this interdisciplinary OSCE stressing constructive feedback to the students was perceived very positively by students and teachers and recognised for its beneficial possibilities in education and assessment. [source] Innovative Governance and Development in the New Ireland: Social Partnership and the Integrated ApproachGOVERNANCE, Issue 1 2004J. D. House Since the mid-1980s, the economy of the Republic of Ireland has displayed a remarkable turnaround. Its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has grown at a faster rate than any developed country in the world. The government's deficit has been cut severely and the debt-to-GDP ration sharply reduced. Average incomes have risen significantly, and the unemployment rate reduced dramatically. This article documents these changes. Its main purpose, however, is to provide a plausible explanation for the "Irish miracle." While many factors have been important,support for the Economic Union's regional development programs, a favorable tax structure, locational and language advantages for attracting multinational corporations, strong education and training programs,these factors in themselves do not explain the emergence of the "Celtic tiger." They were in place before the mid-1980s when Ireland was suffering from a fiscal, economic, and political crisis. Instead, the article argues, it was the creative and innovative response of Irish leaders in government, industry, and labor movement and community organizations to the crisis, and the subsequent institutionalization of this response in a new form of governance, that has been the catalyst for the Irish success story. Based on the thorough background research of the Economic and Social Research Council, a farsighted group of leaders developed a strategic plan in 1987 that provided a blueprint for constructive economic and social change. This was then formally instituted for wage restraint on the part of labor in return for income tax and social supposed provisions by government. Irish social Partnership is modeled to some extent on Northern European corporatism. The article reviews corporatism as an early form of innovative governance, using classical corporatism in Sweden and competitive corporatism in the Netherlands to illustrate how this approach has evolved over the years. Dutch economic success in recent years is due in part to its new form of corporatism that has helped it become globally competitive. It is argued, however, that Irish social partnership goes beyond continental corporatism in several important ways. It is more inclusive, covering a large array of social interests; it is more strategic, with a well-articulated integrated approach to social and economic development that is self-corrective and articulated in a new national agreement every three years; and it is more firmly institutionalized in both government and nongovernment agencies in the country. Social partnership and the integrated approach have become part of the culture of the new Ireland. This innovative form of governance underlies the Irish turnaround and augurs well for the future. It can also serve as a model, with appropriate modification tailor-made to each case, for other jurisdictions hoping to emulate Ireland's success. [source] Assessing yield and yield stability of remnant populations of Cenchrus ciliaris L. in arid Tunisia: developing a blueprint for initiating native seed productionGRASS & FORAGE SCIENCE, Issue 3 2008M. Visser Abstract Native seed needs to be sourced locally yet contain ample genetic variation. A blueprint is developed for assembling and assessing native plant material at one eco-geographical site prior to seed multiplication for restoring degraded drylands of North Africa. To satisfy the ,local yet ample' criterion, the feasibility of selecting a limited number of high-yielding genotypes within one starter collection of Cenchrus ciliaris L. in Presaharian Tunisia (100,200 mm annual rainfall) was tested and compared to outcomes with similar work on its ecological complement, Stipa lagascae R. & Sch. Results showed that a limited number of high-yielding genotypes can easily produce quality native seed because of the high genetic diversity of the starter material. Results also showed that there was a high potential to increase the rain-use efficiency of degraded drylands using this seed. Seven ground rules are suggested when building the starter collection: (i) carefully delimit the region for sourcing seed; (ii) work with individual plants; (iii) carefully choose the collection site; (iv) replicate plant material as much as is feasible; (v) match evaluation methods to resource constraints; (vi) wait for conditions of maximum resource availability before culling; and (vii) apply a two-tiered selection strategy. [source] Anticipating bipedalism: trabecular organization in the newborn iliumJOURNAL OF ANATOMY, Issue 6 2009Craig A. Cunningham Abstract Trabecular bone structural organization is considered to be predominantly influenced by localized temporal forces which act to maintain and remodel the trabecular architecture into a biomechanically optimal configuration. In the adult pelvis, the most significant remodelling forces are believed to be those generated during bipedal locomotion. However, during the fetal and neonatal period the pelvic complex is non-weight bearing and, as such, structural organization of iliac trabecular bone cannot reflect direct stance-related forces. In this study, micro-computed tomography scans from 28 neonatal ilia were analysed, using a whole bone approach, to investigate the trabecular characteristics present within specific volumes of interest relevant to density gradients highlighted in a previous radiographic study. Analysis of the structural indices bone volume fraction, trabecular thickness, trabecular spacing and trabecular number was carried out to quantitatively investigate structural composition. Quantification of the neonatal trabecular structure reinforced radiographic observations by highlighting regions of significant architectural form which grossly parallel architectural differences in the adult pattern but which have previously been attributed to stance-related forces. It is suggested that the seemingly organized rudimentary scaffold observed in the neonatal ilium may be attributable to other non-weight bearing anatomical interactions or even to a predetermined genetic blueprint. It must also be postulated that whilst the observed patterning may be indicative of a predetermined inherent template, early non-weight bearing and late stance-related locomotive influences may subsequently be superimposed upon this scaffolding and perhaps reinforced and likely remodelled at a later age. Ultimately, the analysis of this fundamental primary pattern has core implications for understanding the earliest changes in pelvic trabecular architecture and provides a baseline insight into future ontogenetic development and bipedal capabilities. [source] KEYNOTE ADDRESS Ku80-deletion causes early ageing and suppresses cancerJOURNAL OF ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY AND NUTRITION, Issue 2 2009P. Hasty Ageing is widespread cellular decline resulting in a loss of fitness that is both pleiotropic and stochastic and influenced by both genetics and environment. As a result the fundamental underling causes of ageing are diverse and controversial. One potential ageing target is nuclear DNA, as it is a permanent blueprint that controls cellular processes. Thus, DNA replication and genome maintenance are highly regulated events that ensure faithful reproduction and maintenance of the blueprint and these pathways assure sufficient longevity for reproduction and survival of the species. As a consequence, imperfections or defects in maintaining the genome may contribute to ageing. Therefore, genome maintenance pathways are longevity-assurance mechanisms that sustain an organism long enough to reproduce and propagate. Chief among these mechanisms are those that respond to damaged DNA. There are two basics responses to genomic damage: DNA repair and cell cycle checkpoints. Both are considered to be tumour suppressors and are categorized as either caretakers or gatekeepers, respectively. Interestingly, observations of human and mouse pre-mature ageing models suggest these anti-tumour pathways impact the ageing process. Caretakers suppress cancer by repairing DNA damage caused by defects in replication or by a variety of agents including endogenously produced reactive by-products of oxygen metabolism and exogenous agents naturally encountered in our environment. As a consequence DNA is subject to a variety of insults that cause a diverse range of lesions and phenotypic outcomes. There are many forms of DNA damage including base lesions and double-strand breaks (DSBs) with the latter being more toxic. Cancer-causing chromosomal rearrangements may result if DSBs are not repaired properly. Additionally, an accumulation of these rearrangements may contribute to ageing since they increase in some cell types as humans and mice age. Furthermore, early ageing models suggest that defects in repairing DSBs lead to early ageing in humans and mice. Non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) is an important pathway for repairing DNA DSBs and is considered a caretaker. The Ku heterodimer (composed of Ku70 and Ku80) binds to DNA ends to initiate NHEJ, and defects in either Ku70 or Ku80 lead to increased levels of DNA DSBs and chromosomal rearrangements, leading many to believe Ku is a caretaker. Ku-mutant mice display increased GCRs, but without increased cancer. Instead, these mice show early ageing and shortened life span. Thus, Ku's role as a caretaker is uncertain as the low cancer levels may be due to Ku80-deletion or, instead, the low cancer levels may simply be a consequence of the shortened life span that prohibits sufficient time for tumours to develop. Gatekeepers respond to DNA damage by halting the cell cycle long enough for the DNA to be repaired. If the damage is irreparable, gatekeepers induce either apoptosis or senescence. These responses are deleterious to the cell but protect the organism from cancer as one potential outcome of genetic mutations is uncontrolled proliferation. p53 is critical for checkpoints and is the best-known gatekeeper because it is mutated in over half of all cancers. In addition, p53 activity influences many aspects of the Ku-mutant phenotype suggesting that Ku-deletion leads to persistent p53-mediated responses and presenting the possibility that low cancer levels and early ageing are caused by elevated gatekeeper responses. Our hypothesis is that Ku-mutant mice exhibit low cancer levels and, perhaps, ageing due to persistent p53-mediated responses to inefficiently repaired DNA. To test this hypothesis, Ku80-mutant mice were crossed to cancer-prone mice with either non-functional or functional gatekeeper responses. Ku80-mutant mice were crossed to p53-mutant mice to determine if Ku80-deletion exacerbates oncogenesis when gatekeeper responses are diminished. Ku80-mutant mice deleted for p53 exhibit early onset and high levels of two forms of cancer: pro-B cell lymphoma and medulloblastoma, thus supporting the hypothesis. Ku80-mutant mice were also crossed to APCMIN mice to determine if Ku80-deletion ameliorates oncogenesis gatekeeper responses are intact. APCMIN mice exhibit high levels of intestinal adenomas and adenocarcinomas but have normal p53-mediated responses to DNA damage. APCMIN mice, deleted for Ku80, exhibit about 67% fewer tumours than APCMIN mice with Ku80. Thus, deletion of Ku80 suppresses tumour formation, again supporting the hypothesis. Ku80-mutant cells and tissues were tested for p53-mediated DNA damage responses, levels of DNA damage, and mutations. Ku80-mutant fibroblasts exhibit elevated levels of p53-mediated DNA damage responses that increase p21-mediated cellular senescence. In addition, there are elevated levels DNA damage as seen by increased 53BP1 foci and elevated levels of chromosomal rearrangements. Thus, these data support the hypothesis that Ku80-deletion reduces tumors by elevating DNA damage gatekeeper responses to inefficiently repaired DNA. These data also support the possibility that the Ku80-mutant ageing phenotype is also due to elevated gatekeeper responses. [source] Targeting nitric oxide for cancer therapyJOURNAL OF PHARMACY AND PHARMACOLOGY: AN INTERNATI ONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCE, Issue 1 2007David Hirst A blueprint for the ideal anticancer molecule would include most of the properties of nitric oxide (NO,), but the ability to exploit these characteristics in a therapeutic setting requires a detailed understanding of the biology and biochemistry of the molecule. These properties include the ability of NO, to affect tumour angiogenesis, metastasis, blood flow and immuno surveillance. Furthermore NO, also has the potential to enhance both radio- and chemotherapy. However, all of these strategies are dependent on achieving appropriate levels of NO,, since endogenous levels of NO, appear to have a clear role in tumour progression. This review aims to summarize the role of NO, in cancer with particular emphasis on how the properties of NO, can be exploited for therapy. [source] Reclaiming Futures: A Model for Judicial Leadership in Community Responses to Juvenile Substance AbuseJUVENILE AND FAMILY COURT JOURNAL, Issue 3 2006JUDGE MICHAEL ANDEREGG ABSTRACT Juvenile courts across the country have become the leading service delivery system for youths with substance abuse problems, not by choice, but by necessity. At 10 communities around the nation, judges and project staff are in their fifth year of pioneering changes to the way the juvenile justice system helps teens in trouble with drugs, alcohol, and crime. These judges are part of Reclaiming Futures, an initiative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and they are working with local leaders to re-invent the way law enforcement, courts, probation, detention facilities, treatment providers, families, schools, and the community work together to help troubled youths succeed. Together, they have written a guide for judges, court administrators, government entities, community leaders, and interested citizens to share the knowledge and experience they have gained from the nationwide Reclaiming Futures initiative. Their goal is to encourage and motivate others to launch similar projects in their communities, and to provide a blueprint for judges and others striving to undertake this level of collaboration. [source] A blueprint for the implementation of process-oriented knowledge managementKNOWLEDGE AND PROCESS MANAGEMENT: THE JOURNAL OF CORPORATE TRANSFORMATION, Issue 4 2003Ulrich Remus Process-oriented Knowledge Management aims at the integration of business processes and knowledge management. In order to provide knowledge for value adding activities within the business processes KM instruments and KM systems have to be adapted to business and knowledge processes. In detail, KM instruments such as content management, skill management, lessons learned, and communities have to be assigned to KM activities and processes. Models and patterns that describe generic pKM processes can build a blueprint for the implementation and support the stepwise integration of business processes into the knowledge life cycle. The introduction of a pKM becomes more efficient, as the flexibility is increased and the complexity is reduced. In this paper the authors show the essential elements of a blueprint developed during the implementation of a pKM in a large transaction bank. The blueprint describes the essential knowledge structures, activities, processes and instruments on different layers of abstraction in the context of a continuous knowledge life cycle. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Reliability and validity of the direct observation clinical encounter examination (DOCEE)MEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 3 2003Hossam Hamdy Context, The College of Medicine and Medical Sciences at the Arabian Gulf University, Bahrain, replaced the traditional long case/short case clinical examination on the final MD examination with a direct observation clinical encounter examination (DOCEE). Each student encountered four real patients. Two pairs of examiners from different disciplines observed the students taking history and conducting physical examinations and jointly assessed their clinical competence. Objectives, To determine the reliability and validity of the DOCEE by investigating whether examiners agree when scoring, ranking and classifying students; to determine the number of cases and examiners necessary to produce a reliable examination, and to establish whether the examination has content and concurrent validity. Subjects, Fifty-six final year medical students and 22 examiners (in pairs) participated in the DOCEE in 2001. Methods, Generalisability theory, intraclass correlation, Pearson correlation and kappa were used to study reliability and agreement between the examiners. Case content and Pearson correlation between DOCEE and other examination components were used to study validity. Results, Cronbach's alpha for DOCEE was 0·85. The intraclass and Pearson correlation of scores given by specialists and non-specialists ranged from 0·82 to 0·93. Kappa scores ranged from 0·56 to 1·00. The overall intraclass correlation of students' scores was 0·86. The generalisability coefficient with four cases and two raters was 0·84. Decision studies showed that increasing the cases from one to four improved reliability to above 0·8. However, increasing the number of raters had little impact on reliability. The use of a pre-examination blueprint for selecting the cases improved the content validity. The disattenuated Pearson correlations between DOCEE and other performance measures as a measure of concurrent validity ranged from 0·67 to 0·79. Conclusions, The DOCEE was shown to have good reliability and interrater agreement between two independent specialist and non-specialist examiners on the scoring, ranking and pass/fail classification of student performance. It has adequate content and concurrent validity and provides unique information about students' clinical competence. [source] Defining the content for the objective structured clinical examination component of the Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board examination: development of a blueprintMEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 7 2000Philip Tombleson Introduction We describe the steps taken to develop an appropriate list of ,clinical problems' used to define the content of the objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) component of the Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) examination. Method A blueprint and list of 255 clinical problems was compiled by reviewing PLAB questions, published curricula of the UK Royal Colleges and other sources such as the General Medical Council's own guidelines. This list was sent to a random sample of 251 successful PLAB candidates who were asked to rate the clinical problems using a scale of ,seen frequently/seldom/never' and to 120 members of the accident and emergency (A&E) specialists' association who were asked to identify ,important' tasks. The list was further validated using activity data obtained for consecutive A&E attendances (934) and admissions (6130) at three hospitals. Results After two mailings, 131/251 (52%) former PLAB candidates and 89/120 (74%) A&E specialists replied. All of the 255 clinical problems were seen by some former candidates and were felt to be important by some A&E specialists. Of the 255 problems, 40 were neither rated as important nor as seen frequently/seldom by over 50% of respondents. The 255 clinical problems covered a mean 94% consecutive A&E attendances and 97·6% reasons for hospital admission. The correlation between clinical problems that were frequently encountered and those felt to be important was rho=0·38 (P < 0·01). Conclusion The clinical problems appear to be appropriate for defining the content of the PLAB OSCE. We suggest that our problem list is useful in that all the problems are seen by some senior house officers, are felt to be important by some A&E specialists and cover greater than or equal to 94% of the conditions for which patients both attend and are admitted from casualty. The correlation between clinical task importance and the frequency that they were seen was only moderate, partly reflecting the relative seriousness of some uncommon medical conditions, which should not be missed on clinical assessment. The content of the OSCE component of the PLAB examination is being reviewed in the light of the findings of this study. The limitations of the study are discussed. [source] Writing in the Secondary Foreign Language Classroom: The Effects of Prompts and Tasks on Novice Learners of FrenchMODERN LANGUAGE JOURNAL, Issue 2 2000Denise Paige Way This study investigated the effects of 3 different writing tasks (descriptive, narrative, and expository) and 3 different writing prompts (bare, vocabulary, and prose model) on 937 writing samples culled from 330 novice learners enrolled in 15 classes of Levels 1 and 2 high school French. In order to assess the quality, fluency, syntactic complexity, and accuracy of the writing samples, the researchers employed 4 evaluation methods: holistic scoring, length of product, mean length of T-units, and percentage of correct T-units. Results indicate that the descriptive task was the easiest and the expository task the most difficult. The prose model prompts produced the highest mean scores, and the bare prompts produced the lowest mean scores. Based on these findings, the researchers question whether the description of a novice writer in the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines(1986) should be used as a blueprint for curriculum development and textbook construction for secondary novice foreign language learners. [source] Oil pipeline deregulation a blueprint for FERC's gas and electric programNATURAL GAS & ELECTRICITY (PREVIOUSLY : NATURAL GAS), Issue 3 2000Richard G. Morgan [source] Genomic repertoire of human mesangial cells: comprehensive analysis of gene expression by cDNA array hybridizationNEPHROLOGY, Issue 4 2000Naohiro Yano SUMMARY: Knowing when and where a gene is expressed in a cell often provides a strong clue as to its physiological role. It is estimated the human genome contains 80 000,100 000 genes. Assessment of gene activity on a global genome-wide scale is a fundamental and newly developed experimental strategy to expand the scope of biological investigation from a single gene to studying all genes at once in a systematic way. Capitalizing on the recently developed methodology of cDNA array hybridization, we monitored the simultaneous expression of thousands of genes in primary human mesangial cells. Complex ,- 33P-labelled cDNA probes were prepared from cultured mesangial cells. The probe was hybridized to a high-density array of 18 326 paired target genes. The radioactive hybridization signals were analysed by phosphorimager. Bioinformatics from public genomic databases was utilized to assign a chromosomal location of each expressed transcript. Approximately 7460 different gene transcripts were detected in mesangial cells. Close to 13% (957 genes) were full-length mRNA human transcripts (HTs), the remainder 6503 being expressed sequence tags (ESTs). Using special imaging computer software, the transcriptional level of the 957 HTs was compared with the expression of the ribosomal protein S28 (housekeeping gene). The HTs were also classified by function of the gene product and listed with information on their chromosomal loci. To allow comparison between clinical and experimental studies of gene expression, the detected human gene transcripts were cross-referenced to orthologous mouse genes. Thus, the presented data constitute a quantitative preliminary blueprint of the transcriptional map of the human mesangial cell. The information may serve as a resource for speeding up the discovery of genes underlying human glomerular diseases. The complete listing of the full-length expressed genes is available upon request via E-mail: (Abdalla_Rifai@Brown.edu). [source] A gene repertoire for nitrogen transporters in Laccaria bicolorNEW PHYTOLOGIST, Issue 2 2008Eva Lucic Summary ,,Ectomycorrhizal interactions established between the root systems of terrestrial plants and hyphae from soil-borne fungi are the most ecologically widespread plant symbioses. The efficient uptake of a broad range of nitrogen (N) compounds by the fungal symbiont and their further transfer to the host plant is a major feature of this symbiosis. Nevertheless, we far from understand which N form is preferentially transferred and what are the key molecular determinants required for this transfer. ,,Exhaustive in silico analysis of N-compound transporter families were performed within the genome of the ectomycorrhizal model fungus Laccaria bicolor. A broad phylogenetic approach was undertaken for all families and gene regulation was investigated using whole-genome expression arrays. ,,A repertoire of proteins involved in the transport of N compounds in L. bicolor was established that revealed the presence of at least 128 gene models in the genome of L. bicolor. Phylogenetic comparisons with other basidiomycete genomes highlighted the remarkable expansion of some families. Whole-genome expression arrays indicate that 92% of these gene models showed detectable transcript levels. ,,This work represents a major advance in the establishment of a transportome blueprint at a symbiotic interface, which will guide future experiments. [source] The Brief Pain Inventory and Its "Pain At Its Worst in the Last 24 Hours" Item: Clinical Trial Endpoint ConsiderationsPAIN MEDICINE, Issue 3 2010Thomas M. Atkinson PhD Abstract Context., In 2006, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a draft Guidance for Industry on the use of patient-reported outcomes (PRO) Measures in Medical Product Development to Support Labeling Claims. This draft guidance outlines psychometric aspects that should be considered when designing a PRO measure, including conceptual framework, content validity, construct validity, reliability, and the ability to detect clinically meaningful score changes. When finalized, it may provide a blueprint for evaluations of PRO measures that can be considered by sponsors and investigators involved in PRO research and drug registration trials. Objective., In this review we examine the short form of the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) and particularly the "pain at its worst in the last 24 hours" item in the context of the FDA draft guidance, to assess its utility in clinical trials that include pain as a PRO endpoint. Results and Conclusions., After a systematic evaluation of the psychometric aspects of the BPI, we conclude that the BPI and its "pain at its worst in the last 24 hours" item generically satisfy most key recommendations outlined in the draft guidance for assessing a pain-reduction treatment effect. Nonetheless, when the BPI is being considered for assessment of pain endpoints in a registration trial, sponsors and investigators should consult with the appropriate FDA division early during research design to discuss whether there is sufficient precedent to use the instrument in the population of interest or whether additional evaluations of measurement properties are advisable. [source] A national conference to determine research priorities in pediatric solid organ transplantationPEDIATRIC TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 2 2008Sharon M. Bartosh Abstract:, The need for evidence-based practice guidelines requires high quality, carefully controlled clinical research trials. This multidisciplinary conference attempted to: identify urgent clinical and research issues, identify obstacles to performing clinical trials, develop concepts for organ-specific and all-organ research and generate a report that would serve as a blueprint for future research initiatives. A few themes became evident. First, young children present a unique immunologic environment which may lead to tolerance, therefore, including young children in immunosuppression withdrawal and tolerance trials may increase the potential benefits of these studies. Second, adolescence poses significant barriers to successful transplantation. Non-adherence may be insufficient to explain poorer outcomes. More studies focused on identification and prevention of non-adherence, and the potential effects of puberty are required. Third, the relatively naive immune system of the child presents a unique opportunity to study primary infections and alloimmune responses. Finally, relatively small numbers of transplants performed in pediatric centers mandate multicenter collaboration. Investment in registries, tissue and DNA repositories will enhance productivity. The past decade has proven that outcomes after pediatric transplantation can be comparable to adults. The pediatric community now has the opportunity to design and complete studies that enhance outcomes for all transplant recipients. [source] New-build gentrification in Central Shanghai: demographic changes and socioeconomic implicationsPOPULATION, SPACE AND PLACE (PREVIOUSLY:-INT JOURNAL OF POPULATION GEOGRAPHY), Issue 5 2010Shenjing He Abstract In Shanghai, globalised urban images and a well-functioning accumulation regime are enthusiastically sought after by urban policy, and explicitly promoted as a blueprint for a civilised city life. The city is celebrating its thriving neo-liberal urbanism by implementing enormous new-build gentrification, mostly in the form of demolition,rebuild development involving direct displacement of residents and landscapes. This study aims to understand demographic changes and the socioeconomic consequences of new-build gentrification in central Shanghai. The paper first examines demographic changes between 1990 and 2000 in central Shanghai, i.e. the changing distribution of potential gentrifiers and displacees. It then looks into two cases of new-build gentrification projects in central Shanghai, to compare residents' socioeconomic profiles in old neighbourhoods and new-build areas. This study also examines the impacts of gentrification on displacees' quality of life and socioeconomic prospects. Because the enlarging middle class and the pursuit of wealth-induced growth by the municipal government are turning the central city into a hotspot of gentrification, inequalities in housing and socioeconomic prospects are being produced and intensified in the metropolitan area. This study thus emphasises that critical perspectives in gentrification research are valuable and indispensable. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Individualized education programs for youth with Autism Spectrum DisordersPSYCHOLOGY IN THE SCHOOLS, Issue 7 2007Susan M. Wilczynski Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) present with a broad array of deficits and excesses that require educational intervention. The Individualized Education Program (IEP) serves as the blueprint for educational intervention but it can sometimes be difficult to identify which goals and objectives should be addressed with this population. It is necessary to be familiar with the defining features of ASD and the associated characteristics that youth may demonstrate in order to develop appropriate educational goals and objectives. The purpose of this article is to review the broad range of characteristics often evidenced by youth with ASD and to associate these features with specific skills to consider when developing IEP goals and objectives. This article primarily concentrates on providing an extensive list of skills and subskills that should be considered whenever children have been diagnosed or verified with an ASD. Finally, resources that may aid educators in developing IEPs are provided. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 44: 653,666, 2007. [source] Tiling among stereotyped dendritic branches in an identified Drosophila motoneuron,,THE JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE NEUROLOGY, Issue 12 2010F. Vonhoff Abstract Different types of neurons can be distinguished by the specific targeting locations and branching patterns of their dendrites, which form the blueprint for wiring the brain. Unraveling which specific signals control different aspects of dendritic architecture, such as branching and elongation, pruning and cessation of growth, territory formation, tiling, and self-avoidance requires a quantitative comparison in control and genetically manipulated neurons. The highly conserved shapes of individually identified Drosophila neurons make them well suited for the analysis of dendritic architecture principles. However, to date it remains unclear how tightly dendritic architecture principles of identified central neurons are regulated. This study uses quantitative reconstructions of dendritic architecture of an identified Drosophila flight motoneuron (MN5) with a complex dendritic tree, comprising more than 4,000 dendritic branches and 6 mm total length. MN5 contains a fixed number of 23 dendritic subtrees, which tile into distinct, nonoverlapping volumes of the diffuse motor neuropil. Across-animal comparison and quantitative analysis suggest that tiling of the different dendritic subtrees of the same neuron is caused by competitive and repulsive interactions among subtrees, perhaps allowing different dendritic compartments to be connected to different circuit elements. We also show that dendritic architecture is similar among different wildtype and GAL4 driver fly lines. Metric and topological dendritic architecture features are sufficiently constant to allow for studies of the underlying control mechanisms by genetic manipulations. Dendritic territory and certain topological measures, such as tree compactness, are most constant, suggesting that these reflect the intrinsic molecular identity of the neuron. J. Comp. Neurol. 518:2169,2185, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||