Common Pitfalls (common + pitfall)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Major hazard risk assessment for existing and new facilities

PROCESS SAFETY PROGRESS, Issue 4 2004
Katherine (Kate) Filippin
This paper outlines a risk assessment methodology that has been developed through work with major hazard facilities, including ammonia plants in Australia, satisfying regulations equivalent to the European Seveso II Directive. The methodology is an approach for ensuring an undertaking of effectively assessing the risks associated with major hazards that will not only satisfy regulations and corporate requirements, but also, more importantly, provide a framework for sustainable business processes, by enabling the methodology to be integrated into normal business management processes. The approach enables existing management systems to be effectively incorporated into the evaluation processes. Common pitfalls encountered during the risk assessment process are also discussed. © 2004 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog, 2004 [source]


Clues to an accurate diagnosis of contact dermatitis

DERMATOLOGIC THERAPY, Issue 3 2004
Robert L. Rietschel
ABSTRACT:, An accurate diagnosis of allergic contact dermatitis can be achieved by a combination of historical, morphologic, and diagnostic steps. Clues in the history and physical examination can point to an irritant as the source of contact dermatitis. While irritants and allergens share many common features both immunologically and clinically, there are grounds for the distinction. Knowledge of occupational factors is necessary to assess the source of contact dermatitis. A common pitfall is the failure to appreciate the role of endogenous factors in the clinical presentation and overall care of the dermatitis patient. A comprehensive assessment of the patient's environment will lead to appropriate patch tests being applied and a correct diagnosis being reached. [source]


Potential and Pitfalls in Establishing the Provenance of Earth-Related Samples in Forensic Investigations

JOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES, Issue 4 2006
Barry G. Rawlins Ph.D.
ABSTRACT: Earth scientists are often asked to establish or constrain the likely provenance of very small quantities of earth-related material as part of a forensic investigation. We tested the independent and collective interpretations of four experts with differing analytical skills in the prediction of sample provenance for three samples from different environmental settings. The methods used were X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, the assessment of pollen assemblages, and structural characterization of organic matter at the molecular level. Independent interpretations were less accurate than those where multiple techniques were combined. Collective interpretation was very effective in the assessment of provenance for two of the three sites where the mineralogy and plant communities were distinctive. At the other site, although the mineralogical analysis correctly identified the Triassic mudstone soil parent material, Carboniferous spores from domestic coal were initially interpreted as deriving directly from bedrock. Such an interpretation could be a common pitfall owing to anthropogenic redistribution of material such as coal. [source]


How to succeed in using dopamine agonists in Parkinson's disease

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY, Issue 2000
L. M. Shulman
Dopamine receptor agonists are assuming increased importance in the treatment of both early and advanced symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, tolerability of these drugs can be a problem. Identifying patients who are at increased risk of adverse effects is central to using dopamine agonists in PD. The newer agonists, pramipexole and ropinirole, are generally adequate without levodopa for early symptoms and carry the hope for a more acceptable profile of long-term side-effects. In the patient with advanced disease, all four dopamine agonists significantly augment the response to levodopa, which reduces the problems of motor fluctuations and drug related dyskinesia. Understanding the common pitfalls when prescribing these drugs will facilitate their safety and efficacy. [source]


The pathology of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

HISTOPATHOLOGY, Issue 5 2004
S E Hughes
Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is devastating at any age, but even more so when the individual affected is young and asymptomatic, and the death is entirely unexpected. SCD is a catastrophic complication of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and may be the first manifestation of this disease. HCM is an inherited intrinsic disease of the myocardium characterized by left ventricular hypertophy without chamber dilatation, in the absence of either a systemic or other cardiac disease, which may cause a similar magnitude of hypertrophy. HCM may be a clinically silent disease. Indeed, the pathologist may be the first to encounter a case of HCM at autopsy. HCM has wide-ranging implications for affected families, who will require cardiac screening and genetic counselling even if mutations are not known. Therefore, prompt and accurate diagnosis of HCM is vital. This review article will focus on the pathological diagnosis of HCM, recent advances in the genetics of this disease, and common pitfalls which may arise, leading to diagnostic uncertainty. [source]


A Conservative Approach to Performing Transseptal Punctures Without the Use of Intracardiac Echocardiography: Stepwise Approach with Real-Time Video Clips

JOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 6 2007
ALAN CHENG M.D.
Atrial transseptal puncture as a means of accessing the left heart is a critical component of catheter ablation procedures for atrial fibrillation, left-sided accessory pathways, and access to the left ventricle in patients with certain types of prosthetic aortic valves. Although this technique has been performed successfully since the 1950s, severe and potentially life-threatening complications can still occur, including cardiac tamponade and/or death. Some have adopted the use of intracardiac echocardiography, but our laboratory and many others throughout the world have successfully relied on fluoroscopic imaging alone. The aim of this brief report is to describe in detail our technique for performing transseptal punctures during catheter ablation procedures for atrial fibrillation. We employ a similar approach when targeting left-sided accessory pathways, although only a single transseptal is performed in those cases. Utilizing a series of real-time video clips, we describe our technique of double transseptal puncture and illustrate in detail ways in which to avoid common pitfalls. [source]


Managing the postclosing integration

JOURNAL OF CORPORATE ACCOUNTING & FINANCE, Issue 2 2009
Andrew J. Sherman
A merger and acquisition (M&A) closing usually brings great sighs of relief. Everyone has worked hard to ensure success. But actually this is not the end of the process. The hard work of postclosing integration is about to begin. Managing that postclosing integration is one of the buyer's greatest challenges. How can the buyer avoid common pitfalls and engineer a smooth transition? The author of this article provides the answers. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source]


Design and statistical analysis of oral medicine studies: common pitfalls

ORAL DISEASES, Issue 3 2010
L Baccaglini
Oral Diseases (2010) 16, 233,241 A growing number of articles are emerging in the medical and statistics literature that describe epidemiologic and statistical flaws of research studies. Many examples of these deficiencies are encountered in the oral, craniofacial, and dental literature. However, only a handful of methodologic articles have been published in the oral literature warning investigators of potential errors that may arise early in the study and that can irreparably bias the final results. In this study, we briefly review some of the most common pitfalls that our team of epidemiologists and statisticians has identified during the review of submitted or published manuscripts and research grant applications. We use practical examples from the oral medicine and dental literature to illustrate potential shortcomings in the design and analysis of research studies, and how these deficiencies may affect the results and their interpretation. A good study design is essential, because errors in the analysis can be corrected if the design was sound, but flaws in study design can lead to data that are not salvageable. We recommend consultation with an epidemiologist or a statistician during the planning phase of a research study to optimize study efficiency, minimize potential sources of bias, and document the analytic plan. [source]


A multidimensional proteomic approach to identify hypertrophy-associated proteins

PROTEINS: STRUCTURE, FUNCTION AND BIOINFORMATICS, Issue 7 2006
Merry L. Lindsey Dr.
Abstract Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is a leading cause of congestive heart failure. The exact mechanisms that control cardiac growth and regulate the transition to failure are not fully understood, in part due to the lack of a complete inventory of proteins associated with LVH. We investigated the proteomic basis of LVH using the transverse aortic constriction model of pressure overload in mice coupled with a multidimensional approach to identify known and novel proteins that may be relevant to the development and maintenance of LVH. We identified 123,proteins that were differentially expressed during LVH, including LIM proteins, thioredoxin, myoglobin, fatty acid binding protein,3, the abnormal spindle-like microcephaly protein (ASPM), and cytoskeletal proteins such as actin and myosin. In addition, proteins with unknown functions were identified, providing new directions for future research in this area. We also discuss common pitfalls and strategies to overcome the limitations of current proteomic technologies. Together, the multidimensional approach provides insight into the proteomic changes that occur in the LV during hypertrophy. [source]


Social network analysis: A methodological introduction

ASIAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 1 2008
Carter T. Butts
Social network analysis is a large and growing body of research on the measurement and analysis of relational structure. Here, we review the fundamental concepts of network analysis, as well as a range of methods currently used in the field. Issues pertaining to data collection, analysis of single networks, network comparison, and analysis of individual-level covariates are discussed, and a number of suggestions are made for avoiding common pitfalls in the application of network methods to substantive questions. [source]