Home About us Contact
|
Home About us Contact | ||
|
|
||
Future Possibilities (future + possibility)
Selected AbstractsFuture possibilities of the Linac Coherent Light SourceJOURNAL OF SYNCHROTRON RADIATION, Issue 3 2004M. Cornacchia A study of the potential for the development of the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) beyond the specifications of the baseline design is presented. These future developments include delivery of X-ray pulses in the 1,fs regime, extension of the spectral range, increase of the FEL power, exploitation of the spontaneous emission, and a more flexible time structure. As this potential is exploited, the LCLS can maintain its role as a world-leading instrument for many years beyond its commissioning in 2008 and initial operation as the world's first X-ray free-electron laser. [source] Measuring the value and impact of health library and information services: past reflections, future possibilitiesHEALTH INFORMATION & LIBRARIES JOURNAL, Issue 2007Joanne Gard Marshall Objectives:, To summarize the context, history and results of research studies conducted on the value and impact of health library and information services by the author since 1975 and to use this as a basis for examining ongoing developments related to evaluation research. To provide a comprehensive bibliography of library value and impact studies. Methods:, Literature review and background based on personal involvement in the studies under discussion. Results:, The author's studies demonstrate an ongoing evolution of value and impact studies since the mid-1970s. In health sciences libraries, the approach taken to measuring value and impact has been strongly influenced by the type of research being conducted in the health sciences field as a whole. As a result, health sciences library researchers have become early adopters of methods that incorporate outcome and impact measures and rigorous research designs, and the concept of evidence-based library and information practice. The paper recommends that a range of research approaches from various disciplines be used to guide future evaluation research. Conclusions:, Value and impact studies will continue to be important resources for evidence-based practice as health information professionals deal with evolving user needs and new ways of delivering information to a variety of audiences. [source] Atmospheric circulation patterns related to heavy snowfall days in Andorra, PyreneesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLIMATOLOGY, Issue 3 2005Pere Esteban Abstract Heavy snowfalls over mountain regions are often a direct cause of avalanches. Specific synoptic-scale atmospheric situations are responsible for these kinds of extreme snowfall event, and this is indeed the case for Andorra, a small country located in the Pyrenees, between France and Spain. Based on days with an intensity of at least 30 cm of snow in a 24 h period, the present study uses principal component analysis (PCA) and clustering techniques to characterize the synoptic circulation patterns for these days during the winter season. The area of analysis encompasses the region 30,60°N by 30°W,15°E and the period covers the winter seasons from 1986,87 to 2000,01. The methodology proposed involves a preprocessing approach consisting of a spatial standardization of the data used for the PCA, an alternative approximation to decide the centroids and the number of groups for the K -means clustering, and the rejection of the iterations for this algorithm. This approach enables the synoptic classification of every heavy snowfall day, and composite maps were constructed for sea-level pressure, 500 hPa geopotential height, and 1000,500 m thickness (the 5270 m, 5400 m and 5520 m contour lines). The results show seven circulation patterns, most of them with an Atlantic component of the wind, and others with a clear Mediterranean advection that could be combined with cold continental air. The results, as weather charts, could be a useful tool to assist meteorological models in heavy snowfall forecasting, and the day's classification obtained opens up future possibilities for detailed meteorological and climatological analysis of the established types. Copyright © 2005 Royal Meteorological Society [source] Performance measurement in mental health care: present situation and future possibilitiesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HEALTH PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2010Irma J. Baars Abstract This paper describes performance measurement and its indicators for mental health care services. Performance measurement can serve several goals such as accountability, quality improvement and performance management. For all three purposes structure, process and outcome indicators should be measured. Literature was retrieved from Medline and PsychInfo in order to see which performance indicators were used for the three purposes of performance measurement in mental health care. The indicators were classified in structure, process and outcome indicators. The results show no big differences in the indicators used among studies. Performance management is the performance measurement purpose most referred to, followed by accountability, and quality improvement. Outcome and process indicators are used most, structure indicators are in the minority. Several levels of measurement, that is national or service level, came forward in the literature review. To overcome misinterpretation of data and to be able to improve quality and manage performances, performance indicator sets should refer to structure, process and outcome. Indicators should be chosen carefully with the aim of the measurement taken into mind. Based on this review, a conceptual framework is presented to support managers in their decisions about which indictors can best be used for performance measurement. Additionally, a model that provides an understanding of the use of information gained by performance measurement is given. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Natural killer cell-based immunotherapy in cancer: current insights and future prospectsJOURNAL OF INTERNAL MEDICINE, Issue 2 2009T. Sutlu Abstract. As our understanding of the molecular mechanisms governing natural killer (NK) cell activity increases, their potential in cancer immunotherapy is growing increasingly prominent. This review analyses the currently available preclinical and clinical data regarding NK cell-based immunotherapeutic approaches in cancer starting from a historical background and an overview of molecular mechanisms taking part in NK cell responses. The status of NK cells in cancer patients, currently investigated clinical applications such as in vivo modulation of NK cell activity, ex vivo purification/expansion and adoptive transfer as well as future possibilities such as genetic modifications are discussed in detail. [source] Localized delivery of growth factors for periodontal tissue regeneration: Role, strategies, and perspectives,MEDICINAL RESEARCH REVIEWS, Issue 3 2009Fa-Ming Chen Abstract Difficulties associated with achieving predictable periodontal regeneration, means that novel techniques need to be developed in order to regenerate the extensive soft and hard tissue destruction that results from periodontitis. Localized delivery of growth factors to the periodontium is an emerging and versatile therapeutic approach, with the potential to become a powerful tool in future regenerative periodontal therapy. Optimized delivery regimes and well-defined release kinetics appear to be logical prerequisites for safe and efficacious clinical application of growth factors and to avoid unwanted side effects and toxicity. While adequate concentrations of growth factor(s) need to be appropriately localized, delivery vehicles are also expected to possess properties such as protein protection, precision in controlled release, biocompatibility and biodegradability, self-regulated therapeutic activity, potential for multiple delivery, and good cell/tissue penetration. Here, current knowledge, recent advances, and future possibilities of growth factor delivery strategies are outlined for periodontal regeneration. First, the role of those growth factors that have been implicated in the periodontal healing/regeneration process, general requirements for their delivery, and the different material types available are described. A detailed discussion follows of current strategies for the selection of devices for localized growth factor delivery, with particular emphasis placed upon their advantages and disadvantages and future prospects for ongoing studies in reconstructing the tooth supporting apparatus. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Med Res Rev, 29, No. 3, 472-513, 2009 [source] Fat-tailed gene flow in the dioecious canopy tree species Fraxinus mandshurica var. japonica revealed by microsatellitesMOLECULAR ECOLOGY, Issue 10 2006S. GOTO Abstract Pollen flow, seed dispersal and individual reproductive success can be simultaneously estimated from the genotypes of adults and offspring using stochastic models. Using four polymorphic microsatellite loci, gene flow of the wind-pollinated and wind-seed-dispersed dioecious tree species, Fraxinus mandshurica var. japonica, was quantified in a riparian forest, in northern Japan. In a 10.5-ha plot, 74 female adults, 76 male adults and 292 current-year seedlings were mapped and genotyped, together with 200 seeds. To estimate dispersal kernels of pollen and seeds, we applied normal, exponential power, Weibull, bivariate t -distribution kernels, and two-component models consisting of two normal distribution functions, one with a small and one with a large variance. A two-component pollen flow model with a small contribution (26.1%) from short-distance dispersal (, = 7.2 m), and the rest from long-distance flow (, = 209.9 m), was chosen for the best-fitting model. The average distance that integrated pollen flows inside and outside the study plot was estimated to be 196.8 m. Tree size and flowering intensity affected reproduction, and there appeared to be critical values that distinguished reproductively successful and unsuccessful adults. In contrast, the gene flow model that estimated both pollen and seed dispersal from established seedlings resulted in extensive seed dispersal, and the expected spatial genetic structures did not satisfactorily fit with the observations, even for the selected model. Our results advanced small-scale individual-based parentage analysis for quantifying fat-tailed gene flow in wind-mediated species, but also clarified its limitations and suggested future possibilities for gene flow studies. [source] Perspectives of chronic renal failureNEPHROLOGY, Issue 2002Kiyoshi Kurokawa SUMMARY: End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is a major source of morbidity and the increasing number of chronic dialysis patients is a significant health-care issue in many developed as well as developing countries. In the present brief review the current status of chronic dialysis is discussed; and Japan and the USA, two major countries in which chronic dialysis programmes are well developed, are compared. Also discussed is the economic impact, the status of renal transplantation and its future possibilities, recent efforts to halt progression of chronic renal disease, in particular, diabetic nephropathy (which has become the major cause of ESRD in many developed countries), and future perspectives in renal research. It is hoped that, in the future, perhaps by the mid-21st century, chronic dialysis may become the exception in therapy through our efforts. [source] Bone morphogenetic proteins and osseointegration: current knowledge , future possibilitiesPERIODONTOLOGY 2000, Issue 1 2008Yi-Hao Huang First page of article [source] Government & community building: A study of Michigan local governments onlinePROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR INFORMATION SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY (ELECTRONIC), Issue 1 2002Allison R. K. Brueckner M.I.S. Today's policymakers are being called upon to embrace a new way of government. A learning economy requires a smart and responsive government,one that works in partnership with all sectors of society to provide services and support systems that are essential to building strong communities. One of the most important features of the Internet is its ability to connect people with information and with one another. For many this means finding affordable housing, local jobs and dependable daycare. Increasingly local government units are trying to use the Internet, especially the World Wide Web, to provide their citizens with valuable information to enhance the community's quality of life and to increase civic participation. To help these government units to improve their use of the World Wide Web, cyber-state.org is undertaking an initiative to assess each of Michigan's local government Web sites, using a national assessment tool called WAES, , and to provide national benchmarks and models. The poster presentation will address the value of e-government, using the Michigan case study, where it's at and where it's going , current trends and future possibilities. The methodology and results will be shared from this year's report, Michigan's local governments onlne status and their usage. [source] SPECT and Alzheimer's DiseasePSYCHOGERIATRICS, Issue 2 2002Siobhan Ni Bhriain Abstract: This article is review of the role of single photon emission tomography (SPECT) in the diagnosis and management of Alzheimer's disease (AD). It begins by describing AD in terms of diagnosis, pathology and current pharmacological treatment. The relevance of the pathological changes in relation to SPECT is outlined. This is discussed in terms of receptor abnormalities and atrophic changes which in turn effect cerebral blood flow. A detailed description of SPECT methodology describes how the quality of the image is effected by SPECT instrumentation, image reconstruction techniques and a number of subject factors. The article goes on to discuss the role SPECT in the diagnosis of AD and its potential for facilitating early diagnosis. The main focus here is on the changes which occur in cerebral blood flow in AD and the sensitivity and specificity of regional changes in cerebral blood flow is described. Image analysis is an area in which there has been many developments in the last number of years and the authors describe the differences between qualitative and quantitative image analysis, with a particular focus on statistical parametric mapping (SPM). There is a brief discussion concerning receptor ligands and their potential use in the diagnosis and management of AD, although this remains an undeveloped area in SPECT imaging as yet. Finally, the authors discuss the future possibilities for SPECT and AD, and conclude that there is considerable potential for SPECT in the diagnosis and management of AD with further refinement of image analysis techniques and the development of cholinergic receptor ligands. [source] Testing the relationship between self-agency and enactment of health behaviorsRESEARCH IN NURSING & HEALTH, Issue 1 2003Janiece DeSocio Abstract A theoretical review provides a rationale for examining self-agency as a developmental foundation underlying processes of self-regulated change and a potential moderator of intervention effectiveness among participants in a nurse home-visitation program. Self-agency is defined as the conceptual understanding of self as an agent capable of shaping motives, behavior, and future possibilities (Damon & Hart, 1991). Availability of a sample of 186 mothers who received nurse home visitation provided an opportunity to test the relationship between participant self-agency and enactment of targeted health behaviors. Self-agency items from the Pearlin Mastery Scale (1978) were used to differentiate mothers who endorsed self-agency from those who did not. Consistent with the theoretical premise, mothers who endorsed self-agency at an established threshold were significantly more likely to enact health behaviors promoted during nurse visitation. Results provide support for the relationship between the development of self-agency and enactment of health behaviors targeted by a nurse home-visitation program. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Res Nurs Health 26:20,29, 2003 [source] Australian Indigenous Studies: A Question of DisciplineTHE AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue 3 2006Martin Nakata This paper is an early discussion of the ways we are approaching Indigenous Studies in Australian Universities. The focus is on how disciplinary and scholarly issues within Indigenous Studies can be interrogated and yet retain the necessary cohesion and solidarity so important to the Indigenous struggle. The paper contrasts Indigenous Studies pursued by Indigenous scholars to other disciplinary perspectives in the academy. Categories such as the Indigenous community and Indigenous knowledge are problematised, not to dissolve them, but to explore productive avenues. I identify one of the problems that Indigenous studies faces as resisting the tendency to perpetuate an enclave within the academy whose purpose is to reflect back an impoverished and codified representation of Indigenous culture to the communities that are its source. On the other hand, there is danger also in the necessary engagement with other disciplines on their own terms. My suggestion is that we see ourselves mapping our understanding of our particular Indigenous experiences upon a terrain intersected by the pathways, both of other Indigenous experiences, and of the non-Indigenous academic disciplines. My intention is to stimulate some thought among Indigenous academics and scholars about the future possibilities of Australian Indigenous Studies as a field of endeavour. [source] Status of Mammography after the Digital Mammography Imaging Screening Trial: Digital versus FilmTHE BREAST JOURNAL, Issue 2 2006D. David Dershaw MD Abstract: Well-publicized results of the recent Digital Mammography Imaging Screening Trial (DMIST) have again shown that there is no clear advantage in mammographic screening of the general population with digital versus film mammography. However, several subgroups,women less than 50 years old, pre- or perimenopausal, and denser breasts,did better with digital mammography than with film. Data also suggest that women with the opposite characteristics might do better with film mammography. This article reviews the data of the four studies comparing digital and film mammographic screening. In addition, it describes the technology involved in the two types of mammographic image capture, the advantages and disadvantages of each type of imaging, and the future possibilities opened by digital technique. Because less than one-tenth of mammography units in use in the United States are digital, the availability of this technology to women undergoing screening and to physicians referring patients to screening sites is very limited. The author suggests that the quality of mammography, rather than the technique used to capture the image, is more important in selecting a mammography facility. For those who have a facility that offers both digital and film mammography, consultation on which type of imaging might be better for an individual woman would be appropriate. Because digital mammography from different manufacturers is based on differing technologies and because data comparing the advantages or disadvantages of these differing types of equipment are not available, it is impossible to recommend which type of digital mammography equipment is best for those undergoing mammography with these types of units. [source] Some critical issues in environmental physiology of grapevines: future challenges and current limitationsAUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF GRAPE AND WINE RESEARCH, Issue 2010H.R. SCHULTZ Abstract The rapidly increasing world population and the scarcity of suitable land for agricultural food production together with a changing climate will ultimately put pressure on grape-producing areas for the use of land and the input of resources. For most grape-producing areas, the predicted developments in climate will be identical to becoming more marginal for quality production and/or to be forced to improve resource management. This will have a pronounced impact on grapevine physiology, biochemistry and ultimately production methods. Research in the entire area of stress physiology, from the gene to the whole plant and vineyard level (including soils) will need to be expanded to aid in the mitigation of arising problems. In this review, we elaborate on some key issues in environmental stress physiology such as efficient water use to illustrate some of the challenges, current limitations and future possibilities of certain experimental techniques and/or data interpretations. Key regulatory mechanisms in the control of stomatal conductance are treated in some detail and several future research directions are outlined. Diverse physiological aspects such as the functional role of aquaporins, the importance of mesophyll conductance in leaf physiology, night-time water use and respiration under environmental constraints are discussed. New developments for improved resource management (mainly water) such as the use of remote sensing and thermal imagery technologies are also reviewed. Specific cases where our experimental systems are limited or where research has been largely discontinued (i.e. stomatal patchiness) are treated and some promising new developments, such as the use of coupled structural functional models to assess for environmental stress effects on a whole-plant or canopy level are outlined. Finally, the status quo and research challenges around the ,CO2 -problem' are presented, an area which is highly significant for the study of ,the future' of the grape and wine industry, but where substantial financial commitment is needed. [source] Ultrasound contrast enhancing agents in neurosonology: principles, methods,future possibilitiesACTA NEUROLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 1 2000D. W. Droste Objectives, Ultrasound of the brain supplying arteries is a standard diagnostic procedure in patients with suspected and definite acute and chronic cerebrovascular occlusive disease. Anatomical and pathological limitations led to the development of echocontrast agents which are able to survive pulmonary and capillary transit and improve the echogenicity of the flowing blood. Material and Methods, This article reviews present and future applications of echocontrast agents in conjunction with personal experiences. Results, Currently, echocontrast is used for the differentiation of internal carotid artery occlusion and pseudoocclusion, better delineation of the maximal narrowing in high-grade stenoses, and better visualization of the extracranial vertebral artery and its collaterals. Transcranial applications include the insufficient foraminal or temporal window, assessment of arteriovenous malformations, thrombosis of cerebral veins and sinuses, and intracranial aneurysms. The use of echocontrast can have direct diagnostic and therapeutic consequences. Harmonic imaging, perfusion imaging, stimulated acoustic emission, and drug delivery are possible future domains of the technique. Discussion, Besides the support of conventional neurovascular ultrasound in poor examination conditions due to the patients' anatomy or pathology, echocontrast agents may allow for novel applications in the diagnosis and treatment of cerebrovascular patients. [source] ,Who would take whose name?' Accounts of naming practices in same-sex relationshipsJOURNAL OF COMMUNITY & APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 5 2008Victoria Clarke Abstract The practice of a woman assuming her husband's last name upon marriage is a deeply embedded norm in some countries. Whether or not individual heterosexual couples reproduce or resist this practice, it provides a context for making decisions about marital names. No conventions, other than heteronormative ones, govern naming practices in same-sex relationships and families, but very little is known about name changing in these contexts. This paper reports an exploratory qualitative study of the ways in which 30 lesbians and gay men in committed relationships made meaning of name changing and keeping. Only one participant reported changing her last name, some considered name changing a future possibility, but most had no plans to change their name. The lack of conventions regarding naming in same-sex families created a dilemma for some participants,who would take whose name? Many participants did not want to entirely give up their name, thus a hyphenated last name was the most popular option for those contemplating a name change. Accounts of name changing centred on doing/being family. This was also a theme in accounts of name keeping, along with maintaining a continuity of personal and professional identity, avoiding hassle, complications and confusion and resisting heteronormativity. The findings are discussed in relation to other research on naming in same-sex families and research on heterosexual marital naming practices. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] | ||||||||||||||||