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Terms modified by AND Selected AbstractsFATHERS, SONS, AND THE STATE: Discipline and Punishment in a Wolof HinterlandCULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue 1 2009DONNA L. PERRY ABSTRACT This essay builds on fieldwork in rural Senegal to examine three cases in which elder household heads called on gendarmes to physically discipline rebellious youths. These cases, which revolved around harsh acts of corporal punishment, invite inquiry into common assumptions about African families and states. The first assumption is the common dichotomy drawn between African youths, portrayed as modern and menacing, and African elders, portrayed as "traditional" and hence benign. The second assumption is the dichotomy drawn between the African family, conceived as solidary and nurturing, and the African state, conceived as alien and predatory. In examining these cases of discipline and punishment, this essay reveals the ever-shifting power relations that link Wolof household heads, dependent junior males, and state agents, and simultaneously introduces new questions about the morality of farmer,state relations and generational conflict. My analysis reveals the spatial geography of Senegal's youth crisis, which takes different forms in rural and urban locales. The anxiety of rural patriarchs is fed by a fear-mongering media obsessed with youthful anarchy in the cities, and a long-standing political rhetoric about the threat of rural out-migration. Elder men in the countryside, who experience diminishing household authority under neoliberalism, make proactive efforts to keep the urban youth crisis at bay. They seek to augment their domestic power by reestablishing links with a state that has long bolstered patriarchy but whose power is currently in decline. By lending patriarchs their coercive force, gendarmes attempt to accomplish through private, indirect means, what the postcolonial state is unable to do: maintain social order by reining in disruptive youths. The harsh disciplinary measures that gendarmes employ are not alien to Wolof culture, but integral to Wolof conceptions of child rearing. [source] Efficacy of enamel matrix derivatives (Emdogain®) in treatment of replanted teeth , a systematic review based on animal studiesDENTAL TRAUMATOLOGY, Issue 5 2008Annette Wiegand A review of the published literature [search term: (Emdogain OR enamel matrix derivative OR enamel matrix protein] AND [avulsion OR replantation OR autotransplantation)] was conducted by two independent investigators according to defined selection criteria. For data extraction of the identified animal studies, the following histomorphometric findings were considered: (i) healed PDL, (ii) surface resorption, (iii) inflammatory resorption and (iv) replacement resorption. The heterogenity of data collection and the small amount of identified publications did not allow for statistical analysis. Four controlled trials (CT) conducted in animals, but no randomized controlled trials (RCT) or clinical controlled trials (CCT) could be received from the systematic search. From the selected studies, two CT gave evidence of EMD treatment to be effective in inducing healing of replanted teeth, while one CT found no differences between EMD treated teeth and controls. Finally, one CT compared EMD and sodium fluoride application, but revealed no differences between the treatments. The data of controlled trials available are limited and conflicting. No firm conclusion regarding the efficacy of EMD application on healing of replanted or autotransplanted permanent teeth can be drawn because of lack of RCT and CCT. [source] THE 1930s AND THE PRESENT DAY , CRISES COMPAREDECONOMIC AFFAIRS, Issue 4 2009Panagiotis Evangelopoulos Many analysts are comparing the deep crisis of our times with the crash of 1929 and the Great Depression that followed in the 1930s. They generally argue that Barack Obama is driving the world to recovery along Roosevelt's ,state superiority' line. Alas, today's crisis rings alarm bells for the manner in which we must manage the future of democracy, the state and markets. Markets cannot be ,ordered about' and when in the face of sound logic and practice an attempt is made to do just this, markets become refractory, or , even worse , they may collapse. [source] [Commentary] META-ANALYSES AND THE SEARCH FOR SPECIFIC AND COMMON MEDIATORS OF SUBSTANCE MISUSE INTERVENTION EFFECTSADDICTION, Issue 5 2009JOHN W. FINNEY No abstract is available for this article. [source] A GENERAL MULTIVARIATE EXTENSION OF FISHER'S GEOMETRICAL MODEL AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF MUTATION FITNESS EFFECTS ACROSS SPECIESEVOLUTION, Issue 5 2006Guillaume Martin Abstract The evolution of complex organisms is a puzzle for evolutionary theory because beneficial mutations should be less frequent in complex organisms, an effect termed "cost of complexity." However, little is known about how the distribution of mutation fitness effects (f(s)) varies across genomes. The main theoretical framework to address this issue is Fisher's geometric model and related phenotypic landscape models. However, it suffers from several restrictive assumptions. In this paper, we intend to show how several of these limitations may be overcome. We then propose a model of f(s) that extends Fisher's model to account for arbitrary mutational and selective interactions among n traits. We show that these interactions result in f(s) that would be predicted by a much smaller number of independent traits. We test our predictions by comparing empirical f(s) across species of various gene numbers as a surrogate to complexity. This survey reveals, as predicted, that mutations tend to be more deleterious, less variable, and less skewed in higher organisms. However, only limited difference in the shape of f(s) is observed from Escherichia coli to nematodes or fruit flies, a pattern consistent with a model of random phenotypic interactions across many traits. Overall, these results suggest that there may be a cost to phenotypic complexity although much weaker than previously suggested by earlier theoretical works. More generally, the model seems to qualitatively capture and possibly explain the variation of f(s) from lower to higher organisms, which opens a large array of potential applications in evolutionary genetics. [source] SPECIAL ISSUE: SEPARATED AND UNMARRIED FATHERS AND THE COURTSFAMILY COURT REVIEW, Issue 3 2003Marsha Kline Pruett No abstract is available for this article. [source] STATE SUPREME COURT APPLICATIONS OF TROXEL v. GRANVILLE AND THE COURTS' RELUCTANCE TO DECLARE GRANDPARENT VISITATION STATUTES UNCONSTITUTIONALFAMILY COURT REVIEW, Issue 1 2003Kristine L. RobertsArticle first published online: 15 MAR 200 In this article, the author reviews state supreme court applications of Troxel v. Granville, analyzing the impact of the decision on the courts' ongoing efforts to adjudicate visitation disputes between parents and grandparents. Set against a background of legislative recognition of grandparents' rights and judicial uncertainty regarding the appropriate role of nonparents in children's lives, Troxel reaffirmed the constitutional right of parents to direct their children's upbringing. The author argues that state supreme courts evaluating gradparent visitation statutes and seeking to enforce Troxel's presumption in favor of parents should be more willing to strike down overly broad statutes. Such an approach would be a positive step toward addressing the excessive judicial discretion that the Troxel Court found so problematic, and would signal to state legislatures the need for statutes that both provide for the needs of children and protect parental rights. [source] A flexible approach to evaluating soft conditions with unequal preferences in fuzzy databasesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS, Issue 7 2007Gloria Bordogna A flexible model for evaluating soft query with unequal preferences in fuzzy databases is proposed. We assume that conditions with unequal preferences have an exclusive meaning like in the request "find a holiday accommodation such that big apartments are preferred to high rating hotels." In this case it is assumed that the aggregator of the soft conditions is an implicit OR. Conversely, conditions with unequal importance have an inclusive meaning, like in the query "find a house to rent that is cheap (most important), big (important), new (fairly important)." In this case the implicit aggregator is an AND. What we propose in this article is to model preferences as modifiers of the semantics of the evaluation function of the conditions. Because the soft conditions are aggregated by an OR, the more a soft condition is preferred, the more its evaluation function tolerates a greater undersatisfaction of the soft condition. The proposed approach is formalized by considering two alternative semantics of the evaluation function: the first semantics defines the evaluation function by means of a generalized fuzzy inclusion measure, and the second one as a generalized similarity measure. These functions are parameterized so that their modification is simply achieved by tuning the functions' parameters. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Int Syst 22: 665,689, 2007. [source] HOLY MAVERICKS: EVANGELICAL INNOVATORS AND THE SPIRITUAL MARKETPLACE by Shayne Lee and Phillip Luke SinitiereJOURNAL FOR THE SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF RELIGION, Issue 2 2010ANDREW L. WHITEHEAD No abstract is available for this article. [source] THE SIGN OF THE WITCH: MODERNITY AND THE PAGAN REVIVAL by David WaldronJOURNAL FOR THE SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF RELIGION, Issue 2 2009HELEN A. BERGER No abstract is available for this article. [source] GROWING UP AMISH: THE TEENAGE YEARS. (The Young Center Books in Anabaptist and Pietistic Studies.) By Richard A. Stevick THE SPIRIT OF GENERATION Y: YOUNG PEOPLE'S SPIRITUALITY IN A CHANGING AUSTRALIA By MichaelMason, Andrew Singleton, and Ruth Webber TEENAGE WITCHES: MAGICAL YOUTH AND THE SEARCH FOR SELF By Helen A. Berger and Douglas EzzyJOURNAL FOR THE SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF RELIGION, Issue 3 2008TIM CLYDESDALE No abstract is available for this article. [source] GOD'S POTTERS: PASTORAL LEADERSHIP AND THE SHAPING OF CONGREGATIONS By Jackson W. CarrollJOURNAL FOR THE SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF RELIGION, Issue 1 2007MARK CHAVES No abstract is available for this article. [source] Nurses' intention to leave the profession: integrative reviewJOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 7 2010Mervi Flinkman flinkman m., leino-kilpi h. & salanterä s. (2010) Nurses' intention to leave the profession: integrative review. Journal of Advanced Nursing,66(7), 1422,1434. Abstract Title.,Nurses' intention to leave the profession: integrative review. Aim., This paper is a report of a study conducted to (1) review and critique the published empirical research on nurses' intention to leave the profession and (2) synthesize the findings across studies. Background., Lack of nurses and nurse turnover represent problems for the healthcare system in terms of cost, the ability to care for patients and the quality of care. At a time of current nursing shortage, it is important to understand the reasons why nurses intend to leave the profession. Data sources., A review was conducted through an initial search of MEDLINE, CINAHL and PsycINFO computerized databases for the period from 1995 to July 2009. The keywords for the search were: Nurs* AND (Personnel turnover OR Career Mobility). Research on nurses' organizational turnover was excluded. Review methods., An integrative literature review was carried out using Cooper's five-stage methodology provided a framework for data collection, analysis and synthesis. Results., A total of 31 studies matching the inclusion criteria were identified. Variety in samples, measurement instruments and measures of intention to leave led to difficulties when attempting to compare or generalize study findings. A number of variables influencing nurses' intention to leave the profession were identified, including demographic, work-related and individual-related variables. Conclusions., Further research is needed using sound measurement instruments, consistent measures of leaving intention and more rigorous sampling. More in-depth research is needed to give nurses opportunities to explain in their own words the reasons for their intentions to leave. [source] Antimalarial drug quality in AfricaJOURNAL OF CLINICAL PHARMACY & THERAPEUTICS, Issue 5 2007A. A. Amin PhD Abstract Background and objective: There are several reports of sub-standard and counterfeit antimalarial drugs circulating in the markets of developing countries; we aimed to review the literature for the African continent. Methods: A search was conducted in PubMed in English using the medical subject headings (MeSH) terms: ,Antimalarials/analysis'[MeSH] OR ,Antimalarials/standards'[MeSH] AND ,Africa'[MeSH]' to include articles published up to and including 26 February 2007. Data were augmented with reports on the quality of antimalarial drugs in Africa obtained from colleagues in the World Health Organization. We summarized the data under the following themes: content and dissolution; relative bioavailability of antimalarial products; antimalarial stability and shelf life; general tests on pharmaceutical dosage forms; and the presence of degradation or unidentifiable impurities in formulations. Results and discussion: The search yielded 21 relevant peer-reviewed articles and three reports on the quality of antimalarial drugs in Africa. The literature was varied in the quality and breadth of data presented, with most bioavailability studies poorly designed and executed. The review highlights the common finding in drug quality studies that (i) most antimalarial products pass the basic tests for pharmaceutical dosage forms, such as the uniformity of weight for tablets, (ii) most antimalarial drugs pass the content test and (iii) in vitro product dissolution is the main problem area where most drugs fail to meet required pharmacopoeial specifications, especially with regard to sulfadoxine,pyrimethamine products. In addition, there are worryingly high quality failure rates for artemisinin monotherapies such as dihydroartemisinin (DHA); for instance all five DHA sampled products in one study in Nairobi, Kenya, were reported to have failed the requisite tests. Conclusions: There is an urgent need to strengthen pharmaceutical management systems such as post-marketing surveillance and the broader health systems in Africa to ensure populations in the continent have access to antimalarial drugs that are safe, of the highest quality standards and that retain their integrity throughout the distribution chain through adequate enforcement of existing legislation and enactment of new ones if necessary, and provision of the necessary resources for drug quality assurance. [source] Photoionization studies on various quinones by an infrared laser desorption/tunable VUV photoionization TOF mass spectrometryJOURNAL OF MASS SPECTROMETRY (INCORP BIOLOGICAL MASS SPECTROMETRY), Issue 12 2008Yang Pan Abstract Photoionization and dissociative photoionization characters of six quinones, including 1,2-naphthoquinone (1,2-NQ), 1,4-naphthoquinone (1,4-NQ), 9,10-phenanthroquinone (PQ), 9,10-anthraquinone (AQ), benz[a]- anthracene-7,12-dione (BAD) and 1,2-acenaphthylenedione (AND) have been studied with an infrared laser desorption/tunable synchrotron vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photoionization mass spectrometry (IR LD/VUV PIMS) technique. Mass spectra of these compounds are obtained at different VUV photon energies. Consecutive losses of two carbon monoxide (CO) groups are found to be the main fragmentation pathways for all the quinones. Detailed dissociation processes are discussed with the help of ab initio B3LYP calculations. Ionization energies (IEs) of these quinones and appearance energies (AEs) of major fragments are obtained by measuring the photoionization efficiency (PIE) spectra. The experimental results are in good agreement with the theoretical data. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Crossbar assembly of antibody-functionalized peptide nanotubes via biomimetic molecular recognition,JOURNAL OF PEPTIDE SCIENCE, Issue 2 2008Linglu Yang Abstract Previously, a large scale assembly of nanowires in a parallel array configuration has been demonstrated, and one type of nanowire could interconnect two electrodes in the high-wire density. However, to assemble nanowires into practical logic-gate configurations in integrated circuits, we need more than the parallel assembly of nanowires. For example, when the assembling nanowires are monopolar semiconductors, logic gates such as AND, OR and NOR are to be assembled necessarily from two types of semiconducting nanowires, n -type and p -type, and some of these nanowires must cross perpendicularly to form a crossbar geometry for the logical operation. In this paper, the crossbar assembly of antibody-functionalized peptide nanotubes was demonstrated by a new biomimetic bottom-up technique. Molecular recognition between antigens and antibodies enabled two types of the antibody-functionalized bionanotubes to place them onto targeted locations on substrates, where their complementary antigens were patterned. When two rectangular pads of antigens, human IgG and mouse IgG, were patterned perpendicularly on an Au substrate by nanolithography and then the antihuman IgG nanotubes and the antimouse IgG nanotubes were incubated on this substrate in solution, these bionanotubes were attached onto corresponding locations to form the crossbar configuration. Copyright © 2007 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] MORPHOLOGY, REPRODUCTION, AND THE 18S rRNA GENE SEQUENCE OF PIHIELLA LIAGORACIPHILA GEN.JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY, Issue 5 2003ET SP. Pihiella liagoraciphila gen. et sp. nov. (Rhodophyta) is described for a minute endo/epiphyte that is commonly associated with members of the Liagoraceae ( Nemaliales, Rhodophyta). Algae are discoid or subspherical and grow to a maximum diameter of 400 ,m. Attachment is via isolated elongate rhizoids that penetrate into the loosely filamentous structure of the host or by a pad of several coalesced rhizoids where the host has a more cohesive cortex. Elongate surface hairs are common. Gametophytes are dioecious, the spermatangia arising on surface cells, and carpogonia with elongate trichogynes borne directly on undifferentiated surface supporting cells. Large sporangia form on stalk cells across the upper surface of the plants, these appearing to be either monosporangial or the result of fertilization of the carpogonia and equivalent to undivided zygotosporangia. Carposporophytes and tetrasporangia are unknown. 18S rRNA gene sequence analyses indicate that Pihiella constitutes a clade of long branch length most closely related to the Ahnfeltiales. The unique morphology and reproduction of Pihiella, combined with a substantial genetic divergence from the Ahnfeltiales, suggest that it is sufficiently distinct to warrant placement in a new family and order. We therefore describe the family Pihiellaceae and the order Pihiellales to accommodate the new genus. [source] MONOPHYLY OF THE GENUS CLOSTERIUM AND THE ORDER DESMIDIALES (CHAROPHYCEAE, CHLOROPHYTA) INFERRED FROM NUCLEAR SMALL SUBUNIT rDNA DATAJOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY, Issue 6 2001Takashi Denboh We newly sequenced the nuclear-encoded small subunit (SSU) rDNA coding region for 21 taxa of the genus Closterium. The new sequences were integrated into an alignment with 13 known sequences of conjugating green algae representing six traditional families (i.e. Zygnemataceae, Mesotaeniaceae, Gonatozygaceae, Peniaceae, Closteriaceae, and Desmidiaceae) and five known charophycean sequences as outgroups. Both maximum likelihood and maximum parsimony analyses supported with high bootstrap values one large clade containing all placoderm desmids (Desmidiales). All the Closterium taxa formed one clade with 100% bootstrap support, indicating their monophyly, but not paraphyly, as suggested earlier. As to the taxa within the genus Closterium, we found two clades of morphologically closely related taxa in both maximum likelihood and maximum parsimony trees. They corresponded to the C. calosporum species complex and the C. moniliferum-ehrenbergii species complex. It is of particular interest that the homothallic entity of C. moniliferum v. moniliferum was distinguished from and ancestral to all other entities of the C. moniliferum-ehrenbergii species complex. Superimposing all 50 charophycean sequences on the higher order SSU rRNA structure model of Closterium, we investigated degrees of nucleotide conservation at a given position in the nucleotide sequence. A characteristic "signature" structure to the genus Closterium was found as an additional helix at the tip of V1 region. In addition, eight base deletions at the tip of helix 10 were found to be characteristic of the C. calosporum species complex, C. gracile, C. incurvum, C. pleurodermatum, and C. pusillum v. maius. These taxa formed one clade with an 82% bootstrap value in maximum parsimony analysis. [source] OLS ESTIMATION AND THE t TEST REVISITED IN RANK-SIZE RULE REGRESSION,JOURNAL OF REGIONAL SCIENCE, Issue 4 2008Yoshihiko Nishiyama ABSTRACT The rank-size rule and Zipf's law for city sizes have been traditionally examined by means of OLS estimation and the t test. This paper studies the accurate and approximate properties of the OLS estimator and obtains the distribution of the t statistic under the assumption of Zipf's law (i.e., Pareto distribution). Indeed, we show that the t statistic explodes asymptotically even under the null, indicating that a mechanical application of the t test yields a serious type I error. To overcome this problem, critical regions of the t test are constructed to test the Zipf's law. Using these corrected critical regions, we can conclude that our results are in favor of the Zipf's law for many more countries than in the previous researches such as Rosen and Resnick (1980) or Soo (2005). By using the same database as that used in Soo (2005), we demonstrate that the Zipf law is rejected for only one of 24 countries under our test whereas it is rejected for 23 of 24 countries under the usual t test. We also propose a more efficient estimation procedure and provide empirical applications of the theory for some countries. [source] So mechanical or routine: The not original in FeistJOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR INFORMATION SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 4 2010Julian Warner The United States Supreme Court case of 1991, Feist Publications, Inc. v. Rural Tel. Service Co., continues to be highly significant for property in data and databases, but remains poorly understood. The approach taken in this article contrasts with previous studies. It focuses upon the "not original" rather than the original. The delineation of the absence of a modicum of creativity in selection, coordination, and arrangement of data as a component of the not original forms a pivotal point in the Supreme Court decision. The author also aims at elucidation rather than critique, using close textual exegesis of the Supreme Court decision. The results of the exegesis are translated into a more formal logical form to enhance clarity and rigor. The insufficiently creative is initially characterized as "so mechanical or routine." Mechanical and routine are understood in their ordinary discourse senses, as a conjunction or as connected by AND, and as the central clause. Subsequent clauses amplify the senses of mechanical and routine without disturbing their conjunction. The delineation of the absence of a modicum of creativity can be correlated with classic conceptions of computability. The insufficiently creative can then be understood as a routine selection, coordination, or arrangement produced by an automatic mechanical procedure or algorithm. An understanding of a modicum of creativity and of copyright law is also indicated. The value of the exegesis and interpretation is identified as its final simplicity, clarity, comprehensiveness, and potential practical utility. [source] Meta-analysis: nitroglycerin for prevention of post-ERCP pancreatitisALIMENTARY PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS, Issue 10 2009U. C. BANG Summary Background, Acute pancreatitis after ERCP is a severe side effect. Aim, To evaluate the preventive effect of nitroglycerin on post-ERCP pancreatitis by a meta-analysis of randomized clinical studies. Methods, We searched on Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane Library and all abstracts presented at Digestive Disease Week and United European Gastrointestinal Week from 2004 to 2008. We used the MeSH terms ,pancreatitis' together (AND) with the terms: ,glyceryl trinitrate', ,glyceryl dinitrate', ,isosorbide dinitrate' or ,nitroglycerin'. Results, Five clinical studies evaluating the incidence of post-ERCP pancreatitis after administration of nitroglycerin were identified. Meta-analysis including all five studies showed a relative risk (RR) of 0.61 (95% CI; 0.44, 0.86) with the number needed to treat (NNT) of 26 (95% CI: 16, 82). Three studies evaluated nitroglycerin administered by a dermal patch reaching together an RR of 0.66 (95% CI; 0.43, 1.01). The use of nitroglycerin is associated with a significantly increased risk of hypotension (RR 2.25) and headache (RR 3.64). No difference in mortality was observed. Conclusions, Overall, our meta-analysis supports the use of nitroglycerin in the prevention of post-ERCP pancreatitis, but administration of nitroglycerin by the dermal route, which is the preferred route of administration, did not reach statistical significance. [source] III. SIMULATIONS 1a, 1b, AND 1c: THE ROLE OF MOVING PARTS IN FORMING REPRESENTATIONS OF OBJECTSMONOGRAPHS OF THE SOCIETY FOR RESEARCH IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT, Issue 1 2008Article first published online: 16 MAR 200 First page of article [source] THE CONTINUUM COMPANION TO RELIGION AND FILM edited by William L. Blizek FILM, LACAN AND THE SUBJECT OF RELIGION: A PSYCHOANALYTIC APPROACH TO RELIGIOUS FILM ANALYSIS by Steve NolanNEW BLACKFRIARS, Issue 1035 2010KEITH TESTER No abstract is available for this article. [source] THE THEOLOGY OF FOOD: EATING AND THE EUCHARIST by Angel F. Méndez MontoyaNEW BLACKFRIARS, Issue 1031 2010TIM GORRINGE No abstract is available for this article. [source] METHOD IN METAPHYSICS: LONERGAN AND THE FUTURE OF ANALYTICAL PHILOSOPHY by Andrew BeardsNEW BLACKFRIARS, Issue 1025 2009JOSEPH FITZPATRICK No abstract is available for this article. [source] THE CHURCH AND THE WORLD: ESSAYS CATHOLIC AND CONTEMPORARY by John HaldaneNEW BLACKFRIARS, Issue 1025 2009MARGARET ATKINS No abstract is available for this article. [source] TAYLORING REFORMED EPISTEMOLOGY: CHARLES TAYLOR, ALVIN PLANTINGA AND THE DE JURE CHALLENGE TO CHRISTIAN BELIEF by Deane-Peter Baker THEOLOGY, PSYCHOANALYSIS AND TRAUMA by Marcus PoundNEW BLACKFRIARS, Issue 1024 2008GRAEME RICHARDSON First page of article [source] DOSTOEVSKY AND THE DYNAMICS OF RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE by Malcolm Jones, Anthem Press, London, 2005, Pp. xiv + 154, £16.99 pbk.NEW BLACKFRIARS, Issue 1010 2006Stephen Bullivant No abstract is available for this article. [source] Assessment of risk of venous thromboembolism and its possible prevention in psychiatric patientsPSYCHIATRY AND CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCES, Issue 1 2008Radovan Malý md Aims:, The aim of the present study was to compile a specific algorithm of prevention of venous thromboembolism in hospitalized psychiatric patients because this specific issue has not been addressed sufficiently in the literature. Methods:, The computer database MEDLINE was searched using key words (schizophrenia OR depression OR bipolar) AND (antipsychotic OR antidepressant) AND (venous thromboembolism OR pulmonary embolism) AND (prevention OR prophylaxis) in 2006. Results:, Based on the literature regarding non-surgical and surgical patients with respect to specificities in mental disorders (obesity induced with psychotropic drugs, possible catatonia, physical restraint, potential dehydration, antipsychotic treatment), a scoring system and a synoptic algorithm of prevention of venous thromboembolism modified for hospitalized psychiatric patients, were suggested. Conclusions:, According to the authors' knowledge this is the first attempt to establish such guidelines exclusively in psychiatry. Individual preventative clinical measures are suggested, ranging from regular physical exercise of lower extremities to repeated parenteral application of high doses of heparin tailored to every patient's risk for venous thromboembolism. Economic data support implementation of a proposed decision procedure into psychiatric clinical practice. Prospective discussion of its international applicability would be beneficial from both the clinical and the scientific points of view. [source] An efficient real-time method of analysis for non-coherent fault treesQUALITY AND RELIABILITY ENGINEERING INTERNATIONAL, Issue 2 2009Rasa Remenyte-Prescott Abstract Fault tree analysis is commonly used to assess the reliability of potentially hazardous industrial systems. The type of logic is usually restricted to AND and OR gates, which makes the fault tree structure coherent. In non-coherent structures not only components' failures but also components' working states contribute to the failure of the system. The qualitative and quantitative analyses of such fault trees can present additional difficulties when compared with the coherent versions. It is shown that the binary decision diagram (BDD) method can overcome some of the difficulties in the analysis of non-coherent fault trees. This paper presents the conversion process of non-coherent fault trees to BDDs. A fault tree is converted to a BDD that represents the system structure function (SFBDD). An SFBDD can then be used to quantify the system failure parameters but is not suitable for the qualitative analysis. Established methods, such as the meta-products BDD method, the zero-suppressed BDD (ZBDD) method and the labelled BDD (L-BDD) method, require an additional BDD that contains all prime implicant sets. The process using some of the methods can be time consuming and is not very efficient. In addition, in real-time applications the conversion process is less important and the requirement is to provide an efficient analysis. Recent uses of the BDD method are for real-time system prognosis. In such situations as events happen, or failures occur, the prediction of mission success is updated and used in the decision-making process. Both qualitative and quantitative assessments are required for the decision making. Under these conditions fast processing and small storage requirements are essential. Fast processing is a feature of the BDD method. It would be advantageous if a single BDD structure could be used for both the qualitative and quantitative analyses. Therefore, a new method, the ternary decision diagram (TDD) method, is presented in this paper, where a fault tree is converted to a TDD that allows both qualitative and quantitative analyses and no additional BDDs are required. The efficiency of the four methods is compared using an example fault tree library. 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