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Selected AbstractsFluid flow and heat transfer of natural convection around array of vertical heated platesHEAT TRANSFER - ASIAN RESEARCH (FORMERLY HEAT TRANSFER-JAPANESE RESEARCH), Issue 2 2009Kenzo Kitamura Abstract Natural convective flows around an array of vertical heated plates were investigated experimentally. Main concerns were directed to the influences of plate numbers on the heat transfer characteristics of the plates. Both surfaces of the test plates were heated with constant and equal heat fluxes and their local heat transfer coefficients were measured. The results showed that the coefficients of the surfaces of the array facing outward became higher than those facing inward. The flow fields around the bottom of the plate array were visualized with smoke. The result showed that the ambient flow is directed from the sides to the center of the array and enters the parallel channel obliquely. These flows cause the above difference in the coefficients. While the difference gradually diminished in between the plates placed in the central section of the array, their coefficients asymptotically approach those of the analytical correlation that assumed a uniform velocity at the channel inlet. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heat Trans Asian Res; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/htj.20232 [source] Determinants of relapse after a short (12 weeks) course of antiviral therapy and re-treatment efficacy of a prolonged course in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus genotype 2 or 3 infection,HEPATOLOGY, Issue 2 2009Alessandra Mangia In hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes 2 and 3 patients, the high rate of relapse after 12 to 16 weeks of antiviral therapy is the main concern for shortening treatment duration. This study was undertaken to delineate predictors of relapse after short treatment in patients with undetectable HCV RNA at treatment week 4 (RVR), and to report in RVR patients with relapse the sustained virological response (SVR) after a second 24-week course of therapy. RVR patients received pegylated interferon (Peg-IFN) alfa-2b (1.5 ,g/kg) and ribavirin (1000-1200 mg/day) for 12 weeks; those who relapsed were re-treated with the same drug doses but for the extended standard duration of 24 weeks. Logistic regression analysis was applied to delineate predictors of relapse by using age, sex, route of transmission, body mass index (BMI), serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), HCV genotypes, serum HCV RNA levels, and platelet counts as covariates. Of 718 patients with genotypes 2 and 3 who were started on therapy, 496 (69.1%) had undetectable HCV RNA at week 4. Of them, 409 patients (82.5%, CI 79.1-85.8) attained SVR, and 67 (14.1%, CI 10.4-16.5) relapsed. At regression analysis, only platelet count less than 140,000 mm3 [odds ratio, 2.51; confidence interval (CI), 1.49-4.20] and BMI 30 or higher (odds ratio, 1.7; CI, 1.03-2.70) were independently associated with relapse. Forty-three of 67 patients with relapse agreed to be re-treated, and an SVR was achieved in 30 (70.0%) of them. Conclusion: We recommend 12 weeks course of therapy for patients with undetectable HCV RNA at treatment week 4, providing they present with no advanced fibrosis and low BMI. (HEPATOLOGY 2008.) [source] On the residue calculus evaluation of the 3-D anisotropic elastic green's functionINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING, Issue 5 2004A.-V. Phan Abstract An algorithm based upon the residue calculus for computing three-dimensional anisotropic elastic Green's function and its derivatives has been presented in Sales and Gray (Comput. Structures 1998; 69:247,254). It has been shown that the algorithm runs three to four times faster than the standard Wilson,Cruse interpolation scheme. However, the main concern of the Sales,Gray algorithm is its numerical instability that could lead to significant errors due to the existence of multiple poles of the residue. This paper proposes a remedy for the problem by adding the capability to evaluate the Green's function in case of multiple poles of the residue. Further, an improved numerical implementation based on the use of double-subscript-notation elastic constants in determining the Christoffel tensor is also at issue. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Use of slopelimiter techniques in traditional numerical methods for multi-phase flow in pipelines and wellsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN FLUIDS, Issue 7 2005R. J. Lorentzen Abstract The aim of this paper is to show how simple and traditional methods for simulating multi-phase flow can be improved by introducing higher order accuracy. Numerical diffusion is reduced to a minimum by using slopelimiter techniques, and better predictions of flow rates and pressure are obtained. Slopelimiter techniques, originally developed to achieve higher order of accuracy in Godunov's method, is applied to a method following a finite element approach and a predictor,corrector shooting technique. These methods are tested and compared to a Godunov-type scheme recently developed for multi-phase flow. Implementation of Godunov-type schemes for multi-phase flow tends to be a complicated and challenging task. Introducing the slopelimiter techniques in the finite element approach and the predictor,corrector shooting technique is however simple, and provides an overall reduction of the numerical diffusion. The focus is on using these techniques to improve the mass transport description, since this is the main concern in the applications needed. The presented schemes represent different semi-implicit approaches for simulating multi-phase flow. An evaluation of higher order extensions, as well as a comparison by itself, is of large interest. We present a model for two-phase flow in pipelines and wells, and an outline of the numerical methods and the extensions to second order spatial accuracy. Several examples motivated by applications in underbalanced drilling are presented, and the advantages of using higher order schemes are illustrated. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Efficient integration of isochronous and data bursty traffics in low earth orbit-mobile satellite systems,INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS AND NETWORKING, Issue 3 2002Alessandro Andreadis Abstract This paper focuses on the radio resource management in low earth orbit-mobile satellite systems (LEO-MSSs) based on a time division multiple access (TDMA) air interface. A novel demand,assignment medium access control (MAC) protocol, named DRAMA+ (dynamic resource assignment multiple access,enhanced version), is proposed, where voice and Web traffic sources obtain transmission slots through requests sent by means of a random access phase. The round-trip propagation delay (RTD) of LEO-MSSs prevents an immediate feedback for each transmission attempt. Therefore, the main concern of the DRAMA+ scheme is to realize an efficient access phase. All the transmission requests successfully received at the satellite are managed by an on board scheduler. We have shown that DRAMA+ outperforms other techniques appeared in the literature in terms of voice quality, transmission delays for bursty data traffics and resource utilization. Moreover, a performance analysis of an ideal version of the DRAMA+ scheme has permitted us to prove the potentialities of the proposed DRAMA+ technique. Stability issues have been addressed as well as the impact on the DRAMA+ performance of the LEO satellite constellation RTD value. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Planning for stingray tourism at Hamelin Bay, Western Australia: the importance of stakeholder perspectivesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF TOURISM RESEARCH, Issue 5 2003Anna Lewis Abstract Stingray tourism continues to be developed at various locations around the world with the concept being marketed on television travel programmes, documentaries, internet sites and travel brochures. Food provisioned stingray tourism, for example, now attracts some 100,000 visitors a year to ,tingray city' in the Caymen Islands. At Hamelin Bay in southwest Western Australia, up to 16 large stingrays (Dasyatis brevicaudata and Dasyatis thetidis) and numerous eaglerays (Myliobatis australis) are fed by visitors from the waters edge. This study reports on stakeholder perspectives relating to tourism development and potential management of the Hamelin Bay site. From the results of this study it is clear that there is sufficient interest in stingray tourism (by all the stakeholders surveyed) to develop Hamelin Bay as a permanent feeding site. Visitors on average gave their experience with the rays a satisfaction value of 8.9 out of 10. Twenty-five per cent of visitors surveyed did not want commercialisation, tour groups or excessive visitor numbers. Their main concern was that the health and safety of the rays may deteriorate with an increase of visitors if the situation is not managed correctly. Visitors desire to be educated about the rays, and how to best interact with them safely. Visitors also acknowledged that the site needs management through more signs, information and a management plan. Management for the site is therefore likely to be best implemented through the application of signage, development of guidelines/codes of conduct, protection of the rays and zoning the beach according to specific recreational purposes. Management regimes should also use various indicators to monitor the impacts of stingray tourism at Hamelin Bay. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Misrepresentations about palliative options and prognosis in motor neurone disease: some legal considerationsJOURNAL OF EVALUATION IN CLINICAL PRACTICE, Issue 1 2005Charles Foster MA(Cantab) Vet MB MRCVS Abstract If euthanasia were legalized, clinicians would be under a duty to explain to patients requesting euthanasia what the prognosis and palliative options were. Anecdotal evidence suggests that some patients suffering from motor neurone disease may request euthanasia because of a fear of choking to death. The literature indicates that with competent palliative care this is unlikely to occur. It is assumed, for the purposes of argument, that responsible clinicians would accordingly reassure patients that such a fear was unwarranted, and that such a reassurance would cause patients for whom choking was the main concern either to withdraw a request for euthanasia or not to make it in the first place. The legal consequences of both negligent and deliberate failure to represent the true prognostic and palliative situation are discussed. In the case of a deliberate failure, with the intention to induce the patient to consent to euthanasia, it is suggested that a verdict of murder would be ethically right. It is argued that such a failure is best regarded as an omission. The English law currently does not countenance the possibility of murder by omission. It is suggested that the distinction between acts and omissions, while sometimes convenient, can sometimes produce injustice, and that the distinction should not be allowed to prevent conviction for murder where this is clearly appropriate. [source] A15. Public attitudes towards the healthiness of fruit juicesJOURNAL OF HUMAN NUTRITION & DIETETICS, Issue 5 2000K. I. France Background Fruit juice is a major part of children's diets and accounts for a large proportion of their fruit and vegetable servings. People may confuse fruit juice with fruit drinks. This can cause problems as people could possibly substituting a portion of fruit for a drink, which contains little or no fruit. Studies have shown that excessive consumption of fruit juice can lead to health problems in children, including short stature, obesity, nonorganic failure to thrive and carbohydrate malabsorption. An increase in dental erosion has also been noted which appears to correlate with an increase in fruit juice and carbonated beverage consumption. Aims The aim of this study was to find out what the general public's attitudes are towards the healthiness of fruit juice. Methods A mini focus group and a questionnaire were the methods used for data collection. The subjects were parents of children aged 12 or under in a local primary school. Results Overall, the study group had a poor knowledge of the difference between fruit juice and drinks, and knowledge of sugar content was poor. The group had a good knowledge of fruit content. Fruit juice was regarded as being a health drink. They were unsure if excessive consumption could damage children's health or not. Their main concern was regarding their children's teeth. The factor identified as being most influential when choosing a drink was flavour, followed closely by healthiness. Nutritional knowledge was generally poor. The average daily intake of juice was 650 mL (22.8 floz), considerably more than the value recommended by several experts. Conclusion There is a need for nutritional education regarding the consumption of fruit juice. The public should be made more aware of the potential problems associated with excessive fruit juice consumption without discouraging fruit juice intake altogether, as it is an important source of fruit in the diets of young children. [source] An ongoing process of inner negotiation , a Grounded Theory study of self-management among people living with chronic illnessJOURNAL OF NURSING AND HEALTHCARE OF CHRONIC ILLNE SS: AN INTERNATIONAL INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL, Issue 4 2009Åsa Audulv RN Aim., The aim of this study was to better understand the main concern of self-management processes among people with chronic illness. Background., One aspect of living with chronic illness is self-management that can reduce the illness impact on daily life and promote future health. Although factors that influence self-management have been identified in previous research, little attention has been brought to the process of making self-management decisions. In clinical settings, use of a theory could facilitate patient-empowering approaches. Method., The data collection for this Grounded Theory was mostly conducted in 2006. Data were collected by interviews with 26 adults with a variety of chronic illnesses, including rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes mellitus, inflammatory bowel syndrome, multiple sclerosis, ischaemic heart disease and chronic kidney failure. Results., Individuals are conflicted by competing preferences when taking decisions about self-management. Consequently, the decision-making process can be understood as an ongoing inner negotiation between different incompatible perspectives, e.g. social needs vs. medical needs. The process of negotiating self-management starts with the individual's considering beliefs about health and illness, which make the individual face illness threats and the need for self-management. Several aspects influence negotiating self-management namely, assessing effects of self-management; evaluating own capacity; perceiving normality or stigmatisation; and experiencing support and external resources. The process has been demonstrated in a model. Conclusions., The process of negotiating self-management is an ongoing inner debate rather than a one-time decision. This opens up new ways of understanding, and communicating with, patients. The described model also links behavioural theories and research findings in a comprehensive understanding. Relevance to clinical practice., This model could be applicable as a communication tool for health-care providers in identifying barriers to, and resources in, self-management behaviour among individuals with chronic illness. [source] Support and faculty mentoring programmes for medical students in Germany, Switzerland and AustriaMEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 6 2000Woessner Objectives To study what is being done at German-speaking universities regarding the counselling and tutoring of students, we carried out a survey among the deans of medical faculties in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Our main concern was if any such projects were already available to the medical student or whether efforts to this purpose were under way. Design We focused in particular on faculty mentoring programmes, a continuous tutoring by designated members of the faculty on a person-to-person basis. Setting German, Austrian and Swiss medical faculties. Subjects Medical faculty deans. Results The return rate was 80%. While general student counselling is, if required, available at nearly all of the faculties, faculty mentoring programmes are offered by only 36·1% of the medical schools, and individualized career counselling by 30·6%. Conclusions Compared to other countries, such as the United Kingdom or the United States, counselling and tutoring programmes, e.g. career planning or faculty mentoring, are not generally available to the German medical student. Regional differences are evident, which can be attributed to differences in the universities' legal and financial situation. The medical faculties at German-speaking universities should make it their priority to offer these services to the student on a permanent basis. [source] Is the recipient vein really the main concern?MICROSURGERY, Issue 8 2009A cohort study of head, neck reconstruction The aim of this study was to verify the role of the venous drainage system in the pathogenesis of complications in microsurgical head and neck reconstruction. In a nonrandomized cohort study, 52 consecutive cases of complex head and neck microsurgical reconstruction were evaluated. The patients were divided in two groups based on the treatment: the deep (DVDG; n = 30) and superficial (SVDG; n = 22) venous drainage groups. The complications evaluated included vascular obstruction with partial or total loss of the microsurgical flap, inadequate healing (fistulas or suture dehiscence), and infections. The arterial anastomotic site, neoplastic recurrence, use of medications and neoadjuvant radiotherapy, flap selection, tumor histology, smoking/alcoholism, and systemic diseases had no effect on postoperative complications, while the venous component influenced the overall complication rate (chi-square test, P = 0.006). A protective effect was achieved in the DVDG when the overall complication rate was considered,relative risk (RR) 0.65, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.45,0.94. The recipient vein should be the surgeon's main concern as it influenced the outcomes of patients undergoing complex microsurgical head and neck reconstruction. A protective effect was observed when the internal jugular vein drainage system was used for this purpose. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. Microsurgery 2009. [source] Dietary guidance for older AustraliansNUTRITION & DIETETICS, Issue 4 2009A. Stewart TRUSWELL Abstract Aim:, This paper reviews the literature on dietary guidance for older Australians. Methods:, The components of the 1999 National Health and Medical Research Council Dietary Guidelines for Older Australians are reviewed in conjunction with the current literature. Results:, Advice on a healthy diet for older people from different professionals can sometimes seem to be looking in opposite directions in terms of amount and types of food to recommend. Appropriate nutritional guidance should be determined by the stage of ageing, not by chronological age. For those in the third age,older but still active,advice should be somewhat modified from the dietary guidelines for younger adults. For example, maintaining muscles and bones become more important than keeping a low body mass index. Conclusions:, The 1999 National Health and Medical Research Council Dietary Guidelines for Older Australians provide a sensible framework for considering recent evidence. In old people who are frail and losing weight, the ,fourth age', our main concern should be to prevent (further) malnutrition. The popular dietary rules of low calories, sugar, fat and salt no longer apply. [source] Malaysia's government publishing house: a quest for increased performance through technologyPUBLIC ADMINISTRATION & DEVELOPMENT, Issue 1 2007Dahlina Daut Mohmud Abstract Electronic publishing, which is the production of a book or an e-book electronically, encompasses all processes involved in the production such as electronic communication, production, authoring, submission, reviewing, transfer and output. This study examines a radical transformation process to turn a conventional sector into an electronic sector. Studies were carried out in a government run publishing house in Malaysia, where the course of the public sectors and the interests of the private sectors meet. Factors that hindered progress, such as data management issues and transparencies are identified, and suggestions made to overcome them. Some concerns over disruption, such as creative destruction, often viewed as negative and destructive were identified with the introduction of technology. As disruption is also considered as one of the main hindrances in innovation, the study focuses on determining other effects of disruption on transformation. Business and management strategies are combined and a system that could increase performance and efficiency in the sector is proposed. However, the main concern in e-government efforts will have to be looked into from the root issues expanding from top level management to users and an innovative platform furnished with knowledge and skills at all levels. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Modélisation spatiale de la pauvretéà Montréal: apport méthodologique de la régression géographiquement pondéréeTHE CANADIAN GEOGRAPHER/LE GEOGRAPHE CANADIEN, Issue 4 2007PHILIPPE APPARICIO Spatial Modeling of Poverty in Montréal: Methodological Contribution of the Geographically Weighted Regression The Island of Montréal is particularly concerned with the issue of poverty. In 2000, 29 percent of its inhabitants lived under the low income cut-offs as defined by Statistics Canada. However, poverty is not a homogeneous phenomenon at the intra-urban scale, and identifying and categorizing spaces of poverty has become a main concern for ongoing researches. According to this way of thinking, this paper proposes an analysis of the factors influencing the geographical distribution of poverty on the Island of Montréal. To be able to identify properly the various profiles of poverty, this analysis uses a specific methodology, the geographically weighted regression (GWR), and compares its results with the ones of a classical regression model. At the global level, the most important factors to explain poverty are in order: unemployment, lone-parent families, one person households, recent immigrants, part time or part year workers, school dropouts. At the local level, L'île de Montréal est particulièrement touchée par la pauvreté, puisqu'en 2000 29 pour cent de sa population vivait sous le seuil de faible revenu tel que défini par Statistique Canada. La pauvreté ne constituant pas toutefois un phénomène homogène à l'échelle intra-urbaine, l'identification et la qualification des zones de pauvreté deviennent des enjeux de recherche de première importance. Dans cette perspective, cet article propose une analyse des facteurs qui déterminent la distribution spatiale de la pauvreté au niveau des secteurs de recensement de l'île de Montréal. Pour ce faire, l'analyse mobilise un outil méthodologique particulier: la régression géographiquement pondérée, et en compare les résultats avec un modèle de régression multiple global. Au niveau global, on constate que les facteurs classiques conduisant à la pauvreté sont à l',uvre sur le territoire de l'île de Montréal. Dans l'ordre, ces facteurs sont: le chômage, la monoparentalité, le fait de vivre seul, le fait d'être un immigrant récent, le travail atypique et la non-fréquentation scolaire des jeunes de 15 à 24 ans. Au niveau local, s'il est vrai we observe that variables employment and lone-parents families play significantly in almost all the census tracts, the four other factors are significant only in some census tracts in the center of the Island. At the end of this analysis, the advantages of the GWR methodology appear clearly, as its capacity to take into account the geographical variations of the phenomenon allows a better identification and categorization of poverty areas in Montréal. que le chômage et la monoparentalité agissent significativement dans presque tous les secteurs, les quatre autres facteurs sont uniquement significatifs dans certains secteurs du centre de l'île. Au terme de l'analyse, les avantages de la régression géographiquement pondérée apparaissent clairement, sa plus grande sensibilité aux variations spatiales du phénomène permettant de mieux identifier et qualifier les zones de pauvreté montréalaises. [source] ,Out of it': drunkenness and ethics in Martha Rosler and Gillian WearingART HISTORY, Issue 3 2003David Hopkins This essay examines two significant representations of drunkenness by women: Martha Rosler's conceptualist 24-panel photo installation The Bowery in Two Inadequate Descriptive Systems (1974) and Gillian Wearing's recent 23-minute video Drunk (1997,9). In line with her own critical writings, Rosler's photo installation problematizes the ,documentary' ethos in photography. The work resists any straightforward depiction of alcoholics and attempts instead to set up a ,poetics of drunkenness' in terms primarily of its text panels. By contrast, Wearing is shown to return to an almost forensic representation of the phenomenon of drunkenness. The ethical problems raised by this are the main concern of the essay. In the final analysis, it is argued that Wearing's work is best understood in the context of a very specific gendered discourse around drug dependency and rudery in the production of the so-called ,yBas' of the 1990s. Risking appearing to be ethically insensitive or aesthetically anachronistic, her work mobilizes the inarticulacy of its drunken subjects in order to allegorize processes of social mourning. [source] Energy absorption capacity; a new concept for stability analysis of nonlinear dynamic systems,ASIAN JOURNAL OF CONTROL, Issue 1 2009Ali Akbar Jamshidifar Abstract Stability is the main concern considered for every system. Generally the well-known Lyapunov and input-output stability methods are utilized for the stability analysis of nonlinear systems. These methods face serious difficulties as the size and complexity of the systems increases. In this paper a new approach is presented to overcome this problem by introducing a new concept "Energy Absorption Capacity" (EAC) for every component. The EAC of the system can be derived from its component EACs considering their interaction. It is shown that the stability of every individual component is assured if its EAC has a positive value. The proposed approach is less conservative compared to a Lyapunov-based approach. This is due to its reliance on EAC as the extreme value of energy function rather than the function itself. Some examples are given to support the proposed approach. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley and Sons Asia Pte Ltd and Chinese Automatic Control Society [source] POVERTY AND INEQUALITY: CHALLENGES FOR THE IAB: IAB PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESSBIOETHICS, Issue 5-6 2005FLORENCIA LUNA ABSTRACT This paper focuses on poverty and inequality in the world today. First, it points out how this topic is a main concern for the IAB. Second, it proposes ,new' theoretical tools in order to analyze global justice and our obligations towards the needy. I present John Rawls's denial that the egalitarian principle can be applied to the global sphere, his proposed weak duty of assistance, and his consideration of endemic poverty as essentially homegrown. In opposition, I focus on Thomas Pogge as representative of a cosmopolitan view who also holds a critical position towards the international systems which allow and cause poverty. I endorse the general normative proposal that defends every human being as an ultimate unit of moral concern, as well as the strategy of moving away from the charity model of bilateral aid to the realm of rights and duties. These ideas should redesign and broaden the normative and practical roles of institutions, and should also help provide a new approach on bioethical issues such as drug patenting or the imbalance in global research and neglected diseases. [source] Patient-centered outcome of immediately loaded implants in the rehabilitation of fully edentulous jawsCLINICAL ORAL IMPLANTS RESEARCH, Issue 10 2009Melissa Dierens Abstract Introduction: Edentulism often involves functional, esthetic, phonetic and psychological problems. Objectives: To evaluate patient-centered outcomes of full-arch screw-retained rehabilitation on immediately loaded implants. Material and methods: Fifty patients treated with Astra TechÔ implants answered self-administered questionnaires on a visual analogue scale (VAS) 100 mm scale or with multiple-choice or open questions: at baseline, 1 week, 3 or 6 months and 1 year. Changes of VAS in time were analyzed using mixed models for repeated measures, adjusting for gender, age and jaw; comparison of cross-sectional parameters between jaws was performed with the Mann,Whitney U- or ,2 -test, all at the 0.05 significance level. Results: The median calculated general satisfaction score increased from 40.25 (mean=40.9; SD=23.82; range=0,95) at baseline to 98.25 (mean=95.3; SD=6.68; range=74,100) after 1 year. Overall comfort, eating comfort, speaking comfort and perceived esthetics improved significantly within 1 week after surgery and immediate provisionalization. This did not change significantly until the final bridge was installed after 3 months (mandible) or 6 months (maxilla), when a further significant improvement was demonstrated. The most common postoperative complication was swelling, especially in the maxilla. The importance of one-stage surgery and immediate loading was rated very high by patients before treatment, especially in the mandible. The main reason for choosing fixed prosthetics was eating comfort. Phonetics and esthetics were more important in the maxilla than in the mandible. Conclusion: Immediate full-arch rehabilitation yeilds an instant significant improvement in general patient satisfaction and self-perceived factors related to comfort, function and esthetics. Eating comfort is the main concern for the patient and shows the highest improvement. Postoperative complications are limited and patients considered immediate loading important. [source] Numerical simulation of bubble and droplet deformation by a level set approach with surface tension in three dimensionsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN FLUIDS, Issue 9 2010Roberto Croce Abstract In this paper we present a three-dimensional Navier,Stokes solver for incompressible two-phase flow problems with surface tension and apply the proposed scheme to the simulation of bubble and droplet deformation. One of the main concerns of this study is the impact of surface tension and its discretization on the overall convergence behavior and conservation properties. Our approach employs a standard finite difference/finite volume discretization on uniform Cartesian staggered grids and uses Chorin's projection approach. The free surface between the two fluid phases is tracked with a level set (LS) technique. Here, the interface conditions are implicitly incorporated into the momentum equations by the continuum surface force method. Surface tension is evaluated using a smoothed delta function and a third-order interpolation. The problem of mass conservation for the two phases is treated by a reinitialization of the LS function employing a regularized signum function and a global fixed point iteration. All convective terms are discretized by a WENO scheme of fifth order. Altogether, our approach exhibits a second-order convergence away from the free surface. The discretization of surface tension requires a smoothing scheme near the free surface, which leads to a first-order convergence in the smoothing region. We discuss the details of the proposed numerical scheme and present the results of several numerical experiments concerning mass conservation, convergence of curvature, and the application of our solver to the simulation of two rising bubble problems, one with small and one with large jumps in material parameters, and the simulation of a droplet deformation due to a shear flow in three space dimensions. Furthermore, we compare our three-dimensional results with those of quasi-two-dimensional and two-dimensional simulations. This comparison clearly shows the need for full three-dimensional simulations of droplet and bubble deformation to capture the correct physical behavior. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Exploratory analysis of Chinese-American family caregivers' needs and instructional video on dressing stroke survivorsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CONSUMER STUDIES, Issue 5 2010Shu-Hwa LinArticle first published online: 18 AUG 2010 Abstract The aims of this project were to explore the needs of family caregivers in the Chinese-American community and to develop training videos for caregivers on dressing stroke survivors. In-depth, semi-structured, open-ended interviews were used to explore the problems of caregivers of stroke survivors. Forty participants were recruited from Chinese-American communities. Verbatim interview transcripts were coded and analyzed. Four main concerns emerged: the impact and adjustment in lifestyle for family caregivers; lack of social activities and failure to seek community support; physical and mental stress and methods to alleviate stress, such as instruction in heavy lifting and guidance for daily activities, which include dressing. An 18-min video was produced to provide instruction on dressing stroke survivors for those who need this information. Also, this article addresses the lack of social activities and information about community or public services. [source] Globalisation of consciousness and new challenges for international social workINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WELFARE, Issue 1 2003Nader Ahmadi Although the notion of international social work is not new, it is only in recent times that its central premises have been in focus. Considering diverse ongoing globalisation processes and in regard to the weakening of the national welfare state, social work must tackle the challenge of redefining its role and mission if it is to remain true to its professional commitments. The emergence of new global regions and the globalisation of local social problems make the consolidation of democracy and human rights, the prevention of conflicts and the promotion of solidarity and peace through global cultural integration some of the main concerns of international social work. In this article, international social work is discussed as a project of partnership between diverse social actors such as practitioners, universities and local governments cooperating beyond the boundaries of the nation-state. [source] Comparison of plain ice and flavoured ice for preventing oral mucositis associated with the use of 5 fluorouracilJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 6 2005Sue Nikoletti RN Aims and objectives., The study aimed to compare the use of plain ice, flavoured ice and standard care, to evaluate the effect on mucositis and to determine patients' perceptions of the two forms of oral cryotherapy. Background., Despite evidence that oral cryotherapy is useful in preventing mucositis in patients receiving 5-fluorouracil, concerns have been expressed about its clinical utility, due to potential side effects and negative perceptions. Design., A randomized, controlled, crossover trial was conducted in the outpatient chemotherapy department of an acute care teaching hospital in Perth, Western Australia. Patients were randomized to receive each of three interventions across three cycles of chemotherapy: standard care alone; standard care plus plain ice; and standard care plus flavoured ice. Methods., Oral mucositis was assessed by nurses prior to each of the three chemotherapy cycles and 15 days after each intervention. Two assessment tools were used, the Oral Assessment Guide, and the Western Consortium Cancer Nursing Research Scale. Participants completed a questionnaire to determine their comfort and satisfaction with oral cryotherapy, as well as factors affecting compliance. Results., Findings from 67 patients revealed that when participants used standard care alone, they were significantly more likely to experience symptoms of mucositis than when they used either plain or flavoured ice. Odds ratios were at least threefold higher for standard care alone, varying according to the instrument used. The two main concerns reported were the taste of flavoured ice and the time required to complete the cryotherapy interventions. Side effects such as nausea, sensitivity and headache were reported more frequently for flavoured ice (n = 11) compared with plain ice (n = 5) and standard care (n = 1). Conclusions., Both forms of oral cryotherapy were effective in reducing the severity of oral mucositis after chemotherapy and were more effective than standard care alone. Flavoured ice was associated with the highest frequency of side effects. Relevance to clinical practice., The benefits of cryotherapy appear to outweigh the problems in this sample of patients. The intervention should be tailored to individual patients, based on preferences for plain versus flavoured ice and small chips vs. larger blocks. Unsweetened frozen fruit juices should be evaluated. Time constraints could be addressed by providing transportable containers of ice. [source] Frail older people's experiences and use of health and social care servicesJOURNAL OF NURSING MANAGEMENT, Issue 2 2007MARKUS THEMESSL-HUBER PhD Aims, To highlight older people's experiences and expectations of services and the consequences for service provision, service development and research. Rationale, A large amount of resources have been invested in providing services for frail older people who experienced multiple hospital admissions. However, their own views are under-reported. Method, Semi-structured interviews with frail older people were conducted in four Scottish Health Board areas to explore the context of emergency admissions and the use of extramural services. Outcomes, Frail older people are high users of services but claim that services are not responsive to their main concerns: meeting individual needs, maximizing independence and helping to live fulfilled lives. Services not catering for these needs are often cancelled or left in abeyance. Conclusion, The same people who are targeted by care services are reluctant to engage with them. Care providers need to adopt older people's priorities to provide them with responsive patient-centred care. [source] An Exploratory Qualitative Study Examining the Social and Psychological Processes Involved in Regular Dental AttendanceJOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH DENTISTRY, Issue 1 2000Barry J. Gibson BSc, MMedSc Abstract Objective: This study aimed to provide a description of the psychosocial process involved in regular dental attendance. Methods: The study design was a qualitative cross-sectional study using unstructured and semistructured interviews and observations of regular dental visits. The study participants included 12 men and 18 women attending general dental practices and six men and four women attending an emergency dental service. The data were systematically recorded and subjected to line-by-line grounded theory coding around the main concerns of those attending the dentist. Results: The main concern of those attending for a regular dental visit was checking their oral health. The six-month recall was conceptualized as a checking cycle in six phases: recalling, responding, inducing (i), waiting, inducing (ii), and telling. The possible outcomes of the cycle were maintaining oral health, sustaining oral health, and a further checking cycle. Variations in checking cycles resulted from reordering and normalizing pressures within participants' lifestyles. Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest that people's patterns of dental attendance are similar to those of other chronic illnesses. An understanding of the dynamic psychosocial processes involved in frequent dental attendance may be achieved when further research into this phenomenon is conducted. [source] Inferring the evolutionary history of Drosophila americana and Drosophila novamexicana using a multilocus approach and the influence of chromosomal rearrangements in single gene analysesMOLECULAR ECOLOGY, Issue 12 2008RAMIRO MORALES-HOJAS Abstract The evolutionary history of closely related organisms can prove sometimes difficult to infer. Hybridization and incomplete lineage sorting are the main concerns; however, genome rearrangements can also influence the outcome of analyses based on nuclear sequences. In the present study, DNA sequences from 12 nuclear genes, for which the approximate chromosomal locations are known, have been used to estimate the evolutionary history of two forms of Drosophila americana (Drosophila americana americana and Drosophila americana texana) and Drosophila novamexicana (virilis group of species). The phylogenetic analysis of the combined data set resulted in a phylogeny showing reciprocal monophyly for D. novamexicana and D. americana. Single gene analyses, however, resulted in incongruent phylogenies influenced by chromosomal rearrangements. Genetic differentiation estimates indicated a significant differentiation between the two species for all genes. Within D. americana, however, there is no evidence for differentiation between the chromosomal forms except at genes located near the X/4 fusion and Xc inversion breakpoint. Thus, the specific status of D. americana and D. novamexicana is confirmed, but there is no overall evidence for genetic differentiation between D. a. americana and D. a. texana, not supporting a subspecific status. Based on levels of allele and nucleotide diversity found in the strains used, it is proposed that D. americana has had a stable, large population during the recent past while D. novamexicana has speciated from a peripheral southwestern population having had an ancestral small effective population size. The influence of chromosomal rearrangements in single gene analyses is also examined. [source] Ontologies of the image and economies of exchangeAMERICAN ETHNOLOGIST, Issue 1 2004Fred Myers ABSTRACT In the early 1970s, the Aboriginal artist and activist Wandjuk Marika asked the Australian government to investigate the unauthorized use of Yolngu clan designs on a variety of commodity forms, inaugurating a process of recognizing Indigenous ownership of "copyright" in such designs. This treatment of design,and of culture,as a form of property involves understandings and practices of materiality and subjectivity that differ from those informing indigenous, Aboriginal relationships to cultural production and circulation. In this article I explore the significance for material culture theory of recent work on and events in the development of notions of cultural property. One of my main concerns is the relevance of local understandings of objectification, or objectness, and human action,as embedded in object-ideologies. I discuss the limited capacity of legal discourses of cultural property to capture and reflect the concerns of Indigenous Australians about their own relation to culture, to creativity, and to expression. [source] Pulmonary sequelae in long-term survivors of bronchopulmonary dysplasiaPEDIATRICS INTERNATIONAL, Issue 6 2000Daniel Kwok-Keung Ng AbstractBackground: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a common problem in premature babies. Long-term sequelae are the main concerns. Methods: A retrospective review of all BPD children born in Queen Mary Hospital, a teaching hospital of the University of Hong Kong, from January 1987 to December 1995 was conducted. Children with cerebral palsy, immunodeficiency, congenital heart disorders, renal or liver failure were excluded from analysis. Chest radiography (CXR), electrocardiogram (ECG) and pulse oximetry were routinely performed. Results: Fifty-five children completed the study. The female to male ratio was 1 : 1.1. The mean gestational age was 28 weeks. Twenty-five children were born with a birthweight of less than 1001 g. Mean age at assessment was 5.4 years. Twenty-four children (44%) demonstrated signs or symptoms of current asthma. Only seven children managed to perform the spirometry satisfactorily. One child had low forced vital capacity and one had hyperresponsive airway. The only risk factor found to be associated with current asthma was the birth month, with those children born early in the year at higher risk of developing current asthma. Seventeen of 48 children (35%) had a bodyweight below the third percentile at the corrected age of 1 year. Eleven of these seventeen children (65%) demonstrated catch-up growth at assessment. Abnormal CXR was found in 25 of 40 children (63%). All had normal pulse oximetry and ECG. Conclusions: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia children had a significantly higher risk than the general population of developing current asthma (odds ratio 4.7; 95% confidence interval 3.4,6.5; P<0.0001). The importance of birth month suggests that early life experience is important in the pathogenesis of asthma, even in BPD children. The long-term growth of BPD children was much better than previously reported. [source] Soul and Self: Comparing Chinese Philosophy and Greek PhilosophyPHILOSOPHY COMPASS (ELECTRONIC), Issue 4 2008Jiyuan Yu Comparative philosophy has been interested in issues such as whether the familiar Western concepts of the soul and self can be applied in understanding Chinese philosophy about human selfhood and whether there are alternative Chinese modes of thinking about these concepts. I will outline a comparison of the main concerns of the Greeks and Chinese philosophers in their discussion about the soul and self, and examine some of the major comparative theories that are recently developed. The comparative discussion is significant in helping us understand each tradition's views of soul and self in its own terms, and in identifying alternatives to familiar modes of thinking. However, we should avoid looking for simplified uniformity in each tradition and overgeneralizing the contrasts between China and Greece. [source] Money Games: Currencies and Power in the Contemporary World EconomyANTIPODE, Issue 2010John Agnew Abstract:, A well-known cliché has it that "money makes the world go round" Certainly, monetary arrangements, specifically exchange-rate mechanisms, can serve to show the degree to which markets and states intersect to direct the workings of the world economy. It is common to assume that the singular model over recent decades has been a neoliberal one based on independent floating exchange rates. I challenge this assumption by showing that a number of different combinations of money and power have operated in the recent past, creating a number of distinctive "money games". Only one of these, the globalist/transnational, is facing a particularly severe crisis. The others, what I term the classic/territorial, integrative/shared, and imperialist/substitute provide available alternatives. The recent history, geographical features, and future prospects of the various money games are the main concerns of the essay. The analysis welcomes the recent financial crisis as providing an opportunity to further pluralize political-economic visions beyond the perceived dominant one-size-fits-all neoliberal ideology of the globalist regime. [source] Infrastructure policy in Asian developing countriesASIAN-PACIFIC ECONOMIC LITERATURE, Issue 1 2010Peter McCawley The urgent need for very large increases in investment in infrastructure in most developing countries in Asia is very clear. This paper surveys the challenges facing policymakers in the region. Nearly all of the main concerns for policymakers in Asia in addressing the global infrastructure imbalance are on the supply side. In particular, there are seven related supply-side issues that are of high priority for policymakers: selection and preparation of appropriate projects, finance, pricing, access, governance and management, policy and regulatory policies, and climate change. Governments and utilities need to improve their policies and performance to build confidence among stakeholders. Access to infrastructure services needs to be improved so that consumers will support realistic pricing policies, and investors will be encouraged to provide finance for infrastructure sectors. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||