Home About us Contact
|
Home About us Contact | ||
|
|
||
Other Tasks (other + task)
Selected AbstractsOn the development of low-level auditory discrimination and deficits in dyslexiaDYSLEXIA, Issue 2 2004Burkhart Fischer Abstract Absolute auditory thresholds, frequency resolution and temporal resolution develop with age. It is still discussed whether low-level auditory performance is of clinical significance,specifically, for delayed maturation of central auditory processing. Recently, five new auditory tasks were used to study the development of low-level auditory discrimination. It was found that the development lasts up to the age of 16,18 years (on an average). Very similar tasks were now used with 432 controls and 250 dyslexic subjects in the age range of 7,22 years. For both groups the performance in one of the tasks was not related to the performance in another task indicating that the five tasks challenge independent subfunctions of auditory processing. Surprisingly high numbers of subjects were classified as low performers (LP), because they could not perform one or the other task at its easiest level and no threshold value could be assigned. For the dyslexics the incidence of LP was considerably increased in all tasks and age groups as compared with the age matched controls. The development of dynamic visual and optomotor functions and the corresponding deficits in dyslexia are discussed in relation to the auditory data presented here. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The Liposuction Apparatus "Suspension Device": Hi-Plane LiposculptureDERMATOLOGIC SURGERY, Issue 6 2000Paul Weber MD Background The improvement of liposuction equipment and techniques has resulted in a cumbersome operating room array of aspirator hoses, irrigation/infiltration tubing, and the insulated command and control wiring of current ultrasonic or power liposuction devices. This situation is further complicated by the presence of a second surgeon, the concomitant use of additional traditional or ultrasonic cannulas, and the suction hose of a second aspirator. Objective To solve the problems of sterility and operating room organization, the authors describe a simple, releasable suspension design. Method This apparatus can be temporarily or permanently installed in minutes and is easily maintained to control numerous sterile hoses and wires required for certain liposuction procedures. Results This suspension method appeared to enhance the efficiency and ease of use by single and dual surgeons during cases utilizing ultrasonic and nonultrasonic cannulas. The time savings and ease of use was most noticeable in cases of dual surgeons using both ultrasonic and nonultrasonic systems simultaneously. In addition, surgical personnel were freed for other tasks. Single-surgeon, traditional liposuction was less notably facilitated in terms of speed and fewer personnel. However, wiring and tubing control is facilitated in any case. Conclusion A simple liposuction suspension system facilitates the liposuction procedure to varying degrees depending upon the number of surgeons and devices in simultaneous use. [source] What causes 3-year-olds' difficulty on the dimensional change card sorting task?INFANT AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT, Issue 2 2002Josef Perner Abstract Fifty-six children aged 3;01 to 4;11 years were tested with the standard DCCS task (Frye et al., Cognitive development 10:483,527. 1995) where children have to switch from one sorting dimension (e.g. colour) to another (e.g. shape), and with three variations of this task. The aim was to explore different factors (extra-dimensional vs. reversal shift and presence of visual clash between target and test cards) that may account for 3-year olds' executive problems on this task. The only difficult task was the standard DCCS task with a visual clash and an extra-dimensional shift (mean of 3.55 out of five cards sorted correctly). The three new variations were all much easier (means of 4.6 or higher out of five cards sorted correctly). The difficulty with the DCCS task was particularly pronounced for 3-year olds when the task was presented first (mean of 0.50 correct) whereas when it followed one or more of the other tasks then children's mean number correct was 4.0 or above. Implications of this finding are discussed for the theory that younger children suffer from an inability to inhibit a predominant sorting strategy and the cognitive complexity and control theory postulating limitations in understanding higher order rules, negative priming of the initially ignored dimension, and children's difficulty in understanding that the change in the task consists in a redescription of the original cards. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Performance Impact of the Elimination of Direct Labor Variance Reporting: A Field StudyJOURNAL OF ACCOUNTING RESEARCH, Issue 4 2002Rajiv D. Banker Using a field study approach, we examine two competing perspectives on direct labor variance reporting: some argue that direct labor variance reporting is costly and cumbersome, and should be eliminated; whereas others contend that without direct labor variance information, managers will not be able to monitor workers effectively, causing workers to shirk and worker productivity to decline. Specifically, we investigate the productivity and quality impacts of eliminating direct labor variance reporting with panel data containing 36 months of data from seven experimental plants that eliminated direct labor variance reporting and 11 control plants that did not. The experimental plants experienced a significant decline in labor productivity compared to the control plants. Also, the experimental plants showed an improvement in product quality, indicating that workers reallocate their efforts to other tasks as a result of the change in the information set available to evaluate them. [source] The impact of pressure ulcer risk assessment on patient outcomes among hospitalised patientsJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 13 2009Mohammad Saleh Aims and objectives., To determine whether use of a risk assessment scale reduces nosocomial pressure ulcers. Background., There is contradictory evidence concerning the validity of risk assessment scales. The interaction of education, clinical judgement and use of risk assessment scales has not been fully explored. It is not known which of these is most important, nor whether combining them results in better patient care. Design., Pretest,posttest comparison. Methods., A risk assessment scale namely the Braden was implemented in a group of wards after appropriate education and training of staff in addition to mandatory wound care study days. Another group of staff received the same education programme but did not implement the risk assessment scale and a third group carried on with mandatory study days only. Results., Nosocomial Pressure Ulcer was reduced in all three groups, but the group that implemented the risk assessment scale showed no significant additional improvement. Allowing for age, gender, medical speciality, level of risk and other factors did not explain this lack of improvement. Clinical judgement seemed to be used by nurses to identify patients at high risk to implement appropriate risk reduction strategies such as use of pressure relieving beds. Clinical judgement was not significantly different from the risk assessment scale score in terms of risk evaluation. Conclusions., It is questioned whether the routine use of a risk assessment scale is useful in reducing nosocomial pressure ulcer. It is suggested clinical judgement is as effective as a risk assessment scale in terms of assessing risk (though neither show good sensitivity and specificity) and determining appropriate care. Relevance to clinical practice., Clinical judgement may be as effective as employing a risk assessment scale to assess the risk of pressure ulcers. If this were true it would be simpler and release nursing time for other tasks. [source] Contingent negative variation elicited before jaw and tongue movementsJOURNAL OF ORAL REHABILITATION, Issue 12 2005K. YOSHIDA summary, Contingent negative variation (CNV) is a negative brain potential occurring between two successive stimuli when the first stimulus is a warning and the second stimulus requires a motor response. The CNV is interpreted as an expression of the cognitive processes in preparation for a response directed to a purpose. Using 19 electrodes we recorded CNVs for mouth opening, closing and lateral movements, tongue protrusion and hand extension in 10 healthy subjects. The aim of the study was to examine the motor control mechanism underlying jaw and tongue movements in a cognitive paradigm. The first stimulus (S1) served as a preparatory warning signal for the imperative stimulus (S2) 2 s after the S1. The subject performed the experimental tasks after the S2. The grand average CNVs for jaw and tongue movements showed a bilaterally widespread negativity with the maximum in the vertex region (Cz). The early CNV was identified about 400 ms after the S1 and its amplitude was highest at the midline-frontal area. The late CNV started approximately 1000 ms after the S1 with the maximum at Cz. The mean amplitude was significantly lower for hand extension than for the other tasks, and significantly higher for lateral movement than for mouth closing, suggesting that the CNV amplitude can be affected by the complexity of the task. The CNV recording may provide a means to study the neuronal activity necessary for the sensorimotor integration of jaw and tongue movements. [source] Shift from independent to dependent colony foundation and evolution of ,multi-purpose' ergatoid queens in Mystrium ants (subfamily Amblyoponinae)BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY, Issue 1 2009MATHIEU MOLET Division of labour improves fitness in animal societies. In ants, queens reproduce, whereas workers perform all other tasks. However, during independent colony founding, queens live as solitary insects and must be totipotent, especially in species where they need to forage. In many ants, solitary founding has been replaced by dependent founding, where queens are continuously helped by nestmate workers. Little is known about the details of this evolutionary transition. Mystrium rogeri from Madagascar and Mystrium camillae from Southeast Asia (subfamily Amblyoponinae) have winged queens, but three congeneric species from Madagascar reproduce with permanently wingless queens instead. We show that this ,ergatoid' caste has distinct body proportions in all three species, expressing a mixture of both queen and worker traits. Ergatoid queens have functional ovaries and spermatheca, and tiny wing rudiments. They can be as numerous as workers within a colony, but only a few mate and reproduce, whereas most behave as sterile helpers. The shape of their mandibles makes them unsuited for hunting and, together with a lack of metabolic reserves (i.e. in the form of wing muscles), this means that ergatoid queens cannot be solitary foundresses. In comparison with winged queens, ergatoid queens are less costly per capita and they experience lower mortality. They remain in their natal colonies where they can either reproduce or function as helpers, making them a ,multi-purpose' caste. Within the Amblyoponinae, ergatoid queens replace winged queens in Onychomyrmex as well. However, in this genus, ergatoid queens are ,sole-purpose', few are produced each year and they reproduce but do not work. Hence, different types of ergatoid queens evolved to replace winged queens in ants. © 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2009, 98, 198,207. [source] Is there progressive cognitive dysfunction in Sjögren Syndrome?ACTA NEUROLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 3 2010A preliminary study Martínez S, Cáceres C, Mataró M, Escudero D, Latorre P, Dávalos A. Is there progressive cognitive dysfunction in Sjögren Syndrome? A preliminary study. Acta Neurol Scand: 122: 182,188. © 2010 The Authors Journal compilation © 2010 Blackwell Munksgaard. Objective,,, The aim of this study was to determine the progression of cognitive dysfunction in primary Sjögren Syndrome (SS). Methods,,, Twelve subjects with SS were compared with ten subjects with migraine and ten healthy controls on neuropsychological, mood and fatigue tests at baseline and 8 years later. Results,,, At follow-up, SS subjects performed below subjects with migraine on the Continuous Performance Test (CPT) but did not differ on other tasks. Compared with controls, both clinical groups obtained lower scores on simple reaction time, patients with SS obtained lower scores on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) and patients with migraine performed below controls on the Benton's Judgment of Line Orientation Test (JOLO). Clinical groups did not differ on cognitive changes over time, except that migraine subjects improved on verbal fluency. Compared with baseline, both SS and migraine patients were more impaired on simple reaction time, Trail Making Test part B, Stroop and JOLO. However, they showed higher scores on verbal and visual memory, WCST and CPT reaction time. SS also showed higher levels of depression and fatigue than migraine and controls, with no significant changes over time. Discussion,,, Preliminary evidence indicates some cognitive deficits in both SS and migraine following a pattern of fronto-subcortical dysfunction without a significant cognitive decline over time. [source] Nursing home care: whodunit?JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 11 2006Aggie TG Paulus PhD Aims and objectives., (1) To analyse and compare (changes and differences in) activity profiles of various types of nursing home care. (2) To assess the impact of integrated care on these activity profiles. Background., Because of an ongoing introduction of integrated nursing home care, caregivers increasingly have to co-ordinate their activities, engage into interprofessional relationships and take over each other's tasks. Consequently, activity profiles [i.e. combinations of (contributions to) care activities and the roles that perform them] are expected to change. Design/methods., At three measurement points in the period 1999,2003, caregivers (in 18 different roles) recorded and listed direct and indirect care activities. A total of 41 335 lists were analysed to derive activity profiles of traditional, transitional and integrated nursing home care in the Netherlands. Results., Traditional, transitional and integrated care shared some comparable activity profiles. Integrated care differed from the other types with respect to the contribution of the geriatric nurse, recreational activities supervisor, nutrition assistant, household assistant and nursing assistant to activities such as extra care, handling food and club activities. Contrary to the other roles, the licensed practical nurse contributed to (almost) all activities in all types of care. Conclusions., Nursing home care has several recurring activity profiles. These profiles are the same in all types of nursing home care. The introduction of integrated care implies that particular profiles have to be added to these profiles. As a generalist, the licensed practical nurse seems to play a key role in all activity profiles. Relevance to clinical practice., Because of demographic and financial pressures, integrated care for older people becomes increasingly important. By addressing the impact of integrated care on activity profiles, this paper provides information on how new types of care can be delivered in the most effective manner. [source] | |||||||||||||