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Preliminary Research (preliminary + research)
Selected AbstractsRandomized controlled trial comparing the effectiveness and safety of intranasal and intramuscular naloxone for the treatment of suspected heroin overdoseADDICTION, Issue 12 2009Debra Kerr ABSTRACT Aims Traditionally, the opiate antagonist naloxone has been administered parenterally; however, intranasal (i.n.) administration has the potential to reduce the risk of needlestick injury. This is important when working with populations known to have a high prevalence of blood-borne viruses. Preliminary research suggests that i.n. administration might be effective, but suboptimal naloxone solutions were used. This study compared the effectiveness of concentrated (2 mg/ml) i.n. naloxone to intramuscular (i.m.) naloxone for suspected opiate overdose. Methods This randomized controlled trial included patients treated for suspected opiate overdose in the pre-hospital setting. Patients received 2 mg of either i.n. or i.m. naloxone. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients who responded within 10 minutes of naloxone treatment. Secondary outcomes included time to adequate response and requirement for supplementary naloxone. Data were analysed using multivariate statistical techniques. Results A total of 172 patients were enrolled into the study. Median age was 29 years and 74% were male. Rates of response within 10 minutes were similar: i.n. naloxone (60/83, 72.3%) compared with i.m. naloxone (69/89, 77.5%) [difference: ,5.2%, 95% confidence interval (CI) ,18.2 to 7.7]. No difference was observed in mean response time (i.n.: 8.0, i.m.: 7.9 minutes; difference 0.1, 95% CI ,1.3 to 1.5). Supplementary naloxone was administered to fewer patients who received i.m. naloxone (i.n.: 18.1%; i.m.: 4.5%) (difference: 13.6%, 95% CI 4.2,22.9). Conclusions Concentrated intranasal naloxone reversed heroin overdose successfully in 82% of patients. Time to adequate response was the same for both routes, suggesting that the i.n. route of administration is of similar effectiveness to the i.m. route as a first-line treatment for heroin overdose. [source] Ketamine use, cognition and psychological wellbeing: a comparison of frequent, infrequent and ex-users with polydrug and non-using controlsADDICTION, Issue 1 2009Celia J. A. Morgan ABSTRACT Introduction Preliminary research has indicated that recreational ketamine use may be associated with marked cognitive impairments and elevated psychopathological symptoms, although no study to date has determined how these are affected by differing frequencies of use or whether they are reversible on cessation of use. In this study we aimed to determine how variations in ketamine use and abstention from prior use affect neurocognitive function and psychological wellbeing. Method We assessed a total of 150 individuals: 30 frequent ketamine users, 30 infrequent ketamine users, 30 ex-ketamine users, 30 polydrug users and 30 controls who did not use illicit drugs. Cognitive tasks included spatial working memory, pattern recognition memory, the Stockings of Cambridge (a variant of the Tower of London task), simple vigilance and verbal and category fluency. Standardized questionnaires were used to assess psychological wellbeing. Hair analysis was used to verify group membership. Results Frequent ketamine users were impaired on spatial working memory, pattern recognition memory, Stockings of Cambridge and category fluency but exhibited preserved verbal fluency and prose recall. There were no differences in the performance of the infrequent ketamine users or ex-users compared to the other groups. Frequent users showed increased delusional, dissociative and schizotypal symptoms which were also evident to a lesser extent in infrequent and ex-users. Delusional symptoms correlated positively with the amount of ketamine used currently by the frequent users. Conclusions Frequent ketamine use is associated with impairments in working memory, episodic memory and aspects of executive function as well as reduced psychological wellbeing. ,Recreational' ketamine use does not appear to be associated with distinct cognitive impairments although increased levels of delusional and dissociative symptoms were observed. As no performance decrements were observed in the ex-ketamine users, it is possible that the cognitive impairments observed in the frequent ketamine group are reversible upon cessation of ketamine use, although delusional symptoms persist. [source] Political parties' use of web based marketing: some preliminary findings relating to first-time voters in the 2005 general electionINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NONPROFIT & VOLUNTARY SECTOR MARKETING, Issue 3 2006Graeme Drummond This paper examines the marketing of political parties, via websites, in the 2005 UK general election with specific reference to first-time voters (age 18,24). Common perception views young voters as predominantly politically apathetic and less likely to vote than older generations. However, research literature suggests given the right message and medium, the group will engage in the political process. Could the Internet provide a path to engaging younger voters and will websites become a key marketing vehicle for political parties? Young voters were asked to review political party websites using an extended web assessment method (EWAM), which is an evaluation tool created to determine both the importance and presence of website evaluation criteria. Preliminary research suggests that respondents felt the Internet had a significant role to play in the election process and marketing of campaign messages. However, while political parties scored well in relation to the technical/software aspects of website design, participants felt website material had little appeal and were ineffective in influencing voter intent. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Interdisciplinary team leadership: a revisionist approach for an old problem?JOURNAL OF NURSING MANAGEMENT, Issue 6 2003Antoinette McCallin BA, MA (Hons) Understanding of interdisciplinary teamwork is evolving. During health care restructuring, leaders across organizations have challenging responsibilities when work groups must integrate changing organizational values with new modes of service delivery. In this environment, a well-functioning interdisciplinary team in which clinicians work as member-leaders has the potential to further organizational change and foster improvements in patient outcomes. In this paper it is argued that the term interdisciplinary team leadership should be embraced cautiously as it may be a revisionist approach to an old problem, namely a means to modify existing theories of leadership that have been vague and continue to be poorly understood despite considerable effort to explicate knowledge over several decades. Preliminary research suggests that interdisciplinary team leadership is a model of shared leadership that requires more development if it is to become the cornerstone of interdisciplinary team practice in a radically reforming health sector. Stewardship is proposed as a potential philosophy for interdisciplinary team leadership, and a new, shared leadership role of practice leader is suggested. [source] Synopsis of biological, fisheries and aquaculture-related information on mulloway Argyrosomus japonicus (Pisces: Sciaenidae), with particular reference to AustraliaJOURNAL OF APPLIED ICHTHYOLOGY, Issue 1 2008V. Silberschneider Summary Argyrosomus japonicus is a member of the family Sciaenidae, which are commonly known as drums and croakers. A. japonicus occurs in estuarine and nearshore Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean waters surrounding Australia, Africa, India, Pakistan, China, Korea and Japan. The biology of A. japonicus is relatively well studied in South Africa, and more recently studied in Australia, but no information is readily available from other areas of its distributional range. The early life history distribution of A. japonicus may differ among regions, with their distribution in estuaries linked to salinity, turbidity, freshwater flows and depth of water. Studies in South Africa and Australia found that juvenile fish grow rapidly, attaining 35 cm TL in 1 year and 87,90 cm TL in 5 years. Sexual maturity also differs among regions and is attained at 2,3 years of age and >50 cm in eastern Australia, 5,6 years of age and >80 cm TL in western Australia and southern Africa. The maximum reported length and age of A. japonicus is 175 cm and 42 years, respectively. Spawning most likely occurs in nearshore coastal waters although there is evidence to suggest that it may also occur in the lower reaches of estuaries. Time of spawning varies among geographic localities and is probably linked to water temperature and oceanography. Juvenile fish (<2 years) appear to be relatively sedentary, but sub-adults and adults can move relatively long distances (>200 km) and such movements may be linked to pre-spawning migrations. A. japonicus is important in many recreational and commercial fisheries, but like other sciaenids, is prone to overfishing. It is classified as recruitment overfished in South Africa and overfished in eastern Australia. Although much research has been done to minimize the capture of juveniles in Australian prawn-trawl fisheries, greater protection of spawners and improved fishing practices to enhance survival of discarded juveniles, particularly from prawn trawling, may be required. An aquaculture industry is developing for A. japonicus in Australia and preliminary research on the impacts and success of re-stocking wild populations has begun in an attempt to arrest the apparent decline in populations. [source] Setting the agenda of attributes in the 1996 Spanish general electionJOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION, Issue 2 2000M McCombes We advance the central proposition of agenda-setting theory - that elements prominent in the mass media's picture of the world influence the salience of those elements in the audience's picture - through the explication of a second level of agenda setting: attribute agenda setting. This preliminary research on candidate images during the 1996 Spanish general election simultaneously examined 2 attribute dimensions - substantive and affective descriptions - to test the hypothesis that media attribute agendas influence the voters' attribute agenda. Empirically, a high degree of correspondence was found between the attribute agendas of 7 different mass media and the voters' attribute agenda for each of the 3 candidates. The median correlation from these 21 tests of the hypothesis is +.72. Sixth-order partial correlations in which the influence of the other 6 mass media are removed from the correlation between a medium's agenda and the voters' agenda for a particular candidate have a median value of +.73. Additional analyses of the attribute agendas of each medium's primary audience in comparison with its principal competitor also yielded evidence of second-level agenda setting. Future research should pursue complex longitudinal designs tracing the impact of media content on voters' images at both the aggregate and individual levels as part of the continuing scholarly dialogue on competing approaches to framing research and attribute agenda setting. [source] Reproduction-Induced Neuroplasticity: Natural Behavioural and Neuronal Alterations Associated with the Production and Care of OffspringJOURNAL OF NEUROENDOCRINOLOGY, Issue 4 2008Craig H. Kinsley As a female transitions into motherhood, many neurobiological adaptations are required to meet the demands presented by her offspring. In addition to the traditional maternal responses (e.g. crouching, nursing, retrieving, grooming), our laboratories have observed several behavioural modifications accompanying parity, especially in the areas of foraging and emotional resilience. Additionally, brain modifications have been observed in the hippocampus and amygdala, providing support for neural plasticity extending beyond the expected hypothalamic alterations. Interestingly, we have observed parenting-induced neuroplasticity to persist into late adulthood, even providing protection against age-related brain and memory deficits. Although the majority of work on the parental brain has been conducted on females, preliminary research suggests similar changes in the biparental male California deer mouse. Taken together, research suggests that the parental brain is dynamic and changeable as it undergoes diverse and, in some cases, long-lasting, modifications to facilitate the production and care of offspring. [source] Immediate Benefits of a Brief 10-Minute Exercise Protocol in a Chronic Pain Population: A Pilot StudyPAIN MEDICINE, Issue 4 2010Amy Burleson Sullivan PsyD Abstract Objective., Determining the acute effects of a brief, 10-minute exercise protocol on pain, mood, and perceived exertion. Patients., Twenty-eight subjects who were admitted to the Cleveland Clinic Chronic Pain Rehabilitation Program (CPRP), and who were capable of completing an experimenter-designed and controlled treadmill protocol were included in this pilot study. Methods., A within-group repeated measure analysis was used to compare 28 subjects admitted to the Cleveland Clinic CPRP. Measures of heart rate were obtained using the Nellcor Oximax, pulse oximeter; measures of mood and pain were obtained using a 0,10 Likert scale, and perceived exertion measured with a visual analog scale. Each measure was taken pre- and post-10-minute exercise protocol. Results., The brief exercise protocol was associated with self-report of immediate antidepressant and anxiolytic effects. Additionally, after the 3-week CPRP, self-reports in perceived exertion decreased. Brief exercise was not found to have an acute analgesic effect. Conclusion., This preliminary research revealed a temporal association of improvement in self-rated anxiety and depression, following a brief exercise protocol, and over the course of 3 weeks leads to decreased perceived exertion. Therefore suggesting that brief exercise is a safe, nonpharmacologic strategy for immediately improving mood, and has further implications for mortality risk. [source] Adventure therapy for adolescents with cancerPEDIATRIC BLOOD & CANCER, Issue 3 2004Bonnie Stevens RN Abstract The objective of this study was to describe adolescents' with cancer experience in an adventure therapy program from a health related quality of life (HRQL) perspective. A qualitative descriptive research method was used. Eleven adolescents and five health professionals participated in a guided group adventure therapy expedition in a remote area of Canada. The expedition was videotaped and data were collected using an unstructured interview format with both adolescents and health professionals. Emerging themes were identified using a qualitative descriptive exploratory analysis. Four major themes and related sub-themes were generated. The major themes were: developing connections, togetherness, rebuilding self-esteem, and creating memories. Adventure therapy was viewed by the adolescents and health care professionals as a positive experience with multiple benefits. This preliminary research will contribute to an understanding of adolescents' experiences with cancer and provide a basis for future studies evaluating the impact of adventure therapy on HRQL. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Cavity balance for plastic injection moldingPOLYMER ENGINEERING & SCIENCE, Issue 6 2000Y. C. Lam Cavity balancing is the process of altering the flow front within a cavity through thickness and design changes such that a desired fill pattern is achieved. This paper reports the preliminary research undertaken in developing an automated method for cavity balancing of two-dimensional cavities. The aim of the automated cavity balancing routine is to reduce product development time and to improve product quality. This will lower the level of prerequisite expert knowledge necessary for successful mold and part design. The automated cavity balancing routine has been developed using the concept of flow paths. The hill-climbing algorithm was employed on the cavity fill pattern for generation of the flow paths. Replacing the flow paths generated using the straight flow path assumption in previous work, this method was found to be more versatile and suitable to automation. No special considerations or routines were required to overcome the presence of inserts within the cavity. The method has been implemented in a computer program running as an external loop to the Moldflow software. The models analyzed demonstrate that the proposed method is viable and robust. [source] Conditional Lifetime Data Analysis Using the Limited Expected Value FunctionQUALITY AND RELIABILITY ENGINEERING INTERNATIONAL, Issue 3 2004John Quigley Abstract Much failure, and other event, data are commonly highly censored. Consequently this limits the efficacy of many statistical analysis techniques. The limited expected value (LEV) function presents an alternative way of characterizing lifetime distributions. In essence the LEV provides a means of calculating a truncated mean time to failure (MTTF) (or mean time before failure (MTBF) if appropriate) that is adjusted at each of the censoring times and so appears potentially suitable for dealing with censored data structures. In theory, the LEV has been defined for many standard distributions, however its practical use is not well developed. This paper aims to extend the theory of LEV for typical censoring structures to develop procedures that will assist in model identification as well as parameter estimation. Applications to typical event data will be presented and the use of LEV in comparison with a selection of existing lifetime distributional analysis will be made based on some preliminary research. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] IDEAS FROM AUSTRALIAN CITIES: RELOCATING URBAN AND SUBURBAN HISTORYAUSTRALIAN ECONOMIC HISTORY REVIEW, Issue 1 2009Andrew May Melbourne; suburbia; urban history This article draws on preliminary research into the social history of Melbourne, on the ways that suburban life in the post-World War II era provides both explanation and counterweight to persistently negative stereotypes of suburbia. Over recent decades, suburban histories have been eschewed in favour of historical reconsiderations of the inner city or the bush. The history of the Australian suburb, particularly since 1945, is yet to be written. Oral history and municipal archives will be crucial to the writing of such histories. The article suggests several research pathways, including intergenerational life stories, a wider scale of geographical analysis, and a subtler reading of cultural conformity and social differentiation. [source] Graduate Students and Knowledge Exchange with Local Stakeholders: Possibilities and PreparationBIOTROPICA, Issue 5 2009Amy E. Duchelle ABSTRACT Tropical biologists are exploring ways to expand their role as researchers through knowledge exchange with local stakeholders. Graduate students are well positioned for this broader role, particularly when supported by graduate programs. We ask: (1) how can graduate students effectively engage in knowledge exchange during their research; and (2) how can university programs prepare young scientists to take on this partnership role? We present a conceptual framework with three levels at which graduate students can exchange knowledge with stakeholders (information sharing, skill building, and knowledge generation) and discuss limitations of each. Examples of these strategies included disseminating preliminary research results to southern African villages, building research skills of Brazilian undergraduate students through semester-long internships, and jointly developing and implementing a forest ecology research and training program with one community in the Amazon estuary. Students chose strategies based on stakeholders' interests, research goals, and a realistic evaluation of student capacity and skill set. As strategies became more complex, time invested, skills mobilized, and strength of relationships between students and stakeholders increased. Graduate programs can prepare students for knowledge exchange with partners by developing specialized skills training, nurturing external networks, offering funding, maximizing strengths of universities in developed and developing regions through partnership, and evaluating knowledge exchange experiences. While balancing the needs of academia with those of stakeholders is challenging, the benefits of enhancing local scientific capacity and generating more locally relevant research for improved conservation may be worth the risks associated with implementing this type of graduate training model. [source] | |||||||||||||