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Recent Changes (recent + change)
Selected AbstractsRECENT CHANGES AND TRENDS IN THE PRACTICE OF APPLIED ANTHROPOLOGYANNALS OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL PRACTICE, Issue 1 2008Satish Kedia The emergent global economy of the 21st century will create an ever greater need for research-based information and pragmatic utilization of social science skills, creating new work opportunities for applied anthropologists in a variety of settings. However, anthropologists may need to adjust their traditional roles and tasks, approaches and methods, and priorities and guidelines to practice their craft effectively. Anthropological training and education must be based in sound ethnographic techniques, using contemporary tools, participatory methods, and interdisciplinary knowledge in order to accommodate faster-paced work environments and to disseminate their findings efficiently to a diverse audience while fulfilling the goal of empowering and enabling humans around the world to address social, economic, and health issues, along with other pressing concerns facing their communities. [source] Recent Changes in the Workforce and Practice of Dermatologic SurgeryDERMATOLOGIC SURGERY, Issue 3 2009EMILY P. TIERNEY MD BACKGROUND The increasing number of American College of Mohs Surgery (ACMS) fellowship positions over the last decade has resulted in a greater number of fellowship-trained surgeons in dermatologic surgery. METHODS Mohs micrographic fellowship-trained surgeons (MMFTSs) and non-Mohs fellowship-trained surgeons performing Mohs micrographic surgery (NMMFTSs) were compared using the American Academy of Dermatology Practice Profile Survey (2002/05). An analysis of recent Mohs fellowship classes was also performed. RESULTS In 2005, there was an equivalent proportion of MMFTSs and NMMFTSs in the workforce (ratio MMFTS:NMMFTS=0.9) but, in 2005, there was a shift in the youngest age cohort (29,39) to a greater proportion of MMFTSs (MMFTS:NMMFTS=1.55). In 2005, the youngest MMFTSs (29,39) were more likely to be female (47.1%) than of MMFTSs overall (24%). MMFTSs were 5 times as likely to be in full-time academic positions and performed 2 to 3 times as many Mohs cases per week as NMMFTSs. CONCLUSIONS Consistent with demographic shifts in dermatology, differences have emerged in the demographics, surgical volumes, and settings of MMFTSs and NMMFTSs. Recent increases in the ACMS fellowship positions have resulted in a greater proportion of MMFTSs among younger dermatologic surgeons. It will be important to follow how this increase in fellowship trainees affects the dermatologic surgery workforce. [source] Recent Changes in the Regulation of Financial Markets and Reporting in Canada,ACCOUNTING PERSPECTIVES, Issue 1 2007Carla Carnaghan ABSTRACT The regulation of financial reporting and financial markets has undergone significant change in both the United States and Canada since 2000. In Canada, the regulatory regime is particularly complex and politically controversial, with much speculation about possible future directions. This paper's purpose is to explain the current regulatory environment as it stands in mid-2006 to assist those who teach or conduct research in this domain. On the basis of a review of existing regulations and related studies, this paper first provides an explanation of the major jurisdictional issues that affect financial reporting and regulation in Canada, including identifying the roles of the key players. Second, it identifies specific reporting changes that might be of particular relevance to prospective capital market researchers. Where relevant, comparisons are made with regulatory provisions in the United States, because the majority of capital markets research concerns U.S. securities exchanges regulation, and the Canadian regulations themselves often refer to U.S. regulations as a point of comparison. We find that the lack of a single national securities regulator in Canada and overlaps in federal and provincial jurisdiction and among regulatory bodies mean there is a large range of players involved in financial markets regulation. Ongoing efforts to improve integration include the new passport system, improved harmonization of securities regulation, and consideration of mergers between some of the involved organizations. Other changes have led to a greater emphasis in Canada on the regulation of continuous disclosure and corporate governance than was previously the case. Changes in specific reporting regulations and guidelines since 2002 have generally increased the amount of disclosure. [source] The challenge of hazardous waste management in a sustainable environment: insights from electronic recovery lawsCORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2005J. Halluite Abstract New and pending regulations requiring product take-back by manufacturers at the time of disposal are intended to create a new era of industrial ecology and environmental sustainability. However, the intended benefits of the current legislation can be confounded by obsolescence in product design based upon advances in science and technology and also by the introduction of more environmentally benign product designs. Recent changes in legislation are identified and, based upon an extensive industry survey, their resultant likely impacts on consumer electronics are considered. This industry study illustrates that unless the impacted products simultaneously possess both stable designs and input requirements then significant secondary environmental issues related to the waste storage will be encountered. Inherently, these issues cause serious societal problems when hazardous substances are involved , which is the case with many products from the electronics industry. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] Mutations in the factor IX gene (F9) during the past 150 years have relative rates similar to ancient mutationsHUMAN MUTATION, Issue 1 2002Jinong Feng Abstract Pollutants and dietary mutagens have been associated with somatic mutation and cancer, but the extent of their influence on germline mutation is not clear. Since deleterious germline mutations can be transmitted for thousands of years, any influence on germline mutation from the vast increase in man-made chemicals of the past 150 years would be an important public health issue. Observed disease causing mutations in the X-linked factor IX gene (F9) of hemophilia B patients originated predominantly in the past 150 years, since the half-life of these mutations in human populations had been about two generations before effective treatment became available about a generation ago. Recent changes in germline mutational processes may be detected by comparison of the observed hemophilia B causing mutation pattern in F9 with the pattern of neutral polymorphisms which occurred over a much longer period of time. By scanning a total of 1.5 megabases of deep intronic regions of F9 in the genomic DNA from 84 individuals, 42 neutral polymorphisms were found in 23 haplotypes that differed by at least 11 mutations from the ancestral primate haplotype. By sequencing F9 in seven non-human primates, 39 of these polymorphisms were characterized as ancient mutations relative to a unanimous ancestral primate allele. This ancient mutation pattern was compared to the recent pattern of hemophilia B causing mutations. Remarkably, no significant difference was found (P=0.5), suggesting that the vast increase in man-made chemicals during the past 150 years has not had a major impact on the pattern of human germline mutation. This result is consistent with the hypothesis that endogenous processes dominate germline mutation. Hum Mutat 19:49,57, 2002. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Modernizing times: UK hearing-impaired consumers at the policy crossroadsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CONSUMER STUDIES, Issue 2 2008Liz Ross Abstract Although there is now a long-standing belief in the UK that free consumer choice improves market efficiency, the supply of some consumer products and services remained controlled by the state. In the interests of consumers, it regards as vulnerable to misdirection and malpractice or unlikely to have the technical expertise to make informed decisions. Historically, the supply of hearings aids has been restricted to the National Health Service and specific licensed practitioners in the independent sector. Recent changes to both product and service provision have brought about a radical alteration to this situation, and to the framework of control. This case study of a changing healthcare system demonstrates more generally the difficulties experienced by people trying to improve or maintain auditory functions for speech communication. Access to appropriate technological solutions may be precluded by cost, distribution arrangements or lack of knowledge. Overarching these difficulties, regional health policy variations within the UK mean that consumer experiences vary according to where they live. Consumer influence over the direction and scope of changes to the hearing aid market is limited despite the rhetoric of choice. This article examines the emerging ,liberalized' market and its contradictions. [source] Children in Foster Care: A Nursing Perspective on Research, Policy, and Child Health IssuesJOURNAL FOR SPECIALISTS IN PEDIATRIC NURSING, Issue 2 2001Mary Margaret GottesmanArticle first published online: 23 FEB 200 ISSUES AND PURPOSE. To examine the roles of public policy and poverty on the rising number of children in family foster care, and to examine the impact of different types of family foster care on children's well-being. CONCLUSIONS. Recent changes in welfare legislation increase the likelihood of family poverty, with a subsequent increase in the number of children in out-of-home care. Greater emphasis needs to be placed on preventing entry into out-of-home care, improving the quality of foster care, and giving children a voice in care decisions. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS. Nurses have important roles to play in the prevention of family dissolution, the design of healthcare delivery systems for children in foster care, in evaluating and educating all types of foster families, and as advocates in legal and legislative proceedings. [source] Expansion of human settlement in Kenya's Maasai Mara: what future for pastoralism and wildlife?JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY, Issue 6 2004Richard H. Lamprey Abstract Aim, Wildlife and pastoral peoples have lived side-by-side in the Mara ecosystem of south-western Kenya for at least 2000 years. Recent changes in human population and landuse are jeopardizing this co-existence. The aim of the study is to determine the viability of pastoralism and wildlife conservation in Maasai ranches around the Maasai Mara National Reserve (MMNR). Location, A study area of 2250 km2 was selected in the northern part of the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem, encompassing group ranches adjoining the MMNR. Emphasis is placed on Koyake Group Ranch, a rangeland area owned by Maasai pastoralists, and one of Kenya's major wildlife tourism areas. Methods, Maasai settlement patterns, vegetation, livestock numbers and wildlife numbers were analysed over a 50-year period. Settlement distributions and vegetation changes were determined from aerial photography and aerial surveys of 1950, 1961, 1967, 1974, 1983 and 1999. Livestock and wildlife numbers were determined from re-analysis of systematic reconnaissance flights conducted by the Kenya Government from 1977 to 2000, and from ground counts in 2002. Corroborating data on livestock numbers were obtained from aerial photography of Maasai settlements in 2001. Trends in livestock were related to rainfall, and to vegetation production as indicated by the seasonal Normalized Difference Vegetation Index. With these data sets, per capita livestock holdings were determined for the period 1980,2000, a period of fluctuating rainfall and primary production. Results, For the first half of the twentieth century, the Mara was infested with tsetse-flies, and the Maasai were confined to the Lemek Valley area to the north of the MMNR. During the early 1960s, active tsetse-control measures by both government and the Maasai led to the destruction of woodlands across the Mara and the retreat of tsetse flies. The Maasai were then able to expand their settlement area south towards MMNR. Meanwhile, wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) from the increasing Serengeti population began to spill into the Mara rangelands each dry season, leading to direct competition between livestock and wildlife. Group ranches were established in the area in 1970 to formalize land tenure for the Maasai. By the late 1980s, with rapid population growth, new settlement areas had been established at Talek and other parts adjacent to the MMNR. Over the period 1983,99, the number of Maasai bomas in Koyake has increased at 6.4% per annum (pa), and the human population at 4.4% pa. Over the same period, cattle numbers on Koyake varied from 20,000 to 45,000 (average 25,000), in relation to total rainfall received over the previous 2 years. The rangelands of the Mara cannot support a greater cattle population under current pastoral practices. Conclusions, With the rapid increase in human settlement in the Mara, and with imminent land privatization, it is probable that wildlife populations on Koyake will decline significantly in the next 3,5 years. Per capita livestock holdings on the ranch have now fallen to three livestock units/reference adult, well below minimum pastoral subsistence requirements. During the 1980s and 90s the Maasai diversified their livelihoods to generate revenues from tourism, small-scale agriculture and land-leases for mechanized cultivation. However, there is a massive imbalance in tourism incomes in favour of a small elite. In 1999 the membership of Koyake voted to subdivide the ranch into individual holdings. In 2003 the subdivision survey allocated plots of 60 ha average size to 1020 ranch members. This land privatization may result in increased cultivation and fencing, the exclusion of wildlife, and the decline of tourism as a revenue generator. This unique pastoral/wildlife system will shortly be lost unless land holdings can be managed to maintain the free movement of livestock and wildlife. [source] The Economic and Environmental Implications of Centralized Stock KeepingJOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY, Issue 2 2002H. Scott Matthews Summary Recent changes to the management of inventory and warehousing methods have created significant changes in business processes. These changes have produced economic savings to firms from reduced handling of supplies. The system-wide impacts of this shift in methods on overall cost and the environment are still unclear, however. Reductions in inventories can provide significant environmental savings. In this article, we analyze the changes in inventory control methods and assess the environmental and cost tradeoffs between increased trucking and more efficient centralized warehouses. We consider the case of consolidating the spare-parts inventory at U.S. Department of Defense warehouses and discuss similarities to other existing businesses. The case suggests large economic and environmental benefits due to reductions in warehousing expenses, despite higher transportation costs. [source] Medicaid's Role in Financing Health Care for Children With Behavioral Health Care Needs in the Special Education System: Implications of the Deficit Reduction ActJOURNAL OF SCHOOL HEALTH, Issue 10 2008David S. Mandell ScD ABSTRACT Background:, Recent changes to Medicaid policy may have unintended consequences in the education system. This study estimated the potential financial impact of the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) on school districts by calculating Medicaid-reimbursed behavioral health care expenditures for school-aged children in general and children in special education in particular. Methods:, Medicaid claims and special education records of youth ages 6 to 18 years in Philadelphia, PA, were merged for calendar year 2002. Behavioral health care volume, type, and expenditures were compared between Medicaid-enrolled children receiving and not receiving special education. Results:, Significant overlap existed among the 126,533 children who were either Medicaid enrolled (114,257) or received special education (27,620). Medicaid-reimbursed behavioral health care was used by 21% of children receiving special education (37% of those Medicaid enrolled) and 15% of other Medicaid-enrolled children. Total expenditures were $197.8 million, 40% of which was spent on the 5728 children in special education and 60% of which was spent on 15,092 other children. Conclusions:, Medicaid-reimbursed behavioral health services disproportionately support special education students, with expenditures equivalent to 4% of Philadelphia's $2 billion education budget. The results suggest that special education programs depend on Medicaid-reimbursed services, the financing of which the DRA may jeopardize. [source] Improving patient outlook in rheumatoid arthritis: Experience with abataceptJOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF NURSE PRACTITIONERS, Issue 10 2008MA (Nurse Manager), Mary Coughlin RN Abstract Purpose: To examine the importance of improving patient outlook in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to discuss the role of the nurse practitioner (NP) who, through the assessment of patient-reported outcomes and in acting as an advocate for the patient with the wider healthcare team, has a crucial part to play in managing the overall well-being of the patient. This article will draw on the clinical experience to date with abatacept, a first-in-class therapy that has been approved for the treatment of RA in patients with an inadequate response to either traditional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), such as methotrexate, or biological DMARDs, such as tumor necrosis factor-, antagonists. Data sources: A comprehensive literature search was performed using the National Library of Medicine (MEDLINE), EMBASE, and BIOSIS databases (restricted to articles posted between January 2000 and February 2007) with the search terms CTLA-4Ig, abatacept, and primary clinical trial publications in patients with RA. The clinical data are summarized in this review along with safety data presented in the prescribing information. Conclusions: Recent changes in the approach to RA treatment, particularly the advent of biological therapies, have impacted the role of the NP. The role of the NP is integral to the management of RA and in maximizing patient outcomes, through educating patients to make informed choices regarding their treatment, ensuring the safe administration of therapies and monitoring response to therapy, and in acting as an advocate for the patient within the wider healthcare team. Implications for practice: The use of more patient-centered measures of response are gaining increasing importance both in clinical trials and in clinical practice, and as such the NP has an important role in ensuring that both the physical and the psychological needs of patients are met. Clinical trials to date have shown that abatacept provides significant and clinically meaningful improvements in patient-reported outcomes, as well as demonstrating significant clinical benefits and a consistent safety profile, thus representing a valuable treatment option within the RA treatment armamentarium. [source] Insurance for Good Losers and the Survival of Chile's ConcertaciónLATIN AMERICAN POLITICS AND SOCIETY, Issue 2 2005John M. Carey ABSTRACT In the transition from military rule to democracy, the government of Augusto Pinochet bequeathed to Chile a unique electoral law by which all legislative seats are contested in two-member districts. A key implication of this rule is that in order to secure legislative majorities, coalitions have to put their strongest candidates in the most precarious electoral list positions. This generates a divergence of interests between coalitions and politicians. Chile's largest coalition, the Concertación, has resolved the dilemma by providing appointed posts to unsuccessful congressional candidates who accept personal political risk on the coalition's behalf. This study argues that this insurance system has provided the critical glue to hold the coalition together since Chile's transition to democracy in 1990. Recent changes in the electoral environment could threaten the Concertación's control over the appointed posts that have sustained this informal institution. This could jeopardize the Concertación's cohesion during the process of negotiating coalition candidate lists for the 2005 legislative elections. [source] A survey of the scope of therapeutic practice by UK optometrists and their attitudes to an extended prescribing roleOPHTHALMIC AND PHYSIOLOGICAL OPTICS, Issue 3 2008Justin J. Needle Abstract Purpose:, Recent changes in medicines legislation in the UK have broadened the opportunities for optometrists to use and supply therapeutic drugs. We set out to investigate the current therapeutic practice of UK optometrists and to elicit their views on an extended prescribing role. Methods:, Members of the College of Optometrists were invited via email to take part in an online survey. The survey questions covered four areas: mode of practice, proximity and relationship to other providers of eye care, scope of current therapeutic practice and future plans regarding prescriber training. Results:, Of the 1288 responses received (response rate 24%), over 90% were from optometrists working in community practice. Common, non-sight-threatening conditions were managed frequently or occasionally by between 69 and 96% of respondents. Blepharitis and dry eye were the most common (managed routinely by >70%). In terms of therapeutic agents used, large numbers of optometrists reported that they commonly supplied or recommended over-the-counter (non-prescription) drugs, particularly lubricants and anti-allergic agents. However, fewer respondents supplied antibiotics (only 14% supplying chloramphenicol or fusidic acid frequently). Overall, relatively few respondents (14%) expressed no interest in undertaking further training for extended prescribing, although several barriers were identified, including cost and time taken for training, lack of remuneration and fear of litigation. Conclusion:, Significant numbers of community optometrists are currently managing a range of common ocular conditions using a limited formulary. Enabling optometrists to train as independent prescribers will further develop this role, allowing greater use of their skills and providing patients with quicker access to medicines. [source] Fusidic acid viscous eyedrops , an evaluation of pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics and clinical use for UK optometristsOPHTHALMIC AND PHYSIOLOGICAL OPTICS, Issue 4 2006Michael J. Doughty Abstract Recent changes in UK law have allowed UK-based optometrists to sell and supply fusidic acid viscous eyedrops, providing it is in the course of their professional activity and in an emergency. Alternatively, the optometrist may access fusidic acid viscous eyedrops, for a named patient, using a written order supplied to a pharmacy. This review provides details of the legal background to these changes, examines the common causes of a bacterial conjunctivitis, examines the mechanism of action of this narrow spectrum antibiotic as a bacteriostatic agent, reviews the susceptibility of common ocular isolates of bacteria to the drug and presents details of the expected pharmacokinetics of the viscous eyedrops. From this perspective, a systematic review is provided of the clinical studies which have investigated the use of fusidic acid viscous eyedrops and their outcome. The indicated use is generally for the treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis and/or blepharoconjunctivitis, especially that caused by Staphylococcus, but not Streptococcus or Haemophilus sp. (more likely associated with concurrent nasopharyngeal infections). The usual regimen for use is twice daily for 5,10 days, depending on severity, and can initially be used more intensively (four times per day). It may also be used for the management of corneal and conjunctival abrasions and foreign body injuries, or some cases of chronic blepharitis. [source] School Performance in Australia: Is There a Role for Quasi-Markets?THE AUSTRALIAN ECONOMIC REVIEW, Issue 3 2004Steve Bradley Recent changes to the organisation of Australia's education system have raised the possibility of implementing wide-ranging market reforms. In this article we discuss the scope for introducing reforms similar to the United Kingdom's ,quasi-market' model. We discuss the role of school league tables in providing signals and incentives in a quasi-market. Specifically, we compare a range of unadjusted and model-based league tables of primary school performance in Queensland's public education system. These comparisons indicate that model-based tables which account for socio-economic status and student intake quality vary significantly from the unadjusted tables. [source] A privacy challenge to longitudinal study methods: patient-derived codesAUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, Issue 4 2006Fiona J. Clay Recent changes to privacy legislation in Australia have resulted in more stringent requirements with respect to maintaining the confdentiality of patient health information. We describe a method employed to de-identify health information collected in a longitudinal study using codes. Using a patient-derived code that did not change during the life of the study follow-up resulted in errors in a quarter of the follow-up surveys. This may introduce bias that could compromise the validity of the study. Alternative methods of coding may alleviate some of these issues. However, removal of some of the constraints imposed by interpretations of privacy legislation may be the best way forward. [source] Effectiveness of participation as a defendant: the attorney,juvenile client relationship,BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES & THE LAW, Issue 2 2003Melinda G. Schmidt M.A. Recent changes in the processing of juveniles in the justice system place greater significance on children's capacities to participate in legal contexts. Effective participation as a defendant encompasses abilities beyond those legally required for adjudicative competence, which may nevertheless influence the quality and nature of a defendant's participation in the trial process. Based in developmental judgment theory, the current study compares 203 juveniles and 110 adults detained pre-trial using a hypothetical attorney,client vignette to examine how psychosocial factors are reflected in decision-making processes and link to decision outcomes and effective participation within the attorney,client relationship. Age-related differences in legally relevant decision-making processes and outcomes are identified, and implications for policy are made. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Reactions to youth crime: perceptions of accountability and competency,BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES & THE LAW, Issue 1 2001Simona Ghetti M.A. Recent changes in juvenile justice policies have stimulated debate among legal professionals and social scientists. As such, public opinion concerning juvenile offenders is an important and timely topic for empirical study. In the present study, respondents read a scenario about a juvenile who committed a crime, and then decided on a sentence and rated perceptions of the juvenile's accountability and legal competence. Four between-subject factors were manipulated: age of the defendant (11 versus 14 versus 17 years), type of crime (shooting versus arson), crime outcome (victim injured versus died), and time delay between the instigating incident and the crime (immediately versus one day). The type and outcome of the crime were major motivating factors in sentencing decisions and perceptions of legal competence, and, although younger offenders were seen as less accountable and less competent than older offenders, sentence allocation and attitudes towards punishment were not significantly affected by offender age. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] 4261: FNA biopsies for genomic analysis and adjuvant therapy for uveal melanomaACTA OPHTHALMOLOGICA, Issue 2010L DESJARDINS Purpose Recent changes in the management of uveal melanoma include the use of biopsies for genomic analysis and the identification of patients with a high risk of metastasis. We wish to describe our first experience with fine needle aspiration (FNA), genome profiling and adjuvant therapy protocol for high risk patients Methods we have started a multicentric adjuvant phase III trial of intravenous fotemustine (FOTEADJ) for high risk uveal melanoma patients. Patients with tumor of 15 mm or more in diameter with retinal detachment or extrascleral extension, patients with tumors of 18 mm or more in diameter and patients with loss of chromosome 3 and gain of entire 8q were considered high risk and eligible. Tumour genome profiling was achieved by array-CGH on a NimbleGen 72K microarray, after whole genome amplification (WGA) in cases of FNAs Local treatment consisted in enucleation or proton beam radiotherapy. FNA was offered to patients treated by radiotherapy for a tumor of 5 mm of thickness or more. Results Between May 2009 and May 2010, 74 patients were offered to participate. Only 16 patients were included because of various reasons: technical problems with the biopsy (13 samples evaluable out of 26 FNA), refusal of the biopsy or the protocol or non inclusion criteria. There has been some improvement in our results since the introduction of WGA for FNA specimens Conclusion Proposing fine needle aspiration biopsy and obtaining sufficient material is not always easy. Including patients in randomized protocols is always a challenge. During the first year for FOTEADJ, only 22% of the eligible patients were enrolled but this percentage is greatly improving with time and experience . [source] Recent changes to the journalCLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL ALLERGY, Issue 4 2004Article first published online: 9 APR 200 No abstract is available for this article. [source] Variation in food availability influences prey-capture method in antlion larvaeECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 5 2008EFRAT ELIMELECH Abstract 1.,Larvae of a Myrmecaelurus sp. are unique among antlions because they have two prey-capture methods; they either ambush prey at the surface, or dig pit traps that prey fall in to. It was hypothesised that larvae will use the capture method that maximises their net rate of energy gain, which will be influenced by food availability (encounter rate) and by past energy inputs (body condition). 2.,Costs were estimated by measuring resting and activity metabolic rates and determining the duration of pit maintenance at various encounter rates with ants that served as prey. Benefits were estimated from the energy gained per ant captured at different encounter rates. 3.,Net energy gained was higher with a pit than without one, and was influenced more by the differences in prey capture rate between the two capture methods, and less by the differences in energy costs associated with each method. The proportion of larvae that constructed pits was higher when they were in intermediate body condition than when in good or in poor body condition. 4.,Thus, the use of one capture method or the other depends on a combination of the influences of past net energy gain and the antlion's most recent change in encounter rate with prey. Ambushing without a pit may serve as a default when physiological constraints limit the larvae's ability to invest in pit construction and maintenance, or when larvae are sated, and saving the energy of pit construction and maintenance is worthwhile. [source] Neurophysiological tests and neuroimaging procedures in non-acute headache: guidelines and recommendationsEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY, Issue 4 2004G. Sandrini The use of instrumental examinations in headache patients varies widely. In order to evaluate their usefulness, the most common instrumental procedures were evaluated, on the basis of evidence from the literature, by an EFNS Task Force (TF) on neurophysiological tests and imaging procedures in non-acute headache patients. The conclusions of the TF regarding each technique are expressed in the following guidelines for clinical use. 1Interictal electroencephalography (EEG) is not routinely indicated in the diagnostic evaluation of headache patients. Interictal EEG is, however, indicated if the clinical history suggests a possible diagnosis of epilepsy (differential diagnosis). Ictal EEG could be useful in certain patients suffering from hemiplegic and basilar migraine. 2Recording of evoked potentials is not recommended for the diagnosis of headache disorders. 3There is no evidence to justify the recommendation of autonomic tests for the routine clinical examination of headache patients. 4Manual palpation of pericranial muscles, with standardized palpation pressure, can be recommended for subdividing patient groups but not for diagnosis. Pressure algometry and electromyography (EMG) cannot be recommended as clinical diagnostic tests. 5In adult and paediatric patients with migraine, with no recent change in attack pattern, no history of seizures, and no other focal neurological signs or symptoms, the routine use of neuroimaging is not warranted. In patients with atypical headache patterns, a history of seizures and/or focal neurological signs or symptoms, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be indicated. 6If attacks can be fully accounted for by the standard headache classification [International Headache Society (IHS)], a positron emission tomography (PET) or single-photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) and scan will generally be of no further diagnostic value. 7Nuclear medicine examinations of the cerebral circulation and metabolism can be carried out in subgroups of headache patients for diagnosis and evaluation of complications, when patients experience unusually severe attacks, or when the quality or severity of attacks has changed. 8Transcranial Doppler examination is not helpful in headache diagnosis. Although many of the examinations described are of little or no value in the clinical setting, most of the tools have a vast potential for further exploring the pathophysiology of headaches and the effects of pharmacological treatment. [source] "Official" Doctrine and "Unofficial" Practices: The Negotiation of Catholicism in a Netherlands CommunityJOURNAL FOR THE SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF RELIGION, Issue 4 2001Tony Watling This article examines the Dutch Catholic Church. It is based on a qualitative ethnographic analysis of a particular Dutch Catholic community. It seeks to demonstrate that despite a decline in the church since the 1960s many Dutch parishioners are becoming active in redefining the church and attempting to revitalize Catholicism, creating democratically organized local communities where laity and local clergy, women and men, work together as equals in negotiating change, but argues that this may involve "unofficial" practices, possibly at odds with "official" church hierarchy controlled doctrine, which may resist acknowledging them and resist change. By examining these issues, the article aims to understand the dialectic and tension between what could be termed "popular" and "orthodox", "private" and "public", beliefs and to examine the constraints or possibilities this may place on the church. In this sense, the article also aims to explore how religion, thought to be vulnerable to recent change encouraging individual independence from social institutions, may negotiate (or reject) new developments. Although challenged, Catholic identity may still be valued and provide individuals with resources for negotiating new developments. However, the success or failure of this may depend on the nature of the struggle for authority and influence between "official" and "unofficial" versions of Catholicism. [source] A proposal for a dynamic h-type indexJOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR INFORMATION SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 11 2008Ronald Rousseau A time-dependent h-type indicator is proposed. This indicator depends on the size of the h-core, the number of citations received, and recent change in the value of the h-index. As such, it tries to combine in a dynamic way older information about the source (e.g., a scientist or research institute that is evaluated) with recent information. [source] Low Back Pain in Older Adults: Are We Utilizing Healthcare Resources Wisely?PAIN MEDICINE, Issue 2 2006Debra K. Weiner MD ABSTRACT Objectives., 1) To examine recent change in prevalence and Medicare-associated charges for non-invasive/minimally invasive evaluation and treatment of nonspecific low back pain (LBP); and 2) to examine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) utilization appropriateness in older adults with chronic low back pain (CLBP). Design., Two cross-sectional surveys of 1) national (1991,2002) and Pennsylvania (2000,2002) Medicare data; and 2) patients aged ,,65 years with CLBP. Setting., Outpatient data. Participants., Patients aged , 65 years with LBP. Measurements., Study 1: Outpatient national and Pennsylvania Part A Medicare data were examined for number of patients and charges for all patients, and for those with nonspecific LBP. Total number of visits and charges for imaging studies, physical therapy (PT), and spinal injections was also examined for Pennsylvania. Study 2: 111 older adults with CLBP were interviewed regarding presence of red flags necessitating imaging and history of having a lumbar MRI, neurogenic claudication (NC), and back surgery. Results., Study 1: Between 1991 and 2002, there was a 42.5% increase in total Medicare patients, 131.7% increase in LBP patients, 310% increase in total charges, and 387.2% increase in LBP charges. In Pennsylvania (2000,2002), there was a 5.5% increase in LBP patients and 33.2% increase in charges (0.2% for PT, 59.4% for injections, 41.9% for MRI/CT, and 19.3% for X rays). Study 2: None of the 111 participants had red flags and 61% had undergone MRIs (29% with NC, 24% with failed back surgery syndrome). Conclusion., LBP documentation and diagnostic studies are increasing in Medicare beneficiaries, and evidence suggests that MRIs may often be ordered unnecessarily. Injection procedures appear to account for a significant proportion of LBP-associated costs. More studies are needed to examine the appropriateness with which imaging procedures and non-invasive/minimally invasive treatments are utilized, and their effect on patient outcomes. [source] Pediatric living donor lobar lung transplantationPEDIATRIC TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 7 2006Stuart C. Sweet Abstract:, Living donor lobar lung transplantation (LDLLT) was developed in order to mitigate the growing competition for deceased donor (DD) lungs and resultant increase in waiting list mortality. Because each of the two donor lobes serves as an entire lung for the recipient, donors who are taller than the recipient are preferred. Therefore LDLLT is particularly well suited for pediatric recipients for whom adults serve as donors. Although long-term outcomes after LDLLT reported by the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) are worse compared with DD recipients, overall pediatric outcomes as well as single center reports from the most experienced programs are more promising. Particularly encouraging are the findings that bronchiolitis obliterans (OB) is less frequent or less severe in LDLLT recipients in comparison to DD recipients. Moreover, outcomes may be improved by careful selection of donors to ensure adequately sized donor lobes and minimization of infectious risks. Although no donor deaths have been reported, there is a moderate risk of significant short-term complications. Long-term follow-up has not been reported. The use of LDLLT has decreased in recent years, and the recent change by the OPTN to an urgency/benefit allocation system for DD lungs in patients 12 yr and older may further reduce the demand. Nonetheless, we anticipate that LDLLT will continue to be utilized in select circumstances, particularly in children under 12 where access to DD organs remains challenging. [source] Seroprevalence of pertussis antitoxin (anti-PT) in Sweden before and 10 years after the introduction of a universal childhood pertussis vaccination programAPMIS, Issue 12 2009HANS O. HALLANDER The prevalence of IgG ELISA antibodies against pertussis toxin (anti-PT) was studied in two Swedish seroepidemiological studies. One was performed in 1997 when the new pertussis vaccination program was 1 year old (n = 3420). In 2007, when Pa vaccines had been used countrywide for 10 years in the universal child vaccination program, this study was repeated to analyze the effect of vaccination on anti-PT prevalence (n = 2379). Before the statistical analysis of seroprevalence, children vaccinated within the last 2 years before the serosurveys were excluded. The results indicate a reduced exposure to Bordetella pertussis in the population. The proportion of sera without measurable anti-PT antibodies increased significantly, aggregated over all comparable age groups, from 3.8% in people sampled in 1997 to 16.3% in people sampled in 2007. For cord blood, 1% was without measurable anti-PT antibodies in 1997 compared to a significantly higher level, 12%, in 2007. With anti-PT concentrations of ,50 and ,100 EU/ml as cutoff points for ,recent infection' the proportion above the cutoff points for younger children was significantly higher in 1997 than in 2007 at both cutoff points. For all adults, 20 years of age and older, the difference in proportions above the lower cutoff point was close to statistically significant, comparing 1997 with 2007. This was not the case at 100 EU/ml. In the 1997 samples of children, there was a significant downward trend of ,recent infections' at both cutoff points for three sampled age groups between 5 and 15 years of age from 21% at 5.0,5.5 years of age to 7% at 14.7,15.7 years for the lowest cutoff. In the 2007 samples of children, on the contrary, there was a significant continuous upward trend of ,recent infections', at both cutoff points, for four sampled age groups between 4 and 18 years of age , from 4% at 4,5 years of age to 16% at 17,18 years at the lowest cutoff. The continuous increase, with age of children with high anti-PT concentrations, supports the recent change in the general Swedish childhood vaccination program to include a pre-school booster at 5,6 years and a school-leaving booster at 14,16 years of age. [source] Corporate Governance in Germany and the German Corporate Governance CodeCORPORATE GOVERNANCE, Issue 3 2005Gerhard Cromme The term "corporate governance", and all that it implies, is now in everyday use in Germany. This is due to the enormous changes Germany has experienced in recent years, in international business, international finance and in German industrial structures. This contribution deals with recent changes in the German system of corporate governance. After a short historical review, the major elements of the international context that form the background for changes in Germany are discussed. This is followed by an explanation of the German Corporate Governance Code and its role, concluding with a prospectus for further possible developments and a summary of key points. [source] The Development of the Cambridge University Botanic GardenCURTIS'S BOTANICAL MAGAZINE, Issue 1 2006John Parker Summary., The history and structure of the University Botanic Garden are described, from its foundation in 1762, and its move to the present site in 1846, to the most recent changes. The plantings and buildings in the garden are shown to reflect both the interests of successive directors and staff, and developments in the sciences of botany and genetics in Cambridge over the past 150 years. [source] Hemangiomas: Evaluation and TreatmentDERMATOLOGIC SURGERY, Issue 5 2001Scott M. Dinehart MD Background. Hemangiomas are common skin tumors of infancy that have undergone recent changes in nomenclature, methods of evaluation, and treatment. Objective. To review the nomenclature, epidemiology, evaluation, and treatment of common hemangiomas. Methods. A literature search was conducted utilizing MEDLINE and the Cochrane library databases. Text search words used were "hemangioma" and "infancy." The clinical experience of the authors was also used to formulate the review. Results. There have been many advances in nomenclature and therapeutic options for children with hemangiomas. Hemangiomas are proliferative tumors of infancy that should be distinguished from structural malformations, such as port-wine stains and lymphangiomas. Conclusion. Natural involution remains a viable treatment option for the majority of patients with uncomplicated hemangiomas. Excisional surgery, laser, and pharmacologic remedies are indicated for a subset of complicated hemangioma patients. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||