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Second Stage (second + stage)
Selected AbstractsEvaluating the Level of Evidence of Qualitative ResearchJOURNAL OF OBSTETRIC, GYNECOLOGIC & NEONATAL NURSING, Issue 6 2002Sandra Cesario RNC Guidelines for evaluating the levels of evidence based on quantitative research are well established. However, the same cannot be said for the evaluation of qualitative research. This article discusses a process members of an evidence-based clinical practice guideline development team with the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses used to create a scoring system to determine the strength of qualitative research evidence. A brief history of evidence-based clinical practice guideline development is provided, followed by discussion of the development of the Nursing Management of the Second Stage of Labor evidence-based clinical practice guideline. The development of the qualitative scoring system is explicated, and implications for nursing are proposed. [source] Prevalence of Dementia Among the Elderly in a Japanese Community Population,Comparative Study on the 1983 and 1996 Survey: The Aichi StudyPSYCHOGERIATRICS, Issue 4 2001Hiroto Shibayama Background:An epidemiological survey of dementia among community residents over 65 years of age in Aichi Prefecture (Japan) was conducted in 1983 and 1996. We compared the prevalence rates of dementia in 1996, with the previously published rates of 1983. Methods:The study employed a two-stage design. First stage: A test based on the DSM-III-R criteria for dementia was administered to all participating residents, who were randomly drawn from the resident register (856,879) of Aichi Prefecture in 1995 (495,923 in 1983). Second stage: A detailed clinical and cognitive evaluation (including MMSE and neurological examination) of the subjects identified in the first stage was carried out by trained psychiatrists. Results:The prevalence rate for dementia in 1996 was 4.8% (moderate and severe 2.1%) compared with 5.8% (2.2%) in 1983; for senile dementia of Alzheimer type (SDAT) it was 2.8% in 1996 and 2.4% in 1983; for cerebrovascular dementia (CVD), 1.8% in 1996 and 2.8% in 1983. Conclusion:Up to this time, the cases of CVD have been more frequent than those of SDAT in Japan, especially in the urban areas. However, the relationship between CVD and SDAT has now reversed. These data suggest that SDAT is a common condition and that its public health impact will continue to increase with the increasing longevity of the population in Japan. [source] Strategic Decisions of New Technology Adoption under Asymmetric Information: A Game-Theoretic Model*DECISION SCIENCES, Issue 4 2003Kevin Zhu ABSTRACT In this paper we explore strategic decision making in new technology adoption by using economic analysis. We show how asymmetric information affects firms' decisions to adopt the technology. We do so in a two-stage game-theoretic model where the first-stage investment results in the acquisition of a new technology that, in the second stage, may give the firm a competitive advantage in the product market. We compare two information structures under which two competing firms have asymmetric information about the future performance (i.e., postadoption costs) of the new technology. We find that equilibrium strategies under asymmetric information are quite different from those under symmetric information. Information asymmetry leads to different incentives and strategic behaviors in the technology adoption game. In contrast to conventional wisdom, our model shows that market uncertainty may actually induce firms to act more aggressively under certain conditions. We also show that having better information is not always a good thing. These results illustrate a key departure from established decision theory. [source] Pervasive developmental disorders in individuals with cerebral palsyDEVELOPMENTAL MEDICINE & CHILD NEUROLOGY, Issue 4 2009AYSE KILINCASLAN MD The aim of the present study was to describe the prevalence and associated factors of pervasive developmental disorders (PDD), including autistic disorder and PDD not otherwise specified (NOS), in a clinical sample of 126 children and adolescents (75 males, 51 females; age range 4,18y, mean 8y 8mo, SD 3y 8mo) with tetraplegic, hemiplegic, diplegic, dyskinetic, or mixed types of cerebral palsy (CP); 28% could not crawl or walk even with support, 29% could move with support, and 43% walked independently. Participants were examined for PDD in two stages. In the first stage, probable participants were determined by direct observation, Autism Behavior Checklist score, and medical reports. In the second stage, those with ,probable' symptoms underwent psychiatric examination and their autistic symptoms were scored on the Childhood Autism Rating Scale. The final diagnosis of autistic disorder or PDD-NOS was given according to DSM-IV criteria. Fourteen (11%) and five (4%) of the participants met the criteria for autistic disorder and PDD-NOS respectively. Children with CP and PDD differed from those without PDD in terms of type of CP (p=0.02), presence of epilepsy (p<0.001), intellectual level (p<0.001), and level of speech (p<0.001). PDD was more common in children with tetraplegic, mixed, and hemiplegic CP, and in children with epilepsy, learning disability,, and low level of speech. The findings corroborate the notion that CP is a complex disorder, often associated with additional impairments. PDD is not rare in CP and should be considered in patients with comorbid conditions such as epilepsy, learning disability, and language delay and in the presence of tetraplegic, mixed, and hemiplegic CP types. [source] Diagnostic criteria and surgical procedure for megaesophagus , a personal experienceDISEASES OF THE ESOPHAGUS, Issue 4 2009A. Lewandowski SUMMARY Megaesophagus is the end-stage of achalasia cardiae. It is the result of peristaltic disorders and slow decompensation of the muscular layer of the esophagus. The aim of this article is to detail the diagnostic criteria and surgical management of megaesophagus. Criteria were acute bending of esophagus axis; lack of esophagus peristalsis, and no response to stimulation in the manometric test; and Los Angeles C/D esophagitis in the endoscopic examination. Between 1991 and 2004 seven patients (5 females, 2 males; age, 51,67 years; average age, 59 ± 8 years) were treated. A bypass made from the pedunculated part of the jejunum connecting the part of esophagus above the narrowing with the praepyloric part of the stomach was made. Access was by an abdominal approach. A jejunum bypass was made in six patients with megaesophagus. A transhiatal esophageal resection was carried out, and in the second stage a supplementary esophagus was made from the right half of the colon on the ileocolic vessels in one patient who had experienced two earlier unsuccessful operations. Symptoms of dysphagia, recurrent inflammation of the respiratory tract, and pain subsided in all patients. Complications were not reported in the postoperative period. All patients survived. Subsequent radiographic and endoscopic examination showed very good outcome. The jejunum bypass gave very good results in the surgical treatment of megaesophagus. [source] Treatment of Process Water Containing Heavy Metals with a Two-Stage Electrolysis Procedure in a Membrane Electrolysis CellENGINEERING IN LIFE SCIENCES (ELECTRONIC), Issue 2 2005R. Fischer Abstract The capability of a two-stage electrochemical treatment for the regeneration of acidic heavy-metal containing process water was examined. The process water came from sediment bioleaching and was characterized by a wide spectrum of dissolved metals, a high sulfate content, and a pH of about 3. In the modular laboratory model cell used, the anode chamber and the cathode chamber were separated by a central chamber fitted with an ion exchanger membrane on either side. The experiments were carried out applying a platinum anode and a graphite cathode at a current density of 0.1,A/cm2. The circulation flow of the process water in the batch process amounted to 35,L/h, the electrolysis duration was 5.5,h at maximum and the total electrolysis current was about 1,A. In the first stage, the acidic process water containing metals passed through the cathode chamber. In the second stage, the cathodically pretreated process water was electrolyzed anodically. In the cathode chamber the main load of dissolved Cu, Zn, Cr and Pb was eliminated. The sulfuric acid surplus of 3,4,g/L decreased to about 1,g/L, the pH rose from initially 3.0 to 4,5, but the desired pH of 9,10 was not achieved. Precipitation in the proximity to the cathode evidently takes place at a higher pH than farther away. The dominant process in the anode chamber was the precipitation of amorphous MnO2 owing to the oxidation of dissolved Mn(II). The further depletion of the remaining heavy metals in the cathodically pretreated process water by subsequent anodic treatment was nearly exhaustive, more than 99,% of Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn were removed from the leachate. The high depletion of heavy metals might be due to both the sorption on MnO2 precipitates and/or basic ferrous sulfate formed anodically, and the migration of metal ions through the cation exchanger membrane via the middle chamber into the cathode chamber. In the anode chamber, the sulfuric acid content increased to 6,7,g/L and the pH sank to 1.7. All heavy metals contained, with the exception of Zn, were removed to levels below the German limits for discharging industrial wastewaters into the receiving water. Moreover, the metal-depleted and acid-enriched process waters could be returned to the leaching process, hence reducing the output of wastewater. The results indicated that heavy metals could be removed from acidic process waters by two-stage electrochemical treatment to a large extent. However, to improve the efficiency of metal removal and to establish the electrochemical treatment in practice, further work is necessary to optimize the operation of the process with respect to current density, energy consumption, discharging of metal precipitates deposited in the electrode chambers and preventing membrane clogging. [source] Courtship in the medfly, Ceratitis capitata, includes tactile stimulation with the male's aristaeENTOMOLOGIA EXPERIMENTALIS ET APPLICATA, Issue 3 2002R. Daniel Briceño Abstract Male Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae) used their aristae to repeatedly tap the female, usually on her aristae, during the second stage of head rocking courtship. The male's antennae moved in an apparently exploratory manner earlier in head rocking. Reduced rates of copulation followed removal of male and female aristae, supporting the idea that tapping with the aristae is an important part of medfly courtship. [source] Long-term outcomes after a structured hypertension education programme for patients with diabetes and hypertensionEUROPEAN DIABETES NURSING, Issue 2 2005B Osterbrink Nurse Teacher, Diabetes Counsellor, Principal of the Academy of Health Professions Abstract A structured hypertension treatment and education programme (HTEP) was developed in the Düsseldorf area in the 1990s for patients with diabetes mellitus and hypertension and was found to be effective in a randomised controlled trial. The German Association of Diabetes Education and Counselling Professions (VDBD) implemented the HTEP all over Germany in order to optimise the care of patients with diabetes and hypertension. The objectives of the HTEP are to enable patients to gain knowledge of hypertension, to participate actively in their treatment to improve blood pressure (BP) and metabolic control and to self-measure their BP. The implementation consisted of two stages. The first stage comprised the training of 312 diabetes counsellors (DCs). During the second stage 473 patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes and hypertension in 35 diabetes centres throughout Germany received the HTEP including instructions in BP self-measurement. The HTEP consists of four units each one with a duration of 90 minutes covering the topics: hypertension, BP self-monitoring according to the standards of the German Hypertension League, antihypertensive medication including effects and side effects, recommendations to moderate exercise, weight reduction, dietary advice with reference to reduction of salt and alcohol and normalising the intake of protein. These patients participated in a prospective non-experimental study with a follow up of three years investigating the long-term outcomes of the HTEP in uncontrolled settings. The DCs assessed the accuracy of patients' self-monitoring by parallel measurement. Assessments included questionnaires evaluating patients' understanding of hypertension and metabolic control. The mean BP monitored by the DC fell from 150/85mmHg to 147/80mmHg (p<0.0001). The accuracy of self-measurements increased from 76% to 86% (p<0.005) and mean self-measurement readings decreased from 142/81mmHg to 139/78mmHg. HbA1c fell significantly from 7.9±1.6% to 7.3±1.1% (mean ± SD, p<0.001) and total cholesterol was lowered from 241±67.1mg/dl to 200±40.4mg/dl (p<0.001). Patients' knowledge of hypertension increased from 62% before the intervention to 72% after three years' follow up. Patients over 70 years showed less knowledge than younger patients (p<0.005). It was concluded that the HTEP is effective in improving BP, metabolic control and knowledge of hypertension. It enables patients to measure their BP precisely and regularly. Copyright © 2005 FEND. [source] Development and evaluation of a cd-rom to support student learning in dentist,patient communicationEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF DENTAL EDUCATION, Issue 2 2003J. T. Newton The interaction between dentist and patient is central to the provision of effective healthcare. A multidisciplinary team containing expertise in the social and behavioural sciences, medicine, dentistry, education and information technology was formed to design a CD-ROM to support more traditional teaching and learning in this area. The final version of the program consists of a ,virtual' patient from whom students are asked to take a medical history. The ,patient' interacts with the student and responds to the style of their questioning by changes in anxiety, or degree of annoyance. To date, the CD-ROM has been evaluated in two stages. The first stage was a predictive formative evaluation by the research/development team, and the second stage was a formative evaluation by 144 dental students of the first full prototype. A third stage, to be conducted next year, will involve measuring the longer term impact of the CD-ROM through the assessment of students' abilities to communicate with patients. The evaluation had two components: students made rates of how useful and easy to use they found the program, and students' attitudes towards interacting with patients were evaluated adopting constructs from the theory of Planned Behaviour. Students were positive about the use of the CD-ROM, though they requested some changes in the functionality of the program. Compared to a sample of students who had not used the CD-ROM, the students who used the CD-ROM felt more positive about communicating with their patients, at the end of the course, and expressed stronger intentions to communicate well with patients. We conclude that the CD-ROM we have developed in a useful adjunct to learning in dentist,patient communication. [source] Microwave Hybrid Post-Heat Treatment of Reaction Sintered Alumina/Lanthanum Hexaaluminate Composite Ceramics,ADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS, Issue 3 2010Zahra Negahdari One of the main problems in development of in situ reaction sintered alumina/lanthanum hexaaluminate composite ceramics is achievement of simultaneous densification and in situ formation of lanthanum hexaaluminate (LHA) platelets inside the matrix. Microwave hybrid post-sintering was investigated as a method to enhance the solid-state reaction of LHA formation and the densification of composite ceramics with 2.8,80 vol% LHA. Comparison of the conventionally and microwave assisted sintered alumina/lanthanum hexaaluminate composite ceramics revealed that utilization of microwave heating in second stage of sintering could enhance the solid-state reaction, the densification, and the anisotropic grain growth of the LHA platelets in ceramics containing more than 20 vol% LHA and for heat treatment at 1500,°C. [source] Taste deficits after middle ear surgery for otosclerosis: taste somatosensory interactionsEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ORAL SCIENCES, Issue 5 2008Marie-Violaine Berteretche The aim of this study was to evaluate the postoperative consequences of chorda tympani reclining during middle ear surgery for otosclerosis. Electrogustometric taste thresholds were measured at 11 loci on the tongue and the soft palate in 14 patients before surgery, and 8 d, 1 month and (in some cases) 6 months after surgery. A significant increase in thresholds was observed on the ipsilateral side of the tongue after surgery. The extent of the deficit and the recovery time course depended on tongue locus. The tip of the tongue displayed a limited deficit, suggesting bilateral chorda tympani innervation. The edge of the tongue was less impaired than the dorsal or the lateral tip loci; it may be dually innervated by both chorda tympani and glossopharyngeal nerves in humans, as already shown in rats. Likewise for the fungiform papillae located just anterior to the circumvallate papillae. Somatosensory early complaints suggest a derepression of chorda tympani on lingual nerve signals. In a second stage, relief of complaints before electrogustometric threshold recovery suggested trigeminal compensation of the chorda tympani deficit. Relief of complaints seems to involve central integrative processes, whereas the evolution of electrogustometric threshold represents the actual recovery time course of chorda tympani peripheral sensitivity. [source] Study of the Reaction of 3-Formylrifamycin SV with Gaseous Ammonia and Acetone,EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY, Issue 18 2006Krzysztof Bujnowski Abstract In the second stage of our study concerning the search for new antibacterial rifamycin antibiotics, reaction of the aldehydes 3-formylrifamycin SV (1) and 25- O -deacetyl-3-formylrifamycin SV with ammonia and acetone has been investigated. A new synthetic method for the preparation of a new group of rifamycin derivatives with a cyclic substituent at C-3 having a 4-piperidone structure, represented by compounds 6a, 6b, and 7a, has been developed. The structures of the compounds and a reaction mechanism have been proposed on the basis of mass spectrometry results as well as 1D and 2D 1H and 13C NMR analysis. The results of the in vitro tests confirm the antituberculous activity of the synthesized compounds. Furthermore, 6a, which is isolated in good yield, is a promising substrate for a new class of rifamycin derivatives. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2006) [source] ,Cultural Defence' of Nations: Cultural Citizenship in France, Germany and the NetherlandsEUROPEAN LAW JOURNAL, Issue 6 2009Liav Orgad This article presents a new development in European immigration policy. Focusing on France, Germany and the Netherlands, I describe a process of ,culturalisation' of admission and citizenship rules in Europe intended to reinforce liberal values and national identity. I then suggest a two-stage set of immigration-regulation principles: in the first stage, immigrants would have to accept some structural liberal-democratic principles as a prerequisite for admission. While Europe has criteria for state admission, anchored by the Copenhagen Criteria, Europe has not yet formalised definite criteria for immigrants' admission. In the second stage, as part of the naturalisation process, immigrants would be expected to recognise and respect constitutional principles essential for obtaining citizenship of a specific state. I call this concept ,National Constitutionalism'. [source] Parallel interference cancellation in DS-CDMA optical networks using bias compensationEUROPEAN TRANSACTIONS ON TELECOMMUNICATIONS, Issue 6 2009A. Okassa-M'foubat A receiver based on the parallel cancellation of multiple access interference by bias compensation is considered here for a direct sequence unipolar optical code division multiple access (DS-OCDMA) system. It relies on the estimation of interferences from undesired users, the regeneration of interfering signals at the output of first canceller stage and their substraction from the received signal after amplification by a bias compensation factor in the second stage. The performance of such a technique is analysed in a synchronous network using orthogonal optical codes and the results are compared with those for different types of conventional receivers. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Adaptive group detection for DS/CDMA systems over frequency-selective fading channels,EUROPEAN TRANSACTIONS ON TELECOMMUNICATIONS, Issue 3 2003Stefano Buzzi In this paper we consider the problem of group detection for asynchronous Direct-Sequence Code Division Multiple Access (DS/CDMA) systems operating over frequency-selective fading channels. A two-stage near-far resistant detection structure is proposed. The first stage is a linear filter, aimed at suppressing the effect of the unwanted user signals, while the second stage is a non-linear block, implementing a maximum likelihood detection rule on the set of desired user signals. As to the linear stage, we consider both the Zero-Forcing (ZF) and the Minimum Mean Square Error (MMSE) approaches; in particular, based on the amount of prior knowledge on the interference parameters which is available to the receiver and on the affordable computational complexity, we come up with several receiving structures, which trade system performance for complexity and needed channel state information. We also present adaptive implementations of these receivers, wherein only the parameters from the users to be decoded are assumed to be known. The case that the channel fading coefficients of the users to be decoded are not known a priori is also considered. In particular, based on the transmission of pilot signals, we adopt a least-squares criterion in order to obtain estimates of these coefficients. The result is thus a fully adaptive structure, which can be implemented with no prior information on the interfering signals and on the channel state. As to the performance assessment, the new receivers are shown to be near-far resistant, and simulation results confirm their superiority with respect to previously derived detection structures. Copyright © 2003 AEI. [source] Competition between two nitrite-oxidizing bacterial populations: a model for studying the impact of wastewater treatment plant discharge on nitrification in sedimentFEMS MICROBIOLOGY ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2002Christine Féray Abstract Nitrobacter, a ubiquitous nitrite oxidizer in natural and anthropized environments, is commonly studied as the model genus performing the second stage of nitrification. In rivers, wastewater treatment plant discharges may affect the nitrite-oxidizing activity and the responsible genera that are largely associated with sediment. We used a laboratory batch culture approach with Nitrobacter wynogradskyi ssp. agilis strain AG and Nitrobacter hamburgensis strain X14 to characterize the possible stress effect of wastewater effluent on these populations and to study the possible competition between an effluent strain (X14) and a sediment strain (AG) over a 42-day incubation time. Immunofluorescence enumerations of each strain showed that they both survived and settled in the sediment, indicating that there was no significant stress effect due to chemical changes caused by the effluent. The development of the strains' density and activity was directly correlated with the available nitrite concentration. Nevertheless, the potential specific activity was not constant along the so-called mixotrophic (non-limiting nitrite concentration) and heterotrophic (nitrite depletion) conditions. This illustrates the inducibility of the nitrite oxidoreductase and indicates the metabolic versatility of the strains. In our experimental conditions, the preferentially autotrophic AG strain appeared more competitive than the preferentially mixo- or heterotrophic X14 strain, including in heterotrophic environment. [source] Chinese Choices: A Poliheuristic Analysis of Foreign Policy Crises, 1950,1996FOREIGN POLICY ANALYSIS, Issue 1 2005Patrick James This paper uses the Poliheuristic Theory (PH), developed by Mintz, which incorporates both psychological and rational choice components in a synthesis of these previously isolated approaches, to explain decision making in Chinese foreign policy crises. China is an interesting initial case for this project for two reasons. One is its importance as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and rising superpower. The other is China's reputation as a nearly unique "black box",an especially challenging case,with regard to decision making in foreign policy crises. Taken from the authoritative compilation of the International Crisis Behavior (ICB) Project, the nine cases (with available data) in which China is a crisis actor span the period from 1950 to 1996. A comparative analysis of Chinese decision making in times of crisis is used to test hypotheses derived from the PH. The hypotheses focus on how decisions are anticipated to occur over two stages. Principal expectations are that the non compensatory rule, which places priority on political considerations, will determine viable alternatives at the first stage, while choices more in line with expected value maximization or lexicographic ordering will characterize the second stage. [source] Restricted parameter space models for testing gene-gene interactionGENETIC EPIDEMIOLOGY, Issue 5 2009Minsun Song Abstract There is a growing recognition that interactions (gene-gene and gene-environment) can play an important role in common disease etiology. The development of cost-effective genotyping technologies has made genome-wide association studies the preferred tool for searching for loci affecting disease risk. These studies are characterized by a large number of investigated SNPs, and efficient statistical methods are even more important than in classical association studies that are done with a small number of markers. In this article we propose a novel gene-gene interaction test that is more powerful than classical methods. The increase in power is due to the fact that the proposed method incorporates reasonable constraints in the parameter space. The test for both association and interaction is based on a likelihood ratio statistic that has a x,2 distribution asymptotically. We also discuss the definitions used for "no interaction" and argue that tests for pure interaction are useful in genome-wide studies, especially when using two-stage strategies where the analyses in the second stage are done on pairs of loci for which at least one is associated with the trait. Genet. Epidemiol. 33:386,393, 2009. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Multistage designs in the genomic era: Providing balance in complex disease studiesGENETIC EPIDEMIOLOGY, Issue S1 2007Marie-Pierre Dubé Abstract In this summary paper, we describe the contributions included in the Multistage Design group (Group 14) at the Genetic Analysis Workshop 15, which was held during November 12,14, 2006. Our group contrasted and compared different approaches to reducing complexity in a genetic study through implementation of staged designs. Most groups used the simulated dataset (problem 3), which provided ample opportunities for evaluating various staged designs. A wide range of multistage designs that targeted different aspects of complexity were explored. We categorized these approaches as reducing phenotypic complexity, model complexity, analytic complexity or genetic complexity. In general we learned that: (1) when staged designs are carefully planned and implemented, the power loss compared to a single-stage analysis can be minimized and study cost is greatly reduced; (2) a joint analysis of the results from each stage is generally more powerful than treating the second stage as a replication analysis. Genet. Epidemiol. 31 (Suppl. 1):S118,S123, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Landscape and Coast Development of A Lowland Fjord Margin Following Deglaciation, East GreenlandGEOGRAFISKA ANNALER SERIES A: PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Issue 3 2001Louise Hansen The landscapes of western Jameson Land bordering Hall Bredning fjord comprise upper river basins, glacial landscapes, lower river basins and a near-shore zone. The upper river basins are incised into bedrock and display no cover of young sediments whilst the glacial landscapes, located closer to the coast, are dominated by Pleistocene deposits and an irregular topography with hills and ridges. The lower river basins, dissecting the glacial landscapes, are connected to the upper river basins and contain well-defined Holocene delta terraces. The near-shore zone, which includes the present coast, displays a few raised shorelines. Geomorphological observations combined with stratigraphic work and 14C dates provide a chronological framework for the development of landscape and shoreline, as presented by a four-stage reconstruction. The first stage covers the deglaciation of western Jameson Land at the Weichselian-Holocene transition after a collapse of the main fjord glacier in Hall Bredning. The sea inundated the low-lying areas on Jameson Land forming small side-entry fjord basins that possibly follow the track of older valleys. This was followed by a second stage, the paraglacial period, when large meltwater production and sediment transport resulted in a fast infilling of the side-entry fjord basins by deltas. These are now exposed in terraces in the lower river basins at 70,80 m a.s.l. During a third stage, the relaxation period, fluvial activity decreased and the land surface was increasingly occupied by a cover of tundra vegetation. A glacio-isostatic rebound resulted in a relative sea level fall and fluvial incision. During stages two and three the coast was exposed to shallow marine processes that aided the alignment of the coast. Stages one to three presumably lasted for less than 2000 years. During stage four, the stable period, lasting for several thousand years till the present, there were minor adjustments of shoreline and landscape. The four-step reconstruction describes the sedimentary response of a lowland fjord margin to dramatic changes in climate and sea level. The distribution of erosion and sedimentation during this development was mainly controlled by topography. The reconstruction of the latest environmental development of Jameson Land puts new light on Jameson Land's long and complex Quaternary stratigraphic record. The reconstruction may also be used as a model for the interpretation of deposits in similar areas elsewhere. [source] Which Candidate Selection Method is the Most Democratic?1GOVERNMENT AND OPPOSITION, Issue 1 2009Gideon Rahat This article suggests guidelines for identifying the ramifications of central elements of candidate selection methods for various democratic dimensions , participation, competition, representation and responsiveness , and analyses their possible role in supplying checks and balances. It proposes employing a three-stage candidate selection method: in the first stage a small committee appoints candidates to a shortlist; in the second stage a selected party agency may add or remove candidates using a special procedure (absolute majority vote, for example) and also ratify the re-adoption of incumbent candidates; and, finally, party members select candidates for safe seats or safe list positions among the proposed candidates. The article also recommends employing moderate requirements for candidacy; the use of a non-majoritarian voting method; and allowing the national centre a say in candidate selection. [source] Research Submission: Chronic Headache and Comorbibities: A Two-Phase, Population-Based, Cross-Sectional StudyHEADACHE, Issue 8 2010Ariovaldo Da Silva Jr MD Background., Studies using resources of a public family health program to estimate the prevalence of chronic daily headaches (CDH) are lacking. Objectives., To estimate the 1-year prevalence of CDH, as well as the presence of associated psychiatric and temporomandibular disorders (TMD) comorbidities, on the entire population of a city representative of the rural area of Brazil. Methods., This was a cross-sectional, population-based, 2-phase study. In the first phase, health agents interviewed all individuals older than 10 years, in a rural area of Brazil. In the second stage, all individuals who reported headaches on 4 or more days per week were then evaluated by a multidisciplinary team. CDH were classified according to the second edition of the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD-2). Medication overuse headache was diagnosed, as per the ICHD-2, after detoxification trials. Psychiatric comorbidities and TMD were diagnosed based on the DSM-IV and on the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders criteria, respectively. Results., A total of 1631 subjects participated in the direct interviews. Of them, 57 (3.6%) had CDH. Chronic migraine was the most common of the CDH (21, 36.8%). Chronic tension-type headache (10, 17.5%), medication overuse headache (13, 22.8%) and probable medication overuse headache (10, 17.5%) were also common. Psychiatric disorders were observed in 38 (67.3%) of the CDH subjects. TMD were seen in 33 (58.1)% of them. Conclusions., The prevalence of CDH in the rural area of Brazil is similar to what has been reported in previous studies. A significant proportion of them have psychiatric comorbidities and/or TMD. In this sample, comorbidities were as frequent as reported in convenience samples from tertiary headache centers. (Headache 2010;50:1306-1312) [source] Electricity peak load forecasting with self-organizing map and support vector regressionIEEJ TRANSACTIONS ON ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING, Issue 3 2006Shu Fan Non-member Abstract This paper aims to study the short-term peak load forecasting (PLF) by using Kohonen self-organizing maps (SOM) and support vector regression (SVR). We first adopt a SOM network to cluster the input data set into several subsets in an unsupervised learning strategy. Then, several SVRs for the next day's peak load are used to fit the training data of each subset in the second stage. In the numerical experiments, data of electricity demand from the New York Independent System Operator (ISO) are used to verify the effectiveness of the prediction for the proposed method. The simulation results show that the proposed model can predict the next day's peak load with a considerably high accuracy compared with the ISO forecasts. © 2006 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. [source] Comparative study between two numerical methods for oxygen diffusion problemINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING, Issue 8 2009Vildan GülkaçArticle first published online: 28 APR 200 Abstract Two approximate numerical solutions of the oxygen diffusion problem are defined using three time-level of Crank,Nicolson equation and Gauss,Seidel iteration for three time-level of implicit method. Oxygen diffusion in a sike cell with simultaneous absorption is an important problem and has a wide range of medical applications. The problem is mathematically formulated through two different stages. At the first stage, the stable case having no oxygen transition in the isolated cell is searched, whereas at the second stage the moving boundary problem of oxygen absorbed by the tissues in the cell is searched. The results obtained by three time-level of implicit method and Gauss,Seidel iteration for three time-level of implicit method and the results gave a good agreement with the previous methods (J. Inst. Appl. Math. 1972; 10:19,33; 1974; 13:385,398; 1978; 22:467,477). Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Modelling and simulation of a double-star induction machine vector control using copper-losses minimization and parameters estimationINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ADAPTIVE CONTROL AND SIGNAL PROCESSING, Issue 9 2002M.F. Mimouni Abstract This paper shows that it is possible to extend the principle of field-oriented control (FOC) approach to a double-star induction motor (DSIM). In the first stage, a robust variable structure current controller based on space phasor voltages PWM scheme is established. In this current controller design, only the stator currents and rotor speed sensors are used. In the second stage, the FOC method developed for DSIM is motivated by the minimization of the copper losses. The developed approach uses a loss model controller (LMC) and an adaptive rotor flux observer to compute the adequate rotor flux value minimizing the copper losses. The control variables are the stator currents or the machine input power. Compared to the constant rotor flux approach, it is proved that higher performances are achieved. However, the sensitivity of the FOC to parameter error of the machine still remains a problem. To guarantee the performance of the vector control, the stator and rotor resistances are adapted on-line, based on the Lyapunov theory. An appropriate choice of the reference model allows building a Lyapunov function by means of which the updating law can be found. The simulation results show the satisfactory behaviour of the proposed identification algorithm. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Risk of perineal damage is not a reason to discourage a sitting birthing position: a secondary analysisINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PRACTICE, Issue 5 2010A. De Jonge Summary Aim:, To examine the association between semi-sitting and sitting position at the time of birth and perineal damage amongst low-risk women in primary care. Background:, Evidence on the association between birthing positions and perineal trauma is not conclusive. Most studies did not distinguish between positions during the second stage of labour and position at the time of birth. Therefore, although birthing positions do not seem to affect the overall perineal trauma rate, an increase in trauma with upright position for birthing cannot be ruled out. Methods:, Secondary analysis was performed on data from a large trial. This trial was conducted amongst primary care midwifery practices in the Netherlands. A total of 1646 women were included who had a spontaneous, vaginal delivery. Perineal outcomes were compared between women in recumbent, semi-sitting and sitting position. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the effects of these positions after controlling for other factors. Findings:, No significant differences were found in intact perineum rates between the position groups. Women in sitting position were less likely to have an episiotomy and more likely to have a perineal tear than women in recumbent position. After controlling for other factors, the odds ratios (OR) were 0.29 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.16,0.54] and 1.83 (95% CI: 1.22,2.73) respectively. Women in semi-sitting position were more likely to have a labial tear than women in recumbent position (OR: 1.43, 95% CI: 1.00,2.04). Conclusion:, A semi-sitting or sitting birthing position does not need to be discouraged to prevent perineal damage. Women should be encouraged to use positions that are most comfortable to them. [source] Two-stage channel assignment scheme in wireless networksINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS, Issue 6 2005Jin-Long Wang Abstract This paper presents a new channel assignment scheme that efficiently improves the spatial frequency,spectrum reuse in a wireless network with heterogeneous demands, in which the cells are partitioned into a lot of clusters. Since the channel demands of each cell are different, this scheme adopts two stages to effectively assign channels. In the first stage, the cluster-based scheme allocates a number of channels to the cells of each cluster for satisfying the requirement of co-channel reuse. The channel demand of majority cells will be satisfied in this stage. In the second stage, when the channel requirement of most cells has been fulfilled, the tree-based assignment scheme allocates channels for the minority cells, which are still lacking of channels. Simulation results showed that the proposed scheme is superior to the previous schemes. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Immunohistochemical study of cytokeratin expression in nevus sebaceousINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 4 2010Ichiro Kurokawa MD Background, The histogenesis of nevus sebaceous (NS) is unclear. Methods, To elucidate the histogenesis of NS, cytokeratin (CK) profiles were examined immunohistochemically using 10 anti-keratin antibodies in the three stages of NS. Results, In the first stage, stratified differentiated keratins (CK1 and 10) were reduced, and basal keratin (CK14) was increased in the epidermis and primitive follicular structure (PFS). In the second stage, in addition to reduced CK1 and CK10 expressions and increased CK14 expression, CK17 expression was strongly expressed in the sebaceous ducts in proportion to the development of sebaceous gland. In the third stage, CK14, CK17 and CK19 were expressed in secondary tumors. CK16 was not detected throughout all stages of NS. Conclusion, These results suggest that NS is not hyperproliferative but involves hamartomatous differentiation with undifferentiated keratins. [source] Development and validation of clinical indicators for mental health nursing practiceINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 1 2000Georgina Skews ABSTRACT: A national study was undertaken in Australia to develop and validate a set of clinical indicators for mental health nursing. Using survey and action research procedures, the indicators were developed in two stages. During stage one, focus group interviews involving 39 nurses were conducted at national conferences in Australia and New Zealand in order to provide a pool of indicator statements. A Delphi survey of an Australian sample of mental health nurses (n = 33) was then conducted to refine the indicators. In stage two, the refined indicators were tested and validated in selected clinical settings. A total of 1751 mental health nurses employed at 14 sites were involved in the second stage of the study. The resulting data were used to establish the set of national indicators that the Australian and New Zealand College of Mental Health Nurses will use in practice accreditation and benchmarking. [source] The Italian Preadolescent Mental Health Project (PrISMA): rationale and methodsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF METHODS IN PSYCHIATRIC RESEARCH, Issue 1 2006Alessandra Frigerio Abstract The Italian preadolescent mental health project (PrISMA , Progetto Italiano Salute Mentale Adolescenti) is the first Italian study designed to estimate the prevalence of mental disorders in preadolescents (10,14 years old) living in urban areas, and to analyse the demographic and biological correlates of emotional and behavioural problems. This paper describes the rationale, methods and the analysis plan of the project. The design of the study used a two-stage sampling procedure, one screening stage of emotional and behavioural problems in a large sample of subjects attending public and private schools and a second stage of diagnostic assessment in a sample including all high scorers and a proportion of low scorers. In the screening stage, parents of preadolescents were asked to fill in the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), whereas in the second stage preadolescents and their parents were administered the Development and Well Being Assessment for the assessment of mental disorders together with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and two scales (C-GAS and HoNOSCA) designed to evaluate the functioning of the preadolescent in different areas. Genetic samples were collected during the screening stage, after parents gave their informed written consent. The findings of this study are expected to allow an adequate planning of interventions for the prevention and the treatment of mental disorders in preadolescence as well as efficient health services. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||