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Second Survey (second + survey)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	63%
Earth and Environmental Science	18%

Selected Abstracts

Impact of Recent Fracture on Health-Related Quality of Life in Postmenopausal Women,,

JOURNAL OF BONE AND MINERAL RESEARCH, Issue 6 2006
Susan K Brenneman PT
Abstract The effect of fractures other than hip and spine on HRQoL in younger and older women has not been extensively studied. In a cohort of 86,128 postmenopausal women, we found the impact of recent osteoporosis-related fractures on HRQoL to be similar between women <65 compared with those ,65 years of age. The impact of spine, hip, or rib fractures was greater than that of wrist fractures in both age groups. Introduction: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) after vertebral and hip fractures has been well studied. Less is known about HRQoL after fractures at other sites. We studied the effect of recent clinical fractures on HRQoL, using Short Form-12 (SF-12). Materials and Methods: This study included 86,128 postmenopausal participants in the National Osteoporosis Risk Assessment (NORA) who responded to two follow-up surveys during a 2-year interval. At each survey, they completed the SF-12 HRQoL questionnaire and reported new fractures of the hip, spine, wrist, and rib. The effect of recent fracture on HRQoL was assessed by comparing Physical Component Score (PCS) and Mental Component Score (MCS) means for women with and without new fractures at the second survey. Analyses were by fracture type and by age group (50,64 and 65,99) and were adjusted for PCS and MCS at the first survey. Results: New fractures (320 hip, 445 vertebral, 657 rib, 835 wrist) occurring during the interval between the first and second follow-up surveys were reported by 2257 women. The PCS was poorer in both older and younger women who had fractured the hip, spine, or rib (p , 0.001). Wrist fractures had an impact on PCS in women ,65 years of age (p < 0.001), but not older women (p > 0.10). These differences in PCS by fracture status were similar to those reported for other chronic diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and osteoarthritis. MCS was less consistently changed by fracture status, but younger and older women with vertebral fracture (p < 0.004), older women with hip fracture (p < 0.004), and younger women with rib fracture (p < 0.004) had poorer MCS compared with those who did not fracture within their age cohort. Conclusions: Recent osteoporosis-related fractures have significant impact on HRQoL as measured by SF-12. The impact of recent fracture on HRQoL was similar for older and younger postmenopausal women. Fracture prevention and postfracture interventions that target the subsequent symptoms are needed for postmenopausal women of any age. [source]

GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE AND PUBLIC PERCEPTION: THE CHALLENGE OF TRANSLATION,

JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN WATER RESOURCES ASSOCIATION, Issue 2 2000
Susan Seacrest
ABSTRACT: Global climate change is examined from the perspective of its relevancy and urgency as a public policy issue. Interpreting from literature specific to investigations into public awareness and concern, climate change is seen as a legitimate though less than urgent issue. The literature reveals that the general public holds surprising misconceptions about the processes contributing to climate change, including failure to grasp the fundamental connection to CO2. General ambivalence is also suggested from the results of two surveys conducted by The Groundwater Foundation. They first asked participants in a recent Groundwater Guardian Conference to rate levels of discussion and concern for water resources implications in the participants' communities. A second survey polled national water resource organizations about the extent climate change has been a focus of their educational, investigative, or advocacy efforts. The paper concludes by describing basic barriers to stimulating public response to climate change, which education about the issue should address, and by offering a model to educate and involve citizens based on the Groundwater Guardian program developed by the The Groundwater Foundation. [source]

Change over 70 years in a southern California chaparral community related to fire history

JOURNAL OF VEGETATION SCIENCE, Issue 5 2004
Janet Franklin
Abstract: Question: What changes in species composition and cover have occurred in chaparral as a function of fire history across an ecoregion? Location: San Diego County, California, USA. Methods: Stands in which 40 mid-elevation chaparral vegetation plots (each 400 m2 in area) were located in the 1930s were resurveyed in 2001. We stratified the stands into Infrequently versus Frequently burned (0,1 versus 2 or more fires recorded in the 91-yr period), and Immature versus Mature (31 yr versus >31 yr since last fire), resulting in four groups. Ten stands were randomly selected from each of these groups for survey. Results: There were no major shifts in life form composition, e.g., live oak trees were not invading chaparral that had experienced little or no fire, nor were subshrubs or herbaceous species replacing shrubs in areas that had experienced more frequent fires. However, there was a notable increase in the frequency of the subshrub Eriogonum fasciculatum across all fire history groups. In the mature stands with infrequent fire, average cover of resprouting shrubs increased (from 72 to 91%) and cover of obligate seeding shrubs (species with fire-cued germination) decreased (from 21 to 6%) significantly. Mature stands with frequent fire showed a significant decrease in resprouter cover (from 87 to 80%) and increase in obligate seeders (from 10 to 16%). Conclusions: While the tremendous changes in land use in southern California have been predicted to cause shifts in chaparral composition, these shifts are difficult to detect because species longevity and fire cycles are on the order of decades to a century. In this study, the expected trends could only be detected in groups that were mature at the time of the second survey. [source]

Intervention for prevention of low back pain in Japanese forklift workers

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 2 2001
DrMedSc, Toshiaki Shinozaki MD
Abstract Background The effectiveness of two different approaches for the prevention of low back pain (LBP) was compared in forklift workers. The first approach (personal) consisted of providing lumbar support, arctic jacket and physical exercise, and the second (facility approach) included the improvement of forklift seats and tires. Methods The self-reported prevalence of LBP was surveyed three times before and after the two forms of interventions, in 260 male blue-collar workers including 27 forklift workers, and 55 male white-collar workers of a copper smelter. Results The initial prevalence of LBP was 63% in the forklift workers, which was significantly higher than that found in the other blue-collar workers (32%) and in the white-collar workers (22%). One year after the first intervention (personal approach) to the forklift workers, the prevalence of LBP fell to 56%. The second intervention (facility approach), which was mainly comprised of a reduction in whole body vibration, was subsequently added, and 9 months later the prevalence of LBP in the forklift workers further decreased to 33%. The reduction of the prevalence from the initial survey was significant (P,=,0.008), and that from the second survey was nearly significant (P,=,0.070). Conclusions These findings suggest that the facility approach is more effective for a reduction of LBP than the personal approach. Am. J. Ind. Med. 40:141,144, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Latest news and product developments

PRESCRIBER, Issue 10 2007
Article first published online: 13 SEP 200
Sitagliptin: novel drug for type 2 diabetes Sitagliptin (Januvia), the first dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor, has been introduced for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in combination with metformin or a glitazone when either agent plus exercise and diet fail to control blood glucose. Inhibition of DPP-4 prevents the breakdown of incretin hormones that promote insulin release from pancreatic beta cells. In trials lasting up to 24 weeks, adding sitagliptin to established therapy reduced HbA1C by 0.67-0.90 per cent. It is contraindicated in patients with moderate or more severe renal impairment. At the recommended dose of 100mg per day, a month's treatment with sitagliptin costs £33.36. Guide to treating mentalillness in primary care A new guide from the Centre for Clinical and Academic Workforce Innovation aims to help health professionals and others treating people with mental illness. A Complete Guide to Primary Care Mental Health, a toolkit presented as a reference book and CD, covers aspects of treatment, the law and working with the voluntary sector and includes training materials compatible with evidence-based guidance. Copies are available from amazon.co.uk. Follow-up improves statin adherence Patients may take long holidays from statin treatment but a visit to the doctor is among the most effective ways to improve adherence, a US study shows (Arch Intern Med 2007;167:847,52). Observation of 239 911 patients who began statin treatment during a seven-year period showed that 54 per cent stopped their treatment for at least 90 days. Of these, 48 per cent restarted within one year and 60 per cent within two years. Factors associated with restarting treatment were a visit to the doctor who prescribed the statin (odds ratio, OR, 6.1) or a visit to a different doctor (OR 2.9). A cholesterol test and hospital admission for a cardiovascular event were also significant factors. Pharmacist MUR does not reduce heart failure deaths Medication review by trained community pharmacists does not reduce admissions or deaths among patients with heart failure, according to a study from East Anglia (BMJ online: 23 April 2007; doi:10.1136/bmj.39164.568183.AE). Patients admitted as emergencies with heart failure were randomised to usual care or two home visits by a community pharmacist within two and eight weeks after discharge. Pharmacists reviewed medication and advised on self-management of symptoms and lifestyle. There were no significant differences in hospital admissions over the next six months (rate ratio 1.15 for pharmacist vs control) or deaths (rate ratio 1.18); quality of life scores were similar in the two groups. The authors speculate that the interventions may have been too brief or too late (lifestyle changes having been made already), or disadvantaged by not adjusting beta-blocker doses. A Cardiff study of pharmacist medication reviews for elderly patients (BMJ online: 20 April 2007; doi:10.1136/bmj.39171. 577106.55), found that their advice had the potential to undermine patients' ,confidence, integrity and self-governanc'. The study found that pharmacists gave advice unnecessarily and uninvited. CHD targets met early The national programme to tackle heart disease has made substantial progress towards it targets, the Department of Health says in a 10-year report, and a 40 per cent cut in mortality will be achieved ahead of the deadline of 2010. Coronary Heart Disease Ten Years On: Improving Heart Care, a report by Professor Roger Boyle, National Director for Heart Disease and Stroke, states that 7 per cent of the population is now taking statins, resulting in 9700 deaths avoided annually. The prevalence of untreated hypertension fell from 32 to 24 per cent between 1998 and 2003. The report also summarises changes in service delivery, nutrition and smoking cessation. HRT: ovarian cancer risk The MHRA has not altered its advice on the use of HRT following news that five years' use increases ovarian cancer risk in women over 50. The Million Women Study revealed an approximately 20 per cent increased risk of ovarian cancer or death among women still using HRT after five or more years. There was no difference in risk between oestrogen-only and combined formulations. The MHRA says HRT is still indicated for relieving symptoms of the menopause for short-term use; as an alternative for women over 50 who cannot take other treatments to prevent osteoporosis, or when such options fail; and in women under 50 who experience a premature menopause. Poor angina treatment Over half of patients with angina continue to experience attacks despite treatment, according to a survey by the British Cardiac Patients Association. The survey of 600 patients with angina also found that twot-hirds of respondents reported that angina had a moderate to severe impact on their lives. Half said that the adverse effects of their treatment negatively affected their work, two-thirds reported an adverse impact on sex, and almost three-quarters of patients taking beta-blockers reported fatigue. A second survey of 2000 adults revealed widespread ignorance about the prevalence and symptoms of angina. The surveys were sponsored by Servier Laboratories Limited and conducted in collaboration with Research Quorum. Cabergoline restriction Indications for the dopamine agonist cabergoline (Cabaser) are being restricted to match those of pergolide (Celance), the MHRA has announced. Pergolide was recently withdrawn in the United States and its use in the EU is limited because of the risk of cardiac valvular damage. Similar toxicity has been reported with cabergolide, which is now restricted to second-line use when a nonergot treatment for Parkinson's disease has failed. It is contraindicated in patients with valvular damage or a history of fibrotic disorders and requires patient monitoring. Sodium reduction cuts CV events Long-term reduction in dietary sodium may reduce cardiovascular events by 25 per cent, US epidemiologists say (BMJ online: 20 April 2007; doi:10.1136/bmj.39147.604896.55). Participants in the two Trials of Hypertension Prevention (TOHP I and II) reduced their sodium intake by 44 and 33mmol per 24hr. After 10,15 years' follow-up of 2415 participants, the adjusted relative risk of cardiovascular events was 0.75 compared with controls. There was a nonsignificant 20 per cent reduction in mortality. Copyright © 2007 Wiley Interface Ltd [source]

Rural Hospital Patient Safety Systems Implementation in Two States

THE JOURNAL OF RURAL HEALTH, Issue 3 2007
Daniel R. Longo ScD
ABSTRACT:,Context and Purpose:With heightened attention to medical errors and patient safety, we surveyed Utah and Missouri hospitals to assess the "state of the art" in patient safety systems and identify changes over time. This study examines differences between urban and rural hospitals.Methods:Survey of all acute care hospitals in Utah and Missouri at 2 points in time (2002 and 2004). Factor analysis was used to develop 7 latent variables to summarize the data, comparing rural and urban hospitals at each point in time and on change between the 2 survey times.Findings:On 3 of the 7 latent variables, there was a statistically significant difference between rural and urban hospitals at the first survey, with rural hospitals indicating lower levels of implementation. The differences remained present on 2 of those latent variables at the second survey. In both cases, 1 of those variables was computerized physician order entry (CPOE) systems. Rural hospitals reported more improvement in systems implementation between the 2 survey times, with the difference statistically significant on 1 of the 7 latent variables; the greatest improvement was in implementation of "root cause analysis."Conclusions:Adoption of patient safety systems overall is low. Although rates of adoption among rural versus urban hospitals appear lower, most differences are not statistically significant; the gap between rural and urban hospitals relative to quality measures is narrowing. Change in rural and urban hospitals is in the right direction, with the rate of change higher in rural hospitals for many systems. [source]

GPR survey to understand the stratigraphy of the Roman Ships archaeological site (Pisa, Italy)

ARCHAEOLOGICAL PROSPECTION, Issue 1 2003
M. T. Carrozzo
Abstract Two surveys with ground-penetrating radar (GPR) were carried out in June and December 2000 at the Roman Ships archaeological site (Pisa, Italy). Both surveys were undertaken at selected locations, placed on the plan of excavation (,5 m from the ground surface), using a GSSI Sir System2 incorporating 35, 100, 200 and 500 MHz centre-frequency antennae. The main purpose of the two surveys was to test the value of radar in respect of penetration depth and, therefore, to reconstruct the geological stratigraphy, given the general not too favourable site conditions. The results showed that most of the GPR data acquired with the 35 MHz antenna were contaminated by strong reflections caused by above-ground objects near the survey lines. In fact, the archaeological area is protected on every side by iron barriers, around 6 m high, in order to guarantee the stability of the walls and to contain the present shallow groundwater. Therefore, it is very important to recognize the reflections through air (surface scattering) and not to confuse them with the reflections from underground geological features. For this purpose higher frequency antennae, less prone to surface scattering problems, although allowing shallower penetration depths, also have been used. Their higher resolution permitted the identification of some anomalies probably related to shallow stratigraphical boundaries, as well as other anomalies probably attributable to archaeological features. Moreover, the numerous measurements carried out in the second survey to estimate the velocity of propagation of the electromagnetic waves in the ground, contributed to a better interpretation of the geology of the site. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Assessment of non-response bias in a survey of residential magnetic field exposure in Taiwan

BIOELECTROMAGNETICS, Issue 5 2007
Chung-Yi Li
Abstract We assessed potential non-response bias in obtaining information on residential extremely low-frequency power frequency magnetic field (MF) in Taiwan. All households occupied by children aged less than 7 years in two study districts, one in an urban town and the other in a rural town, were visited and solicited for on-site measurements in late 2003. The initial response rate was only 32% (33/104, urban) and 60% (61/101, rural). In the same season 1 year later, we performed a second survey of those who declined to be measured at the initial survey and successfully measured another 77 residences (50 and 27 for urban and rural districts, respectively). The two districts were selected mainly because the local public health officers were quite willing to assist the initial survey and to inform residents of the second survey. Except for meteorological conditions, the two surveys came up with very similar findings regarding residential characteristics and power facilities surrounding the houses. The mean residential MF for the urban residences was .121 and .140 micro-Tesla (µT) (P,=,.620) for the two surveys. The corresponding figures for the rural residences were .119 and .115 µT (P,=,.802). Although limited in its scope, this study tends to indicate that measurement studies of residential MF are less likely to suffer from serious selection bias if sampling is confined within a small district where people have similar socioeconomic characteristics. Bioelectromagnetics 28:340,348, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Prevalence of Japanese cedar pollinosis in Tokyo: a survey conducted by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government

CLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL ALLERGY REVIEWS, Issue 1 2010
S. Nishihata
Summary In 2006, a survey was conducted to estimate the prevalence of Japanese cedar pollinosis in three target areas in Tokyo, namely Akiruno-shi, Chofu-shi, and Ota-ku; this survey was similar to two surveys conducted previously, in 1983,1987 (first survey) and 1996 (second survey). In the most recent survey, the overall prevalence of Japanese cedar pollinosis in Tokyo, except the islands of Tokyo, was estimated as 28.2%. This prevalence rate exceeds that estimated by the first and second surveys by 18.2 and 8.8 percentage points, respectively. The prevalence of Japanese cedar pollinosis in the three survey target areas increased by 2.3,10.8 percentage points vs. the rates obtained in the second survey. Furthermore, differences among the prevalence rates in the three areas decreased. Compared with the results obtained in the second survey, increases in the prevalence rate were noted in all age groups other than in people aged 30,44 years. In particular, the prevalence rate in children aged 0,14 years increased markedly, showing a threefold increase. The prevalence rate exceeded 30% in all age groups between 15 and 59 years. [source]

Validity and reliability of the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE) in Japanese elderly people

GERIATRICS & GERONTOLOGY INTERNATIONAL, Issue 3 2008
Akiko Hagiwara
Aim: In Japan, there are no valid and reliable physical activity questionnaires for elderly people. In this study, we translated the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE) into Japanese and assessed its validity and reliability. Methods: Three hundred and twenty-five healthy and elderly subjects over 65 years were enrolled. Concurrent validity was evaluated by Spearman's rank correlation coefficient between PASE scores and an accelerometer (waking steps and energy expenditure), a physical activity questionnaire for adults in general (the Japan Arteriosclerosis Longitudinal Study Physical Activity Questionnaire, JALSPAQ), grip strength, mid-thigh muscle area per bodyweight, static valance and bodyfat percentage. Reliability was evaluated by the test,retest method over a period of 3,4 weeks. Results: The mean PASE score in this study was 114.9. The PASE score was significantly correlated with walking steps (, = 0.17, P = 0.014), energy expenditure (, = 0.16, P = 0.024), activity measured with the JALSPAQ (, = 0.48, P < 0.001), mid-thigh muscle area per bodyweight (, = 0.15, P = 0.006) and static balance (, = 0.19, P = 0.001). The proportion of consistency in the response between the first and second surveys was adequately high. The intraclass correlation coefficient for the PASE score was 0.65. Conclusions: The Japanese version of PASE was shown to have acceptable validity and reliability. The PASE is useful to measure the physical activity of elderly people in Japan. [source]