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Support Function (support + function)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	50%
Humanities and Social Sciences	50%

Selected Abstracts

"Therefore, Get Wisdom": What Should the President Know, and How Can He Know It?

GOVERNANCE, Issue 2 2009
ANDREW RUDALEVIGEArticle first published online: 26 MAR 200
The literature on the U.S. presidency offers analysis of how the presidential advice and information support function has been performed. Some studies go further to suggest certain principles for designing the advice- and information-giving process involved in presidential decision making, along with organizational features to implement such principles. A well-established principle, based on comparative case studies, is that presidents should institutionalize distrust. Implementation of this principle usually involves channeling competing options, along with supporting information, to the Oval Office before a president becomes committed to a course of action or policy choice. In designing how the presidential support function is to operate, the advantages and disadvantages of the institutionalized distrust principle should be carefully examined, taking into account circumstantial conditions. This article examines this practical issue from the perspective of a historically oriented presidency scholar, writing during the transition to the Barack Obama administration. [source]

Antiprogesterone therapy uncouples axonal loss from demyelination in a transgenic rat model of CMT1A neuropathy

ANNALS OF NEUROLOGY, Issue 1 2007
Gerd Meyer zu Horste MD
Objective Charcot,Marie,Tooth disease (CMT) is the most common inherited neuropathy, and a duplication of the Pmp22 gene causes the most frequent subform CMT1A. Using a transgenic rat model of CMT1A, we tested the hypothesis that long-term treatment with anti-progesterone (Onapristone) reduces Pmp22 overexpression and improves CMT disease phenotype of older animals, thereby extending a previous proof-of-concept observation in a more clinically relevant setting. Methods We applied placebo-controlled progesterone-antagonist therapy to CMT rats for 5 months and performed grip-strength analysis to assess the motor phenotype. Quantitative Pmp22 RT-PCR and complete histological analysis of peripheral nerves and skin biopsies were performed. Results Anti-progesterone therapy significantly increased muscle strength and muscle mass of CMT rats and reduced the performance difference to wildtype rats by about 50%. Physical improvements can be explained by the prevention of axon loss. Surprisingly, the effects of anti-progesterone were not reflected by improved myelin sheath thickness. Electrophysiology confirmed unaltered NCV, but less reduced CMAP recordings in the treatment group. Moreover, the reduction of Pmp22 mRNA, as quantified in cutaneous nerves, correlated with the clinical phenotype at later stages. Interpretation Progesterone-antagonist treatment. Pmp22 overexpression to a degree at which the axonal support function of Schwann cells is better maintained than myelination. This suggests that axonal loss in CMT1A is not caused by demyelination, but rather by a Schwann cell defect that has been partially uncoupled by anti-progesterone treatment. Pmp22 expression analysis in skin may provide a prognostic marker for disease severity and for monitoring future clinical trials. Ann Neurol 2007;61:61,72 [source]

Clinical outcome of 103 consecutive zygomatic implants: a 6,48 months follow-up study

CLINICAL ORAL IMPLANTS RESEARCH, Issue 1 2004
Chantal Malevez
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate retrospectively, after a period of 6,48 months follow-up of prosthetic loading, the survival rate of 103 zygomatic implants inserted in 55 totally edentulous severely resorbed upper jaws. Fifty-five consecutive patients, 41 females and 14 males, with severe maxillary bone resorption were rehabilitated by means of a fixed prosthesis supported by either 1 or 2 zygomatic implants, and 2,6 maxillary implants. This retrospective study calculated success and survival rates at both the prosthetic and implant levels. Out of 55 prostheses, 52 were screwed on top of the implants, while 3 were modified due to the loss of standard additional implants and transformed in semimovable prosthesis. Although osseointegration in the zygomatic region is difficult to evaluate, no zygomatic implant was considered fibrously encapsulated and they are all still in function. This study confirms that the zygoma bone can offer a predictable anchorage and support function for a fixed prosthesis in severely resorbed maxillae. Résumé Le but de cette étude a été d'évaluer rétrospectivement, après une période de six à 48 mois après la mise en charge prothétique, le taux de survie de 103 implants zygomatiques insérés chez 55 édentés complets avec mâchoires supérieures extrêmement résorbées. Cinquante-cinq patients (41 femmes et quatorze hommes) avec une résorption osseuse maxillaire très sévère ont été soignés à l'aide d'une prothèse fixée supportée par un ou deux implants zygomatique et deux à six implants maxillaires. Cette étude rétrospective a calculé le taux de survie et le taux de succès tant au niveau prothétique et qu'implantaire. Des 55 prothèses, 52 ont été vissées sur les implants tandis que trois ont été modifiées vu la perte d'implants standards supplémentaires et transformées en prothèses semi-amovibles. Bien que l'ostéoïntégration dans la région zygomatique soit difficile àévaluer, aucun implant zygomatique n'a été considéré comme encapsulé fibreusement et ils sont encore tous en fonction. Cette étude confirme que l'os zygomatique peut offrir un ancrage prévisible et unun support de support pour une prothèse fixée dans les cas de maxillaires fortement résorbés. Zusammenfassung Die klinischen Ergebnisse von 103 Implantaten im Jochbein. Eine Langzeitstudie über 6,48 Monate. Das Ziel dieser Studie war es, bei 55 vollständig zahnlosen und massiv resorbierten Oberkiefern die Überlebensrate von 103 Implantaten im Jochbein retrospektiv zu untersuchen. Die Beobachtungszeit betrug 6,48 Monate nach prothetischer Versorgung. 55 Patienten, 41 Frauen und 14 Männer, die eine ausgedehnte Knochenresorption des Oberkiefers zeigten, wurden mit einer festsitzenden Brücke versorgt, die von 1,2 Implantaten im Jochbein und 2,6 weiteren Oberkieferimplantaten getragen wurde. Diese retrospektive Studie errechnete Erfolgsrate und Überlebensrate sowohl der prothetischen Rekonstruktion, wie auch der Implantate. Von den 55 Brücken waren 52 auf den Implantaten verschraubt, und 3 infolge Verlust von Standardimplantaten zu bedingt abnehmbaren Brücken umgebaut. Obwohl die Osseointegration in der Region des Jochbeins schwierig zu beurteilen ist, musste keines dieser Implantate als bindegewebig eingeheilt bezeichnet werden und alle sind immer noch in Funktion. Diese Arbeit belegt, dass der Knochen des Jochbeins ein voraussagbare Verankerung und Haltefunktion für eine festsitzende Brücke bei massiv resorbierten Oberkiefern liefern kann. Resumen La intención de este estudio fue evaluar retrospectivamente, tras un periodo de 6,48 meses de seguimiento de carga prostética, el índice se supervivencia de 103 implantes zigomáticos insertados en 55 maxilares superiores edéntulos severamente reabsorbidos. Se rehabilitaron 55 pacientes consecutivos, 41 mujeres y 14 hombres, con reabsorción ósea severa del maxilar, por medio de una prótesis fija soportada por 1 o 2 implantes zigomáticos, y de 2 a 6 implantes maxilares. Este estudio retrospectivo calculó los índices de éxito y supervivencia tanto a nivel de la prótesis como del implante. De las 55 prótesis, 52 se atornillaron sobre los implantes mientras que 3 se modificaron debido a la perdida de implantes estándar adicionales y se transformaron en prótesis semimóviles. Aunque la osteointegración en la región zigomática es difícil de evaluar, no se consideró a ningún implante zigomático como fibrosamente encapsulado y están aún en función. Este estudio confirma que el hueso zigomático pude ofrecer un anclaje predecible y función de soporte para una prótesis fija en el maxilar severamente reabsorbido. [source]

Effects of Spouse Support and Hostility on Trajectories of Czech Couples' Marital Satisfaction and Instability

JOURNAL OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY, Issue 4 2001
Frederick O. Lorenz
This article examines differences in the role of spouses' hostile and supportive behaviors in predicting level and change in marital satisfaction and marital instability. We propose 2 competing hypotheses. The first hypothesis proposes that hostility is relatively volatile and support is relatively stable, and that change in hostility affects change in marital outcomes over the course of the study, whereas the overall level of support functions to maintain the level of marital outcomes. The second hypothesis argues that change in marital satisfaction is a function of change in support, whereas change in marital instability is a function of change in hostility. We tested the hypotheses by fitting growth curves to 3 waves of panel data collected from 436 Czech couples between 1994 and 1996. The results offer some support for the first hypothesis. However, the dominant pattern was for level and change in spouses' reports of their hostility to affect both wives' and husbands' level and change in marital instability, respectively, and for the level and change in husbands' reports of their support to predict level and change in wives' marital satisfaction. Other variables suggested by previous research in the United States and by the Czech transition to a market economy are examined. [source]