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Terms modified by Unfamiliar Selected AbstractsUse of an Automated Device for External Chest Compressions by First-aid Workers Unfamiliar With the Device: A Step Toward Public Access?ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 12 2009Frédéric Lapostolle MD Abstract Objective:, The objective was to establish the feasibility of using an automated external chest compression (ECC) device among first-aid workers unfamiliar with the device. Methods:, Eighty first-aid workers unfamiliar with the Autopulse ECC device were randomized into three groups. Group 1 was given two explanatory illustrations on device use. Group 2 was given four explanatory illustrations. Group 3 was shown a 5-minute video on the placement and use of the device and allowed to handle the device for 5 minutes. The time taken to place and start the device on a mannequin was recorded. Results:, There was no significant difference among the three groups with regard to age, sex ratio, experience, and time elapsed since their last training session. No mistakes in device placement were made by any of the groups. All 80 participants started ECC in less than 160 seconds. There was no significant difference between Groups 1 and 2 in time taken to place or start the device (medians and 25,75 percentiles = 72 [54,112] vs. 86 [46,130] seconds and 154 [103,183] vs. 156 [120,197] seconds, respectively). However, Group 3 first-aid workers obtained significantly better results (19 [16,26] seconds to place and 48 [40,65] seconds to start; p<0.0001). Conclusions:, An automated ECC device can be rapidly placed and used by first-aid workers unfamiliar with the device. In the light of these results, use of the device by the general public can be envisaged. [source] Prospects for diffusion enhancement of signal and resolution in magnetic resonance microscopyCONCEPTS IN MAGNETIC RESONANCE, Issue 2 2003Charles H. Pennington Abstract The prospects for and practical requirements of the "diffusion enhancement of signal and resolution" (DESIRE) scheme proposed by Lauterbur as a method to enhance the sensitivity, spatial resolution, and contrast in magnetic resonance (MR) microscopy and localized MR spectroscopy is assessed. The method, which still has not been implemented, promises signal enhancements of 1,2 orders of magnitude in imaging or localized spectroscopy on the scale of ,10 microns and requires magnetic field gradient strengths (,10 T/m) that are not unreasonable. I emphasize the development of an understanding of the physical principles involved in this unfamiliar, "real-space" imaging method. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Concepts Magn Reson Part A 19A: 71,79, 2003. [source] National Adoption of International Accounting Standards: An Institutional PerspectiveCORPORATE GOVERNANCE, Issue 3 2010William Judge ABSTRACT Manuscript Type: Empirical Research Question/Issue: Effective corporate governance requires accurate and reliable financial information. Historically, each nation has developed and pursued its own financial standards; however, as financial markets consolidate into a global market, there is a need for a common set of financial standards. As a result, there is a movement towards harmonization of international financial reporting standards (IFRS) throughout the global economy. While there has been considerable research on the effects of IFRS adoption, there has been relatively little systematic study as to the antecedents of IFRS adoption. Consequently, this study seeks to understand why some economies have quickly embraced IFRS standards while others partially adopt IFRS and still others continue to resist. Research Findings/Results: After controlling for market capitalization and GDP growth, we find that foreign aid, import penetration, and level of education achieved within a national economy are all predictive of the degree to which IFRS standards are adopted across 132 developing, transitional and developed economies. Theoretical/Academic Implications: We found that all three forms of isomorphic pressures (i.e., coercive, mimetic, and normative) are predictive of IFRS adoption. Consequently, institutional theory with its emphasis on legitimacy-seeking by social actors was relatively well supported by our data. This suggests that the IFRS adoption process is driven more by social legitimization pressures, than it is by economic logic. Practitioner/Policy Implications: For policy makers, our findings suggest that the institutional pressures within an economy are the key drivers of IFRS adoption. Consequently, policy makers should seek to influence institutional pressures that thwart and/or enhance adoption of IFRS. For executives of multinational firms, our findings provide insights that can help to explain and predict future IFRS adoption within economies where their foreign subsidiaries operate. This ability could be useful for creating competitive advantages for foreign subsidiaries where IFRS adoption was resisted, or avoiding competitive disadvantages for foreign subsidiaries unfamiliar with IFRS standards. [source] Effects of auditory input in individuation tasksDEVELOPMENTAL SCIENCE, Issue 6 2008Christopher W. Robinson Under many conditions auditory input interferes with visual processing, especially early in development. These interference effects are often more pronounced when the auditory input is unfamiliar than when the auditory input is familiar (e.g. human speech, pre-familiarized sounds, etc.). The current study extends this research by examining how auditory input affects 8- and 14-month-olds' performance on individuation tasks. The results of the current study indicate that both unfamiliar sounds and words interfered with infants' performance on an individuation task, with cross-modal interference effects being numerically stronger for unfamiliar sounds. The effects of auditory input on a variety of lexical tasks are discussed. [source] Phonological and orthographic spelling in high-functioning adult dyslexicsDYSLEXIA, Issue 2 2009Nenagh Kemp Abstract Despite a history of reading or spelling difficulties, some adults attain age-appropriate spelling skills and succeed at university. We compared the spelling of 29 such high-functioning dyslexics with that of 28 typical students, matched on general spelling ability, and controlling for vocabulary and non-verbal intelligence. Participants wrote derived real and pseudo words, whose spelling relationship to their base forms was categorized as phonologically simple (apt-aptly), orthographically simple (deceit-deceitful), phonologically complex (ash-ashen), or orthographically complex (plenty-plentiful). Dyslexic participants spelled all word and pseudoword categories more poorly than controls. Both groups spelled simple phonological words best. Dyslexics were particularly poor at spelling simple orthographic words, whose letter patterns and rules must likely be memorized. In contrast, dyslexics wrote more plausible spellings of orthographic than phonological pseudowords, but this might be an artefact of their more variable spelling attempts. These results suggest that high-functioning dyslexics make some use of phonological skills to spell familiar words, but they have difficulty in memorizing orthographic patterns, which makes it difficult to spell unfamiliar words consistently in the absence of sufficient phonological cues or orthographic rules. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Computer-generated null models as an approach to detect perceptual range in mark,re-sight studies , an example with grasshoppersECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 2 2005Silke Hein Abstract., 1. Dispersal and habitat detection are key factors for the colonisation of habitat fragments in heterogeneous landscapes. The ability to recognise a habitat from a certain distance should increase the survival chances of a dispersing individual; however, due to methodological problems there is little information on the perceptual range of most species. 2. In a field experiment, 44 individually marked grasshoppers of the species Oedipoda caerulescens (Orthoptera: Acrididae: Locustinae) were released into an unfamiliar, hostile environment at various distances from a patch of preferred habitat. 3. Whether individuals reached the habitat or not was measured, as well as the daily movement distances. The number of individuals that reached the habitat was tested against computer-generated predictions based on different underlying rules for the movement behaviour of individuals but not accounting for the ability to detect habitat from distance. 4. On the first day a significantly higher proportion of grasshoppers arrived in the habitat than predicted by any of the null models. 5. It was concluded that individuals of O. caerulescens are able to detect their preferred habitat from a distance. 6. Edge permeability was very low as none of the individuals left the habitat once they had reached it. 7. Additional analyses showed that individuals changed movement behaviour from a directed walk with great daily distances in unsuitable habitat to a walk with significantly shorter daily distances within the preferred habitat. 8. The problems that arose in the field experiment are discussed and recommendations are given for further studies. [source] Achromatic Plumage Reflectance, Social Dominance and Female Mate Preference in Black-Capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus)ETHOLOGY, Issue 10 2005Elisabeth A. Woodcock Individual variation in achromatic plumage reflectance of male Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) is correlated with social rank and reproductive success, suggesting it may play an important role in sexual signaling. We asked whether female chickadees could assess male quality based on plumage, in the absence of information about relative social dominance. Sexually mature but inexperienced females captured during the pair formation period in late fall and early winter were presented with a choice of two unfamiliar, sexually experienced males in separate compartments of an outdoor mate choice arena. Following each preference trial, we released the males into a single compartment and scored their pairwise dominance interactions. In 10 of 11 trials, females spent significantly more time with the male subsequently identified as dominant, despite not witnessing the males interact. Spectral analysis of male plumage reflectance revealed that UV-chroma of dark body regions (bib, cap and mantle) was significantly greater in dominant, preferred males and that dominant, preferred males had significantly brighter white cheek patches. There were no differences in vocalization rates of preferred and non-preferred males. These results show that female chickadees can rapidly assess unfamiliar males based on visual cues, and suggest that variation in achromatic plumage functions in sexual signaling. [source] Effects of Male Vocal Learning on Female Behavior in the Budgerigar, Melopsittacus undulatusETHOLOGY, Issue 10 2005Arla G. Hile Parrots are unusual among birds and animals in general in the extent of their ability to learn new vocalizations throughout life and irrespective of season. The budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus), a small parrot that is well suited for laboratory studies, has been the subject of numerous studies investigating the neurobiology of vocal learning. To date, few studies have focused on the function of vocal imitation by parrots. Previous work from our research group has shown that vocal imitation in budgerigars is sex-biased, as males paired with females learn vocalizations from their new mates, but not vice versa. This bias led us to hypothesize that vocal learning has a reproductive function. To test this hypothesis, we conducted two experiments. In the first experiment, we tutored males so that they could produce a call similar to one shared by a group of experimental females. The experimental females were then presented with one of the tutored males and another, equally unfamiliar, male that had not been tutored. We found that the females spent a greater proportion of time in proximity of, and made more affiliative displays toward, the tutored males. In the second experiment, seven males received small bilateral brain lesions that disrupt vocal learning. These males and an equal number of control males were then released into an aviary containing females and reproductive resources. We found that lesioned and control males were equally successful in obtaining social mates, but females mated to lesioned males were more likely to engage in extra-pair activities. These experiments indicate that a male's ability to imitate a female's call can influence the sexual behavior of the female even though lack of imitation ability does not appear to influence social pairing. We hypothesize that mate choice in budgerigars has multiple stages. Upon meeting a strange male, a female quickly assesses its ability for social acquisition of calls by the presence or absence of a call type similar to its own in its repertoire. As courtship proceeds into pair formation, the female assesses the ability of male to learn more directly by the extent of the male's perfection of imitation. [source] Faculty development for problem-based learningEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF DENTAL EDUCATION, Issue 2 2004Elizabeth A. Farmer Changing to a problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum represents a substantial challenge because many faculty members are unfamiliar with the process. Faculty development is a crucial component of successful curriculum change to PBL. This paper describes a logical process for designing and implementing a comprehensive faculty development programme at three main stages of change: curriculum transition, curriculum implementation and curriculum advancement. The components of each stage are discussed with reference to the literature and practice. Future advances in faculty development include harnessing the potential of complex adaptive systems theory in understanding and facilitating the change process, and incorporating the results of research, which illuminates the relationships of the PBL tutorial process to student achievement. There is a continuing need for rigorous outcome-based research and programme evaluation to define the best components and strategies for faculty development. [source] Semantic confusion regarding the development of multisensory integration: a practical solutionEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 10 2010Barry E. Stein Abstract There is now a good deal of data from neurophysiological studies in animals and behavioral studies in human infants regarding the development of multisensory processing capabilities. Although the conclusions drawn from these different datasets sometimes appear to conflict, many of the differences are due to the use of different terms to mean the same thing and, more problematic, the use of similar terms to mean different things. Semantic issues are pervasive in the field and complicate communication among groups using different methods to study similar issues. Achieving clarity of communication among different investigative groups is essential for each to make full use of the findings of others, and an important step in this direction is to identify areas of semantic confusion. In this way investigators can be encouraged to use terms whose meaning and underlying assumptions are unambiguous because they are commonly accepted. Although this issue is of obvious importance to the large and very rapidly growing number of researchers working on multisensory processes, it is perhaps even more important to the non-cognoscenti. Those who wish to benefit from the scholarship in this field but are unfamiliar with the issues identified here are most likely to be confused by semantic inconsistencies. The current discussion attempts to document some of the more problematic of these, begin a discussion about the nature of the confusion and suggest some possible solutions. [source] Familiarity and person construal: Individuating knowledge moderates the automaticity of category activation,EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 5 2009Kimberly A. Quinn In this experiment, we examined how perceivers' familiarity with targets moderates person construal. Based on evidence from object categorization that level of construal varies with expertise in a manner that maximizes cue validity, we reasoned that although social (i.e., group-level) categorization is functional for construing unfamiliar others (about whom little or no individuating information is available), it is less functional for familiar others (about whom a great deal of individuating information is available). Results from an automatic priming paradigm provided evidence for our reasoning: Participants categorized unfamiliar faces according to the most salient categorical dimension available in the visual information (in this case, sex), but did not do so for familiar faces. Implications for models of person perception are discussed. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] On the bounded rationality of gender stereotyping in fame judgmentsEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 4 2004Melanie C. Steffens The false-fame effect is the phenomenon that familiar names are falsely judged famous more often than unfamiliar names. M.R. Banaji and A.G. Greenwald (1995) demonstrated a gender bias in the false-fame effect: In line with existing gender stereotypes, the false-fame effect was larger for male than for female names. A more general explanation for gender biasing in fame judgments is based on cognitive availability. Name gender could be used as an ecologically valid cue when making fame judgments. If the relevant universe of famous names contained more male than female names, a gender bias in fame judgments should be observed, if it contained more female names, the gender bias should be reversed. Indeed, this pattern could be demonstrated experimentally, and we argue that it is not compatible with an account that draws on gender stereotyping but with one based on cognitive availability. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Common variations in the pretest environment influence genotypic comparisons in models of anxietyGENES, BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR, Issue 7 2005G. S. Izídio The behavioral characterization of rodent strains in different studies and laboratories can provide unreplicable results even when genotypes are kept constant and environmental control is maximized. In the present study, the influence of common laboratory environmental variables and their interaction with genotype on the results of behavioral tests of anxiety/emotionality were investigated. To this end, the inbred rat strains Lewis (LEW) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), which are known to differ for numerous emotionality-related behaviors, were tested in the open field (OF), elevated plus maze (EPM) and black/white box (BWB), while three environmental factors were systematically controlled and analyzed: (1) the experimenter handling the animal (familiar or unfamiliar); (2) the position of the home cage (top or bottom shelf of the rack) and (3) the behavioral state of the animal immediately before the test (arousal or rest). Experimenter familiarity did not alter the behavior of rats in the OF. Cage position, on the other hand, influenced the behavior in the OF and BWB, with rats housed in top cages appearing less anxious like than those housed in the bottom. In the BWB (but not in the OF), these effects were genotype dependent. Finally, the behavioral state of the animals prior to testing altered the results of the EPM in a strain-dependent manner, with some anxiety-related genotypic differences being found only among rats that were aroused in their home cages. This study showed that common variations in the laboratory environment interact with genotype in behavioral tests of anxiety/emotionality. Recognizing and understanding such variations can help in the design of more effective experiments. [source] Dismantling the Self/Other Dichotomy in Science: Towards a Feminist Model of the Immune SystemHYPATIA, Issue 1 2001LISA WEASEL Despite the development of a vast body of literature pertaining to feminism and science, examples of how feminist phifosophies might be applied to scientific theories and practice have been limited. Moreover, most scientists remain unfamiliar with how feminism pertains to their work. Using the example of the immune system, this paper applies three feminist epistemologies feminist empiricism, feminist standpoint theory, and feminist postmodernismtoassess competingchims of immune function within a feminist context. [source] Electrophysiological Signals of Familiarity and Recency in the Infant BrainINFANCY, Issue 5 2010Kelly A. Snyder Electrophysiological work in nonhuman primates has established the existence of multiple types of signals in the temporal lobe that contribute to recognition memory, including information regarding a stimulus's relative novelty, familiarity, and recency of occurrence. We used high-density event-related potentials (ERPs) to examine whether young infants represent these distinct types of information about previously experienced items. Twenty-four different highly familiar and initially novel items were each repeated exactly once either immediately (Experiment 1), or following one intervening item (Experiment 2). A late slow wave (LSW) component of the ERP exhibited neural responses consistent with recency signals over right-central leads, but only when there were no intervening stimuli between repetitions. The LSW also exhibited responses consistent with familiarity signals over anterior-temporal leads, but only when there were intervening stimuli between repetitions. A mid-latency negative component (i.e., the Nc) also distinguished familiar from novel items, but did not exhibit a pattern of responding consistent with familiarity signals. These findings suggest that infants encode information about a variety of objects from their natural environments into long-term memory, and can discriminate between familiar and unfamiliar items, and between recently seen and new items, very quickly (within 1 sec). They also suggest that infants represent information about not only whether a stimulus is familiar or unfamiliar but also whether it has been seen recently. [source] A Privileged Status for Male Infant-Directed Speech in Infants of Depressed Mothers?INFANCY, Issue 2 2010Role of Father Involvement Prior research showed that 5- to 13-month-old infants of chronically depressed mothers did not learn to associate a segment of infant-directed speech produced by their own mothers or an unfamiliar nondepressed mother with a smiling female face, but showed better-than-normal learning when a segment of infant-directed speech produced by an unfamiliar nondepressed father signaled the face. Here, learning in response to an unfamiliar nondepressed father's infant-directed speech was studied as a function both of the mother's depression and marital status, a proxy measure of father involvement. Infants of unmarried mothers on average did not show significant learning in response to the unfamiliar nondepressed father's infant-directed speech. Infants of married mothers showed significant learning in response to male infant-directed speech, and infants of depressed, married mothers showed significantly stronger learning in response to that stimulus than did infants of nondepressed, married mothers. Several ways in which father involvement may positively or negatively affect infant responsiveness to male infant-directed speech are discussed. [source] Understanding heterogeneity in meta-analysis: the role of meta-regressionINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PRACTICE, Issue 10 2009W. L. Baker Summary Background:, Meta-regression has grown in popularity in recent years, paralleling the increasing numbers of systematic reviews and meta-analysis published in the biomedical literature. However, many clinicians and decision-makers may be unfamiliar with the underlying principles and assumptions made within meta-regression leading to incorrect interpretation of their results. Aims:, This paper reviews the appropriate use and interpretation of meta-regression in the medical literature, including cautions and caveats to its use. Materials & Methods:, A literature search of MEDLINE (OVID) from 1966-February 2009 was conducted to identify literature relevant to the topic of heterogeneity and/or meta-regression in systematic reviews and meta-analysis. Results:, Meta-analysis, a statistical method of pooling data from studies included in a systematic review, is often compromised by heterogeneity of its results. This could include clinical, methodological or statistical heterogeneity. Meta-regression, said to be a merging of meta-analytic and linear regression principles, is a more sophisticated tool for exploring heterogeneity. It aims to discern whether a linear relationship exists between an outcome measure and on or more covariates. The associations found in a meta-regression should be considered hypothesis generating and not regarded as proof of causality. Conclusions:, The current review will enable clinicians and healthcare decision-makers to appropriately interpret the results of meta-regression when used within the constructs of a systematic review, and be able to extend it to their clinical practice. [source] Trafficking: A Perspective from AsiaINTERNATIONAL MIGRATION, Issue 3 2000Ronald Skeldon The main theme of this article is market development and trafficking as a business. It touches upon most of the aspects of the phenomenon, which have been encountered elsewhere, and translates them into the relatively unfamiliar context of many of the Asian and South-East Asian economies. Equally, the literature cited is also probably unfamiliar. Themes touched upon include democratization, inter-state relations, human rights, and scale and perspectives, together with the problems of definitions, theory, and the reliability of data. The directions and characteristics of trafficking flows together with routes and border control are also considered. Coordinated official responses to criminality and criminal organizations, as well as to trafficked individuals, are beginning to emerge. There is a note of caution sounded that contextual and cultural perspectives, particularly on sex workers, must be viewed somewhat differently to those in Western societies. The article concludes that as long as countries in Asia maintain their policies of restrictive immigration, trafficking can be expected to continue and almost certainly increase. This is because accelerating development creates demand for labour at various skill levels and because even in times of recession migrants and brokers will seek to side-step attempts to expel immigrants and restrict access to labour markets. The elimination of trafficking is unlikely to be realistically achieved through legislation and declarations of intent but by improvements in the socio-economic status of the population. [source] The experience of life after burn injury: a new bodily awarenessJOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 3 2008Asgjerd Litleré Moi Abstract Aim., This paper is a report of a study to describe the injured body of people who have survived a major burn and seeks to understand the essence of their lived experience. Background., The burden of a burn-injured body, including loss of function, altered appearance and psychological distress, can threaten return to preburn state of life and successful return to society. Method., Fourteen participants (three women and 11 men; mean age 46 years) who had survived a major burn were interviewed in 2005,2006 an average 14 months after injury. A Husserlian phenomenological approach was adopted. Findings., A new and demanding bodily awareness, disclosing both limitations and potentials, emerged as the essence of the burn survivors' experience of their injured bodies. This was supported by a descriptive structure of the body as telling a new story, being unfamiliar to watch and sense, vulnerable and in need of protection, more present with a variety of nuisances, having brakes on and resisting habitual actions, as well as being insecure when distrusting own abilities. Participants typically experienced losing the familiarity of their bodies as anonymous and unconsciously at hand for all possible actions in everyday life. Significant others served as buffers, extensions of participants' injured bodies, reducing obstacles and insecurity in all aspects of life. Conclusion., The lived experience of people who have sustained a burn injury should be recognized and valued by nurses in all phases of burn care. Nurses have an important role in facilitating the presence and involvement of family and friends in the recovery and rehabilitation of burn survivors. [source] Nursing Time Devoted to Medication Administration in Long-Term Care: Clinical, Safety, and Resource ImplicationsJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 2 2009Mary S. Thomson PhD OBJECTIVES: To quantify the time required for nurses to complete the medication administration process in long-term care (LTC). DESIGN: Time-motion methods were used to time all steps in the medication administration process. SETTING: LTC units that differed according to case mix (physical support, behavioral care, dementia care, and continuing care) in a single facility in Ontario, Canada. PARTICIPANTS: Regular and temporary nurses who agreed to be observed. MEASUREMENTS: Seven predefined steps, interruptions, and total time required for the medication administration process were timed using a personal digital assistant. RESULTS: One hundred forty-one medication rounds were observed. Total time estimates were standardized to 20 beds to facilitate comparisons. For a single medication administration process, the average total time was 62.0±4.9 minutes per 20 residents on physical support units, 84.0±4.5 minutes per 20 residents on behavioral care units, and 70.0±4.9 minutes per 20 residents on dementia care units. Regular nurses took an average of 68.0±4.9 minutes per 20 residents to complete the medication administration process, and temporary nurses took an average of 90.0±5.4 minutes per 20 residents. On continuing care units, which are organized differently because of the greater severity of residents' needs, the medication administration process took 9.6±3.2 minutes per resident. Interruptions occurred in 79% of observations and accounted for 11.5% of the medication administration process. CONCLUSION: Time requirements for the medication administration process are substantial in LTC and are compounded when nurses are unfamiliar with residents. Interruptions are a major problem, potentially affecting the efficiency, quality, and safety of this process. [source] Efficacy of plaque removal and learning effect of a powered and a manual toothbrushJOURNAL OF CLINICAL PERIODONTOLOGY, Issue 8 2003D. Lazarescu Abstract Background: Subjects with high plaque and gingivitis scores can profit most from the introduction of new manual or powered tooth brushes. To improve their hygiene, not only the technical characteristics of new brushes but also the learning effect in efficient handling are of importance. Aim: The present study compared the efficacy in plaque removal of an electric and a manual toothbrush in a general population and analysed the learning effect in efficient handling. Method: Eighty healthy subjects, unfamiliar with electric brushes, were divided into two groups: group 1 used the Philips/Jordan HP 735 powered brush and group 2 used a manual brush, Oral-B40+. Plaque index (PI) and gingival bleeding index (GBI) were assessed at baseline and at weeks 3, 6, 12 and 18. After each evaluation, patients abstained from oral hygiene for 24 h. The next day a 3-min supervised brushing was perfomed. Before and after this brushing, PI was assessed for the estimation of the individual learning effect. The study was single blinded. Results: Over the 18-week period, PI reduced gradually and statistically significantly (p<0.001) in group 1 from 2.9 (±0.38) to 1.5 (±0.24) and in group 2 from 2.9 (±0.34) to 2.2 (±0.23). From week 3 onwards, the difference between groups was statistically significant (p<0.001). The bleeding index decreased in group 1 from 28% (±17%) to 7% (±5%) (p<0.001) and in group 2 from 30% (±12%) to 12% (±6%) (p<0.001). The difference between groups was statistically significant (p<0.001) from week 6 onwards. The learning effect, expressed as the percentage of plaque reduction after 3 min of supervised brushing, was 33% for group 1 and 26% for group 2 at week 0. This percentage increased at week 18 to 64% in group 1 and 44% in group 2 (difference between groups statistically significant: p<0.001). Conclusion: The powered brush was significantly more efficient in removing plaque and improving gingival health than the manual brush in the group of subjects unfamiliar with electric brushes. There was also a significant learning effect that was more pronounced with the electric toothbrush. Zusammenfassung Hintergrund: Personen mit einem hohen Plaque- und Gingivitisindex können am meisten von der Einführung einer neuen Hand- oder elektrischen Zahnbürste profitieren. Um ihre Hygiene zu verbessern, sind nicht nur die technischen Charakteristika der neuen Bürste von Wichtigkeit, sondern auch der Lerneffekt für das effiziente Nutzen. Ziel: Die vorliegende Studie vergleicht die Effektivität bei der Plaqueentfernung bei einer elektrischen und einer Handzahnbürste in einer allgemeinen Bevölkerung und analysiert den Lerneffekt bei der effektiven Benutzung. Methoden: 80 gesunde Personen, die nicht an elektrische Zahnbürsten gewöhnt waren, wurden in zwei Gruppen eingeteilt: Gruppe 1 nutzte die Philips/Jordan HP 735 elektrische Bürste und die Gruppe 2 eine Handbürste, Oral-B40+. Der Plaqueindex (PI) und der gingivale Blutungsindex (GBI) wurden zur Basis und zu den Wochen 3, 6, 12 und 18 gemessen. Nach jeder Evaluation enthielten sich die Patienten für 24 Stunden der oralen Hygiene. Am nächsten Tag wurde ein beaufsichtigtes Bürsten durchgeführt. Vor und nach diesem Bürsten wurde der Plaqueindex für die Einschätzung des individuellen Lerneffektes aufgezeichnet. Die Studie war einfach blind. Ergebnisse: Über die 18wöchige Periode reduzierte sich der PI graduell und statistisch signifikant (p<0,001) in der Gruppe 1 von 2.9 (±0.38) auf 1.5 (±0.24) und in der Gruppe 2 von 2.9 (±0.34) auf 2.2 (± 0.23). Von der Woche 3 aufwärts wurde die Differenz zwischen den beiden Gruppen signifikant (p<0.001). Der Blutungsindex verringerte sich in der Gruppe 1 von 28% (± 17%) auf 7% (±5%) (p<0.001) und in der Gruppe 2 von 30% (±12%) auf 12% (±6%) (p<0.001). Die Differenz zwischen den beiden Gruppen war statistisch signifikant (p<0.001) von der 6. Woche an. Der Lerneffekt, ausgedrückt durch den Prozentsatz der Plaquereduktion nach 3 Minuten beaufsichtigtem Putzen, war 33% bei der Gruppe 1 und 26% bei der Gruppe 2 zur Woche 0. Dieser Prozentsatz vergrößerte sich zur Woche 18 auf 64% in der Gruppe 1 und auf 44% in der Gruppe 2 (Differenzen zwischen den Gruppen statistisch signifikant: p<0.001). Schlussfolgerung: Die elektrische Zahnbürste war signifikant mehr effektiv in der Plaqueentfernung und Verbesserung der gingivalen Gesundheit als die Handbürste in dieser Gruppe von Personen, die nicht an elektrische Bürsten gewöhnt waren. Es gab auch einen signifikanten Lerneffekt, welcher bei der Nutzung der elektrischen Zahnbürste größer war. Résumé Contexte: Des sujets présentant des scores de plaque et de gingivite élevés peuvent bénéficier de façon importante de l'apparition de nouvelles brosses manuelles et électriques. Pour améliorer leur hygiène, les caractéristiques techniques, mais aussi les instructions pour une manipulation efficace sont des éléments importants. But: Cette étude compare l'efficacité d'élimination de la plaque d'une brosse à dent manuelle et électrique dans une population générale et analyse l'effet de l'apprentissage pour une manipulation efficace. Méthode: 80 sujets sains, pas habitués aux brosses électrique, ont été divisés en deux groupes : Le groupe 1 utilisa la brosse Philips/Jordan HP 735 électrique et le groupe 2, une brosse manuelle Oral-B40+. L'indice de plaque (PI) et l'indice de saignement gingival (GBI) furent enregistrés initialement et à 3, 6, 12 et 18 semaines. Après chaque évaluation, les patients arrêtaient l'hygiène buccale pendant 24 heures. Le jour suivant, un brossage surveillé de 3 minutes était réalisé. Avant et après ce brossage, l'indice de plaque était relevé en vue de l'estimation de l'effet de l'apprentissage. L'étude était en aveugle simple. Résultats: Pendant la période de 18 semaines, le PI diminuait graduellement et de façon statistiquement significative (p<0.001) dans le groupe 1, de 2.9 (±0.38) à 1.5 (±0.24) et dans le groupe 2 de 2.9 (±0.34) à 2.2 (±0.23). A partir de la troisième semaine, la différence était déjà significative (p<0.001). L'indice de saignement diminuait dans le groupe 1 de 28% (±17%) à 7% (±5%) (p<0.001) et dans le groupe 2, de 30% (±12%) à 12% (±6%) (p<0.001). La différence entre les groupes était statistiquement significative à partir de la sixième semaine. L'effet de l'apprentissage, exprimé en pourcentage de la réduction de plaque après un brossage de 3 minutes surveillé fut de 33% pour le groupe 1 et de 26 % pour le groupe 2 initialement et augmentait lors de la semaine 18 jusqu'à 64% dans le groupe 1 et 44% dans le groupe 2 (différence entre les groupes significative: p<0.001). [source] The effects of labelling, expert testimony, and information processing mode on juror decisions in SVP civil commitment trialsJOURNAL OF INVESTIGATIVE PSYCHOLOGY AND OFFENDER PROFILING, Issue 1 2009Joel D. Lieberman Abstract Expert witnesses offering testimony in sexually violent predator civil commitment trials may use diagnostic labels that are either familiar (e.g. ,psychopath') or unfamiliar (e.g. ,paraphilia') to jurors. Using predictions based on cognitive experiential self-theory, we explored the influence of testimony type (clinical versus actuarial) and diagnostic label (psychopath versus paraphilia) on jurors motivated to adopt either an experiential processing mode (PM; in which heuristic cues may be strongly relied upon) or an analytic rational PM. Consistent with previous research, our results indicated that when given a psychopathic diagnostic label, mock jurors motivated to process information experientially were more influenced by clinical testimony, whereas mock jurors induced into a rational mode were more influenced by actuarial testimony. However, experientially oriented jurors given a paraphilia diagnostic label did not show the expected influence of clinical expert testimony, and instead were more persuaded by actuarial testimony. These findings are discussed from a judgement and heuristics cues framework. The implications of several procedural suggestions are examined. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Struggling with an unfamiliar and unreliable body: the experience of irritable bowel syndromeJOURNAL OF NURSING AND HEALTHCARE OF CHRONIC ILLNE SS: AN INTERNATIONAL INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL, Issue 1 2009Cecilia Håkanson MSc Aim., To describe the phenomenon living with irritable bowel syndrome from a life-world perspective. Background., Ten to twenty per cent of the adult population in the world is known to live with irritable bowel syndrome. The life-world experience of people with irritable bowel syndrome has been paid little attention. A deeper understanding about the phenomenon living with irritable bowel syndrome is of interest for the future development of care. Design and methods., The study was performed using a phenomenological method. Data was collected by in-depth, open interviews performed in 2006, with nine persons between 25,55 years, diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome. The interviews were analysed according to the method of Giorgi. Results., Six interrelated key constituents have been identified: Having an altered self-image, feeling ashamed, distrusting the body, feeling tired, blaming oneself, and finding solutions. A structure has been formulated, describing that living with irritable bowel syndrome means struggling with an unfamiliar and unreliable body. Tiredness, distrust, and feelings of shame towards the body bring about limitations in everyday life. At the same time, living with irritable bowel syndrome means having a strong will to exceed the limitations and become familiar with one self. Conclusion., This study suggests that living with irritable bowel syndrome means to struggle with an unfamiliar and unreliable body that brings about changes of self-image and limitations in every day life. Feelings of distrust, shame and embarrassment towards troublesome symptoms, are important contributions to the limitations experienced. Relevance to clinical practice., Nurses have a major role to play in the care for people with irritable bowel syndrome. A caring perspective, in which the life-world is central, is an important approach to care for these persons. Using the dialogue as a forum where patients can share their unique life-world experiences lets nurses gather knowledge that is essential in helping patients identify and acknowledge new and positive understandings of the lived body. [source] Clinical supervision: what do we know and what do we need to know?JOURNAL OF NURSING MANAGEMENT, Issue 8 2006A review, commentary Aims, This study is addressed to nurses but the issues are of equal concern to both midwives and health visitors. Clinical supervision ideally both challenges nurses as well as help their practice. There is need to identify critical elements that help professional practice and understand more clearly the changing nature of supervisory relationships. Background, Clinical supervision in nursing is over a decade old in the UK and yet emerging nursing literature suggests that many ideas remain unfamiliar to nursing practice. The resistance shown by nurse towards clinical supervising remains perplexing. Moreover, ideas concerning clinical supervision have been applied without a substantive evidence base. Methods, The discussion draws on varied ideas concerning supervision, including those outside of nursing, to ask what do we know and still need to know about clinical supervision. This study suggests that, a single approach to clinical supervision could be unhelpful to nursing. Findings and conclusion, Nursing knowledge concerning many aspects of clinical supervision is increasing because of research. Much of the literature suggests that clinical supervision is scholarly activity requiring much the same attention to relationships as the therapeutic activities it supports. This discussion concludes with the idea that clinical supervision might work at its best as a quiet activity allowing nurses to think about nursing work in ways that suit individual learning styles. [source] Ligneous inflammation involving the female genital tractJOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNAECOLOGY RESEARCH (ELECTRONIC), Issue 4 2007Abdullah Karaer Abstract Ligneous inflammation is a rare disease characterized by progressive growth of ligneous plaques on mucosal surfaces. Involvement of the female genital tract is an unusual condition. We present a patient with multifocal ligneous inflammation involving her genital tract, oral mucosa and conjunctiva. Plasminogen functional activity was 18% of normal (reference: 55,145%). Molecular analysis exhibited that her genetic status is homozygous for a combination of three polymorphisms. But no true mutation could be found in all 19 exons of the plasminogen gene. We did not observe any clinical changes, although plasminogen activity has improved in the course of 5 months of oral contraceptive therapy Most gynecologists are unfamiliar with this diagnosis and pathologists with wide experience in gynecology are unaware of this disease. However, the histology of lesions is characteristic and a diagnosis can be made quite easily once it has been considered. [source] Focus Introduction: Taking the Measure of Jonathan Edwards for Contemporary Religious EthicsJOURNAL OF RELIGIOUS ETHICS, Issue 2 2003Stephen A. Wilson and The Journal of Religious Ethics marks the tercentenary of Edwards's birth with the following collection of essays. In keeping with the overall mission of the journal, this tribute takes the form of historical and constructive reflection, in which diverse perspectives on Edwards's work and diverse forms of engagement with it supplement and correct one another. Our hope is that these essays will serve both to generate interest in Edwards's work among those who are unfamiliar with him, and to advance the discussion of central issues in theological and religious ethics. In this introductory essay, we will offer some reflections on Edwards's general significance for contemporary ethics, followed by a closer examination of his main texts and a brief summary of the essays collected here. [source] EPA'S BASINS MODEL: GOOD SCIENCE OR SERENDIPITOUS MODELING?,JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN WATER RESOURCES ASSOCIATION, Issue 3 2000Ray C. Whittemore ABSTRACT: Better Assessment Science Integrating Point and Non-point Sources (BASINS) is a geographic-based watershed assessment tool developed by EPA's Office of Water to help states more efficiently target and evaluate water-bodies that are not meeting water quality standards. BASINS (EPA, 1996a, 1998) brings together data on water quality and quantity, land uses, point source loadings, and other related spatial data with supporting nonpoint and water quality models at a quicker and more effective pace. EPA developed BASINS, to better integrate point and nonpoint source water quality assessments for the Nation's 2100+ watersheds. In its zeal to achieve this endpoint, EPA has initiated a simplistic approach that was expected to grow through scientific enhancements as TMDL developers become more familiar with modeling requirements. BASINS builds upon federal databases of water quality conditions and point source loadings for numerous parameters where quality assurance is suspect in some cases. Its design allows comprehensive assessments and modeling in typical Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) computations. While the TMDL utility is the primary reason BASINS was developed, other longer-range water quality assessments will become possible as the Agency expands the suite of assessment models and databases in future releases. The simplistic approach to modeling and user-friendly tools gives rise, however, to technical and philosophical concerns related to default data usage. Seamless generation of model input files and the failure of some utilities to work properly suggest to NCASI that serious problems may still exist and prompts the need for a more rigorous peer-review. Furthermore, sustainable training becomes paramount, as some older modelers will be unfamiliar with Geographic Information System (GIS) technology and associated computer skills. Overall, however, BASINS was judged to be an excellent beginning tool to meet the complex environmental modeling needs in the 21st Century. [source] Chemical cues and binary individual recognition in the hermit crab Pagurus longicarpusJOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY, Issue 1 2004Francesca Gherardi Abstract The behaviour exhibited by the hermit crab Pagurus longicarpus in response to an empty shell varied in the presence of cues from conspecific individuals according to its familiarity or not with them. This binary discrimination was independent of the conspecific's relative size and was based on chemical signatures, an ability that this species shares with a few other aquatic invertebrates. From our results, olfaction appeared to be the dominant sensory channel in P. longicarpus' binary discrimination, but the combination of two signal components from visual and olfactory channels resulted in the enhancement of the response displayed by the receiver. Besides, crabs reacted differently when exposed to their own odour than to the odour of familiar (as well as unfamiliar) conspecifics, suggesting that recognition in this species can be more refined than a binary discrimination and that chemical ,badges' may be attributes of individual crabs. [source] Recrudescence of sexual activity in a colony of the Mashona mole-rat (Cryptomys darlingi): an apparent case of incest avoidanceJOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY, Issue 2 2001M. Herbst Abstract Colonies of the Mashona mole-rat Cryptomys darlingi are founded from a single reproductive pair of animals that are genetically unrelated by descent. All non-reproductive animals are the progeny of the reproductive pair. Non-reproductive colony members do not seem to be suppressed from reproduction at the level of the pituitary. In colonies in which the reproductive female is removed or dies, there is strict incest avoidance and the colony remains reproductively quiescent. Reinstatement of sexual activity in a queenless colony may be brought about in the laboratory by the introduction of unfamiliar and unrelated adult males. In the queenless colony under study, there was a marked change in the dominance hierarchy with an increase in Landau's index of linearity from 0.61 to 1.0 on the introduction of two unrelated males. The two new males became the most dominant within the colony. All previously non-reproductive females exhibited heightened urinary oestradiol 17, and progesterone concentrations on the introduction of the males. However, it was only the older and most dominant non-reproductive female that became the new reproductive female and produced a litter of three pups 70 days after the initial introduction. [source] Individual recognition in the Damaraland mole-rat, Cryptomys damarensis (Rodentia: Bathyergidae)JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY, Issue 3 2000D. S. Jacobs Abstract Conspecific recognition was investigated in the eusocial and subterranean Damaraland mole-rat Cryptomys damarensis. This species out-breeds and is xenophobic. Differences in the frequency of agonistic behaviours between male,male pairs were used as an indication of recognition. Focal males were tested with familiar, unfamiliar, and foreign conspecifics. Males directed significantly more aggression towards unfamiliar colony mates and foreign conspecifics than towards familiar colony mates. This happened even though both focal and test animals retained contact with their natal colonies and, therefore, any group cue. Furthermore, when male,male pairs were returned to their natal colonies they continued directing aggression towards each other but not towards the rest of the colony. These results suggest that the Damaraland mole-rat uses individually distinct cues rather than kin-specific cues based on genetic relatedness. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||