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Values Exceeding (value + exceeding)
Selected AbstractsIs detrusor hypertrophy in women associated with voiding dysfunction?AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNAECOLOGY, Issue 6 2009Orawan LEKSKULCHAI Background:, In men, bladder wall thickness ,5 mm seems to be a useful predictor of outlet obstruction, with a diagnostic value exceeding that of free uroflowmetry indices. There are no data in the literature examining whether this may also apply in women. Aims:, To identify the relationships between detrusor wall thickness (DWT) and symptoms and urodynamic findings suggestive of voiding dysfunction. Methods:, This is a retrospective study analysing data sets of 686 women seen for urodynamic testing in a tertiary urogynaecological unit. Hesitancy, poor stream and stop,start voiding were recorded as symptoms of voiding dysfunction. All women underwent free uroflowmetry and multichannel urodynamic testing. We used the urethral resistance factor (URA) and the obstruction coefficient (OCO), methods employed to quantify bladder outlet resistance in men. Transperineal ultrasound for DWT was performed after voiding and catheter removal. Statistical analysis was carried out by using the statistical software (spss 15.0; SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Results:, Symptoms of voiding dysfunction were reported by 33.1% of patients and 22.4% had urodynamically diagnosed voiding dysfunction. The mean DWT in symptomatic women was not statistically different from the mean DWT in those without symptoms. URA and OCO of symptomatic women were significantly different from those of asymptomatic women (P < 0.01). DWT was not associated with parameters of voiding function, URA or OCO. Conclusions:, Contrary to the situation in men, increased DWT in women does not seem to be associated with symptoms or signs of voiding dysfunction. Therefore, DWT cannot be used as a predictor of voiding difficulty in women. [source] Psychometric properties of the Swedish PedsQL, Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0 generic core scalesACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 9 2009Solveig Petersen Abstract Aim:, To study the psychometric performance of the Swedish version of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) 4.0 generic core scales in a general child population in Sweden. Methods:, PedsQL forms were distributed to 2403 schoolchildren and 888 parents in two different school settings. Reliability and validity was studied for self-reports and proxy reports, full forms and short forms. Confirmatory factor analysis tested the factor structure and multigroup confirmatory factor analysis tested measurement invariance between boys and girls. Results:, Test-retest reliability was demonstrated for all scales and internal consistency reliability was shown with , value exceeding 0.70 for all scales but one (self-report short form: social functioning). Child-parent agreement was low to moderate. The four-factor structure of the PedsQL and factorial invariance across sex subgroups were confirmed for the self-report forms and for the proxy short form, while model fit indices suggested improvement of several proxy full-form scales. Conclusion:, The Swedish PedsQL 4.0 generic core scales are a reliable and valid tool for health-related quality of life (HRQoL) assessment in Swedish child populations. The proxy full form, however, should be used with caution. The study also support continued use of the PedsQL as a four-factor model, capable of revealing meaningful HRQoL differences between boys and girls. [source] Search of Microorganisms that Degrade PAHs under Alkaline ConditionsENGINEERING IN LIFE SCIENCES (ELECTRONIC), Issue 4 2004A. Gerbeth Abstract Bacterial strains were enriched from building rubble contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). These strains were studied as an inoculum in bioremediation processes with contaminated building rubble. The selection criteria for the bacteria were broad profiles in PAH degradation, stable expression of the traits and tolerance to alkaline conditions. Various strains of Micrococcus sp., Dietzia sp., Rhodococcus sp. and Pseudomonas sp. met the selection criteria. In general, degradative activity was limited at higher pH values. Strains of Micrococcus were suitable for practical use as complete degradation of various PAHs was observed at pH values exceeding 10. Strains of Dietzia sp. showed broad PAH degradation profile, but in some cases degradation came to a halt leaving some of the PAHs unutilized. With Dietzia sp. this could be due to inhibitory effects from the accumulation of toxic PAH metabolic products and/or growth-limiting media conditions. [source] A deterministic seismic hazard map of India and adjacent areasGEOPHYSICAL JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL, Issue 2 2003Imtiyaz A. Parvez SUMMARY A seismic hazard map of the territory of India and adjacent areas has been prepared using a deterministic approach based on the computation of synthetic seismograms complete with all main phases. The input data set consists of structural models, seismogenic zones, focal mechanisms and earthquake catalogues. There are few probabilistic hazard maps available for the Indian subcontinent, however, this is the first study aimed at producing a deterministic seismic hazard map for the Indian region using realistic strong ground motion modelling with the knowledge of the physical process of earthquake generation, the level of seismicity and wave propagation in anelastic media. Synthetic seismograms at a frequency of 1 Hz have been generated at a regular grid of 0.2°× 0.2° by the modal summation technique. The seismic hazard, expressed in terms of maximum displacement (Dmax), maximum velocity (Vmax), and design ground acceleration (DGA), has been extracted from the synthetic signals and mapped on a regular grid over the studied territory. The estimated values of the peak ground acceleration are compared with the observed data available for the Himalayan region and are found to be in agreement. Many parts of the Himalayan region have DGA values exceeding 0.6 g. The epicentral areas of the great Assam earthquakes of 1897 and 1950 in northeast India represent the maximum hazard with DGA values reaching 1.2,1.3 g. The peak velocity and displacement in the same region is estimated as 120,177 cm s,1 and 60,90 cm, respectively. [source] Stimulated single fiber electromyography in the mouse: Techniques and normative dataMUSCLE AND NERVE, Issue 7 2001Clifton L. Gooch MD Abstract As the number of new transgenic mouse models of human neuromuscular disease continues to increase, the development of sophisticated electrophysiologic techniques for assessing the peripheral nervous system in these models has become important. Neuromuscular junction (NMJ) dysfunction, in particular, is often not detectable by morphologic or other techniques. To enable sensitive testing of murine NMJ function, we developed and tested a method for stimulated single fiber electromyography (S-SFEMG) in the gastrocnemius muscles of anesthetized mice. Jitter was assessed by measuring the mean consecutive latency difference (MCD) of single fiber responses to sciatic nerve stimulation at 2 HZ. Mean MCD values in normothermic mice were in the range of 6,8 ,s for different strains, with no MCD values exceeding 25 ,s. Reduced core temperature (to 29°,30°C) resulted in increased jitter, whereas intubation and mechanical ventilation of mice did not alter these values. Intraperitoneal and intravenous injection of vecuronium, however, resulted in progressively increased jitter followed by blocking in continuously monitored fibers. These observations validate the utility of S-SFEMG in mice as an index of NMJ function under a variety of physiologic conditions, and suggest that a high safety factor for neuromuscular transmission exists at mouse NMJs. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Muscle Nerve 24: 941,945, 2001 [source] Quantum transport in high mobility AlGaN/GaN 2DEGs and nanostructuresPHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI (B) BASIC SOLID STATE PHYSICS, Issue 7 2006S. Schmult Abstract High mobility two-dimensional electron systems in GaN/AlGaN heterostructures have been realized by plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy on GaN templates. In the density range of 1011 cm,2 to 1012 cm,2, mobility values exceeding 160000 cm2/Vs have been achieved. Scattering mechanisms that presently limit the production of higher mobility samples are discussed. We present results of a systematic study of the weak localization and antilocalization corrections to the classical conductivity at very low magnetic fields. The unambiguous observation of a conductivity maximum at B = 0 suggests that spin,orbit scattering is not negligible in GaN heterostructures as one might expect for a wide-bandgap system. We have recently realized electron transport through GaN nanostructures. We report on the transport properties of the first quantum point contacts (QPCs) in GaN. These devices are used to study one-dimensional transport in the Nitride system. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] Image Cytometry DNA-Analysis of Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology to Aid Cytomorphology in the Distinction of Branchial Cleft Cyst from Cystic Metastasis of Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Prospective Study,THE LARYNGOSCOPE, Issue 11 2004Sushma Nordemar MD Abstract Objective: Frequently, the distinction between branchial cleft cyst and cystic metastases from squamous cell carcinoma is difficult by cytomorphology. In a prospective study, we investigated the need for, and the value of, image cytometry DNA-analysis as a complement to cytologic evaluation of cystic lesions in the neck. Study Design: Image cytometry DNA-analysis was performed on the fine needle aspiration cytology smears from 50 patients, referred to our department, with a solitary cystic lesion in the lateral region of the neck. Methods: Smears from aspirates were Giemsa stained and cytologically evaluated. Ahrens image analysis was used for DNA analysis on smears stained with Schiff reagent, and lymphocytes were used as control cells. Epithelial cells with DNA values exceeding 5c were regarded as aneuploid, indicating malignancy. Results: Nine lesions were diagnosed as squamous cell cancer metastases cytologically. DNA analysis showed aneuploidy in all of them except one. Three of these lesions had earlier been diagnosed as branchial cleft cyst at the referring hospital. Eight lesions were cytologically inconclusive and four of them were revealed as cystic metastasis at histopathologic analysis, and DNA analysis showed aneuploidy in all but one, which could not be analyzed. Two of these lesions were also diagnosed as branchial cleft cysts at the referring hospital. All benign lesions were diploid. Nine lesions were thyroid and salivary gland lesions. Conclusion: Image cytometry DNA-analysis was shown to help in the distinction between benign and malignant cystic lesions. Thus, when conventional cytomorphology does not suffice, DNA-analysis is clearly a valuable supplement. [source] Liver dysfunction in paediatric obesity: a randomized, controlled trial of metforminACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 9 2007Michael Freemark Abstract Aim: In a previous study we showed that metformin reduced BMI z -scores and fasting glucose and insulin concentrations, and increased whole body insulin sensitivity in obese adolescents with fasting hyperinsulinemia and a family history of type 2 diabetes. We analyzed the data from this study to determine (a) if metformin reduced serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) concentrations during the 6-month trial, and (b) if the response to pharmacotherapy varied along gender or ethnic lines. Methods: The 6-month trial was randomized, double blinded and placebo controlled; a total of 14 metformin-treated (500 mg bid) and 15 placebo-treated subjects completed the study. There were no dietary restrictions. Results: In obese adolescents fed ad libitum, metformin (a) prevented the rise in ALT concentrations that were observed in placebo-treated subjects at the 3 to 5 month time-points (p < 0.05); (b) reduced (p < 0.01) the percentage of all ALT values exceeding 40 U/L; and (c) caused a modest (10%) but statistically significant (p < 0.05) reduction in serum ALT in Caucasian subjects. Metformin had no effect on ALT levels or the ALT to AST ratio in the five African American adolescents enrolled in the study but reduced their fasting insulin concentrations from 26.1 to 19.5 ,U/mL (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that metformin might reduce the rates or severity of liver dysfunction in selected high-risk adolescents. [source] | ||||||||||