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Clinical assessment of effusion in knee osteoarthritis-A systematic review.
No full textOBJECTIVE: The aim of this systematic review was to determine the validity and inter- and intra-observer reliability of the assessment of knee joint effusion in osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. METHODS: MEDLINE, Web of Knowledge, CINAHL, EMBASE, and AMED were searched from their inception to February 2015. Articles were included according to a priori defined criteria: samples containing participants with knee OA; prospective evaluation of clinical tests and assessments of knee effusion that included reliability, sensitivity, and specificity of these tests. RESULTS: A total of 10 publications were reviewed. Eight of these considered reliability and four on validity of clinical assessments against ultrasound effusion. It was not possible to undertake a meta-analysis of reliability or validity because of differences in study designs and the clinical tests. Intra-observer kappa agreement for visible swelling ranged from 0.37 (suprapatellar) to 1.0 (prepatellar); for bulge sign 0.47 and balloon sign 0.37. Inter-observer kappa agreement for visible swelling ranged from -0.02 (prepatellar) to 0.65 (infrapatellar), the balloon sign -0.11 to 0.82, patellar tap -0.02 to 0.75 and bulge sign kappa -0.04 to 0.14 or reliability coefficient 0.97. Reliability and diagnostic accuracy tended to be better in experienced observers. Very few data looked at performance of individual clinical tests with sensitivity ranging 18.2-85.7% and specificity 35.3-93.3%, both higher with larger effusions. CONCLUSION: The majority of unstandardized clinical tests to assess joint effusion in knee OA had relatively low intra- and inter-observer reliability. There is some evidence experience improved reliability and diagnostic accuracy of tests. Currently there is insufficient evidence to recommend any particular test in clinical practice
A long and winding road: over 40 years of R&D Management
No full textEstablished in 1970, R&D Management is today one of the leading journals of the technology and innovation management field that spans the business and management subject areas. It publishes innovative research with high academic interest. This paper reviews the journal’s history and the major contributions of its first forty years, examines its present position in the context of technology and innovation management literature, and then looks at the factors which might affect the journal in the future. Descriptive and non-parametric bibliometric methods are used to examine the historic performance of the journal and the field, its current position and the factors shaping future development
On understanding company perceptions of risk – a text mining application
No full textTwo methodologies – thematic analysis and laddering theory – were used to analyse qualitative data on risk management. The data – in the form of interview transcripts – were obtained from an in-depth survey of how risk is perceived by UK business. Using the NVivo software, four main themes were identified: concepts of risk, risk management, roles in risk management and data encryption. From these, inferential codes on attributes, consequences and values were used in conjunction with means–end theory to help explain the motivations behind the competing core values of the participating organisations
Outcomes From Selective Use of Thrombectomy in Patients Undergoing Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction: An Analysis of the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society/National Institute for Cardiovascular Outcomes Research (BCIS-NICOR) Registry, 2006-2013.
No full textOBJECTIVES: This study used a large national cohort to examine patterns of thrombectomy use in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and the relationship to mortality. BACKGROUND: The impact of coronary thrombectomy on mortality in STEMI has not been definitively established. Published trial data have been insufficiently powered to address this. METHODS: The U.K. national registry was used to study 98,176 patients treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), between January 1, 2006, and December 31, 2013. Patients were grouped on the basis of whether they received thrombectomy or not; subgroups of simple (manual aspiration) and complex (mechanical) thrombectomy were also evaluated. The primary endpoint was 30-day mortality. The principal adjusted analysis used propensity score matching (PSM). A sensitivity analysis was performed using logistic regression controlled for the propensity score. RESULTS: Thrombectomy use markedly increased in the United Kingdom between 2008 and 2010 but plateaued thereafter at slightly below 50% of all primary PCI cases. No significant mortality difference was seen, in adjusted analyses, between the overall thrombectomy group and the no thrombectomy group, at 30 days or 1 year (at 30 days, PSM average treatment effect [ATE] coefficient 0.0028, 95% confidence interval: -0.0048 to 0.0104; p = 0.47). Likewise, no difference was seen between the simple (manual) thrombectomy versus no thrombectomy, at either time point (at 30 days, PSM ATE coefficient 0.0007, 95% confidence interval: -0.0049 to 0.0063; p = 0.80). By contrast, the complex (mechanical) thrombectomy group demonstrated a significantly higher mortality than the no thrombectomy group at 1-year follow-up (PSM ATE coefficient 0.0434, 95% confidence interval: 0.0081 to 0.0786; p = 0.017). CONCLUSIONS: Coronary thrombectomy was not associated with lower mortality in primary PCI for STEMI when used in our large all-comer cohort in a selective manner on the basis of physician judgment. These findings are consistent with other negative clinical outcomes in recent large randomized controlled trials studying routine manual thrombectomy in primary PCI
Indirect effects of calcium and phosphate ions releasing from Polycaprolactone – Biphasic Calcium Phosphate scaffolds on osteoblastic activities
Get PDFObjective: To evaluate indirect effects of calcium and phosphate ions releasing from the Polycaprolactone (PCL) – Biphasic Calcium Phosphate (BCP) scaffolds fabricated by modified Melt Stretching and Multilayer Deposition (mMSMD) technique on proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts.
Materials and Methods: The scaffolds were prepared as group A; PCL-20%BCP and group B; PCL-30%BCP (%wt). Amount of calcium and phosphate ions releasing from the scaffolds of both groups which immersed in culture medium (α-MEM) were assessed over 30 days. The effects of those ions on proliferation and differentiation of the osteoblasts cell lines (MC3T3-E1) were assessed using ELISA after culturing the cells in the medium with the immersed scaffolds over 21 days. The medium without scaffolds was used as the control group for all experiments.
Results: The release of calcium and phosphate ions from both groups remarkably increased on day 7 (p<0.05) and then stable since day 14. No difference of their releasing profiles between the groups was detected (p>0.05). The accumulative increase of those ions in both groups corresponded to their profiles of the cell proliferation and the levels of osteocalcin (OCN), but, the relationship was not found with the profiles of alkaline phosphatase (ALP). The ALP activity of group A increased with time and it was significantly higher than those of group B and the control group on day 21 (p<0.05). In addition, the OCN levels of group A were higher than those of the other groups over the observation period.
Conclusion: PCL-BCP mMSMD scaffolds can sustain the releases of calcium and phosphate ions over the period of bone formation which are essential for supporting proliferation and differentiation of the osteoblasts. Those ions released from the PCL-20%BCP scaffolds would support the early and late phase of osteoblastic differentiation better than the PCL-30%BCP scaffolds, whereas, their effects on the cell proliferation are not different.
Keywords: Scaffold, Biphasic calcium phosphate, Hydroxyapatite, Tricalcium phosphate, calcium and phosphate ion
Use of appropriate ratio of scum mixed with coffee residue as briquette derived fuel
Get PDF Attempts to use of waste residue generated from production processes to energy have currently been increased. This research was conducted to study the production of briquette fuel from scum mixed with coffee residue in different ratios. Totally, eleven mixed ratios i.e., 100:0, 90:10, 80:20, 70:30, 60:40, 50:50, 40:60, 30:70, 20:80, 10:90 and 0:100 by weight were tested to find the most appropriate ratio in briquette fuel production. Data were analyzed to verify physical and fuel properties as specified by ASTM. Emission of air pollutant concentration from briquette combustion was also determined. The result showed that the ratios of 80:20, 70:30 and 60:40 were more appropriate use for further analysis of physical and fuel properties. Significant differences in compressive strength and shatter index were observed in the test (P< 0.05). In addition, significant differences were found in the ash content, volatile matter, fixed carbon, total sulfur and heating value (P< 0.05). The emission of air pollutants for the CO, CO2, SO2 and NO2 were lowest at the ratio of 80:20. Regarding the finding, the mixed ratio of 80:20 was appropriate for the application due to the significantly high compressive strength (0.325±0.02kg/cm2), shatter index (0.272±0.02), volatile matter (89.00+3.51%), heating value (6,725.30+9.38 kcal/kg) and low moisture content (4.00+0.20%). This appropriate ratio is suggested to be used for the production of briquette fuel.
Keywords: scum, coffee residue, briquette derived fue
Pragmatic Functions of “Okay” in Thai Conversation / หน้าที่ทางวัจนปฏิบัติศาสตร์ของคำว่า “โอเค” ในบทสนทนาภาษาไทย
No full textบทคัดย่อการใช้คำว่า “โอเค” ซึ่งยืมมาจากภาษาอังกฤษที่ปรากฏในบทสนทนาภาษาไทยนับว่าน่าสนใจยิ่ง เนื่องจากปรากฏใช้อย่างกว้างขวางและ มีหน้าที่ทางวัจนปฏิบัติศาสตร์ที่หลากหลาย บทความนี้มีวัตถุประสงค์ 3 ประการ คือ 1) เพื่อศึกษาหน้าที่ทางวัจนปฏิบัติศาสตร์ของคำว่า “โอเค” ในบทสนทนาภาษาไทย 2) เพื่อเปรียบเทียบหน้าที่ทางวัจนปฏิบัติศาสตร์ของคำว่า “โอเค” ในบทสนทนาภาษาไทยกับบทสนทนาภาษาอังกฤษ และ 3) เพื่อวิเคราะห์ความหมายแก่นของคำว่า “โอเค” ในบทสนทนาภาษาไทย ข้อมูลมาจากบทสนทนาในชีวิตประจำวันและบทสนทนาในข้อความในเว็บไซต์เฟซบุ๊ก ได้ข้อมูลทั้งสิ้น 140 ครั้ง ผลการวิจัยพบว่า คำว่า “โอเค” มีหน้าที่ทางวัจนปฏิบัติศาสตร์ทั้งสิ้น 11 หน้าที่ คือ 1) แสดงความรับรู้สิ่งที่คู่สนทนาพูด 2) แสดงการยอมรับ 3) สรุป 4) แสดงความเข้าใจ 5) ประเมินค่า 6) กล่าวก่อน การปิดการสนทนา 7) ยืนยันความคิดของตนเอง 8) ยุติการสนทนา 9) เกริ่นนำก่อนการเริ่มเสนอประเด็น 10) ขอความเห็นพ้องกับข้อเสนอ 11) เปลี่ยนประเด็น เมื่อเปรียบเทียบกับการใช้คำว่า “okay” ในภาษาอังกฤษพบว่า มีข้อแตกต่างที่น่าสนใจ คือ หน้าที่ยืนยันความคิดของตนเองและยุติการสนทนาปรากฏเฉพาะในบทสนทนาภาษาไทยเท่านั้น และเมื่อวิเคราะห์ความหมายแก่น พบว่า ความหมายแก่นของคำว่า “โอเค” คือ การยอมรับ คำสำคัญ: โอเค วัจนปฏิบัติศาสตร์ บทสนทนาภาษาไทย AbstractThe use of the expression “okay” which is an English loan word, in Thai daily conversation is worth investigating. The expression is widely used and has various pragmatic functions. This study has 3 aims: 1) to examine pragmatic functions of “okay” in Thai conversation, 2) to compare the pragmatic functions of “okay” in Thai and English and 3) to examine the core meaning of “okay” in Thai conversation. The data elicited are from Thai daily conversation and from www.facebook.com. The data consisted of 140 cases of the use of “okay”. The findings reveal that there are eleven pragmatic functions of “okay” including acknowledging, showing acceptance, concluding, indicating the message conveyed is understood, evaluating, pre-closing, confirming, closing, introducing a new topic, asking for acceptance and changing a topic. A significant difference between the use of “okay” in Thai and English is that only Thai speakers use “okay” for confirming and closing. A semantic analysis shows that the core meaning of “okay” in Thai conversation is “acceptance”. Keywords: Okay, Pragmatics, Thai Conversatio
Integrating Mind Map in PBL Activities on Variation to Promote Analytical Thinking Skills
Get PDFAnalytical thinking is considered as higher order thinking and more important than that, analytical thinking is considered as the basic of all kind of thinking that has an influence in human learning and living in daily life. However because of abstract form of thinking, finding the way to move it from abstract to concrete becomes a key successful in learning design. The purpose of this study is to develop learning activities using PBL with integrating mind map as a scaffolding tool applied for supporting students to present analytical thinking skills in concrete form simultaneously with motivating it by problem solving process on Variation. To determine the effect of using learning activities based on PBL with integrating mind map on the levels of students’ analytical thinking skills, three subjective tests about subject matter on Variation are administered as posttest to student. The rubric score is employed to determine the level of students’ analytical thinking skills through their performing in subjective tests. Data from rubric for evaluating student’ analytical thinking skills is analyzed using descriptive statistics to find frequency of students identifying particular student’ skill levels in analytical thinking for each of essential features of analytical thinking skills and to compute the mean skill levels in analytical thinking of students for each essential features. The results have verified the significant effect that learning activities using PBL with integrating mind map have an effect on students’ analytical thinking skills. Keywords: Analytical Thinking Skills, Mind Map, Problem Based Learning, Problem Solving, Variation
