Naresuan University Journal
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Values of vector measure market games and their representations
No full textWe offer a representation result for values of vector measure market games, proving that the value of a game is an “average of marginals”. As a direct result we obtain that the Mertens value is the unique continuous value on the space of vector measure market games, and the unique value on the space of Lipschitz vector measure market games
Blood Transfusion After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention and Risk of Subsequent Adverse Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
No full textOBJECTIVES: This study sought to define the prevalence and prognostic impact of blood transfusions in contemporary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) practice. BACKGROUND: Although the presence of anemia is associated with adverse outcomes in patients undergoing PCI, the optimal use of blood products in patients undergoing PCI remains controversial. METHODS: A search of EMBASE and MEDLINE was conducted to identify PCI studies that evaluated blood transfusions and their association with major adverse cardiac events (MACE) and mortality. Two independent reviewers screened the studies for inclusion, and data were extracted from relevant studies. Random effects meta-analysis was used to estimate the risk of adverse outcomes with blood transfusions. Statistical heterogeneity was assessed by considering the I(2) statistic. RESULTS: Nineteen studies that included 2,258,711 patients with more than 54,000 transfusion events were identified (prevalence of blood transfusion 2.3%). Crude mortality rate was 6,435 of 50,979 (12.6%, 8 studies) in patients who received a blood transfusion and 27,061 of 2,266,111 (1.2%, 8 studies) in the remaining patients. Crude MACE rates were 17.4% (8,439 of 48,518) in patients who had a blood transfusion and 3.1% (68,062 of 2,212,730) in the remaining cohort. Meta-analysis demonstrated that blood transfusion was independently associated with an increase in mortality (odds ratio: 3.02, 95% confidence interval: 2.16 to 4.21, I(2) = 91%) and MACE (odds ratio: 3.15, 95% confidence interval: 2.59 to 3.82, I(2) = 81%). Similar observations were recorded in studies that adjusted for baseline hematocrit, anemia, and bleeding. CONCLUSIONS: Blood transfusion is independently associated with increased risk of mortality and MACE events. Clinicians should minimize the risk for periprocedural transfusion by using available bleeding-avoidance strategies and avoiding liberal transfusion practices
A systematic review of prognostic factors for distal upper limb pain.
No full textBACKGROUND: Musculoskeletal pain in the distal upper limb is relatively common, can be a cause of disability, presents a high cost to society and is clinically important. Previous reviews of prognostic factors have focused on pain in the proximal upper limb, whole upper extremity or isolated regions of the distal upper limb. AIM: To identify factors that predict outcome of distal upper limb pain. STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review. METHOD: Eight bibliographic databases were searched from inception to March 2014. Eligible articles included adults with pain anywhere in the distal upper limb at baseline from randomised controlled trials with a waiting list, expectant policy or usual care group, or observational studies where no treatment or usual care was provided. Data describing the association between a putative prognostic factor and pain or functional outcome at follow-up were required. Quality was assessed using the Quality in Prognostic Studies tool. RESULTS: Seven articles reporting on six studies were identified. Heterogeneity of study populations and outcome measures prevented a meta-analysis so a narrative synthesis of results was undertaken. Three factors (being female, a longer duration of the complaint at initial presentation and having musculoskeletal pain in multiple locations) were significantly associated with poor pain outcome in more than one study. Being female was the only factor significantly associated with poor functional outcome in more than one study. CONCLUSIONS: A range of sociodemographic, pain-related, occupational and psychosocial prognostic factors for distal upper limb pain outcomes were investigated in studies included in the review. However, due to the lack of commonality of factors investigated and lack of consistency of results across studies, there is limited evidence for predictors of distal upper limb pain outcomes. Further research is required to identify prognostic factors of distal upper limb pain, particularly modifiable factors that may influence management
A systematic literature review of Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) used in the assessment and measurement of sleep disorders in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
No full textBackground: Sleep problems are common in patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) but the validity of Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) that measure sleep dysfunction has not been evaluated. We have reviewed the literature to identify disease-specific and non-disease specific sleep PROMs that have been validated for use on COPD patients. The review also examined the psychometric properties of identified sleep outcome measures and extracted point and variability estimates of sleep instruments used in COPD studies. Methods: The online databases EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsycINFO and SCOPUS for all years to May 2014 were used to source articles for the review. The review was performed according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Criteria from the Medical Outcomes Trust Scientific Advisory Committee guidelines were used to evaluate the psychometric properties of all identified sleep PROMs. Results: One COPD-specific and six non-COPD specific sleep outcome measures were identified and 44 papers met the review selection criteria. We only identified one instrument, the COPD and Asthma Sleep Impact Scale that has been developed specifically for use in COPD populations. 90% of identified studies used one of two non-disease specific sleep scales; The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and/or the Epworth Sleep Scale, although neither has been tested for reliability or validity on people with COPD. Conclusions: The results highlight the need for existing non-disease specific instruments to be validated in COPD populations and also the need for new disease-specific measures to assess the impact of sleep problems in COP
Modular synthesis of heparin-related tetra-, hexa- and octasaccharides with differential O-6 protections: programming for regio-defined 6 Omodifications
No full textCombined Elastic and Shear Stress Solicitations for Topological Optimisation of Micro-CT Based Scaffolds
No full textAdvanced additive manufacturing technologies, namely Biomanufacturing, are being used to fabricate scaffolds with controlled architecture for tissue engineering applications. These technologies combined with computer-aided design (CAD) enable to produce three-dimensional structures layer-by-layer in a multitude of biomaterials. Actual prediction of the effective mechanical properties of scaffolds produced by Biomanufacturing, is very important for tissue engineering applications. A novel computer based technique for scaffold design is topological optimisation. Topological optimisation is a form of “shape” optimisation, usually referred to as “layout” optimisation. The goal of topological optimisation is to find the best use of material for a body that is subjected to either a single load or a multiple load distribution. In this research work, a topological optimization strategy is presented to find out the best material use for a construct subject to either a single load or a multiple load distribution, maximising its mechanical behaviour under tensile and shear stress solicitations. The proposed topological optimization scheme enables the design of ideal topological architectures based on existing biologic Micro-CT data for the design of biomimetic scaffolds
Scaling scenery of (xm, Xn) invariant measures
No full textWe study the scaling scenery and limit geometry of invariant measures for the non-conformal toral endomorphism (x,y)↦(mxmod1,nymod1) that are Bernoulli measures for the natural Markov partition. We show that the statistics of the scaling can be described by an ergodic CP-chain in the sense of Furstenberg. Invoking the machinery of CP-chains yields a projection theorem for Bernoulli measures, which generalises in part earlier results by Hochman–Shmerkin and Ferguson–Jordan–Shmerkin. We also give an ergodic theoretic criterion for the dimension part of Falconer's distance set conjecture for general sets with positive length using CP-chains and hence verify it for various classes of fractals such as self-affine carpets of Bedford–McMullen, Lalley–Gatzouras and Barański class and all planar self-similar sets
Measuring Parenting Practices and Family Functioning with Brief and Simple Instruments: Validation of the Spanish Version of the PAFAS
No full textA set of instruments with different response formats is usually used to assess parenting practices in clinical settings and in research studies. These complex protocols can be problematic for parents with low-literacy levels. The Parenting and Family Adjustment Scales (PAFAS) is a brief, easy to read instrument that has been developed to address these concerns. The English version of this instrument suggested that it has good internal consistency (range from .70 to .96), as well as satisfactory construct and predictive validity. The aim of the present study was to explore the validity and reliability of the Spanish version of the PAFAS. A sample of 174 Spanish-speaking parents (85 % mothers; M = 37 years old; SD = 9.1) from Panama in Central America completed the instrument alongside the Parenting Scale and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21). Psychometric evaluations revealed that the measure had satisfactory construct and concurrent validity as well as good internal consistency (values >.60 for all subscales) and test-retest reliability (ICC >.60 for all subscales). The PAFAS shows promise as a brief outcome measure to assess parenting practices and family functioning with Spanish-speaking parents. Potential uses of the measure and implications for further validation with diverse samples are discussed. © 2014 Springer Science+Business Media New York
