187,760 research outputs found
The safety and effectiveness of different methods of ear wax removal: a systematic review and economic evaluation
No full textEar wax (cerumen) is a natural secretion produced to protect the inner ear from dirt and other fragments by moving these particles towards the outer ear. If this process does not happen properly, wax may build up causing blockage in the ear canal and the possibility of impaction. People with a build up of ear wax may suffer from hearing loss, discomfort and, on occasions, infection. It may present problems in assessing hearing, blocking the view of the ear drum during medical examination and interfering with the fitting or function of hearing aids. Although it is thought to affect between 2% and 6% of the population in the England and Wales, some groups may be at a higher risk, such as those using hearing aids or with small ear canals and/or skin conditions. Recurrence is thought to be high among some of these groups. The consequences of the build up of ear wax in the ear canal are thought to be a common reason for consultation and cost in general practice with over 2 million consultations per year in the NHS.Methods of removal of ear wax include drops, flushing with water in general practice, and removal with suction or probes in specialist clinics. The relative safety and benefits of these different methods of removal remains uncertain. This research will systematically review published and unpublished evidence on the clinical and cost effectiveness of different methods for the removal of ear wax. Where appropriate, it will develop an economic model using data from this systematic review and other relevant sources to estimate the relative costs and benefits of different methods. In addition, the project will provide recommendations for future research to try to help answer any remaining areas of uncertainty
George Coppin's home, 'Pine Grove', Lennox Street, Richmond, Victoria, 1880 [picture] /
No full textCondition: Fair, some foxing.; Title from photograph.; Inscriptions:"Circe. 1880. Hon. George Coppin's home, "Pine Grove", Lennox Street, Richmond, Victoria."--In ink on photograph.; Photographer's stamp on verso.; Part of George Selth Coppin collection of photographs.; Also available in an electronic version via the Internet at: http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-vn3584411
Climatic signals in tree rings of Burkea africana and Pterocarpus angolensis from semiarid forests in Namibia
No full textTree-ring studies contribute worldwide to the understanding of climate and its relation to tree growth. Long tree-ring chronologies serve as climate proxies for the reconstruction of past, pre-instrument climate and its recent change. In tropical regions, the availability of exactly dated tree-ring chronologies is limited. The dendroclimatic potential of two dominant species from dry forests in northern Namibia was examined in the study presented in this paper. Both species (Burkea africana Hook and Pterocarpus angolensis DC) were sampled at two sites (ca. 900 km apart), and the response to several climatic variables, including ENSO indices, is studied. All specimens showed distinct growth rings and cross-dating between radii was successful for all trees. Species-specific mean curves were built for both sites. The mean curves of different species of the same site synchronised significantly, allowing the construction of a site-specific chronology. Synchronisation between sites was not possible, but spectral analysis of the chronologies implied that both show similar long-term (6.7 year) oscillation patterns. B. africana is more sensitive to rainfall variation than P. angolensis at both sites. Growth response to rainfall was positive, but a time-lag in the reaction occurred between the sites, corresponding to the time-lag of the beginning of the rainy season. Air temperature showed a negative correlation with stem increment at both sites. The response at the westernmost site to two ENSO indices indicates a tree growth decrease during El Nino years, which are generally dry in southern Africa
Randomized trial of bulb syringes for earwax: impact on health service utilization
No full textPurpose: Bulb syringes can be used for the self-clearance of earwax and, in the short term, appear effective. We compared the long-term effectiveness of self-irrigation using a bulb syringe with routine care in United Kingdom (UK) family practice clinics where irrigating ears to remove wax is a common procedure. Methods: We assessed the impact on health service utilization as a follow-up to a single-blind, randomized, controlled trial of 237 patients attending 7 UK family practice clinics with symptomatic, occluding earwax who were randomized to an intervention group (ear drops, bulb syringe, instructions on its use and reuse) or a control group (ear drops, then clinic irrigation). After 2 years, a retrospective notes search for earwax-related consultations was carried out. We used an intention-to-treat analysis to assess differences in dichotomous outcomes between groups. Results: In the 2-year trial follow-up, more control group patients returned with episodes of earwax: 85 of 117 (73%) control vs 70 of 117 (60%) intervention, 2=4.30; P = .038; risk ratio 1.21 (95% CI, 1.01–1.37). The numbers of consultations amounted to 1.15 (control) vs 0.64 (intervention) (incidence rate ratio 1.79; 95% CI, 1.05–3.04, P = .032), ie, a difference of 0.50 consultations, thus saving a consultation on average for every 2 people. Conclusion: For patients who have not already tried bulb syringes, self-irrigation using a bulb syringe significantly reduces subsequent demand for ear irrigation by health professionals. Advocating the initial use of bulb syringes could reduce demand for ear irrigation in family practice clinics. <br/
L'ours. Art, histoire, symbolisme. Texte de Giorgio Coppin. Traduit et adapté de l'italien par Françoise Brun. Paris, éditions Robert Laffont, 1989, 112 p., fig., Collection Totem
No full textRousseau Michel. L'ours. Art, histoire, symbolisme. Texte de Giorgio Coppin. Traduit et adapté de l'italien par Françoise Brun. Paris, éditions Robert Laffont, 1989, 112 p., fig., Collection Totem. In: Bulletin de l'Académie Vétérinaire de France tome 143 n°1, 1990. pp. 76-79
Author-wise bibliometric analysis based on entropy.
No full textAuthor-wise bibliometric analysis based on entropy.</p
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
No full textThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
A study of the nutritional and medicinal values of Moringa oleifera leaves from sub-Saharan Africa: Ghana, Rwanda, Senegal and Zambia
No full textMoringa oleifera is an important multipurpose tropical tree under-recognized for its nutritional and medicinal properties. Leaves of M. oleifera collected from the sub-Saharan African countries of Ghana, Rwanda, Senegal and Zambia were analyzed for their nutritional value and bioactivity by UV-Vis spectrophotometry and HPLC coupled with UV and MS detectors. Moringa leaves were found to provide low amounts of vitamin C (0.351 ± 0.046 to 0.749 ± 0.014 mg/100g DW (DW)) as determined using UV spectrophotometry. Using LC/MS, We identified α- and γ- tocopherols, α- and β- carotenes, six analogues of chlorogenic acid including 4 caffeoylquinic acids and 2 coumaroylquinic acids (structural and/or spatial isomers), and chlorogenic acid was used as the standard to estimate the amount of these six phenolic acids. Chlorogenic acid was used as the standard to estimate the amount of these six cumulative isomers by LC/MS. Additionally, in Moringa leaves we detected one sample containing as many as 12 flavonoids including quercetin and kaempferol glycosides with malonyl, acetyl and succinoyl acylations, among which; quercetin and kaempferol glucosides and glucoside malonates are the major constituents based on analysis of their UV and MS data. Using LC/UV/MS, the quercetin and kaempferol aglycones of quercetin and kaempferol in acidic hydrolyzed extracts were successfully separated within 10 min and individually quantitated. A total of 25 samples were assayed for the chlorogenic acid isomers analogs (0.181 to 0.414 mg/100 g DW), tocopherols (7.1 to 116 mg/100 g DW), carotenoids (4.49 to 45.94 mg/100 g DW) and flavonoids (0.179 to 1.643 % g DW). The concentrations of these phytochemicals varied according to the environment, country of collection, genetics, and variety of Moringa oleifera. The nutritional and natural products characterization of Moringa conducted in this study show that the leaves of this plant can contribute significantly to the daily recommended allowance needed for many vitamins and mineral needs as well as serve as a rich source of polyphenols, confirming the importance and role that Moringa can play to improve the health and nutrition particularly in malnourished populations.M.S.Includes bibliographical references (p. 102-113)
- …
