125,285 research outputs found
Mini-implants and the efficiency of Herbst treatment: a preliminary study.
No full textBACKGROUND:
The purpose of this study is to present the use of a modified Herbst appliance in association with temporary anchorage devices (TADs) in order to enhance the correction of skeletal class II malocclusions.
METHODS:
Ten consecutive adolescents scheduled for Herbst treatment were assigned to two treatment groups. Five cases were treated with a modified miniscrew-supported Herbst appliance (experimental group (EG)) and five cases with a conventional cast Herbst appliance (control group (CG)). In all cases, the Herbst was kept in place for 9 months and was followed by fixed appliances until class I relationships were achieved. The initial (T1) and final (T2) lower incisor inclination on lateral headfilms were analyzed for each case, and the mean increase for the five EG patients and the five CG patients were compared.
RESULTS:
The mean increase in lower incisor inclination at the end of treatment was 1° (range 0° to 2°) for the EG and 7° (range 4° to 10°) for the CG.
CONCLUSIONS:
The rational association of TADs with the Herbst appliance can optimize treatment efficiency and skeletal response by reducing the occurrence of excessive lower incisor proclination
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
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
No full textWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
The Tunisian traditional rabbit breeding system versus the commercial system: an epidemiological perspective
No full text[EN] Rabbit breeding is practiced in many hot climate countries and contributes in terms of agricultural activities to rural development. In Tunisia two different rabbit breeding systems can be identified - the "traditional" (an integrated free range and underground system) and the "commercial" (employing sheds and wire net cages) practice. 24 Tunisian rabbitries (10 traditional and 14 commercial) were included in an epidemiological study aimed at comparing the prevalence of pathogenic bacteria responsible for upper respiratory and digestive diseases in the two breeding systems. A total of 128 adult rabbits (mean age of 9.4 months) were tested using deep nasal and rectal swabs. Symptoms of nasal discharge and/or diarrhea were recorded. 281 bacterial strains were isolated in total, 138 in commercial and 143 in traditional farms. The bacteria most frequently isolated (61.2%) were Gram-positive strains, which included Streptococcus sp. (22.8%), coagulase negative Staphylococcus sp. (17.8%) and coagulase-positive Staphylococcus (17.4%) strains. Among the Gram-negative isolated bacteria, Escherichia coli was the most frequent (12.5%), followed by Proteus sp. (5.7%). The two Salmonella strains isolated were Salmonella bongori (found in the commercial system), and Salmonella typhimurium definitive phage-type (DT) 104 (found in the traditional farming system). The absence of Pasteurella multocida in the list of isolated bacteria may be directly correlated to the method of conserving the samples (storage at freezing temperature). The coagulase-positive Staphylococcus strains were frequently isolated (73.5%) from healthy rabbits, but seldom from rabbits with rhinitis (18.4%) or diarrhea (8.2%). Staphylococcus aureus strains were recovered at a higher rate in commercial farms (21%) in comparison with traditional (11.9%) farms. However, this difference was not statistically significant. Four Staphylococcus aureus strains, all belonging to commercial farms, proved positive when tested for enterotoxin production. The antimicrobial susceptibility of isolated Staphylococcus aureus strains was also investigated. Most of the antibiotics tested were very effective: the highest level of susceptibility was observed with enrofloxacin (100%). The low performance of Tunisian traditional rabbit rearing has been linked to the high mortality rate, which may possibly be due to the increased presence of pathogens at the rabbit flock level. However, this was not confirmed by the results of our study due to the fact that the bacterial contamination seems to be comparable in both the traditional and the commercial breeding systems.Belli, P.; Fontana, E.; Sommariva, M.; Scarpelli, L.; Ricci, C.; Luzi, F.; Haddad, B. (2008). The Tunisian traditional rabbit breeding system versus the commercial system: an epidemiological perspective. World Rabbit Science. 16(4). https://doi.org/10.4995/wrs.2008.617SWORD16
Effect of lycopene supplementation on semen quality and reproductive performance in rabbit
No full text[EN] A total of 18 hybrid strain Martini male rabbits were randomly divided into three experimental groups. The animals in the first and second groups drank water with 0.1 and 0.5 g/l of lycopene addition (B and C groups, respectively), while water without any supplement was administered to the control group rabbits (A group) for 8 weeks. Semen was collected from 18 bucks (6 animals/group) for 5 consecutive weeks. Ejaculate volume was determined by graduated test tube and sperm concentration was calculated by Neubauer chamber. Sperm motility was evaluated subjectively by a phase contrast microscope and forward progressive motility (FPM) scored 1¿4 (low-high). Sperm viability was assessed by nigrosin/eosin (N/E) staining procedure. At the end of the semen evaluation period, 20 females per group were inseminated on day 11 post partum with a pool of semen collected from each experimental group. Data showed that the highest level of lycopene (C group) resulted in a significantly greater volume of ejaculate and total number of sperm than in the control group (0.98 vs. 0.78 ml and 364 vs. 227, P0.05). This study shows the positive effects of lycopene supplementation on semen production and refrigerated semen characteristics. Lycopene supplementation of drinking water could have interesting applications in field conditions, although further research into the role of this antioxidant in animal production is needed.Mangiagalli, M.; Cesari, V.; Cerolini, S.; Luzi, F.; Toschi, I. (2012). Effect of lycopene supplementation on semen quality and reproductive performance in rabbit. World Rabbit Science. 20(3):141-148. https://doi.org/10.4995/wrs.2012.1150SWORD14114820
Pragmatic Case Studies as a Source of Unity in Applied Psychology
No full textTo unify or not to unify applied psychology: that is the question. In this article we review pendulum swings in the historical efforts to answer this question—from a comprehensive, positivist, “top-down,” deductive yes between the 1930s and the early 60s, to a postmodern no since then. A rationale and proposal for a limited, “bottom-up,” inductive yes in applied psychology is then presented, employing a case-based paradigm that integrates both positivist and postmodern themes and components. This paradigm is labeled “pragmatic psychology” and, its specific use of case studies, the “Pragmatic Case Study Method” (“PCS Method”). We call for the creation of peer-reviewed journal-databases of pragmatic case studies as a foundational source of unifying applied knowledge in our discipline. As one example, the potential of the PCS Method for unifying different angles of theoretical regard is illustrated in an area of applied psychology, psychotherapy, via the case of Mrs. B. The article then turns to the broader historical and epistemological arguments for the unifying nature of the PCS Method in both applied and basic psychology.Peer reviewe
Technical note: electronic identification of live rabbits ,preliminary study to identify a body injection site
No full text[EN] Identification and monitoring of farm animals are effective tools for traceability. Current livestock identification systems are not 100% efficient and present certain disadvantages such as losses, breakages and an unreadable identification code. The use of injectable transponders may be a reliable method for individual identification, providing an improvement in data recording and farm management. The aim of this experiment was to evaluate the practical aspects concerning injection technique, readability and retrieval of injectable transponders in live rabbits. A total of 60 rabbits (40 fatteners and 20 does) were injected with 23x3mm passive FDX-B transponders (Datamars, Switzerland), inserted into a needle, wrapped in a sterilised package and applied by a specific injector (Planet ID, Germany). Two different body sites were evaluated: back scapular (n=30) and armpit (n=30) position. The readings of the transponders were performed by using an i-max plus portable reader (Datamars, Switzerland) at different times: before and after injection, one day, one week and one month after injection. Does were read monthly during 1 year, while fatteners before the slaughtering process. To evaluate the effect on productive performance, fattening rabbits were compared to a control group. The readability of transponders injected in fatteners until slaughter and in does until 1 year after injection was 100%. No harmful effects were observed and no significant difference in weight was found in the two injection groups, compared with the control group. The retrieval was performed by a single operator at skinning, with 100% of transponders recovered. The site of the injection did not affect the migration rate, although it was high in both cases. The feasibility of subcutaneous transponder injection in live rabbits is recommended in the two body positions analysed. However, specific training and operator experience are necessary to improve the efficiency of this identification system.This work was supported by FIRST 2003, Med. Vet. Fac., University of Milan.Chiesa, F.; Barbieri, S.; Luzi, F.; Ribó, O. (2006). Technical note: electronic identification of live rabbits ,preliminary study to identify a body injection site. World Rabbit Science. 14(2). https://doi.org/10.4995/wrs.2006.548SWORD14
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