Search results for "TAILOR"

Postmating–prezygotic isolation between two allopatric populations of Drosophila montana: fertilisation success differs under sperm competition

2016

This study was funded by the Academy of Finland (grant 250999 to O. A.-H.). Postmating but prezygotic (PMPZ) interactions are increasingly recognized as a potentially important early-stage barrier in the evolution of reproductive isolation. A recent study described a potential example between populations of the same species: single matings between Drosophila montana populations resulted in differential fertilisation success because of the inability of sperm from one population (Vancouver) to penetrate the eggs of the other population (Colorado). As the natural mating system of D. montana is polyandrous (females remate rapidly), we set up double matings of all possible crosses between the sa…

The author's reply to N.R. Haddaway.

2017

Abstract In this reply we respond to the commentary of Dr. Haddaway addressed in searching for pitfalls in our systematic mapping exercise “Collating science-based evidence to inform public opinion on the environmental effects of marine drilling platforms in the Mediterranean Sea” recently published in Journal of Environmental Management (Mangano, M.C. and Sara, G. 2017. Journal of Environmental Management 188: 195–202). We discussed each so called “pitfalls” and, in our opinion, the main cornerstones of systematic map – SM (repeatability, comprehensiveness, transparency, traceability, quality, generalizability) are safe guaranteeing the “gold standard” required by this technique. Where nee…

In-process control strategies for friction stir welding of AZ31 sheets with non-uniform thickness

2017

Two different in-process control strategies were developed and compared with the aim to produce AZ31 magnesium alloy joints by friction stir welding on sheet blanks with a non-uniform thickness. To this purpose, sheets with dip or hump zones were welded by either changing the rotational speed or the tool plunging in order to keep constant the value of the vertical force occurring during the welding stage of the process. The influence of the main process parameters on the tool force, the micro- and macromechanical properties, and the joints microstructures in the dip and hump zones were analyzed. The results showed that using the rotational speed change-based approach, the hump zones are sub…

Liquid biopsy: another tool towards tailored therapy in colorectal cancer.

2017

2018

There are two important gaps of knowledge in depression treatment, namely the lack of biomarkers predicting response to antidepressants and the limited knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying clinical improvement. However, individually tailored treatment strategies and individualized prescription are greatly needed given the huge socio-economic burden of depression, the latency until clinical improvement can be observed and the response variability to a particular compound. Still, individual patient-level antidepressant treatment outcomes are highly unpredictable. In contrast to other therapeutic areas and despite tremendous efforts during the past years, the genomics era so far ha…

Poor Esophageal Motility: A Tailored Approach?

2014

New onset dysphagia following antireflux surgery is among the most undesirable side effects of an otherwise excellent therapy. While its cause is multifactorial, insufficient circular muscle strength of the esophageal body, not powerful enough to force the bolus through the distal neo-high pressure zone, can be a component of the pathophysiology. The relative merits of “tailoring” the degree of fundoplication based upon esophageal body motility and/or other clinical features have been debated for decades. Herein we discuss the rationale for a tailored approach, its pros and cons and review data published to date available to guide the clinician in individual patient decision-making.

Proposed use of a conversational agent for patient empowerment

2021

Empowerment is a process through which people acquire the necessary knowledge and self-awareness to understand their conditions and treatment options, make informed choices and self-manage their health conditions in daily life, in collaboration with medical professionals. Conversational Agents in healthcare could play an important role in the process of empowering a person but, so far, they have been seldom been used for this purpose. This paper presents the basic principles and preliminary implementation of a conversational health agent for patient empowerment. It dialogues with the user in a "natural" way, collects health data from heterogeneous sources and provides the user wit…

ERP and Organizational Misfits: An ERP Customization Journey

2016

Abstract Enterprise resource planning (ERP) projects are complex and resource demanding. Some ERP projects fail due to what is called ‘misfit’ between the adopting organization's business requirements and the ERP's functionalities. Existing literature has studied how ERP systems match to different organizations and have argued that there always exists a gap between the business rules embedded in the system, and the practices and processes that exist in organizations. Thus, tailoring might be an important procedure during ERP implementations, in which the ERP customization takes place in order to ensure the compliance with the organizations’ critical business processes and requirements. Via …

Executive functions rehabilitation proposal: A tailored intervention

2018

Executive functions (EFs) are cognitive processes that allow the development of intentional behaviors e requiring the ability to formulate goals and objectives, capacity for initiative, to anticipate the consequences of actions, to organize behavior and monitor it and adapt it based on the context. Patients with EFs deficiencies exhibit specific disorders of planning, regulation and correction intentional conduct and cognitive activity, while they have no problem in the execution of usual action sequences.

Effects of comprehensive geriatric assessment and targeted intervention on mobility in persons aged 75 years and over: a randomized controlled trial

2011

Objective: To assess the effect of a comprehensive geriatric assessment and individually tailored intervention on mobility in older people. In addition, the effectiveness of the geriatric intervention was evaluated among a subgroup of persons with musculoskeletal pain. Design: Three-year geriatric development project with randomized assignment to intervention and control group. Setting: Research centre, community and assisted living facilities. Participants: Seven hundred and eighty-one Finnish persons aged 75–98 years were assigned to an intervention ( n = 404) or control ( n = 377) group. Intervention: A comprehensive geriatric assessment with a multifactorial intervention lasting two ye…