Search results for "assessment."
showing 10 items of 5004 documents
SHORTNESS OF FILUM TERMINALE REPRESENT AN ANATOMICAL SPECIFC FEATURES IN FIBROMYALGIIA : A NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE AND CLINICAL STUDY
2015
BACKGROUND: we aimed to assess whether shortness of filum terminale (FT) can represent a specific feature of fibromyalgia. Therefore we investigated benefits coming from FT section with a mini-invasive technique in patients with fibromyalgia. Filum terminale disease (FD), described firstly in 1996, is consequence of an abnormal traction exerted on spinal cord since FT is shorter than usual. Fibromyalgia syndrome (FS) is featured by chronic widespread musculoskeletal pain associated with stiffness and extra-skeletal symptoms affecting many organs and systems. Filum terminale disease and fibromyalgia syndrome share common clinical features in at least one subset of patients. METHODS: we evalu…
Do ventilatory parameters influence outcome in patients with severe acute respiratory infection? Secondary analysis of an international, multicentre1…
2021
Purpose: To investigate the possible association between ventilatory settings on the first day of invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) and mortality in patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with severe acute respiratory infection (SARI). Materials and methods: In this pre-planned sub-study of a prospective, multicentre observational study, 441 patients with SARI who received controlled IMV during the ICU stay were included in the analysis. Results: ICU and hospital mortality rates were 23.1 and 28.1%, respectively. In multivariable analysis, tidal volume and respiratory rate on the first day of IMV were not associated with an increased risk of death; however, higher driving pr…
The Intention-to-Treat Effect of Bridging Treatments in the Setting of Milan Criteria–In Patients Waiting for Liver Transplantation
2019
In patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) meeting the Milan criteria (MC), the benefit of locoregional therapies (LRTs) in the context of liver transplantation (LT) is still debated. Initial biases in the selection between treated and untreated patients have yielded conflicting reported results. The study aimed to identify, using a competing risk analysis, risk factors for HCC-dependent LT failure, defined as pretransplant tumor-related delisting or posttransplant recurrence. The study was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov (identification number NCT03723304). In order to offset the initial limitations of the investigated population, an inverse probability of treatment weighting (IP…
Two New Alternatives to the Conventional Arm-in-Cage Test for Assessing Topical Repellents
2021
Abstract European guidelines for testing attractant and repellent efficacy (i.e., Product type 19 [PT19]) have been in revision since 2017. A key topic of discussion is the current approach to evaluating topical repellents. The European Chemical Agency has stated field testing should be avoided because of mosquito-borne disease risks. However, the most common laboratory method, the arm-in-cage (AIC) test, may limit the reliable extrapolation of lab results to field conditions. This study’s main goal was to assess alternative laboratory methods for evaluating topical mosquito repellents that use mosquito landing rates more representative of those in the field. The study took place at three E…
Kasiski's Test: Couldn't the Repetitions be by Accident?
2006
Abstract In searching for repetitions in a periodic polyalphabetic ciphertext, we usually find several true (causal) repetitions that give information about the period. But we also find some accidental repetitions at distances unrelated to the period which may mislead the cryptanalyst. A simple formula shows that these accidents are rather unlikely.
Review of Advanced Acoustical Imaging Techniques for Nondestructive Evaluation of Art Objects
2006
Proper preventative diagnosis of different art objects, including wooden, bronze and marble sculptures, frescoes, and paintings (on canvas, wood, metal, and glass), is very important for conservation purposes. Various advanced ultrasonic imaging methods for analysis and assessment of art objects can bring about drastic changes in the regular evaluation and inventory carried out by museums and can bring advanced, powerful, and new techniques for objective assessment of physical conditions of museum resplendence. Using these methods, it will be possible to plan ad hoc repair works on art objects, and, as a result, we will preserve our heritage. The goal of this review is to introduce recent a…
Exposure assessment of Spanish lactating mothers to acrylamide via human biomonitoring.
2021
Abstract Acrylamide (AA) is an organic compound classified as “Probably carcinogenic to humans” (Group 2 A) that can be found principally in processed carbohydrate-rich foods and tobacco smoke. In humans, after exposure, AA is rapidly metabolized and excreted in urine, predominantly as N-acetyl-S-(2-carbamoylethyl)-l-cysteine (AAMA), N-acetyl-S-(2-carbamoyl-2-hydroxyethyl)-l-cysteine (GAMA3) and N-Acetyl-3-[(3-amino-3-oxopropyl)sulfinyl]-L-alanine (AAMA-Sul), which can be used as short-term biomarkers of exposure to AA. In this study, the presence of AA metabolites in urine samples of lactating mothers living in Spain (n = 114) was analyzed by “dilute and shoot” and liquid chromatography co…
A radiometric and petrographic approach to risk assessment at Alte Madonie Mounts region (Sicily, Italy)
2013
The main goal of this work was to assess the radiological hazard at Alte Madonie Mounts region (north-central Sicily, Italy) in response to rumours of an increase in the incidence of cancer in this area. A correlation between the natural radionuclide contents and the petrographic features of the soil and rock samples was also evaluated. A total of 41 samples of selected soils and rocks were collected, powdered, dried and sealed in 'Marinelli' beakers for 20 d prior to measurement to ensure that a radioactive equilibrium between (226)Ra and (214)Bi had been reached. A gamma-ray spectrometer was used to quantify the radioactivity concentrations. To determine (238)U and (232)Th activities, the…
Immersive Versus Non-immersive Experience: Exploring the Feasibility of Memory Assessment Through 360° Technology
2019
Episodic memory is essential to effectively perform a number of daily activities, as it enables individuals to consciously recall experiences within their spatial and temporal environments. Virtual Reality (VR) serves as an efficacious instrument to assess cognitive functions like attention and memory. Previous studies have adopted computer-simulated VR to assess memory, which realized greater benefits compared to traditional procedures (paper and pencil). One of the most recent trends of immersive VR experiences is the 360° technology. In order to evaluate its capabilities, this study aims to compare memory performance through two tasks: immersive task and non-immersive task. These tasks d…
Family Structure and Subjective Economic Well-Being: Some New Evidence
2013
The paper investigates the main socio-demographic and economic determinants of subjective economic well-being in different typologies of households. Previous studies have used dummy variables to explore the effect of family structure. In this paper, however four different models—one for each family typology—have been estimated to test if each selected explanatory variable is significant and how it acts in determining the level of subjective economic well-being. To achieve this, we apply an under-used logit model—the partial proportional ordered model. Our analysis, based on data from the 2005 Italian Survey on Income and Living Conditions highlights the main variables affecting the subjecti…