Search results for "maintenance"
showing 10 items of 392 documents
The optimization of a maintenance policy related to a global service contract
2013
With refer to a Global Service Contract between a Service Provider and a Logistic Company, the purpose of the present paper is to develop an optimization model aimed to minimize the maintenance related total cost. In particular, such contract requires the supplying of a mandatory set of corrective maintenance services on a set of equal vehicles, in a fixed time horizon. The considered problem is formulated by a non-linear constrained mathematical model that, for large practical systems as the one herein considered, becomes difficult or very hard to solve by mathematical resolution approach. For this reason, a specific resolution approach based on a constrained genetic algorithm is herein de…
Environmental stress affects the expression of a carotenoid-based sexual trait in male zebra finches.
2007
SUMMARY Abiotic factors including thermal stress are suggested to exert constrains on sexual ornaments through trade-offs between sexual displays and physiological functions related to self-maintenance. Given the health properties of carotenoid pigments, carotenoid-based ornaments offer a relevant context in which to investigate the effect of environmental stress, such as ambient temperature, on the production and maintenance of secondary sexual traits and, also, to explore the proximate mechanisms shaping their expression. In this study, we exposed male zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) to environmental stress by exposing them to two temperature regimes (6 and 26°C) over a 4 week period.…
Alcohol abuse and insomnia disorder: Focus on a group of night and day workers
2021
The sleep-wake cycle plays a fundamental role in maintaining the physiological balance of our body. Its alteration favours the genesis of several organic alterations and diseases including sleep disorders and the consumption of several substances of abuse. It has been reported that the work activity, especially that carried out during the night, is able to influence the sleep-wake cycle, promoting the development of insomnia, which, in turn, would subject the worker to a stressful condition such as to encourage adverse behaviour such as the use/abuse of psychotropic substances. Based on the above premises, the aim of our research was to evaluate, in night workers: (i) the pattern of consump…
Intravitreal ranibizumab treatment of retinal angiomatous proliferation
2010
. Purpose: To determine the efficacy of intravitreal injections of ranibizumab in the treatment of retinal angiomatous proliferation (RAP) in neovascular age-related macular degeneration. Methods: Retrospective, consecutive case series of 26 eyes (26 patients) treated with intravitreal injections of 0.5 mg ranibizumab for RAP. Patients received intravitreal injections at monthly intervals during upload phase for a 3-month period. Results: Mean visual acuity before treatment was 0.75 ± 0.38logMAR (mean ± SD, n = 26). In the upload phase, mean visual acuity improved 4 weeks after the initial injection to 0.6 ± 0.37logMAR (n = 26) and to 0.53 ± 0.34logMAR (n = 26) 4 weeks after the third mo…
Nurses experience of aromatherapy use with dementia patients experiencing disturbed sleep patterns. An action research project
2013
The purpose of this study was to gain an insight into nurses' experiences of incorporating aromatherapy into the care of residents suffering from dementia, anxiety and disturbed sleep patterns. Twenty-four residents and twelve nurses from four nursing homes participated in an action research study. The use of lavender augustofolia essential oil diffused nightly was perceived as an effective care modality reducing insomnia and anxiety in this patient cohort. Nurses experienced some negative attitudes among colleagues because they considered aromatherapy as not evidence based. Nurses require greater access to evidence based use of Aromatherapy. Further research is needed to study how smell ca…
Effect of self-regulatory behaviour change techniques and predictors of physical activity maintenance in cancer survivors: a 12-month follow-up of th…
2021
Abstract Background Current knowledge about the promotion of long-term physical activity (PA) maintenance in cancer survivors is limited. The aims of this study were to 1) determine the effect of self-regulatory BCTs on long-term PA maintenance, and 2) identify predictors of long-term PA maintenance in cancer survivors 12 months after participating in a six-month exercise intervention during cancer treatment. Methods In a multicentre study with a 2 × 2 factorial design, the Phys-Can RCT, 577 participants with curable breast, colorectal or prostate cancer and starting their cancer treatment, were randomized to high intensity exercise with or without self-regulatory behaviour change technique…
Long-term outcome and clinical prognostic factors in children with medulloblastoma treated in the prospective randomised multicentre trial HIT‘91
2009
PURPOSE: To analyse long-term outcome and clinical prognostic factors in medulloblastoma. METHODS: We analysed 280 patients with medulloblastoma (3-18 years) included from 1991 to 1997 in the randomised multicentre trial HIT'91 comparing pre-('sandwich') and postradiation ('maintenance') chemotherapy (median follow-up of survivors for 10 years). RESULTS: In 187 patients with complete staging, overall survival (OS) was higher after maintenance compared to sandwich treatment for M0 (10-year OS 91% and 62%, p=0.001) and M1 patients (10-year OS 70% and 34%, p=0.020). In M2/3 disease, 10-year OS was 42% and 45%. Incomplete staging, metastases, younger age and sandwich chemotherapy were independe…
Week 96 efficacy and safety results of the phase 3, randomized EMERALD trial to evaluate switching from boosted-protease inhibitors plus emtricitabin…
2019
Darunavir/cobicistat/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (D/C/F/TAF) 800/150/200/10 mg was investigated through 96 weeks in EMERALD (NCT02269917). Virologically-suppressed, HIV-1-positive treatment-experienced adults (previous non-darunavir virologic failure [VF] allowed) were randomized (2:1) to D/C/F/TAF or boosted protease inhibitor (PI) plus emtricitabine/tenofovir-disoproxil-fumarate (F/TDF) over 48 weeks. At week 52 participants in the boosted PI arm were offered switch to D/C/F/TAF (late-switch, 44 weeks D/C/F/TAF exposure). All participants were followed on D/C/F/TAF until week 96. Efficacy endpoints were percentage cumulative protocol-defined virologic rebound (PDVR; confirmed vira…
Effect of controlled-release delivery on the pharmacokinetics of oxybutynin at different dosages: severity-dependent treatment of the overactive blad…
2004
OBJECTIVE To assess the pharmacokinetics of a controlled-release formulation of oxybutynin (OROS®-O, ALZA Corp., Mountain View, CA) at different dosages, compared with immediate-release oxybutynin (IR-O), and to determine the pharmacodynamic properties in the severity-dependent reduction of urge urinary incontinence (UUI). PATIENTS AND METHODS In all, 105 patients were enrolled in this multicentre, randomized, double-blind study. Individual dose titration was used to assess the minimum effective, maximum tolerated or maximum allowed dose of either OROS-O or IR-O. Blood samples were collected during maintenance therapy with frequent sampling to analyse for R-oxybutynin and R-desethyloxybutyn…
Trends in self-reported sleep problems, tiredness and related school performance among Finnish adolescents from 1984 to 2011
2014
The aim of this study was to investigate long-term trends in insomnia symptoms, tiredness and school performance among Finnish adolescents. A time-series from 1984 to 2011 was analysed from two large-scale survey studies, the Finnish School Health Promotion Study and the Health Behavior in School-Aged Children study. A total of 1,136,583 adolescents aged 11-18 years answered a standardized questionnaire assessing frequency of insomnia symptoms, tiredness and school performance. A clear approximately twofold increasing trend in insomnia symptoms and tiredness was found from the mid-1990s to the end of the 2000s. The increase was evident in all participating age groups and in both genders. Af…