bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Using narrative text and coded data to develop hazard scenarios for occupational injury interventions
Authors: Lincoln A E , Sorock G S , Courtney T K , Wellman H M , Smith G S , Amoroso P J
Published: August 2004

Objective:To determine whether narrative text in safety reports contains sufficient information regarding contributing factors and precipitating mechanisms to prioritize occupational back injury prevention strategies.

Design, setting, subjects, and main outcome measures:Nine essential data elements were identified in narratives and coded sections of safety reports for each of 94 cases of back injuries to United States Army truck drivers reported to the United States Army Safety Center between 1987 and 1997. The essential elements of each case were used to reconstruct standardized event sequences. A taxonomy of the event sequences was then developed to identify common hazard scenarios and opportunities for primary interventions.

Results:Coded data typically only identified five data elements (broad activity, task, event/exposure, nature of injury, and outcomes) while narratives provided additional elements (contributing factor, precipitating mechanism, primary source) essential for developing our taxonomy. Three hazard scenarios were associated with back injuries among Army truck drivers accounting for 83% of cases: struck by/against events during motor vehicle crashes; falls resulting from slips/trips or loss of balance; and overexertion from lifting activities.

Conclusions:Coded data from safety investigations lacked sufficient information to thoroughly characterize the injury event. However, the combination of existing narrative text (similar to that collected by many injury surveillance systems) and coded data enabled us to develop a more complete taxonomy of injury event characteristics and identify common hazard scenarios. This study demonstrates that narrative text can provide the additional information on contributing factors and precipitating mechanisms needed to target prevention strategies.
Fire fighter fatalities 1998–2001: overview with an emphasis on structure related traumatic fatalities
Authors: Hodous T K , Pizatella T J , Braddee R , Castillo D N
Published: August 2004

Objective:To review the causes of all fire fighter line-of-duty-deaths from 1998 through 2001, and present recommendations for preventing fatalities within the specific subgroup of structure related events.

Methods:Fire fighter fatality data from the United States Fire Administration were reviewed and classified into three main categories of injury. Investigations conducted through the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program provided the basis for the recommendations presented in this paper.

Results:During the time period from 1998–2001, there were 410 line-of-duty deaths among fire fighters in the United States, excluding the 343 fire fighters who died at the World Trade Center on 11 September 2001. The 410 fatalities included 191 medical (non-traumatic) deaths (47%), 75 motor vehicle related fatalities (18%), and 144 other traumatic fatalities (35%). The latter group included 68 fatalities that were associated with structures which commonly involved structural collapse, rapid fire progression, and trapped fire fighters.

Conclusions:Structural fires pose particular hazards to fire fighters. Additional efforts must be directed to more effectively use what we have learned through the NIOSH investigations and recommendations from published experts in the safety community, consensus standards, and national fire safety organizations to reduce fire fighter fatalities during structural fire fighting.
An evaluation of a “best practices” musculoskeletal injury prevention program in nursing homes
Authors: Collins J W , Wolf L , Bell J , Evanoff B
Published: August 2004

Objective:To conduct an intervention trial of a “best practices” musculoskeletal injury prevention program designed to safely lift physically dependent nursing home residents.

Design:A pre-post intervention trial and cost benefit analysis at six nursing homes from January 1995 through December 2000. The intervention was established in January 1998 and injury rates, injury related costs and benefits, and severity are compared for 36 months pre-intervention and 36 months post-intervention.

Participants:A dynamic cohort of all nursing staff (n = 1728) in six nursing homes during a six year study period.

Intervention:“Best practices” musculoskeletal injury prevention program consisting of mechanical lifts and repositioning aids, a zero lift policy, and employee training on lift usage.

Main outcome measures:Injury incidence rates, workers’ compensation costs, lost work day injury rates, restricted work day rates, and resident assaults on caregivers, annually from January 1995 through December 2000.

Results:There was a significant reduction in resident handling injury incidence, workers’ compensation costs, and lost workday injuries after the intervention. Adjusted rate ratios were 0.39 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.29 to 0.55) for workers’ compensation claims, 0.54 (95% CI 0.40 to 0.73) for Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 200 logs, and 0.65 (95% CI 0.50 to 0.86) for first reports of employee injury. The initial investment of $158 556 for lifting equipment and worker training was recovered in less than three years based on post-intervention savings of $55 000 annually in workers’ compensation costs. The rate of post-intervention assaults on caregivers during resident transfers was down 72%, 50%, and 30% based on workers’ compensation, OSHA, and first reports of injury data, respectively.

Conclusions:The “best practices” prevention program significantly reduced injuries for full time and part time nurses in all age groups, all lengths of experience in all study sites.
EVIDENCE OF PENTAQUARK STATES FROM K+N SCATTERING DATA?
Authors: KELKAR N. G. , NOWAKOWSKI M. , KHEMCHANDANI K. P.
Published: August 2004

Motivated by the recent experimental evidence of the exotic B=S=+1 baryonic state Θ (1540), we examine the older existing data on K+N elastic scattering through the time delay method. We find positive peaks in time delay around 1.545 and 1.6 GeV in the D03 and P01 partial waves of K+N scattering respectively, in agreement with experiments. We also find an indication of the J=3/2 Θ* spin-orbit partner to the Θ, in the P03 partial wave at 1.6 GeV. We discuss the pros and cons of these findings in support of the interpretation of these peaks as possible exotics.
SPINLESS PARTICLE IN THE GENERALIZED HULTHÉN POTENTIAL
Authors: CHEN GANG
Published: August 2004

In this letter, the analytic relativistic bound state energy spectrum and wave functions of the s-wave Klein–Gordon equation for the generalized Hulthén potential are obtained through functional analytical method. The results also contain the analytic relativistic solutions of the s-wave Klein–Gordon equation for the Wood–Saxon and standard Hulthén potentials, however, the required results of the exponential potential are not derived from this paper.
γ*γ* SCATTERING VIA SECONDARY REGGEON EXCHANGE IN QCD
Authors: BARTELS JOCHEN , LUBLINSKY MICHAEL
Published: August 2004

We summarize the results on the high energy behavior of quark–antiquark exchange in γ*γ* elastic scattering. The ladder diagrams, summed in the double logarithmic approximation, provide a perturbative QCD model for secondary reggeon exchange.
CLASSIFICATION OF THE SCALAR MESONS: A STRANGE POLE EXPEDITION INTO CHARM AND BEAUTY TERRITORY
Authors: VAN BEVEREN EEF , RUPP GEORGE
Published: August 2004

The classification of scalar and vector mesons is reviewed within the framework of the Resonance-Spectrum Expansion (RSE). This method allows a simple and straightforward description of non-exotic meson–meson scattering, incorporating the effects of quark confinement and OZI-allowed decay in a fully nonperturbative way. Results for resonances and bound states are compared to experiment, on the basis of computed pole positions and cross-sections. New predictions for open-charm and -bottom scalar mesons are presented.

Concretely, observed vector states for [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are reproduced, and others are predicted. In the light scalar sector, the now established two nonets, one below 1 GeV and one in the region 1.3–1.5 GeV, are easily described, through the appearance of extra poles in the S-matrix. The recently found [Formula: see text](2317) meson is accurately reproduced by the same mechanism, as a quasi-bound state in the coupled [Formula: see text] system.

In S-wave Dπ and Bπ scattering, new resonances are foreseen close to threshold, i.e. a [Formula: see text] at 2.16±0.05 GeV some 250 MeV wide, and a [Formula: see text] at 5.47±0.05 GeV with a width of about 50 MeV. Additional predictions concern the existence of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] scalar mesons, stable with respect to OZI-allowed decay to BK and BD, respectively, namely at 5.61±0.05 GeV resp. 6.64±0.05 GeV.
A New Test Phantom for the Evaluation of Doppler Tissue Images
Authors: Murray IC , Anderson T , McDicken WN
Published: August 2004

Doppler tissue imaging (DTI) is a technique for examining the motion of moving tissue. It is particularly well suited for the examination of the motion of the myocardium and other cardiac structures. A new DTI test phantom has been designed and constructed that provides the means to evaluate the resolution of DTI images. The phantom consists of a rotating cylinder of tissue mimicking material (TMM) with a sector-shaped cut-out throughout its length. By evaluating the Doppler image of this moving structure, estimates of axial and lateral resolution can be obtained. The phantom was used to make resolution measurements of DTI images on three different ultrasound machines and to assess how machine settings affect resolution. The rotating phantom can also be used to measure contrast resolution, which is velocity resolution when considering DTI mode, and temporal resolution, which is essentially the scanner frame rate in DTI mode.
BMUS Pump Priming Research Grant 2002: Is Whole Breast Ultrasound (WBUS) Preferable to Target Scanning in Symptomatic Breast Disease?
Authors: Dixon Anne-Marie , DePledge Sheila , Hampshaw Ann , Robertshaw Alina
Published: August 2004

This project was awarded the BMUS Pump Priming Research Grant 2002 and runs until March 2005. In this, the first of two articles the background to the study and the research methods and materials are outlined. The aim was to evaluate the clinical utility of ipsi-lateral whole breast ultrasound (WBUS) in women attending a symptomatic clinic with focal abnormality. Between February 2003 and January 2004, all women attending the rapid access symptomatic breast clinic at Calderdale Royal Hospital (CRH) with signs and symptoms of focal breast abnormality were invited to participate in a prospective cohort study to evaluate the utility of ipsi-lateral WBUS in identifying clinically significant synchronous abnormality. Ultrasound examinations were performed and reported by one of three qualified and experienced non-medical sonographers. Ultrasound findings were corroborated by tissue diagnosis and/or 12-month clinical follow up. Final results will be available early in 2005. It is anticipated that the sample will include approximately 600 women presenting with a focal breast abnormality. Preliminary data analysis suggests that index lesion pathology is present in up to one in three women, that incidental abnormality is present elsewhere in the breast in one in five women and that some synchronous lesions are malignant. No clinically significant short-term adverse events related to identification and investigation of incidental abnormalities have been reported. In women presenting to symptomatic breast ultrasound services with focal signs and symptoms, it is likely that ipsi-lateral WBUS will often reveal incidental abnormality elsewhere in the breast. Further data analysis will focus on the demographic and symptomatic distribution of these abnormalities, and on the clinical significance of such findings.
Providing a One-Stop Hip Clinic for High Risk Babies: A District General Hospital Audit and Evaluation of the First 200 Patients
Authors: Simms TJ , Wilson KA
Published: August 2004

Screening for DDH is now becoming more widely used in UK hospitals. In February 2002 Peterborough Hospitals NHS Trust started screening neonates for DDH in high-risk groups. This article presents the results of an audit on the first year of screening.
Acceptability of Transvaginal Ultrasound in an Early Pregnancy Unit
Authors: MacLean Marjory , Hughes Sheila , Cummiskey Margaret
Published: August 2004

The aim of this study was to assess the acceptability of transvaginal ultrasound scanning (TVS) in the setting of an early pregnancy unit as this has not previously been reported, despite recommendations that a non-continuing pregnancy is confirmed using vaginal ultrasonography. Ethical approval was obtained for the study. Eighty women attending the early pregnancy unit were invited to complete a questionnaire after being offered a vaginal ultrasound scan to establish the viability of an early pregnancy. All women except one agreed to a TVS. Eighty-two per cent of the women admitted to being anxious before the investigation. The scan was found to be unpleasant by 2% of women, slightly unpleasant by 33% and not unpleasant by 65%. A similar number found it uncomfortable or sore (1, 33 and 66%, respectively). All women said they would have a TVS again. Sixty-eight per cent said they preferred it to filling their bladder for an abdominal scan, 14% did not express a preference and 16% would prefer to fill their bladder. This study confirms that vaginal ultrasound is an acceptable investigation in an early pregnancy unit setting. It can be recommended to women who want information regarding fetal viability in early pregnancy.
Ultrasound and in vitro fertilization: Pictorial Review With Case Study
Authors: Boland Sarah J , Dixon Anne-Marie
Published: August 2004

This article reviews the use of ultrasound in the management of infertility and in vitro fertilization (IVF) at a satellite unit of a major NHS teaching hospital assisted conception unit and uses an individual case history for illustration.
Using an interview study of transport use by people who have had a stroke to inform rehabilitation
Authors: Logan P A , Dyas J , Gladman J RF
Published: August 2004

Introduction: Many people who have had a stroke want to get out of their house more often. This study explored attitudes and barriers to the use of transport with the aim of informing rehabilitation.

Method: Semi-structured interview study of 24 community-dwelling people who had had a stroke, purposively sampled to find people with a variety of recent experiences of transport. Interviews were taped and transcribed. Analysis was by constant comparative methodology, to develop emerging themes and concepts.

Results: Interviewees wanted to travel for specific purposes but also for its own sake. Many could no longer use their car. This gave them less flexibility to travel and reduced their autonomy. Barriers to using alternative forms of transport were fear of injury or embarrassment from falling, an associated lack of confidence, inadequate information about transport services, perceptions about the cost of taxis and pavement vehicles (scooters) and environmental factors such as the weather. Those who could drive, or who lived with someone who did, gave the most positive descriptions of transport use. Those reliant on family or friends felt they could ask only for help getting to health-related appointments and those who used specialist transport services provided the most negative descriptions of transport.

Conclusions: Many of the barriers to transport use after stroke may be amenable to intervention. An intervention package capable of re-enabling people to drive or be driven, to use a pavement scooter safely, to provide information about the alternatives and to encourage best use of public transport is worth developing.
What really matters: an inquiry into the relative importance of dimensions of informal caregiver burden
Authors: van Exel N JA , Brouwer W BF , van den Berg B , Koopmanschap M A , van den Bos G AM
Published: August 2004

Objective: Prevailing measures of subjective caregiver burden either have no overall summary score or do not consider the relative importance caregivers attach to different dimensions of burden. Our aim was to assess which dimensions informal caregivers perceive as being important to their overall burden from care giving.

Design: Cross-sectional.

Subjects: Data were pooled from two Dutch samples of primary informal caregivers covering a wide range of chronic care-giving situations: caregivers for stroke survivors ( n = 196) and caregivers for individuals with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) ( n = 131).

Main measures: Subjective burden of care giving was assessed using the Caregiver Reaction Assessment (CRA) and the Self-Rated Burden scale (SRB).

Results: In the total sample four of the five dimensions of the CRA were found to contribute to the overall subjective burden experienced by informal caregivers. In the individual stroke and RA samples only two of the five dimensions emerged as relevant. SRB scores were significantly higher for caregivers of stroke patients, but no differences were found for the five dimensions of the CRA between the two samples.

Conclusions: The dimensions of CRA are not equally important to the overall subjective burden of informal caregivers. To assess overall subjective burden, a measure based on a caregiver's own assessment of burden such as SRB needs to be used in addition to prevailing measures.
Communication during goal-setting in physiotherapy treatment sessions
Authors: Parry R H
Published: August 2004

Objective: To analyse in detail therapists' and patients' communication practices during physiotherapy goal-setting in stroke rehabilitation settings. To deduce explanations for observed practices. To contribute to understanding of the communication challenges entailed in goal-setting.

Design: A conversation analytic study of video-recorded treatment sessions.

Setting: Physiotherapy ‘gyms’ in four UK hospitals.

Subjects: The 74 recorded sessions involved 21 patients (52-86 years, 11 female) and 10 senior physiotherapists. Patients' disabilities varied; none were severely aphasic. Nine of the therapists were female, post qualification experience ranged from 3 to 23 years.

Findings: Eight goal-setting episodes were identified. In all but one, therapists supplied the target problems or abilities for which goals were subsequently set. The case in which the patient was asked to propose problems prior to goal-setting is examined in detail. Various interactional difficulties and delays arose both in eliciting the patient's views and incorporating them into agreed goals. Strategies by which the therapist dealt with difficulties included repeated and constraining questions, negotiation, and amending proposed goals.

Conclusions: Findings of this small, detailed study might help explain previous observations of infrequent goal-setting and failure to maximize patients' involvement therein. Goal-setting, particularly where patients' views are elicited and incorporated, involves skill and effort, and is influenced by powerful social constraints. Developing detailed knowledge of both practices and constraints may contribute to improving professional practice, guidance and education. The paper demonstrates the utility of detailed analysis of rehabilitation communication using conversation analytic methods.
Validity of the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure: a client-centred outcome measurement
Authors: Dedding Christine , Cardol Mieke , Eyssen Isaline CJM , Beelen Anita
Published: August 2004

Objective: To study the convergent and divergent validity of the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM).

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: The occupational therapy departments of two university hospitals in Amsterdam.

Subjects: One hundred and five consecutive outpatients.

Outcome measures: The COPM is a measure of a client's self-perception of occupational performance in the areas of self-care, productivity and leisure. Outcome measures of the COPM are: the client's most important problems in occupational performance and a total score for performance and a total score for satisfaction for these problems. Problems reported in the COPM were compared with the Sickness Impact Profile (SIP68), the Disability and Impact Profile (DIP) and an open-ended question.

Results: Complete data were obtained for 99 clients. The identification of occupational performance problems with the COPM surpassed the items reported in the SIP68, the DIP and the open-ended question, which confirms the surplus value of the COPM. Divergent validity was further demonstrated by the low correlation coefficients between the total SIP68 scores and the COPM. Seventy-four per cent of the occupational performance problems reported in the COPM had a corresponding item in the DIP and 49% had a corresponding item in the SIP68. Convergent validity was supported by the fact that 63% of the corresponding problems in the DIP were reported to be a disruption of quality of life and 74% of the corresponding problems in the SIP68 were identified as a disability.

Conclusion: The results of this study provide supportive evidence for the convergent and divergent validity of the COPM. The data support the assumption that the COPM provides information that cannot be obtained with current standardized instruments to measure health.
Sex-related differences of rehabilitation outcomes of spinal cord lesion patients
Authors: Scivoletto Giorgio , Morganti Barbara , Molinari Marco
Published: August 2004

Objectives: To evaluate sex-related differences of spinal cord lesion patients.

Patients: Two hundred and eighty-one patients were included with evaluation of: lesion to admission time, aetiology, lesion level, associated injury, medical complications and surgical intervention, length of stay, American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) impairment and motor scores.

Main outcome measures: ASIA impairment grade and ASIA motor scores; Barthel Index, Rivermead Mobility Index and Walking Index for Spinal Cord Injury.

Results: In the entire group female patients had a lower frequency of traumatic lesions, a lower frequency of complications at admission and a higher frequency of incomplete lesions (ASIA impairment C). In the matching cohorts comparison female patients showed the same neurological and functional recovery as male patients.

Conclusion: Gender does not seems to influence spinal cord rehabilitation outcomes despite the fact that men and women showed significant epidemiological differences. Further studies are needed to evaluate some aspects such as long-term bladder management and complications.
Recovery of the upper limb post ischaemic stroke and the predictive value of the Orpington Prognostic Score
Authors: Meldrum Dara , Pittock Sean J , Hardiman Orla , Dhuill Caoimhe Ni , O'Regan Myra , Moroney Joan T
Published: August 2004

Objective: To document upper limb recovery in stroke patients and investigate whether the Orpington Prognostic Score (OPS) performed within 48 hours of admission to hospital post ischaemic stroke was a predictor of upper limb function at six months and two years.

Design: Inception cohort design.

Setting: Teaching Hospital.

Subjects: One hundred and fourteen patients hospitalized with acute ischaemic stroke were stratified into three groups based on their OPS within 48 hours of admission post stroke and underwent further assessments at two weeks, six months and two years after stroke onset.

Main measures: Rivermead Arm Score (RAS), Nine Hole Peg Test (NHPT) and grip strength (GS).

Results: Patients with a good OPS and intermediate OPS showed significant recovery in all outcome measures for up to six months post stroke ( p < 0.05), while those with a poor OPS at 48 hours showed no significant improvement ( p < 0.05). The OPS score at 48 hours was the most highly correlated variable with upper limb outcome at six months (r = -0.728) and at two years (r = -0.712) compared with other variables such as age, class of stroke, sensation, grip strength and RAS.

Conclusion: Stroke patients demonstrate differential upper limb recovery patterns which need to be taken in consideration when designing studies that investigate efficacy of rehabilitation, and the OPS is highly correlated with upper limb recovery at six months and two years.
Randomized clinical trial into the impact of rigid foot orthoses on balance parameters in excessively pronated feet
Authors: Rome K , Brown C L
Published: August 2004

Objective: To evaluate the effect of rigid foot orthoses on balance parameters in participants with clinically diagnosed excessively pronated feet.

Design: Randomized clinical trial.

Setting: University biomechanics laboratory.

Participants: Thirty female and 20 male healthy participants (mean 23.89 ± 2.2 years old) with excessively pronated feet, according to a validated foot classification system were randomly assigned to either a control or intervention group.

Interventions: Balance testing was performed using the Balance Performance Monitor with an over-the-counter rigid foot orthoses.

Main outcome measures: Standing balance in the form of mean balance (measures the participants ability to stand with an even load), medial–lateral sway and anterior–posterior sway. All participants were measured while standing bipedally.

Results: There was no significant mean difference in balance scores between the control and intervention group at baseline. After four weeks the results demonstrated no significant differences between mean) balance ( p > 0.05) and anterior–posterior sway ( p > 0.05). However, there was a reduction with the intervention group in medial–lateral sway ( p > 0.02).

Conclusion: The use of foot orthoses in the current study may have improved postural control by stabilizing the rear foot and thus maintaining balance. By the same argument, the benefits of limiting excessive foot pronation may contribute to effective control of internal rotation of the tibia and thereby reduce counter-rotatory motion at the knee and lower leg and maintain balance.
Measures used to assess burden among caregivers of stroke patients: a review
Authors: Visser-Meily J M Anne , Post Marcel W M , Riphagen Ingrid I , Lindeman Eline
Published: August 2004

Objective: To describe measures used to evaluate the burden of caregiving experienced by caregivers of stroke patients and their clinimetric properties.

Design: A review of the literature was conducted to examine burden scales with regard to concept, feasibility, internal consistency, validity, reliability and responsiveness.

Results: The literature search resulted in 45 measures of caregiver outcomes, including 16 different measures of caregiver burden. About half of the scales were used only once and were not further described. Nearly all instruments measure the various dimensions of burden (competency, negative feelings, social relations, participation problems, physical and mental health and economic aspects), but not in the same proportions. Most measures showed good internal consistency, and validity was demonstrated for all measures except one. However, not much is known about the reliability and responsiveness of these measures.

Conclusions: No measure has proven superiority above others. Future research should focus on comparisons between existing instruments and on their reliability and responsiveness.
Fewer accidents and better maintenance with active wheelchair check-ups: a randomized controlled clinical trial
Authors: Hansen R , Tresse S , Gunnarsson R K
Published: August 2004

Objective: To investigate whether active intervention using a compiled checklist for wheelchair check-ups increases user satisfaction and/or decreases accidents, near accidents and pressure sores.

Design: A randomized controlled trial comparing active intervention versus standard intervention for prescribed, manually propelled wheelchairs.

Setting: Patients within primary health care of Bora°s and Bollebygd municipalities, a mixed urban and rural population.

Subjects: Users of manually propelled wheelchairs over 16 years of age.

Interventions: The accident rate, extent of pressure sores, number and extent of repairs, reconditioning, adjustments as well as user satisfaction were measured initially and at one year. In the standard intervention, the user and carer were encouraged to initiate contact when necessary. In the active intervention, an occupational therapist performed a scheduled, thorough check-up of the wheelchair, following a compiled checklist for safety, comfort and positioning, manoeuvrability and transportation.

Results: Of 253 registered wheelchair users, 216 were suitable and randomized. In the active intervention group, 99% (95% confidence interval 96 / 100%) of the inspected wheelchairs required maintenance. The incidence of accidents was unchanged in the standard intervention group, but decreased to ‘no accidents’ in the active intervention group (p / 0.03). User satisfaction was not affected by the active intervention.

Conclusion: Most wheelchair users are unable to determine on their own when adjustments are needed. An active check-up on manually propelled wheelchairs seems to reduce accidents. More information is available at http://www.wheelchair.se
Aerobic treadmill plus Bobath walking training improves walking in subacute stroke: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Eich H-J , Mach H , Werner C , Hesse S
Published: August 2004

Objective: To evaluate the immediate and long-term effects of aerobic treadmill plus Bobath walking training in subacute stroke survivors compared with Bobath walking training alone.

Design: Randomized controlled trial.

Setting: Rehabilitation unit.

Subjects: Fifty patients, first-time supratentorial stroke, stroke interval less than six weeks, Barthel Index (0 / 100) from 50 to 80, able to walk a minimum distance of 12 m with either intermittent help or stand-by while walking, cardiovascular stable, minimum 50 W in the bicycle ergometry, randomly allocated to two groups, A and B.

Interventions: Group A 30 min of treadmill training, harness secured and minimally supported according to patients' needs, and 30 min of physiotherapy, every workday for six weeks, speed and inclination of the treadmill were adjusted to achieve a heart rate of HR: (Hrmax / HRrest)*0.6 / HRrest; in group B 60 min of daily physiotherapy for six weeks.

Main outcome measures: Primary outcome variables were the absolute improvement of walking velocity (m/s) and capacity (m), secondary were gross motor function including walking ability (score out of 13) and walking quality (score out of 41), blindly assessed before and after the intervention, and at follow-up three months later.

Results: Patients tolerated the aerobic training well with no side-effects, significantly greater improvement of walking velocity and capacity both at study end (p / 0.001 versus p / 0.002) and at follow-up (p < 0.001 versus p<0.001) in the experimental group. Between weeks 0 and 6, the experimental group improved walking speed and capacity by a mean of.31 m/s and 91 m, the control group by a mean of 0.16 m/s and 56 m. Between weeks 0 and 18, the experimental group improved walking speed and capacity by a mean of 0.36 m/s and 111 m, the control group by a mean of 0.15 m/s and 57 m. Gross motor function and walking quality did not differ at any time.

Conclusions: Aerobic treadmill plus Bobath walking training in moderately affected stroke patients was better than Bobath walking training alone with respect to the improvement of walking velocity and capacity. The treatment approach is recommended in patients meeting the inclusion criteria. A multicentre trial should follow to strengthen the evidence.
Assessment of muscle strength and motor fatigue with a knee dynamometer in subjects with multiple sclerosis: a new fatigue index
Authors: Surakka Jukka , Romberg Anders , Ruutiainen Juhani , Virtanen Arja , Aunola Sirkka , Mäentaka Kari
Published: August 2004

Objective: To measure muscle strength and motor fatigue with a knee dynamometer and to assess the intra-rater reliability of measurements for maximal isometric extensor and flexor torques and the reliability of a new fatigue index (FI) in patients with mild to moderate multiple sclerosis (MS).

Design: Repeated assessments with one-week intervals.

Setting: The Masku Neurological Rehabilitation Centre, Masku, and the Social Insurance Institution, Research Department, Turku, Finland.

Subjects: Twenty-eight MS patients.

Outcome measures: Maximal isometric torque during 5 s and fatigue of knee flexors and extensors during isometric contractions of 30 s were assessed. A new FI was established and compared with the two previously used indices (FI1 and FI2). All three indices are based on the calculated area under the force versus time curve (AUFC), with FI1 using the 30-s recording time in its entirety and F2 omitting the initial 5 s in the calculation. In the new fatigue index (FI3), the time point of maximum (TPM) torque achieved by the subject is used as the starting point in the calculation. The patient's subjective fatigue was measured by Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS).

Results: The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was 0.97 in maximal isometric torque measurements. FI3 showed good intra-rater reliability (ICC 0.68-0.86). None of the fatigue indices correlated with FSS.

Conclusions: Maximal isometric torque and motor fatigue of knee flexor and extensor muscles can be reliably measured using a knee dynamometer in MS patients. The new FI proved to be a reliable model for MS patients.
Task-Specific Ionic Liquids
Authors: H. Davis James
Published: August 2004

The covalent tethering of a functional group to one or both of the ions of an otherwise ordinary ionic liquid can imbue the resulting salt with a capacity to interact with dissolved substrates in specific ways. Called “task-specific” ionic liquids (TSIL), these low melting salts are finding an increasing number of applications in synthesis, separations, catalysis, and electrochemistry.
Effects of Rhodium Addition to Mo/HZSM-5 Catalyst for Methane Dehydroaromatization
Authors: Kojima Ryoichi , Kikuchi Satoshi , Ichikawa Masaru
Published: August 2004

Rhodium added 6 wt % Mo/HZSM-5 catalyst (Rh/Mo = 0.2) exhibited highly stable and active performances in the methane dehydroaromatization reaction at 1023 K under 0.3 MPa with 2700 mL g−1 h−1 of the methane feed with 6% hydrogen addition due to the effective suppression of the coke deposition on the Brønsted acid sites of HZSM-5.
A Novel l-Proline Catalyzed Biginelli Reaction: One-Pot Synthesis of 3,4-Dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-ones under Solvent-Free Conditions
Authors: Yadav J S , Kumar S Praveen , Kondaji G , Rao R Srinivasa , Nagaiah K
Published: August 2004

A Novel efficient and simple synthetic protocol for the Biginelli reaction has been developed for the synthesis of 3,4-dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-ones in a one-pot three-component condensation of aldehydes, β-dicarbonyl compounds, and urea or thio-urea by using 10 mol % l-proline as the catalyst under solvent free condition.
Characterization and Field-Effect Transistor Performance of Heterocyclic Oligomers Containing a Thiazolothiazole Unit
Authors: Ando Shinji , Nishida Jun-ichi , Fujiwara Eiichi , Tada Hirokazu , Inoue Youji , Tokito Shizuo , Yamashita Yoshiro
Published: August 2004

Novel mixed five-membered heterocyclic (furan, thiophene, and thiazole) oligomers containing a thiazolothiazole ring system have been investigated as active materials of organic field-effect transistors (OFETs). The field-effect moblities of 10−4–10−3 cm2/Vs were obtained for the furyl derivatives and their FET performances as p-type semiconductors are presented as the first examples of FET behavior of oligomers including furan rings.
Low-voltage Organic Field-effect Transistors with a Gate Insulator of Ta2O5 Formed by Sputtering
Authors: Sakai Heisuke , Furukawa Yukio , Fujiwara Eiichi , Tada Hirokazu
Published: August 2004

The Ta2O5 film prepared on silicon by RF sputtering has been used as a gate insulator for the top-contact field-effect transistors fabricated with poly(2-methoxy-5-(2′-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene) (MEH-PPV) or pentacene. Good transistor characteristics have been obtained with saturation at low drive voltages (about −3 V) and with hole mobilities of 5.2 × 10−4 cm2/Vs (MEH-PPV) and 0.8 cm2/Vs (pentacene).
DFT Method Estimation of Standard Redox Potential of Metals
Authors: Kobayashi Hisayoshi , Miura Toshiko , Shimodaira Yoshiki , Kudo Akihiko
Published: August 2004

The DFT method calculation was carried out to evaluate standard redox potential for metal/metal cation systems. With the Born–Haber cycle, standard redox potential is composed of the cohesive energy, ionization energy, and hydration energy. Utilizing experimental values of the cohesive energy of metals, the root-mean-square deviation of calculated and experimental values was 0.29 V for 17 ions.
Peak Formation Due to Chemiluminescence Reaction through the Collapse of Laminar Flow Liquid–Liquid Interface in a Microreactor
Authors: Tsukagoshi Kazuhiko , Ikegami Keiichi , Nakajima Riichiro , Yamashita Kenichi , Maeda Hedeaki
Published: August 2004

A peak signal due to a chemiluminescence (CL) reaction in a microreactor consisting of a microchannel without sample plug formation is presented. The CL reaction of luminol–hydrogen peroxide–Cu(II) was used in this study. A CL profile, including a peak signal, was observed by the collapse of the liquid–liquid interface based on laminar flow in the microchannel. We examined CL profiles for various flow rates of reagents and detection points in the microreactor. The data obtained were taken into consideration, together with the residence times and diffusion lengths. On the basis of on the measurements of peak height, Cu(II) was determined over the range of 20 nM–0.1 mM with a detection limit of 20 nM (S/N = 3).
Tetrakis(trimethylsilylbutadiynyl)ethene, C18(SiMe3)4: An Extended Two-Dimensional π-Conjugated System Consisting of Eighteen Carbon Atoms
Authors: Ozawa Takehiro , Akita Munetaka
Published: August 2004

Tetrakis(trimethylsilylbutadiynyl)ethene, C18(SiMe3)4, containing an extended two-dimensional (2-D) π-conjugated carbon system has been prepared and characterized by spectroscopic and crystallographic methods.
Biselides A and B, Novel Macrolides from the Okinawan Ascidian Didemnidae sp.
Authors: Teruya Toshiaki , Shimogawa Hiroki , Suenaga Kiyotake , Kigoshi Hideo
Published: August 2004

Two new macrolides, biselides A (1) and B (2), were isolated from the Okinawan ascidian Didemnidae sp. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic analysis.
A Novel Open-framework Cerium Sulfate Hydrate: Synthesis and Characterization
Authors: Yu Ranbo , Wang Dan , Chen Yunfa , Xing Xianran , Ishiwata Shintaro , Saito Takashi , Takano Mikio
Published: August 2004

A novel open-framework cerium sulfate hydrate [CeIII(SO4)1.5(HSO4)0.5]·0.5H3O has been synthesized hydrothermally, and characterized by single-crystal XRD, SEM, SQUID, and elemental analysis. In its structure, the CeO7 polyhedra and SO4 tetrahedra are connected via corner sharing in a strictly alternate manner to form an open-framework structure with a one-dimensional eight-membered ring channel system along the b axis. Protonated H2O molecules are accommodated in the channels.
Novel Donor–π–Acceptor Compounds Containing 1,3-Dithiol-2-ylidene and Tetracyanobutadiene Units
Authors: Morioka Yosuke , Yoshizawa Naoto , Nishida Jun-ichi , Yamashita Yoshiro
Published: August 2004

The title donor–π–acceptor compounds were prepared by the reaction of acetylenes containing a 1,3-dithiol-2-ylidene unit with tetracyanoethylene (TCNE). They showed amphoteric properties and intramolecular charge-transfer absorptions in the visible region. The molecular and crystal structures were revealed by X-ray analysis.
Preparation of Nitriles from Primary Alcohols by a New Type of Oxidation-reduction Condensation Using 2,6-Dimethyl-1,4-benzoquinone and Diethyl Cyanophosphonate
Authors: Mukaiyama Teruaki , Masutani Kouta , Hagiwara Yoshiaki
Published: August 2004

Cyanation of alkoxydiphenylphosphines, in situ prepared from nBuLi and various primary alcohols, with 2,6-dimethyl-1,4-benzoquinone (DMBQ) and diethyl cyanophosphonate provided the corresponding nitriles in high yields.
Novel Way to Synthesize CuO Nanocrystals with Various Morphologies
Authors: Yang Rui , Gao Lian
Published: August 2004

A novel and facile method for the synthesis of CuO nanocrystals with various morphologies is reported. The synthesis involves the convenient hydrothermal decomposition process of the Cu(COOH)2 in the mixture of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and H2O. The spherical, rodlike, and leaflike CuO nanocrystals are prepared by varying the concentration of water. The capacitance of CuO products was determined by cyclic voltammetry.
Photochemical Polar Addition of 1,1-Diphenylethene Using Photosensitive Surfactant in Stable Oil-in-Water Emulsion
Authors: Yoshimi Yasuharu , Higuchi Michiya , Itou Tatsuya , Hatanaka Minoru
Published: August 2004

An aq NaOH solution of the photosensitive surfactant 1 was mixed with 1,1-diphenylethene 2 to form a stable oil-in-water emulsion and excitation of the emulsion afforded the alcohol 3 in good yield without stirring. The photosensitive surfactant 1 works more efficiently in heterogeneous system (in water) than in homogeneous system (in organic solvent).
Combinatorial Auctions in the Procurement of Transportation Services
Authors: Sheffi Yossi
Published: August 2004

Most shippers use annual auctions to procure transportation services, leading to annual contracts. By using combinatorial auctions they can reduce their operating costs while protecting carriers from winning lanes that do not fit their networks, thereby improving carriers' operations as well. Combinatorial auctions account for carriers' economies of scope, which many consider more important than economies of scale in transportation operations. Any transportation procurement procedure, however, must account for level of service and other nonprice variables, which are as important as price in determining which carrier should serve what lane. These considerations can be incorporated into the combinatorial auction framework easily and holistically. After several years of using this approach, leading shippers have adopted it, and several software providers offer the requisite software.
Optimizing Pilot Planning and Training for Continental Airlines
Authors: Yu Gang , Pachon Julian , Thengvall Benjamin , Chandler Darryal , Wilson Al
Published: August 2004

The Crew ResourceSolver decision-support system employs advanced optimization modeling and solution techniques to solve complex, large-scale pilot staffing and training problems at Continental Airlines. The system determines optimal pilot transitions and efficiently allocates and schedules training resources. The results are improved staffing levels and substantial cost savings through reduced staffing, hiring, and training costs. Continental has estimated savings of over $10 million per year using the system.
Improving Order-Picking Response Time at Ankor's Warehouse
Authors: Dekker R. , de Koster M. B. M. , Roodbergen K. J. , van Kalleveen H.
Published: August 2004

Ankor is a wholesaler of tools and garden equipment, carrying such well-known brands as Skandia. Its warehouse is under continuous pressure to improve its efficiency while it is confronted with several specific requirements in its order picking, like the requirement to retrieve heavy products first to prevent damage to other, breakable products. Our research goal was to determine a good combination of policies for storage assignment (assigning products to storage locations) and routing (determining the sequence in which to retrieve products from storage to meet customer demand) for Ankor's situation. We adapted existing solution techniques for this problem, overcoming the special characteristics of Ankor's operations. With these adapted techniques, we cut the average route length in the order-picking operation by 31 percent. As a result of our study, Ankor implemented a new storage and routing strategy. The study also showed further improvement potentials in the picking process, which Ankor adopted as well. All improvements led to a reduction in the number of order pickers of more than 25 percent.
Dimensional Analysis of Airline Quality
Authors: Gardner Everette S.
Published: August 2004

Dimensional analysis is widely used in physics and engineering to contribute to modeling systems in which variables are measured in incompatible units. I used dimensional analysis to rank the airlines in overall quality based on US Department of Transportation data: on-time arrivals, denied boardings, mishandled baggage, and customer complaints. The results conflict with the well-known airline quality rating (AQR), published annually since 1991 by Bowen and Headley. Weighted averages of quality data in the AQR are dimensionally incorrect and produce rankings that are virtually independent of on-time arrivals. For example, the 2001 AQR ranks Alaska Airlines first in overall quality, despite the worst on-time performance in the industry. Dimensional analysis places Alaska Airlines near the bottom of the industry, seventh in overall quality.
Aggregating Expert Ratings Using Preference-Neutral Weights: The Case of the College Football Polls
Authors: Horowitz Ira
Published: August 2004

I use two principal college football polls to illustrate a preference-neutral linear programming procedure for determining optimal weights for aggregating expert ratings. I compute the weights for 84 weekly polls released during the 1999 through 2003 college football seasons. The weights vary from week to week (sometimes considerably over a year), the range of weights over which the aggregate ranking holds also tends to vary and to be quite small (with a range of zero almost half the time), and nothing is systematic about the week-to-week changes in either the weights or their ranges. The results suggest that predisposition to a particular set of weights is a bad idea, not just for the purpose of aggregating the football polls, but in any situation in which one wants to aggregate ratings provided by multiple sources of complementary expertise.
www.Personal_Asset_Allocation
Authors: Consiglio Andrea , Cocco Flavio , Zenios Stavros A.
Published: August 2004

Today consumers demand delivery of financial services anytime and anywhere, and their needs and desires are evolving rapidly. The World Wide Web provides a rich channel for distributing customized services to a range of clients. An Internet-based system developed by Prometeia S.r.l. for Italian banks—both traditional and e-banks—supports consumers and financial advisors in planning personal finances. The system provides advice on allocating personal assets to fund consumers' needs, such as paying for a house, children's education, retirement, or other projects. State-of-the-art models of financial engineering—based on scenario optimization—develop plans that are consistent with clients' goals, their attitudes towards risk, and the prevailing views on market performance. The system then helps clients to select off-the-shelf financial products, such as mutual funds, to create customized portfolios. Finally, it analyzes the risk of portfolios in terms that are intuitive for laypersons and monitors their performance in achieving the target goals. Four major banks use the system to support their networks of several thousand financial advisors and to reach tens of thousands of clients directly.