bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Quality of Life and the Concept of “Living Well” With HIV/AIDS in Sub‐Saharan Africa
Authors: Phaladze Nthabiseng A. , Human Sarie , Dlamini Sibusiso B. , Hulela Elsie B. , Mahlubi Hadebe Innocent , Sukati Nonhlanhla A. , Makoae Lucy Nthabiseng , Seboni Naomi Mmapelo , Moleko Mary , Holzemer William L. 
Published: May 2005

Purpose

: To increase understanding of the meaning of quality of life for people living with HIV/AIDS in four countries in sub‐Saharan Africa: Botswana, Lesotho, South Africa, and Swaziland.
Methods

: Using a cross‐sectional design and convenience sample, we administered a survey and collected data on demographic characteristics, measures of severity of illness, and perceptions of quality of life. The purposefully selected sample (N=743) consisted of community‐based people living with HIV/AIDS in 2002. Based on the Wilson and Cleary framework for organizing variables related to quality of life, a hierarchical multiple regression was conducted with quality of life as the dependent variable.
Results

: The sample of 743 persons was 61.2% female with a mean age of 34 years. Approximately 62% of the sample reported having received an AIDS diagnosis. Ten predictor variables explained 53.2% of the variance in life satisfaction. Those participants with higher life satisfaction scores were less educated, had worries about disclosure and finances, did not have an AIDS diagnosis or other comorbid conditions, had lower symptom intensity, had greater functioning, and had fewer health worries. None of these participants was taking antiretroviral medications at the time of this study.
Conclusions

: Several dimensions of the Wilson and Cleary model of quality of life were significantly related to life satisfaction for people living with HIV/AIDS in sub‐Saharan Africa. Quality of life for this sample was primarily defined as overall functional ability and control over symptom intensity. These findings are similar to studies in developed countries that have shown the significant relationships among functional abilities, symptom control, and perceived quality of life. As antiretroviral medications become more available in these areas, community members and care providers can help clients realize the possibility of living well with HIV/AIDS, and can work with clients to improve functional ability and control symptom intensity to make living well a reality.
Effects of Nasogastric Tube Feeding on Serum Sodium, Potassium, and Glucose Levels
Authors: Oh HyunSoo , Suh YeonOk , Hwang SunKyung , Seo WhaSook 
Published: May 2005

Purpose

: To examine whether significant alterations in serum sodium, potassium, and glucose levels occurred after nasogastric tube feeding with iso‐osmolar formula in acute brain infarction patients.
Design and Methods

: Serum sodium, potassium, and glucose levels were analyzed by a retrospective medical record review of 85 nasogastric tube‐fed patients.
Findings

: The mean values of serum sodium and potassium levels on the day before, and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd days of nasogastric feeding were within the normal range. Alterations in the incidence rates of high, normal, and low level of serum sodium and potassium after tube feeding were not statistically significant. The mean blood glucose levels on the day before, and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd days of tube feeding were above normal, and the increase after tube feading was not statistically significant.
Conclusions

: Enteral tube feeding using iso‐osmolar formula did not significantly alter serum sodium and potassium balance. However, most participants were hyperglycemic before and after tube feeding, indicating that hyperglycemia can be induced in the acute stages of brain infarction regardless of tube feeding.
Parent ratings of school behaviour in children at risk of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder
Authors: Sayal K. , Taylor E. 
Published: May 2005

Objective:  To investigate whether parents are accurate informants of child hyperactivity symptoms and impairment at school.Method:  Parents of a community sample of 93 children with pervasive hyperactivity completed rating scales about their child's behaviour at home and school. These were compared with teacher ratings.Results:  Parent ratings about school correlate more closely with parent (home) than teacher ratings. Such ratings systematically under‐estimate teacher ratings and are influenced by the child's behaviour at both home and school as well as parental mental health. However, a parental report of impairment for the child at school is likely to be accurate.Conclusion:  There are limitations in relying on parental accounts of school behaviour if teacher ratings are unavailable. As such ratings may under‐identify children with ADHD and discrepancies between parent and teacher ratings may reflect actual differences in behaviour, this suggests that ratings are required from both sets of informants.
Sertraline in generalized anxiety disorder: efficacy in treating the psychic and somatic anxiety factors
Authors: Dahl A. A. , Ravindran A. , Allgulander C. , Kutcher S. P. , Austin C. , Burt T. 
Published: May 2005

Objective:  The objective was to study the efficacy of sertraline on symptoms of psychic and somatic anxiety in patients suffering from moderate‐to‐severe generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).Method:  Out‐patients with DSM‐IV GAD were randomized to 12 weeks of double‐blind treatment with placebo. The psychic and somatic anxiety factors of the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM‐A) and the Quality of Life, Enjoyment, and Satisfaction Questionnaire were analyzed.Results:  Treatment with sertraline resulted in significantly greater last observation carried forward (LOCF)‐endpoint improvement than placebo on both the HAM‐A psychic and somatic anxiety factors. At LOCF‐endpoint, all items on the HAM‐A psychic factor were more improved on sertraline than placebo, as were three of seven items on the somatic factor. Reduction of secondary depressive symptoms was more correlated with endpoint improvement in quality of life than either psychic‐ or somatic anxiety.Conclusion:  Sertraline treatment demonstrated efficacy for both the psychic and somatic anxiety symptoms of GAD.
The outcome of anxiety disorders in older people at 6‐year follow‐up: results from the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam
Authors: Schuurmans J. , Comijs H. C. , Beekman A. T. F. , de Beurs E. , Deeg D. J. H. , Emmelkamp P. M. G. , van Dyck R. 
Published: May 2005

Objective:  To examine long‐term outcome of late‐life anxiety disorders and utilization of mental health care services.Method:  A cohort of subjects (aged ≥55 years) with an anxiety disorder (n = 112) was identified in the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (n = 3107). At 6 year follow‐up, the rate of persistence and prognostic factors for persistence of anxiety were established.Results:  Six years after baseline 23% of our sample met the criteria for an anxiety disorder. Another 47% suffered from subclinical anxiety symptoms. Persistence of anxiety was associated with a high score on neuroticism at baseline. Use of benzodiazepines was high (43%), while use of mental health care facilities (14%) and anti‐depressants (7%) remained low in those with persistent anxiety.Conclusion:  Results indicate that those high in neuroticism are at greater risk for persistence of anxiety. Efforts to enhance appropriate referral of anxious older adults do not seem to have had the desired effect.
Adjunctive bright light in non‐seasonal major depression: results from patient‐reported symptom and well‐being scales
Authors: Martiny K. , Lunde M. , Undén M. , Dam H. , Bech P. 
Published: May 2005

Objective:  In this study, we tested the efficacy of bright light therapy as an adjunct to antidepressant treatment (sertraline) in patients with non‐seasonal major depression.Method:  In a randomized double‐blind controlled trial, 102 patients were treated for 5 weeks with either white bright light (10.000 lx, 1 h/day) or red dim light (50 lx, 30 min/day). All patients received sertraline in a dosage of 50 mg daily. The self‐assessment scales used were the Major Depression Inventory (MDI), the Psychological General Well‐Being Scale (PGWB) and the Symptom Check List (SCL‐90R).Results:  On all three questionnaires the score differences between baseline and endpoint were greatest in the bright light group. On the SCL‐90R, the difference reached statistical significance. Results and effect sizes are compared with results from Danish national population studies applying PGWB and SCL‐90R.Conclusion:  The results advocate the use of bright light as an adjunct treatment of non‐seasonal depression.
Therapeutic and prophylactic effects of PUVA photochemotherapy on atopic dermatitis‐like lesions in NC/Nga mice
Authors: Miyauchi‐Hashimoto Hiroko , Okamoto Hiroyuki , Sugihara Akira , Horio Takeshi 
Published: May 2005

Background: Psoralens and ultraviolet A radiation (PUVA) photochemotherapy has been used for severe cases of atopic dermatitis (AD). To understand the mechanisms of action is important for the choice of treatments. AD‐like lesions can be induced experimentally in NC/Nga mice.Objectives: To evaluate clinically and histologically the therapeutic and prophylactic effects of PUVA on AD‐like dermatitis using NC/Nga mice.Methods: PUVA therapy was performed with intraperitoneal injection of 4 mg/kg of 8‐methoxypsoralen (8‐MOP) and 4 J/cm2‐UVA irradiation before and after development of AD‐like lesions in NC/Nga mice which had been maintained in a conventional room (Conv‐NC/Nga mice). Clinical skin conditions were evaluated periodically by a clinical severity score defined. Lesions were histologically examined in haematoxylin–eosin or toluidine blue‐stained sections. Plasma levels of total IgE were measured at various time points.Results: In Conv‐NC/Nga mice infested with mite, AD‐like lesions started to develop at 8 week of age and thereafter increased in severity score. PUVA therapy at lower does than minimal phototoxic dose suppressed the development of dermatitis and was also therapeutically effective against established lesions. Proliferation of dermal mast cells in AD‐like lesions was suppressed, but IgE hyperproduction was not changed after PUVA.Conclusions: These observations suggest that PUVA photochemotherapy reveals not only therapeutic but also prophylactic effects on human AD.
Is an elongated stylohyoid process prevalent in the elderly? A radiographic study in a Brazilian population
Authors: Rizzatti‐Barbosa Célia M. , Ribeiro Margarete C. , Silva‐Concilio Lais R. , Di Hipolito Oswaldo , Ambrosano Gláucia M. 
Published: May 2005

Background:  Elongation and calcification of the stylohyoid ligament complex may be correlated with Eagle's syndrome. The styloid complex pathogenesis is still being debated.Objective:  The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of stylohyoid ligament complex elongation in panoramic radiographs of 2252 patients in a Brazilian adult, partially edentulous population, of both sexes.Methods:  The radiographs, taken in the Semiology Department at the Dental School in Brazil, were randomly selected from January 1997 to December 2000. The stylohyoid ligament complexes were measured from the cranial base up to the osseous tip of each process. Mineralisation of the complex of more than 25 mm in length on the radiograph was considered to be abnormal. The same operator made all the measurements. The lengths of the areas of mineralisation were recorded, and whether the condition was bilateral was noted.Results:  This abnormality was present in both sexes. A calcified complex was found in 451 of the 2252 patients. The majority of these calcified complexes (n = 248; 54.9%) were bilateral. Three hundred and fifty‐six (39.5%) of them were longer than 25 mm (and so were abnormal), and the length varied from 26.1 to 65 mm. (average length = 27.8 mm). Forty (4.4%) of the abnormalities were longer than 50 mm, and of these 36 (90%) were in the 40–59 year age group. The mean length of a mineralised stylohyoid ligament complex in patients in the 60–79 year age group was 32.75 mm.Conclusion:  The results suggested that an anatomical variant of the stylohyoid ligament complex was more frequently found in the elderly female population, although this abnormality was present in both sexes. There was a greater tendency for the abnormality to be present in patients between 60 and 79 years of age.
Anaesthesiological risk assessment in young/adult and elderly dental patients
Authors: Ragonesi M. , Ivaldi C. 
Published: May 2005

Objective:  Analysing the differences in number of diseases reported, medicines taken and American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) scores in young/adult and elderly dental patients.Subject:  Forty‐seven young/adult and 47 elderly dental patients living in the community.Setting:  Private dental practice.Main outcome measures:  Age, number of systemic diseases reported during anamnesis, number of medicines taken, seriousness of pre‐existent diseases measured according to the ASA (American Society of Anaesthesiologist) scale.Study design:  Analytical study.Results:  The differences between young/adult and elderly dental patients as far as self‐reported medical conditions, medicines taken and ASA scores were statistically significant (p < 0.001).Conclusion:  The number of elderly patients’ medical conditions are greater than young/adults’. It is therefore necessary to adequately assess the elderly patient before starting any dental treatment.
Collaboration of a dentist and speech‐language pathologist in the rehabilitation of a stroke patient with dysarthria: a case study
Authors: Ono Takahiro , Hamamura Mari , Honda Kosuke , Nokubi Takashi 
Published: May 2005

Objective:  To elucidate the effectiveness of the collaboration of a dentist and speech‐language pathologist (SLP) in the rehabilitation of a stroke patient with dysarthria.Design:  A clinical case report treated in the rehabilitation hospital and dental surgery.Subject:  A 71‐year‐old Japanese man who was admitted to the rehabilitation hospital for speech rehabilitation 2 years and 5 months after a stroke.Methods:  Provision of prosthesis (palatal lift prosthesis + palatal augmentation prosthesis) for improving velopharyngeal incompetence (VPI) and articulation by dentist, and speech behavioural management by SLP including self‐monitoring and bio‐feedback training using the See‐Scape.Results:  Speech behavioural management proved useful for promoting improvement in speech intelligibility to a functionally sufficient level after improving VPI by prosthesis.Conclusion:  The collaborative efforts of the dentist and SLP in the rehabilitation of post‐stroke patients with velopharyngeal incompetence should be encouraged.
Relationship of number of remaining teeth to health‐related quality of life in community‐dwelling elderly
Authors: Akifusa S. , Soh I. , Ansai T. , Hamasaki T. , Takata Y. , Yohida A. , Fukuhara M , Sonoki K. , Takehara T. 
Published: May 2005

Objective:  The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between number of remaining teeth and health‐related quality of life in community‐dwelling elderly.Subjects:  A total of 207 participants who were community‐dwelling, 85 years of age. Data were from a population‐based study of age‐related general and oral health in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan.Measurements:  The Japanese version of the Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF‐36).Results:  The mental component score for the participants, from the SF‐36, was higher than the Japanese national norm for those aged ≥70 years. There were no significant differences in the mean of any scores on the SF‐36 by having spouse, living with family, or education level. The mean of the SF‐36 scores of physical functioning (PF) and of the physical component scores were significantly higher in the 85‐year‐old participants with ≥20 teeth than in those with ≤19 teeth (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01 respectively). In addition, a significant difference (p < 0.05) was observed between the mean of participants with ≥20 teeth and those with ≤19 teeth after adjustment for region where the participant lived, activities of daily living (ADL), and sex. The PF (p < 0.001), role‐physical (p < 0.005), bodily pain (p < 0.001), vitality (p < 0.001), social functioning (p < 0.05), and physical component (p < 0.001) scores were significantly higher in participants with a good activities of daily living (ADL) assessment. However, ADL was not associated with the number of teeth.Conclusions:  The findings of the present study indicated that 85‐year‐old participants with ≥20 teeth had better subjective physical health than those with ≤19 teeth.
Predicting vertical dimension with cephalograms, for edentulous patients
Authors: Brzoza D. , Barrera N. , Contasti G. , Hernández A. 
Published: May 2005

Objectives:  To provide information on vertical dimension (VD), occlusal plane (OP), and size of future occlusal rims, through lateral Rx and cephalometric tracings that analyse and compare hard and soft tissue. To show that these measures are compatible with methods routinely used to prescribe for full.Design:  Ten patients age range 53–81. Lateral Rx, with and without dentures, were taken and traced cephalograms were used to compare hard and soft tissue angles and planes.Main outcome measures:  Based on three cephalometric analyses: Rickets, and McNamara for skeletal, and Legan‐Burstone for soft tissue, to identify the following landmarks: 13 skeletal points: N, ANS, PNS, Me, Xi, Pm, FC, Or, Po, A, B, Co, Gn and four soft tissue points: G, Gv, Sn, Me′; seven skeletal planes: HP, FP, NF, N‐ANS‐Me, A‐B, ANS‐Me, Co‐Gn, and three soft tissue planes: G‐Sn, Sn‐Me′, Sn‐Gv, and six angles: N‐FC‐A, ANS‐Xi‐Pm, 1NF, 1MP, 6NF, interincisor angle.Results:  Stability in skeletal VD was observed with the proportion of 0.8 ± 0.2 being present, between the middle third and lower third facial heights, N‐ANS/ANS‐Me. In addition, soft tissue proportion remained near 1, G‐Sn,/Sn‐Me. The length and position of first upper molar, upper and lower incisors were used to predict the OP. When compared with cephalograms of the same patient with dentures, similar measurements were observed.Conclusions:  It was possible to provide information on skeletal, facial proportions, VD, OP, and rim size using cephalograms for edentulous patients.
Need for gerodontology education in India
Authors: Shah N. 
Published: May 2005

Objectives:  To evaluate the status and need for education in Geriatric Dentistry in India.Materials and methods:  The status of dental education in India was studied. India has 185 dental schools producing 12 000 dental graduates every year. At postgraduate level, there are nine recognised specialities in Dentistry, and approximately 58 institutions offer 1160 places for postgraduate degree courses. Dental education is shaped and administered by the Dental Council of India.Results:  So far, Geriatric dentistry has not developed as a separate, independent speciality at postgraduate level. The undergraduate curriculum does not have any significant component of geriatric dentistry. The lack of training results in poor understanding of special needs of older adults in young graduates. Without adequate training and personal experience of growing old, young graduates may not be able to understand the physical, socio‐economic and psychological problems of the elderly and the complexities involved in treatment planning for patients with multiple chronic diseases and medication.Conclusions:  It is emphasized that geriatric dentistry should be included in each of the pre‐clinical, para‐clinical and clinical subjects at the undergraduate level. Graduate students should be encouraged to treat elderly patients in clinics under supervision using a multi‐disciplinary approach. Also, postgraduate diploma and degree courses in geriatric dentistry should be developed to address the needs of the vast elderly population in India.
Is current hydrogeologic research addressing long‐term predictions?
Authors: Tsang Chin‐Fu 
Published: May 2005

AbstractHydrogeology is a field closely related to the needs of society. Many problems of current national and local interest require predictions of hydrogeological system behavior, and in a number of important cases, the period of prediction is tens to hundreds of thousands of years. It is argued that the demand for such long‐term hydrogeological predictions casts a new light on the future needs of hydrogeological research. Key scientific issues are no longer concerned only with simple processes or narrowly focused modeling or testing methods but also with assessment of prediction uncertainties and confidence, couplings among multiple physicochemical processes occurring simultaneously at a site, and the interplay between site characterization and predictive modeling. These considerations also have significant implications for hydrogeological education. With this view, it is asserted that hydrogeological directions and education need to be reexamined and possibly refocused to address specific needs for long‐term predictions.
Fractal travel time estimates for dispersive contaminants
Authors: Clarke Danelle D. , Meerschaert Mark M. , Wheatcraft Stephen W. 
Published: May 2005

AbstractAlternative fractional models of contaminant transport lead to a new travel time formula for arbitrary concentration levels. For an evolving contaminant plume in a highly heterogeneous aquifer, the new formula predicts much earlier arrival at low concentrations. Travel times of contaminant fronts and plumes are often obtained from Darcy's law calculations using estimates of average pore velocities. These estimates only provide information about the travel time of the average concentration (or peak, for contaminant pulses). Recently, it has been shown that finding the travel times of arbitrary concentration levels is a straightforward process, and equations were developed for other portions of the breakthrough curve for a nonreactive contaminant. In this paper, we generalize those equations to include alternative fractional models of contaminant transport.
Support vector machines (SVMs) for monitoring network design
Authors: Asefa Tirusew , Kemblowski Mariush , Urroz Gilberto , McKee Mac 
Published: May 2005

AbstractIn this paper we present a hydrologic application of a new statistical learning methodology called support vector machines (SVMs). SVMs are based on minimization of a bound on the generalized error (risk) model, rather than just the mean square error over a training set. Due to Mercer's conditions on the kernels, the corresponding optimization problems are convex and hence have no local minima. In this paper, SVMs are illustratively used to reproduce the behavior of Monte Carlo–based flow and transport models that are in turn used in the design of a ground water contamination detection monitoring system. The traditional approach, which is based on solving transient transport equations for each new configuration of a conductivity field, is too time consuming in practical applications. Thus, there is a need to capture the behavior of the transport phenomenon in random media in a relatively simple manner. The objective of the exercise is to maximize the probability of detecting contaminants that exceed some regulatory standard before they reach a compliance boundary, while minimizing cost (i.e., number of monitoring wells). Application of the method at a generic site showed a rather promising performance, which leads us to believe that SVMs could be successfully employed in other areas of hydrology. The SVM was trained using 510 monitoring configuration samples generated from 200 Monte Carlo flow and transport realizations. The best configurations of well networks selected by the SVM were identical with the ones obtained from the physical model, but the reliabilities provided by the respective networks differ slightly.