bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Telehealth for older patients: The Hong Kong experience
Authors: Hui Elsie , Woo Jean 
Published: February 2003

summary We studied the feasibility, acceptability and cost-effectiveness of using telemedicine to provide geriatric services to residents of nursing homes. A local 200-bed nursing home supported by the community geriatric assessment team (CGAT) participated in a one-year study, during which videoconferencing was used to replace conventional outreach or clinic-based geriatric care. The feasibility of telemedicine was evaluated by participating specialists in a total of 1001 consultations. Other outcome measures included productivity gains, utilization of hospital emergency and inpatient services, and user satisfaction. Telemedicine was adequate for patient care in 60 99% of cases in seven different disciplines. The CGAT was able serve more patients and see them earlier and more frequently. Telemedicine was cheaper than conventional care, and well accepted by health-care professionals as well as clients. Substantial savings were achieved in the study period through a 9% reduction in visits to the hospital emergency department and 11% fewer hospital bed-days. Telemedicine was a feasible means of care delivery to a nursing home and resulted in enhanced productivity and cost-savings. Linking more such institutions to care providers would further increase cost-effectiveness.
The cost-effectiveness of telehealth in metropolitan hospitals
Authors: Kitt Sharon M , Clayton Lexie 
Published: February 2003

summary We established a telehealth link between two inner-city health services about 10 km apart. The video-link between the sites was based on IP videoconferencing; ISDN connections were maintained as a form of system redundancy and to connect to sites beyond the local area network. The cost of a conventional consultation, in which the patient travelled to an outpatient appointment, was A$170. Because existing equipment and telecommunications could be used, the cost of a telehealth consultation was only A$74. During the study approximately 15 teleconsultations were completed and a number of patient transfers were cancelled because they were deemed clinically unnecessary. The preliminary results suggest that the cost-savings from telehealth can be substantial. In addition there were major benefits to continuity of patient care and clinical communication within the organization.
Clay Mineralogy of Spodosols with High Clay Contents in the Subalpine Forests of Taiwan
Authors: Lin Ching-Wei , Hseu Zeng-Yei , Chen Zueng-Sang 
Published: February 2003

AbstractThree Ultic Haplorthods with significant illuviation of clay and spodic materials in the subalpine forests located in the Alishan area of central Taiwan were selected to identify the clay mineral compositions by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and to explain the transformation of the clay minerals. The three pedons are dominated by vermiculite and vermiculite-illite interstratified minerals, and they have minor kaolinite, quartz and gibbsite. No hydroxy interlayered vermiculite (HIV) was found in the E horizon of the three pedons because the forest soils are very acidic and have very low Al contents. The presence of HIV in the spodic (Bhs) and argillic horizons (Bt) of the three pedons was associated with greater free Fe and Al contents (Fed and Ald), more favorable pH ranges, and coatings of organo-metallic complexes which prevented continuous weathering. The specific pedogenic process, clay illuviation and podzolization occurred sequentially in the Alishan area, and induced the unusual clay mineral distribution and transformation. The largest amounts of illite are in the C horizon and the amounts of vermiculite increased with decreasing soil depths. A reverse distribution between illite and vermiculite through the soil profile was observed. Illite was transformed to vermiculite due to the strong weathering environment associated with extremely low exchangeable K contents. The weathering sequence of clay minerals of Spodosols with fine textures in the study area is proposed as: illite → vermiculite (or interstratified vermiculite-illite minerals) → HIV and vermiculite.
A framework for a new approach to antenatal care
Authors: Gerein N , Mayhew S , Lubben M 
Published: February 2003

AbstractA framework for a new approach to antenatal care (ANC) is presented to improve maternal health. Based on evaluations of ANC, safe motherhood programs, gender and social theory, it suggests that managers should draw upon existing family and community support systems, and develop partnerships beyond the health service. Policy and program changes are required in: professional mandates for ANC providers, organization of ANC services, service protocols, training programs, policy towards TBAs, referral care, and service support systems.
Postcoital contraception in Turkey
Authors: Sogukpinar N. , Turkistanli E.C. , Saydam B.K. 
Published: February 2003

AbstractObjectives: The purpose of this article is to determine the knowledge status of women concerning postcoital contraception when they turn to curettage in order to terminate an undesired pregnancy. Methods: This defining study has been carried out at a maternity hospital in Izmir on pregnant women admitted for curettage. We interviewed 150 pregnant cases using an improbability sampling method. Results: We discovered that 48.7% of women had avoided pregnancy before curettage by withdrawal before ejaculation. When we investigated the method used after uncontrolled coitus, 27.3% of cases reported vaginal douche while 12.7% indicated curettage. After having an unprotected coitus or failure in contraceptive methods 99.3% of the women indicated they would report to health institutes to utilize postcoital methods if they were familiar with them. Conclusions: Postcoital contraception may be a solution for undesired pregnancies.
Pharmacological modulation and differential regulation of the cardiac gap junction proteins connexin 43 and connexin 40
Authors: Dhein Stefan , Polontchouk Lioudmila , Salameh Aida , Haefliger Jaques‐Antoine 
Published: February 2003

Summry— Gap junction channels provide the basis for the electrical syncytial properties of the heart as a communicating electrical network. Cardiac gap junction channels are predominantly composed of connexin 40 or connexin 43. The conductance of these channels (gj) can be regulated pharmacologically: substances which activate protein kinase C, protein kinase A or protein kinase G may alter Cx43 gap junction conductance. However, for PKC, this seems to be subtype specific. Thus, antiarrhythmic peptides can enhance gj via activation of PKCε, while FGF‐2 reduces gj via PKCε. Lipophilic drugs can uncouple the channels. Besides an acute regulation of gj, the expression of the cardiac connexins can also be regulated. A decrease in Cx43 with a concomitant increase in Cx40 has been found in end‐stage failing hearts, while in renovascular hypertension, an increase in Cx43 has been described. Mediators like endothelin‐1, angiotensin‐II, TGF‐β, VEGF, and cAMP have been shown to increase Cx43. Interestingly, endothelin‐1 and angiotensin‐II increased Cx43 but did not affect Cx40 expression. In contrast, in humans suffering from atrial fibrillation (AF), the content in Cx40 can be enhanced while Cx43 was unaltered, although in several other studies, other changes of the cardiac connexins were found, which might be related to the type of AF. Regarding the role of calcium, the content in both Cx40 and Cx43 was decreased in cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes after 24 h administration of 100 nM verapamil. Thus, gap junctional channels can be affected pharmacologically either acutely by modulating gap junction conductance or chronically by altering gap junction protein expression. Interestingly, it appears that the expression of Cx43 and Cx40 can be differentially regulated.
Lacandonia granules are present in Ginkgo biloba cell nuclei
Authors: Jiménez‐Ramírez Jaime , Agredano‐Moreno Lourdes Teresa , Segura‐Valdez María de Lourdes , Jiménez‐García Luis Felipe 
Published: February 2003

Summry— Lacandonia schismatica is a rare flowering plant with the sex organs spatially inverted. Several aspects of its cell biology are now known. Interestingly, within the cell nucleus, the chromatin is reticulated and it is associated to a novel structure named Lacandonia granules, a very abundant ribonucleoprotein particle showing similarities to perichromatin and Balbiani ring granules, which are involved in nuclear mRNA metabolism. To see whether these particles are present in other plants, we study the nucleus of Ginkgo biloba, a non‐flowering plant. Light, electron and atomic force microscopy show that the cell nuclei of G. biloba are reticulated. Ultrastructural analysis showed that in the nucleoplasm, abundant intranuclear particles 32 nm in diameter are present. The EDTA regressive staining suggested that they contain RNA. Ultrastructural in situ hybridization confirmed the presence of RNA in these particles. Therefore, we conclude that the nuclei of G. biloba are reticulated and contain Lacandonia granules. We suggest that these particles may also be present in other plants.
Manufacturing flexibility: defining and analyzing relationships among competence, capability, and customer satisfaction
Authors: Zhang Qingyu , Vonderembse Mark A , Lim Jeen‐Su 
Published: February 2003

AbstractFast and dramatic changes in customer expectations, competition, and technology are creating an increasingly uncertain environment. To respond, manufacturers are seeking to enhance flexibility across the value chain. Manufacturing flexibility, a critical dimension of value chain flexibility, is the ability to produce a variety of products in the quantities that customers demand while maintaining high performance. It is strategically important for enhancing competitive position and winning customer orders.This research organizes literature on manufacturing flexibility and classifies it according to competence and capability theory. It describes a framework to explore the relationships among flexible competence (machine, labor, material handling, and routing flexibilities), flexible capability (volume flexibility and mix flexibility), and customer satisfaction. It develops valid and reliable instruments to measure the sub‐dimensions of manufacturing flexibility, and it applies structural equation modeling to a large‐scale sample (n=273). The results indicate strong, positive, and direct relationships between flexible manufacturing competence and volume flexibility and between flexible manufacturing competence and mix flexibility. Volume flexibility and mix flexibility have strong, positive, and direct relationships with customer satisfaction.
Cause, consequence and control: towards a theoretical and practical model of operational risk
Authors: Lewis Michael A 
Published: February 2003

AbstractModified competitive, technological, social and political circumstances have magnified the potential impact of operations‐related failures; yet OM’s interest in operational ‘risks’ remains underdeveloped. This paper develops a provisional model of operational risk based upon the input and outcome dimensions of causal event and negative consequence. Discussion of risk control constitutes a complementary theoretical dimension. Empirical evidence from four operational failure case studies offers an opportunity to revise and extend the initial model. Specific conclusions address the structural and temporal pathology of operational failure and the subjective ‘layers’ of internal and external loss that appear to influence overall negative consequences. Additionally, effective risk control is highlighted as an integrated process with more similarities to service quality management than variation‐reduction process control. The paper concludes with reflection upon the limitations of the study and, given the preliminary nature of the work, some suggestions for future work.
Factors influencing the utilization of Internet purchasing in small organizations
Authors: Olson John R , Boyer Kenneth K 
Published: February 2003

AbstractMany companies have jumped on the Internet bandwagon in an attempt to get rich quick in today’s marketplace. While there have been numerous success stories, the amount of reported failures has been extremely high. In spite of all the recent failures, a select few organizations have been able to use e‐commerce as a means to increase the overall profitability of their firm. An often‐overlooked factor in website effectiveness and development is the effect of individual user differences on the acceptance of the new technology. This exploratory study examines how individual user views and preferences affect the use of the Internet as a purchasing medium.This research presents an exploratory study of data gathered through a survey of 416 customers of a major Internet retailer of commodity office supplies. Cluster analysis is employed to develop a model that classifies users of Internet purchasing into six distinct groups. The clusters are developed using a variety of items that measure end users’ viewpoints and preferences regarding the Internet as a purchasing medium. These factors are based on the widely supported Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The classification system is then used to demonstrate how these groups vary on strategic items, cost issues and individual productivity measures. The findings provide important insights to companies seeking to capitalize on the Internet as a retailing channel by identifying factors that may lead to a loyal customer base rather than an opportunistic one that switches sites frequently solely to obtain lower prices.
Local manufacturing systems and global economy: are they compatible?
Authors: Nassimbeni Guido 
Published: February 2003

AbstractIn the era of global economy, are local manufacturing systems still playing a role or are they destined to fade away? No unequivocal answer to this question can be found in the literature. Some think that globalization exposes all the limits of local industrial systems. Others consider the contraposition between global and local to be only apparent. There could be, however, a clear relation between the firm’s competitiveness on the international market and its territorial roots. The present paper focuses on one of the most important local systems in Italy, i.e. the eyewear district. Based on empirical research, the study analyzes the evolution of the eyewear industry, the strategies used by the larger producers to face the current competitive challenges and the consequences of such actions on the local supply system. It is shown that the district has lost most of its traditional features and inter‐organizational relations have significantly changed. Opportunities arising from new technologies and global economy seem to favor better equipped, large‐sized enterprises rather than small suppliers, or in any case, single units or groups rather than the system. Finally, some suggestions are provided for entrepreneurs or managers operating in industrial districts, concerning vertical integration and sourcing choices (main‐contracting firms), and technological and managerial levers that could better qualify the supply offer (sub‐contracting firms).
Lean manufacturing: context, practice bundles, and performance
Authors: Shah Rachna , Ward Peter T 
Published: February 2003

AbstractManagement literature has suggested that contextual factors may present strong inertial forces within organizations that inhibit implementations that appear technically rational [R.R. Nelson, S.G. Winter, An Evolutionary Theory of Economic Change, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 1982]. This paper examines the effects of three contextual factors, plant size, plant age and unionization status, on the likelihood of implementing 22 manufacturing practices that are key facets of lean production systems. Further, we postulate four “bundles” of inter‐related and internally consistent practices; these are just‐in‐time (JIT), total quality management (TQM), total preventive maintenance (TPM), and human resource management (HRM). We empirically validate our bundles and investigate their effects on operational performance. The study sample uses data from IndustryWeek’s Census of Manufacturers. The evidence provides strong support for the influence of plant size on lean implementation, whereas the influence of unionization and plant age is less pervasive than conventional wisdom suggests. The results also indicate that lean bundles contribute substantially to the operating performance of plants, and explain about 23% of the variation in operational performance after accounting for the effects of industry and contextual factors.
Global boundary controllability of the de St. Venant equations between steady states
Authors: Gugat M. , Leugering G. 
Published: February 2003

We consider the problem of exactly controlling the states of the de St. Venant equations from a given constant state to another constant state by applying nonlinear boundary controls. During this transition the solution stays in the class of

C^1

-solutions. There are no restrictions on the distance between the initial state and the target state, so our result is a global controllability result for a nonlinear hyberbolic system.

Résumé

On s’intéresse ici à un système décrit par les equations de St. Venant. On montre qu’on peut contrôler le système d’un état initial constant à un autre état constant avec des contrôles frontières non linéaires de façon qu’il y ait une solution

C^1

.

Il n’y a pas de restriction concernant la distance entre les données initiales et les données finales, donc notre résultat est un résultat de contrôlabilité globale exacte pour un système hyperbolique non linéaire.
A Riemann–Hilbert problem and the Bernoulli boundary condition in the variational theory of Stokes waves
Authors: Shargorodsky E. , Toland J.F. 
Published: February 2003

This paper concerns the question of equivalence between the Euler–Lagrange equation of a certain functional and periodic Stokes waves on the surface of an infinitely deep irrotational incompressible flow of an ideal fluid under gravity. Of particular concern is Bernoulli’s constant-pressure condition on a free surface.

Résumé
Cet article concerne la question de l’équivalence entre les solutions de l’équation d’Euler–Lagrange pour une certaine fonctionnelle et les ondes périodiques de Stokes à la surface d’un liquide de profondeur infinie. Une attention particulière est portée sur la condition de Bernoulli qui dit que le pression est atmosphérique le long de la frontière libre.
A comparison of joint stability between anterior cruciate intact and deficient knees: A new canine model of anterior cruciate ligament disruption
Authors: Lopez Mandi J. , Kunz David , Jr Ray Vanderby , Heisey Dennis , Bogdanske John , Markel Mark D. 
Published: February 2003

AbstractTransection of the canine anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is a well‐established osteoarthritis (OA) model. This study evaluated a new method of canine ACL disruption as well as canine knee joint laxity and joint capsule (JC) contribution to joint stability at two time points (16 and 26 weeks) after ACL disruption (n = 5/time interval). Ten crossbreed hounds were evaluated with force plate gait analysis and radiographs at intervals up to 34 weeks after monopolar radiofrequency energy (MRFE) treatment of one randomly selected ACL. Each contralateral ACL was sham treated. The MRFE treated ACLs ruptured approximately eight weeks (mean 52.5 days, SEM ± 1.0, range 48–56 days) after treatment. Gait analysis and radiographic changes were consistent with established canine ACL transection models of OA. Anterior‐posterior (AP) translation and medial‐lateral (ML) rotation were measured in each knee at 30°, 60°, and 90° of flexion with and then without JC with loads of 40 N in AP translation and 4 N m in ML rotation. A statistically significant interaction in AP translation included JC by cruciate (P = 0.02), and there was a trend for a cruciate by time (P = 0.07) interaction. Significant interactions in ML rotational testing included the presence of joint capsule (P = 0.0001) and angle by cruciate (P = 0.0012). This study describes a model in which canine ACLs predictably rupture approximately eight weeks after arthroscopic surgery and details the contribution of JC to canine knee stability in both ACL intact and deficient knees. The model presented here avoids the introduction of potential surgical variables at the time of ACL rupture and may contribute to studies of OA pathogenesis and inhibition. This model may also be useful for insight into the pathologic changes that occur in the knee as the ACL undergoes degeneration prior to rupture.© 2002 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Spinal somatosensory evoked potential evaluation of acute nerve‐root injury associated with pedicle‐screw placement procedures: An experimental study
Authors: Jou I‐Ming , Hsu Che‐Chia , Chern Tai‐Chang , Chen Wen‐Yi , Dau Yuan‐Chang 
Published: February 2003

AbstractPedicle screws for spinal fixation risk neural damage because of the proximity between screw and nerve root. We assessed whether spinal somatosensory evoked potential (SSEP) could selectively detect pedicle‐screw‐related acute isolated nerve injury. Because pedicle screws are too large for a rat's spine, we inserted a K‐wire close to the pedicle in 32 rats, intending not to injure the nerve root in eight (controls), and to injure the L4 or L5 root in 24. We used sciatic‐nerve‐elicited SSEP pre‐ and postinsertion. Radiologic, histologic, and postmortem observations confirmed the level and degree of root injury. Sciatic (SFI), tibial (TFI), and peroneal function indices (PFI) were calculated and correlated with changes in potential. Although not specific for injuries to different roots, amplitude reduction immediately postinsertion was significant in the experimental groups. Animals with the offending wire left in place for one hour showed a further non‐significant deterioration of amplitude. Electrophysiologic changes correlated with SFI and histologic findings in all groups. SSEP monitoring provided reliable, useful diagnostic and intraoperative information about the functional integrity of single nerve‐root injury. These findings are clinically relevant to acute nerve‐root injury and pedicle‐screw insertion. If a nerve‐root irritant remains in place, a considerable neurologic deficit will occur.© 2002 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.