Developing a quality measure to assess use of antibiotic medications for respiratory conditions.

Objective: Antibiotics are essential medications for treating life-threatening infections. However, incorrect prescribing can lead to adverse events and contribute to antibiotic resistance. We sought to develop a utilization quality measure that could be used by health insurance plans to track overall prescribing for respiratory conditions.

Hydraulic investigation of the impact of retrofitting floating treatment wetlands in retention ponds.

This paper describes the laboratory experimental investigations undertaken to analyse the influence of floating treatment wetlands (FTWs) on the hydraulic performance of a stormwater retention pond. Two experimental series were conducted, each focussed on investigating the influence of placing an FTW in a pond with firstly the inflow entering the retention pond from an inlet positioned 0.25 m offset from the longitudinal axis of the pond, and secondly the inlet positioned at the longitudinal axis of the pond.

Description of Pharmacist Recommendations in the Caring for Older Adults and Caregivers at Home (COACH) Program.

To describe recommendations made by geriatric clinical pharmacists within an innovative care model focusing on patients with dementia living at home. Retrospective chart review. Outpatients in a tertiary care Veterans Affairs health care system.

Stream Temperature Modeling and Fiber Optic Temperature Sensing to Characterize Groundwater Discharge.

The Ngongotaha Stream was used as a case study to assess the applicability of fiber optic distributed temperature sensing (FODTS) to identify the location of springs and quantify their discharge. Thirteen springs were identified, mostly located within a 115 m reach, five discharged from the right bank and eight from the left bank. To quantify groundwater discharge, a new approach was developed in which the one-dimensional transient heat transport model was fitted to the FODTS measurements, where the main calibration parameters of interest were the unknown spring discharges.

Experimental investigation of the effect of temperature differentials on hydraulic performance and flow pattern of a sediment retention pond.

Existing studies on sediment retention ponds (SRPs) have examined the effects of pond layout, inlet and outlet geometry and the installation of baffles on the performance of the SRPs. However, the effects of a temperature difference between the ambient water in the pond and the inflow are often neglected, and the buoyancy forces arising from these differences in temperature can potentially change the flow in the pond and hence its hydraulic performance. This study has experimentally evaluated the effect of these temperature differences on the flow field and residence time in a retention pond for a range of temperature differences.

Effect of baffles on the hydraulic performance of sediment retention ponds.

An investigation of the effect of baffles on retention pond performance using a physical model of an existing sediment retention pond is presented. Analysis of residence time (RTD curves) was used to compare the hydraulic performance of different arrangements of baffles in the pond. Five different arrangements for the design of baffles were studied.

Evaluation of hydraulic performance indices for retention ponds.

Comprehensive hydraulic analysis of sediment retention ponds is commonly achieved through interpretation of residence time distribution and derivation of indices associated with short-circuiting and mixing. However, the availability of various indices indicates the need for careful selection of the most appropriate indices. This study compares some of the commonly used hydraulic performance indices, together with a new short-circuiting index, τ5, for five different flow regimes in a model sediment retention pond.

Visual cues given by humans are not sufficient for Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) to find hidden food.

Recent research suggests that domesticated species--due to artificial selection by humans for specific, preferred behavioral traits--are better than wild animals at responding to visual cues given by humans about the location of hidden food. \Although this seems to be supported by studies on a range of domesticated (including dogs, goats and horses) and wild (including wolves and chimpanzees) animals, there is also evidence that exposure to humans positively influences the ability of both wild and domesticated animals to follow these same cues. Here, we test the performance of Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) on an object choice task that provides them with visual-only cues given by humans about the location of hidden food.

Retrofitting a stormwater retention pond using a deflector island.

Stormwater retention ponds are one of the principal methods to treat stormwater runoff. Analysis of residence time distribution (RTD) curves can be used to evaluate the capability of these ponds for sediment removal. Deflector islands have been suggested as a means of improving the performance of retention ponds, due to their diffusing the inlet jet.

The insulin pump: why not use it for every type I diabetic patient?

Critical care nurses are likely to care for patients with insulin pumps, and it is essential that they understand the rationale for using them selectively for individuals with diabetes mellitus. The assets and limitations of the technology associated with insulin pump use must be appreciated in regard to glycemic control during hospitalization. Although most patients and family members are well indoctrinated on insulin protocols, pump use, and self-monitoring, it is vital that nurses are aware of the unique issues that surface during critical illness.

Early or deferred zidovudine therapy in HIV-infected patients without an AIDS-defining illness.

Purpose: To do a meta-analysis on the efficacy of early or deferred zidovudine monotherapy in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection but not the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

Data Sources: Articles on zidovudine monotherapy published through May 1994.

Study Selection: Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trials addressing the efficacy of zidovudine monotherapy in HIV-infected persons without an AIDS-defining illness.

Growth monitoring: the role of community health volunteers.

A community volunteer programme was initiated in rural Jamaica in May 1990. The main aim of the programme was to monitor the growth of children less than 36 months of age through community health volunteers (CHVs) and improve their nutritional status. At the end of the second year the programme was evaluated to determine its effectiveness.

Risk factors associated with malnutrition in rural Jamaica.

Risk factors associated with malnutrition were examined in rural Jamaica. Socioeconomic data were obtained on 63 well-nourished and 14 malnourished children. Risk factors associated with malnutrition were birth weight less than 2.

Development of a questionnaire for assessing the school environment.

This article describes the development of a school environment questionnaire to assess students' perception of their school environment. The dimensions and internal consistency reliability were examined utilizing various statistical methods-factor analysis and alpha coefficient. The sample consisted of 705 students from two high schools with ages ranging from ten to nineteen years.

Rapid rural appraisal: its role in health planning in developing countries.

There is an urgent need for a quick inexpensive and reliable method for identifying groups and individuals most in need of primary health care. The Rapid Rural Appraisal (RRA) is the most appropriate approach. It is a method by which resources can be quickly deployed to alleviate the problems of the poor.

An assessment of the impact of two communication channels on knowledge, attitude and practices of mothers regarding food and nutrition in Jamaica.

A study was carried out in St. Elizabeth during the period July to December 1991 to evaluate the effectiveness of two communication channels on mothers' knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding food and nutrition. Five communities with high levels of malnutrition and similar socioeconomic and geographical characteristics were selected for the study and assigned to three experimental conditions: a group that was not exposed to any communication channel (group 1); another group that was exposed to group discussion and facilitator (group 2); and a third group that was exposed to facilitator only (group 3).

Using information about elderly subjects attending government medical clinics to tailor nutrition education services to their needs.

A study of the elderly was carried out in 2 Cornwall County parishes (Hanover and Westmoreland) from June to August, 1987. The health status and general situation of the elderly attending Government Medical Clinics was studied to obtain information to design nutrition education services that met their needs. Four Health Centres (two Type II and two Type III) were selected by stratified random sampling for the study.

Paired study of the dorsal cutaneous ulnar and superficial radial sensory nerves.

Nerve conduction studies of the dorsal cutaneous ulnar nerve (DCU) have been suggested as a useful technique for identifying distal ulnar nerve lesions. In this study a standardized method was used to establish normal conduction parameters of the DCU that were compared to conduction parameters of the superficial radial sensory nerve (SR) in the same extremity. Fifty-five extremities of 33 neurologically healthy subjects aged 22 to 69 years (mean = 37; SD = 13) were examined.