990 resultados para Low-level protocols
Resumo:
Background: The rate of recognition and treatment of depressed older people in nursing homes is low. Data from the low-level residential care population have not been reported. This study aimed to collect information about the treatment of depression among older persons living in low-level residential care (hostels).
Method: The participants comprised 300 elderly residents from ten low-level residential care facilities from various suburbs in metropolitan Melbourne. The participants were interviewed by a trained clinical psychologist to determine the presence or absence of major or minor depressive disorder using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorder (SCID-I). Each participant was also administered the Standardized Mini-mental State Examination (SMMSE) to determine level of cognitive function. The clinical psychologist then reviewed all cases in consultation with a geropsychiatrist experienced in the diagnosis of depression among older people, prior to assigning a diagnosis of depression.
Results: An important finding in this study was the low treatment for currently depressed residents, with less than half of those in the sample who were depressed receiving treatment. However, 61 of the 96 residents out of the sample of 300 who were on antidepressants were not currently depressed.
Conclusion: There is an under recognition and under treatment of currently depressed older people in low-level residential care facilities (hostels) just as has been reported in studies in nursing homes. However, there are high numbers receiving antidepressants who are not currently depressed.
Resumo:
Previous research has demonstrated a high level of depression in nursing homes. The current study was designed to determine the prevalence of depression, using a structured diagnostic interview, among older people with and without mild-moderate cognitive impairment residing in low-level care facilities. The results demonstrated that, consistent with previous research in nursing homes, 16.9% of older people were diagnosed with major depressive disorder. Less than half of these cases had been detected or treated. Individuals with moderate cognitive impairment were more likely to be depressed, but cognitive impairment did not appear to act as a strong impediment to the detection of depression by general practitioners. A low awareness of their use of antidepressant medications was demonstrated among older people prescribed this treatment, including those with normal cognitive function. Reasons for the poor recognition of depression among older people are discussed.
Resumo:
Background: Men who were part of an Australian petroleum industry cohort had previously been found to have an excess of lympho-hematopoietic cancer. Occupational benzene exposure is a possible cause of this excess.
Methods: We conducted a case-control study of lympho-hematopoietic cancer nested within the existing cohort study to examine the role of benzene exposure. Cases identified between 1981 and 1999 (N = 79) were age-matched to 5 control subjects from the cohort. We estimated each subject's benzene exposure using occupational histories, local site-specific information, and an algorithm using Australian petroleum industry monitoring data.
Results: Matched analyses showed that the risk of leukemia was increased at cumulative exposures above 2 ppm-years and with intensity of exposure of highest exposed job over 0.8 ppm. Risk increased with higher exposures; for the 13 case-sets with greater than 8 ppm-years cumulative exposure, the odds ratio was 11.3 (95% confidence interval = 2.85-45.1). The risk of leukemia was not associated with start date or duration of employment. The association with type of workplace was explained by cumulative exposure. There is limited evidence that short-term high exposures carry more risk than the same amount of exposure spread over a longer period. The risks for acute nonlymphocytic leukemia and chronic lymphocytic leukemia were raised for the highest exposed workers. No association was found between non-Hodgkin lymphoma or multiple myeloma and benzene exposure, nor between tobacco or alcohol consumption and any of the cancers.
Conclusions: We found an excess risk of leukemia associated with cumulative benzene exposures and benzene exposure intensities that were considerably lower than reported in previous studies. No evidence was found of a threshold cumulative exposure below which there was no risk.
Resumo:
This study examines the effects of an atmospheric pressure plasma (APP) pre-treatment on the shrink resistance of wool fabric treated subsequently, by the pad/dry method, with an aqueous emulsion of the amino-functional polydimethylsiloxane, SM 8709. Optimal shrink resistance (with no impairment of fabric handle) was obtained after a low-level plasma treatment (1-3 s exposure time), using 5% of the polymer emulsion. Higher levels of silicone polymer could be used to achieve shrink resistance in the absence of a plasma pre-treatment, but the fabric handle would be adversely affected. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies showed that the bulk of the covalently bound surface lipid layer was removed after a plasma exposure time of 30 s. For treatment times of 3 s or less, however, the removal was incomplete, suggesting that optimum shrink resistance (after treatment with the silicone polymer) was associated with the modification of the surface layer rather than its complete destruction. Scanning electron micrographs (SEMs) revealed that the plasma pre-treatment did not lead to any physical modifications (such as smoothening of the scale edges), even for long exposure times, and had no significant impact on the extent or nature of the inter-fibre bonding of the polymer. Confocal microscopy showed uniform spread of polymer on single fibres. It is concluded that the main impact of the plasma pre-treatment was to enhance the distribution of polymer both on and between fibres and to improve adhesion of polymer to the fibre.
Resumo:
The captive zebra finch, Taeniopygia guttata, has become one of the key vertebrate model systems for studying a range of behavioural, physiological and neurological phenomena. In particular, this species has played a key role in developing our understanding of sexual selection and sperm competition. In contrast with the large number of studies using domesticated zebra finches, relatively few studies have focused on free-living populations of wild zebra finches. Investigating the incidence of extrapair paternity in zebra finches in the Australian desert, we found a very low level; 1.7% of 316 offspring from four of 80 broods fathered outside the pair bond. These numbers contrast with the high levels of extrapair paternity observed in domesticated aviary populations, and suggest a low level of sperm competition and sexual selection in natural populations. Our finding of such a low rate of extrapair paternity in the wild zebra finch suggests that it is one of the most genetically monogamous of all passerine species and that has important implications for future studies of this model organism in studies of sexual selection and reproductive biology. In addition, we found that 5.4% of 316 offspring were not related to either putative parent and hatched from eggs that had been dumped by intraspecific brood parasites.
Resumo:
This paper proposes a method to improve motion smoothness and decrease latency using existing ABB IRC5 robot controllers without access to any low level interface. The proposed control algorithm includes a high-level PID controller used to dynamically generate reference velocities for different travel ranges of the tool centre point (TCP) of the robot. Communication with the ABB IRC5 controller was performed utilising the ABB PC software development kit (SDK). The multitasking feature of the IRC5 controller was used in order to enhance the communication frequency between the controller and the remote application. Trajectory tracking experiments of a predefined 3D trajectory were carried out and the benefits of the proposed algorithm was demonstrated. The robot was intentionally installed on a wobbly table and its vibrations were recorded using a six degrees of freedom (DOF) force/torque sensor fitted to the tool mounting interface of the robot. The robot vibrations were used as a measure of the smoothness of the tracking movements. Experimental results demonstrating the robot tool centre point (TCP), tracking errors, and robot vibrations for different control approaches were provided and analysed. It was demonstrated that the proposed approach results in the smoothest motion with less than 0.2 mm tracking errors.
Resumo:
Low level laser therapy (LLLT) is known for its positive results but studies on the biological and biomodulator characteristics of the effects produced in the skeletal muscle are Still lacking. In this Study the effects of two laser dosages, 5 or 10 J/cm(2), on the lesioned tibial muscle were compared. Gerbils previously lesioned by 100 g load impact were divided into three groups: GI (n = 5) controls, lesion non-irradiated; GII (n = 5), lesion irradiated with 5 J/Cm(2) and GIII (n = 5), lesion irradiated with 10 J/cm(2), and treated for 7 consecutive days with a laser He-Ne (lambda = 633 rim). After intracardiac perfusion, the muscles were dissected and reduced to small fragments, post-fixed in 1% osmium tetroxide, dehydrated in increasing alcohol concentrations, treated with propylene oxide and embedded in Spurr resin at 60 degrees C. Ultrafine Cuts examined on a transmission electron microscope (Jeol 1010) revealed in the control GI group a large number of altered Muscle fibers with degenerating mitochondria, intercellular substance containing degenerating cell fragments and budding blood capillaries with Underdeveloped endothelial cells. However, groups GII and GIII showed muscle fibers with few altered myofibrils, regularly contoured mitochondria, ample intermembrane spaces and dilated mitochondrial crests. The clean intercellular Substance showed numerous collagen fibers and capillaries with multiple abluminal processes, intraluminal protrusions and several pinocytic vesicles in endothelial cells. it was concluded that laser dosages of 5 or 10 J/cm(2) delivered by laser He-Ne (lambda = 633 rim) during 7 consecutive days increase mitochondrial activity in muscular fibers, activate fibroblasts and macrophages and stimulate angiogenesis, thus suggesting effectivity of laser therapy tinder these experimental conditions. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.