Temperature-humidity index (THI) calculation following the equation developed by the National Research Council (A Guide to Environmental Research on Animals, 1971) requires ambient temperature (AT) ...and relative humidity (RH). Those data are widely and readily available at local meteorological stations. However, studies showed that using average AT and RH retrieved from the closest stations is not appropriate for estimating on-farm conditions. The present objectives were (1) to study summer on-farm environmental conditions, (2) to explore the relationship between summer THI calculated with on-farm data and summer THI calculated with local weather station data, and (3) to verify whether THI calculated with summer meteorological station data could be adapted to better represent summer on-farm conditions. Six tiestall dairy farms located in 2 regions of the province of Québec Eastern Québec (EQ) and Southwestern Québec (SWQ) were enrolled in this study. Within-barn conditions were monitored using 3 remote data loggers from August 2016 through August 2017. Two loggers were installed inside at varying distances relative to the ventilation inlet (L1: closest to inlet; L2: farthest from inlet) and a third was installed just outside of the barn (L3). Values retrieved from each logger and the closest local meteorological station were used to calculate daily THI according to the National Research Council formula and were ultimately compared. Our results showed that THI varied within the barn depending on the proximity relative to the inlet because THI measured by L1 was lower than THI measured by L2 in both regions. Moreover, our results showed that in both regions AT measured on-farm was consistently higher than AT measured at the weather station. The opposite was observed with RH, as it was significantly lower on-farm in EQ and numerically lower in SWQ compared with RH extracted from weather stations. Overall, this led to THI being lower by 4.6 and 3.7 units at the weather stations compared with within-barn conditions for EQ and SWQ farms, respectively. Hence, using local meteorological station data to estimate on-farm conditions would lead to an underestimation of heat stress level in dairy cows. Adapting THI calculations by including daily maximum AT and minimum RH retrieved from the local weather station instead of their average counterparts led to a better estimation of within-barn conditions. However, the difference between THI measured on-farm and the adapted THI calculated with weather station data remained significant. Although the adaption made to THI allowed for a closer relation to on-farm conditions, THI calculated with weather station data should only be used to assess heat stress level in dairy cows when heat stress thresholds are adapted for such data.
This subgroup analysis from the Ticlopidine Aspirin Stroke Study (TASS) compared ticlopidine, a new antiplatelet agent, with aspirin for the prevention of recurrent transient ischemic attacks in ...patients who had a recent reversible cerebrovascular event.
This was a multicenter, double-blind, randomized trial in patients with a recent cerebral ischemic history. Patients with a reversible cerebral ischemic event within 3 months of enrollment were eligible for the study. All patients received either aspirin 650 mg twice daily or ticlopidine 250 mg twice daily for up to 5.8 years. The primary end point in this analysis was the first occurrence of a reversible ischemic event either alone or combined with nonfatal stroke or death and fatal or nonfatal stroke.
Overall, ticlopidine was better than aspirin for reducing the risk of reversible ischemic events either alone or as a composite with death and/or stroke or with fetal and/or nonfatal stroke (P = .007 to P < .001). The risk reductions with ticlopidine were maintained for the duration of the 5-year follow-up. The most frequent or clinically important adverse effects associated with ticlopidine were diarrhea, rash, and neutropenia. Neutropenia was severe in 13 patients but resolved promptly with discontinuation of therapy.
The results in this subgroup of patients with reversible ischemic disease, as well as the overall analysis of TASS, suggest that ticlopidine is a more effective agent than aspirin for the prevention of recurrent transient ischemic attacks.
In order to quantify the physical impairments associated with different types of headache, 77 subjects belonging to four different groups (postmotor vehicle accident cervicogenic headache subjects, ...cervicogenic headache subjects nontraumatic, migraine patients and control subjects) were evaluated using the following variables: posture, cervical range of motion, strength of the neck flexors and extensors, endurance of the short neck flexors, manual segmental mobility, proprioception of the neck, and pain (McGill Pain Questionnaire and the skin roll test). The results of this study showed that postmotor vehicle accident cervicogenic patients have significantly limited active cervical range of motion (in flexion/extension and rotations), present decreased strength and endurance of neck flexors and decreased strength of the extensor muscles. Our results suggest that there are enough differences between the postmotor vehicle accident and nontraumatic cervicogenic headache subjects to warrant caution when analysing the data of these two subgroups together, as several studies have done in the past. The onset of headache is therefore an important variable that should be controlled for when attempting to characterize the physical impairments associated with cervicogenic headache.
Using the complete KTeV data set of 5,241 candidate K(L)--> pi(+) pi(-) e(+) e(-) decays (including an estimated background of 204 +/- 14 events), we have measured the coupling g(CR)= 0.163 +/- ...0.0149(stat) +/- 0.023(syst) of the CP conserving charge radius process and from it determined a K(0) charge radius of <r(2)(K(0))> = -0.077 +/- 0.007(stat) +/- 0.011(syst)fm(2). We have determined a first experimental upper limit of 0.04 (90% C.L.) /g(e1)/ / /g(M1)/ of the couplings for the E1 and M1 direct photon emission processes. We also report the measurement of /g(M1)/ including a vector form factor /g(M1)/(1 + (a(1)/a(2))/((M(2)(p)-(M(2)(k))= 2M(K)E(gamma*)), where vector /g(M1)/= 1.11+/- 0.12(stat) +/- 0.08(syst) and a(1)/a(2) = -0.744 +/- 0.027(stat) +/- 0.032(syst) GeV(2)/c(2). Finally, a CP-violating asymmetry of 13.6 +/- 1.4(stat) +/- 1.5(syst)% in the CP and T odd angle phi between the decay planes of the e(+) e(-) and pi(+) pi(-) pairs in the K(L) center of mass is reported.
L’alliance de travail est un prédicteur important des résultats de l’intervention auprès d’adultes et d’adolescents. L’établissement de l’alliance de travail avec les adolescents pose certains défis ...particuliers, notamment parce que la consultation est fréquemment initiée par un tiers, que leur motivation à changer est souvent faible et que l’intervention est parfois imposée. Identifier les facteurs susceptibles d’influencer la qualité de l’alliance de travail dans ce contexte est donc important. Cette étude vise à examiner les liens entre quatre caractéristiques individuelles et la qualité de l’alliance de travail précoce chez des adolescentes placées en centres éducatifs.
Quarante-six adolescentes (12–17 ans) recrutées dans différents centres montréalais ont répondu à cinq questionnaires autorapportés évaluant la motivation au changement, le sentiment d’efficacité personnelle, l’attitude envers l’autorité, les difficultés comportementales présentées et la qualité perçue de l’alliance de travail.
Les résultats d’une régression multiple suggèrent que la motivation au changement et le sentiment d’efficacité personnelle expliquent 39,5 % (p<0,01) de la variance de la qualité perçue de l’alliance de travail.
Ces résultats soulignent l’intérêt de ces variables comme cibles thérapeutiques potentielles pour favoriser une alliance de travail positive auprès d’adolescentes en centres éducatifs.
The working alliance is an important predictor of the outcomes of intervention with adults and adolescents. Establishing the working alliance with adolescents involves some specific challenges. Indeed, the consultation among this population is often initiated by a third party, who is usually a parent or an authority figure. The intervention may even be imposed on the youth if his behaviour involves significant risks to himself or others, as is the case in rehabilitation centres. In addition, it is also important to note that their motivation to change is often low at the beginning of the intervention, which makes the development of the working alliance even more complex. Therefore, it seems relevant to identify factors that may influence the quality of the working alliance, especially when it is a coercive intervention such as in rehabilitation centres. This study aims to examine the links between some personal characteristics and the quality of the early working alliance among adolescent girls placed in rehabilitation centres. The four personal characteristics investigated are: motivation to change, self-efficacy, attitude towards authority figures and behavioural difficulties.
Forty-six adolescent girls (12–17 years old) were recruited at the time of their admission to one of the rehabilitation centres located in Montreal. They all completed five self-reported questionnaires: the Working Alliance Inventory Short, the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment Scale, the Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Children, the Attitudes to Formal Authority Questionnaire, and the Youth Self Report.
The results indicated that motivation for change (β=.55) and sense of self-efficacy (β=.36) are the variables most closely related to the quality of the perceived working alliance at the beginning of the intervention. Motivation to change and self-efficacy explained 39.5% (p<.01) of the variance of the perceived quality of the working alliance. Attitude towards authority and behavioural problems were not significantly associated with the quality of the working alliance. These findings are consistent with those of other studies conducted with adults or young people in other contexts.
Our results suggest that motivation to change and self-efficacy are therapeutic targets to consider in order to promote the establishment of a positive working alliance at the beginning of an intervention with adolescent girls placed in rehabilitation centres.
Temperature-humidity index (THI) calculation following the equation developed by the National Research Council (A Guide to Environmental Research on Animals, 1971) requires ambient temperature (AT) ...and relative humidity (RH). Those data are widely and readily available at local meteorological stations. However, studies showed that using average AT and RH retrieved from the closest stations is not appropriate for estimating on-farm conditions. The present objectives were (1) to study summer on-farm environmental conditions, (2) to explore the relationship between summer THI calculated with on-farm data and summer THI calculated with local weather station data, and (3) to verify whether THI calculated with summer meteorological station data could be adapted to better represent summer on-farm conditions. Six tiestall dairy farms located in 2 regions of the province of Québec Eastern Québec (EQ) and Southwestern Québec (SWQ) were enrolled in this study. Within-barn conditions were monitored using 3 remote data loggers from August 2016 through August 2017. Two loggers were installed inside at varying distances relative to the ventilation inlet (L1: closest to inlet; L2: farthest from inlet) and a third was installed just outside of the barn (L3). Values retrieved from each logger and the closest local meteorological station were used to calculate daily THI according to the National Research Council formula and were ultimately compared. Our results showed that THI varied within the barn depending on the proximity relative to the inlet because THI measured by L1 was lower than THI measured by L2 in both regions. Moreover, our results showed that in both regions AT measured on-farm was consistently higher than AT measured at the weather station. The opposite was observed with RH, as it was significantly lower on-farm in EQ and numerically lower in SWQ compared with RH extracted from weather stations. Overall, this led to THI being lower by 4.6 and 3.7 units at the weather stations compared with within-barn conditions for EQ and SWQ farms, respectively. Hence, using local meteorological station data to estimate on-farm conditions would lead to an underestimation of heat stress level in dairy cows. Adapting THI calculations by including daily maximum AT and minimum RH retrieved from the local weather station instead of their average counterparts led to a better estimation of within-barn conditions. However, the difference between THI measured on-farm and the adapted THI calculated with weather station data remained significant. Although the adaption made to THI allowed for a closer relation to on-farm conditions, THI calculated with weather station data should only be used to assess heat stress level in dairy cows when heat stress thresholds are adapted for such data.
318 patients satisfying the Ad Hoc Committee's criteria for common or classical migraine were entered into an 8 week single-blind placebo recording phase to establish, by diary cards, the frequency ...and severity of their attacks. 176 patients completed this and had records indicating 4-8 episodes in the 8 week period, with sufficient severity to reduce activity and/or work; these patients were randomized by a predetermined code, into three double-blinded groups: naproxen sodium 550 mg bid (60 patients), pizotyline 0.5 mg tid (59 patients), or placebo (57 patients). The patients were followed at monthly intervals for 12 weeks, with 25 dropping out (3 on naproxen sodium, and 2 each on pizotyline and placebo because of "side effects;" the remaining 18 because of noncompliance or reasons unrelated to therapy). Approximately 25% of patients in each of the 3 groups complained of side effects. Statistical analysis showed that both naproxen sodium and pizotyline were better than placebo, and of overall equivalent (i.e. equal) efficacy in the prophylaxis of migraine. In some respects, naproxen sodium was slightly more effective than pizotyline in the first month of treatment.
We present a measurement of the W boson pair-production cross section in p(p) over bar collisions at a center-of-mass energy of root s=1.96 TeV. The data, collected with the Run II D0 detector at ...Fermilab, correspond to an integrated luminosity of 224-252 pb(-1) depending on the final state (ee, e mu, or mu mu). We observe 25 candidates with a background expectation of 8.1 +/- 0.6(stat)+/- 0.6(syst)+/- 0.5(lum) events. The probability for an upward fluctuation of the background to produce the observed signal is 2.3x10(-7), equivalent to 5.2 standard deviations. The measurement yields a cross section of 13.8(-3.8)(+4.3)(stat)(-0.9)(+1.2)(syst)+/- 0.9(lum) pb, in agreement with predictions from the standard model.
We retrospectively assessed the data from 24 patients with dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT) who underwent comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations in order to determine whether there is a ...relationship between neuropsychological heterogeneity and educational level. Postmortem neuropathological examination results were made available for seven cases, confirming the diagnosis of DAT. Thirteen patients had < or = 8 years of schooling (less educated subgroup), and the other 11 had > or = 8 years (higher educated subgroup). There were no significant differences between the two subgroups regarding age and duration of symptoms. Performance within each subgroup was compared with that of a specific set of education-matched elderly controls. In the less educated subgroup, 10 patients evidenced a homogeneous pattern of cognitive impairment, with all cognitive areas being similarly affected. Conversely, 10 higher educated patients had at least one cognitive area relatively preserved in comparison with the others, characterizing a heterogeneous pattern of impairment. These data suggest that a high level of education may lead to a greater capacity to compensate for neuronal damage and determines specific patterns of cognitive impairment in DAT.
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