Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Information Distribution”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 847 records · Page 47Linked to original sources
PubMed2006

The discriminant power of simultaneous monitoring of spontaneous electroencephalogram and evoked potentials as a predictor of different clinical states of general anesthesia.

Spontaneous or evoked electrical brain activity is increasingly used to monitor general anesthesia. Previous studies investigated the variables from spontaneous electroencephalogram (EEG), acoustic (AEP), or somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP). But, by monitoring them separately, the available information from simultaneous gathering could be missed. We investigated whether the combination of simultaneous information from EEG, AEP, and SSEP shows a more discriminant power to differentiate between anesthesia states than from information derived from each measurement alone. Therefore, we assessed changes of 30 EEG, 21 SSEP, and 29 AEP variables recorded from 59 patients during four clinical states of general anesthesia: "awake," "light anesthesia," "surgical anesthesia," and "deep surgical anesthesia." The single and combined discriminant powers of EEG, AEP, and SSEP variables as predictors of these states were investigated by discriminant analysis. EEG variables showed a higher discriminant power than AEP or SSEP variables: 85%, 46%, and 32% correctly classified cases, respectively. The frequency of correctly classified cases increased to 90% and 91% with information from EEG + AEP and EEG + AEP + SSEP, respectively. Thus, future anesthesia monitoring should consider combined information simultaneously distributed on different electrophysiological measurements, rather than single variables or their combination from EEG or AEP or SSEP.

Alfentanil↗
PubMed1999

The developmental basis for allometry in insects.

Within all species of animals, the size of each organ bears a specific relationship to overall body size. These patterns of organ size relative to total body size are called static allometry and have enchanted biologists for centuries, yet the mechanisms generating these patterns have attracted little experimental study. We review recent and older work on holometabolous insect development that sheds light on these mechanisms. In insects, static allometry can be divided into at least two processes: (1) the autonomous specification of organ identity, perhaps including the approximate size of the organ, and (2) the determination of the final size of organs based on total body size. We present three models to explain the second process: (1) all organs autonomously absorb nutrients and grow at organ-specific rates, (2) a centralized system measures a close correlate of total body size and distributes this information to all organs, and (3) autonomous organ growth is combined with feedback between growing organs to modulate final sizes. We provide evidence supporting models 2 and 3 and also suggest that hormones are the messengers of size information. Advances in our understanding of the mechanisms of allometry will come through the integrated study of whole tissues using techniques from development, genetics, endocrinology and population biology.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Nonfinancial barriers to prenatal care.

This article focused on nonfinancial barriers to prenatal care and pointed out that these barriers cannot be ignored if access to care is to be improved. The strategies suggested by the Consensus Conferences for reducing these barriers provide abundant opportunities for all professionals, and the implications for health policy formulated by the Conferences provide direction for eventually eliminating the barriers. It will take a combination of professional, political and public will to make this happen.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Luminescence optical tomography of dense scattering media.

Using a set of coupled radiation transport equations, we derive image operators for luminescence optical tomography with which it is possible to reconstruct concentration and mean lifetime distribution from information obtained from dc and time-harmonic optical sources. Weight functions and detector readings were computed from analytic solutions of the diffusion equation and from numerical solutions of the transport equation by Monte Carlo methods. Detector readings were also obtained from experiments on vessels containing a balloon filled with dye embedded in an Intralipid suspension with dye in the background. Image reconstructions were performed by the conjugate gradient descent method and the simultaneous algebraic reconstruction technique with a positivity constraint. A concentration correction was developed in which the reconstructed concentration information is used in the mean-lifetime reconstruction. The results show that the target can be accurately located in both the simulated and the experimental cases, but quantitative inaccuracies are present. Observed errors include a shadowing effect in regions that have the lowest weight within the inclusion. Application of the concentration correction can significantly improve computational efficiency and reduce error in the mean-lifetime reconstructions.

Image Processing, Computer-Assisted↗
PubMed2002

Comparison of regularization techniques for the reconstruction of transmembrane potentials in the heart.

Computer simulations to reconstruct the transmembrane potential distribution were performed for an anisotropic finite element model of the heart. Transmembrane potential was reconstructed in the form of 3D patches. Test patterns generated with a cellular automaton were used. Tikhonov 0-order and 2-order reconstruction techniques were compared. Tikhonov 2-order regularization was shown to deliver better solutions; this is demonstrated by the inspection of the source space of the inverse problem and by the comparison of the correlation coefficients between the reconstructed and original distributions. Time information was incorporated into the regularization.

Body Surface Potential Mapping↗
PubMed2026

Context-dependent functional diversity of dorsomedial posterior parietal neurons revealed by single-unit fMRI mapping during naturalistic viewing.

The dorsomedial posterior parietal cortex (dmPPC) plays an important role in episodic processing by integrating sensory, cognitive, and motor information across distributed brain systems. However, how individual dmPPC neurons participate in large-scale functional organization during naturalistic experience remains poorly understood. To address this question, we combined single-unit electrophysiology and awake fMRI in five rhesus macaques of both sexes viewing identical naturalistic video stimuli. Using single-unit fMRI mapping, we generated whole-brain neuron-BOLD functional maps by correlating individual neuronal activity with voxel-wise fMRI signals across the brain. We found that neuron-BOLD functional maps exhibited strong context-dependent organization, with neurons recorded during the same video context showing substantially greater similarity than neurons recorded during different video conditions. Compared with neuronal spiking activity or critical fMRI frames alone, neuron-BOLD functional maps more robustly captured contextual structure. Despite this shared large-scale organization, a substantial subset of neighboring neurons recorded simultaneously from the same electrode displayed markedly distinct whole-brain association patterns, revealing substantial local functional heterogeneity within the dmPPC. This local heterogeneity was not readily explained by waveform-based putative cell class or by opposing neuronal firing dynamics. In addition, distributed cortical and medial temporal regions exhibited highly context-dependent neuron-BOLD association patterns during naturalistic viewing. Together, these findings demonstrate that dmPPC neurons participate in dynamic and heterogeneous large-scale functional organization during naturalistic episodic processing. More broadly, this study establishes single-unit fMRI mapping as a framework for linking single-neuron activity to distributed whole-brain dynamics across contextual conditions.Significance Statement Using single-unit fMRI mapping, this study examined how individual dorsomedial posterior parietal cortex (dmPPC) neurons relate to large-scale brain activity during naturalistic video viewing in macaque monkeys. We found that neuron-BOLD functional maps exhibit strong context-dependent organization and capture contextual structure more robustly than neuronal spiking activity or fMRI frames alone. Despite this shared organization, a substantial subset of neighboring dmPPC neurons displayed markedly distinct whole-brain association patterns, revealing local functional heterogeneity that was not readily explained by waveform-based putative cell class or opposing firing dynamics. These findings provide insight into how local neuronal populations participate in distributed brain-wide functional organization during naturalistic episodic processing.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2001

Childhood vaccine risk/benefit communication in private practice office settings: a national survey.

UNLABELLED: Communication about childhood vaccine risks and benefits has been legally required in pediatric health care for over a decade. However, little is known about the actual practice of vaccine risk/benefit communication. OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to identify current practices of childhood vaccine risk/benefit communication in private physician office settings nationally. Specifically, we wanted to determine what written materials were given, by whom, and when; what information providers thought parents wanted/needed to know, the content of nurse and doctor discussion with parents, and the time spent on discussion. We also wanted to quantify barriers to vaccine risk/benefit discussion and to prioritize materials and dissemination methods preferred as solutions to these barriers. METHODS: We conducted 32 focus groups in 6 cities, and then administered a 27-question cross-sectional mailed survey from March to September 1998, to a random national sample of physicians and their office nurses who immunize children in private practices. Eligible survey respondents were active fellows of the American Academy of Pediatrics or American Academy of Family Physicians in private practice who immunized children and a nurse from each physician's office. After 3 mailings, the response rate was 71%. RESULTS: Sixty-nine percent of pediatricians and 72% of family physicians self-reported their offices gave parents the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Vaccine Information Statement, while 62% and 58%, respectively, gave it with every dose. In ~70% of immunization visits, physicians and nurses reported initiating discussion of the following: common side effects, when to call the clinic and the immunization schedule. However, physicians reported rarely initiating discussion regarding contraindications (<50%) and the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (<10%). Lack of time was considered the greatest barrier to vaccine risk/benefit communication. Nurses reported spending significantly more time discussing vaccines with parents than pediatricians or family physicians (mean: 3.89 vs 9.20 and 3.08 minutes, respectively). Both physicians and nurses indicated an additional 60 to 90 seconds was needed to optimally discuss immunization with parents under current conditions. Stratified analysis indicated nurses played a vital role in immunization delivery and risk/benefit communication. To improve vaccine risk/benefit communication, 80% of all providers recommended a preimmunization booklet for parents and approximately one half recommended a screening sheet for contraindications and poster for immunization reference. The learning method most highly endorsed by all providers was practical materials (80%). Other desirable learning methods varied significantly by provider type. CONCLUSIONS: There was a mismatch between the legal mandate for Vaccine Information Statement distribution and the actual practice in private office settings. The majority of providers reported discussing some aspect of vaccine communication but 40% indicated that they did not mention risks. Legal and professional guidelines for appropriate content and delivery of vaccine communication need to be clarified and to be made easily accessible for busy private practitioners. Efforts to improve risk/benefit communication in private practice should take into consideration the limited time available in an office well-infant visit and should be aimed at both the nurse and physician.

Child↗
PubMed2005

Pain among children and adolescents: restrictions in daily living and triggering factors.

OBJECTIVES: Pain among children and adolescents has been identified as an important public health problem. Most studies evaluating recurrent or chronic pain conditions among children have been limited to descriptions of pain intensity and duration. The effects of pain states and their impact on daily living have rarely been studied. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of perceived pain on the daily lives and activities of children and adolescents. In addition, we sought to delineate self-perceived triggers of pain among children and adolescents. In this study, we (1) document the 3-month prevalence of painful conditions among children and adolescents, (2) delineate their features (location, intensity, frequency, and duration), (3) describe their consequences (restrictions and health care utilization), and (4) elucidate factors that contribute to the occurrence of pain episodes among young subjects. METHODS: The study was conducted in 1 elementary school and 2 secondary schools in the district of Ostholstein, Germany. Children and adolescents, as well as their parents/guardians, were contacted through their school administrators. The teachers distributed an information leaflet, explaining the conduct and aim of the study, to the parents a few days before the official enrollment of the youths in the study. Parents of children in grades 1 to 4 of elementary school were asked to complete the pain questionnaire for their children at home, whereas children from grade 5 upward completed the questionnaire on their own during class, under the supervision of their teachers. The response rate was 80.3%. As previously stated, chronic pain was defined as any prolonged pain that lasted a minimum of 3 months or any pain that recurred throughout a minimal period of 3 months. The children and adolescents were surveyed with the Luebeck Pain-Screening Questionnaire, which was specifically designed for an epidemiologic study of the characteristics and consequences of pain among children and adolescents. The questionnaire evaluates the prevalence of pain in the preceding 3 months. The body area, frequency, intensity, and duration of pain are addressed by the questionnaire. In addition, the questionnaire inquires about the private and public consequences of pain among young subjects. Specifically, the questionnaire aims to delineate the self-perceived factors for the development and maintenance of pain and the impact of these conditions on daily life. RESULTS: Of the 749 children and adolescents, 622 (83%) had experienced pain during the preceding 3 months. A total of 30.8% of the children and adolescents stated that the pain had been present for >6 months. Headache (60.5%), abdominal pain (43.3%), limb pain (33.6%), and back pain (30.2) were the most prevalent pain types among the respondents. Children and adolescents with pain reported that their pain caused the following sequelae: sleep problems (53.6%), inability to pursue hobbies (53.3%), eating problems (51.1%), school absence (48.8%), and inability to meet friends (46.7%). The prevalence of restrictions in daily living attributable to pain increased with age. A total of 50.9% of children and adolescents with pain sought professional help for their conditions, and 51.5% reported the use of pain medications. The prevalence of doctor visits and medication use increased with age. Weather conditions (33%), illness (30.7%), and physical exertion (21.9%) were the most frequent self-perceived triggers for pain noted by the respondents. A total of 30.4% of study participants registered headache as the most bothersome pain, whereas 12.3% cited abdominal pain, 10.7% pain in the extremities, 8.9% back pain, and 3.9% sore throat as being most bothersome. A total of 35.2% of children and adolescents reported pain episodes occurring > or =1 time per week or even more often. Health care utilization because of pain differed among children and adolescents according to the location of pain. Children and adolescents with back pain (56.7%), limb pain (55.0%), and abdominal pain (53.3%) visited a doctor more often than did those with headache (32.5%). In contrast, children and adolescents with headache (59.2%) reported taking medication because of pain more often than did those with back pain (16.4%), limb pain (22.5%), and abdominal pain (38.0%). The prevalence of self-reported medication use and doctor visits because of pain increased significantly with age (chi2 test). The prevalence of self-reported medication use was significantly higher among girls than among boys of the same age, except between the ages of 4 and 9 years (chi2 test). The prevalence of restrictions in daily activities varied among children and adolescents with different pain locations; 51.1% of children and adolescents with abdominal pain and 43.0% with headache but only 19.4% with back pain reported having been absent from school because of pain. The prevalence of restrictions attributable to pain was significantly higher among girls than among boys of the same age, except between the ages of 4 and 9 years (chi2 test). The self-reported triggers for pain varied between girls and boys. Girls stated more often than boys that their pain was triggered by weather conditions (39% vs 25%), illness (eg, common cold or injury) (35.9% vs 23.9%), anger/disputes (20.9% vs 11.9%), family conditions (12.1% vs 5.2%), and sadness (11.9% vs 3.4%). In contrast, boys stated more often than girls that their pain was triggered by physical exertion (28% vs 17.2%). We used a logistic regression model to predict the likelihood of a child paying a visit to the doctor and/or using pain medication. Health care utilization was predicted by increasing age, greater intensity of pain, and longer duration of pain but not by the frequency of pain. We used a logistic regression model to predict restrictions in daily activities. Only the intensity of pain was predictive of the degree of restrictions in daily life attributable to pain; the duration of pain and the frequency of pain episodes had no bearing on the degree to which the daily lives of the children were restricted because of pain. CONCLUSIONS: More than two thirds of the respondents reported restrictions in daily living activities attributable to pain. However, 30 to 40% of children and adolescents with pain reported moderate effects of their pain on school attendance, participation in hobbies, maintenance of social contacts, appetite, and sleep, as well as increased utilization of health services because of their pain. Restrictions in daily activities in general and health care utilization because of pain increased with age. Girls > or =10 years of age reported more restrictions in daily living and used more medications for their pain than did boys of the same age. We found gender-specific differences in self-perceived triggers for pain. Pain intensity was the most robust variable for predicting functional impairment in > or =1 areas of daily life. Increasing age of the child and increasing intensity and duration of pain had effects in predicting health care utilization (visiting a doctor and/or taking medication), whereas restrictions in daily activities were predicted only by the intensity of pain. Our results underscore the relevance of pediatric pain for public health policy. Additional studies are necessary and may enhance our knowledge about pediatric pain, to enable parents, teachers, and health care professionals to assist young people with pain management, allowing the young people to intervene positively in their conditions before they become recurrent or persistent.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Education in primary school as a strategy to control dengue.

The proliferation of Aedes aegypti, a species of mosquito that is the vector of the dengue pathogen, is being augmented by the population's lack of care in allowing the formation of larval habitats. One form of controlling dengue is the distribution of information on the mosquito to improve awareness and to provide the means necessary for the elimination of its reproductive habitats. To evaluate a teaching method concerning the vector and dengue, students from the 5th and 6th years of primary education were compared before and after didactic intervention with a group of control students. The students who received intervention were more successful in identifying the stages of the cycle, biological and morphological characteristics of the adult insect and the importance of the mosquito in health issues. The didactic intervention was successful in developing knowledge leading to increased awareness of the importance of preventative measures that should be taken against the vector and the disease.

Aedes↗
PubMed1990

Prompting bar patrons with signs to take free condoms.

This study was designed to determine whether signs would prompt bar patrons to avail themselves of free condoms. The intervention at three "gay bars" involved placing a large sign directly above a container of free condoms; the sign gave statistics for the number of people who have died from AIDS in the state and pointed out that condoms can reduce the spread of AIDS. Additional signs placed in the restrooms gave information about safe sex practices and reminded patrons that free condoms could be obtained at a given location in the bar. An ABAB design was used, with a 2-week baseline, 2-week treatment with signs present, 2-week reversal with no signs, and 2-week reinstatement of treatment with signs present. For all three bars combined, 748 condoms were taken with signs present and 510 condoms were taken with signs absent. Overall, when signs were present, the number of condoms taken increased by 47%.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1983

Does perception of life expectancy reflect health knowledge?

Analysis of original survey data shows White male smokers estimate their longevity as four years less than that of nonsmokers, roughly the actuarial difference. Those who do not exercise perceive the same life expectancy as those who exercise, somewhat inconsistent with available information on mortality. Men with long-lived parents and grandparents expect to live 12-18 years longer than those with short-lived forebears, far longer than studies of actual longevity imply. Men who are more than 15 per cent overweight expect to live four years less, a larger impact than the published actuarial difference.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Evaluation of an intervention to reduce playground hazards in Atlanta child-care centers.

In 1988, we identified playground hazards at 58 child-care centers (CCCs) and intervened by showing the director the hazards and distributing safety information. In 1990, we evaluated the 58 intervention CCCs as well as 71 randomly selected control CCCs. Intervention centers had 9.4 hazards per playground; control centers had 8.0. We conclude that the intervention was ineffective.

Accident Prevention↗
PubMed2006

Challenge of psychiatric rehabilitation for patients with long-term hospitalizations using the Nirje's normalization principles as a valuation standard: two case studies.

This research investigates the current care of hospitalized, chronically mentally ill persons to determine to what extent current hospitalization supports Nirje's principles of normalization. We propose that care-providers try to incorporate rehabilitation programs that help the patients acquire the pattern and rhythm of living necessary for them to live in the community in their daily hospital life rather than to fit the patients into hospital rules or schedule. Therefore, care-providers must look back on their own views of the humanity, disabled people, and support and may have to change them if necessary. It is important that care-providers do not give up having psychiatric patients not give up restoration of normal social living. To develop such individual attempts into rewarding activities, it is necessary to set goals in the hospital and to let an interdisciplinary team work to achieve them. Moreover, the situation is expected to change if efficient care management is implemented to support psychiatric patients in the community. High-quality care to realize independent living of patients in the community including collection and distribution of information, management of symptoms, assistance for self-care, and psychological education is provided at hospitals that maintain the idea of, and strong belief in, providing high-quality care for returning patients to the community. The findings of this study will provide insights into how to design better hospitalization and/or community care for the mentally ill.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1991

Noninvasive measurements of bone mass, structure, and strength: current methods and experimental techniques.

Current methods for assessing osteoporotic fracture risk involve measuring the content and/or density of bone at a number of skeletal sites and relating the measurement to that in either age-matched or young control subjects measured at the same site with the same technique. These densitometric methods have been used to predict several types of fractures; however, engineering principles verify that the bone structure and loading conditions also affect skeletal strength. Many densitometric measurements inherently contain information about skeletal structure and bone distribution, yet this information is not clinically used. In this paper, the currently available techniques for assessing bone content and density, namely, single-photon absorptiometry, dual-photon absorptiometry, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and quantitative CT, and their usefulness in assessing fracture risk and distinguishing between patients with and without osteoporosis are reviewed. Extensions of conventional densitometry that have been developed by several researchers to include information in addition to bone mass also are presented. Results from recent studies using new applications of ultrasound techniques and MR imaging are reviewed. Preliminary studies show the value of these new techniques in noninvasive measurement of bone structure in order to estimate bone strength and assess fracture risk more accurately. However, to become clinically useful, many of these methods require further investigation to increase their ease of use and decrease their cost.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗
PubMed1997

Scores on the Group Embedded Figures Test by undergraduates in information management.

The Group Embedded Figures Test was administered to 63 undergraduates in a program for a Bachelor of Applied Arts in Information management. Distribution characteristics, sex differences, reliability, and internal consistency measures for this sample were compared with those for Witkin's original sample. In addition, item difficulty and discrimination coefficients are provided. Scores for this group show desirable measurement characteristics.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Hemoglobin concentration in pregnant women. Experience from Moshi, Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: Anemia in pregnancy is common in Tanzania. Previous information on distribution of hemoglobin concentration in total populations is scarce. METHODS: Standard measurement of hemoglobin concentration in consecutive first visit attenders at the antenatal care clinic in Moshi, 1991-1994, for a total of 1800, divided into three series of 600 each. RESULTS: Hemoglobin concentrations ranged from 41 to 146 g/l, mean 96.9 and s.d. 16.3. For international comparison, 74.5% were below 110 g/l and 7.0% below 70 g/l. The median was 97.0; other percentiles were 10th: 75.0, 90th: 116.0. The distribution did not change with mother's age, but in the years 1991 and 1994 there were more low hemoglobin values than in the intervening years. CONCLUSIONS: Low hemoglobin concentrations are prevalent among pregnant women in Moshi, Tanzania. Seven percent were found to have severe anemia, defined as a hemoglobin concentration below 70 g/l.

Anemia↗