Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Project START”

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 1,153 records · Page 64Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

Tools and techniques for the development of secure software.

System development projects in health care have not properly addressed the issues of availability, confidentiality and integrity. The safety critical aspects of health care have not been well recognised in the context of information systems, as opposed to medical devices where considerable effort has been made to ensure the 'correctness' of the device before it is authorized for use. Consideration should be given at the start of the development process to the particular requirements of the project and the project should be structured to ensure that the specific functional requirements for security are satisfied. In addition the development process itself must be conducted in a rigorous fashion in order to ensure-and to demonstrate--that the end product has the appropriate degree of 'correctness'. Suitable tools and techniques will be required to assist the efficiency and the integrity of this process.

Computer Security↗
PubMed1996

Ionic mechanisms underlying synchronized oscillations and propagating waves in a model of ferret thalamic slices.

1. A network model of thalamocortical (TC) and thalamic reticular (RE) neurons was developed based on electrophysiological measurements in ferret thalamic slices. Single-compartment TC and RE cells included voltage- and calcium-sensitive currents described by Hodgkin-Huxley type of kinetics. Synaptic currents were modeled by kinetic models of alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA), gamma-aminobutyric acid-A (GABAA) and GABAB receptors. 2. The model reproduced successfully the characteristics of spindle and slow bicuculline-induced oscillations observed in vitro. The characteristics of these two types of oscillations depended on both the intrinsic properties of TC and RE cells and their pattern of interconnectivity. 3. The oscillations were organized by the reciprocal recruitment between TC and RE cells, due to their manual connectivity and bursting properties. TC cells elicited AMPA-mediated excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) in RE cells, whereas RE cells elicited a mixture of GABAA and GABAB inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSPs) in TC cells. Because of the presence of a T current, sufficiently strong EPSPs could elicit a burst in RE cells, and TC cells could generate a rebound burst following GABAergic IPSPs. Under these conditions, interaction between the TC and RE cells produced sustained oscillations. 4. In the absence of spontaneous oscillation in any cell, the TC-RE network remained quiescent. Spindle oscillations with a frequency of 9-11 Hz could be initiated by stimulation of either TC or RE neurons. A few spontaneously oscillating TC neurons recruited the entire network model into a "waxing-and waning" oscillation. These "initiator" cells could be an extremely small proportion of TC cells. 5. In intracellular recordings, TC cells display a reduced ability for burst firing after a sequence of bursts. The "waning" phase of spindles was reproduced in the network model by assuming an activity-dependent upregulation of Ih operating via a calcium-binding protein in TC cells, as shown previously in a two-cell model. 6. Following the global suppression of GABAA inhibition, the disinhibited RE cells produced prolonged burst discharges that elicited strong GABAB-mediated currents in TC cells. The enhancement of slow IPSPs in TC cells was also due to cooperativity in the activation of GABAB-mediated current. These slow IPSPs recruited TC and RE cells into slower waxing-and-waning oscillations (3-4 HZ) that were even more highly synchronized. 7. Local axonal arborization of the TC to RE and RE to TC projections allowed oscillations to propagate through the network. An oscillation starting at a single focus induced a propagating wavefront as more cells were recruited progressively. The waning of the oscillation also propagated due to upregulation of Ih in TC cells, leading to waves of spindle activity as observed in experiments. 8. The spatiotemporal properties of propagating waves in the model were highly dependent on the intrinsic properties of TC cells. The spatial pattern of spiking activity was markedly different for spindles compared with bicuculline-induced oscillations and depended on the rebound burst behavior of TC cells. The upregulation of Ih produced a refractory period so that colliding spindle waves merged into a single oscillation and extinguished. Finally, reducing the Ih conductance led to sustained oscillations. 9. Two key properties of cells in the thalamic network may account for the initiation, propagation, and termination of spindle oscillations, the activity-dependent upregulation of Ih in TC cells, and the localized axonal projections between TC and RE cells. In addition, the model predicts that a nonlinear stimulus dependency of GABAB responses accounts for the genesis of prolonged synchronized discharges following block of GABAA receptors.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[The prevention of HIV/AIDS among injection narcotics users in the city of Odessa].

Since August 1996 the realization of the first Ukrainian Project "HIV/AIDS Preventive Maintenance among Injecting Drug Users", based on the strategy of harm reduction, has been started in Odessa with a view to the effective counteraction to the spread of HIV/AIDS among injecting drug users (IDU). The project is being realized with the advisory and financial support of UNAIDS, UNICEF and USAID. The basic organization for the realization of the Project is the Public Movement "Faith, Hope, Love". The Project is aimed at decreasing the rate of the spread of HIV infection in cases of the non-medical use of narcotic drugs by the elaboration and adoption of measures conductive to changes in hazardous behavior. The realization of the project includes the following stages: the rapid evaluation of the situation with the injecting use of drugs in Odessa, the elaboration and adoption of preventive measures.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1993

Perception of a schistosomiasis control project in rural Kenya by the beneficiaries.

A schistosomiasis control project was implemented in Mwea Rice Irrigation Scheme in Central Kenya between late 1983 and December 1988 by Kenya Medical Research Institute scientists in collaboration with the National Irrigation Board. The aim of the project was to control schistosomiasis through provision of alternative water sources, bath and laundry units, latrines, chemotherapy and health education. The community participated fully. Five years later in December 1988, 203 household heads were interviewed on their perception of the control project in terms of purpose, project ownership and management, benefits, continuity and their knowledge of schistosomiasis transmission cycle. 61% of the respondents were females and 39% males. 92% of them said that the purpose for the project was to treat, control and prevent bilharzia from spreading, and to promote good health. Slightly over 50% said that the project belonged to them but that they would have liked to be more involved in its management. 74% said that they are able to save time because the facilities are now nearer to them; whilst 79% felt that they were saving money because they did not have to buy drugs since they felt healthier. 99% said that they thought that bilharzia has been controlled, and 82% said that their children looked healthier. 95% said that they could see the project surviving for a long time period suggesting that it was self sustaining and they were willing to start a maintenance of facilities fund. Overall, the community appreciated the social, economic and health benefits derived from the control project.

Communicable Disease Control↗
PubMed1994

Space program spin-offs of environmental systems underway

Several large NASA contractors are reevaluating their investments in space programs. As future NASA projects are put on hold or reduced in scope, companies are having to look to other areas in marketing their products. The companies that have invested in developing environmental systems for the space program are starting to realize they have a valuable product in non-space related projects. The environmental systems that are proving valuable were developed for space shuttle, space station and lunar/Mars stations. These are systems that handle air, waste, process water, potable water, solid waste, liquid waste and plant systems. With the development of longer space flights, environmental systems are developing which match Earth's environment. Now environmental systems developed for space are valuable on Earth.

Air Pollution↗
PubMed2005

Breast cancer incidence in women prenatally exposed to maternal cigarette smoke.

BACKGROUND: Clinical studies show that maternal cigarette smoking reduces pregnancy estrogen levels. Women prenatally exposed to maternal cigarette smoke may, therefore, have a lower breast cancer risk because the fetal mammary gland's exposure to maternal estrogen is decreased. Associations between prenatal maternal cigarette smoke exposure and breast cancer, however, have not been observed in previous case-control studies that relied on exposure assessment after the onset of cancer. At the start of this study, cigarette smoking history was obtained directly from the mother. METHODS: The National Cooperative DES Adenosis project was a follow-up study of health outcomes in women prenatally exposed to diethylstilbestrol (DES). At the start of the study, women's mothers provided information about cigarette smoking habits during the time they were pregnant with the study participant. In the current study, the breast cancer rates are compared among 4031 women who were or were not prenatally exposed to maternal cigarette smoke. The resultant relative rate (RR) is adjusted for potential confounding by other breast cancer risk factors using Poisson regression modeling. RESULTS: Fetal exposure to maternal cigarette smoke appeared to be inversely associated with breast cancer incidence (RR = 0.49; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.24-1.03). The inverse association was more apparent among women whose mothers smoked 15 cigarettes or fewer per day than among daughters of heavier smokers. There were, however, too few cases to precisely estimate a possible dose-response relationship. CONCLUSION: These results support the hypothesis that in utero exposure to maternal cigarette smoke reduces breast cancer incidence.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

[Quality assurance in intensive care medicine. SARI-surveillance on antibiotic use and bacterial resistance in intensive care units].

Intensive care units (ICUs) are high risk areas for emergence and spread of multiresistant bacterial pathogens. In Germany, there are no representative epidemiological data on antibiotic resistance, prophylactic or therapeutic use of antibiotics in ICUs, or on the correlation between antibiotic use and emergence of resistance. Supported by the German Ministry of Science and Education, project SARI (Surveillance on antibiotic use and bacterial resistance in ICUs) started in 02/2000 and now includes data on antibiotic use and resistance rates in 35 medical, surgical and interdisciplinary ICUs. To date (2/2000-12/2002), a total of 939 participant months, 339,461 patient days and 452,282 defined daily doses (DDD) have been covered with a mean antibiotic usage density (AD) of 1,332 DDDs/1,000 patient days and resistance data on 31,189 isolates from ICUs. The design of the project and first results of SARI are presented. The epidemiological data of SARI form a basis for improved antibiotic and infection control management in ICUs (http://www.sari-antibiotika.de).

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1997

Regulation of prepulse inhibition by ventral pallidal projections.

The acoustic startle reflex is inhibited by the presentation of a weak auditory prestimulus 30-500 ma prior to the starting stimulus. Previous studies have demonstrated that prepulse inhibition (PPI) of acoustic startle is regulated by GABAergic activity in the ventral pallidum. Ventral pallidal efferents include major projections to the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus (PPTg), subthalamic nucleus (STN), and mediodorsal thalamus (MD). We used lesion and intracerebral infusion techniques to determine the relevance of these projections to the ventral pallidal regulation of PPI. Consistent with previous results, PPTg lesions significantly reduced PPI in all startle sessions, while MD lesions significantly reduced PPI only under certain experimental conditions. STN lesions failed to alter PPI, but they did significantly disrupt amphetamine-induced locomotion, verifying the behavioral effectiveness of these lesions. Infusion of the GABA-A agonist muscimol into either the PPTg or the MD significantly reduced PPI. Ventral pallidal projections to the PPTg and to the MD thus appear to regulate PPI, possibly via a GABAergic mechanism. Pallidal projections to the STN may regulate other behavioral processes such as locomotor activity, but they do not appear to regulate sensorimotor gating of the acoustic startle reflex.

Acoustic Stimulation↗
PubMed1983

Efferent projections from the mammillary complex of the guinea pig: an autoradiographic study.

The efferent projections from the medial and lateral mammillary nuclei of the guinea pig were traced after injecting tritiated amino acid. The major efferent started as the principal mammillary tract, but soon divided into mammillothalamic and mammillotegmental tracts. The mammillothalamic tract projected anterodorsally and terminated in the anterior dorsal, anterior ventral and anterior medial thalamic nuclei. The mammillotegmental tract projected caudally and terminated in the dorsal tegmental nucleus and central gray. The mammillary efferents in the mammillary peduncle ran via the tegmentum of the midbrain and pons. It terminated in the dorsal and ventral tegmental nuclei, basal pontine nucleus and pontine tegmental reticular nucleus. A diffuse mammillary projection had fibers directed dorsally which distributed in the midline thalamic nuclei and in central gray. Rostral projections via the medial forebrain bundle from the medial mammillary nucleus were found in the septal area and diagonal band of Broca. The lateral mammillary nucleus sent fibers which also joined the mammillothalamic and mammillotegmental tracts. These terminated bilaterally mainly in the anterior dorsal and anterior ventral nuclei of the thalamus, and caudally in the dorsal and ventral tegmental nuclei and basal pontine nucleus.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

FOUNTAIN: a JAVA open-source package to assist large sequencing projects.

BACKGROUND: Better automation, lower cost per reaction and a heightened interest in comparative genomics has led to a dramatic increase in DNA sequencing activities. Although the large sequencing projects of specialized centers are supported by in-house bioinformatics groups, many smaller laboratories face difficulties managing the appropriate processing and storage of their sequencing output. The challenges include documentation of clones, templates and sequencing reactions, and the storage, annotation and analysis of the large number of generated sequences. RESULTS: We describe here a new program, named FOUNTAIN, for the management of large sequencing projects http://genetics.hpi.uni-hamburg.de/FOUNTAIN.html. FOUNTAIN uses the JAVA computer language and data storage in a relational database. Starting with a collection of sequencing objects (clones), the program generates and stores information related to the different stages of the sequencing project using a web browser interface for user input. The generated sequences are subsequently imported and annotated based on BLAST searches against the public databases. In addition, simple algorithms to cluster sequences and determine putative polymorphic positions are implemented. CONCLUSIONS: A simple, but flexible and scalable software package is presented to facilitate data generation and storage for large sequencing projects. Open source and largely platform and database independent, we wish FOUNTAIN to be improved and extended in a community effort.

Algorithms↗
PubMed2002

Exploring nursing expertise: nurses talk nursing.

It has become increasingly important for practitioners to articulate their expertise in modern healthcare settings that demand high levels of accountability and evidence-based practice. The material presented within this article has been interpreted drawing from discourse analysis1 to help explore the discourses that shape and influence understandings of nursing practice. What we present are extracts from four of the 35 participant nurses who applied to take part in the Royal College of Nursing Institute's Expertise in Practice (pilot) Project (EPP). The material presented is used to provide a starting point for exploring how nurses talk about and construct expertise in nursing practice. The four nurse participants' clinical practice areas cover palliative care, mental health, intensive care and fertility care. The material reveals high levels of intensity in the nurse-patient relationship, 'maverick' nursing practices and ongoing reflexivity. All of these aspects appear to capitalize on expertise as a 'catalyst' that alters treatment pathways and maximizes patient-centred outcomes. Exploring a discourse of nursing expertise exposes the tacit situated nature of professional practice that is heterogeneous and most difficult to articulate and explain. It is proposed that expertise tends to be understood from traditional and dominant discourses of medicine, management and technology. Explaining expertise in practice exposes non-conventional practice that in itself can be isolating and challenging to the status quo of contemporary health-care.

Clinical Competence↗
PubMed2006

When training is insufficient: reflections on capacity development in health promotion in Peru.

The international development community has lately recognized the programatic importance of capacity development. Despite growing attention, a consensus is still lacking on appropriate strategies and interventions to strengthen local capacity for development programs. The CHANGE Project designed and implemented a program to contribute to capacity development in health promotion in Peru between 2002 and 2005. This article discusses key lessons learned in the program. Successful capacity development requires the strengthening of institutional networks. Training activities alone are insufficient. Educational opportunities need to be integrated into strategies that aim to institutionalize competencies in specific work contexts and promote the inter-institutional linkages. The experience suggests that capacity development programs need to start by assessing challenges to make competencies effective in job performance. Projects should neither be donor-driven nor depend on individuals. Instead, they should focus on institution building, find creative ways to promote long-term sustainability of capacity development, and require long-term commitment to promote ownership and sustainability. What is needed is an approach that maximizes the impact of programs through collaboration among institutions committed to supporting and absorbing capacity, and to having mechanisms to monitor and change job performance according to the needs of staff, supervisors and other stakeholders.

Health Promotion↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Feasibility, usefulness, limitations and perspectives of routine outcome assessment: the South Verona Outcome Project.

Closing the gap between research and clinical practice is nowadays considered a priority in outcome studies. Survey studies in community settings having as their main aim the multidimensional measure of outcome of mental health care interventions, including the use of standardised instruments administered as part of the routine clinical activities in mental health services, have recently started to be planned in various countries, but have encountered several difficulties. A naturalistic, longitudinal study aimed to assess the outcome of care provided by a community-based mental health service, the South Verona Outcome Project, has been conducted in Italy starting from the beginning of the 90's and is running since then. This paper: a) describes a series of methodological aspects of the South Verona Outcome Project, such as instruments, study design, inclusion and exclusion criteria, training of the staff, and focuses on strategies used so to ensure feasibility of the assessment and good quality of the data; b) summarises some results of the study, characteristics of feed-back provided, and outputs; c) discusses the problems faced, the impact of this approach on service provision, its limitations and future perspectives.

Community Mental Health Services↗
PubMed1991

Lesion-induced establishment of the crossed corticorubral projections in kittens is associated with axonal proliferation and topographic refinement.

The aberrant crossed corticorubral projection of the cat, which is very weak compared to the uncrossed one at about 1 month postnatal, becomes pronounced following unilateral lesions of the sensorimotor cortex. In order to determine whether or not terminal proliferation of pre-existing axons underlie this enlargement, the morphological changes of the crossed axons were examined, using the anterograde tracer Phaseolus vulgar- is leukoagglutinin (PHA-L). The crossed corticorubral axons in normal kittens were mostly simple in morphology with infrequent branching and did not often exhibit growth-cone-like axonal endings at 1 month postnatal. Two to 5 days after unilateral lesions of the sensorimotor cortex placed at this age, the axons were as simple as those in normal animals but ended in growth cones more frequently. Seven to 10 days post-lesion, the axons often bore side-branches which ended in growth cones. Two to 3 weeks post-lesion axons with sprays of finger-like fine sprouts occurred throughout the projection zone. There was no clear topography for the crossed projection in normal animals, but at 1-2 weeks post-lesion the axons started to show a certain amount of localization in the regions of the red nucleus which corresponded to the densely innervated region on the ipsilateral side. The topography of the crossed projections roughly mirrors that of the ipsilateral projection at about 1 month post-lesion. Thus, the lesions of the sensorimotor cortex induce substantial growth and proliferation of the crossed corticorubral axons. The post-lesion changes in axonal morphology and topographic refinement are reminiscent of developmental events. It is likely that the lesions permit the crossed axons, which normally fail to develop, to develop like the uncrossed ones.

Aging↗
PubMed2006

A conceptual framework for the OECD Health Care Quality Indicators Project.

ISSUES: The Health Care Quality Indicator (HCQI) Project of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which is aimed at developing a set of indicators for comparing the quality of health care across OECD member countries, requires a balanced conceptual framework that outlines the main concepts and domains of performance that should be captured for the current and subsequent phases of the project. ADDRESSING THE ISSUES: This article develops a conceptual framework for the OECD's HCQI Project. It first argues that developing such a framework should start by addressing the question, 'performance of what-and to what ends?' We identify at least two different major classes of frameworks: (i) health and (ii) health care performance frameworks, both of which are in common use. For the HCQI, we suggest a conceptual framework that is largely a purposeful modification of the existing performance frameworks and which is driven by the health determinants model. CONCLUSIONS: The conceptual basis for performance frameworks can be traced back to the health determinants model. A health performance framework takes a broader, societal or public health view of health determination, whereas a health care performance takes a narrower, mostly clinical or technical view of health care in relation to health (needs). This article proposes an HCQI framework that focuses on the quality of health care, maintains a broader perspective on health and its other determinants, and recognizes the key aims of health policy.

Benchmarking↗
PubMed2001

Validation of a geographic information system for the evaluation of the soil radon exhalation potential in South-Tyrol and Veneto, Italy.

The PERS (soil radon exhalation potential) project was promoted by ANPA (Italian Environmental Protection Agency) together with the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore of Rome: the aim was to produce a geographic information system allowing the discovery of regions with different radon exhalation potential starting from some territorial knowledge. Some environmental measurements were carried out within this project in selected areas in South-Tyrol and Veneto. The measurement of radon in springwater and groundwater as well as in soil gas plays a decisive role for the validation of the algorithm for computing the PERS. Along with technical aspects, a possible use of the PERS method by the Regional Environmental Protection Agencies and by other agencies is discussed with the scope of identifying radon prone areas, as stated in the Italian 'Decreto Legislativo' 26 May 2000, n. 241. Moreover the forecasting power of PERS regarding indoor radon concentration is analysed.

Geography↗