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At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

The uptake and acceptability to patients of cystic fibrosis carrier testing offered in pregnancy by the GP.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the uptake and acceptability of cystic fibrosis (CF) carrier testing when offered to women at the first antenatal booking appointment by their general practitioner. SETTING: Eight-general practices in the north west region with a combined patient list size of 42000. DESIGN: Offer of carrier screening at first antenatal booking appointment to pregnant women below 14 weeks' gestation; women accepting were alternately allocated to either couple testing (with full disclosure) or stepwise testing: SUBJECTS: Six hundred and twenty three women were offered CF carrier testing. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: (1) Acceptance of the offer of CF carrier testing. (2) Acceptability of the test to women following screening, evaluated through (i) postal questionnaire, (ii) semistructured interview. RESULTS: Five hundred and twenty-nine (84.9%) women accepted the test; the level of uptake varied across the eight practices (range 11-99%). In 26/249 (10%) couple tests no paternal sample was provided. When asked what had influenced their decision to be tested, 59/377 (16%) women did not refer to CF in their answers and six (2%) said that they did not feel they could refuse the test. After receiving their results, 368/379 (97%) women felt that they had made the right decision to be tested, but two carriers and three non-carriers had felt unhappy about testing. Couple testing with full disclosure was associated with lower anxiety levels two weeks after receiving the result for the pregnancy than stepwise testing and 82/278 (29%) non-carriers believed that they had no residual risk in relation to CF. CONCLUSIONS: The response from women accepting CF carrier testing was largely positive but a minority of women expressed concern about the test and the way it was offered and a substantial proportion of women were falsely reassured by their "negative" result. Higher levels of acceptance tended to occur in the practices which offered the test there and then rather than giving couples more time to decide about testing. Some women appeared to have accepted the test because of a belief in the importance of testing in pregnancy rather than because of the disease in question.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Acceptability for the use of postpartum intrauterine contraceptive devices: Assiut experience.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the acceptance of postpartum intrauterine contraceptive devices (PPIUCD) among the inhabitants of Assiut governorate, Egypt and to study the factors that influence this acceptance. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Contraceptive counseling was given to 3,541 clients: 1,880 and 1,661 during the antenatal visits and postpartum hospitalization, respectively. Acceptors during antenatal counseling were to receive IUCDs via postplacental insertion in the case of vaginal delivery or transcesarean insertion in case of abdominal delivery. The clients who refused PPIUCD and chose interval IUCD insertion were referred to the Family Planning Clinic after the end of puerperium. Among postpartum counselees, PPIUCD acceptors received predischarge insertion within 48 h of delivery and the interval IUCD were referred to have IUCD inserted after the end of puerperium. The acceptance rate of both PPIUCD and interval IUCD and the percentage of actual insertions were recorded. The causes of both acceptance and refusal were also recorded. RESULTS: Of the 3,541 clients, 1,024 (28.9%) accepted the use of IUCD after delivery. Acceptance was approximately the same during antenal and postpartum counseling: 26.4 and 31.8%, respectively. Verbal acceptance was higher among women with formal education than among illiterate women. Planning another pregnancy in the near future, preference for another contraceptive method, namely lactational infertility, and complications from previous use of IUCD were the most common reasons for refusing the use of IUCD. Of the 1,024 verbal acceptors, only 243 (23.7%) had the actual insertion of IUCD. CONCLUSION: Both the acceptance and actual insertion of IUCD were low probably because the use of IUCD is a new concept in the community. For these women, the only opportunity to receive information about contraceptives is during childbirth when they are in contact with medical personnel. Hence, it is suggested that family planning should be integrated with maternal and child-care services in order to effectively promote the use of contraceptive devices in these women who otherwise would not seek the use of such a device.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Elder acceptance of health monitoring devices in the home.

This study examined frail elders' acceptance of the concept of home monitoring devices. With the potential of such devices to ultimately assist many older persons, acceptance of the device in the individual's home is a critical component. Elders who view devices negatively--as unnecessary, unattractive, or intrusive--may be less likely to use the device if installed or less likely to allow them to be installed. For the participants in the current study, the results suggest strong acceptance of the concept of home health monitoring and the devices to make the system work. When questioned on device appearance a majority of the subjects felt that the devices would be acceptable in their homes, and initial reactions to the devices were primarily favorable. Equipment characteristics have been identified as one of the determining factors of perceived intrusiveness of home monitoring devices (Fisk, 1997). Study participants made several suggestions pertaining to device features and appearance. A common criticism related to device size, especially concerning the blood pressure cuff which was referred to as "gaudy" by one study participant. Participants offered suggestions such as making devices smaller, providing control for volume adjustment, and providing voice activation. At least one participant expressed a concern over device functioning in the event of distance traveling. Subjective comments such as "I think it would help many people," "It's very reasonable and important in several ways," and "...people would be more independent and safe," provided anecdotal support of device acceptance. Although a majority of the study participants had favorable responses to the devices and monitoring systems, many of their subjective comments reflected positive views regarding use by others as opposed to personal use. This finding may suggest that the participants did not personally identify with the need to use such devices but rather viewed the devices as relevant and acceptable for "the person who absolutely needs it." However, a majority of the participants identified "relieving personal worry" as a possible benefit of the home monitoring system which suggests personal identification with the potential benefits. The findings of study participants' willingness to pay, and a desire to maintain communications on a consistent basis with monitoring services, may demonstrate overall acceptance of the idea of home monitoring devices/services and establishes a need for continued research in product development. During the interviews, many of the subjects expressed enthusiasm and interest over the prospect of the home monitoring devices and systems with which they were relatively unfamiliar. This suggests a need for further consumer education regarding use of home monitoring devices and systems. Aside from the relatively small sample size, one limitation of this study relates to the study participants' understanding of the devices in relation to their current needs. The questionnaire results provided hypothetical acceptance of devices from a usefulness and aesthetic point of view. However, the findings may not totally reflect the study participants' actual willingness or desire to utilize the applicable devices in their homes. Further research is suggested in the area of assessment of potential consumer groups' perceptions of their current health status, functional limitations and needs, and more extensive research regarding perceptions of the potential benefits of using home monitoring devices. Further research in product development and clinical trials of existing home monitoring devices is also recommended.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2000

Effectiveness of teacher modeling to encourage food acceptance in preschool children.

Although Social Cognitive Theory (Bandura, 1997) suggests that teacher modeling would be one of the most effective methods to encourage food acceptance by preschool children, opinions of experienced teachers have not yet been sampled, teacher modeling has rarely been examined experimentally, and it has produced inconsistent results. The present study considers opinions of teachers and conditions under which teacher modeling is effective. Study 1 was a questionnaire in which preschool teachers (N=58) were found to rate modeling as the most effective of five teacher actions to encourage children's food acceptance. Study 2 and Study 3 were quasi-experiments that found silent teacher modeling ineffective to encourage either familiar food acceptance (N=34; 18 boys, 16 girls) or new food acceptance (N=23; 13 boys, 10 girls). Children's new food acceptance was greatest in the first meal and then rapidly dropped, suggesting a "novelty response" rather than the expected neophobia. No gender differences were found in response to silent teacher modeling. Study 4 was a repeated-measures quasi-experiment that found enthusiastic teacher modeling ("Mmm! I love mangos!") could maintain new food acceptance across five meals, again with no gender differences in response to teacher modeling (N=26; 12 boys, 14 girls). Study 5 found that with the addition of a competing peer model, however, even enthusiastic teacher modeling was no longer effective to encourage new food acceptance and gender differences appeared, with girls more responsive to the peer model (N=14; 6 boys, 8 girls). Thus, to encourage children's new food acceptance, present results suggest that teachers provide enthusiastic modeling rather than silent modeling, apply such enthusiastic modeling during the first five meals before children's "novelty response" to new foods drops, and avoid placing competing peer models at the same table with picky eaters, especially girls.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Acceptability of a human papillomavirus (HPV) trial vaccine among mothers of adolescents in Cuernavaca, Mexico.

BACKGROUND: A scenario that must be considered when testing prophylactic human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines in teenagers is the parents' acceptability of their daughters' participation in the study. METHODS: A survey was carried out in a random sample of 880 women between the ages of 15 and 49 years in the metropolitan area of Cuernavaca, Mexico. These women were interviewed to obtain information concerning their knowledge of risk factors for cervical cancer and their perception of the usefulness of vaccines. Afterward, they were provided with information on the main risk factors for cervical cancer and the future availability of a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to prevent cervical cancer. Finally, we explored, with parents, the possible acceptability of an HPV vaccine for their teenaged daughters. The degree of acceptability and its association with a series of sociodemographic and reproductive factors were assessed. RESULTS: The respondents had little knowledge regarding the etiology of cervical cancer. Only 1.9% said that the principal risk factor was infection with HPV; however, 84.2% were aware of the usefulness of vaccines and 83.6% of the women indicated that they would allow their daughters to participate in a trial to evaluate the effectiveness of an HPV vaccine that helps prevent cervical cancer. The main factor associated with the acceptance of a possible vaccine against HPV was the knowledge of the usefulness of vaccines [odds ratio (OR) = 6.5, 95% confidence interval (CI) 5.2-8.2]. Likewise, a history of two or more sexual partners (OR = 2.2, 95% CI 1.3-3.6) increased acceptability. Acceptance was not associated with the number of live births (never vs. ever OR = 0.9, 95% CI 0.3-2.1). There were 525 women with children over the age of 10 years (59.6%); prevalence of acceptability among these women was 80.1%, not statistically different from the remainder of the sample (p >0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Acceptance of a potential HPV vaccine was high in this sample of Mexican women. Initiation of HPV vaccine clinical trials and immunization campaigns that target school children and/or teenagers who are not sexually active should include educational programs aimed at mothers of these individuals. Knowledge of the benefits of a preventive vaccine as well as the etiology and risk factors of cervical cancer should be emphasized.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Outlining the morphological characteristics of acceptable occlusion.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to outline the definitions of a morphologically acceptable occlusion in young adults that could be applied to assess the outcome and effectiveness of orthodontic treatment. The opinions of Finnish orthodontists and general practitioners were investigated for this purpose. METHODS: A semi-structured questionnaire was sent to all health centres where at least one orthodontist was employed (n=37), to health centres without any orthodontist (n=31), to private orthodontists working as consultants (n=12) and to orthodontists working at university dental clinics (n = 13). The criteria for moderate and little orthodontic treatment need in the Need of Orthodontic Treatment Index (NOTI) and the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN) were chosen to describe the basic characteristics of occlusal acceptability. RESULTS: The questionnaire was returned by 76 subjects (82%). The respondents' views on an acceptable occlusion in young adults were not totally in line with the chosen definitions. Only 16% of the respondents accepted the definitions of both indices as such; the criteria in NOTI were accepted by 25% and those in IOTN by 21% of the respondents. Functional considerations of the occlusion were the main reasons for the desire for further details in the description of an acceptable occlusion. Crossbites with a discrepancy between retruded contact position and intercuspal position were the least accepted anomalies. The opinions were statistically significantly associated with the level of the respondents' orthodontic education and their type of employment. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that the selected definitions of NOTI and IOTN can serve as a basis for the characteristics of a morphologically acceptable occlusion in young Finnish adults, but measures of the functional aspects of occlusion must be added for studies on the outcome of orthodontic services.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Deconfounding the effects of dominance and social acceptance on self-esteem.

Three studies examined the independent effects of social acceptance and dominance on self-esteem. In Studies 1 and 2, participants received false feedback regarding their relative acceptance and dominance in a laboratory group, and state self-esteem was assessed. Results indicated that acceptance and dominance feedback had independent effects on self-esteem. Study 2 showed that these effects were not moderated by individual differences in participants' self-reported responsivity to being accepted versus dominant. In Study 3, participants completed multiple measures of perceived dominance, perceived acceptance, and trait self-esteem. Results showed that both perceived dominance and perceived acceptance accounted for unique variance in trait self-esteem, but that perceived acceptance consistently accounted for substantially more variance than perceived dominance. Also, trait self-esteem was related to the degree to which participants felt accepted by specific people in their lives, but not to the degree to which participants thought those individuals perceived them as dominant.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Physicians' acceptable treatment failure rates in antibiotic therapy for coagulase-negative staphylococcal catheter-associated bacteremia: implications for reducing treatment duration.

BACKGROUND: Decreasing the duration of antimicrobial therapy is an attractive strategy for delaying the emergence of antimicrobial resistance. Limited data regarding optimal treatment durations for most clinical infections hinder the adoption of this approach and impair optimal physician-patient communication under the shared decision-making model. We aimed to identify acceptable failure rates among infectious disease consultants (IDCs) for treatment of central venous catheter-associated bacteremia. METHODS: A case scenario involving a representative patient who developed central venous catheter-associated bacteremia caused by coagulase-negative staphylococci and who received standard-of-care therapy was distributed to all nonpediatric IDC members of the Infectious Diseases Society of America's Emerging Infections Network in August 2003. Each member was suggested 1 of 10 treatment failure rates and asked whether he or she would accept or reject the given value. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the relationship between specific failure rates offered to respondents and their willingness to accept them using a methodology derived from contingent valuation. RESULTS: Among the 374 respondents (response rate, 54%), the median acceptable failure rate was 6.8%. Thus, one-half of the IDCs would have found a failure rate of 6.8% to be acceptable. Seventy-five percent of IDCs would have found a failure rate of 1.6% to be acceptable, and 25% of IDCs would have found a failure rate as high as 11.9% to be acceptable. CONCLUSIONS: The quantified acceptable failure rates, when used to interpret clinical trial or cohort study results, will help select optimal antimicrobial therapy durations for this specific condition. These findings are a critical step in the development of effective shared decision-making models.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1999

Infant acceptance and effectiveness of a new oral liquid medication delivery system.

A medication acceptance scale (MAS) for pediatric oral liquids was developed and used to evaluate effectiveness and infant acceptance of a medication delivery system. The MAS incorporated five behavioral elements associated with pediatric drug administration: cry, facial expression, body movement or level of agitation, reaction to placement of medication in the mouth, and swallowing. A score of 1-10 was possible, with 10 indicating the highest level of infant acceptance. Preliminary field testing was conducted. In an open-label clinical study, a single dose of acetaminophen was administered to 20 infants with approximately one fluid ounce of infant formula or apple juice by pediatric nurses using the Rx medibottle (The Medicine Bottle Company). Past medication acceptance was rated on an infant global acceptance scale. The intended dose, the amount consumed, and the time taken to administer the dose were recorded. Infant acceptance was independently scored by a nurse and two pharmacists. A high preliminary estimate of internal consistency reliability of the MAS was found. Interrater reliability was high, with the highest correlation between the two pharmacists. Sixteen (80%) of the infants received 100% of the intended dose; it took 0.5-9 minutes to administer these doses. The median MAS score was 9 for each of the three raters. Mean MAS scores for the three raters were 7.85 and 7.45 (pharmacists) and 8.50 (nurse). There was a strong correlation between MAS scores and infant global acceptance scale scores. A pediatric oral liquid MAS that had content validity, concurrent validity, high internal consistency reliability, and high interrater reliability was developed; the Rx medibottle was an effective oral liquid medication delivery system and had a high level of infant and rater acceptance.

Acetaminophen↗
PubMed1996

Parent acceptability and feasibility of ADHD interventions: assessment, correlates, and predictive validity.

Examined variables related to parents' stated willingness to pursue treatment, and their actual adherence to treatment recommendations, for children with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Parents (87 mothers; 63 fathers) of 91 patients seen for evaluation at an outpatient ADHD clinic completed the ADHD Knowledge and Opinions Survey-Revised (AKOS-R). A factor analysis of the AKOS-R revealed three relevant factors: Counseling Acceptability, Medication Acceptability, and Counseling Feasibility. Externalizing problems were positively related to parents' Counseling Acceptability ratings, while parents' ADHD knowledge was positively related to their Medication Acceptability ratings. However, Counseling Acceptability, Counseling Feasibility, and Medication Acceptability scores at intake failed to predict parents' pursual of recommended counseling and medication at follow-up. Association between treatment acceptability and adherence might be enhanced by assessing treatment acceptability at multiple points during the assessment and treatment process.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Predictors of nurses' acceptance of an intravenous catheter safety device.

BACKGROUND: It is important to determine the factors that predict whether nurses accept and use a new intravenous (IV) safety device because there are approximately 800,000 needlesticks per year with the risk of contracting a life-threatening bloodborne disease such as HIV or hepatitis C. OBJECTIVES: To determine the predictors of nurses' acceptance of the Protectiv Plus IV catheter safety needle device at a teaching hospital in Texas. METHOD: A one-time cross-sectional survey of nurses (N = 742) was conducted using a 34-item questionnaire. A framework was developed identifying organizational and individual predictors of acceptance. The three principal dimensions of acceptance were (a) satisfaction with the device, (b) extent to which the device is always used, and (c) nurse recommendations over other safety devices. Measurements included developing summary subscales for the variables of safety climate and acceptance. Descriptive statistics and multiple linear and logistic regression models were computed. RESULTS: The findings showed widespread acceptance of the device. Nurses who had adequate training and a positive institutional safety climate were more accepting (p <or=.001). Also, nurses who worked at the hospital a shorter period were more likely to be accepting of the device (p <or=.001). Nurses who felt that the safety climate was positive and who had used the device for at least 6 months were more likely to use the device (p <or=.001). DISCUSSION: To achieve maximum success in implementing IV safety programs, high quality training and an atmosphere of caring about nurse safety are required.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1997

Rejection of spontaneously accepted rat liver allografts with recipientinterleukin-2 treatment or donor irradiation.

While MHC incompatible DA (RTl(a)) to Lewis (RT1(1), LEW) rat liver allografts are acutely rejected, the reciprocal LEW to DA liver grafts are spontaneously accepted. The mechanism of this acceptance remains unclear. We evaluated the effect of donor treatment with total body irradiation (TBI) or gadolinium chloride (GdCl3), and recipient treatment with exogenous IL-2 after transplantation on the survival of the spontaneously accepted liver grafts. Male LEW and DA rats were used as donors and recipients for orthotopic liver allo- or iso-graft transplants. The LEW liver donor was treated by TBI (10 gray) 7 days before transplantation, or LEW donor Kupffer cell phagocytosis was blocked with GdCl3 (7 mg/kg) on days -2 and -1 pretransplant. In an attempt to reverse LEW liver graft acceptance, 180,000 units human IL-2 (hIL-2) were administered daily IP to the DA liver recipients from days 1 to 7 after liver grafting. While untreated LEW recipients rejected DA liver grafts within 13 days, DA recipients accepted LEW livers indefinitely (>302 days). In contrast, irradiation of the LEW liver donor prevented the spontaneous acceptance by DA recipients, and resulted in acute rejection of the liver grafts in 9-20 days. However, spontaneous graft tolerance was restored by parking the irradiated LEW donor liver in naive LEW rats for 48 hr before retransplantation to DA recipients (>50 days). When LEW donors were treated with GdCl3, which is known to block Kupffer cell phagocytosis and antigen processing, the spontaneous acceptance of the LEW liver grafts by DA recipients was unaffected. However, when exogenous rhIL-2 was given daily, LEW liver allografts were rejected by the DA recipients. The resulting liver failure correlated with a progressive increase in serum bilirubin and the development of a predominantly lymphocytic portal tract infiltration, bile duct epithelial damage, and portal vein endothelitis, which is consistent with acute allograft rejection. LEW and DA recipients of liver isografts developed no toxicity and survived indefinitely (>100 days) when treated with the same dose of IL-2. These results indicate that spontaneous rat liver allograft acceptance is associated with the presence of radiosensitive cells in the donor liver that may interact with recipient T cells to inhibit (Th1) production of IL-2.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Routine skeleton radiography using a flat-panel detector: image quality and clinical acceptance at 50% dose reduction.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate image quality and clinical acceptance of a large-area, flat-panel X-ray detector for routine skeleton examinations at 50% dose reduction. METHODS: A total of 153 examinations (307 images) of 100 consecutive patients were evaluated. The cesium iodide-amorphous silicon active-matrix imager had a panel size of 43 x 43 cm, a matrix of 3000 x 3000, and a pixel pitch of 143 microm. All images were obtained with a kilovoltage setting identical to conventional radiographies of speed class 400. The amperage values were reduced by 50% compared with standard dose. Images were presented to 3 radiologists, who subjectively rated image quality on a 4-point scale according to 5 criteria (bone cortex, bone trabecula, soft tissue, overall contrast, and overall impression). Three trauma surgeons rated the clinical acceptance on a 4-point scale. Clinical acceptance was defined as directly derived consequences or therapy based on the presented image quality. For both evaluations, 1 represented excellent, 2 represented good, 3 represented moderate, and 4 represented nondiagnostic image quality/clinical acceptance. Intermediate scores at 0.5 intervals were allowed. RESULTS: The mean values for all 5 image quality criteria were rated good or excellent (< or = 2). A total of 4.2% (13 of 307) of the images were rated 2.5 to 3.5 concerning the overall impression. None of the imaging features was ranked more than 3.5 by any radiologist. The mean value of the clinical acceptance was between good and excellent (1.47). A total of 98.7% (151 of 153) of the examinations were rated < or = 2.5; 1.3% (2 of 153) of examinations were of moderate clinical acceptance (< or = 3.5). None of the examinations was of nondiagnostic image quality or clinical acceptance (>3.5); therefore, no study had to be repeated. CONCLUSION: Routine skeleton images with 50% dose reduction yield good image quality and good clinical acceptance. In cases with abundant soft tissue, less dose reduction or standard dose is required.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Acceptance of male registered nurses by female registered nurses.

PURPOSE: To investigate attitudes of acceptance toward male registered nurses by female registered nurses. DESIGN: Randomized descriptive design using 105 female registered nurses from a large midwestern state in the US. METHODS: Data were collected using an attitude inventory and analyzed using t test, chi square, Spearman rho, Pearson correlation, Mann-Whitney U and multiple regression tests. FINDINGS: Acceptance was normally distributed. No difference in acceptance was found between rural and urban participants. The length of time working with a male nurse explained significant variance in acceptance scores. City or town of socialization was not related to acceptance scores. Rural participants were less likely than were urban participants to believe that female nurses are ready to accept large numbers of men into the profession. CONCLUSIONS: The relationship of the distribution of acceptance of male registered nurses found in this study to the perceptions of acceptance by male registered nurses is unclear and requires further investigation.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Effects of phoneme class and duration on the acceptability of temporal modifications in speech.

Human subjective acceptability of durational distortions in speech segments or portions is significantly affected by various segmental and sequential properties, e.g., the vowel color and temporal position in a word [Kato et al., J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 101, 2311-2322 (1997); 104, 540-549 (1998)]. The current study focused on the effects of phoneme class and original duration of speech portions in isolated words. In experiment 1, the effect of four classes of phoneme, i.e., vowel, nasal, voiceless fricative, and silent closure, on the acceptable modification range was tested. Six listeners evaluated the temporal acceptability of each of 49 words where one of the steady-state portions was subjected to durational modification from -75 ms (for shortening) to +75 ms (for lengthening) in 7.5-ms steps. The results showed that the listeners' acceptable modification ranges were narrowest for vowels, and widest for voiceless fricatives and silent closures, with nasals in between. The mean acceptable ranges for the least vulnerable phoneme class, i.e., voiceless fricative and silent closure, reached 143% or more of that for the most vulnerable class, i.e., vowel. The observed variation in the acceptable modification range due to the different phoneme class was highly correlated with the inherent loudness in each phoneme class. A larger inherent loudness yielded a narrower acceptable range. Experiment 2 tested the effect of the original, as produced, duration of steady-state speech portions using 30 words where the factors of phoneme class and original duration were designed in a factorial way. The results showed that the original durations affected the listeners' absolute acceptable ranges; the ranges were narrower for shorter original durations. There was a significant interaction between the factors of phoneme class and original duration. The effect of the original duration was larger for vowels than for fricatives. This interaction could be accounted for by the difference in the temporal structure spanning beyond the modified portion itself.

Humans↗
PubMed2005

The acceptability of ending a patient's life.

OBJECTIVES: To clarify how lay people and health professionals judge the acceptability of ending the life of a terminally ill patient. DESIGN: Participants judged this acceptability in a set of 16 scenarios that combined four factors: the identity of the actor (patient or physician), the patient's statement or not of a desire to have his life ended, the nature of the action as relatively active (injecting a toxin) or passive (disconnecting life support), and the type of suffering (intractable physical pain, complete dependence, or severe psychiatric illness). PARTICIPANTS: 115 lay people and 72 health professionals (22 nurse's aides, 44 nurses, six physicians) in Toulouse, France. MAIN MEASUREMENTS: Mean acceptability ratings for each scenario for each group. RESULTS: Life ending interventions are more acceptable to lay people than to the health professionals. For both, acceptability is highest for intractable physical suffering; is higher when patients end their own lives than when physicians do so; and, when physicians are the actors, is higher when patients have expressed a desire to die (voluntary euthanasia) than when they have not (involuntary euthanasia). In contrast, when patients perform the action, acceptability for the lay people and nurse's aides does not depend on whether the patient has expressed a desire to die, while for the nurses and physicians unassisted suicide is more acceptable than physician assisted suicide. CONCLUSIONS: Lay participants judge the acceptability of life ending actions in largely the same way as do healthcare professionals.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Acceptability of fluoride use in Finnish municipalities.

The aim of this study was, firstly, to determine what methods of delivering fluorides might be acceptable to Finnish municipalities and, secondly, to investigate which characteristics of the municipalities best explain the variation in acceptability of fluorides. A sample, composed of 46 Finnish municipalities and representing the communes according to number of inhabitants was drawn and a mail survey sent to decision-makers (n = 1922). In this survey we assessed the characteristics of each commune and its decision-makers and asked how acceptable various methods of fluoride delivery were. The acceptability of the various methods was: toothpaste 95%, gels and varnishes 81%, rinses 63%, salt 48%, piped water 33%, and milk 11%. In industrialized communes these methods of delivery were usually slightly better accepted than in non-industrialized areas. Acceptability of fluorides seemed to differ in the various regions of Finland, Uusimaa region being the most liberal towards use of fluorides. Members of the labour parties seemed to accept piped water containing fluoride and fluoridated milk significantly more often than did conservatives. Among decision-makers, the various methods of delivery were best accepted by dentists, physicians and members of health councils.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Determinants of abstract acceptance for the Digestive Diseases Week--a cross sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The Digestive Diseases Week (DDW) is the major meeting for presentation of research in gastroenterology. The acceptance of an abstract for presentation at this meeting is the most important determinant of subsequent full publication. We wished to examine the determinants of abstract acceptance for this meeting. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed, based on abstracts submitted to the DDW. All 17,205 abstracts submitted from 1992 to 1995 were reviewed for acceptance, country of origin and research type (controlled clinical trials (CCT), other clinical research (OCR), basic science (BSS)). A random sub-sample (n = 1,000) was further evaluated for formal abstract quality, statistical significance of study results and sample size. RESULTS: 326 CCT, 455 OCR and 219 BSS abstracts were evaluated in detail. Abstracts from N/W Europe (OR 0.4, 95% CI 0.3-0.6), S/E Europe (OR 0.4, 95% CI 0.2-0.6) and non-Western countries (OR 0.3, 95% CI 0.2-0.5) were less likely to be accepted than North-American contributions when controlling for research type. In addition, the OR for the acceptance for studies with negative results as compared to those with positive results was 0.4 (95% CI 0.3-0.7). A high abstract quality score was also weakly associated with acceptance rates (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.0-2.0). CONCLUSIONS: North-American contributions and reports with statistically positive results have higher acceptance rates at the AGA. Formal abstract quality was also predictive for acceptance.

Abstracting and Indexing↗