175 research outputs found

    Linearly polarized lasing in one-dimensional hybrid photonic crystal containing cholesteric liquid crystal

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    This article may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the author and AIP Publishing. This article appeared in Yuko Matsuhisa, Ryotaro Ozaki, Yuuki Takao, and Masanori Ozaki, J. Appl. Phys. 101, 033120 (2007) and may be found at https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2434835

    Radiographic Prediction of the Results of Long-term Treatment with the Pavlik Harness for Developmental Dislocation of the Hip

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    In 1957, Pavlik introduced the Pavlik harness as a useful treatment for developmental dislocation of the hip (DDH), and subsequent studies have documented favorable outcomes among patients treated with this device. However, there are only a few articles reporting how early radiographic measurements can be used to determine the prognosis after treatment with the Pavlik harness. In this study, 217 hips from 192 patients whose DDH treatment with the Pavlik harness was initiated before they were 6 months old and whose follow-up lasted at least 14 years (rate, 63.8%) were analyzed using measurements from radiographs taken immediately before and after harness treatment, and at 1, 2, and 3 years of age. Severin's classification at the final follow-up was I or II in 71.9% and III or IV in 28.1% of the hips, respectively. Avascular necrosis of the femoral head (AVN) was seen in 10% of the hips. Stepwise multiple regression analysis was performed to retrospectively determine whether any radiographic factors were related to the final classification as Severin I/II or III/IV. Receiver opera-ting characteristic (ROC) curves were drawn for these factors, and a Wiberg OE angle (Point O was the middle point of the proximal metaphyseal border of the femur) of 2 degrees on the 3-year radiographs was found to be the most useful screening value for judging the acetabular development of DDH cases after treatment with a Pavlik harness, with a sensitivity of 71% a specificity of 93%, and a likelihood ratio of 10.1.</p

    Elementos do planejamento estratégico na administração pública municipal: um estudo dos municípios da região metropolitana de São Paulo

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    Tese apresentada ao Programa de Pós-graduação em Administração da Universidade Municipal de São Caetano do SulEste estudo teve como proposta mensurar o grau de incorporação do Planejamento Estratégico pelas administrações publicas municipais. Para tanto, foram consideradas as dimensões e variáveis definidas pelos autores que compuseram o referencial teórico da presente pesquisa. As dimensões abordadas foram, entre outras: dificuldades no processo de planejamento; aumento da capacidade gerencial e estratégica; percepção do plano; extensão do monitoramento dos objetivos e das operações; amplitude de participação dos stakeholders; centralização interna do planejamento; alocação de recursos; avaliação do nível de satisfação do plano; fatores e variáveis ambientais internas e externas relativos ao plano; participação interna versus a externa, no contexto do planejamento. O estudo teve por objetivos específicos, primeiro, descrever o processo do planejamento estratégico nas administrações publicas municipais da RMSP por meio da identificação da presença das variáveis que compõem suas diferentes etapas, incluindo seu planejamento, implementação e controle; segundo, medir o grau de incorporação do Planejamento Estratégico pelas Prefeituras a partir do somatório de pontos das dimensões integrantes das etapas da atividade de planejamento estratégico; terceiro, medir e caracterizar os conflitos no ambiente do Planejamento Estratégico; quarto, identificar possíveis fatores exógenos ao conceito de Planejamento Estratégico, determinantes do grau de sua incorporação pelas prefeituras. Em termos de metodologia de pesquisa, tratou-se de uma pesquisa descritivo-quantitativa, com caráter transversal quanto a analise de dados, coletados por entrevista pessoal junto aos gestores da atividade de Planejamento Estratégico, nas prefeituras dos municípios da Região Metropolitana de São Paulo (RMSP), no período de novembro de 2012 a abril de 2013. Os resultados obtidos indicaram que 47,4% dos municípios integrantes do estudo praticam formalmente o Planejamento Estratégico, em um grau considerado relativamente elevado, em termos de pratica das atividades integrantes de seus elementos. Nesse contexto, a presença de conflitos, considerados negativos, foi menor nos municípios com a prática de Planejamento Estratégico, comparativamente aos municípios sem esse instrumental. Por fim, registre-se que a liderança do gestor mostrou-se estatisticamente significante como fator explicativo do grau de implementação desse instrumento de gestãosi

    Low-threshold and high efficiency lasing upon band-edge excitation in a cholesteric liquid crystal

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    A low threshold and high efficiency laser based on dye-doped cholesteric liquid crystals (CLCs) is demonstrated using an input excitation with the same handedness of circular polarization as the helical structure of the sample at the shorter wavelength band edge of the reflection band. The responsible mechanism originates from the dramatic increase of the optical density of state (DOS) at the band edges. The calculated DOS of the CLC system confirms the authors\u27 experimental results

    Cholesteric liquid crystal laser in a dielectric mirror cavity upon band-edge excitation

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    Low threshold laser action of dye-doped cholesteric liquid crystals ( CLCs) is demonstrated using an input circularly polarized light whose handedness is the same as the cholesteric helix of the sample at the high-energy band edge of the reflection band. The mechanism originates from the dramatic increase of the photon density of state at the band edges. We also demonstrate an enhanced laser action of a CLC in a dielectric multilayer cavity. In such a device configuration, the band-edge excitation at high-energy band edge improves the lasing performance not only for the same handedness circularly polarized pump beam as the cholesteric helix but also for the opposite one. It stems from the polarization independence of the dielectric multilayers

    Factors influencing caregiver burden in chronic pain patients: A retrospective study

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    Chronic pain coexists with disability, anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances, which are factors of pain chronicity in the fear-avoidance model. Self-efficacy for managing pain plays a protective role against pain chronicity. For chronic pain sufferers, social support from caregivers is important. However, such caregivers face enormous physical and mental burdens. This study aimed to assess how self-efficacy and factors related to the fear-avoidance model affect caregiver burden. Participants were 135 chronic pain patients and their caregivers who visited our outpatient pain special clinic. In clinical assessments, numeric rating scale (NRS), pain catastrophizing scale (PCS), hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS), Athens insomnia scale (AIS), pain disability assessment scale (PDAS), pain self-efficacy questionnaire (PSEQ) for the patients and Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) for their caregivers were evaluated. Participants were divided into 2 groups (L group ZBI = 24 points) and compared. Regression analyses were conducted to identify factors correlated with the ZBI scores. Compared to L group, H group showed significantly higher NRS and HADs depression scores, and lower PSEQ scores. In univariate regression analysis, ZBI scores were significantly correlated with NRS, PCS, HADS anxiety, HADS depression, PDAS and PSEQ. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that ZBI scores were significantly correlated with PSEQ. The caregivers who perceived high caregiver burden had significantly higher patients' pain intensity, depression, and lower self-efficacy than those who perceived low caregiver burden. Caregiver burden correlated with the pain intensity, pain catastrophizing, anxiety, depression, disability, and self-efficacy of chronic pain patients. Among these factors, self-efficacy was the most negatively correlated with caregiver burden. Treatments focused on increasing self-efficacy for managing pain have the potential to reduce caregiver burden

    Bordetella pertussis population dynamics and phylogeny in Japan after adoption of acellular pertussis vaccines

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    Bordetella pertussis, the causative agent of whooping cough, has experienced a resurgence in the past 15 years, despite the existence of both whole-cell and acellular vaccines. Here, we performed whole genome sequencing analysis of 149 clinical strains, provided by the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID), Japan, isolated in 1982-2014, after Japan became the first country to adopt acellular vaccines against B. pertussis. Additionally, we sequenced 39 strains provided by the Konan Kosei Hospital in Aichi prefecture, Japan, isolated in 2008-2013. The genome sequences afforded insight into B. pertussis genome variability and population dynamics in Japan, and revealed that the B. pertussis population in Japan was characterized by two major clades that divided more than 40 years ago. The pertactin gene was disrupted in about 20 % of the 149 NIID isolates, by either a deletion within the signal sequence (ΔSS) or the insertion of IS element IS481 (prn :: IS481). Phylogeny suggests that the parent clones for these isolates originated in Japan. Divergence dating traced the first generation of the pertactin-deficient mutants in Japan to around 1990, and indicated that strains containing the alternative pertactin allele prn2 may have appeared in Japan around 1974. Molecular clock data suggested that observed fluctuations in B. pertussis population size may have coincided with changes in vaccine usage in the country. The continuing failure to eradicate the disease warrants an exploration of novel vaccine compositions

    Intake of Radionuclides in the Trees of Fukushima Forests 5. Earthquake Could Have Caused an Increase in Xyloglucan in Trees

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    A megathrust earthquake caused the Fukushima–Daiichi nuclear power plant accident, which dispersed abundant radioiodines, causing them to be bound to xyloglucan into forest trees. Nevertheless, targeted xyloglucan was found in increased quantities in the annual rings of forest trees affected by the earthquake. We propose that trees could acclimate rapidly to shaking stress through an increase in xyloglucan deposition as a plant response under natural phenomena
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