Are Radiology request forms adequately filled in? : an audit assessing local practice

Background: Radiology request forms are essential communication tools used by doctors referring patients for radiological investigations. Their importance, however, is highly underestimated. We set out to perform a process audit of the adequacy of completion of such request forms in St. Luke's Hospital, Malta. Methods: A representative sample of 200 randomly selected request forms received by the radiology department in early September 2004 was reviewed. These included requests for a variety of examinations from different departments within St. Luke's Hospital. A database of the collected forms was created, noting which of the various fields were adequately completed. Results: Only 4% of the 200 request forms reviewed were completed in full. The percentages of the various fields completed were: patient's name and surname - 100%; patient's full address - 77%; patient's age - 29%; referring ward - 95%; referring doctor's signature - 100%; referring doctor's name and surname - 34%; name of responsible consultant - 91%; question to be answered - 25%. The patient's clinical background field was filled in 93%. However, these were more often than not incomplete and unable to fulfil their purpose. Conclusions: There is ample room for change in current local practice.peer-reviewe

Aging, Gender and Neighbourhood Determinants of Distance Traveled: A Multilevel Analysis in the Hamilton CMA

The objective of this study is to investigate the determinants of mean trip distance traveled by different mode types. The study uses data from the Hamilton CMA in Canada, and multilevel models to investigate demographic aging factors, gender differentials, and neighbourhood attributes on distance traveled. The results of the study validate previous findings regarding the decline in distance traveled as age advances. In addition, it is found that: 1) While this effect of age is present for all modes analyzed (car-driving, car-passenger, and bus) it is considerably more marked for car-driving; 2) There are significant gender effects compounded by the interrelated factors of employment constraints, household dynamics, and greater reliance on travel modes other than car driving; and 3) Neighbourhoods with high commercial and residential mix showed a negative relation with distance traveled only in the case of car-driver.distance traveled, aging, elderly, gender, neighbourhood influence, multilevel analysis

Computational Economics: Help for the Underestimated Undergraduate

Our concern in this paper is that the capability of economics undergraduates is substantially underestimated in the design of the present college curriculum and that our students are insufficiently challenged and motivated. Students enter our classrooms with substantial previous knowledge about computers and computation and we are not taking full advantage of this opportunity. We suggest a set of examples from computational economics which are challenging enough to motivate students and simple enough that they can master them within a few hours. By encouraging the students to modify the models in directions of their own interest avenues for creative endeavor are opened which deeply involve the students in their own education.teaching computational economics

Young and very young stars in NGC 3372, the Carina nebula

Results are presented of a large-scale imaging photometric study of the stellar population in the northern part of NGC 3372 with a w avelength co verage from 0.33 to 2.5 µm. All observations were made at Las Campanas Observatory . The sizes of the three stellar clusters, Tr 14, Tr 15 and Tr 16, were determined b y means of star counts. Two-colour and colour-magnitude diagrams are presented and analyzed for eac h individual cluster. The three clusters were found to b e at a similar distance from the Sun, = 2 . 7 kpc, but with very large scatter in both A V and d . suggesting drastic variations in intracluster dust densit y . Dust particle size distribution variations are eviden t resulting in wide variations in extinction law. We determined ages bet ween 3 and 60 million years for Tr 15 and bet ween less than 1 and 6 million years for Tr 14 and Tr 16. The Tr 14 cluster is partially em bedded in a dense molecular cloud that extends to wards the south west reaching its highest densit y some three arcmin from the cluster nucleus. The ric h UV field created b y the Tr14 stars ionizes most of the visible HI I region in its vicinit y and most of the radio HI I region Car I. Deep J H K images of the Car I region reveal the presence of a young, em bedded stellar population that includes several O9–B0 stars and an ultracompact HI I region.Fil: Tapia, M.. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Roth, M.. Las Campanas Observatory; ChileFil: Vazquez, Ruben Angel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Astrofísica La Plata. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas. Instituto de Astrofísica la Plata; ArgentinaFil: Persi, P.. IASFC, CNR; Itali

Policy Areas Impinging on Elderly Transportation Mobility: An Explanation with Ontario, Canada as Example

As countries face the challenges posed by rising numbers of older persons, the need to reassess their respective policies to address transport needs in aging societies is increasingly recognized in relation to health and sustainability goals. This paper proposes the examination of six interrelated policy areas affecting elderly mobility in a country or administrative region. A general survey of policy developments in each of these areas could improve current strategies and existing processes in the planning and implementation of mobility services that will be responsive to both elderly and the general population now and in the future. These include: 1) general transport policy framework; 2) travel mode preference; 3) alternative transport infrastructure stock and investments; 4) housing-land-use-transportation linkage; 5) research and technology applications that improve travel mode and environment; and 6) institutional and legal reforms. These policy areas are discussed and given concrete elucidation in the case of Ontario, Canada. Reflections and recommendations for further research and policy action deemed critical in the case region are highlighted.transportation, aging, regional policy, Canada

Fontes hidrotermais : laboratórios naturais de acidificação oceânica

A secção Biologia é coordenada pelo Professor Universitário Armindo Rodrigues.[…]. Em 2010 foi desenvolvido um estudo na Universidade dos Açores sobre os efeitos das fontes hidrotermais de superfície na composição química, anatomia e estrutura calcária de Corallina elongata, uma alga calcária abundante nos Açores. Este trabalho, publicado na “Marine Pollution Bulletin”, revelou que, apesar da acidez nas fontes hidrotermais, e contrariamente ao esperado, as algas, embora mostrando sinais externos de alguma dissolução, apresentavam paredes celulares mais espessas, ou seja, com maior deposição de Carbonato de Cálcio. O gás libertado pelas fontes hidrotermais (CO₂), para além de acidificar a água do mar, também é um elemento fulcral na obtenção de energia pelas algas e pelas outras plantas através da fotossíntese. Ora, a maior disponibilidade de CO₂ potencia o metabolismo da alga fazendo com que esta tenha uma maior taxa de crescimento, contrariamente ao que era inicialmente esperado. […]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Strong electronic correlations in Lix_xZnPc organic metals

Nuclear magnetic resonance, electron paramagnetic resonance and magnetization measurements show that bulk Li$_x$ZnPc are strongly correlated one-dimensional metals. The temperature dependence of the nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rate $1/T_1$ and of the static uniform susceptibility $\chi_S$ on approaching room temperature are characteristic of a Fermi liquid. Moreover, while for $x\simeq 2$ the electrons are delocalized down to low temperature, for $x\to 4$ a tendency towards localization is noticed upon cooling, yielding an increase both in $1/T_1$ and $\chi_s$. The $x$-dependence of the effective density of states at the Fermi level $D(E_F)$ displays a sharp enhancement for $x\simeq 2$, at the half filling of the ZnPc lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals. This suggests that Li$_x$ZnPc is on the edge of a metal-insulator transition where enhanced superconducting fluctuations could develop.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Spin and charge dynamics in [TbPc2_2]0^0 and [DyPc2_2]0^0 single molecule magnets

Magnetization, AC susceptibility and $\mu$SR measurements have been performed in neutral phthalocyaninato lanthanide ([LnPc$_2]^0$) single molecule magnets in order to determine the low-energy levels structure and to compare the low-frequency spin excitations probed by means of macroscopic techniques, such as AC susceptibility, with the ones explored by means of techniques of microscopic character, such as $\mu$SR. Both techniques show a high temperature thermally activated regime for the spin dynamics and a low temperature tunneling one. While in the activated regime the correlation times for the spin fluctuations estimated by AC susceptibility and $\mu$SR basically agree, clear discrepancies are found in the tunneling regime. In particular, $\mu$SR probes a faster dynamics with respect to AC susceptibility. It is argued that the tunneling dynamics probed by $\mu$SR involves fluctuations which do not yield a net change in the macroscopic magnetization probed by AC susceptibiliy. Finally resistivity measurements in [TbPc$_2]^0$ crystals show a high temperature nearly metallic behaviour and a low temperature activated behaviour.Comment: 8 pages, 12 figure