600 research outputs found
Medical Errors in Cyprus: The 2005 Eurobarometer Survey
Background: Medical errors have been highlighted in recent years by different agencies, scientific bodies and research teams alike. We sought to explore the issue of medical errors in Cyprus using data from the Eurobarometer survey.Methods: Data from the special Eurobarometer survey conducted in 2005 across all European Union countries (EU-25) and the acceding countries were obtained from the corresponding EU office. Statisticalanalyses including logistic regression models were performed using SPSS.Results: A total of 502 individuals participated in the Cyprus survey. About 90% reported that they had often or sometimes heard about medical errors, while 22% reported that a family member or they had suffered a serious medical error in a local hospital. In addition, 9.4% reported a serious problem from a prescribed medicine. We also found statistically significant differences across different ages and gender and in rural versus urban residents. Finally, using multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models, wefound that residents in rural areas were more likely to have suffered a serious medical error in a local hospital or from a prescribed medicine.Conclusion: Our study shows that the vast majority of residents in Cyprus in parallel with the other Europeans worry about medical errors and a significant percentage report having suffered a serious medical error at a local hospital or from a prescribed medicine. The results of our study could help the medical community in Cyprus and the society at large to enhance its vigilance with respect to medical errors in order to improve medical care
A search for 4750- and 4765-MHz OH masers in Southern Star Forming Regions
We have used the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) to make a sensitive
(5- 100 mJy) search for maser emission from the 4765-MHz
F=10 transition of OH. Fifty five star formation regions
were searched and maser emission with a peak flux density in excess of 100 mJy
was detected toward fourteen sites, with ten of these being new discoveries. In
addition we observed the 4750-MHz F=11 transition towards a
sample of star formation regions known to contain 1720-MHz OH masers, detecting
marginal maser emission from G348.550-0.979. If confirmed this would be only
the second maser discovered from this transition. The occurrence of 4765-MHz OH
maser emission accompanying 1720-MHz OH masers in a small number of well
studied star formation regions has lead to a general perception in the
literature that the two transitions favour similar physical conditions. Our
search has found that the presence of the excited-state 6035-MHz OH transition
is a much better predictor of 4765-MHz OH maser emission from the same region
than is 1720-MHz OH maser emission. Combining our results with those of
previous high resolution observations of other OH transitions we have examined
the published theoretical models of OH masers and find that none of them
predict any conditions in which the 1665-, 6035- and 4765-MHz transitions are
simultaneously inverted.
Erratum abstract:
Dodson & Ellingsen (2002) included several observations with significant
pointing errors, invalidating the upper limits found in these directions. These
have now been reobserved or recalculated. A new table of upper limits has been
generated, and two more masers that would have been seen have been found.Comment: Included an Erratum with Max as another author. This erratum was
rejected by MNRAS (Feb 04) as it contained too much data. Resubmitted as a
paper (Jun 04). Rejected (Sep 04) it had too little data. Resubmitted as
reduced erratum (Apr 05). Still waitin
Discrete Source Survey of 6 GHz OH emission from PNe & pPNe and first 6 GHz images of K 3-35
The aim of this study is to investigate the physical properties of molecular
envelopes of planetary nebulae in their earliest stages of evolution. Using the
100m telescope at Effelsberg, we have undertaken a high sensitivity discrete
source survey for the first excited state of OH maser emission (J=5/2, 2PI3/2
at 6GHz) in the direction of planetary and proto-planetary nebulae exhibiting
18cm OH emission (main and/or satellite lines), and we further validate our
detections using the Nan\c{c}ay radio telescope at 1.6-1.7GHz and MERLIN
interferometer at 1.6-1.7 and 6GHz. Two sources have been detected at 6035MHz
(5cm), both of them are young (or very young) planetary nebulae. The first one
is a confirmation of the detection of a weak 6035MHz line in Vy 2-2. The second
one is a new detection, in K 3-35, which was already known to be an exceptional
late type star because it exhibits 1720MHz OH emission. The detection of
6035MHz OH maser emission is confirmed by subsequent observations made with the
MERLIN interferometer. These lines are very rarely found in evolved stars. The
1612MHz masers surround but are offset from the 1720 and 6035MHz masers which
in turn lie close to a compact 22GHz continuum source embedded in the optical
nebula.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, published in A&
Nuclear export factor RBM15 facilitates the access of DBP5 to mRNA
The conserved mRNA export receptor NXF1 (Mex67 in yeast) assembles with messenger ribonucleoproteins (mRNP) in the nucleus and guides them through the nuclear pore complex into the cytoplasm. The DEAD family RNA helicase Dbp5 is essential for nuclear export of mRNA and is thought to dissociate Mex67 from mRNP upon translocation, thereby generating directional passage. However, the molecular mechanism by which Dbp5 recognizes Mex67-containing mRNP is not clear. Here we report that the human NXF1-binding protein RBM15 binds specifically to human DBP5 and facilitates its direct contact with mRNA in vivo. We found that RBM15 is targeted to the nuclear envelope, where it colocalizes extensively with DBP5 and NXF1. Gene silencing of RBM15 leads to cytoplasmic depletion and nuclear accumulation of general mRNA as well as individual endogenous transcripts, indicating that RBM15 is required for efficient mRNA export. We propose a model in which RBM15 acts locally at the nuclear pore complex, by facilitating the recognition of NXF1–mRNP complexes by DBP5 during translocation, thereby contributing to efficient mRNA export
The tails in the Helix Nebula NGC 7293
We have examined a stream-source model for the production of the cometary
tails observed in the Helix Nebula NGC 7293 in which a transonic or moderately
supersonic stream of ionized gas overruns a source of ionized gas. Hydrodynamic
calculations reveal velocity structures which are in good agreement with the
observational data on tail velocities and are consistent with observations of
the nebular structure. The results also are indicative of a stellar atmosphere
origin for the cometary globules. Tail remnants persist for timescales long
enough for their identification with faint striations visible in the nebula gas
to be plausible.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in A&
Acupuncture in Oncology: The Effectiveness of Acupuncture May Not Depend on Needle Retention Duration
© 2017, © The Author(s) 2017. Background. Guidelines surrounding optimum needle retention duration in acupuncture have not been established, despite a growing evidence base for acupuncture over recent decades. This retrospective study explored the effect of varying acupuncture needle retention durations in cancer patients. Method. Patients received either 2 (n = 35), 10 (n = 53), or 20 minutes (n = 54) of acupuncture once a week for 6 weeks. Outcomes of anxiety and depression, stress, fatigue, and quality of life (QOL), with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–Fatigue, and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life, were measured at baseline and at 6 weeks following the intervention. Results. The mean age of participants was 58 years (n = 152). The majority were female, diagnosed with breast cancer. Depression, stress, fatigue, and QOL were significantly improved in all 3 groups at 6 weeks postintervention. No significant differences in all outcomes were found between the 3 groups (≤2 vs 10 minutes vs 20 minutes). There were no differences with the satisfaction of the acupuncture services and perceived efficacy of acupuncture among the 3 groups. More than 95% of participants indicated that they would recommend acupuncture to other cancer patients, friends, and their family members. Conclusion. The efficacy of acupuncture may not only depend on needle retention duration, but may also be associated with multiple factors. Considering the limitations of this study design, robust randomized controlled studies are warranted to confirm the findings
Burnout syndrome in Cypriot physiotherapists: a national survey
Background. Burnout in the healthcare workers is formally defined as a state of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion caused by long-term involvement in situations that are emotionally demanding. Methods. Using a random stratified sampling method and taking into account geographical location, specialty and type of employment, 172 physiotherapists working both in the private and public sectors completed an anonymous questionnaire that included several aspects related to burnout; the MBI scale, questions related to occupational stress, and questions pertaining to self image. Results. Almost half (46%) of the 172 participants believed that their job is stressful. Approximately 57% of the physiotherapists who worked in the public sector and 40% of those who worked in the private sector (p = 0.038) reported that their job is stressful. In total, 21.1% of participants met Maslach's criteria for burnout. The point prevalence of burnout was as follows: (1) 13.8% of those who worked in the public sector and 25.5% of those in the private sector (2) 22.2% of males and 20% of females (3) 21.6% who were married, 18% who were single and 33.3% who were separated. Gender was found to be associated with the level of personal accomplishment (chi-squared test; p = 0.049), as 17.8% of men compared with 24.3% of women reported high personal accomplishment. The number of years of working as a physiotherapist correlated negatively (r = -0.229, p = 0.004) with the total depersonalization score. Regression analysis showed that the perception that the job is stressful (p < 0.001) and the low salary (p = 0.016) were significant predictors of high emotional exhaustion scores, while age group (p = 0.027) predicted high scores of depersonalization and the employment sector (p = 0.050) as well as the low salary predicted high personal accomplishment scores. Conclusions. Burnout levels in physiotherapists in Cyprus ranged from low to moderate
Methanol and excited OH masers towards W51: I - Main and South
MERLIN phase-referenced polarimetric observations towards the W51 complex
were carried out in March 2006 in the Class II methanol maser transition at
6.668 GHz and three of the four excited OH maser hyperfine transitions at 6
GHz. Methanol maser emission is found towards both W51 Main and South. We did
not detect any emission in the excited OH maser lines at 6.030 and 6.049 GHz
down to a 3 sigma limit of ~20 mJy per beam. Excited OH maser emission at 6.035
GHz is only found towards W51 Main. This emission is highly circularly
polarised (typically 45% and up to 87%). Seven Zeeman pairs were identified in
this transition, one of which contains detectable linear polarisation. The
magnetic field strength derived from these Zeeman pairs ranges from +1.6 to
+6.8 mG, consistent with the previously published magnetic field strengths
inferred from the OH ground-state lines. The bulk of the methanol maser
emission is associated with W51 Main, sampling a total area of ~3"x2.2" (i.e.,
~16200x11900 AU), while only two maser components, separated by ~2.5", are
found in the W51 South region. The astrometric distributions of both 6.668-GHz
methanol and 6.035-GHz excited-OH maser emission in the W51 Main/South region
are presented here. The methanol masers in W51 Main show a clear coherent
velocity and spatial structure with the bulk of the maser components
distributed into 2 regions showing a similar conical opening angle with of a
central velocity of ~+55.5 km/s and an expansion velocity of =<5 km/s. The mass
contained in this structure is estimated to be at least 22 solar masses. The
location of maser emission in the two afore-mentioned lines is compared with
that of previously published OH ground-state emission. Association with the
UCHII regions in the W51 Main/South complex and relationship of the masers to
infall or outflow in the region are discussed.Comment: 19 pages, 16 figures and 4 tables, accepted for publication in MNRA
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