5,050 research outputs found

    A type catalogue of Campylopodioideae and Paraleucobryoideae (Musci, Dicranaceae) : part 2, Campylopus

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    All species of Campylopus Brid. are listed, including citations of basionyms and homotypic synonyms, completed by citation of the type specimen and its location, as well as the current use or other uses of the name

    Gleichstellungs-News : Nr. 14

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    Many embedded systems with real-time requirements demand minimal jitter and low communication end-to-end latency for its communication networks. The time-triggered paradigm, adopted by many real-time protocols, was designed to cope with these demands. A cost-efficient way to implement this paradigm is to synthesize a static schedule that indicates the transmission times of all the time-triggered frames such that all requirements are met. Synthesizing this schedule can be seen as a bin-packing problem, known to be NPcomplete, with complexity driven by the number of frames. In the last years, requirements on the amount of data being transmitted and the scalability of the network have increased. A solution was proposed, adapting real-time switched Ethernet to benefit from its high bandwidth. However, it added more complexity in computing the schedule, since every frame is distributed over multiple links. Tools like Satisfiability Modulo Theory solvers were able to cope with the added complexity and synthesize schedules of industrial size networks. Despite the success of such tools, applications are appearing requiring embedded systems with even more complex networks. In the future, real-time embedded systems, such as large factory automation or smart cities, will need extremely large hybrid networks, combining wired and wireless communication, with schedules that cannot be synthesized with current tools in a reasonable amount of time. With this in mind, the first thesis goal is to identify the performance limits of Satisfiability Modulo Theory solvers in schedule synthesis. Given these limitations, the next step is to define and develop a divide and conquer approach for decomposing the entire scheduling problem in smaller and easy solvable subproblems. However, there are constraints that relate frames from different subproblems. These constraints need to be treated differently and taken into account at the start of every subproblem. The third thesis goal is to develop an approach that is able to synthesize schedules when different frame constraints related to different subproblems are inter-dependent. Last, is to define the requirements that the integration of wireless communication in hybrid networks will bring to the schedule synthesis and how to cope with the increased complexity. We demonstrate the viability of our approaches by means of evaluations, showing that our method is capable to synthesize schedules of hundred of thousands of frames in less than 5 hours.RetNe

    Multiple ART Programs Create a Dilemma for Providers to Monitor ARV Adherence in Uganda

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    Background: Increased availability and accessibility of antiretroviral therapy (ART) has improved the length and quality of life amongst people living with HIV/AIDS. This has changed the landscape for care from episodic to longterm care that requires more monitoring of adherence. This has led to increased demand on human resources, a major problem for most ART programs. This paper presents experiences and perspectives of providersin ART facilities, exploring the organizational factors affecting their capacity to monitor adherence to ARVs. Methods: From an earlier survey to test adherence indicators and rank facilities as good, medium or poor adherence performances, six facilities were randomly selected, two from each rank. Observations on facility set-up, provider-patient interactions and key informant interviews were carried out. The strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats identified by health workers as facilitators or barriers to their capacity to monitor adherence to ARVs were explored during group discussions. Results: Findings show that the performance levels of the facilities were characterized by four different organizational ARTprograms operating in Uganda, with apparent lack of integration and coordination at the facilities. Of the six facilities studied, the two highadherence performing facilities were Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) programs, while facilities with dual organizational programs(Governmental/NGO) performed poorly. Working conditions, record keeping and the duality of programs underscored the providers' capacity tomonitor adherence. Overall 70% of the observed provider-patient interactions were conducted in environments that ensured privacy of the patient. The mean performance for record keeping was 79% and 50% in the high and low performing facilities respectively. Providers often found it difficult to monitor adherence due to the conflicting demands from the different organizational ART programs. Conclusion: Organizational duality at facilities is a major factor in poor adherence monitoring. The different ART programs in Uganda need to be coordinated and integrated into a single well resourced program to improve ART services and adherence monitoring. The focus on long-term care of patients on ART requires that the limitations to providers' capacity for monitoring adherence become central during the planning and implementation of ART programs

    Narcissism in patients admitted to psychiatric acute wards: its relation to violence, suicidality and other psychopathology

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    <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The objective was to examine various aspects of narcissism in patients admitted to acute psychiatric wards and to compare their level of narcissism to that of an age- and gender-matched sample from the general population (NORM).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This cross-sectional study interviewed 186 eligible acute psychiatric patients with the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) and the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF). The patients filled in the Narcissistic Personality Inventory-21 item version (NPI-21), The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. High and low narcissism was defined by the median of the total NPI-21 score. An age- and gender-matched control sample from the general population also scored the NPI-21 (NORM).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Being male, involuntary admitted, having diagnosis of schizophrenia, higher self-esteem, and severe violence were significantly associated with high narcissism, and so were also low levels of suicidality, depression, anxiety and GAF scores. Severe violence and high self-esteem were significantly associated with high narcissism in multivariable analyses. The NPI-21 and its subscales showed test-retest correlations ≥0.83, while the BPRS and the HADS showed lower correlations, confirming the trait character of the NPI-21. Depression and suicidality were negatively associated with the NPI-21 total score and all its subscales, while positive association was observed with grandiosity. No significant differences were observed between patients and NORM on the NPI-21 total score or any of the NPI subscales.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Narcissism in the psychiatric patients was significantly associated with violence, suicidality and other symptoms relevant for management and treatment planning. Due to its trait character, use of the NPI-21 in acute psychiatric patients can give important clinical information. The similar level of narcissism found in patients and NORM is in need of further examination.</p

    Design of a randomized trial to evaluate the influence of mobile phone reminders on adherence to first line antiretroviral treatment in South India - the HIVIND study protocol

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    Poor adherence to antiretroviral treatment has been a public health challenge associated with the treatment of HIV. Although different adherence-supporting interventions have been reported, their long term feasibility in low income settings remains uncertain. Thus, there is a need to explore sustainable contextual adherence aids in such settings, and to test these using rigorous scientific designs. The current ubiquity of mobile phones in many resource-constrained settings, make it a contextually appropriate and relatively low cost means of supporting adherence. In India, mobile phones have wide usage and acceptability and are potentially feasible tools for enhancing adherence to medications. This paper presents the study protocol for a trial, to evaluate the influence of mobile phone reminders on adherence to first-line antiretroviral treatment in South India. Methods/Design: 600 treatment naive patients eligible for first-line treatment as per the national antiretroviral treatment guidelines will be recruited into the trial at two clinics in South India. Patients will be randomized into control and intervention arms. The control arm will receive the standard of care; the intervention arm will receive the standard of care plus mobile phone reminders. Each reminder will take the form of an automated call and a picture message. Reminders will be delivered once a week, at a time chosen by the patient. Patients will be followed up for 24 months or till the primary outcome i.e. virological failure, is reached, whichever is earlier. Self-reported adherence is a secondary outcome. Analysis is by intention-to-treat. A cost-effectiveness study of the intervention will also be carried out. Stepping up telecommunications technology in resource-limited healthcare settings is a priority of the World Health Organization. The trial will evaluate if the use of mobile phone reminders can influence adherence to first-line antiretrovirals in an Indian context.EU/HIVIN

    Reactions of Persons with Dementia to Caregivers Singing in Morning Care Situations

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    ’Music therapeutic caregiving’, when caregivers sing for or together with persons with severe dementia during care situations, has been suggested as a way to reduce problematic behaviors in dementia care. The present study implemented this technique as an intervention in dementia care. Six caregivers participated in group interviews about their experiences of morning care situations without and with’Music therapeutic caregiving’. Through a qualitative content analysis two themes emerged.’Being in a different reality’ was based on’usual’ morning care situations. The caregivers’ experienced the persons with dementia as absent-minded; communication and cooperation were difficult. The second theme,’Being present’, was based on morning care situations with the intervention. The caregivers described communication as enhanced; the persons with dementia expressed themselves more appropriately, making cooperation possible. The results indicate that’Music therapeutic caregiving’ might lead to a more positive experience of the person with dementia and seems to increase receptivity to caregiving
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