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At least 343 records · Page 19Linked to original sources

Effect of paper quality on the response rate to a postal survey: a randomised controlled trial. ISRCTN 32032031.

BACKGROUND: Response rates to surveys are declining and this threatens the validity and generalisability of their findings. We wanted to determine whether paper quality influences the response rate to postal surveys METHODS: A postal questionnaire was sent to all members of the British Society of Gynaecological Endoscopy (BSGE). Recipients were randomised to receiving the questionnaire printed on standard quality paper or high quality paper. RESULTS: The response rate for the recipients of high quality paper was 43/195 (22%) and 57/194 (29%) for standard quality paper (relative rate of response 0.75, 95% CI 0.33-1.05, p = 0.1 CONCLUSION: The use of high quality paper did not increase response rates to a questionnaire survey of gynaecologists affiliated to an endoscopic society.

Data Collection↗

Effects of a waste paper product on soil phosphorus, carbon, and bulk density.

Applications of manures to agricultural fields have increased soil test values for P to high levels in parts of the USA and thus increased the likelihood that P will be transported to surface water and degrade its quality. Waste paper applications to soils with high STP (soil test P) may decrease the risk of P transport to surface water by decreasing DRP (dissolved reactive P) by the formation of insoluble Al-P complexes and providing organic matter to improve infiltration. A field experiment was conducted near Booneville, AR (USA) to assess the effects of different rates of a waste paper product addition on STP, soil bulk density, and total soil C with a soil with approximately 45 mg Bray1-P kg-1 soil (dry weight). A Leadvale silt loam soil (fine-silty, siliceous, thermic Typic Fragiudult) was amended with 0, 22, 44, or 88 Mg waste paper product ha-1 to supply approximately 90, 170, or 350 kg Al ha-1, respectively. One year after additions, there was a strong negative correlation between waste paper product application rates and soil bulk density, and a strong positive correlation between rates and total soil C content. Soil bulk density and total C 2 yr after additions, and soil DRP and Bray1-P were not affected by waste paper additions. These results support the hypothesis that decreases in DRP in runoff from soils receiving waste paper additions were probably due to changes in soil organic matter and bulk density, rather than changes in the chemical forms of soil P.

Carbon↗

Paper and whey as a feedstuff for ruminants.

Eleven papers were compared for absorption of whey and for digestibility in vitro. Papers were squared, ground, and soaked in whey for 1, 5, and 15 min and for 1, 6, 24, 48, and 72 h. Digestibility in vitro was determined on minimum and maximum whey absorption of each squared and ground paper sample. Whey absorption by squared papers increased with time. Ground samples absorbed more whey than squared ones and maximum quantities were absorbed with 1 to 5 min. Mean percent absorptions for ground telephone book covers, glossy magazines, computer cards, computer printout sheets, daily newsprint, telephone directory yellow pages, cardboard box, feedsacks, brown bags, telephone directory white pages, and coasters were: 31.0, 35.2, 35.4, 36.5, 43.9, 47.9, 51.0, 51.4, 51.7, 55.6, and 67.4. For seven papers, addition of whey increased digestibility. Four papers were either unchanged or decreased in digestibility. This depression of digestibility may have resulted from the high fat content of whey used. Based on in vitro digestibilities, we conclude that it is possible to recycle selected paper/whey combinations through ruminants.

Animal Feed↗

Fingerprints' third dimension: the depth and shape of fingerprints penetration into paper--cross section examination by fluorescence microscopy.

In an attempt to maximize the yield of latent fingerprints from paper items, we conducted a study of a fundamental process between fingerprint deposits and paper. Fingerprint ridges have been observed in the cross section of paper by fluorescence microscopy. It was possible to see, for the first time, how residue from fingerprint ridges is embedded in paper. Undeveloped, latent fingerprints, as well as latent prints developed by the two fluorogenic reagents, DFO and 1,2-indanedione, have been examined. The shape and depth of penetration of fingerprints vary with different types of paper. An inverse relationship between the smoothness of the paper and the penetration depth was observed: higher smoothness values result in lower depths of penetration. High quality prints appear to correlate with an optimal penetration depth-between 40 and 60 microns.

Aza Compounds↗

The digital pen and paper technology: implementation and use in an existing clinical information system.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluation of the technical feasibility of tight integration of the digital pen and paper technology in an existing computerized patient record.Technology: The digital pen is a normal pen able to record all actions of the user and to analyze a micro pattern printed on the paper. The digital paper is a normal paper printed with an almost invisible micro pattern of small dots encoding information such as position and identifiers. We report our experience in the implementation and the use of this technology in an existing large clinical information system for acquiring clinical information. DISCUSSION: It is possible to print uniquely identified forms using the digital paper technology. These forms can be pre-filled with clinical readable information about the patient. When care providers complete these forms using the digital pen, it is possible to acquire the data in a structured computerized patient record. The technology is easy to integrate in a component-based architecture based on Web Services. CONCLUSION: The digital pen and paper is a cost-effective technology that can be integrated in an existing clinical information system and allows fast and easy bedside clinical information acquisition without the need for an expensive infrastructure based on traditional portable devices or wireless devices.

Humans↗

[Determination of boric acid in biological materials by curcuma paper].

The field of legal medicine has seen a recent increase of poisoning by boric acid and, in cases of emergency, a simple method of making a qualitative analysis of the boric acid content is a necessity. Thus, we have examined curcuma paper (turmeric paper) to see if it can provide a qualitative analysis of the boric acid content in biological materials, so as to identify cases of poisoning. It was found that curcuma paper can provide a preliminary analysis of the quantitative content of boric acid, and that about 0.1 mg/ml of boric acid can be determined. The steps for this testing method follow. First, either blood or urine is acidified with a 6 N concentration of hydrochloric acid, i.e., in the case of urine, 0.5 ml of urine is added to 0.1 ml hydrochloric acid, and for blood, 0.5 ml of blood is added to 0.2 ml hydrochloric acid. If the sample is not sufficiently acidic, more hydrochloric acid is added. Next, a drop of the sample is placed on the curcuma paper and, after drying at room temperature, a red stain results if boric acid is present. (Rosocyanin is formed by the reaction of boric acid and protonated curcumin). Then, a 1 N concentration of sodium hydroxide is dropped onto the stained place, and if rosocyanin is present, the stain will turn blue. Informatively, to make curcuma paper, filter paper (No. 2) is soaked in a saturated curcumin/ethanol solution and then air dried.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Boric Acids↗

[Formaldehyde determination in packing paper for food products by the colorimetric method with acetylacetone].

Papers used for food packing were studied for formaldehyde migration from them by the colorimetric method with acetylacetone. The studied material comprised 14 samples of paper of Polish or foreign production: pergamenous paper, offset and sulphite papers and one sample from waste paper imported from Germany. Formaldehyde migration from these samples differed but never exceeded 1 mg/dm2, with the exception of the recycled paper from which it was 1.77 mg/dm2.

Colorimetry↗

[A study of skin and mucosal irritation and incidence of allergy among office staff exposed to self-copying paper].

At a public office with a staff of 129, twenty people work for short periods with large amounts of self-copying paper. A controlled study has shown a significantly higher incidence of pruritus and nasal congestion amongst staff exposed to large amounts of self-copying paper or its components, no drying of the skin after working with the paper and no increased degree of irritation of the skin were found in the study group at dermatological examination. No differences were found between the study group and the control group with respect to allergy or skin status or working conditions apart from the contact with self-copying paper. The study confirms that contact with fresh self-copying paper may result in pruritus and skin irritation, but allergy to the paper or microcapsule contents could not be demonstrated in this study.

Adult↗

Cancer risk in workers of the pulp and paper industry in Poland. A continued follow-up.

A mortality cohort study was undertaken among Polish pulp and paper workers. This paper concentrates on neoplasms mortality among men and women employed continuously for at least one year in the factory producing sulphate pulp, paper board and paper products. A retrospective observation carried out till 31 December 1995 covered 10,460 workers employed during the years 1968-1990. The cohort accessibility was 99%. Cancer risk was evaluated on the basis of standardized mortality ratio (SMR) calculated according to the person-years method. The general population of Poland was the reference population. The results of a 23-year cohort observation, published earlier, showed a lowered overall mortality from all causes and from all malignant neoplasms, and a significant excess of death from peritoneum and prostate cancer among pulp mill male subcohort. The conclusion was drawn that a 'young' cohort and relatively short follow-up period might have affected the results. The results presented in this paper, obtained after further five years of observation showed in the male cohort an excess of deaths from cancer of respiratory tract and peritoneum (lung SMR = 122, nasal cavities SMR = 587, peritoneum SMR = 562). An approximate correction for smoking habits resulted in only 4 decreased risk estimates for lung cancer, indicating a small positive confounding effect of smoking in this material. In female cohort an excess of brain cancer was found (SMR = 355). Only the excess mortality from cancers of nose, lung and peritoneum was coherent with the exposure to higher concentrations of wood dust, pulp, paper and board dust. It may support a hypothesis that these factors as well as dust pollutants, not yet identified in this study, may be considered as one of the risk factors contributing to the incidence of neoplasms of these sites.

Cause of Death↗

Whole saliva dried on filter paper or diagnosis of HIV-1 infection by detection of antibody IgG to HIV-1 with ultrasensitive enzyme immunoassay using recombinant reverse transcriptase as antigen.

Whole saliva samples collected from HIV-1 seropositive subjects by simple spitting without using any devices were dried on filter paper strips, from which filter paper discs of 3-mm diameter were punched out. The eluates of the discs were subjected to the immune complex transfer enzyme immunoassay for antibody IgG to HIV-1 using recombinant reverse transcriptase of HIV-1 as antigen and a two-site enzyme immunoassay for whole IgG. The signals for antibody IgG to HIV-1 and the amounts of whole IgG obtained with one disc per assay tube were 126-290% of those obtained with 1 microliter of whole saliva samples, provided that filter paper strips were treated with nonspecific rabbit serum prior to drying whole saliva samples and that filter paper discs were tested within a few days after drying whole saliva samples. From these results, diagnosis of HIV-1 infection was indicated to be possible with whole saliva samples dried on filter papers, since the diagnosis was previously shown to be possible with 1 microliter of whole saliva samples. The test for HIV-1 infection with whole saliva samples dried on filter papers was suggested to be useful for various purposes.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Electronic quality of life questionnaires: a comparison of pen-based electronic questionnaires with conventional paper in a gastrointestinal study.

The use of pen-based electronic questionnaires and conventional paper questionnaires was compared in a randomized crossover study. Forty-six patients, aged 17-81 years, suffering from gastro-intestinal disorders, initially filled in a paper quality of life questionnaire for familiarization purposes, then on two subsequent visits completed electronic and paper questionnaires in randomized order. At the last visit they completed a preference survey. The results showed a high degree of acceptability of the electronic questionnaire, with 57% of patient preferring electronic and 13% preferring paper, while the remaining 30% expressed no preference. Neither age, gender nor familiarity with technology showed any marked association with patients' preferences. All patients found both paper and electronic questionnaires easy to use. Data were more complete on the electronic questionnaire (100%) than on the paper (99.1%). Data handling procedures were greatly simplified. These results show that major benefits in completeness of data, speed of data flow, and data handling workload can be obtained from the use of pen-based electronic questionnaires.

Adolescent↗

Learning and discrimination of colored papers in jumping spiders (Araneae, Salticidae).

Color discrimination in jumping spiders Hasarius adansoni was examined by heat-avoidance learning in association with colored papers. The arena for the experiment was divided into two halves by a pair of colored papers. The colored papers used in this study were blue, green, yellow, red, white, gray and black. In training sessions, one half of the arena was heated from the bottom by a hot plate, and freely walking spiders were individually trained to avoid the heated half. In subsequent memory tests without heat, they consistently avoided the heat-associated colored papers. We found that jumping spiders could learn blue-green, blue-yellow, blue-red, blue-gray, green-yellow, green-red, green-gray, yellow-red, yellow-gray and red-gray patterns. Moreover, spiders trained with a blue-white pattern, a green-white pattern, a yellow-white pattern or a red-white pattern could discriminate the blue, green, yellow or red from black. It seems that jumping spiders can discriminate the blue, green, yellow and red papers by their hue, although brightness may also be used together with the color cue to discriminate colored papers.

Animals↗

Comparison of a computer-administered and paper-and-pencil-administered questionnaire on health and lifestyle behaviors.

PURPOSE: The Health Behavior in School-aged Children (HBSC) study is a cross-national survey examining health and lifestyle behaviors of adolescents, traditionally administered by paper and pencil in a school setting. The purpose of the present study was to investigate if a computer format of the questionnaire would affect the responses of the adolescents in comparison with the paper and pencil format. METHODS: In 2000, the Belgian (Flemish) HBSC survey was administered in 81 secondary schools by paper and pencil (n = 4083) and in 19 schools by computer (n = 1008). Eight hundred four computer participants (aged 12-20 years) were matched with paper and pencil participants on the basis of gender, age, educational level, socioeconomic status, and type of school authority. The questionnaire included items on lifestyle behaviors (e.g., nutrition, substance use, physical inactivity, sexual behavior), psychosomatic health, and social relations. RESULTS: For the majority of lifestyle behaviors, we found that mode of administration had no significant effect on adolescents' responses, whereas for several questions about feelings/affective states, more socially desirable responses were found in the paper and pencil format than in the computer format. CONCLUSION: The present findings suggest a need for further exploration of potential mode effects on questions about feelings and affective states before transition from the paper and pencil HBSC-survey to the computer format.

Adolescent↗

Survey of substance use among high school students in Taipei: web-based questionnaire versus paper-and-pencil questionnaire.

PURPOSE: To evaluate, using a randomized trial, whether a web-based self-administered questionnaire (web SAQ) can improve the reporting rate of substance use in adolescents compared with a paper-and-pencil self-administered questionnaire (paper SAQ). METHODS: Students of junior high, senior high, and vocational high schools in Taipei City and County were selected by a stratified, two-stage, probability proportional to size, random sampling. For each class selected, half of the students were randomly assigned to paper SAQ (n = 990) and the other half to web SAQ (n = 928). The inverse of the sampling probability for each individual was then used as sampling weight in the estimation of prevalence and logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: For readily available substances, the lifetime prevalence in the web SAQ group was significantly higher for alcohol use and borderline higher for tobacco and betel nut use compared to those of the paper SAQ group. For illicit drug use, the lifetime prevalence for the web SAQ group was significantly higher for the use of amphetamines, and borderline higher for ketamine. In multiple logistic regression analysis, the differences between the two groups in the use of alcohol, tobacco, and amphetamines remained significant. Boys, as well as both junior-high and vocational high school students who responded using the web SAQ, were more likely to report alcohol or tobacco use than those using the paper SAQ. CONCLUSIONS: Web SAQ leads to higher reporting rates of commonly used substances in adolescents compared with those of paper SAQ.

Adolescent↗

Effects of ultrasonic intensity and reactor scale on kinetics of enzymatic saccharification of various waste papers in continuously irradiated stirred tanks.

Based on the enzymatic saccharification of the various pulps in the previous 0.8 l ultrasonic stirred tank reactor, the ultrasound-enhanced saccharification of waste papers such as newspaper, carton paper, office paper etc. was carried out in the same reactor as well as larger scale stirred tank reactors of size 3.2 and 6.4 l. The saccharification of each waste paper was less enhanced in the larger reactor at a given ultrasonic intensity. This could be attributed to the decrease in the ultrasonic intensity per reaction volume, i.e., the specific ultrasonic intensity. Most waste papers were more efficiently hydrolyzed with increasing specific ultrasonic intensities, although newspaper was less efficiently done for a too high specific intensity. Such an adverse effect might be due to the fact that some impurities in the newspaper such as lignin were activated by an intensive ultrasonic irradiation to form a rigid and closed network, which inhibited the access and adsorption of cellulase on to the substrate surface. The previous kinetic model was found to be applicable to analyze and simulate the saccharification of each waste paper in the different ultrasonic reactors. The ultimate conversion of a substrate based on the total sugar concentration estimated for an infinite reaction time could be correlated as a function of the ratio of initial substrate to enzyme concentrations at a fixed specific ultrasonic intensity. Either the apparent rate constant or the ultimate conversion increased and tended to approach a constant with an increase in the specific ultrasonic intensity except for the case of newspaper, while neither the apparent Michaelis constant, product inhibition constant nor glucose formation equilibrium constant was influenced by the specific ultrasonic intensity.

Avidin↗

Use of a paper-cut as an adjunct to teaching the Whipple procedure by video.

BACKGROUND: Medical students often experience difficulty comprehending anatomic relationships of complex operations to which they are exposed during surgical clerkship. Pancreaticoduodenectomy, the Whipple procedure, is one such operation. Although video recordings are available to facilitate the learning of the Whipple procedure, commercially available tapes are not self-explanatory to the uninitiated. Since we have previously demonstrated that third-year medical students could learn the operative steps of inguinal herniorraphy by a paper-cutting exercise, we set out to determine whether an exercise of similar design could enhance a student's comprehension of the Whipple procedure. METHODS: Using Adobe Illustrator 5.5 for MacIntosh, an exercise was developed on a 8.5 x 11-inch paper that could be distributed to students for self-administration. The exercise was performed using a #15 scalpel or an iris scissors. Thirty-seven students were randomized into two groups. Each student received a pretest of questions focusing on the Whipple procedure. Group I was shown an 18-minute commercially available teaching video on the Whipple procedure. Group II was given the Whipple origami exercise, which required 20 minutes to complete. A first posttest was administered to each group. Next, the groups switched exercises, and a second posttest was administered. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the groups' pretest scores (two-tailed t test, P = 0.290). Group I improved its score from an average of 64.21 (SD 14.27) to 67.89 (SD 13.16) after watching the video, and further to 77.89 (SD 14.37) after completing the paper-cut exercise. Group II improved from 60.00 (SD 9.43) to 78.95 (SD 11.00) after performing the paper-cut, but derived no additional measurable benefit from watching the video, average score 74.74 (SD 18.37). After the first exercise, students who performed the paper-cut showed a significantly greater improvement in test scores compared with students who saw the video (P = 0.0035 by Mann-Whitney U). After both groups had completed the exercises, the mean changes from baseline were no longer significantly different (P = 0.58 by Mann-Whitney U). CONCLUSION: As a single educational intervention, the paper-cut exercise was a more effective teaching device than the video in the given time frame. The origami model may be generalized to a variety of surgical procedures and appears to be a valuable adjunct to traditional teaching.

Audiovisual Aids↗

The use of whole blood absorbed on filter paper to detect Wuchereria bancrofti circulating antigen.

The Og4C3 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect circulating Wuchereria bancrofti antigen uses 50 microL of serum. In this study, a whole blood sample absorbed on filter paper was tested as a substitute for serum. Serum samples were obtained from 60 Sri Lankan subjects by venepuncture and finger-prick blood samples from the same individuals were directly absorbed on filter paper. Og4C3 ELISAs using serum and filter paper blood were compared. Despite the fact that the estimated amount of serum available for the ELISA with filter paper blood was only one-fifth of that available when serum was used, the 2 ELISAs gave almost identical results. Of the 39 positive serum samples, 38 were detected using filter paper blood. Employing the ELISA using filter paper blood, 619 people in Matara, Sri Lanka, were examined for antigenaemia. The positivity rate was 22.5%, 3.1 times higher than the rate of microfilaraemia detected by examination of 60 microL blood films.

Animals↗

Influential papers in child abuse.

A survey was conducted among professionals expert in the field of child protection to determine which papers or book chapters they felt had been the most influential. From their responses, a list of the 50 most mentioned papers and chapters was compiled. This list was sent to a large group of child protection professionals with the request that they rank the 15 publications which they considered most important. To compare the views of child protection professionals with the number of times these publications had been cited in the literature, a citation search was carried out. Kempe, Silverman, Steele, Droegemuller, and Silver's (1962) paper "The Battered Child Syndrome" and Summit's (1983) paper "The Child Sexual Abuse Accommodation Syndrome" received the highest ranking from the professionals. "The Battered Child Syndrome" also achieved the highest ranking in the citation search. Although there were a number of discrepancies between the professional rankings and the citation search, eight papers appeared in the top 15 rankings achieved by the professional survey and the citation search. Such a review of the influence of child abuse literature has limitations, although it does help to show which papers appear to have had an important and lasting influence.

Child↗