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At least 775 records · Page 43Linked to original sources

PubMed2003

Feasibility of referring drug users from a needle exchange program into an addiction treatment program: experience with a mobile treatment van and LAAM maintenance.

We evaluated program entry, retention, and early treatment response of needle exchange program (NEP) attenders referred to a drug treatment program using levomethadyl acetate hydrochloride (LAAM). Of 163 referrals, 114 (70%) entered the program, and 84% were retained for at least 90 days. Comparing baseline and follow-up visits after 1 month, there were significant reductions in the Addiction Severity Index subscale scores for drug and alcohol use and legal situation. We observed a 31% and 22% reduction in heroin- and cocaine-positive urine tests, respectively (p < .0001). Although LAAM is no longer considered a first line treatment for heroin addiction, these results demonstrate the feasibility of utilizing long-acting agonist therapies such as LAAM to treat opioid dependence among NEP attenders.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Take the best versus simultaneous feature matching: probabilistic inferences from memory and effects of representation format.

In 4 experiments, the tendency to use the simple heuristic Take The Best (TTB; G. Gigerenzer & D. Goldstein, 1996) was explored for probabilistic multiattribute inferences from memory. In a newly developed procedure, participants first learned attribute patterns that formed the basis for inferences in a second phase. A Bayesian method classified strategies as TTB, compensatory, or guessing. Experiment 1 had a high rate (64%) of participants classified as TTB users when inferences were made from memory. Experiment 2 showed that this was no mere materials effect. In Experiments 3 and 4, the authors examined effects of the representational format of the attribute information. Experiment 4 showed that the representational format may be an important moderating variable for strategy use.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Reconciling voices.

There is a lack of nursing research in relation to how people with mental health problems make sense of their experiences of mental distress. Furthermore, few nursing related studies have conveyed service user's understandings and meanings for their experiences of mental 'disorder'. Narrative psychology claims that people make sense of the world and their lives by using narrative structures to organize diverse experiences. By sharing these stories with others, interpretations are negotiated and personal and cultural meanings are formed. This study used a tried and tested approach to narrative analysis to analyse the transcribed narrative of one man, Gary, who was experiencing mental health problems. The study explores Gary's process of meaning making as it appears in his narrative; the frameworks and metaphors that he uses to help him make sense of his experiences. The tensions between Gary's internal voices and beliefs and the external voices of surrounding culture and psychiatry are highlighted. Emphasis is placed on the importance of attending and responding to personal meanings embedded in narratives as a means of developing sensitive nursing care and enriching nursing research.

Adult↗

PubMed1993

Urban, low-income, African-American and Hispanic youths' negative experiences with condoms. Implications for nursing intervention.

Research suggests that the rate of HIV infection is increasing dramatically in African-American and Hispanic youths who live in low-income, urban areas. Nurses need information about these youths' negative experiences with condoms to intervene effectively in the spread of acquired immune deficiency syndrome. This article discusses negative experiences with using condoms that were reported by a subsample of condom users (n = 975) from a household probability sample of low-income, urban, African-American and Hispanic youths. Condom users were asked about 12 different negative experiences with condoms. Results from this household survey highlight a need for nurses to provide clients with specific directions about how to use condoms correctly and to encourage clients to practice putting on condoms.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

Validation of soft tissue properties in surgical simulation with haptic feedback.

Numerous experiments are being conducted to extract soft tissue values for their integration into VR surgical simulations with haptic feedback. Haptic feedback has been shown to be relevant in laparoscopic surgery, however to date no experiments have been conducted to test user sensitivity to changes in soft tissue values in surgical simulations, and how users perception of 'reality' differs from experimentally determined soft tissue values. In this study we conduct a series of experiments investigating haptic sensitivity, haptic differentiation and comparing experimental and empirical values.

Connective Tissue↗

PubMed1989

Introducing NurseSearch into an academic setting.

NurseSearch is a floppy-disk, abridged version of the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), covering about sixty journals. The program is a menu-driven software package designed to allow end users with no prior searching experience to perform their own searches. It is available in annual editions from 1985 to the present. This paper describes the introduction of NurseSearch within the Libraries at Kent State University and its School of Nursing. Reactions of new users to selected program operations are identified. Conclusions from a trial period are set forth.

Information Systems↗

PubMed2002

Arguing for the need of triangulation and iteration when designing medical equipment.

OBJECTIVE: There is a need to develop adequate methods for use by the manufacturers of medical equipment when specifying requirements for their development and in order for hospitals to critically assess their usability qualities before purchase. A Human Factors approach was used to determine requirements for the redesign of an existing volumetric infusion pump. With these requirements as a starting point, a new user interface for an infusion pump was designed. Usability tests were carried out to verify whether the new interface had better usability than the existing interface or whether further improvements were needed. This paper has two aims: 1) to compare the nature of the requirements derived from a Human Factors approach and from usability tests and 2) to evaluate the use of usability tests on existing medical equipment as a basis for redesign and for evaluating the redesign. METHOD: The user requirements derived from the Human Factors approach were compared with the user requirements derived from the usability tests. RESULTS: The results show that the requirements derived from the Human Factors approach adequately covered contextual aspects of use. However, to derive requirements for a specific and operational level, usability tests must be conducted on existing equipment and prototypes. This study indicates that usability tests on existing medical equipment as a basis for redesign give a better understanding of problems with existing equipment. Moreover it is important to carry out usability tests to evaluate a redesign and find a satisfying solution. Expert users of the equipment had the experience, competence and confidence to be critical and suggest improvements based on their practical knowledge. The novice users on the other hand were important test users as they uncovered most of the serious handling problems and also committed most errors. CONCLUSION: The requirements derived from the Human Factors approach and the usability tests are important for the development of a new and improved user interface. The requirements derived from the Human Factors approach can be attributed to contextual requirements. The requirements derived from the usability tests have a higher degree of concreteness, are more specific and focus more on design solutions compared to the requirements derived from the Human Factors approach. It is important to consider intended user groups when carrying out usability tests, as the nature of the information from the different groups can be different.

Equipment Design↗

PubMed1995

Outcomes of adolescents using levonorgestrel implants vs oral contraceptives or other contraceptive methods.

OBJECTIVE: To compare outcomes among adolescents who use levonorgestrel implants, oral contraceptives, or other methods of birth control. DESIGN: Prospective, longitudinal study of 166 females who were followed up for 6 months. Fifty-four used implants, 64 used oral contraceptives, and 48 used condoms alone or with spermicide, or no contraceptive. Outcomes were measured by patient interview and medical chart review. SETTING: Inner-city, hospital-based adolescent and teenaged mother and baby clinic between April 1, 1992, and May 31, 1993. PARTICIPANTS: Sexually active 12- to 18-year-old females at least 1 year postmenarche who had no contraindications to use of hormonal contraceptives. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Sexual activity, pregnancy rates, condom use, incidence of sexually transmitted disease, patient satisfaction continuation rates, and side effects. RESULTS: Despite similar reports of sexual activity, one subject who used the implant (2%) vs 13 subjects who used oral contraceptives (20%), and eight subjects who used other methods (17%) became pregnant (chi 2, P < .50). Condom use did not differ among groups (chi 2, P > .60). Overall, 30% of subjects contracted a new sexually transmitted disease; rates did not differ by method (chi 2, P = .92). Implant users were more likely than oral contraceptive users to continue their method (87% vs 50%; chi 2, P < .001) despite similar satisfaction scores (one-way analysis of variance, P = .52). Implant users were more likely to experience irregular menses, mood swings, acne, and hair loss (chi 2, P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: In this population, the levonorgestrel implant is an effective method of pregnancy prevention and is associated with high satisfaction and continuation rates at 6 months. Implant users are not at greater risk than others for sexually transmitted disease. Health care providers should continue to stress the use of barrier methods to all sexually active adolescents.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

An algorithm for neurite outgrowth reconstruction.

We present a numerical method which provides the ability to analyze digitized microscope images of retinal explants and quantify neurite outgrowth. Few parameters are required as input and limited user interaction is necessary to process an entire experiment of images. This eliminates fatigue related errors and user-related bias common to manual analysis. The method does not rely on stained images and handles images of variable quality. The algorithm is used to determine time and dose dependent, in vitro, neurotoxic effects of 1 GeV per nucleon iron particles in retinal explants. No neurotoxic effects are detected until 72 h after exposure; at 72 h, significant reductions of neurite outgrowth occurred at doses higher than 10 cGy.

Algorithms↗

PubMedDate not supplied

An evaluation of digital cellular handsets by hearing aid users.

Audible interference from digital cellular telephones (cell phones) has been a long standing problem for hearing aid users. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has lifted the hearing aid compatibility exception on cell phones and imposed a set of requirements effective September 2005. We conducted an experiment to determine how well hearing aid wearers are able to use commercially available digital cell phones. Hearing aid users evaluated the usability of six digital cellular handsets. The results suggest that certain transmission technologies create more annoyance from interference than others and that the type of hearing aid-to-telephone coupling (microphone or telecoil) can influence a user's experience of interference. However, the results also suggest that interference alone does not fully predict the usability of a cell phone for hearing aid users. These findings have implications for the American National Standards Institute C63.19 test and measurement standard that is used to rate cell phones' compliance with the FCC ruling and the education of consumers with regard to their expectations for cell phone use.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

Gastrointestinal safety and tolerance of ibuprofen at maximum over-the-counter dose.

BACKGROUND: Delineation of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) gastrointestinal toxicity has largely depended on retrospective epidemiologic studies which demonstrate that lower doses of NSAIDs pose a lower risk of gastrointestinal toxicity. Ibuprofen, a propionic acid NSAID, has, in most such studies, exhibited a favourable profile in terms of gastrointestinal bleeding. Since 1984, ibuprofen has been available as a non-prescription analgesic/antipyretic with a limit of 1200 mg/day for 10 days of continuous use. Trials and spontaneously reported adverse experiences suggest that gastrointestinal symptoms and bleeding are rare. METHODS: This study prospectively evaluated the gastrointestinal tolerability, as compared to placebo, of the maximum non-prescription dose and duration of ibuprofen use in healthy subjects representative of a non-prescription analgesic user population. RESULTS: Gastrointestinal adverse experiences were similar in the placebo and ibuprofen groups (67 out of 413, 16% with placebo vs. 161 out of 833, 19% with ibuprofen). There was no difference between the two groups in the proportion discontinuing due to a gastrointestinal event. Gastrointestinal adverse experiences reported by >/= 1% of subjects were: dyspepsia, abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhoea, flatulence, and constipation. Seventeen (1.4%) subjects had positive occult blood tests: their frequency was comparable between treatments. CONCLUSIONS: When used as directed to treat episodic pain, non-prescription ibuprofen at the maximum dose of 1200 mg/day for 10 days, is well-tolerated.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Walking the tightrope: balancing health and drug use.

This article stems from a study on San Francisco drug users and their health care experiences. Two hundred thirty-eight study participants were administered depth interviews and questionnaires to reveal a variety of health concerns and health behaviors. For these analyses, which focused on health practices and risky behaviors, the sample was divided into two groups: marijuana users, and other drug users (including methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and crack). The findings indicate that drug users behave similarly to the general population regarding health practices, such as eating regularly, sleeping regularly, taking vitamins, and exercising. One finding of interest was the high-risk sexual behaviors of the young, educated marijuana users. A majority of participants demonstrated strong concerns for their health and well-being, and further encouragement on this front is advised. Future research and directions for interventions are recommended.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

'Learning Diabetes'--a multi-media learning package for patients, carers and professionals to improve chronic disease management.

A multi-media program for those with insulin and non-insulin dependent diabetes, and for their carers, has been produced. It is delivered on CDROM and contains an extensive amount of very high quality generated video of patients using short clips (maximum 2 min) totalling 2.5 h in 240 files using MPEG compression. The video is combined with a wide range of graphic based activities engaging the user in fully interactive processes and allowing them to obtain extensive understanding of the disease and to relate to attitudes and perceptions about it from those with the same condition. The program is robust and appears to meet the educational needs for its extent of interactivity, degree of choice for the user and provision of information based on real patient experience. It is easily used and modified to meet users of different socio-cultural needs and can be translated into different languages. It offers the opportunity not only for increased learning and improved self-management of those with diabetes, but also greater understanding by those who care for them, both professional and non-professional. Using the same framework, programs are being developed for other chronic diseases including asthma and hypertension.

CD-ROM↗

PubMed2002

Nonparametric methods for identifying differentially expressed genes in microarray data.

MOTIVATION: Gene expression experiments provide a fast and systematic way to identify disease markers relevant to clinical care. In this study, we address the problem of robust identification of differentially expressed genes from microarray data. Differentially expressed genes, or discriminator genes, are genes with significantly different expression in two user-defined groups of microarray experiments. We compare three model-free approaches: (1). nonparametric t-test, (2). Wilcoxon (or Mann-Whitney) rank sum test, and (3). a heuristic method based on high Pearson correlation to a perfectly differentiating gene ('ideal discriminator method'). We systematically assess the performance of each method based on simulated and biological data under varying noise levels and p-value cutoffs. RESULTS: All methods exhibit very low false positive rates and identify a large fraction of the differentially expressed genes in simulated data sets with noise level similar to that of actual data. Overall, the rank sum test appears most conservative, which may be advantageous when the computationally identified genes need to be tested biologically. However, if a more inclusive list of markers is desired, a higher p-value cutoff or the nonparametric t-test may be appropriate. When applied to data from lung tumor and lymphoma data sets, the methods identify biologically relevant differentially expressed genes that allow clear separation of groups in question. Thus the methods described and evaluated here provide a convenient and robust way to identify differentially expressed genes for further biological and clinical analysis.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell↗

PubMed2002

Quality of life and other characteristics of Viennese mental health care users.

BACKGROUND: The purposes of this study are (1) to characterise patients with different treatment experiences, (2) to evaluate differences in quality of life (QoL) among patients with different treatment experiences, (3) to evaluate changes in QoL following community resettlement, and (4) to find predictors of overall life satisfaction (OLS). METHODS: Treatment experiences are defined according to service use as follows: (a) user of in- and outpatient services (overall users), (b) user of inpatient (inpatients) or (c) outpatient facilities only (outpatients). Demographic and clinical data of 425 psychiatric patients are analysed cross-sectionally in relation to their treatment experiences. QoL of former inpatients is followed up after hospital discharge. RESULTS: Long-term 'overall users' have a significantly higher QoL than long-term 'outpatients' or 'inpatients'. QoL of former inpatients increases after discharge. Predictors of higher OLS are high income, high subjective social functioning (SFQ), good self-rated health, satisfactory QoL domains as well as being single or cohabiting, diagnosis of schizophrenia, 'outpatients', and 'overall users'. Together they explain 63% of the variance in patients' subjective OLS. CONCLUSION: QoL is independent of illness severity. Deinstitutionalisation improves QoL and OLS is mainly predicted by subjective variables.

Austria↗

PubMed1992

Laser safety primer outline for industrial/medical users.

Laser safety standards are detailed technical documents arising from the complexity of the different mechanisms, depending on the parameters of the laser beam, by which lasers interact with living tissue. As a result, their interpretation by non-expert laser users, who are concerned about safety issues, can cause many difficulties. Based on experience in advising industrial and medical laser users, we have developed a primer which (i) provides step-by-step guidance in the interpretation and use of the laser safety standards, and (ii) explains how to calculate the laser irradiance (on the retina or the skin) to which the user may be subjected in typical situations. A computer program has also been developed which, through a series of questions and answers, guides the user through the calculation of the maximum permissible exposure level and the nominal optical hazard distance for the application of interest. The overall package should be particularly useful to laser safety officers and users of lasers for research applications, as an independent check on safety calculations. It also provides a useful complement to the many worked examples in the laser safety standards.

Equipment Safety↗

PubMed2006

SpotWhatR: a user-friendly microarray data analysis system.

SpotWhatR is a user-friendly microarray data analysis tool that runs under a widely and freely available R statistical language (http://www.r-project.org) for Windows and Linux operational systems. The aim of SpotWhatR is to help the researcher to analyze microarray data by providing basic tools for data visualization, normalization, determination of differentially expressed genes, summarization by Gene Ontology terms, and clustering analysis. SpotWhatR allows researchers who are not familiar with computational programming to choose the most suitable analysis for their microarray dataset. Along with well-known procedures used in microarray data analysis, we have introduced a stand-alone implementation of the HTself method, especially designed to find differentially expressed genes in low-replication contexts. This approach is more compatible with our local reality than the usual statistical methods. We provide several examples derived from the Blastocladiella emersonii and Xylella fastidiosa Microarray Projects. SpotWhatR is freely available at http://blasto.iq.usp.br/~tkoide/SpotWhatR, in English and Portuguese versions. In addition, the user can choose between "single experiment" and "batch processing" versions.

Blastocladiella↗

PubMed1988

Testing the new technology: MEDLINE on CD-ROM in an academic health sciences library.

The UCLA Biomedical Library tested a six-month portion of the MEDLINE database on compact disc to determine its potential application in a large, university health sciences library environment. Patron response to the system, previous search experience, and actual search strategies were recorded. Although the overwhelming user response was positive in spite of little previous experience with online searching, results show underutilization of the system because of both software and hardware problems. The implications of this test underline the important role libraries must take in guaranteeing that new reference tools like CD-ROM be made genuinely user-friendly.

California↗