Kind Of Monitoring Research Articles

Cross-Clamping During Elective Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Surgery

Cross-Clamping During Elective Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Surgery

Radionuclide measurements, via different methodologies, as tool for geophysical studies on Mt. Etna

Abstract Natural radioactivity measurements represent an interesting tool to study geodynamical events or soil geophysical characteristics. In this direction we carried out, in the last years, several radionuclide monitoring both in the volcanic and tectonic areas of the oriental Sicily. In particular we report in-soil Radon investigations, in a tectonic area, including both laboratory and in-site measurements, applying three different methodologies, based on both active and passive detection systems. The active detection devices consisted of solid-state silicon detectors equipped in portable systems for short-time measurements and for long-time monitoring. The passive technique consisted of solid-state nuclear track detectors (SSNTD), CR-39 type, and allowed integrated measurements. The performances of the three methodologies were compared according to different kinds of monitoring. In general the results obtained with the three methodologies seem in agreement with each other and reflect the tectonic settings of the investigated area.

Monitoring regional brain oxygen saturation in patients with clipped aneurysms of the anterior circle of Willis

The objective of this work was to assess the usefulness of monitoring regional brain oxygen saturation (rSO2) in the identification of intraoperative episodes of cerebral ischemia during the surgical clipping of brain aneurysms. Moreover it aimed to verify whether this kind of monitoring affects the incidence of postoperative neurological deficits.

The D&T Report

The D&T Report

Can the community contribute to conservation of the endangered Green and Golden Bell Frog at Port Kembla?

Community groups can make significant contributions to threatened species recovery planning. I conducted two questionnaire surveys of the community bordering on Coomaditchy Lagoon, an important breeding site of the endangered Green and Golden Bell Frog Litoria aurea at Port Kembla, New South Wales. The aims of these surveys were to gain an understanding of how widespread bell frogs were through the residential area and to identify how to involve the local community in some kind of monitoring of this endangered frog. There were 65 responses to the first questionnaire; 53 respondents indicated they were aware of this species in Port Kembla and 45 had seen it on their properties. There were 45 respondents who were interested in modifying their gardens to attract frogs and 39 who were willing to become involved with monitoring of frogs on their properties. A second questionnaire conducted 2.5 years later surveyed 46 people who indicated continued interest in bell frogs from the first questionnaire. This revea...

Rating Comprehension and Predicting Performance: Clarifying Two Forms of Metacomprehension Monitoring

Metacomprehension monitoring refers to the process of a reader monitoring and evaluating his or her understanding of a text. Participants may make metacomprehension monitoring judgments by either rating how much they understand a text, or predicting how well they can do in a comprehension test. Previous research seems to treat these questions as interchangeable and which one to use as a matter of convenience. Researchers have not investigated whether or not these questions may tap different metacomprehension monitoring processes. In this study, we compared two kinds of monitoring, namely, rating comprehension and predicting performance, by examining the way they were affected by two different orienting tasks that may provide different cues for the monitoring process. 165 college students at South China Normal University participated in this experiment. Three between-subject factors were manipulated. The participants were divided into keyword groups or pretest groups. The keyword group was divided into generating or reading group, the pretest group was divided into taking a pretest or reading the pretest with answers provided after reading all the six expository texts on a computer. Half of each group either rated their comprehension of each text or predicted their performance in a comprehension test on a 0~6 scale. All participants took a comprehension test on each text. Three questions assessed text-based knowledge (details available within a single paragraph of a text), and three inferential questions assessed knowledge of a situation model. The results showed that there were no significant effects on magnitudes of JOL. The interaction effect between orienting tasks and activity of the task on criterion test performance was significant. The performance for the taking pretest condition was higher than the reading pretest condition, whereas the generating keyword groups did not differ from the reading keyword groups. As far as monitoring accuracy (Gamma) was concerned, the interaction effect between types of monitoring and orienting tasks was significant. The simple main effect tests revealed that when the participants predicted their test performance, the pretest condition led to more accurate judgments than the keyword condition, whereas when they rated comprehension, the reverse was found. Metacomprehension monitoring accuracies as found with rating text understanding and predicting test performance were affected by two orienting tasks in different ways. The cues produced by taking a pretest may be useful for predicting the scores of a final test, but may not be useful for estimating how well a text is understood. The cues produced by generating keywords seem useful for readers to judge their understanding of one text relative to another, but may not be useful for them to calibrate their predictions of test scores. The results challenge the view that metacomprehension monitoring is a unitary process. Given our results, it is reasonable to conclude that rating comprehension and predicting performance may tap different aspects of metacomprehension monitoring.

Using 2-hour/6-hour Urine Protein Measurement as Substitute Diagnostic Methods for Evaluation of Pre-Eclampsia

Objective: To determine whether the gold standard of 24-hour urine protein value in pre-eclampsia patient can be substituted with 2-hour or 6-hour urine protein values. Method: We conducted a cross sectional study on women with pre-eclampsia ( a positive urinary test strip for protein of at least 1+ and a BP140/90 mmHg. Urine samples were collected over 24 hours in subsequent periods: the first 2-hour and the next 6hour and remaining 16-hour urine , in separate containers . The correlation between both groups was determined by Pearson's correlation. Result: A total of 36 women were recurited in our study of which 26 had completed urine collection. A total of 16 had mild proteinuria, 2 had severe proteinuria and 8 had no proteinuria. Only 21 of 26 women had the measurements for 6-hour urine collection. There was significant correlation between the 6-hour or 2-hour with 24-hour urine protein. Conclusion: Total protein values of 6-hour and 2-hour samples, specially 2-hour urine samples, positively correlated with values of 24-hour samples in pre-eclampsia women and could be substituted for assessment of proteinuria instead of 24-hour urine collection in women with pre-eclampsia, as a simpler, faster and cheaper method for diagnosis of pre-eclampsia. Five to seven per cent of pregnant women are affected with pre-eclampsia, although the incidence of pre-eclampsia is different depending on the geographical location. One of the most common causes of the hospitalization and mortality of pregnant patients in hospitals is eclampsia [1]. According to the national health statistics center, pregnancy-related hypertension is considered the most common serious and dangerous factor for the mother and her fetus [2]. The minimum diagnostic criteria for pre-eclampsia are hypertension (BP 140/90 mmHg) after 20 weeks of gestation and mild proteinuria; more severe forms of pre-eclampsia are characterized by BP 160/110 mmHg and proteinuria >2g/24h or 2+dipstick. Proteinuria is an important sign of pre-eclampsia and Chesly (1985) rightly concluded that the diagnosis of pre-eclampsia is under question in the absence of proteinuria [1]. Repeated Urine Analysis for screening proteinuria is part of standard ante-natal care. These urine analyses are performed on random spot urine specimens using a test strip assay (dipstick) which for pregnant women is more acceptable than 24hour urine collection. However, if a dipstick is 2+ or more in the absence of bacteria, the next step is usually a 24hour urine collection for a quantitative measurement of albumin. If a 24-hour urine collection is not possible, a third option, a morning urine sample (semi-quantitative test), is recommended. These recommendations are based on the circadian rhythm in urine albumin excretion [3]. However, for pregnant women, particularly if hospitalized, the circadian variations in albumin excretion are more narrow or even absent, and therefore a shorter urine collection period is possible[4]. When pre-eclampsia is associated with persistent proteinuria, protein excretion is monitored by subsequent 24Using 2-hour/6-hour Urine Protein Measurement as Substitute Diagnostic Methods for Evaluation of PreEclampsia 2 of 6 hour urine sample collections. This kind of monitoring can evaluate increases in proteinuria that show the progression of pre-eclampsia and reflect the severeity of nephropathy leading to pre-term labor [3]. The 24hour urine collection is the gold standard diagnostic method for significant proteinuria in hospitals [5], but it is usually considered difficult and costly and sometimes leads to incomplete collection of urine. In addition, it could delay the diagnosis. This delay in diagnosis of pre-eclampsia and its severity may result in unnecessary hospitalization and an economic burden for patients. Researchers have suggested faster methods for detection of proteinuria, such using the protein-to-creatinine ratio, and random urinary samples, but these do not reveal the severity of pre-eclampsia as reliably as 24hour urine collection [6]. It appears that a dipstick is a poor predictive tool for measuring significant proteinuria. Two-thirds of reported cases having mild proteinuria or no proteinuria by dipstick showed significant proteinuria in 24-hour urine collection [7]. We designed this study to evaluate the correlation between 2and 6-hour proteinuria with 24-hour proteinuria and if possible to suggest 2and 6-hour-samples as a shorter, acceptable, more affordable substitute for 24-hour samples in the primary evaluation of pre-eclamptic patients.

From the Medical Board of the National Psoriasis Foundation: Monitoring and vaccinations in patients treated with biologics for psoriasis

Biologics are widely used in the treatment of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Our aim was to arrive at a consensus on the kind of monitoring and the vaccinations that should be performed before and during biologic therapy. Medical literature and data presented at meetings were reviewed and a consensus conference was held by members of the Medical Board of the National Psoriasis Foundation. Consensus was established on monitoring and vaccination practices that included discussion and recognition of variations in those practices. History, physical examination, chemistry screen with liver function tests, complete blood cell count, and platelet count and tuberculosis testing are widely obtained at baseline and with variable frequencies thereafter. Patients treated with efalizumab have platelet counts checked more often; liver function tests are repeated more frequently in patients treated with infliximab; patients taking tumor necrosis factor blockers undergo tuberculosis testing more often; and patients treated with alefacept have CD4 counts checked approximately every 2 weeks. Avoidance of live vaccines during biologic therapy and administration of essential vaccines before biologic therapy were discussed, although vaccination is performed only to a variable degree. There was no consistency in the measurement of antinuclear antibodies among the experts. There are few evidence-based studies on monitoring practices for patients with psoriasis taking biologic therapies. In patients taking biologic therapies for psoriasis, monitoring of blood chemistries, blood counts, CD4 counts, antinuclear antibodies, tuberculin skin tests, history, and physical examination may be warranted depending on the particular therapy and the particular patient. Vaccination practices are also addressed.

Maximum likelihood estimates of mean and variance of occupation radiation doses subjected to minimum detection levels

Data collection and its analysis in the field of nuclear safety is an important task in the sense that it powers the improvement of safety as well as reliability of the plant. Thus, occupational exposure data analysis is presented to measure the safety or reliability of radiation protection of a given facility. It also is required as a basic input in making decisions on radiation protection regulations and recommendations. A common practice in radiation protection is to record a zero for observation below minimum detection limit (MDL) doses, which leads to an underestimation of true doses and overestimation of the dose-response relationship. Exposure data (both external and internal) are collected by monitoring each individual and this kind of monitoring generally is graded as low-level monitoring. So, in such low-level monitoring, the occurrence of exposure below MDL invites statistical complications for estimating mean and variance because the data are generally censored, i.e observations below MDL are marked. In Type I censoring, the point of censoring (e.g. the detection limit) is 'fixed' a priori for all observations and the number of the censored observations varies. In Type II censoring, the number of censored observations is fixed a priori, and the point of censoring vary. The methodology generally followed in estimating mean and variance with these censored data was the replacement of missing dose by half the MDL. In this paper, authors have used the maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) approach for the estimation of mean and standard deviation. A computer code BDLCENSOR has been developed in which all these MLE-based advanced algorithms are implemented. In addition to the MLE-based method, an expectation maximisation algorithm has also been implemented. The code is written using Visual BASIC 6.0. The paper describes the details of the algorithms adopted for handling such censored data to estimate bias free mean and standard deviation.

Fast Fourier Transforms as Prophecy

Fast Fourier Transforms as Prophecy

The Public Management of Environmental Risk: Separating Ex Ante and Ex Post Monitors

When firms undertake activities which are environmentally risky, the divergence between social and private incentives to exert safety care requires public intervention. This control occurs both through ex ante regulation and ex post legal investigation. We delineate the respective scopes of those two kinds of monitoring when regulators and judges may not be benevolent. Separation between the ex ante and the ex post monitors of the firm helps to prevent capture. The likelihood of both ex ante and ex post inspections is higher under separation than under integration. This provides a rationale for the wide-spread institutional trend that has led to the separation of ex ante regulation from ex post prosecution. The robustness of this result is investigated in various extensions. Only when collusion is self-enforcing might it be possible that integration dominates separation.

Intercontinental transport of nitrogen oxide pollution plumes

Abstract. We describe the first satellite observation of intercontinental transport of nitrogen oxides emitted by power plants, verified by simulations with a particle tracer model. The analysis of such episodes shows that anthropogenic NOx plumes may influence the atmospheric chemistry thousands of kilometers away from its origin, as well as the ocean they traverse due to nitrogen fertilization. This kind of monitoring became possible by applying an improved algorithm to extract the tropospheric fraction of NO2 from the spectral data coming from the GOME instrument. As an example we show the observation of NO2 in the time period 4--14 May, 1998, from the South African Plateau to Australia which was possible due to favourable weather conditions during that time period which availed the satellite measurement. This episode was also simulated with the Lagrangian particle dispersion model FLEXPART which uses NOx emissions taken from an inventory for industrial emissions in South Africa and is driven with analyses from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. Additionally lightning emissions were taken into account by utilizing Lightning Imaging Sensor data. Lightning was found to contribute probably not more than 25% of the resulting concentrations. Both, the measured and simulated emission plume show matching patterns while traversing the Indian Ocean to Australia and show great resemblance to the aerosol and CO2 transport observed by Piketh et al. (2000).

Monitoring irrigation water use by combining Irrigation Advisory Service, and remotely sensed data with a geographic information system

The transformation of dry lands into irrigated fields using groundwater resources has been the key to agricultural development in a large number of countries. Particularly in arid and semiarid areas, this transformation needs to take into account the limited water resources available. It is therefore, necessary to increase water application efficiency by modernising irrigation systems as well as continuously monitoring the irrigated areas in order to regulate the volume of irrigation water used. In this paper, we present tools based on Irrigation Advisory Service (IAS) and remotely sensed data combined with geographic information systems (GIS) which assist in this kind of monitoring, especially for large areas. The identification of crops in areas with small fields requires high spatial resolution satellite images. The classification criterion is based on the different temporal evolution of different crops. The crop development is described by means of the normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI). Crops belonging to the same class are assumed to have similar water requirements. We define a new concept, the hydrological management unit (HMU) which includes all the fields which use water jointly. Their spatial location is obtained from the digital rural cadaster (DRC), a vectorial map which delimits each field. The Irrigation Advisory Service of the area determines the water requirements of each crop and estimates the volume of irrigation water actually used. By introducing this information into a GIS, we can quantify the spatial and temporal distribution of water extractions. The regulation of these extractions is the key to sustainability in aquifer case studies.

Family visitation in PACU

Family visitation in PACU

Bipolar extraction neutralization: Time resolved characterization

By switching the polarization of the screen and accelerator grid of a two grid extraction system, an ion or electron beam can be extracted from the same gas discharge. Such ion source operation mode, called bipolar extraction neutralization (BEN), allows a filamentless current neutralization of electrically insulated substrates. In this study BEN was used for a broad (12 cm), high current (0.36 A) ion beam from an electron cyclotron resonance ion source. The neutralization process is controlled by the duty cycle and frequency of the electron extraction pulses. An electrostatic monitor was positioned in the vicinity of the sputter target and used for monitoring the beam plasma potential and control of the neutralization parameters. The beam potential and extraction grid currents are presented time resolved for neutralization frequency from 20 to 80 kHz and duty cycle from 10% to 80%. This kind of monitoring allows not only control of the ion/electron extraction but also determination of the ion time of flight between the extraction grid and the substrate.

Monitoring of power transformers using the transfer function method

Summary form only given as follows. The transfer function concept is well known as an additional method of evaluating the impulse test of power transformers in the test laboratory. Another application for this method is monitoring of power transformers in service. According to the method of how to measure transient signals for the calculation of transfer functions, two kinds of monitoring can be distinguished: off-line and on-line monitoring. Both kinds of monitoring as well as their influencing factors are discussed with on-site measurements on power transformers in service.

Retrospective monitoring and inventory of soil contamination in relation to systematic monitoring

Retrospective monitoring of soil contamination has been performed in the Czech Republic. This kind of monitoring is based on the comparison of the heavy metals content in soil samples taken during a systematic soil survey (1960-1970) and in samples taken at the present time. The anticipated high degree of soil pollution in the Czech Republic has not been proved. Most of the contaminated soils were found to be loaded just 20-35 years ago. Retrospective monitoring is considered to be an accelerating tool for determining the strategy of the systematic monitoring of soil contamination. This procedure stimulated the development of the multi-step system of soil loading limits.

Reactive Power is a Cheap Constraint

Hogan (1993) has proposed a version of marginal cost pricing for electricity transmission transactions that include a component for reactive power to support voltage at demand nodes. His examples support the notion that the cost of satisfying voltage constraints can be quite high. We show that in his simplest example the price on this constraint results from an uneconomic and artificial characterization of the problem, namely an inefficient and unnecessarily constrained dispatch. By eliminating this characterization, the price of reactive power falls to a very modest level. Our counterexample has implications for the institutional arrangements under which transmission pricing reform will take place. We believe that environment will be an open access competitive setting, where dispatch is still controlled by one group of participants. Manipulation of marginal transmission costs becomes quite feasible in complex networks through subtle changes to dispatch. Therefore an open access regime using marginal cost pricing must involve either some kind of monitoring and audit function to detect potential abuses, or alternatively, institutionalrestructuring to eliminate conflicts of interest.

Selection of the Optimum Measurement Point to Predict Plasma Concentrations of a Drug. Application to a Kampo formulaiton.

In Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM), does and intervals of administration are adjusted according to the individual patient based on plasma concentrations predicted from one or two measurements of the patient. Such monitoring has been applied to many kinds of drugs and is necessary in the study of Kampo formulations too. In this kind of monitoring, the selection of measurement points is quite important in order to achieve accurate predictions. The purpose of this paper is to propose a Monte Carlo approach to the selection of the optimum measurement point to predict plasma concentrations of a drug. The proposed approach is applied to the data obtained in a clinical phase-one study of a Kampo formulation. The necessity of Therapeutic Drug Monitoring for Kampo formulations is also discussed.

A universal data acquisition program for use with anesthetic monitors and Windows 3.0

A method is described whereby a single program can acquire data from any patient monitor which has a data output facility. No changes are necessary to the program for different monitors. It provides a method of standardizing data transfer between computers and monitors. The program runs in the Microsoft Windows 3.0 operating system. It utilizes Dynamic Link Libraries (DLL) which enable the operating system to communcate with monitors. Each kind of monitor will use a unique DLL in order to provide a standard interface to the Windows 3.0 operating system.