Variation In Terminology Research Articles

Regional Control and Morbidity After Superficial Groin Dissection in Melanoma

There is no consensus about the optimal extent of surgery for patients with melanoma metastases to inguinal nodes, and this is further complicated by variations in terminology for these dissections. In patients without clinical evidence of iliac metastases, we routinely perform a superficial groin dissection (SGD), which clears node-bearing tissue superficial to the fascia lata. We hypothesized that SGD provides regional tumor control comparable to published experience with deep groin dissection (DGD) and iliac and obturator dissection (IOD), but with less morbidity. A retrospective review of a prospectively collected database evaluated patients undergoing SGD April 1994 through May 2008. Patients with clinical evidence of iliac metastases were excluded. Clinical and pathologic data regarding recurrence and survival were evaluated. We identified 53 primary SGD: 27 for clinically palpable disease, and 25 for microscopic disease. Number and percentage of positive nodes were similar between groups. Median follow-up was 39 months, and 2 patients had primary recurrence in the groin (1 in each group). Two additional patients had concurrent groin and systemic recurrence. Ipsilateral groin recurrence rate prior to systemic disease was similar at 4% and 3.7% for microscopic and palpable disease, respectively. Similarly, survival was comparable between groups (82% and 73%). Toxicities were comparable to previously published data. SGD provides regional control rates similar to DGD and IOD, for lymph node metastases clinically limited to the groin, whether occult or clinically evident.

Neologia, terminologia e lexicultura a língua portuguesa em situação de contacto de línguas

The central theme of this article is the terminological neology in the Portuguese in language contact situations. As a result of new proposals of Socioterminology and Cultural Terminology, actually our research focuses on the terminological neology, terminological metaphor, different types of variation in terminology to which associate with lexicultural aspects present in neologism and scientific terms. All these linguistic phenomena have a great effect in the terminological description, in special purpose lexicography, in translation and in teaching and learning of specialized languages.

A variação na terminologia da nanociência/nanotecnologia

This research presents a state of the question approach to the terminological variation identified by the Nanotechnology and Nanoscience terminological Dictionary project, officialized in 2005. Terminological variation started to receive due attention since TGT (Terminology General Theory) and Socioterminology re-evaluations, which considered UCE (Specialized Knowledge Unit) to be a natural language achievement and, therefore, having all its peculiarities. Theoretical stances influenced by variationist, communicative and cognitive questions appeared since then; among them, TCT, which enables us to say that the diversity manifests itself in the different sub-areas of the researched area (which belongs itself to the field of Material Engineering), due to its complex conceptual structure, as well as its ample practice variations, its diversity of users and the multiple organizations that are responsible for it.

Conjoint Analysis Applications in Health – How are Studies being Designed and Reported?

Despite the increased popularity of conjoint analysis in health outcomes research, little is known about what specific methods are being used for the design and reporting of these studies. This variation in method type and reporting quality sometimes makes it difficult to assess substantive findings. This review identifies and describes recent applications of conjoint analysis based on a systematic review of conjoint analysis in the health literature. We focus on significant unanswered questions for which there is neither compelling empirical evidence nor agreement among researchers.We searched multiple electronic databases to identify English-language articles of conjoint analysis applications in human health studies published since 2005 through to July 2008. Two independent reviewers completed the detailed data extraction, including descriptive information, methodological details on survey type, experimental design, survey format, attributes and levels, sample size, number of conjoint scenarios per respondent, and analysis methods. Review articles and methods studies were excluded. The detailed extraction form was piloted to identify key elements to be included in the database using a standardized taxonomy.We identified 79 conjoint analysis articles that met the inclusion criteria. The number of applied studies increased substantially over time in a broad range of clinical applications, cancer being the most frequent. Most used a discrete-choice survey format (71%), with the number of attributes ranging from 3 to 16. Most surveys included 6 attributes, and 73% presented 7-15 scenarios to each respondent. Sample size varied substantially (minimum = 13, maximum = 1258), with most studies (38%) including between 100 and 300 respondents. Cost was included as an attribute to estimate willingness to pay in approximately 40% of the articles across all years.Conjoint analysis in health has expanded to include a broad range of applications and methodological approaches. Although we found substantial variation in methods, terminology, and presentation of findings, our observations on sample size, the number of attributes, and number of scenarios presented to respondents should be helpful in guiding researchers when planning a new conjoint analysis study in health.

Determinants of preventable readmissions in the United States: a systematic review

BackgroundHospital readmissions are a leading topic of healthcare policy and practice reform because they are common, costly, and potentially avoidable events. Hospitals face the prospect of reduced or eliminated reimbursement for an increasing number of preventable readmissions under nationwide cost savings and quality improvement efforts. To meet the current changes and future expectations, organizations are looking for potential strategies to reduce readmissions. We undertook a systematic review of the literature to determine what factors are associated with preventable readmissions.MethodsWe conducted a review of the English language medicine, health, and health services research literature (2000 to 2009) for research studies dealing with unplanned, avoidable, preventable, or early readmissions. Each of these modifying terms was included in keyword searches of readmissions or rehospitalizations in Medline, ISI, CINAHL, The Cochrane Library, ProQuest Health Management, and PAIS International. Results were limited to US adult populations.ResultsThe review included 37 studies with significant variation in index conditions, readmitting conditions, timeframe, and terminology. Studies of cardiovascular-related readmissions were most common, followed by all cause readmissions, other surgical procedures, and other specific-conditions. Patient-level indicators of general ill health or complexity were the commonly identified risk factors. While more than one study demonstrated preventable readmissions vary by hospital, identification of many specific organizational level characteristics was lacking.ConclusionsThe current literature on preventable readmissions in the US contains evidence from a variety of patient populations, geographical locations, healthcare settings, study designs, clinical and theoretical perspectives, and conditions. However, definitional variations, clear gaps, and methodological challenges limit translation of this literature into guidance for the operation and management of healthcare organizations. We recommend that those organizations that propose to reward reductions in preventable readmissions invest in additional research across multiple hospitals in order to fill this serious gap in knowledge of great potential value to payers, providers, and patients.

Human kinship, from conceptual structure to grammar

Research in anthropology has shown that kin terminologies have a complex combinatorial structure and vary systematically across cultures. This article argues that universals and variation in kin terminology result from the interaction of (1) an innate conceptual structure of kinship, homologous with conceptual structure in other domains, and (2) principles of optimal, "grammatical" communication active in language in general. Kin terms from two languages, English and Seneca, show how terminologies that look very different on the surface may result from variation in the rankings of a universal set of constraints. Constraints on kin terms form a system: some are concerned with absolute features of kin (sex), others with the position (distance and direction) of kin in "kinship space", others with groups and group boundaries (matrilines, patrilines, generations, etc.). Also, kin terms sometimes extend indefinitely via recursion, and recursion in kin terminology has parallels with recursion in other areas of language. Thus the study of kinship sheds light on two areas of cognition, and their phylogeny. The conceptual structure of kinship seems to borrow its organization from the conceptual structure of space, while being specialized for representing genealogy. And the grammar of kinship looks like the product of an evolved grammar faculty, opportunistically active across traditional domains of semantics, syntax, and phonology. Grammar is best understood as an offshoot of a uniquely human capacity for playing coordination games.

Naming the Soft Tissue Layers of the Temporoparietal Region

The complexity of temporoparietal anatomy is compounded by inconsistent nomenclature. To provide a comprehensive review of the variations in terminology and anatomic descriptions of the temporoparietal soft tissue layers, with the aim of improving learning and communication across surgical disciplines. MEDLINE (1950-2009) searches were conducted for anatomic studies of the temporoparietal region, and for studies describing temporoparietal anatomy in the context of surgical techniques. Sixty-nine articles were included in the review. Naming of the soft tissue layers of the temporoparietal region was inconsistent both within and across surgical disciplines, with several terms utilized for the same layer and occasionally the same term applied to different layers. Studies also varied in their description of the vascular, neural, and soft tissue architecture of the temporoparietal region. A uniform, descriptive nomenclature is paramount to facilitating surgical education and interpreting future studies. A naming system based on the Terminologica Anatomica is proposed in this review. From superficial to deep, the proposed terms for the soft tissue layers of the temporoparietal region include: temporoparietal fascia, loose areolar tissue plane, superficial leaflet of temporal fascia, fat pad of temporal fascia, deep leaflet of temporal fascia, fat pad deep to temporal fascia, temporalis or temporal muscle, and pericranium.

Variations in terminology

The study of variation in terminology came to the fore over the last fifteen years in connection with advances in textual terminology. This new approach to terminology could be a way of improving the management of risk related to language use in the workplace and to contribute to the definition of a “linguistics of the workplace”. As a theoretical field of study, linguistics has hardly found any application in the workplace. Two of its applied branches, however, Sociolinguistics and Natural Language Processing (NLP) are relevant. Both deal with lexical phenomena, — i.e. terminology — sociolinguistics taking into account very subtle inter-individual variations and NLP being more interested in stability in the use. So, taking into account variations in building terminologies could be a means of considering both description and prescription, use and norm. This approach to terminology, which has been made possible thanks to NLP and Knowledge Engineering could be a way of meeting needs in the workplace concerning risk management related to language use.

Isolated Dextrocardia with Situs Solitus (Dextroversion)

Dextrocardia refers to the position of the heart in the right side of the chest. It is a rare clinical phenomenon with a reported incidence of 1 in 5,000-30,000. Although there is a variation in terminology and classification with regard to dextrocardia, the condition of right-sided heart with situs solitus is most commonly referred to as dextroversion. The authors report the case of dextroversion in a patient who presented in their hospital for evaluation of chest pain on exertion. Cardiac catheterization produced unfamiliar angiographic images, but there was no severe technical problem during coronary angiography. Apart from dextroversion, no further cardiac or noncardiac anomaly was found.

Environmental studies and natural history texts: indexing issues

Texts on natural history, horticulture, and environmental topics present interesting challenges for indexers. Animal and plant names, the handling of hierarchical information, wide variations in scope and fluid terminology in evolving fields are all areas ripe for the picking, for endless debate on the best way to do it. Special text arrangements and features such as A–Z layouts and indexable lists, keys, and illustrations are common. This article introduces these issues and suggests practical indexing approaches that can be applied to other subject areas as well.

The Unfair Commercial Practices Directive and the UK Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations: A Possible Conceptual Convergence of General, Flexible European Standards and English Law Concepts Relevant to Fairness in the EU Context of Consumer Protection

The aim of this paper is to verify the level of convergence of European legal principles, broad general standards and UK law concepts relevant to fairness through an analysis of the terms and concepts introduced by the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive (UCPD) , particularly the concept of 'unfair commercial practices' and the related, more specific concept of '(un-)fairness categories' (misleading and aggressive commercial practices) as they are defined in the mentioned Directive (2005/29/EC) proposed by the EC Commission on 18 June 2003 and signed by the European Parliament and the Council on 11 May 2005. The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations(CPRs), published on 30 May 2007 to implement the Directive (2005/29/EC) in UK law, will be also examined to show some slight terminological and conceptual variations in comparison with the UCPD text. The vague and flexible nature of terms and concepts used in the said Directive and in the UK Regulations will be pointed out as a source of comparison with similar concepts relevant to English law. This comparison should also lead to conceptual convergence. To this end, emphasis will be placed on the English text of the Directive since it reflects the use of terms and concepts which, albeit considered as belonging to an European context, bear close resemblance to terms and concepts inherent in the English legal culture. Emphasis will be also placed on the position of the UK Government (DTI-Department of Trade and Industry; now BERR-Department of Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform) and of the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) as an outstanding example of a possible conceptual interaction between English and European law in the sector of consumer protection.

Preventing those so-called stillbirths

Preventing those so-called stillbirths

A cascaded approach to normalising gene mentions in biomedical literature.

Linking gene and protein names mentioned in the literature to unique identifiers in referent genomic databases is an essential step in accessing and integrating knowledge in the biomedical domain. However, it remains a challenging task due to lexical and terminological variation, and ambiguity of gene name mentions in documents. We present a generic and effective rule-based approach to link gene mentions in the literature to referent genomic databases, where pre-processing of both gene synonyms in the databases and gene mentions in text are first applied. The mapping method employs a cascaded approach, which combines exact, exact-like and token-based approximate matching by using flexible representations of a gene synonym dictionary and gene mentions generated during the pre-processing phase. We also consider multi-gene name mentions and permutation of components in gene names. A systematic evaluation of the suggested methods has identified steps that are beneficial for improving either precision or recall in gene name identification. The results of the experiments on the BioCreAtIvE2 data sets (identification of human gene names) demonstrated that our methods achieved highly encouraging results with F-measure of up to 81.20%.

Searching for CAM Evidence: An Evaluation of Therapy-Specific Search Strategies

The aim of this investigation was to explore the effectiveness of search strategies developed to identify trials of specific complementary therapies in a range of clinical conditions. All primary studies included in a series of systematic reviews were identified. An analysis of the original source of the study and search term(s) by means of which the study had originally been retrieved was carried out. Each study was then searched for in each of 6 databases (AMED, Cochrane CENTRAL, MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO). The proportion of studies located on each database was assessed and the indexing terms identified for each therapy were compared against the original search strategies. A total of 127 primary studies were identified from 35 systematic reviews. The number of studies on each therapy varied, but Cochrane CENTRAL listed the highest proportion for all therapies. No database listed all studies, and at least one unique study was listed on all databases except MEDLINE, whereas several studies were not found on any of the databases. Index terms were effective in locating studies on acupuncture, individual herbs, hypnosis, massage, and yoga. For the remaining therapies, use of text word search terms was important and particularly so for homeopathy, meditation, and reflexology. Variation in terminology for most of the therapies was encountered. The small numbers of studies preclude firm recommendations, but several potential challenges in searching for complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) trials are highlighted. The findings suggest that a range of different sources is required for identifying relevant studies, particularly for certain therapies. The development of an optimum generic search strategy for each therapy is hampered by the variation in indexing of CAM studies. Possible optimum strategies are presented as a basis for discussion, and further testing of the effectiveness of these strategies is now a priority.

A State Charter School Law in Transition

ABSTRACT State-by-state comparison of charter school laws is complicated by the wide variation in terminology and by the idiosyncratic impact that interpretation and implementation by mid-level administrators has on the actual way in which charter school laws work. In this regard, each state is different and true comparison can best be accomplished by parallel studies conducted by local practitioners or researchers in each state. Also, longitudinal studies which trace the evolution of legislation over time provide greater insight into a state's charter school legislative environment in the same way that longitudinal studies of student achievement provide more information than one-point-in-time assessments. This paper describes the first of such studies; a combined content-analysis and policy assessment of current charter school legislation in the state of Hawai'i. The current statutes are traced through eleven drafts and a 58-page report from a public Task Force brought into being as the result of earlier legislation. Lessons, which might be applied in other states, are explored. Similar studies of legislation in other states are proposed. doi:10.1300/J467v01n03_13

Coercive Sex in the Medieval Japanese Court: Lady Nijō's Memoir

Coercive Sex in the Medieval Japanese Court:Lady Nijō's Memoir Hitomi Tonomura (bio) In 1271, the retired emperor Go-Fukakusa-in (1243-1304; r. 1246-1259) entered the room of Nijō (1258-after 1307), a female companion-protégée who was then fourteen years old, and forced himself upon her. "He handled me so mercilessly that my thin gown was being badly torn, and soon I would be left with nothing in this world, not even my name, as dawn came upon my feelings of bitter despair," wrote Nijō in her memoir, Towazugatari (Telling Without Being Asked), completed thirty-five years later.1 By thus exposing the circumstances of what were possibly her first sexual relations, Nijō left a record of coercive sex written from the "recipient's" perspective, something rare among premodern Japanese literary works. [End Page 283] More than seven hundred years later, Nijō's description of the apparently violent act often prompts modern readers to debate if it should be called rape. Margaret H. Childs, who carefully assesses the aggressive behavior of earlier classical romantic heroes, such as Hikaru Genji in The Tale of Genji (Genji monogatari), against the context of a social dynamic that placed a high value on women's vulnerability and passivity, regards the incident involving Nijō as rape.2 Nishizawa Masashi also calls the act rape and exercises his own voyeurism in describing it: "The scene in which Nijō is forcibly stripped entirely naked and violated as in a rape (reipu/gōkan) [is] a daring expression imbued with a typically medieval exhibitionism," which, he holds, contrasts with the more tasteful writings of earlier times.3 By focusing on this passage in Nijō's memoir, which admittedly raises the lexical issue of the definition of "rape," this article explores how a modern reader might attempt to do justice to Nijō's authorship and subjectivity as situated in a particular set of social and political circumstances and beholden to certain literary conventions. The sexual incident, whether or not we call it rape, reveals the gender- and status-based relations of power that shaped Nijō's world and defined the cultural parameters she came both to endorse and resist. Her story serves as a portal through which to understand the life choices of a medieval court woman as she navigated through masculinist prerogatives deeply embedded in the structure of imperial and bureaucratic authority. The complexity of Nijō's work calls for an analytical method that combines attention to its historicity and literary constructiveness. After a brief review of some of the issues involved in defining "rape," we will therefore begin our consideration of her account by examining the political, social, sexual, and familial context from which Nijō-the-author emerged. Having familiarized ourselves with the verifiably historical role of the characters featured in the memoir and assessed their relationship to its heroine, Nijō-the-protagonist, we will turn to the scene of the initial sexual encounter with Go-Fukakusa and investigate its layered meanings, first, by following the sequence of events as organized by the author, and, second, by probing deeper into her narrative strategies and intertextual references to classical works. Through this process we may hope to decode the memoir's meta theme: Nijō's narrative assertion of her sexuality as it was shaped in relation to the demands of court life. This meta theme will serve as the axis for our consideration of the remainder of Nijō's account of her life. Her authorial intentions, in our reading, become articulated towards the memoir's end as she resituates her sexuality in regard to Go-Fukakusa. We will return [End Page 284] to the question whether or not the episode with Go-Fukakusa was "rape" in the conclusion. Defining "Rape" One of the major stumbling blocks in our discussion of rape is the murkiness of its meaning. With what criteria do we, living in the twenty-first century, assess Go-Fukakusa's action as presented by Nijō? Terminological variations found throughout history and across societies suggest an interpretive fluidity for the act that we call "rape." The way any society articulates, defines, or approaches this form of violation depends on multiple factors...

Causes of denominative variation in terminology

This article offers a review of the causes of denominative variation in terminology observed by different authors, based on a classification of the areas that motivate variation and illustrated by examples of the most relevant types of variation in the present context. This analysis offers a typology of the causes and sub-causes of denominative variation in terminology. It is presented in five main sections: dialectal causes, related to different origins of authors; functional causes, related to different communicative registers; discursive causes, related to different stylistic and expressive needs of authors; interlinguistic causes, related to contact between languages; and cognitive causes, related to different conceptualisations and motivations.

Development of a standardized occupational therapy screening tool for visual perception in adults

Occupational therapy assessment and treatment of visual perceptual impairments are integral to the rehabilitation of clients following stroke and other acquired brain injuries. Occupational therapists need to identify the nature of visual perceptual performance impairments in order to choose rehabilitation intervention strategies appropriate for remediation of specific problems or to compensate for limitations in daily function. This paper describes the variations in visual perception terminology and occupational therapy approaches to visual perceptual assessment. Limitations of existing assessment tools for visual perception are highlighted in terms of reliability, validity, normative information, length of time to administer, and comprehensiveness in screening for visual perceptual impairment. In response to these limitations, a battery of items, called the Occupational Therapy Adult Perceptual Screening Test (OT-APST) was selected to screen adults comprehensively for impairments of agnosia, visuospatial skills including body scheme and neglect, constructional skills, apraxia, and acalculia. It also includes a subtest to evaluate functional skills directly observed during screening. This new battery has established reliability, validity and age-stratified normative data for adults 16 to 97 years of age. The OT-APST is recommended for use in conjunction with observational assessment of activities of daily living for clients with stroke and acquired brain injury.

Characteristics of Academic Education Programs for Addictions Practitioners

ABSTRACT A review of United States-based two-year (82), four-year (38), and graduate (68) addictions professional preparation programs indicated that the discipline lacks consistency regarding name, whether preparation has a science or arts academic foundation, whether preparation has an academic or technical base, and what department or academic unit hosts the program. Educators, researchers and providers working in the substance abuse field who participated in informal discussions of the results of this study found this variation understandable and believed the emerging nature of the discipline, institutional politics, the variation in terminology used by state and local agencies, and the interdisciplinary nature of the field create these inconsistencies. These variations indicate that the addictions profession has not yet developed consensus on what terminology best describes the discipline, nor the curricular framework that leads to most consistent academic preparation. Further, this variation provide...

Conceptualizing risk assessment methodology for genetically modified organisms

Risk assessment methodology for genetically modified organisms (GMOs) has evolved over the last several years. At a conceptual level, the methodology has been adapted from the existing paradigm for environmental risk assessment, which was developed for chemicals and other types of environmental stressors since at least the 1980s (see Hill and Sendashonga (2003) for discussion). Many of the people who are or will be involved in assessing risks of GMOs are geneticists, ecologists, plant scientists, toxicologists, or other experts with in-depth knowledge of relevance to one or more aspects of risk assessment. A common understanding of the conceptual framework for risk assessment is important so that these various experts and other actors can work together effectively. Furthermore, a common conceptual framework allows all of the various components of risk assessment to be appropriately organized and brought together in a way that supports decision-making regarding the use, release and/or import of GMOs. Unfortunately, common understanding regarding the conceptual basis for risk assessment is a challenge. There is considerable variation among risk assessment frameworks for GMOs regarding the steps or components of risk assessment, as well as terminology (SCBD, 2005). There is no need, nor is it possible, to standardize so that everyone agrees on the number of steps in risk assessment and the associated terminology. It is important, however, that when one person refers to a particular component of risk assessment, using a particular term, others can relate that step and that term to whatever framework they use. Here, I attempt to dissolve some of the misunderstanding by illustrating some of the core elements that are common to many frameworks for risk assessment methodology, and by pointing out two common sources of confusion. Figure 1 aims to show some of the most commonly delineated steps and associated terminology used in risk assessment frameworks. Somewhat similar versions of this figure can be found in some of the frameworks reviewed in SCBD (2005), such as those from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA, 1998) and the European Union (EU, 2002). Not all of the steps shown in Figure 1 are found in all frameworks. The first step (hazard identification) is considered in some frameworks as a separate initial process (or part of such a process) that precedes risk assessment entirely. In addition, the fifth step (mitigation options) is also not universal among frameworks, as most frameworks clearly separate risk assessment from risk management. Some frameworks, however, consider only certain aspects of risk management (e.g., monitoring) as separate from risk assessment but other aspects of risk management (e.g., consideration of risk mitigation options) to be part of risk assessment methodology, since a final characterization of risks must take into account the effects of any mitigation options that reduce risks. The important aspect is, of course, the iterative and inter-linked relationship between risk assessment and risk management. Even when frameworks delineate the components of risk assessment in similar ways, there is considerable variation in terminology used to describe each component (Fig. 1). Furthermore, there is also additional terminology confusion when risk assessment is considered in a broader context, including its relationship to risk management and decision-making. For example, the entire process of risk assessment, combined with risk management (and risk communication in some cases), is sometimes referred to as risk analysis. This is the case for a few international bodies and standards. In addition, some frameworks consider risk management to encompass decision-making, while others consider decision-making as separate (in the latter case, risk management has a narrower scope).