RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of education among pharmacy students on their level of knowledge, attitude and practices in the disposal of expired and unused medications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A pre-test post-test study without control group was conducted in which a total of 573 students pursuing Bachelor of Pharmacy and Doctor of Pharmacy programmes were enrolled. The impact of education provided was analysed with the aid of a previously validated KAP questionnaire. Data on KAP was analysed using SPSS software 24.0. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The knowledge, attitude and practice of the total students improved from 74.17±17.063 to 91.06±11.87, 75.92±19.26 to 91.73±12.318 and 43.11±22.77 to 82.06±16.149 respectively. The improvement with respect to knowledge and attitude was significantly high among Doctor of Pharmacy students when compared to Bachelor of Pharmacy, with P value<0.001 for both domains. CONCLUSION: The present study concludes on the effectiveness of educational intervention in generating a positive impact on the student population with respective to adequate disposal practices to be followed for unused and expired medications.
Assuntos
Educação em Farmácia , Assistência Farmacêutica , Eliminação de Resíduos , Estudantes de Farmácia , Humanos , Conhecimentos, Atitudes e Prática em Saúde , Eliminação de Resíduos/métodos , Inquéritos e QuestionáriosRESUMO
The future reliance on water supply and flood control reservoirs across the globe will continue to expand, especially under a variable climate. As the inventory of new potential dam sites is shrinking, construction of additional reservoirs is less likely compared to simultaneous flow and sediment management in existing reservoirs. One aspect of this sediment management is related to the control of upstream sediment sources. However, key research questions remain regarding upstream sediment loading rates. Highlighted in this article are research needs relative to measuring and predicting sediment transport rates and loading due to streambank and gully erosion within a watershed. For example, additional instream sediment transport and reservoir sedimentation rate measurements are needed across a range of watershed conditions, reservoir sizes, and geographical locations. More research is needed to understand the intricate linkage between upland practices and instream response. A need still exists to clarify the benefit of restoration or stabilization of a small reach within a channel system or maturing gully on total watershed sediment load. We need to better understand the intricate interactions between hydrological and erosion processes to improve prediction, location, and timing of streambank erosion and failure and gully formation. Also, improved process-based measurement and prediction techniques are needed that balance data requirements regarding cohesive soil erodibility and stability as compared to simpler topographic indices for gullies or stream classification systems. Such techniques will allow the research community to address the benefit of various conservation and/or stabilization practices at targeted locations within watersheds.
Assuntos
Conservação dos Recursos Naturais , Sedimentos Geológicos/análise , Rios/química , Monitoramento Ambiental/métodos , Sedimentos Geológicos/química , Oklahoma , Pesquisa , Solo , Abastecimento de ÁguaRESUMO
It has been shown that besides positron emission tomography, single photon emission computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging; contrast echocardiography can be used for qualitative and quantitative myocardial perfusion assessment. In this review, the properties of ultrasound contrast agents, imaging techniques and acquisition methods are shortly described and the possibilities of perfusion echocardiography are summarized. The main focus is put on the description of three perfusion models: mathematical models, physical models assuming an ideal inflow and physical models including inflow measurement.
Assuntos
Circulação Coronária , Ecocardiografia , Imagem de Perfusão do Miocárdio/métodos , Animais , Meios de Contraste , Humanos , Interpretação de Imagem Assistida por Computador , Modelos Cardiovasculares , Valor Preditivo dos TestesRESUMO
The autofluorescence (AF) derived from the retinal pigment epithelium has the potential to be used as a feature for early glaucoma diagnosis. The aim of this paper is to design and evaluate the method used for semi-automatic segmentation of the zones with increased autofluorescence. A randomized sample of 20 patients (age: 56 +/- 10 years) with open angle glaucoma was used. A new method for semi-automatic detection and segmentation of the zones with a higher level of autofluorescence in the junctional zone of parapapillary atrophy has been evaluated. Good agreement has been observed between manually and semi-automatically segmented zones for most of the images, but higher differences may occur for larger hyperfluorescent regions. The data were evaluated using the limits of agreement, with a 2sigma border. The described method allows fast and objective evaluation of AF images, preventing undesirable inter-expert variance. A large proportion of AF images could be evaluated successfully by the developed procedure, and the obtained results are comparable to the manual procedure in most cases.
Assuntos
Fluorescência , Glaucoma de Ângulo Aberto/diagnóstico , Oftalmoscopia/métodos , Idoso , Humanos , Pessoa de Meia-IdadeRESUMO
UNLABELLED: This paper describes design and construction of a new device for automatic capturing of eye retina and iris. This device has two possible ways of utilization - either for biometric purposes (persons recognition on the base of their eye characteristics) or for medical purposes as supporting diagnostic device. KEY WORDS: eye retina, eye iris, device, acquisition, image.
Assuntos
Diagnóstico por Imagem/instrumentação , Técnicas de Diagnóstico Oftalmológico/instrumentação , Iris/diagnóstico por imagem , Retina/diagnóstico por imagem , Biometria/métodos , HumanosRESUMO
Diffusion, sorption and biodegradation are key processes impacting the efficiency of natural attenuation. While each process has been studied individually, limited information exists on the kinetic coupling of these processes. In this paper, a model is presented that couples nonlinear and nonequilibrium sorption (intraparticle diffusion) with biodegradation kinetics. Initially, these processes are studied independently (i.e., intraparticle diffusion, nonlinear sorption and biodegradation), with appropriate parameters determined from these independent studies. Then, the coupled processes are studied, with an initial data set used to determine biodegradation constants that were subsequently used to successfully predict the behavior of a second data set. The validated model is then used to conduct a sensitivity analysis, which reveals conditions where biodegradation becomes desorption rate-limited. If the chemical is not pre-equilibrated with the soil prior to the onset of biodegradation, then fast sorption will reduce aqueous concentrations and thus biodegradation rates. Another sensitivity analysis demonstrates the importance of including nonlinear sorption in a coupled diffusion/sorption and biodegradation model. While predictions based on linear sorption isotherms agree well with solution concentrations, for the conditions evaluated this approach overestimates the percentage of contaminant biodegraded by as much as 50%. This research demonstrates that nonlinear sorption should be coupled with diffusion/sorption and biodegradation models in order to accurately predict bioremediation and natural attenuation processes. To our knowledge this study is unique in studying nonlinear sorption coupled with intraparticle diffusion and biodegradation kinetics with natural media.
Assuntos
Biodegradação Ambiental , Modelos Biológicos , Poluentes do Solo/metabolismo , Poluentes Químicos da Água/metabolismo , Purificação da Água/métodos , Adsorção , Chrysosporium/metabolismo , Difusão , Cinética , Modelos Químicos , Fenantrenos/química , Pseudomonas putida/metabolismo , Reprodutibilidade dos TestesRESUMO
In 1999, the European Commission presented its second report on the numbers of laboratory animals used in the European Union (EU). The plausibility of the data and the usefulness of the format of the registration tables remain questionable, for reasons previously discussed in connection with the Commission` s first statistical report. In addition, it is impossible to derive sound information on trends in animal use in the EU and its Member States from the second statistical report. The European Commission and the Member States have agreed on new tables to be used for future statistics on the use of experimental animals in the EU. These new tables have been significantly extended and improved. Several categories of little relevance have been revised, and ambiguous expressions have been clarified. However, several problems either persist or have been newly created. Moreover, some important data (i.e. categories for pain and distress, as well as for several specific purposes of use; the origin of some animal species; types of institutions; and the use of genetically engineered animals) are still not required. Nevertheless, these are highly relevant to animal welfare and must be regarded as indispensable for a well-aimed application of the statistics to set priorities concerning the Three Rs.
RESUMO
In fulfilment of the aims of the European Union Biocidal Directive (Directive 98/8/EC), Technical Guidance Documents are currently being compiled. Part I of these Technical Guidance Documents covers data requirements for active substances and biocidal products. The Three Rs principle has been applied in certain parts of the toxicity and ecotoxicity testing scheme for pesticides, such as testing for acute oral toxicity, skin and eye irritation, skin sensitisation, and dermal absorption. Further recommendations on how to proceed with regard to the continuing replacement, reduction and refinement of animal experiments in this field of regulatory testing are included for consideration. In this context, besides stressing the necessity to validate and accept further alternatives, emphasis is placed on providing the possibility of waiving unnecessary tests and on the continuous evaluation of whether certain tests are needed at all.
RESUMO
This study was designed to identify the DRG distribution of discharged Medicare patients during a given period of time in two similar hospital sites. Additionally, drugs costs (both total and average) for each patient in these DRGs were determined and analyzed as to similarity between the two sites as well as significance in terms of percentage of DRG total reimbursement rate. The assumption that DRGs would be homogeneous for drug costs was not found to be true in this study. Percentage of total reimbursement attributed to drug costs for DRG categories studied (less than 4%) was consistent with previously acquired data in established DRG prospective payment programs. Average drug cost was not found to be a reliable indicator for comparison of drug utilization, either within DRGs or between hospital sites. Length of stay emerges as the primary focus for future efforts in drug utilization reviews and cost control programs. A model for future DRG-based drug utilization reviews is proposed.
Assuntos
Custos e Análise de Custo , Grupos Diagnósticos Relacionados , Uso de Medicamentos/economia , Serviço de Farmácia Hospitalar/economia , Análise de Variância , Hospitais com mais de 500 Leitos , OklahomaRESUMO
An automatic method of segmenting the retinal vessel tree and estimating status of retinal neural fibre layer (NFL) from high resolution fundus camera images is presented. First, reliable blood vessel segmentation, using 2D directional matched filtering, enables to remove areas occluded by blood vessels thus leaving remaining retinal area available to the following NFL detection. The local existence of rather faint and hardly visible NFL is detected by combining several newly designed local textural features, sensitive to subtle NFL characteristics, into feature vectors submitted to a trained neural-network classifier. Obtained binary retinal maps of NFL distribution show a good agreement with both medical expert evaluations and quantitative results obtained by optical coherence tomography.
Assuntos
Angiofluoresceinografia/métodos , Interpretação de Imagem Assistida por Computador/métodos , Rede Nervosa/patologia , Doenças do Nervo Óptico/patologia , Reconhecimento Automatizado de Padrão/métodos , Vasos Retinianos/patologia , Retinoscopia/métodos , Humanos , Reprodutibilidade dos Testes , Sensibilidade e EspecificidadeRESUMO
The topic of the article is to inform about the analysis of the nerve fiber layer in color digital images of the retina. The study group consists of 11 eyes (9 patients) with marked focal losses in the nerve fiber layer of the retina. The control group consists of 14 eyes (7 patients). The basic statistical parameters, which may distinguish the loss in the nerve fiber layer from the healthy nerve fiber layer, are suggested and evaluated. The study is focused particularly to detect the focal losses.
Assuntos
Angiofluoresceinografia , Processamento de Imagem Assistida por Computador , Fibras Nervosas/patologia , Retina/patologia , Glaucoma/patologia , HumanosRESUMO
The "ethical justifiability" of animal experiments is a requirement that has its origin in the 18th century and that has been established in relevant EU- as well as national legislation. On principal, this requirement is to be met through a well-founded explanation of the indispensability of the experiment and a weighing of the animal suffering against the relevance of the expected results. This article investigates from the animal welfare point of view the practical implementation of these conditions with the evaluation of applications for granting a licence for animal experiments as required by the German Animal Welfare Law and the examination of ethical aspects of applications for funding of research that is carried out by the European Commission. The deficits identified for both cases have various causes. These are: unsatisfactory formal and practical basic conditions, the inadequate information content of many applications as well as the unbalanced composition and lacking decision-making powers of the evaluating bodies. The lack of any quality control for the animal experiments and for the evaluation process as a whole and its single components until now have prevented a reform of the schemes in place.
Assuntos
Direitos dos Animais , Bioética , Pesquisa/normas , Direitos dos Animais/legislação & jurisprudência , Alternativas aos Testes com Animais , Animais , Europa (Continente) , União Europeia , Alemanha , Controle de QualidadeRESUMO
The aim of This work is to describe techniques that lead to surface extraction of the retinal structure. Based on the tomographic data from the confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope (CSLO) we perform some necessary preprocessing steps to correct the nonuniform illumination and to suppress the noise. Then we extract the surface and perform some postprocessing operations before visualization. First results of ongoing research are presented and also the suggestions for future research are proposed.