Thesis (M.A.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 2000. / Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 53-57).

Thesis (M.A.)--The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 2008. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed Aug. 17, 2009). Directed by Kirsten Doehler; submitted to the Dept. of Mathematical Sciences. Includes bibliographical references (p. 56-57).

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 54-08, Section: B, page: 3941. Supervisor: Robert J. Hardy. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 109-114).

Thesis (M.A.S.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2003. / Bibliography: leaves 48-50. Also available online.

Recent studies applying innovative technologies, such as genetic analysis and carbon dating, contradict the palynological based assumption that Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and Norway spruce (Picea abies) vanished from Fennoscandia during the Last Glacial Maximum (c. 20.000 yrs BP) and re-colonized after the cold Younger Dryas (c. 12.000 yrs BP). Instead, those studies indicate glacial survival of boreal trees in ‘cryptic’ refugia within Scandinavia, which is still heavily debated. In this report, I try to get a better grip on the discussion if Norway spruce and Scots pine survived Weichselian glacial periods in isolated ‘cryptic’ refugia within Scandinavia, or either re-colonized Fennoscandia by post-glacial migration from eastern areas such as Russia. To this aim, climatic settings are described and an overview is given on what is already known on the distribution of boreal trees during the Weichselian glaciations and the post-glacial landscape. Several records are important to detect ancient boreal trees: pollen, macrofossils and currently DNA. Macrofossils indicate early post-glacial tree growth in the central Scandes just after the Younger Dryas, aDNA indicates the existence of a ‘cryptic’ refugium on Andøya during the Last Glacial Maximum and modern DNA analysis possibly indicates isolation of spruce in western Norway, which are all contradicted by the current interpretation of low pollen percentages. Altogether, alternative hypotheses supporting glacial survival of plants might have been overlooked and pollen interpretations need revision, which could turn the exclusion from the past into supporting evidence for the glacial survival of P. abies and P. sylvestris in Scandinavia.

Orientador: Carlos Magno Castelo Branco / Banca: Ricardo Augusto Monteiro de Barros Almeida / Banca: Rosely Morales de Figueiredo / Resumo: Quase três décadas após o primeiro diagnóstico no Brasil, a aids demonstra tendência contínua de interiorização, com aumento da incidência em pequenos municípios. A implantação de Serviços de Atendimento Especializado (SAE's) foi marco importante para o sucesso das ações programáticas em cidades de pequeno porte. Curiosamente, a maior parte dos estudos epidemiológicos e de avaliação dos serviços tem sido realizada em grandes centros urbanos. Este trabalho teve por objetivo caracterizar o atendimento multiprofissional a pessoas vivendo com HIV/AIDS (PVHA) realizado no SAE de Três Lagoas (MS), uma cidade de aproximadamente 100.000 habitantes. A autora estava especialmente interessada em aspectos relacionados à adesão à Terapia Antirretroviral Potente e Combinada (TARV), condição essencial para redução de morbidade e mortalidade de PVHA. Dois estudos foram realizados. No primeiro (Estudo No.1), foram analisados prontuários e fichas de notificação de 356 pacientes admitidos entre 1984 e 2005, para avaliar características demográficas. Os dados foram analisados para dois períodos: 1984-1995, fase em que a TARV não era utilizada na prática clínica (pré-TARV); e 1996 e depois (pós-TARV), quando a introdução de novos medicamentos permitiu a utilização da TARV no âmbito do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS). Realizou-se também análise de sobrevida, para avaliar o impacto da disponibilização da TARV e de outros fatores sobre o prognóstico dos pacientes. O Estudo No.2 teve delineamento quali-quantitativo, e baseou-se em entrevistas com 55 pacientes e sete profissionais da saúde de diversas categorias. Os resultados do Estudo No.1 demonstraram que dois terços dos pacientes foram admitidos no período pós-TARV. Nessa fase, aumentaram os casos no sexo feminino (22,0% para 36,2%, p=0,02) e em pessoas com escolaridade inferior a ensino fundamental completo... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Nearly three decades after the first diagnosis in Brazil, AIDS demonstrates the continuing trend of internalization, with increasing incidence in small towns. Deployment of Specialized Care Services (SCS) was important to the success of Brazilian aids program in small cities. Interestingly, most epidemiological studies and evaluation of services have been conducted in large urban centers. This study aimed to characterize the multidisciplinary care for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) held at SCS in Três Lagoas (State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil), a city of about 100,000 inhabitants. The author was especially interested in aspects related to adherence to Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART), an essential condition for reducing morbidity and mortality among PLWHA. Two studies were conducted. In the first study (Study #1), the author analyzed medical records and notification forms for 356 patients admitted between 1984 and 2005 in order to assess demographic characteristics. Data were analyzed for two periods: 1984-1995, a phase in which HAART was not used in clinical practice (pre-HAART) and 1996 and later (post-HAART), when the introduction of new drugs has allowed the use of HAART in the Brazilian Public Health System. Survival analysis was applied to assess the impact of the availability of HAART and other factors on the prognosis of patients. Study #2 had a qualitative and quantitative design. The author interviewed 55 patients and seven health professionals from various categories. The results of Study #1 showed that two thirds of patients were admitted in the post-HAART period. At this stage, cases increased in females (22.0% to 36.2%, p=0.02) and among people with less than eight years of schooling (61.3% to 72.3%, p<0.001 ). The mortality risk was lower for patients admitted in the post-HAART (Hazard Ratio [HR] = 0.31, 95% Confidence Interval[CI] = 0.22 to 0.45,... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

Orientador: Josmar Mazucheli / Resumo: Na análise de séries climatológicas, a metodologia conhecida como “análise de frequências” inicia-se, após a verificação da validade de algumas suposições, pela escolha e ajuste de uma distribuição de probabilidade. A etapa mais importante desta análise é a escolha ou seleção da distribuição de probabilidade que melhor descreva o verdadeiro comportamento da variável em estudo. Uma vez adotada uma distribuição de probabilidade que esteja bem ajustada, segundo um ou vários critérios, é de interesse, por exemplo, estimar a probabilidade de que eventos de certa magnitude sejam igualados ou excedidos em T anos. O inverso desta probabilidade é chamado de período de retorno, sendo esta uma medida de extrema importância na avaliação de riscos associados a fenômenos climatológicos. Em princípio, qualquer distribuição de probabilidade com suporte nos números reais positivos pode ser utilizada na descrição do comportamento de séries fluviométricas, pluviométricas, eólicas, entre outras. Em se tratando de séries pluviométricas, formadas, por exemplo, pelas pluviosidades diárias, decendiais, mensais, trimestrais e anuais, as distribuições Gama e Weibull são as mais utilizadas. Nos últimos anos, a partir de métodos específicos, uma infinidade de novas distribuições vêm sendo propostas para a análise de observações contínuas e estritamente positivas, cujas aplicações, em sua grande maioria, restringem-se a dados de sobrevivência e confiabilidade. Nesta dissertação de Mestrado, foram avaliad... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: In the climatological series analysis, a methodology known as “frequency analysis” begins, after the validity of some assumptions, by choice and adjustment of a probability distribution. The most important step of this analysis is the choice or selection of probability distribution that best describes the true behavior of the variable under study. Once a probability distribution, that is well adjusted according to one or several criteria, is adopted, it is of interest, for example, to estimate a probability of events of a certain magnitude that are matched or exceeded in T years. The opposite of this probability is called a return period, which is a measure of extreme importance in the evaluation of risks associated with climatological phenomena. In principle, any probability distribution supported by positive real numbers can be used to describe the behavior of fluviometric, pluviometric and wind series, among others. When it comes to the case of rainfall series, formed, for example, by daily, decendial, monthly, quarterly and annual rainfall, the Gamma and Weibull Distributions are more used. In recent years, from specific methods, a plethora of new distributions are being proposed for an analysis of continuous and strictly positive observations, which applications, for the most part, are restricted to survival and reliability data. In this Master’s dissertation, the performances of the Odd Weibull, Marshall-Olkin Weibull, Exponentiated Weibull and Transmutated Weibull Dist... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

“All citizens of the world can save a life”. With these words, the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) is launching the first global initiative – World Restart a Heart (WRAH) – to increase public awareness and therefore the rates of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for victims of cardiac arrest. In most of the cases, it takes too long for the emergency services to arrive on scene after the victim's collapse. Thus, the most effective way to increase survival and favourable outcome in cardiac arrest by two- to fourfold is early CPR by lay bystanders and by “first responders”. Lay bystander resuscitation rates, however, differ significantly across the world, ranging from 5 to 80%. If all countries could have high lay bystander resuscitation rates, this would help to save hundreds of thousands of lives every year. In order to achieve this goal, all seven ILCOR councils have agreed to participate in WRAH 2018. Besides schoolchildren education in CPR (“KIDS SAVE LIVES”), many other initiatives have already been developed in different parts of the world. ILCOR is keen for the WRAH initiative to be as inclusive as possible, and that it should happen every year on 16 October or as close to that day as possible. Besides recommending CPR training for children and adults, it is hoped that a unified global message will enable our policy makers to take action to address the inequalities in patient survival around the world. / Revisión por pares

IMPORTANCE: Advanced stage head and neck cancers are often deemed unresectable due to the aggressive nature of the cancer. In evaluating survival patterns of patients with stage IVb tumors, it is valuable to determine whether patients who undergo oncological surgery have favorable outcomes in order to deem surgery as a viable treatment option and demonstrate that these patients can survive with adequate treatment. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether patients with stage IVb cancers who undergo oncological surgery have favorable survival outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Of 320 cases reviewed of patients treated for head and neck cancer at Boston Medical Center between June 2009 and October 2014, 18 patients with stage IVb tumors were identified. Information regarding date of initial diagnosis, date and type of treatment, and date of death were extrapolated from medical records. Mean survival rates were calculated to compare survival outcomes of those who received and those who did not receive surgical intervention. RESULTS: The mean survival rate for patients who underwent surgical intervention was found to be 29.5 months while those who did not receive surgical intervention had a mean survival of 20.83 months. CONCLUSION: Cancers of the head and neck are associated with poor prognoses and are often deemed unresectable. Patients should be offered definitive treatment despite recommended palliative treatment, as, with adequate treatment, favorable survival outcomes are attainable.

The concept of resilience is increasingly applied to policy-making. However, despite its widespread use, resilience remains poorly defined, open to multiple interpretations, and challenging to translate into practical policy instruments. Three particularly problematic aspects of resilience concern its rigid conceptualisation of adaptation and learning, its de-politicised interpretation of participatory decision-making, and the ill-defined role and relevance of social vulnerability indicators. My research analyses these three aspects within the context of flood risk management in the UK, which is uniquely suited to studying the practicability of a cross-disciplinary concept like resilience, because it connects issues of natural resource management, social planning, and disaster management. First, I analyse two case studies of experimental pilot projects in natural flood management. Through studying project reports, and interviewing stakeholders involved in project implementation, I determine whether the theorised learning-by-doing method in resilience is reflected in experiences from real experimental projects. Secondly, I use one of these case studies to map out the political structure of local participatory bodies in flood management, and also conduct a small survey of local community groups. The purpose of this second study is to determine if collaborative methods can indeed lead to a knowledge-driven policy process as envisioned in resilience literature. Lastly, I use statistical analysis to compare a traditional flood management model and a socio-economic model. The aim of the statistical modelling is to determine whether socio-economic factors are indeed useful for informing flooding policy, and whether they offer new insights not already being used in modern flood management. I find that resilience gives insufficient consideration to the importance of political constraints and economic trade-offs in policy-making, and that evidence for the usefulness of socio-economic factors is inconclusive. Future work could focus on further refining the statistical modelling to pinpoint empirically verifiable indicators of resilience.