Patient- and clinician-reported satisfaction with pharmacological stress agents for single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI)

Abstract

Objective:

The objective of this study was to compare clinician and patient measures of satisfaction with two pharmacological stress agents (PSA), regadenoson and dipyridamole, used in Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) Myocardial Perfusion Imaging (MPI).

Methods:

This observational study included patients who had undergone SPECT MPI with regadenoson or dipyridamole, as well as the clinician/clinical technologist who performed the test. Mean scores for individual item and domain scores of the main outcome measures were computed as well as the effect sizes (ES) of the mean difference in scores between treatment groups. Statistical significance of the mean item and domain score differences were assessed via Mann-Whitney tests.

Main outcomes measures:

Two self-report questionnaires which had beeb previously developed and validated: Patient Satisfaction/Preference Questionnaire (PSPQ) and Clinician Satisfaction/Preference Questionnaire (CSPQ).

Results:

A total of 87 patients (68 received regadenoson, 19 received dipyridamole) and nine clinicians/clinical technologists took part in the study. Patients had a mean age of 66.8?±?12.2 years, and 56.3% were male. Compared to dipyridamole, use of regadenoson was associated with greater clinician satisfaction on all items and domains of the CSPQ (p?<?0.001 for all comparisons). Among patients, regadenoson was associated with less bother and greater satisfaction than dipyridamole for all items on the PSPQ. These patients reported less stinging at the injection site (ES?=??0.66) and less nervousness during injection (ES?=??0.60). The PSPQ found that regadenoson patients were more satisfied with their PSA than dipyridamole patients in all areas.

Limitations:

This study utilized a relatively small sample size of dipyridamole patients and lacked an adenosine group. A broader sampling of professionals would also help demonstrate generalizability.

Conclusion:

Both patients and clinicians reported higher satisfaction with regadenoson compared to dipyridamole for SPECT-MPI. Clinicians were particularly satisfied with the preparation and administration aspects of the drug, while patients rated it highly on convenience and reduced incidence of side-effects.     

Non-regular professionals' dual commitment in South Korea: antecedents and consequences

There is a growing concern with whether nonregular professionals are concurrently committed to both the organization and their profession and whether such commitments are beneficial to that organization. This article seeks to investigate the relationship between organizational justice variables and the dual commitment of nonregular professionals via perceived organizational support (POS) and the subsequent effect of the dual commitment on organizational citizen behavior. Hypotheses are developed and then tested through structural equation modeling with data collected from a total of 1143 part-time instructors at South Korean universities. The findings of this study reveal that the perceptions held by nonregular professionals of organizational justice constructs concurrently influence organizational commitment and professional commitment via POS and that both commitments are positively associated with altruistic behavior. The findings advance our understanding of the dual commitment of nonregular professionals and provide universities with managerial implications as to how to manage effectively part-time instructors. Limitations, directions for future research, and conclusions are presented.     

Sewers,wastewater and newspapers: the early environmental debate on water pollution in Turku,Finland, 1887–1934

Abstract

A century ago, city dwellers became increasingly aware of urban environmental problems caused by the waste products of industry and the growing population. Like elsewhere in Europe, water pollution became an acute issue also in the city of Turku, in south west Finland, The sewer system built after 1895 discharged all the municipal and rapidly increasing industrial wastewater untreated into the River Aura in the centre of the city, As a result, the quality of the river water worsened rapidly, and the first complaint on this was published in the local newspaper in 1899. In this study we document the press debate on river water quality and wastewater problems in the local newspapers of Turku for the period from 1887 to 1934, when the plan for a wastewater treatment plant was finally completed (the plant was, however, not built until 1966). The failure of the city administrators to present any solution to the river pollution problem caused the first major public environmental debate in the city at the turn of the 20^th century. Our results show that (1) sewers were recognized by newspapers as the primary cause of worsened river water quality, (2) the necessity of a wastewater treatment plant was understood long before the actual plan was drawn up, (3) the local industries were hardly ever criticized in public for water pollution, and (4) the initiative for improvements was considered to be the responsibility of the city administrators. The debate in the local press was often hectic, many decades before the 1960s, when the environmental debate is commonly said to have started.     

对篮球技术能力教学中对抗练习方法的实验研究

通过采用文献资料法、问卷调查法、实验法,对在高校篮球技术教学中开展培养学生攻、防技术能力的实验进行研究。研究结果表明,普通高校篮球技术教学实施技术能力教学是可行的,随着我们教学经验的不断积累,篮球技术能力教学的水平会有更大提高。采用对抗练习的方法,对培养学生的攻、防技术能力的提高效果十分显著。     

PORTFOLIO CHOICE VIA QUANTILES

A portfolio choice model in continuous time is formulated for both complete and incomplete markets, where the quantile function of the terminal cash flow, instead of the cash flow itself, is taken as the decision variable. This formulation covers a wide body of existing and new models with law‐invariant preference measures, including expected utility maximization, mean–variance, goal reaching, Yaari's dual model, Lopes' SP/A model, behavioral model under prospect theory, as well as those explicitly involving VaR and CVaR in objectives and/or constraints. A solution scheme to this quantile model is proposed, and then demonstrated by solving analytically the goal‐reaching model and Yaari's dual model. A general property derived for the quantile model is that the optimal terminal payment is anticomonotonic with the pricing kernel (or with the minimal pricing kernel in the case of an incomplete market if the investment opportunity set is deterministic). As a consequence, the mutual fund theorem still holds in a market where rational and irrational agents co‐exist.     

Agent‐based modeling for ex ante assessment of tree crop innovations: litchis in northern Thailand

This study uses an agent‐based model for ex ante assessment of agricultural innovations. The model builds on whole farm mathematical programming (MP) and extends the methodology with a spatial representation of the system, the heterogeneity of farm households and landscapes, and the interaction between farm households. We apply the model in a northern Thai watershed to study the potential of four innovations to increase the profitability of litchi orchards. Cost‐benefit analysis shows that each innovation would increase the profitability of litchi growing; however, the results of the agent‐based model show that at current price levels these innovations alone would not be enough to stem the decline in the area under litchis. The model was validated and the sensitivity of the results tested for variations in the irrigated water supply and liquidity. We report on how farmers responded to these results and discuss the implications for other areas in northern Thailand.     

NGO在我国发展所面临的问题及对策研究

在国际上,以非营利、非官方为特色的NGO组织在环保、卫生、慈善和公共事务方面日益发挥着重要的作用。然而,NGO在我国的出现还只有数年时间,在政策法规、管理模式和发展方向上不甚明确,还存在着诸多的问题。在本文中,通过回顾我国NGO组织的发展历程、现行状况,梳理我国NGO发展的典型模式。同时,对于NGO的发展壮大遇到的问题进行了分析,并提出了解决的方法。     

关于农民工的社会保障问题

近年来农民工的社会保障问题却一直无人问津。这不仅严重地阻碍了我国工业化、城市化的进程,而且也给社会的不稳定埋下了诸多隐患。因此,建立面向农民工的社会保障制已势在必行。     

一种基于RFID的AGV电磁导引新方式

针对传统电磁导引方式存在的缺陷,提出了双线轨道和节点RFID导向方法;进一步降低地面和系统成本,提高了路径设计及更改的灵活性;利用RFID中定位及存储关键词等方式增强了AGV自主导引能力;最后展望了新导引方式及AGVS在物联网中的应用前景和使用方式。     

财政农业支出对二元经济结构转化效果研究

根据1978—2006年的数据对我国财政支农支出与二元经济结构转化之间关系进行实证分析,结果表明,二者之间缺乏明显的因果关系。原因在于:我国财政支农制度安排还停留在农业支持工业、农村支持城市的模式下,服务于统筹城乡发展的财政体制建设滞后,以及地方政府在不完善的政绩考核制度下的理性行为等。要强化财政支农对二元经济结构转化的作用,应该尽快实现工业反哺农业,城市带动农村的发展战略,改革财政体制,优化地方政府政绩考核制度。