bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Acute Abdomen in a Patient with Cancer Pain on Oxycodone
Authors: Kishine Naomi , Tsunoda Atsunobu , Kishimoto Seiji , Shoko Tomohisa
Published: October 2011

Opioids are a mainstay of treatment for moderate to severe cancer pain. At present, oxycodone has fewer adverse effects compared to morphine and is widely used for cancer pain therapy. The adverse effects of oxycodone are similar to morphine and include constipation, nausea, and sedation. However, acute abdominal pain is rarely seen. Here, we describe a cancer patient presenting with acute abdomen with stercoral diarrhea. A 54-year-old man with squamous cell carcinoma of the external auditory canal had been taking oxycodone for pain relief. The patient had taken oxycodone for several months and had never complained of either diarrhea or constipation. After an increase in the dosage of oxycodone, he complained of abdominal distension and constipation. After being administered a laxative, he complained of diarrhea and severe abdominal pain. He visited the emergency department and was diagnosed with acute colonic obstruction caused by severe constipation. He self-medicated with oxycodone at dosages of up to 180 mg/day, and this abrupt increase of oxycodone caused stercoral diarrhea. Finally, total blockage of stool developed, resulting in acute abdomen.
Effect of Diclofenac with B Vitamins on the Treatment of Acute Pain Originated by Lower-Limb Fracture and Surgery
Authors: Ponce-Monter Héctor A. , Ortiz Mario I. , Garza-Hernández Alexis F. , Monroy-Maya Raúl , Soto-Ríos Marisela , Carrillo-Alarcón Lourdes , Reyes-García Gerardo , Fernández-Martínez Eduardo
Published: October 2011

The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of diclofenac, for the treatment of acute pain originated by lower-limb fracture and surgery, with that of diclofenac plus B vitamins. This was a single-center, prospective, randomized, and double-blinded clinical trial. Patients with lower-limb closed fractures rated their pain on a 10 cm visual analog scale (VAS). Patients were then randomized to receive diclofenac or diclofenac plus B vitamins (thiamine, pyridoxine, and cyanocobalamin) intramuscularly twice daily. Patient evaluations of pain intensity were recorded throughout two periods: twenty-four hours presurgery and twenty-four hours postsurgical. One hundred twenty-two patients completed the study. The subjects' assessments of limb pain on the VAS showed a significant reduction from baseline values regardless of the treatment group. Diclofenac plus B vitamins combination was more effective to reduce the pain than diclofenac alone. The results showed that the addition of B vitamins to diclofenac increased its analgesic effect. The novelty of this paper consists in that diclofenac and diclofenac plus B vitamins were useful for treatment of acute pain originated by lower-limb fracture and surgery.
Biomarkers as Key Contributors in Treating Malignant Melanoma Metastases
Authors: de Souza Camila Ferreira , Morais Alice Santana , Jasiulionis Miriam Galvonas
Published: October 2011

Melanoma is a human neurocristopathy associated with developmental defects in the neural crest-derived epidermal melanocytes. At the present time, at least three hypotheses were identified that may explain melanoma aetiology, as follows: (1) a model of linear progression from differentiated melanocytes to metastatic cancer cells (2) a model involving the appearance of melanoma stem-like cells, and (3) an epigenetic progenitor model of cancer. Treating metastatic melanoma is one of the most serious challenges in the 21st century. This is justified because of a subpopulation of cells presenting a remarkable molecular heterogeneity, which is able to explain the drug resistance and the growing mortality rates worldwide. Fortunately, there are now evidences sustaining the importance of genetic, epigenetic, and metabolomic alterations as biomarkers for classification, staging, and better management of melanoma patients. To illustrate some fascinating insights in this field, the genesBRAFV600EandCTLA4have been recognized as bona fide targets to benefit melanoma patients. Our research attempts to carefully evaluate data from the literature in order to highlight the link between a molecular disease model and the key contribution of biomarkers in treating malignant melanoma metastases.
Fabrication of Axial and Radial Heterostructures for Semiconductor Nanowires by Using Selective-Area Metal-Organic Vapor-Phase Epitaxy
Authors: Hiruma K. , Tomioka K. , Mohan P. , Yang L. , Noborisaka J. , Hua B. , Hayashida A. , Fujisawa S. , Hara S. , Motohisa J. , Fukui T.
Published: October 2011

The fabrication of GaAs- and InP-based III-V semiconductor nanowires with axial/radial heterostructures by using selective-area metal-organic vapor-phase epitaxy is reviewed. Nanowires, with a diameter of 50–300 nm and with a length of up to 10 μm, have been grown along the〈111〉B or〈111〉A crystallographic orientation from lithography-defined SiO2mask openings on a group III-V semiconductor substrate surface. An InGaAs quantum well (QW) in GaAs/InGaAs nanowires and a GaAs QW in GaAs/AlGaAs or GaAs/GaAsP nanowires have been fabricated for the axial heterostructures to investigate photoluminescence spectra from QWs with various thicknesses. Transmission electron microscopy combined with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy measurements have been used to analyze the crystal structure and the atomic composition profile for the nanowires. GaAs/AlGaAs, InP/InAs/InP, and GaAs/GaAsP core-shell structures have been found to be effective for the radial heterostructures to increase photoluminescence intensity and have enabled laser emissions from a single GaAs/GaAsP nanowire waveguide. The results have indicated that the core-shell structure is indispensable for surface passivation and practical use of nanowire optoelectronics devices.
Shrinking Projection Method of Fixed Point Problems for Asymptotically Pseudocontractive Mapping in the Intermediate Sense and Mixed Equilibrium Problems in Hilbert Spaces
Authors: Tianchai Pattanapong
Published: October 2011

This paper is concerned with a common element of the set of fixed point for an asymptotically pseudocontractive mapping in the intermediate sense and the set of solutions of the mixed equilibrium problems in Hilbert spaces. The strong convergence theorem for the above two sets is obtained by a general iterative scheme based on the shrinking projection method, which extends and improves that of Qin et al. (2010) and many others.
Postthrombotic Syndrome: Surgical Possibilities
Authors: Khanna Ajay K. , Singh Shivanshu
Published: October 2011

Postthrombotic syndrome
(PTS) is a late outcome of deep vein thrombosis characterized by
cramping pain, swelling, hyperpigmentation, eczema,
lipodermatosclerosis, and ulceration in the leg due to increased
venous outflow resistance and reflux venous flow. Newer surgical
and endovascular interventions have a promising result in the
management of postthrombotic syndrome. Early surgical or
endovascular interventions in appropriately selected patients may
decrease the incidence of recurrent ulceration and skin changes and
provide a better quality of life. Duplex and IVUS (intravenous
ultrasound) along with venography serve as cornerstone
investigative tools for assessment of reflux and obstruction.
Venous obstruction, if present, should be addressed earlier than
reflux. It requires endovenous stenting, endophlebectomy, or open
bypass procedures. Venous stripping, foam sclerotherapy,
radiofrequency, or laser ablation are used to abolish superficial
venous reflux. Valvuloplasty procedures are useful for incompetent
but intact deep venous valves, while transposition or axillary
vein autotransplantation is done for completely destroyed
valves.
Phosphatases: The New Brakes for Cancer Development?
Authors: Zhang Qingxiu , Claret Francois X.
Published: October 2011

The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway plays a pivotal role in the maintenance of processes such as cell growth, proliferation, survival, and metabolism in all cells and tissues. Dysregulation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway occurs in patients with many cancers and other disorders. This aberrant activation of PI3K/Akt pathway is primarily caused by loss of function of all negative controllers known as inositol polyphosphate phosphatases and phosphoprotein phosphatases. Recent studies provided evidence of distinct functions of the four main phosphatases—phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN), Src homology 2-containing inositol 5′-phosphatase (SHIP), inositol polyphosphate 4-phosphatase type II (INPP4B), and protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A)—in different tissues with respect to regulation of cancer development. We will review the structures and functions of PTEN, SHIP, INPP4B, and PP2A phosphatases in suppressing cancer progression and their deregulation in cancer and highlight recent advances in our understanding of the PI3K/Akt signaling axis.
Experimental Infection of Goats with Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus and the Possibilities to Prevent Virus Transmission by Raw Goat Milk
Authors: Balogh Zsuzsanna , Egyed László , Ferenczi Emőke , Bán Enikő , Szomor Katalin N. , Takács Mária , Berencsi György
Published: October 2011

Objectives: The aim of this work was to study the tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) infection of goats and the possibilities to prevent human milk-borne infections either by immunizing animals or the heat treatment of milk. Methods: An experiment was conducted with 20 milking goats. Ten goats (half of them immunized) were challenged with live TBEV and 10 were left uninfected. Clinical signs and body temperatures of the animals were recorded and milk samples were collected daily. The presence of viral RNA and infectious virions in milk were detected by RT-PCR and intracerebral inoculation of suckling mice, respectively. Milk samples containing infectious virions were subjected to various heat treatment conditions and retested afterwards to assess the effect on infectivity. Results: The infected goats did not show any clinical signs or fever compared to uninfected ones. Infectious virions were detected for 8–19 days from the milk samples (genome for 3–18 days by PCR) of infected goats. Immunized goats did not shed the virus. After heat treatment of the milk, the inoculated mice survived. Conclusions: Goats shed the virus with their milk without showing any symptoms. Human milk-borne infections can be avoided both by immunizing goats and boiling/pasteurizing infected milk.
Effect of One-Year Subcutaneous and Sublingual Immunotherapy on Clinical and Laboratory Parameters in Children with Rhinitis and Asthma: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind, Double-Dummy Study
Authors: Yukselen Ayfer , Kendirli Seval Güneser , Yilmaz Mustafa , Altintas Derya Ufuk , Karakoc Gulbin Bingol
Published: October 2011

Background: It has been reported that both sublingual (SLIT) and subcutaneous (SCIT) allergen-specific immunotherapy have clinical efficacy, yet there are rather few comparative placebo studies of children. We aimed to investigate the clinical and immunological efficacy of mite-specific SLIT and SCIT versus a placebo in rhinitis and asthma in children. Methods: The outcomes of this 1-year, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, double-dummy study were symptom and medication scores, visual analog scores (VAS), titrated skin prick tests, nasal and bronchial allergen provocation doses, serum house dust mite-specific immunglobulin E (HDM-sIgE), sIgG4, IL-10 and IFN-γ levels. Results: Clinical and laboratory parameters were evaluated in 30 patients. SCIT significantly diminished symptom and medication scores for rhinitis and asthma (p = 0.03 and p = 0.05 for rhinitis; p = 0.01 and p = 0.05 for asthma) and VAS. SLIT also reduced VAS, symptoms associated with rhinitis and asthma as well as medication usage for rhinitis, but this reduction was not significant when compared with the placebo. Skin reactivitiy to HDM and HDM-sIgE levels was reduced significantly in both immunotherapy groups. Serum IL-10 levels and nasal provocative doses increased significantly with both SCIT and SLIT. Nasal eosinophil increments after nasal challenge decreased with two treatment modes, but bronchial provocative doses and sputum eosinophil increments after bronchial challenge were reduced only with SCIT. In both treatment arms, there was no change in IFN-γ levels. Serum sIgG4 levels increased significantly only in the SCIT group. Conclusion: Based on the limited number of patients at the end of the 1-year immunotherapy, the clinical efficacy of SCIT on rhinitis and asthma symptoms was more evident when compared with the placebo.
Circulation
Editors' Picks
Authors:   The Editors
Published: October 2011

The following articles are being highlighted as part of
Circulation's
Topic Review series. This series will summarize the most important manuscripts, as selected by the editors, published in
Circulation
and the
Circulation
subspecialty journals. The studies included in this article represent the most read manuscripts published on the topic of heart failure in 2009 and 2010.
Disputation and Logic in the Medieval Treatises De Modo Opponendi et Respondendi
Authors: Pérez-Ilzarbe Paloma
Published: October 2011

In 1980 L. M. de Rijk edited some texts connected with medieval disputation (Die mittelaterlichen Traktate De modo opponendi et respondendi), towards which he showed a strikingly contemptuous attitude. The reason for his contempt was that the treatises did not fit the obligationes and sophismata tradition. In this article I focus on the original version, the Thesaurus Philosophorum, to highlight the distinction of this family of treatises with respect to the “modern” tradition. First, I study the features of the disputation that can be recognised through the collection of fallacious arguments contained in the Thesaurus. Second, I briefly examine the contents of the treatise and their arrangement, showing that they are closely related to the kind of disputation in question. I hope to support the idea that neither the technique of disputation nor the contents and their arrangement deserve a straightforward rejection.
John Buridan’s Theory of Truth and the Paradox of the Liar
Authors: Perini-Santos Ernesto
Published: October 2011

The solution John Buridan offers for the Paradox of the Liar has not been correctly placed within the framework of his philosophy of language. More precisely, there are two important points of the Buridanian philosophy of language that are crucial to the correct understanding of his solution to the Liar paradox that are either misrepresented or ignored in some important accounts of his theory. The first point is that the Aristotelian formula, ‘propositio est vera quia qualitercumque significat in rebus significatis ita est’, once amended, is a correct way to talk about the truth of a sentence. The second one is that he has a double indexing theory of truth: a sentence is true in a time about a time, and such times should be distinguished in the account of the truth-conditions of sentences. These two claims are connected in an important way: the Aristotelian formula indicates the time about which a sentence is true. Some interpreters of the Buridanian solution to the paradox, following the lead of Herzberger, have missed these points and have been led to postulate truth-values gaps, or surrogates of truth-value gaps, when there is nothing of this sort in his theory. I argue against this tradition of interpretation of Buridan and propose an interpretation of his solution to the Liar.
Virtus sermonis and the semantics-pragmatics distinction
Authors: Pouscoulous Nausicaa , Goubier Frédéric
Published: October 2011

Late medieval theories of language and contemporary philosophy of language have been compared on numerous occasions. Here, we would like to compare two debates: that between the nature of Virtus sermonis, on the medieval side—focusing on a statute published in 1340 by the Faculty of Arts of the University of Paris and its opponents—and, on the contemporary side, the on-going discussion on the semantics-pragmatics distinction and how the truth-value of an utterance should be established. Both the statute and Gricean pragmatics insist on the importance of taking into account the speaker’s intention and the context in establishing the signification of an utterance. Yet, upon closer examination, a more convincing parallel might be drawn between the statute’s position and current theories in truth-conditional pragmatics. Focusing on a few aspects of the statute that seem to find a counterpart within contemporary pragmatics, we try to show how the issues they give rise to converge, but also diverge.
The Empathetic Apprehension of Artifacts: A Husserlian Approach to Non-figurative Art
Authors: Ferencz-Flatz Christian
Published: October 2011

In his Ideas II, Husserl interprets the apprehension of cultural objects by comparing it to that of the human “flesh” and “spirit.” Such objects are not just “bodies” (Körper) to which a sense is exteriorly added, but instead they are, similarly to human bodies (Leiber), entirely “animated” by a cultural meaning. In fact, this is not just an analogy for Husserl, since, in several of his later notations, he comes to show that cultural objects are actually understood as such by means of an apperception employing empathy, as sediments of subjective acts and performances. Understood as cultural objects, images also point towards a previous subjective doing, and it is precisely by grasping this “pointing” that we comprehend them in their proper significance as artifacts. In my paper, I would like to explore the nature and forms of this empathic “pointing,” focusing on the possible use of Husserl’s conception for an interpretation of non-figurative art.
Confronting a Beast: The Church of England and the British National Party
Authors: Davey Andrew P.
Published: October 2011

This article explores the background to the British National Party’s high profile during the 2010 General Election, and the development of its use of Christian identity in its campaigning and its internal discourses. This is set alongside the stand taken by the Church of England before and during the election campaign in challenging the racism of the Party. The article begins to map the theology that must underpin the ongoing struggle against the forces that contribute to the support for the BNP, and it draws conclusions about the theological significance of the action and discourse of the Church of England in statements and grassroots mobilization.
Paul Ramsey and Reinhold Niebuhr on a Public Theology of Tragedy and the Problem of Dirty Hands
Authors: Hollowell Adam Edward , Burk John K.
Published: October 2011

Modern discussions of the problem of ‘dirty hands’ often draw upon a tradition of thinking in American public theology that wrestles with political conflicts between moral limitations and responsibilities. This article examines the problem of dirty hands through the way two significant figures in the field, Paul Ramsey and Reinhold Niebuhr, employ concepts of tragedy in their public theological writings. The analysis suggests that Ramsey and Niebuhr provide several starting points for describing the ambiguous realities of the political context and establishing limits on morally permissible political behaviour. This offers a significant challenge to the idea that ‘tragedy’ can be used to describe the liberal failings of either scholar and asserts the potential helpfulness of their arguments as the church seeks to exchange reasons in a democratic culture.
Searching for Non-Toxic Religion
Authors: Vainio Olli-Pekka
Published: October 2011

This article provides more accurate tools to engage the public nature of religious and other ideological claims by proposing a distinction between belief-policies, beliefs and practices that could enable more acute ways of locating the aspects of ideology that are considered problematic in a given situation. In addition, the article proposes rules of engagement for how we might deal with these aspects in public discourse.
An Economic Turn: A Hermeneutical Reinterpretation of Political Economy with Respect to the Question of Land
Authors: Mei Todd S.
Published: October 2011

The philosophy of economics has been largely guided by analytic philosophy. Even Marx has been appropriated without much scandal by economists who separate his scientific contributions from his politics. In this article, I place philosophical hermeneutics (i.e., Heidegger and Ricoeur) in dialogue with the conventional understanding of land as a factor of production. The history of political economy misunderstands land as an entity classifiable as property and capital. I argue instead that land’s ontological role, deriving from Heidegger’s concept of earth, suggests that economics needs to account for it in a new way according to David Ricardo’s notion of land rent.
Acrodermatitis Enteropathica During Adequate Enteral Nutrition
Authors: Changela Avani , Javaiya Hemangkumar , Changela Kinesh , Davanos Evangelia , Rickenbach Kiersten
Published: October 2011

Acrodermatitis enteropathica is a rare skin disorder of zinc deficiency. This case report describes a 91‐year‐old female nursing home resident who presented with a skin eruption resembling acrodermatitis enteropathica while receiving adequate enteral nutrition (EN) via a percutaneous gastrostomy tube. A low zinc level of 36 mcg/dL confirmed zinc deficiency, and treatment with oral zinc sulfate 220 mg 3 times a day resulted in rapid resolution of the skin lesions. This case supports the notion of close monitoring of patients on long‐term EN for clinical manifestations of zinc deficiency, especially in the presence of an unexplained skin rash. Although micronutrient deficiencies are more prevalent in underdeveloped countries and with patients receiving parenteral nutrition, these deficiencies should be kept in mind for patients in developed countries as well as patients receiving EN.
Eicosapentaenoic Acid and Docosahexaenoic Acid Synergistically Attenuate Bile Acid–Induced Hepatocellular Apoptosis
Authors: Tillman Emma M. , Helms Richard A. , Black Dennis D.
Published: October 2011

Background: Clinical studies have demonstrated improvement of parenteral nutrition (PN)–associated liver disease (PNALD) with ω3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (ω3PUFA) supplementation containing eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Experiments were designed to test the following hypotheses: (1) therapeutic effects of ω3PUFA are due to attenuation of cellular apoptosis induced by hydrophobic bile acid exposure, which occurs in cholestasis, and (2) attenuation of apoptosis by EPA and DHA is additive or synergistic. Methods: Cultured HepG2 cells were treated with 50–200 µM chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) in the presence and absence of EPA, DHA, or EPA + DHA. Apoptosis was evaluated using cell staining with fluorescence microscopy and the Apo‐ONE Homogeneous Caspase‐3/7 assay. Specific apoptotic mediators were evaluated with quantitative RT‐PCR. Results: Treatment with EPA alone and DHA alone resulted in 22% and 9% attenuation of caspase‐3/7 activity, respectively. Caspase‐3/7 activity was attenuated by 52% when cells were treated with a combination of EPA and DHA (P = .0034). Treatment with EPA alone, DHA alone, and the combination of EPA and DHA all resulted in equal attenuation of apoptotic mediator gene expression. Conclusions: The combination of EPA and DHA resulted in a synergistic attenuation of bile acid–induced hepatocellular apoptosis, as assessed by caspase‐3/7 activity, compared to EPA and DHA separately. The combination of EPA and DHA did not result in a synergistic attenuation of the upregulation of Fas or TRAIL‐R2. These data suggest that EPA and DHA may be working via multiple intracellular pathways to attenuate bile acid–induced apoptosis.
Prophylactic and Therapeutic Effects of a Subcutaneous Injection of Sesame Oil Against Iron‐Induced Acute Renal Injury in Mice
Authors: Li Ya‐Hui , Chien Se‐Ping , Chu Pei‐Yi , Liu Ming‐Yie
Published: October 2011

Background: Iron intoxication causes acute nephrotoxicity in animals and humans. Sesame oil, a healthful food, increases resistance to lipid peroxidation and protects against multiple organ injury in various animal models. The authors examined the prophylactic and therapeutic effects of a subcutaneous injection of sesame oil against iron‐induced acute renal injury in mice. Methods: Iron intoxication in mice was induced with an intraperitoneal injection (2 mg/kg) of ferric‐nitrilotriacetate (Fe‐NTA). Various doses of sesame oil (0, 1, 2, and 4 mL/kg, subcutaneously) were given immediately after (prophylactic) or 30 minutes after (therapeutic) the Fe‐NTA injection. Renal injury was assessed by the rise in serum blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (CRE) levels 3 hours after the Fe‐NTA injection. Results: One hour after the Fe‐NTA injection, serum BUN and CRE levels were significantly higher in Fe‐NTA‐treated mice than in saline‐treated controls; 3 and 6 hours after the Fe‐NTA injection, they were dose‐dependently and significantly lower in all sesame oil–treated groups than in the group treated only with Fe‐NTA and saline. Conclusion: A subcutaneous injection of sesame oil had both prophylactic and therapeutic effects against iron‐induced acute renal injury in mice.
Constrained least-squares solution and regularization in inverse boundary element analysis of photoelastic models involving contact
Authors: Jones I A , Wang P , Becker A A
Published: October 2011

Existing work by the present team has involved the development of an inverse boundary element approach for fitting unknown boundary conditions to full-field stress data obtained using photoelasticity, treating the displacements on the unknown region as the solution variables. However, the recovered boundary conditions sometimes show unrealistic features such as negative contact pressures or shear tractions which exceed realistic frictional values; noisy or incomplete input data make these problems worse and can make the results oscillatory. The work described here exploits available constrained least-squares techniques in order to express the contact conditions as linear inequality constraints upon the displacement solution. A variant of Tikhonov regularization is also used to penalize against oscillatory traction distributions on the unknown boundary. The chosen implementation, solved using the LSSOL algorithm, can handle the issue of rigid-body motion without the need for manual imposition of restraints. The technique is illustrated using simulated and real examples, demonstrating that the technique correctly reconstructs the individual principal stresses.
Transitions from Cohabitation
Authors: Shaw Tara Shankar
Published: October 2011

The article provides an empirical examination of the transitional dynamics of individuals choosing between marriage, cohabitation and being single. Cohabitation has become an accepted form of relationship in USA, but it is usually of short duration, typically less than one year. I empirically test how individuals’ labour market characteristics influence the relationship choices and transitions. Data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation are used to estimate a competing risks model to determine what influences the transitions of individuals from cohabitation to mar-riage or being single. A higher income for the male partner increases the likelihood of the couple transiting to marriage. A higher income for the female partner decreases the likelihood of transition to the state of being single. Increased education of the male and female partner increases the likelihood of transition from cohabitation to marriage but does not affect the transition to the state of being single.
Financial Liberalisation
Authors: Murthy K.V. Bhanu , Goel Sonia
Published: October 2011

Short-run market integration cannot be subsumed within the long run, since the money market is essentially for enabling the liquidity needs, through short term credit instruments. Through Ravallion (1986) tests we have examined short-run market integration of Money Market in India, including testing for the ‘central market hypothesis’. We find that the sub-markets are not segmented. Therefore, it can be expected that information flows lead to price adjustments across sub-markets of the money market. Second, arbitrage possibilities do not exist. On the whole we conclude that the money market in India displays short-run market integration.
Constructing the public will: How political actors in New York State construct, assess, and use public opinion in penal policy making
Authors: Brown Elizabeth K.
Published: October 2011

Prior research has failed to attend adequately to the ways in which state-level political actors in the USA think about and relate to public opinion. While some research has considered how political actors, such as legislators and state agency staff members, assess public opinion on penal issues, that body of research has been limited both conceptually and methodologically. This article argues that an enterprise perspective on policy making combined with a constructionist perspective on public opinion have the potential to deepen our understanding of penal policy making. To that end, descriptive data from interviews with a wide range of political actors in New York State are considered for what they indicate about the dynamics of public opinion construction, assessment, and use among political actors engaged in penal policy making.
Traumatization and mental distress in long-term prisoners in Europe
Authors: Dudeck Manuela , Drenkhahn Kirstin , Spitzer Carsten , Barnow Sven , Kopp Daniel , Kuwert Philipp , Freyberger Harald J. , Dünkel Frieder
Published: October 2011

This article investigates the prevalence of traumatization and mental distress in a sample of 1055 male European long-term prisoners as part of a wider study of the living conditions of prisoners serving sentences of at least five years in Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Lithuania, Poland, Spain and Sweden. Data were collected in a written survey using the Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale (PDS), the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) as well as questions on attempted suicide and auto-aggressive behaviour. Participants experienced a mean of three traumatic events, with 14 per cent developing a Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) subsequently. In each national sample, more than 50 per cent of the participants were in need of treatment because of psychological symptoms and nearly one-third had attempted suicide.
The polysemy of punishment memorialization: Dark tourism and Ontario's penal history museums
Authors: Walby Kevin , Piché Justin
Published: October 2011

Contributing to debates about cultural representations of prisons and prisoners, as well as exploring the crossover between the dark tourism literature and cultural criminology, this article reflects on how penal museums in the province of Ontario, Canada, create and communicate meaning as it regards imprisonment and punishment. Drawing from field notes made after observations at penal museums located in central and eastern Ontario cities and towns, we contend that penal museum relics offer a polysemy of meaning to viewers, as critical, indifferent and punitive interpretations are possible. Based on analysis of tour guide narratives as well as penal relics, we explore how the process of memorialization in many of these museums is organized around the idea of penal reform, which positions imprisonment and punishment as remnants of the past and introduces a social distance between the punished and the penal spectator.
Exploring Infection Prevention
Authors: Uchida Mayuko , Stone Patricia W. , Conway Laurie J. , Pogorzelska Monika , Larson Elaine L. , Raveis Victoria H.
Published: October 2011

Health care–associated infections (HAIs) are common and costly patient safety problems that are largely preventable. As a result, numerous policy changes have recently taken place including mandatory reporting and lack of reimbursement for HAIs. A qualitative approach was used to obtain dense description and gain insights about the current practice of infection prevention in California. Twenty-three in-depth, semistructured interviews were conducted at six acute care hospitals. Content analysis revealed 4 major interconnected themes: (a) impacts of mandatory reporting; (b) impacts of technology on HAI surveillance; (c) infection preventionists’ role expansion; and (d) impacts of organizational climate. Personnel reported that interdisciplinary collaboration was a major facilitator for implementing effective infection prevention, and organizational climate promoting a shared accountability is urgently needed. Mandatory reporting requirements are having both intended and unintended consequences on HAI prevention. More research is needed to measure the long-term effects of these important changes in policy.
Comparison of Nurse Managed Health Centers With Federally Qualified Health Centers as Safety Net Providers
Authors: Pohl Joanne M. , Tanner Clare , Pilon Bonnie , Benkert Ramona
Published: October 2011

Nurse Managed Health Centers (NMHCs) provide a critical safety net function in their communities, yet they often remain invisible and challenged in terms of financial sustainability. This paper presents a comparison of demographics and financial status of NMHCs and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). The comparison is based on four years of annual NMHC national survey data that includes 42 NMHCs overall and the 2008 FQHC data in the Uniform Data System. Findings indicate that NMHCs and FQHCs serve very similar diverse populations yet funding and revenue differences were significant. NMHCs tend to rely more on grants and donations from the private sector as well as contracts while FQHCs have access to considerable federal support that is cost based when serving the underserved. In addition, NMHCs are challenged by the array of state, federal and third party insurers’ regulations that often disadvantage nurse practitioners as primary care providers.
Electrodeposition of composite polypyrrole–carbon nanotube films
Authors: Shi C , Zhitomirsky I
Published: October 2011

Polypyrrole (PPY) films were electrochemically deposited on stainless steel substrates from aqueous pyrrole solutions containing p-toluene sulphonic acid and 4,5-dihydroxy-1,3-benzenedisulphonic acid disodium salt (tiron). The deposition potential of PPY in the solutions containing tiron was 0·2 V lower than that in the solutions containing p-toluene sulphonic acid. It was found that tiron can be used for the dispersion of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and fabrication of composite PPY–MWCNT films. The deposition yield was studied under galvanostatic conditions. The mechanism of PPY–MWCNTs deposition in the presence of tiron was discussed. The incorporation of MWCNTs into the PPY during electropolymerisation resulted in the formation of porous films. The films were investigated for the application in electrodes of electrochemical supercapacitors. Cyclic voltammetry data for the films tested in the 0·5M Na2SO4 solutions showed a capacitive behaviour in a voltage window of −0·5 to +0·4 V versus a saturated calomel electrode. The composite PPY–MWCNT films showed improved capacitive behaviour and lower electrical resistance compared to the pure PPY films. A highest specific capacitance (SC) of 310 F g−1 was obtained at a scan rate of 2 mV s−1 for the composite films. The SC decreased with an increasing film thickness and scan rate. The cycling stability of the films was investigated. The results indicated that the PPY–MWCNT films deposited on the stainless steel substrates are promising electrode materials for electrochemical supercapacitors.
Study on electrodeposition of Pt
Authors: Wang P , Olbricht W L
Published: October 2011

The electrodeposition of Pt is investigated experimentally. The nucleation and growth dynamics are studied through cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry and the results are analysed by a unified nucleation and growth theory. Surface morphology is investigated by atomic force microscopy. The hydrogen adsorption/desorption method is utilised to determine the roughness factor of the electrodes. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and catalytic activity study are carried out to compare the electrochemical behaviours of the electrodes before and after Pt electrodeposition.
Preparation of Co–W–P alloy films by pulse plating
Authors: Yu Y D , Yu Z , Li W , Hu X K , Ge H L , Wei G Y
Published: October 2011

Co–W–P films were prepared by a pulse plating method on a copper substrate. Effects of different duty ratios on composition, microstructure and magnetic properties of films were investigated. With the increase in duty ratios, the deposition speed increased gradually during the pulse plating process. It was found that the higher ratio duty could improve contents of cobalt and reduce amounts of phosphorus in the film. Almost all the deposited films were crystalline and formed tetrahedral structures Co3W with preferred crystallographic orientation (200) and (201). Dissimilar surface morphology could be detected under different duty ratios. Atomic force microscopy showed that lower duty ratios could form typical nodular structures and the dense surface. However, the films with rough and agglomerate nodular structures would be detected with higher duty ratios. Vibration sample magnetometer results showed that higher duty ratio induced larger saturation magnetisation and lower coercivity of Co–W–P films.
Processing Ni–YSZ anode by electroless Ni deposition with AgNO3 as activator
Authors: Bauri R
Published: October 2011

Palladium chloride (PdCl2), which is generally used as an activating agent for electroless nickel coating, is expensive and hence increases the coating cost. In the present study, AgNO3, which is much cheaper than PdCl2, was used as an activating agent for electroless Ni coating on yttria stabilised zirconia (YSZ) powder to fabricate Ni–YSZ cermet anodes for solid oxide fuel cell. The YSZ powder was coated with 30 and 40 wt-%Ni using both AgNO3 and PdCl2 as activating agents. The powders activated with AgNO3 showed the same coating characteristics as the powders activated with PdCl2 in terms of amount of Ni deposited, coating quality, uniformity and microstructure. The coated powder was pressed and sintered in air and reduced in hydrogen atmosphere to convert NiO back to Ni. The sintered microstructure showed a well defined network of Ni around YSZ particles, which is necessary for the effective functioning of the anode.
Improving patient satisfaction in hospital care settings
Authors: Otani Koichiro , Herrmann Patrick A , Kurz Richard S
Published: October 2011

Health-care managers have to address many aspects of the organization, and patient satisfaction is clearly one of the critical aspects for managers. To respond to the need of health-care managers, there have been many patient satisfaction studies. However, these studies focus on which attributes (factors such as nursing care and physician care) are more influential; they do not provide specific aspects for each attribute. In order to develop an effective intervention programme to improve patient satisfaction, more specific research outcomes are needed. This study utilized data collected between January 2007 and June 2008 from 32 hospitals representing a large, national private not-for-profit hospital system. The patient satisfaction survey included the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems, Hospital version questionnaire items, and there are 31,471 cases. Two-stage multiple linear regression analyses were conducted with control variables (age, gender, perceived health, education and race). It was found that patients' highest priority is to be treated with courtesy and respect by nurses and physicians. An effective intervention programme to improve patient satisfaction would include a training programme, where care providers understand that patients want them to show courtesy and respect. Then, well-trained and empathetic nurses and staff members can comfort patients, and consequently improve patient satisfaction.
A study of relationship between job stress, quality of working life and turnover intention among hospital employees
Authors: Mosadeghrad Ali Mohammad , Ferlie Ewan , Rosenberg Duska
Published: October 2011

Job stress is a serious threat to the quality of working life (QWL) of health-care employees and can cause hostility, aggression, absenteeism and turnover, as well as reduced productivity. In addition, job stress among employees affects the quality of health-care services. The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the relationships between job stress and QWL of employees, and their impact on turnover intention at Isfahan hospitals, Iran. The study employed a cross-sectional research design. A validated questionnaire was used to collect data from hospital employees. Overall, 26% of employees graded their job stress high. The major sources of stress were inadequate pay, inequality at work, too much work, staff shortage, lack of recognition and promotion prospects, time pressure, lack of job security and lack of management support. An inverse relationship was found between job stress and QWL among hospital employees. The most important predictor of QWL was disturbance handling, followed by job proud, job security and job stress. Finally, while QWL was negatively associated with turnover intentions, job stress was positively related to employees' intention to quit. Since job stress has a strong correlation with employee QWL and turnover intention, it is very important to apply the right human resources policies to increase employees' QWL and decrease subsequent turnover. This study invites further research to explore, implement and evaluate intervention strategies for prevention of occupational stress and improvement in QWL
Evaluation and measurement for improvement in service-level quality improvement initiatives
Authors: Russell Nicholas C C , Wallace Louise M , Ketley Diane
Published: October 2011

The National Health Service (NHS) in England, as with other health services worldwide, currently faces the need to reduce costs and to improve the quality of patient care. Evidence gathered through effective and appropriate measurement and evaluation, is essential to achieving this. Through interviews with service improvement managers and analysis of comments in a seminar of NHS staff involved in health service improvement, we found a lack of understanding regarding the definition and methodology of both measurement and evaluation, which decreases the likelihood that NHS staff will be competent to commission or provide these skills. In addition, we highlight the importance of managers assessing their organizations' ‘readiness’ to undergo change before embarking on a quality improvement (QI) initiative, to ensure that the initiative's impact can be adequately judged. We provide definitions of measurement for improvement and of evaluation, and propose a comparative framework from which to gauge an appropriate approach. Examples of two large-scale QI initiatives are also given, along with descriptions of some of their problems and solutions, to illustrate the use of the framework. We recommend that health service managers use the framework to determine the most appropriate approach to evaluation and measurement for improvement for their context, to ensure that their decisions are evidence based.
Well-structured teams and the buffering of hospital employees from stress
Authors: Buttigieg Sandra C , West Michael A , Dawson Jeremy F
Published: October 2011

Membership in well-structured teams, which show clarity in team and individual goals, meet regularly, and recognize diverse skills of their members, is known to reduce stress. This study examined how membership of well-structured teams was associated with lower levels of strain, when testing a work stressors-to-strains relationship model across the three levels of team structure, namely well-structured, poorly structured (do not fulfill all the criteria of well-structured teams) and no team. The work stressors tested, were quantitative overload and hostile environment, whereas strains were measured through job satisfaction and intention to leave job. This investigation was carried out on a random sample of 65,142 respondents in acute/specialist National Health Service hospitals across the UK. Using multivariate analysis of variance, statistically significant differences between means across the three groups of team structure, with mostly moderate effect sizes, were found for the study variables. Those in well-structured teams have the highest levels of job satisfaction and the least intention to leave job. Multigroup structural equation modelling confirmed the model's robustness across the three groups of team structure. Work stressors explained 45%, 50% and 65% of the variance of strains for well-structured, poorly structured and no team membership, respectively. An increase of one standard deviation in work stressors, resulted in an increase in 0.67, 0.70 and 0.81 standard deviations in strains for well-structured, poorly structured and no team membership, respectively. This investigation is an eye-opener for hospitals to work towards achieving well-structured teams, as this study shows weaker stressor-to-strain relationships for members of these teams.
Aerobic oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural to 2,5-diformylfuran on supported vanadium oxide catalysts: Structural effect and reaction mechanism
Authors: Nie Junfang , Liu Haichao
Published: October 2011

The structure–activity relationship and reaction mechanism for selective oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to 2,5-diformylfuran (DFF) in toluene were studied on vanadium oxide domains on TiO2, Al2O3, Nb2O5, ZrO2, and MgO and with a wide range of VOx surface densities. The structures of these catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), diffuse reflectance UV–vis spectroscopy (UV–vis DRS), and Raman spectroscopy, and their reducibility was probed by H2-temperature programmed reduction. The structures of the VOx domains evolved from monovanadate to polyvanadate structures with increasing the VOx surface densities, and finally to crystalline V2O5 clusters at surface densities above one-monolayer capacity. Within one-monolayer capacity, higher VOx surface densities and more reducible supports led to higher reducibility and reactivity of the VOx domains. The support surfaces covered with polyvanadates and V2O5 clusters and the supports with acidity favored the formation of DFF. The correlation between the reducibility and reactivity, together with the kinetic studies, suggests that the HMF oxidation to DFF proceeds via the redox mechanism involving the V5+/V4+ redox cycles and the reoxidation of V4+ to V5+ by O2 as the rate-determining step. These results may provide guidance for the design of more efficient catalysts for the HMF oxidation to synthesize DFF.
Recent advances in light-emitting electrochemical cells
Authors: Costa Rubén D. , Ortí Enrique , Bolink Henk J.
Published: October 2011

Light-emitting electrochemical cells (LECs) are solution-processable thin-film electroluminescent devices consisting of a luminescent material in an ionic environment. The simplest type of LEC is based on only one material, ionic transition-metal complexes (iTMCs). These materials are of interest for different scientific fields such as chemistry, physics, and technology as selected chemical modifications of iTMCs resulted in crucial breakthroughs for the performance of LECs. This short review highlights the different strategies used to design these compounds with the aim to enhance the performances of LECs.
Probing enzyme-mediated oxidation reactions in crystallo
Authors: Yi Chengqi
Published: October 2011

Reaction intermediates define the chemical steps of transformation from substrates to products, and capture of intermediates along catalytic pathways remains one focal point in the studies of enzymatic mechanisms. Performing enzymatic reactions in protein single crystals has been shown to be very effective in trapping and identifying unstable intermediates. In this critical review, we provide several examples of in crystallo approaches to trap reactive oxidation intermediates, thereby allowing the studies of enzymatic oxidation mechanisms.