bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Divided Self
Authors: Levin John S. , Walker Laurencia , Haberler Zachary , Jackson-Boothby Adam
Published: November 2013

Through qualitative field methods research addressing faculty of color in four California community colleges, this investigation examines and explains faculty experiences and professional sense making. By combining critical race theory with social identity theory, our perspective underlines the potential social and ethnic identity conflicts inherent in the daily lives of faculty of color. The professional and social identities of faculty of color are not necessarily compatible, leading to a condition of “double consciousness,” or what we refer to as “the divided self.”
Expanding Dual Enrollment
Authors: Pretlow Josh , Wathington Heather D.
Published: November 2013

This study investigated the dual enrollment outcomes associated with a 2005 policy change intended to expand dual enrollment participation in Virginia. Results indicated that overall access to and participation in dual enrollment courses increased following the policy change. However, data showed this increase was not uniform, and minority groups remained significantly underrepresented when compared with their representation in the general student population. Furthermore, we examined the changes in postsecondary enrollment of dual enrollment students. Although a similar percentage of students enrolled in higher education before and after the policy change, we found variation in the timing and the type of institution in which students enrolled, with students after the policy change enrolling in 4-year institutions sooner after high school graduation than students in the cohort prior to the change. Implications related to educational opportunity and unintended consequences of the policy change are discussed.
Species- and Dose-Specific Pancreatic Responses and Progression in Single- and Repeat-Dose Studies with GI181771X
Authors: Myer James R. , Romach Elizabeth H. , Elangbam Chandikumar S.
Published: November 2013

Compound-induced pancreatic injury is a serious liability in preclinical toxicity studies. However, its relevance to humans should be cautiously evaluated because of interspecies variations. To highlight such variations, we evaluated the species- and dose-specific pancreatic responses and progression caused by GI181771X, a novel cholecystokinin 1 receptor agonist investigated by GlaxoSmithKline for the treatment of obesity. Acute (up to 2,000 mg/kg GI181771X, as single dose) and repeat-dose studies in mice and/or rats (0.25–250 mg/kg/day for 7 days to 26 weeks) showed wide-ranging morphological changes in the pancreas that were dose and duration dependent, including necrotizing pancreatitis, acinar cell hypertrophy/atrophy, zymogen degranulation, focal acinar cell hyperplasia, and interstitial inflammation. In contrast to rodents, pancreatic changes were not observed in cynomolgus monkeys given GI181771X (1–500 mg/kg/day with higher systemic exposure than rats) for up to 52 weeks. Similarly, no GI181771X treatment-associated abnormalities in pancreatic structure were noted in a 24-week clinical trial with obese patients (body mass index >30 or >27 kg/m2) as assessed by abdominal ultrasound or by magnetic resonance imaging. Mechanisms for interspecies variations in the pancreatic response to CCK among rodents, monkeys, and humans and their relevance to human risk are discussed.
The Role of the Peer Review Pathologist in Good Laboratory Practices Studies
Authors: Hailey James R.
Published: November 2013

While the study pathologist (SP) signs the pathology report and is ultimately accountable for the data, the sponsor peer review pathologist (SPRP) generally signs a peer review (PR) statement indicating agreement with the overall pathology data and the associated interpretations. Additionally, the SPRP is often the initial contact to field internal and regulatory pathology data queries. Therefore, the SPRP should conduct as comprehensive a pathology PR as necessary to have complete confidence in the data and interpretations. Ideally, the SPRP should be involved at study design, as the study evolves, through completion of the overall study report. The SPRP should prepare as much as possible before the actual PR start date to include a review of all available data that may impact the PR. This review should focus on identifying findings not already identified in the draft pathology report that may need further interrogation. While all discrepancies between the SPRP and SP may be discussed for mutual learning, the emphasis should be on resolving issues that impact study interpretation. The final pathology report should reflect the consensus between the SP and SPRP and appropriately communicate the study findings. This article provides further background and example scenarios to illustrate these PR perspectives.
Incidental Histopathological Findings in Hearts of Control Beagle Dogs in Toxicity Studies
Authors: Bodié Karen , Decker Joshua H.
Published: November 2013

In preclinical studies of pharmaceutical agents, the beagle dog is a commonly used model for the detection of cardiotoxicity. Incidental findings, postmortem changes, and artifacts must be distinguished histopathologically from test item–related findings in the heart. In this retrospective analysis, cardiac sections from 88 control beagles (41 male, 47 female; ages 5–18 months) in preclinical studies were examined histopathologically. The most common finding was thickening of the tunica media of intramural coronary arteries, most likely a postmortem change. The second most common finding was the presence of vacuoles within Purkinje fibers. Dilated lymphatic and blood vessels at the insertion of chordae tendineae were noted more commonly in males than in females and were considered a normal anatomic feature. Mesothelial-lined papillary fronds along the epicardial surface of the atria were present in several dogs, as were small infiltrates of inflammatory cells usually within the myocardium. In summary, control beagles’ hearts frequently have incidental findings that must be differentiated from test item–related pathologic changes. Historical control data can be useful for the interpretation of incidental and test item–related findings in the beagle heart.
The impact of formal and informal learning on students’ improvisational processes
Authors: Augustyniak Sylvana
Published: November 2013

This article, based on my PhD empirical study, was conducted in a qualitative and holistic approach. It had examined how students had used formal and informal strategies, styles and situations while improvising and composing for the research task. Eighteen research groups made up of a total of 40 males and nine females had participated in improvising in their choice of popular styles of music. An average of four participants to each group, ranged in ages from 12–13 years, 13–14 years, 14–15 years, and 15–16 years, participated in the task. Certain participants requested to work with their friends partaking in more than one research group affecting the numbers in some of the groups. These participants were chosen from three different Australian school settings; a Public Sports High School, a private Anglican School, and a Catholic Systemic School, so as to avoid bias in the data. The task was an unstructured one. The participants chose to use any of the following; audio-technology such as iPods, instruments, singing, or the compositional software ‘Garage-Band.’ The data were collected from the pre-questionnaires and midi-files, as well as semi-structured interviewing which was then sorted, coded, and collated through triangulation processes. The results indicated the importance of the participants’ auditory memory that influenced their integrated improvisational skills particularly with the use of technology.
Effects of an aquatic therapy approach (Halliwick-Therapy) on functional mobility in subacute stroke patients: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Tripp Florian , Krakow Karsten
Published: November 2013

Objective:

To evaluate the effects of an aquatic physiotherapy method (Halliwick-Therapy) upon mobility in the post-acute phase of stroke rehabilitation.

Design:

Randomized controlled trial.

Setting:

Hospital for neurological rehabilitation.

Participants:

Adult patients after first-ever stroke in post-acute inpatient rehabilitation at least two weeks after the onset of stroke ( n = 30).

Interventions:

In the Halliwick-Therapy group ( n = 14) the treatment over a period of two weeks included 45 minutes of aquatic therapy three times per week and a conventional physiotherapeutic treatment twice a week. Subjects in the control group ( n = 16) received conventional physiotherapeutic treatment over a period of two weeks five times per week.

Outcome measures:

The primary outcome variable was postural stability (Berg Balance Scale). Secondary outcome variables were functional reach, functional gait ability and basic functional mobility.

Results:

Compared to the control group, significantly more subjects in the Halliwick-Therapy group (83.3% versus 46.7%) attained significant improvement of the Berg Balance Scale ( P < 0.05). Improvement of the functional gait ability was significantly higher in the Halliwick-Therapy group (mean (SD) 1.25(0.86)) than in the control group (mean (SD) 0.73 (0.70)) ( P < 0.1). The mean differences of improvements in functional reach and basic functional mobility were not statistically significant between groups.

Conclusions:

This study indicates that Halliwick-Therapy is safe and well tolerated in stroke patients in post-acute rehabilitation and has positive effects upon some aspects of mobility.
Aquatic therapy improves pain, disability, quality of life, body composition and fitness in sedentary adults with chronic low back pain. A controlled clinical trial
Authors: Baena-Beato Pedro Ángel , Artero Enrique G , Arroyo-Morales Manuel , Robles-Fuentes Alejandro , Gatto-Cardia María Claudia , Delgado-Fernández Manuel
Published: November 2013

Objective:

To determine the effects of a two-month intensive aquatic therapy programme on back pain, disability, quality of life, body composition and health-related fitness in sedentary adults with chronic low back pain.

Design:

Controlled clinical trial.

Setting:

Community.

Subjects:

Forty-nine sedentary patients with chronic low back pain.

Interventions:

Patients were allocated into active group ( n = 24, two months, five times/week) or waiting list, control group ( n = 25) according to space on the programme.

Main measures:

Outcomes variables were pain (visual analogue scale), disability (Oswestry Disability Index), quality of life (Quality Short-Form Health Survey 36), body composition (weight, body mass index, body fat percentage and skeletal muscle mass) and health-related fitness (sit-and-reach, handgrip strength, curl-up, Rockport 1-mile test).

Results:

The active group significantly improved low back pain (–3.83 ± 0.35 mm on the visual analogue scale ), disability (–12.7 ± 1.3 points for the Oswestry Disability Index) and the standardized physical component (10.3 ± 1.4 points for the Quality Short-Form Health Survey 36) of quality-of-life domains ( P < 0.001), with no significant changes on the standardized mental component ( P = 0.114). In relation to body composition and fitness, the active group showed significant improvements (all P-values < 0.01). The control group presented no significant change in any parameter.

Conclusions:

A two-month intensive aquatic therapy programme of high-frequency (five times/week) decreases levels of back pain and disability, increases quality of life, and improves body composition and health-related fitness in sedentary adults with chronic low back pain.
Reconviction Rates After Suspended Sentences
Authors: Aarten Pauline G. M. , Denkers Adriaan , Borgers Matthias J. , van der Laan Peter H.
Published: November 2013

Previous research has focused mainly on determining the effectiveness of suspended sentences compared with other sentences, and seldom on understanding to what extent the different types of suspended sentences reduce recidivism rates. This study examined reconviction rates of offenders ( N = 1,258) who received fully or partly suspended prison sentences, with or without special conditions, in 2006 in two of the largest court districts in the Netherlands. Cox proportional hazard models revealed no difference in reconviction rates between fully and partly suspended prison sentences, with and without special conditions. However, suspended sentences without special conditions had significantly lower reconviction rates compared with special conditions that were solely control-orientated. Although there are indications that certain types of suspended sentences reduced reconviction rates more than other types, more rigorous research is still required.
Intergenerational Family Stories
Authors: Green Anna
Published: November 2013

National surveys investigating the ways in which the public connects with the past have identified the significant role played by family memories and stories. While historians have largely been dismissive of this dimension of historical consciousness, sociologists and psychologists perceive these stories to be essential elements in human development and the creation of social identity. In this study, a cohort of twelve multigenerational families in the southwest of England recounted their family stories, the shared narrative patterns and themes of which challenge existing paradigms of family memory and historical consciousness.
Inch by Inch
Authors: Guy Mary E. , Fenley Vanessa M.
Published: November 2013

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was influential in leveling the playing field for women. More than the actual protections afforded by the act itself, it triggered subsequent laws that collectively have lessened the pay gap, provided protections from harassment, and increased opportunities for women to participate in education, sports, and workplace opportunities that were previously reserved for men. However, the pace at which these changes have occurred has extended over generations, and the goal of parity has yet to be reached. This article traces legislation that has helped women advance in the workplace and concludes by arguing for the expansion of how gender is conceptualized. Rather than the dichotomous male/female view, gender equity should embrace fairness for all, wherever they fall on the continuum from masculine to feminine.
It’s Been a Long Time Comin’
Authors: Bearfield Domonic A.
Published: November 2013

This article provides a decade by decade examination of major themes in the public personnel literature as published in two leading journals: Public Administration Review and Review of Public Personnel Administration. The article also highlights research addressing issues related to the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
“Why Should I Leave?” Belgian Emerging Adults’ Departure From Home
Authors: Kins Evie , De Mol Jan , Beyers Wim
Published: November 2013

In today’s Western societies, the transition to adulthood is prolonged, creating a separate developmental phase between adolescence and adulthood referred to as emerging adulthood. Following from this general delay in adult commitment-making, a considerable number of emerging adults continues to live in the parental household. The present study was conducted in Belgium and aimed to obtain a greater understanding of the home-leaving experience by qualitatively exploring how emerging adults who live with their parents or who have taken steps toward independent living experience their residential status. Twenty Belgian emerging adults, aged 24 to 25, were questioned during an interview. Responses were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Emerging adults’ descriptions suggest that the home-leaving process is a complex period in life characterized by feelings of ambivalence, whereby young people are simultaneously trying to combine a strong need for independence with a wish to remain connected to the parents. Implications for clinical practice and future research are discussed.
Authors’ Rejoinder to Respondents (Shulman, Steinberg, & Piquero, 2013)
Authors: Males Mike A. , Brown Elizabeth A.
Published: November 2013

Respondents, in “A Mistaken Account of the Age-Crime Curve: Response to Males and Brown,” dispute our finding that virtually all of the discrepancy in violent crime rates between adolescents/emerging adults versus older adults is explained not by young age per se but by higher poverty levels among the young. Our rejoinder argues that Respondents misunderstand our method, raise “ecological fallacy” objections that do not apply to our population-level study, and counter with a reanalysis that includes only limited ages and inadequate method to assess socioeconomic factors in crime and risk taking by age. Our examination of Respondents’ reanalysis and citations finds further support for our finding that the “age-crime” curve is an artifact of demographic and disadvantage disparities, not “adolescent risk taking.”
Course Delivery
Authors: Vernon-Dotson Lisa J. , Floyd Loury O. , Dukes Charles , Darling Sharon M.
Published: November 2013

In this review of the literature, the authors examined studies investigating course delivery methods for preparing special education teachers. Ultimately, 17 studies were reviewed using a constant comparative qualitative method of analysis. This analysis led to the emergence of five themes: (a) established needs, (b) effectiveness, (c) logistics, (d) instructional methods, and (e) critical factors. The findings from this review are discussed in relation to mechanisms affecting special education teacher education, including (a) technology, (b) diversity, (c) preservice and in-service prerequisite knowledge, (d) skills and dispositions, and (e) program quality. Implications for future research in distance education related to special education teacher preparation, such as need for variability in the courses types are examined, while the necessity for studies utilizing random selection and implications for practice pertaining to instructor and student readiness as well as program infrastructure are suggested.
Recruiting Men, Constructing Manhood
Authors: Cottingham Marci D.
Published: November 2013

Despite broader changes in the health care industry and gender dynamics in the United States, men continue to be a minority in the traditionally female occupation of nursing. As a caring profession, nursing emphasizes empathy, emotional engagement, and helping others—behaviors and skills characterized as antithetical to hegemonic notions of a tough, detached, and independent masculine self. The current study examines how nursing and related organizations “mobilize masculinities” in their efforts to recruit men to nursing. Analyzing recruitment materials, I assess the mobilization and construction of masculinities in the context of textual, spoken, and visual content. Results reveal how organizations simultaneously mobilize aspects of hegemonic and nonhegemonic masculinities through ideological gendering practices. I identify three distinct types of mediated mobilization: full hegemonic co-option, partial hegemonic co-option, and alternative construction of masculinities. Empirically, the study illustrates the content of nursing recruitment material aimed at men and the ongoing contradictions endemic to men’s entry into caring professions. Complementing existing structural and interactional approaches, the study advances theory on how the mobilization of masculinities operates as an ideological gendering practice at the organizational level.
Experimental studies on the aerodynamic characteristics of a pantograph suitable for a high-speed train
Authors: Lee Yeongbin , Rho Joohyun , Kim Kyu Hong , Lee Dong Ho , Kwon Hyeok Bin
Published: November 2013

The aerodynamic properties of a pantograph that is under consideration for application on Korean high-speed trains are experimentally investigated. The selected experimental models were one-quarter scale pantographs (a double-arm pantograph, single-arm pantograph and a periscope pantograph) with either a rectangular panhead or a panhead with an optimized streamlined shape. To increase the performance and the robustness of the pantograph, the drag coefficient and the fluctuation of the lift coefficient along the angle of attack are simultaneously minimized. In order to confirm the aerodynamic enhancement of the pantograph due to the optimized panhead, the aerodynamic forces are compared with those of a pantograph with a rectangular panhead. To investigate the aerodynamic force distribution of a pantograph, the aerodynamic forces of the lift and drag of the pantograph are measured in wind tunnel tests and analyzed in terms of the pantograph’s components. In addition, wake flows are examined based on variations of the shape of the panhead.
Use of research questionnaires in the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme in England: impact on screening uptake
Authors: Watson Joanna , Shaw Keith , MacGregor Maria , Smith Steve , Halloran Stephen , Patnick Julietta , Beral Valerie , Green Jane ,   on behalf of the Bowel Screening Follow-up Study Investigators and Collaborators
Published: November 2013

Background

The NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme in England offers biennial screening to those aged 60-74 using a faecal occult blood test (FOBt) sent by post. Data from this national clinical programme can also be used for research. Awareness of the impact of such studies on screening participation is important.

Aims

To investigate the effect on screening uptake of adding a research questionnaire to the postal screening invitation.

Methods

People invited for screening in 2008–10 in two areas of England were randomized to receive or not to receive an additional research study questionnaire, consent form and study information, either with their test kit or 2-3 days later. Uptake of screening was examined in relation to study mailings.

Results

Among 11,579 people invited for screening by the Midlands and North West Bowel Cancer Screening Hub, screening uptake was significantly lower in those who received study documents with their FOBt kit than in those who did not (48.6% vs 53.5% respectively: p < 0.001). The reduction in uptake was similar in men and women, and was greater in people living in more deprived areas. Among a further 36,195 people invited for screening by the Midlands and North West and Southern Hubs, sending study documents by separate mailing 2–3 days after the FOBt kit did not affect screening uptake (uptake with and without additional study mailing: Midlands and North West, 56.7% and 56.2% respectively, p = 0.6; Southern, 52.0% and 51.4% respectively, p = 0.5).

Conclusions

Researchers planning studies that include contact with potential participants within the NHS Bowel Cancer and similar screening programmes should be aware of the potential impact on uptake.
Toxicological Assessment of Green Petroleum Coke
Authors: McKee Richard H. , Herron Deborah , Beatty Patrick , Podhasky Paula , Hoffman Gary M. , Swigert James , Lee Carol , Wong Diana
Published: November 2013

Green petroleum coke is primarily inorganic carbon with some entrained volatile hydrocarbon material. As part of the petroleum industry response to the high production volume challenge program, the potential for reproductive effects was assessed in a subchronic toxicity/reproductive toxicity screening test in rats (OECD 421). The repeated-dose portion of the study provided evidence for dust accumulation and inflammatory responses in rats exposed to 100 and 300 mg/m3 but there were no effects at 30 mg/m3. In the reproductive toxicity screen, the frequency of successful matings was reduced in the high exposure group (300 mg/m3) and was not significantly different from control values but was outside the historical experience of the laboratory. The postnatal observations (external macroscopic examination, body weight, and survival) did not indicate any treatment-related differences. Additional tests conducted to assess the potential hazards to aquatic (fish, invertebrates, and algae) and soil dwelling organisms (earthworms and vascular plants) showed few effects at the maximum loading rates of 1000 mg coke/L in aquatic studies and 1000 mg coke/kg soil in terrestrial studies. The only statistically significant finding was an inhibition of algal growth measured as either biomass or growth rate.
Use of a Statistical Model to Predict the Potential for Repeated Dose and Developmental Toxicity of Dermally Administered Crude Oil and Relation to Reproductive Toxicity
Authors: McKee Richard H. , Nicolich Mark , Roy Timothy , White Russell , Daughtrey Wayne C.
Published: November 2013

Petroleum (commonly called crude oil) is a complex substance primarily composed of hydrocarbon constituents. Based on the results of previous toxicological studies as well as occupational experience, the principal acute toxicological hazards are those associated with exposure by inhalation to volatile hydrocarbon constituents and hydrogen sulfide, and chronic hazards are associated with inhalation exposure to benzene and dermal exposure to polycyclic aromatic compounds. The current assessment was an attempt to characterize the potential for repeated dose and/or developmental effects of crude oils following dermal exposures and to generalize the conclusions across a broad range of crude oils from different sources. Statistical models were used to predict the potential for repeated dose and developmental toxicity from compositional information. The model predictions indicated that the empirical data from previously tested crude oils approximated a “worst case” situation, and that the data from previously tested crude oils could be used as a reasonable basis for characterizing the repeated dose and developmental toxicological hazards of crude oils in general.
Hierarchies and learning in the conservatoire: Exploring what students learn through the lens of Bourdieu
Authors: Perkins Rosie
Published: November 2013

This article explores the intersection between institutional hierarchies and learning at a UK conservatoire. Conceptualizing learning as a social practice situated in a hierarchical social space, the article draws on the theorization of Bourdieu to understand how students are positioned in the conservatoire field and what this means in terms of their learning. Working within a social constructionist framework, the study adopted qualitative research with two case students, making use of a trilogy of methods: semi-structured interviews, participant self-documentation and participant-verification interviews. Findings reveal that as students participate in the conservatoire field they appear to learn their position in the conservatoire’s hierarchies, and that their position relates to what and how they learn. The conservatoire’s hierarchical organization can thus be considered an important factor in shaping student learning, illuminating the need for further research to explore how learning experiences and opportunities can be maximized for all conservatoire students.
From bolts to bags: Transforming cloth in 19th-century Tlingit Alaska
Authors: Smetzer Megan A
Published: November 2013

Cotton cloth was rapidly incorporated into Tlingit cultural practices after its introduction in the late 18th century by European explorers and fur traders in Southeast Alaska. The transformation of cloth, both within ceremonial contexts, and perhaps more significantly beyond them, has been all but overlooked. This article explores the innovative ways Tlingit women used cloth and considers the ways in which it participated in the construction of new social circumstances and also masked longstanding cultural practices as it circulated within and between Tlingit and Euro-American settler communities in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In particular, the author looks at how calico cloth was utilized in relation to the burgeoning tourist industry in Southeast Alaska and the annual berry feast.
Spatial pattern of hotel distribution in China
Authors: Luo Hao , Yang Yang
Published: November 2013

This paper aims to investigate the spatial pattern of hotel distribution in Chinese cities and shed light on the factors shaping this pattern. Several spatial data analysis methods are applied to examine the number of star-rated hotels in 342 Chinese cities from 2001 to 2010 as well as the number of budget hotels in 2008. Three significant hot-spot areas for star-rated hotels have been identified in 2010, namely, the Yangtze River Delta cluster, the Pearl River Delta cluster, and the Beijing–Tianjin cluster. Furthermore, based on the results from bivariate local Moran statistics, the star-rated hotel hot-spots are found to be spatially associated with local economic condition, foreign investment dependence, and the level of tourism development.
Ethnography in social work practice and policy
Authors: Haight Wendy , Kayama Misa , Korang-Okrah Rose
Published: November 2013

Ethnography affords social workers a powerful and unique vehicle for obtaining an in-depth, contextualized understanding of clients’ perspectives and experiences necessary for effective social work practice and advocacy. It also carries relatively unique risks. Unlike other forms of social inquiry such as surveys, interviews and analysis of administrative databases, a hallmark of ethnographic research is sustained engagement in participants’ lives. Unlike ethnographic inquiry in other disciplines, for example, in developmental psychology or anthropology, social work research has a strong social justice component. Hence, participants in social work ethnographies often are from vulnerable, marginalized or stigmatized groups and may have little exposure to research. We use several studies conducted in the US and globally as illustrative cases of both the opportunities and challenges of ethnography in social work. The first case highlights the understanding gained through ethnographic inquiry necessary for designing culturally-sensitive interventions, as well as the risks these in-depth, engaged methods may pose to traumatized and marginalized participants. The second case illustrates the valuable interplay of insider and outsider perspectives in ethnography for international social work, as well as the challenges of communicating with participants, many of whom have significant unmet needs about complex and unfamiliar role boundaries. The third case illustrates the importance to social work practice of cross-cultural conversations, as well as the ethical challenges of entering into the lives of stigmatized individuals. Strategies for maximizing the opportunities and minimizing the risks of ethnography in social work research are discussed.
Shifting practices of recovery under community mental health reform: A street-level organizational ethnography
Authors: Spitzmueller Matthew C
Published: November 2013

This article is part of a larger ethnographic study that seeks to understand how community mental health practice has changed over time in response to shifts in Medicaid management and financing. In this article, I examine the struggle that took place on the ground in one emblematic community mental health agency as frontline workers strived to realize their ‘recovery’ vision under emerging managerial arrangements of fee-for-service billing. This study finds that managerial reforms conflict with locally forged practices that emphasize self-determination and program responsiveness. By analyzing how street-level workers respond to formal policy in a real-time, situated context, this article gives greater transparency to policies that are otherwise uncertain, providing a fuller picture of how policy is produced in everyday life.
Development of slow release silver-containing biomaterial for wound care applications
Authors: Masood Rashid , Miraftab Mohsen , Hussain Tanveer , Edward-Jones Valerie
Published: November 2013

Silver-containing wound dressings are now commonly available with much publicised claims of antimicrobial activities against all kinds of pathogens including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). However, there are little or no credible reports on the control release agents for the minimum potent quantities of silver needed in dressings for antimicrobial purposes over time. This paper introduces a new biomaterial fibre made from natural polymers with an inbuilt ability to gel and absorb large quantities of pseudo exudates. Furthermore, the new fibre carries up to six times less silver than it is conventionally used in silver dressings and displays a very slow rate of release whilst maintaining full potency over time against known microorganisms including methicillin-resistant S. aureus. The paper concludes that the developed fibre has long-lasting antimicrobial and gelling properties comparable, if not better, than Acticoat AA and Aquacel Ag, two commercially available silver dressings.
The Upside Down Endurant Iliac Limb Stent Graft for Treatment of a Common Iliac Artery Aneurysm
Authors: Koike Yuya , Nishimura Jun-ichi , Hase Soichiro , Yamasaki Motoshige
Published: November 2013

Endovascular repair of the coverage from the common iliac artery to the external iliac artery after the internal iliac artery embolization has been proven to be a safe and effective treatment in isolated iliac artery aneurysms. But in cases in which the diameter of the proximal sealing zone is larger than that of the distal sealing zone, a reverse-tapered device is needed. We described the off-label use of the Endurant iliac limb stent graft in an upside down configuration to accommodate this diameter mismatch.
An Exploratory Survey of Transition Teaching Practices
Authors: Pham Yen K.
Published: November 2013

This study used multilevel modeling to examine the extent to which secondary special educators promoted nonacademic behaviors that were positively linked to postschool outcomes for students with disabilities, including self-advocacy, goal setting and attainment, disability awareness, employment, and utilization of supports. Respondents were 248 special educators in 20 states. Results showed that between-state factors accounted for significant variance in transition practices and that teachers reported teaching skills related to disability awareness, self-advocacy, goal setting and attainment, and utilization of supports more frequently than those related to employment. Limitations of the study, suggestions for future research, and implications for practice are discussed.
Pyewacket: A Familiar Spirit of the Witchfinder General
Authors: Coates Richard
Published: November 2013

AbstractThe name of a witch’s familiar, Pyewacket, was reported by the Witchfinder General of England, Matthew Hopkins, at the height of the witch persecution in the middle of the seventeenth century. It has eluded explanation so far. It is suggested that it derives from the name of a village presently in the State of Maine, and that it became known in England through family connections between Hopkins and the Governor of Massachusetts John Winthrop.
Evaluation of creep deformation behaviour of different microstuctural zones of 316LN SS weld joint using impression creep testing technique
Authors: Vijayanand Naveena V. D. , Ganesan V. , Laha K. , Mathew M. D.
Published: November 2013

Impression creep technique, which uses flat ended cylindrical indenter, is an attractive material non-invasive technique for evaluating creep properties as it enables probing small volume of material and requires short time for testing. The present investigation discusses the application of impression creep technique for characterising the creep behaviour of different microstructural regions in a high nitrogen grade of 316LN SS weld joint. Impression creep tests were carried out at 923 K on the weld metal, the base metal and the heat-affected zone in 316LN SS weld joint. The impression creep curves exhibited the first two characteristic stages of the creep processes, namely, a primary creep stage and a secondary creep stage. The rate at which the cylindrical flat punch penetrated into the test specimen was controlled by the time dependence of the movement of the material underneath the punch. The weld metal, the base metal and the heat affected zone exhibited distinct creep behaviour. The difference in creep behaviour of each zone was correlated with the difference in microstructure and morphology of the weld joint. A comparison was made between the data obtained from impression creep tests and from independent uniaxial creep tests on the weld metal and the base metal. A good correlation was established between impression creep and uniaxial creep results.
Predictors of dyspnoea prevalence: results from the BOLD study
Authors: Grønseth Rune , Vollmer William M. , Hardie Jon A. , Ólafsdóttir Inga Sif , Lamprecht Bernd , Buist A. Sonia , Gnatiuc Louisa , Gulsvik Amund , Johannessen Ane , Enright Paul
Published: November 2013

Dyspnoea is a cardinal symptom for cardiorespiratory diseases. No study has assessed worldwide variation in dyspnoea prevalence or predictors of dyspnoea.

We used cross-sectional data from population-based samples in 15 countries of the Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease (BOLD) study to estimate prevalence of dyspnoea in the full sample, as well as in ana prioridefined low-risk group (few risk factors or dyspnoea-associated diseases). Dyspnoea was defined by the modified Medical Research Council questions. We used ordered logistic regression analysis to study the association of dyspnoea with site, sex, age, education, smoking habits, low/high body mass index, self-reported disease and spirometry results.

Of the 9484 participants, 27% reported any dyspnoea. In the low-risk subsample (n=4329), 16% reported some dyspnoea. In multivariate analyses, all covariates were correlated to dyspnoea, but only 13% of dyspnoea variation was explained. Females reported more dyspnoea than males (odds ratio ∼2.1). When forced vital capacity fell below 60% of predicted, dyspnoea was much more likely.

There was considerable geographical variation in dyspnoea, even when we adjusted for known risk factors and spirometry results. We were only able to explain 13% of dyspnoea variation.
The distribution of COPD in UK general practice using the new GOLD classification
Authors: Haughney John , Gruffydd-Jones Kevin , Roberts June , Lee Amanda J , Hardwell Alison , McGarvey Lorcan
Published: November 2013

The new Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) 2011 document recommends a combined assessment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) based on current symptoms and future risk.

A large database of primary-care COPD patients across the UK was used to determine COPD distribution and characteristics according to the new GOLD classification. 80 general practices provided patients with a Read code diagnosis of COPD. Electronic and hand searches of patient medical records were undertaken, optimising data capture.

Data for 9219 COPD patients were collected. For the 6283 patients with both forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and modified Medical Research Council scores (mean±sdage 69.2±10.6 years, body mass index 27.3±6.2 kg·m−2), GOLD 2011 group distributions were: A (low risk and fewer symptoms) 36.1%, B (low risk and more symptoms) 19.1%, C (high risk and fewer symptoms) 19.6% and D (high risk and more symptoms) 25.3%. This is in contrast with GOLD 2007 stage classification: I (mild) 17.1%, II (moderate) 52.2%, III (severe) 25.5% and IV (very severe) 5.2%. 20% of patients with FEV1≥50% predicted had more than two exacerbations in the previous 12 months. 70% of patients with FEV1<50% pred had fewer than two exacerbations in the previous 12 months.

This database, representative of UK primary-care COPD patients, identified greater proportions of patients in the mildest and most severe categories upon comparing 2011versus2007 GOLD classifications. Discordance between airflow limitation severity and exacerbation risk was observed.
Processed meat consumption and lung function: modification by antioxidants and smoking
Authors: Okubo Hitomi , Shaheen Seif O. , Ntani Georgia , Jameson Karen A. , Syddall Holly E. , Aihie Sayer Avan , Dennison Elaine M. , Cooper Cyrus , Robinson Sian M. ,   the Hertfordshire Cohort Study Group
Published: November 2013

Unhealthy dietary patterns are associated with poor lung function. It is not known whether this is due to low consumption of antioxidant-rich fruit and vegetables, or is a consequence of higher intakes of harmful dietary constituents, such as processed meat.

We examined the individual and combined associations of processed meat, fruit and vegetable consumption and dietary total antioxidant capacity (TAC) with lung function among 1551 males and 1391 females in the UK in the Hertfordshire Cohort Study. Diet was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire.

After controlling for confounders, processed meat consumption was negatively associated with forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC) and FEV1/FVC ratio in males and females, while fruit and vegetable consumption and dietary TAC were positively associated with FEV1and FVC, but not FEV1/FVC ratio. In males, the negative association between processed meat consumption and FEV1was more marked in those who had low fruit and vegetable consumption (p=0.035 for interaction), and low dietary TAC (p=0.025 for interaction). The deficit in FEV1/FVC associated with processed meat consumption was larger in males who smoked (p=0.022 for interaction).

Higher processed meat consumption is associated with poorer lung function, especially in males who have lower fruit and vegetable consumption or dietary TAC, and among current smokers.
Acute exacerbation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis associated with air pollution exposure
Authors: Johannson Kerri A. , Vittinghoff Eric , Lee Kiyoung , Balmes John R. , Ji Wonjun , Kaplan Gilaad G. , Kim Dong Soon , Collard Harold R.
Published: November 2013

Acute exacerbations of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis are associated with high mortality and are of unknown cause. The effect of air pollution on exacerbations of interstitial lung disease is unknown. This study aims to define the association of air pollution exposure with acute exacerbation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and corresponding air pollution data were identified from a longitudinal cohort. Air pollution exposures were assigned to each patient for ozone, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter, sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide based on geo-coded residential addresses. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the association of air pollution exposures and acute exacerbations.

Acute exacerbation was significantly associated with antecedent 6-week increases in mean level, maximum level and number of exceedances above accepted standards of ozone (hazard ratio (HR) 1.57, 95% CI 1.09–2.24; HR 1.42, 95% CI 1.11–1.82; and HR 1.51, 95% CI 1.17–1.94, respectively) and nitrogen dioxide (HR 1.41, 95% CI 1.04–1.91; HR 1.27, 95% CI 1.01–1.59; and HR 1.20, 95% CI 1.10–1.31, respectively).

Increased ozone and nitrogen dioxide exposure over the preceding 6 weeks was associated with an increased risk of acute exacerbation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, suggesting that air pollution may contribute to the development of this clinically meaningful event.
Pharmacological inhibition of GSK-3 in a guinea pig model of LPS-induced pulmonary inflammation: II. Effects on skeletal muscle atrophy
Authors: Verhees Koen JP , Pansters Nicholas AM , Baarsma Hoeke A , Remels Alexander HV , Haegens Astrid , de Theije Chiel C , Schols Annemie MWJ , Gosens Reinoud , Langen Ramon CJ
Published: November 2013

Background

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is accompanied by pulmonary inflammation and associated with extra-pulmonary manifestations, including skeletal muscle atrophy. Glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) has been implicated in the regulation of muscle protein- and myonuclear turnover; two crucial processes that determine muscle mass. In the present study we investigated the effect of the selective GSK-3 inhibitor SB216763 on muscle mass in a guinea pig model of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced pulmonary inflammation-associated muscle atrophy.

Methods

Guinea pigs were pretreated with either intranasally instilled SB216763 or corresponding vehicle prior to each LPS/saline challenge twice weekly. Pulmonary inflammation was confirmed and indices of muscle mass were determined after 12 weeks. Additionally, cultured skeletal muscle cells were incubated with tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) or glucocorticoids (GCs) to model the systemic effects of pulmonary inflammation on myogenesis, in the presence or absence of GSK-3 inhibitors.

Results

Repeated LPS instillation induced muscle atrophy based on muscle weight and muscle fiber cross sectional area. Intriguingly, GSK-3 inhibition using SB216763 prevented the LPS-induced muscle mass decreases and myofiber atrophy. Indices of protein turnover signaling were unaltered in guinea pig muscle. Interestingly, inhibition of myogenesis of cultured muscle cells by TNF-α or synthetic GCs was prevented by GSK-3 inhibitors.

Conclusions

In a guinea pig model of LPS-induced pulmonary inflammation, GSK-3 inhibition prevents skeletal muscle atrophy without affecting pulmonary inflammation. Resistance to inflammation- or GC-induced impairment of myogenic differentiation, imposed by GSK-3 inhibition, suggests that sustained myogenesis may contribute to muscle mass maintenance despite persistent pulmonary inflammation. Collectively, these results warrant further exploration of GSK-3 as a potential novel drug target to prevent or reverse muscle wasting in COPD.
How does gender influence the recognition of cardiovascular risk and adherence to self-care recommendations?: a study in polish primary care
Authors: Szymczyk Ireneusz , Wojtyna Ewa , Lukas Witold , Kępa Joanna , Pawlikowska Teresa
Published: November 2013

Background

Studies have shown a correlation between gender and an ability to change lifestyle to reduce the risk of disease. However, the results of these studies are ambiguous, especially where a healthy lifestyle is concerned. Additionally, health behaviors are strongly modified by culture and the environment. Psychological factors also substantially affect engagement with disease-related lifestyle interventions. This study aimed to examine whether there are differences between men and women in the frequency of health care behavior for the purpose of reducing cardiovascular risk (CVR), as well as cognitive appraisal of this type of risk. We also aimed to identify the psychological predictors of engaging in recommended behavior for reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease after providing information about this risk in men and women.

Methods

A total of 134 consecutive eligible patients in a family practice entered a longitudinal study. At initial consultation, the individual’s CVR and associated health burden was examined, and preventive measures were recommended by the physician. Self-care behavior, cognitive appraisal of risk, and coping styles were then assessed using psychological questionnaires. Six months after the initial data collection, the frequency of subjects’ self-care behavior was examined.

Results

We found an increase in health care behavior after providing information regarding the rate of CVR in both sexes; this increase was greater for women than for men. Women followed self-care guidelines more often than men, particularly for preventive measures and dietary advice. Women were more inclined to recognize their CVR as a challenge. Coping style, cognitive appraisal, age, level of health behaviors at baseline and CVR values accounted for 48% of the variance in adherence to self-care guidelines in women and it was 52% in men. In women, total risk of CVD values were most important, while in men, cognitive appraisal of harm/loss was most important.

Conclusions

Different predictors of acquisition of health behavior are encountered in men and women. Our results suggest that gender-adjusted motivation models influencing the recognition process need to be considered to optimize compliance in patients with CVR.