bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Full‐Frontal Morality: The Naked Truth about Gender
Authors: Bettcher Talia Mae
Published: March 2011

This paper examines Harold Garfinkel's notion of the natural attitude about sex and his claim that it is fundamentally moral in nature. The author looks beneath the natural attitude in order to explain its peculiar resilience and oppressive force. There she reveals a moral order grounded in the dichotomously sexed bodies so constituted through boundaries governing privacy and decency. In particular, naked bodies are sex‐differentiated within a system of genital representation through gender presentation—a system that helps constitute the very boundaries between the public and private.
Habits of Transformation
Authors: Cuffari Elena
Published: March 2011

This essay argues that according to feminist existential phenomenology, feminist pragmatism, and feminist genealogy, our embodied condition is an important starting place for ethical living due to the inevitable role that habits play in our conduct. In bodies, the phenomenon of habit uniquely holds together the ambiguities of freedom and determinism, transcendence and immanence, and stability and plasticity. Seeing habit formation as a matter of self-growth and social justice gives fresh opportunity for thinking of “assuming ambiguity” as a lifelong endeavor made up of many small projects and practices of situated resistance to stagnation. Transcendence, understood as ameliorative transformation, is found in cultivating habits of learning from our bodily living. I articulate this argument via a reading of Simone de Beauvoir'sThe Coming of Age, John Dewey'sHuman Nature and Conduct, and Ladelle McWhorter'sBodies and Pleasures. I discuss two domains wherein the ethical significance of habit formation appears: cognitive psychological research on neural plasticity, and certain projects of self-cultivation that risk turning into overdetermining “cult of the self” practices that close off possibilities for personal and collective transformation.
A Fourth Subject Position of Care
Authors: Butler Samuel A.
Published: March 2011

Analyses of care work typically speak of three necessary roles of care: the care worker, the care recipient, and an economic provider who makes care materially possible. This model provides no place for addressing the difficult political questions care poses for liberal representative democracy. I propose to fill this space with a new caring role to connect the care unit to the political sphere, as the economic provider connects the care unit to the economic sphere. I call this role that of the “care claimant.” The labor of claiming care consists in the development, expression, and advancement of the interests of the care unit. The argument for employing this fourth care role begins by comparing Nel Noddings's phenomenological care unit to Sara Ruddick's family‐based analysis. It then moves to discuss the way Eva Kittay emphasizes the dependency of the charge and its political ramifications to illustrate the need for a care claimant. After distinguishing the care claimant from the other roles of care, I examine the power relationships in the care unit and the position of the care claimant in the public sphere.
Dependency Relations: Corporeal Vulnerability and Norms of Personhood in Hobbes and Kittay
Authors: Whitney Shiloh Y.
Published: March 2011

Theories of the liberal tradition have relied on independence as a norm of personhood. Feminist theorists such as Eva Kittay in Love's Labor have been instrumental in critiquing normative independence. I explore the role of corporeal vulnerability in Kittay's account of personhood, developing a comparison to the role it plays in Thomas Hobbes'sLeviathan. Kittay's crucial contribution inLove's Laboris that once we acknowledge the facts of corporeal vulnerability, we must not only acknowledge but also affirm dependency in a genuinely inclusive affirmation of personhood. While endorsing Kittay's “dependency critique,” I discover difficulties that beleaguer Kittay's development of new norms of personhood. I trace these to a dependency of Kittay's account on a crucial premise of the liberal model it resists. I argue that in order to affirm dependency in a manner that departs more thoroughly from the criticized aspects of liberal personhood, we must cease to position it in a dichotomy of power and vulnerability. I suggest that attending to the corporeality of vulnerability can aid us in developing the terms of a discourse affirming relational personhood while undermining that dichotomy.
“Education for Democracy”:SPSSIand the Study of Morale in World War II
Authors: Faye Cathy
Published: March 2011

Many scholars have noted that, by 1950, the early radicalism and devotion to change that was characteristic of the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues had faded. It was slowly overshadowed by a more orthodox adherence to the principles of science and objectivity. This article demonstrates that the difficulties faced by the Society in their work on morale during World War II contributed to this shift. The Society had little success finding support for their work on morale, partly because of the association between “morale” and “propaganda.” Thus, funding agencies refused to back what they saw as a partisan propaganda agency and other groups questioned the ability of social scientists to step out of the ivory tower and conduct practical morale work. The Society therefore further retreated from their activist position and began to adopt a more cautious and tailored approach to the study of social issues.
Value Neutrality andSPSSI: The Quest for Policy, Purity, and Legitimacy
Authors: Winston Andrew S.
Published: March 2011

I describe how the problem of “value neutrality” remained a central issue for SPSSI from the founding of the organization to the 1960s, as SPSSI leaders worked to maintain legitimacy in both scientific and public spheres. In 1930s psychology, notions of objectivity and political neutrality were intertwined in ways that produced substantial debate over SPSSI's aims. Under pressures from anticommunism and changes in public and private funding for research, the problem of neutrality intensified by the 1950s. In this new climate, the need to demonstrate value neutrality was a powerful constraint on the ability of SPSSI to respond to resurgent scientized racism after the Supreme Court Brown decision.
The SPSSI Task Force on Sexual Orientation, the Nature of Sex, and the Contours of Activist Science
Authors: Pettit Michael
Published: March 2011

Drawing on published and archival materials, this article charts the history of the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI)‐sponsored Task Force on Sexual Orientation (1978–1982). The Task Force offers a lens through which to explore the assumptions about the nature of human sexuality at work in 1970s psychology. The concept of nature does not possess a stable meaning across disciplinary communities. Where for some nature connotes the normalizing sanction of natural laws, others associate the term with artificial claims about the constraints of a deficient biology. As an organization founded by social psychologists, SPSSI projects, such as its members’ work on race relations, tended to emphasize the latter strategy. Responding to conservatives who cast homosexuality as unnatural, a number of Task Force members turned to sociobiology as a normalizing natural science. In this regard, the Task Force was an important episode in defining what might constitute activist‐science.
A Wrinkle in Time: Tracing a Legacy of Public Science through Community Self‐Surveys and Participatory Action Research
Authors: Torre María Elena , Fine Michelle
Published: March 2011

Community self‐surveys, popularized by Margot Haas Wormser and Claire Selltiz in the 1950s, brought together diverse community groups to examine racial injustice in their local contexts. A precursor to contemporary participatory action research, the self survey method provides evidence of SPSSI's long history of “engaged scholarship.” In this article, we resurrect this history and connect it to contemporary research in critical psychology that shares commitments to participation, methodological complexity, expanded notions of “expertise,” as well as social and political relevance.
SPSSI and Peace‐Building: A Participant's Perspective
Authors: Kimmel Paul R.
Published: March 2011

A culture of peace promotes caring relations among individuals and groups based on full realization of their positive interdependence with each other and their environment—it entails social justice, norms of equity and multicultural sensitivity and social relations conducive to nonviolence, sustainable development, and human well‐being. This is a history of Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI)'s efforts to build such a culture in the United States, especially within and through organized psychology. The perspective taken is primarily my own as a member of SPSSI Council, an SPSSI Representative to the American Psychological Association (APA)'s Council of Representatives, SPSSI's first historian and first Public Policy Fellow at the APA, liaison between Division 9 and Division 48 of the APA, and SPSSI's Representative to the Southern California Regional Council of Organizations. I argue for the importance of applying public interest science to issues of cultural, structural, and direct violence.
SPSSI and Racial Research
Authors: Pettigrew Thomas F.
Published: March 2011

This review highlights the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI)'s racial research contribution to public policy. Although not an initial focus of SPSSI, racial research has long been a central concern of the organization. Klineberg's work in the 1930s established an example of how social research could have widespread influence on social policy. SPSSI books and the Journal of Social Issues reveal the Society's unswerving interest in such topics as prejudice and authoritarianism. The year 1954 proved a watershed year. Gordon Allport published his agenda‐setting The Nature of Prejudice, and SPSSI played a key role in the momentous decision of the U.S. Supreme Court that held racially segregated public schools to be unconstitutional. Due to lack of funds, racial research declined sharply in the 1960s. Later, other concerns—such as an emphasis on cognition and the belated rise of attention to gender discrimination—competed with racial issues. Reactionary Supreme Court justices now often spurn social science evidence. The article closes with an assessment of the Society's racial policy influence in the future.
SPSSI and Poverty: Reflections at Seventy‐Five
Authors: Bullock Heather E. , Lott Bernice , Truong Shirley V.
Published: March 2011

This article highlights efforts by the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI) and its members to increase understanding of poverty and social class, and to propose policies to reduce economic inequities. Our review is based on writings about poverty and social class published in SPSSI journals and newsletters, and other activities from SPSSI's beginnings in 1936 to the present. Both strengths and shortcomings in SPSSI's economic justice record are noted. Special attention is given to the 1930s and the 1960s–1970s, periods in which poverty was a salient topic in the United States. SPSSI's role in advocating for institutional change within the American Psychological Association is also considered. We close with a “wish list” for SPSSI's next 75 years.
“Cautious Courage”: SPSSI's Connections and Reconnections at the United Nations
Authors: Cherry Frances , Ellingwood Holly , Castillo Gisell
Published: March 2011

The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI) has had official connections to the United Nations (UN) at two separate points in its history. In the period right after World War Two (1946–1960), SPSSI leaders were involved in the building of a global social science network through the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Otto Klineberg was heavily involved in creating connections between UNESCO and SPSSI. Changes at UNESCO as well as in academic research culture, combined with continued Cold War politics, minimized SPSSI's involvement at the UN throughout the 1960s and 1970s. By the mid‐1980s, NGOs were increasingly a significant force in the UN through the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). SPSSI has had NGO status since 1987 and was awarded consultative status in 1991, allowing the Society greater input at the UN. Since that time, SPSSI has continued to bring a research focus to a range of projects at the UN aimed at improving global well‐being.
SPSSI's Living Past
Authors: Capshew James H.
Published: March 2011

Emphasizing that history is a dialogue with the past, in the present, having implications for the future, I comment on the articles in this issue and their role in providing historically informed perspectives on some of the perennial concerns pursued by individual SPSSI members and the organization itself.
Atrioventricular Nodal Reentrant Tachycardia Ablation in the Setting of Bilateral Femoral Vein Occlusion
Authors: CRUZ CESAR , HOSKINS MICHAEL , EL‐CHAMI MIKHAEL F.
Published: March 2011

Atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) is the most common supraventricular tachycardia. Ablation of the slow pathway is the treatment of choice for recurrent episodes despite adequate medical therapy. We present an uncommon case of AVNRT ablation using a superior vena cava approach in a patient with bilateral common femoral vein occlusion. This approach appears to be a safe alternative in patients with an absence of an inferior venous access.
Totally Subcutaneous Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator with an Alternative, Right Parasternal, Electrode Placement
Authors: ZUMHAGEN SVEN , GRACE ANDREW A. , O'CONNOR STEPHEN , LÖHER ANDREAS , KÖBE JULIA , ECKARDT LARS , SCHULZE‐BAHR ERIC
Published: March 2011

The totally subcutaneous implantable cardioverter‐defibrillator (S‐ICD) is an entirely novel defibrillation device that avoids the direct contact of device electrodes with the heart and the cardiovascular system. Here, we present a particular case of a young woman with congenital long‐QT syndrome in which we implanted the electrode alternatively, right parasternally. This decision was based on the thoracic anatomy of the patient and on findings of a model of S‐ICD electrodes in an adult torso. In conclusion, in some patients an alternative subcutaneous electrode position may be carefully considered but should not be taken to outweigh the standard left‐sided placement. (PACE 2012; 35:e254–e257)
Predictive Value of Predischarge Spectral Tissue Doppler Echocardiography and N‐terminal Pro‐B‐type Natriuretic Peptide in Patients Hospitalized with Acute Heart Failure
Authors: Ho Shuenn‐Jiin , Feng An‐Ning , Lee Li‐Na , Chen Jaw‐Wen , Lin Shing‐Jong
Published: March 2011

Background: Admission for an acute heart failure (HF) confers an extremely poor prognosis. We aimed at finding out whether simultaneous assessment of multiple plasma‐based biomarkers and Doppler echocardiography could provide complementary information and thus enable clinicians to stratify risk more effectively among patients hospitalized with acute HF; hence, untoward events after discharge avoided. Methods: A comprehensive echocardiographic study and measurements of cardiac troponin I (cTnI), N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic protein (NT‐proBNP), and high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein (hsCRP) were conducted in 87 patients with symptomatic de novo acute HF or decompensation of chronic HF. Major adverse cardiac events (MACE) regarding cardiac death or hospitalization with worsening HF during a median follow‐up period of 191 days were determined. Results: According to the univariate analysis, echocardiographic variables left atrial volume, left atrial volume index, pulmonary artery systolic pressure, E/E′ ratio, and the concentrations of NT‐proBNP were significantly related to clinical outcomes (all P‐values < 0.05). Cox proportional hazard analysis identified two independent prognostic predictors of MACE: E/E′ ratio and NT‐proBNP. Moreover, the combining of plasma level of NT‐proBNP with E/E′ ratio provided independent and additional prognostic value in identifying high‐risk acute HF patients. Conclusions: These findings reinforce the necessity of combining the heart hemodynamic variable E/E′ ratio and plasma‐based neurohormonal biomarker NT‐proBNP when clinicians attempt to define the individual risk of patients hospitalized with acute HF. (Echocardiography 2011;28:303‐310)
Early Left Ventricular Longitudinal Systolic Dysfunction and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in 1,371 Asymptomatic Subjects with Normal Ejection Fraction: A Tissue Doppler Study
Authors: Di Salvo Giovanni , Di Bello Vitantonio , Salustri Alessandro , Antonini‐Canterin Francesco , La Carrubba Salvatore , Materazzo Carlo , Badano Luigi , Caso Pio , Pezzano Antonio , Calabrò Raffaele , Carerj Scipione ,   On behalf of the Research Group of the Italian Society of Cardiovascular Echography (SIEC)
Published: March 2011

Background: Nowadays early diagnosis of left ventricular (LV) dysfunction represents a major challenge in asymptomatic subjects with cardiovascular (CV) risk factors. Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) recently emerged as an important tool with clinical relevance in several cardiac diseases. Aim: To evaluate the ability of TDI in detecting early longitudinal ventricular dysfunction in asymptomatic subjects, with LV ejection fraction >55%, normal diastolic function, and its relationship with CV risk factors. Methods: A total of 1,371 subjects (median age 60 years, 595 males) formed our study population: Controls, 265 healthy subjects; Group I, 434 subjects with one CV risk factor; Group II, 401 subjects with two CV risk factors; Group III, 271 subjects with ≥ 3 CV risk factors. All subjects underwent a comprehensive standard echo Doppler evaluation, including PW‐TDI study. Results: Diastolic parameters such as (E\A, A‐wave, Em\Am; E\Em) were able to discriminate the number of CV risk factors. The only systolic parameter that progressively reduced by increasing the number of CV risk factors was LV global longitudinal systolic function (Sm), (P < 0.0001). At multivariate analysis, the only functional parameter able to predict the increasing number of CV risk factors was Sm (P < 0.001). Conclusions: TDI is able to identify early longitudinal LV systolic abnormalities in presence of apparently normal systolic and diastolic function and progressively impairs with increasing CV risk factors. These findings could be clinically relevant in identifying asymptomatic subjects who need a early tailored preventive treatment. (Echocardiography 2011;28:268‐275)
Influence of Cobalt Ion Doping on Tetragonal–Orthorhombic Polymorphic Transformation and Dielectric Behavior of Barium Titanate Nanoparticles
Authors: Barik Puspendu , Jana Atanu , Kundu Tapas Kumar
Published: March 2011

Cobalt (Co) ion‐doped barium titanate (BaTiO3, BT) nanoparticles were synthesized through the sol–gel route using polyvinyl alcohol. The concentration of Co2+ varies from 0 to 1.6 mol% in the specimens. Grain size (D) ranges from 21 to 29 nm. There exist a new phase of Pnma orthorhombic crystal structure (o‐BT‐II) with lattice parameters a=0.6393 nm, b=0.5268 nm, and c=0.8824 nm in addition to P4mm tetragonal phase in the specimens. The lattice volume V=0.2971 nm3 of o‐BT‐II with z=4 formula units, yields a density ρ=5.214 g/cm3. This is a new polymorph in comparison to well‐known P4mm tetragonal (t) structure, V=0.0644 nm3 or ρ=6.016 g/cm3 (z=1). In 0.6 mol% Co2+‐doped specimen o‐BT‐II phase exists with maximum volume fraction of 64. Measurement of dielectric properties showed that the room temperature ɛr value increases with doping. Curie transition temperature TC decreases from 128°C to a minimum value of 43°C in the specimens doped with 0.6 mol% dopant. The presence of space charge polarization in system is clear from dielectric‐frequency dispersion study. The coexistence of tetragonal and orthorhombic (o‐BT‐II) phase results an unusual TC shift and diffuse nature of the dielectric behavior.
Oxidation of Carbon Fiber‐Reinforced Silicon Carbide Matrix Composites at Reduced Oxygen Partial Pressures
Authors: Opila Elizabeth J. , Serra Jessica L.
Published: March 2011

Carbon fibers (Polyacrylonitrile‐derived T‐300) and T‐300 carbon fiber‐reinforced silicon carbide composites (C/SiC) were oxidized in flowing 0.1 MPa reduced oxygen partial pressure environments (50% O2, 5% O2, 0.5% O2, and 0.1% O2in argon). Experiments were conducted at temperatures of 816°, 1149°, 1343°, and 1538°C. The oxidation kinetics were monitored using thermogravimetric analysis. T‐300 fibers were completely oxidized for times between 0.6 and 325 h. C/SiC coupons were oxidized for either 25 or 100 h. Fiber oxidation rates had an oxygen partial pressure dependence with a power‐law exponent close to one but were only weakly dependent on temperature. Fiber oxidation kinetics were consistent with gas‐phase diffusion control at these temperatures. The C/SiC coupon oxidation kinetics showed some variability, attributed to differences in the number and width of cracks in the SiC seal coat. Oxidation of the carbon fibers dominated the coupon oxidation behavior. For C/SiC coupons, low temperatures and high oxygen pressures resulted in the most rapid consumption of the carbon fibers. At higher temperatures, the lower oxidation rates were attributed to crack closure due to SiC thermal expansion, rather than oxidation of SiC. At the highest temperature and lowest oxygen partial pressure, active oxidation of SiC was observed.
Displacive Phase Transitions and Intermediate Structures in Perovskites
Authors: Reaney Ian M. , Woodward David I. , Randall Clive A.
Published: March 2011

Pb‐based, complex perovskites and compositions at phase boundaries in solid solutions exhibit intermediate structures between established displacive variants. The most high‐profile example is the intermediate monoclinic structure in Pb(ZrxTi1−x)O3 (PZT), which occurs because of frustration between displacive variants with different polarization vectors. However, examples are also given in which intermediate structures may also be stabilized in solid solutions between displacive variants whose order parameters are dominated by strain, amplitude of octahedral rotation, or combinations thereof. In solid solutions such as PZT, the frustration is compositionally driven across the phase boundaries. However, in complex perovskites such as PbSc1/2Ta1/2O3, PbCo1/2W1/2O3, and PbIn1/2Nb1/2O3, the type of intermediate structure is related to the degree of B‐site cation order, which may be modified by thermal treatment. Depending on the degree of order and the size difference of the B‐site cations, either incommensurate modulations, mixed antipolar/polar order, or antipolar order may be observed.
Fabrication of Nanostructured Metallized Glazes by Conventional Fast‐Firing Route
Authors: Moya José S. , Pecharromán Carlos , Montero Isabel , Pina‐Zapardiel Raúl , Esteban‐Cubillo Antonio , Reinosa Julián J. , Fernandez José F.
Published: March 2011

A metallized glaze, suitable for large‐scale production, has been obtained starting from sepiolite‐n(Cu, Fe) as a stable vector containing the metal‐dispersed nanoparticles and following a conventional fast‐firing fabrication route. A small fraction of black carbon (about 4 wt%) was added to the starting mixture of the glaze to avoid oxidation of Cu nanoparticles in the 500°–700°C temperature range. At higher temperature (700°–1190°C), a fraction of the oxygen dissolved in the glassy phase is consumed by the Fe°/Fe2+ and Fe2+/Fe3+ redox reaction. Based on ellipsometric and quantitative optical reflectance measurements, it has been proven that the presence of a minimum concentration of Cu nanoparticles (∼10 vol%) in the top surface glaze layer is a prerequisite to obtain an appropriate metalize glaze.
Ink‐Jet Printing of In2O3/ZnO Two‐Dimensional Structures from Solution
Authors: Tellier Jenny , Malic Barbara , Kuscer Danjela , Trefalt Gregor , Kosec Marija
Published: March 2011

In2O3–ZnO two‐dimensional (2D) structures were processed by ink‐jet printing and heating at 150°C and 450°C with the aim for implementation in transparent electronics. The In–Zn‐solution precursor, based on In‐alkoxide and Zn‐acetate in 2‐methoxyethanol, was originally designed for chemical solution deposition of thin films. To adapt it for piezoelectric ink‐jet printing, the viscosity and surface tension were adjusted by the addition of a more viscous 1,3‐propanediol. The optimum values were obtained for the ink consisting of 55 vol% of 1,3‐propanediol. The printing parameters including the temperatures of the cartridge and the substrate, and the drop spacing were adjusted to allow patterning with a 40 μm resolution on SiOx/Si and glass substrates. The ink‐jet‐printed 2D structures heated at 150°C were amorphous and according to infrared spectroscopy organics‐free, and upon heating at 450°C they crystallized without any preferential orientation, similarly as the spin‐coated thin films, which were studied as a reference.
In Situ Raman Diagnostic of Structural Relaxation Times of Silica Glasses
Authors: Dutreilh‐Colas Maggy , Canizares Aurélien , Blin Annie , Ory Sandra , Simon Patrick
Published: March 2011

High‐purity fused silicas (800–1000 ppm OH) have been studied by in situ Raman scattering in the 1000°–1400°C temperature range, with a particular interest on the behavior under long annealing cycles. We evidence for the first time the relaxation times of silicas in the vicinity of Tg by direct monitoring on time–wavenumber 2D representations of the main broad band at 440 cm−1. These relaxation times appear longer than expected through existing descriptions, and could serve as indicative needed annealing times for thermal treatments and changes of fictive temperature.
Functional redundancy in a clipping experiment on grassland plant communities
Authors: Joner Fernando , Specht Gabriel , Müller Sandra Cristina , Pillar Valério D.
Published: March 2011

Functional redundancy predicts that some species may play equivalent roles in ecosystem functioning therefore conferring a kind of ‘insurance’ to perturbation when species richness is reduced, by the compensation of species of the same functional group on ecosystem processes. We evaluate functional redundancy on grassland plant communities by a removal experiment in which the evaluated treatments were: GG – clipping two graminoid species, FF – clipping two forb species, GF – clipping one graminoid and one forb species and Control – no removal. We tested the hypothesis that the above‐ground biomass removal of one species of each functional group would cause less change in the community composition (community persistence) and less decrease in biomass production than the above‐ground biomass removal of two species of the same functional group. Functional redundancy was corroborated for community persistence since treatments FG and C caused less change in community composition than treatments GG and FF, although no differences were found between treatments for above‐ground biomass. We verified that clipped species tend to be compensated by an increase in the percent cover of the remaining species of the same functional group. This work provides experimental evidence of early responses after plant clipping in small spatial scale of functional redundancy in naturally established grassland plant communities. We highlight redundancy as an intrinsic feature of communities insuring their reliability, as a consequence of species compensation within functional groups.
Immediate newborn care practices delay thermoregulation and breastfeeding initiation
Authors: Sobel Howard L , Silvestre Maria Asuncion A , Mantaring III Jacinto Blas V , Oliveros Yolanda E , Nyunt‐U Soe
Published: March 2011

Aim:  A deadly nosocomial outbreak in a Philippine hospital drew nationwide attention to neonatal sepsis. Together with specific infection control measures, interventions that protect newborns against infection‐related mortality include drying, skin‐to‐skin contact, delayed cord clamping, breastfeeding initiation and delayed bathing. This evaluation characterized hospital care in the first hours of life with the intent to drive policy change, strategic planning and hospital reform.

Methods:  Trained physicians observed 481 consecutive deliveries in 51 hospitals using a standardized tool to record practices and timing of immediate newborn care procedures.

Results:  Drying, weighing, eye care and vitamin K injections were performed in more than 90% of newborns. Only 9.6% were allowed skin‐to‐skin contact. Interventions were inappropriately sequenced, e.g. immediate cord clamping (median 12 sec), delayed drying (96.5%) and early bathing (90.0%). While 68.2% were put to the breast, they were separated two minutes later. Unnecessary suctioning was performed in 94.9%. Doctors trained in neonatal resuscitation were 2.5 (1.1–5.7) times more likely to unnecessarily suction vigorous newborns. Two per cent died and 5.7% developed sepsis/pneumonia.

Conclusions:  This minute‐by‐minute observational assessment revealed that performance and timing of immediate newborn care interventions are below WHO standards and deprive newborns of basic protections against infection and death.
Justification of Intimate Partner Violence in Rural Bangladesh: What Survey Questions Fail to Capture
Authors: Schuler Sidney Ruth , Lenzi Rachel , Yount Kathryn M.
Published: March 2011

This article presents qualitative findings from a project designed to develop better methodological tools for clarifying women's and men's attitudes about intimate partner violence (IPV) in rural Bangladesh and their perceptions of norms about IPV in their communities. Cognitive interviews and focus‐group discussions were used to explore respondents' subjective understanding of standard survey questions meant to elicit attitudes about IPV. We find that the proportion of participants who justified IPV under some circumstances increased when additional context was provided, suggesting that the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) questions may underrepresent the proportions of people who condone IPV. Moreover, most people in this social context also believed that IPV often goes beyond socially sanctioned limits and that something should be done to stop it—an important caveat that the DHS questions are not designed to capture. These findings suggest that incorporation of additional context into questions on IPV attitudes would make responses to these questions more meaningful.
Drugs US: Are Prices too High?
Authors: Kanavos Panos , Vandoros Sotiris
Published: March 2011

There is a widespread view that prices for drugs in the United States are much higher than elsewhere. Is this true?Panos Kanavos and Sotiris Vandoros find that much depends on what you look at: you have to compare like with like.
We Come From One
Authors: Cassimally Khalil A.
Published: March 2011

Did life on earth originate once, or many times? Do we share a common ancestor with every living thing on earth, or are there two or three separate origins of species? Darwin proposed an answer. A new statistical analysis may take us further, says Khalil A. Cassimally.
Von Richthofen, Einstein and the AGA
Authors: Simkin Mikhail , Roychowdhury Vwani
Published: March 2011

Every schoolboy has heard of Einstein; fewer have heard of Antoine Becquerel; almost nobody has heard of Nils Dalén. Yet they all won Nobel Prizes for Physics. Can we gauge a scientist's achievements by his or her fame? If so, how? And how do fighter pilots help?Mikhail Simkin and Vwani Roychowdhury look for the linkages.
Hal Varian and The Sexy Profession
Authors: Champkin Julian
Published: March 2011

The data revolution is upon us. The data we have and the way we treat it has changed beyond measure – as witness a quote from Hal Varian of Google: “Back in the early days of the Web, every document had at the bottom, ‘Copyright 1997. Do not redistribute.’ Now every document has at the bottom, ‘Copyright 2008. Click here to send to your friends.’” Hal Varian has made another famous quote about statistics in the new data age. Julian Champkin interviewed him.
Making Information Beautiful — And Clear
Authors: Champkin Julian
Published: March 2011

Information is presented too often in ways that bore the reader, or put him off, or simply baffle him. Julian Champkin looks at four examples that do better things with data
Don't Try for the Triple 20
Authors: Tibshirani Ryan
Published: March 2011

Significance not only increases your understanding of statistics, it also increases your score at darts. Where you should aim depends on just how bad a player you are. Ryan Tibshirani shares the story of how his own lack of skill called for a better darts strategy. Now you can learn from his mistakes, and rack up more points the next time you play!
A suite of evidence‐based continence assessment tools for residential aged care
Authors: O'Connell Beverly , Ostaszkiewicz Joan , Hawkins Mary
Published: March 2011

The management of incontinence in residential aged care facilities presents staff with considerable challenges. In order to support the residential aged care workforce to provide evidence‐based continence care, we developed a suite of evidence‐based continence assessment tools and an accompanying educational resource for use in the residential aged care sector. The tools comply with international and accreditation standards. They address urinary and faceal incontinence and other bladder and bowel symptoms. They also include a number of cues to guide staff to assess and manage residents' continence care needs and refer as needed. An evaluation of the tools conducted in 18 residential aged care facilities across three states revealed that staff members found the tools helpful, clear, simple and user‐friendly. This paper provides a description of the newly developed suite of continence assessment tools for residential aged care and the accompanying education resources, and presents staff perspectives on their clinical usefulness.
Validation of Scales Measuring Self‐Efficacy and Outcome Expectancy in Evidence‐Based Practice
Authors: Chang Anne M. , Crowe Linda
Published: March 2011

Background: Evidence‐based practice (EBP) is embraced internationally as an ideal approach to improve patient outcomes and provide cost‐effective care. However, despite the support for and apparent benefits of EBP, it has been shown to be complex and difficult to incorporate in the clinical setting. Research exploring implementation of EBP has highlighted many internal and external barriers including clinicians’ lack of knowledge and confidence to integrate EBP into their day‐to‐day work. Nurses in particular often feel ill‐equipped with little confidence to find, appraise and implement evidence.

Aims: This study aimed to undertake preliminary testing of the psychometric properties of tools that measure nurses’ self‐efficacy and outcome expectancy in regard to EBP.

Methods: A survey design was used in which nurses who had either completed an EBP unit or were randomly selected from a major tertiary referral hospital in Brisbane, Australia, were sent two newly developed tools: (1) Self‐Efficacy in EBP (SE‐EBP) scale and (2) Outcome Expectancy for EBP (OE‐EBP) scale.

Results: Principal Axis Factoring found three factors with eigenvalues above 1 for the SE‐EBP explaining 73% of the variance and one factor for the OE‐EBP scale explaining 82% of the variance. Cronbach's alpha for SE‐EBP, three SE‐EBP factors and OE‐EBP were all >0.91 suggesting some item redundancy. The SE‐EBP was able to distinguish between those with no prior exposure to EBP and those who completed an introductory EBP unit.

Conclusions: While further investigation of the validity of these tools is needed, preliminary testing indicates that the SE‐EBP and OE‐EBP scales are valid and reliable instruments for measuring health professionals’ confidence in the process and the outcomes of basing their practice on evidence.
Nurse Executives’ Perceptions of the Executive Training for Research Application (EXTRA) Program
Authors: Lavoie‐Tremblay Mélanie , Anderson Malcolm , Bonneville‐Roussy Arielle , Drevniok Ulrika , Lavigne Genevieve L.
Published: March 2011

Background: To improve the overall quality and effectiveness of the Canadian health care system through better decisions supported by research‐based evidence (RBE), the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation (CHSRF) and partners have created the Executive Training for Research Application (EXTRA) program.

Objectives: To evaluate how nurse executive fellows perceive changes in their levels of knowledge of RBE and in their level of use of RBE following participation in the EXTRA program.

Methods: Nurse executives in the first four cohorts of the program (2004–2007) completed a survey during their 2‐year fellowship period.

Results: Statistically significant improvements were observed regarding nurse executives’ perceived knowledge and use of RBE. According to the participants, the EXTRA fellowship contributes to their role and function in their organization by providing tools, learning, and access to resources and networking, which contributes to their credibility, leadership, and knowledge transfer skills.

Conclusions: The EXTRA program has been structured to reduce barriers and to enhance the facilitators found in the literature on the implementation of evidence‐based practices (EBP) in health care settings. Overall, nurse executives perceived that the benefits of participating in the EXTRA program were both individual and organizational.
miRNAs and regulation of cell signaling
Authors: Ichimura Atsuhiko , Ruike Yoshinao , Terasawa Kazuya , Tsujimoto Gozoh
Published: March 2011

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate gene expression post‐transcriptionally by binding to target mRNAs in a sequence‐specific manner. A large number of genes appear to be the target of miRNAs, and an essential role for miRNAs in the regulation of various conserved cell signaling cascades, such as mitogen‐activated protein kinase, Notch and Hedgehog, is emerging. Extensive studies have also revealed the spatial and temporal regulation of miRNA expression by various cell signaling cascades. The insights gained in such studies support the idea that miRNAs are involved in the highly complex network of cell signaling pathways. In this minireview, we present an overview of these complex networks by providing examples of recent findings.
MicroRNAs and epigenetics
Authors: Sato Fumiaki , Tsuchiya Soken , Meltzer Stephen J. , Shimizu Kazuharu
Published: March 2011

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) comprise species of short noncoding RNA that regulate gene expression post‐transcriptionally. Recent studies have demonstrated that epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation and histone modification, not only regulate the expression of protein‐encoding genes, but also miRNAs, such as let‐7a, miR‐9, miR‐34a, miR‐124, miR‐137, miR‐148 and miR‐203. Conversely, another subset of miRNAs controls the expression of important epigenetic regulators, including DNA methyltransferases, histone deacetylases and polycomb group genes. This complicated network of feedback between miRNAs and epigenetic pathways appears to form an epigenetics–miRNA regulatory circuit, and to organize the whole gene expression profile. When this regulatory circuit is disrupted, normal physiological functions are interfered with, contributing to various disease processes. The present minireview details recent discoveries involving the epigenetics–miRNA regulatory circuit, suggesting possible biological insights into gene‐regulatory mechanisms that may underlie a variety of diseases.
MicroRNAs and cardiovascular diseases
Authors: Ono Koh , Kuwabara Yasuhide , Han Jiahuai
Published: March 2011

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small noncoding RNAs that have gained status as important regulators of gene expression. Recent studies have demonstrated that miRNAs are aberrantly expressed in the cardiovascular system under some pathological conditions. Gain‐ and loss‐of‐function studies using in vitro and in vivo models have revealed distinct roles for specific miRNAs in cardiovascular development and physiological function. The implications of miRNAs in cardiovascular disease have recently been recognized, representing the most rapidly evolving research field. In the present minireview, the current relevant findings on the role of miRNAs in cardiac diseases are updated and the target genes of these miRNAs are summarized.
Experiences of a critical reflection program for mid‐career nurses
Authors: OYAMADA Kyoko
Published: March 2011

Aim:  The aim of the present study was to describe the experiences of Japanese nurses who participated in a critical reflection program for mid‐career nurses. Critical reflection is one method that is appropriate for the professional development of mid‐career nurses. However, its implementation is difficult because of the need for educational resources. Of the numerous reports on critical reflection outcomes, few delineate the underlying process and none relates to Japanese nurses.

Methods:  A program was developed, based on Mezirow's transformation theory, to facilitate nurses' critical reflection. The program was implemented at three hospitals in Japan with 14 mid‐career nurses. The data‐collection period was from 2006 to 2007. The grounded theory approach was used to describe the results.

Results:  Two participants experienced a transformation in their frame of reference after undergoing critical reflection during the program. One participant's viewpoint began to change and the other's “habit of mind” (social norms and personality characteristics that provide one with a general orientation) changed. Both participants met the conditions that were necessary for transformation, such as having an open attitude toward change, and compared to the other participants, their critical reflection progressed markedly on the worksheets that were designed to promote critical reflection. The process of change in the frame of reference that was experienced by the two participants followed eight of the ten phases of Mezirow's transformation theory.

Conclusions:  The characteristics of the experiences of the two participants who underwent changes in their frame of reference were described and discussed. The conditions for such transformation and the effects of critical reflection on the participants were consistent with those reported by previous studies.
Use of complementary and alternative medicine and the anxiety levels of mothers of children with chronic diseases
Authors: ÖZYAZICIOĞLU Nurcan , OGUR Pakize , TANRIVERDI Gülbu , VURAL Pınar
Published: March 2011

Aims:  This study aimed to determine the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) by mothers with a chronically ill child and their anxiety levels.

Methods:  This study used a descriptive design. The study was conducted with 135 mothers of a chronically ill child at a general pediatric and oncology unit in Uludağ University Hospital, Bursa, Turkey. A questionnaire, including sociodemographic items and the State‐Trait Anxiety Inventory, were given to the mothers.

Results:  In the study, 42.29% of the mothers reported using one or more CAM therapies for their child with a chronic disease, including herbal medicine, taking the child to hodja (prayers), a special diet, and a special massage. The mothers experienced anxiety and the presence of a disease within the close family circle increased the anxiety level of the mothers.

Conclusion:  Herbs and other alternative supplements were used by some children with a chronic disease in Turkey. The most commonly used CAM therapies included oral herbal medicine, taking the child to hodja, massage, and diets. Therefore, it is important to consider the implications of the popularity of complementary therapies. Most of the mothers used more than one of these therapies for their child and the anxiety level of the mothers was found to be moderate.
The gel hypothesis applied to the rat renal capillary membranes – a review
Authors: Wolgast M. , Persson A. E. G.
Published: March 2011

In the gel model for the glomerular (and peritubular) capillary membrane, the integrity of the membrane is supposed to result from the fluid reabsorption induced by the osmotic action of the counter‐ions attracted to negative fixed charges, increasing the gel pressure such that it becomes the same as in the capillaries. From this point on, the gel will be unaffected by the high capillary pressure. The same fluid reabsorption will also suspend the fibrils in the matrix such that they form a series of grids composed of, for example, horizontal fibrils spaced similarly from one another. The model thereby explains the well‐known phenomenon of a uniform ‘pore’ size, although slits rather than pores constitute the transport routes. The model also explains the fact that the plasma proteins are free to move in the membrane matrix, which is the consequence of a recent finding that a major restriction to albumin is offered by a unique protein, nephrin, located between the podocytes in Bowman’s space cells. A large molecule, which may become trapped in a slit between two fibrils, will thus push out the positive counter‐ions whereby the charges become free and hence repel one another, widening the slit such that the molecule is free to move in any direction. It is furthermore concluded that the restriction to proteins is also dependent on the width of the slits closest to plasma.
Correlation between acoustic rhinometry and visual analogue scale in children with no nasal symptoms: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Haavisto L.E. , Vahlberg T.J. , Sipilä J.I.
Published: March 2011

Clin. Otolaryngol. 2011, 36, 129–133

Objectives:  Acoustic rhinometry is an objective tool to evaluate nasal obstruction. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of visual analogue scale (VAS) as a subjective tool for nasal obstruction and the correlation between acoustic rhinometry and VAS in children with no nasal symptoms.

Design:  Unilateral acoustic values and VAS were measured at baseline and after decongestion of the nose.

Setting:  Tertiary academic hospital.

Participants:  The study included 124 children aged between 7 and 14 years with no permanent nasal symptoms.

Results:  At baseline, the mean minimal cross‐sectional area on the right side was 0.392 cm2 (sd 0.094), and on the left side 0.360 cm2 (sd 0.093), whereas the mean VAS on the right side was 7.43 (sd 2.50) and on the left side 6.81 (sd 3.01). After decongestion, the mean minimal cross‐sectional area on the right and left sides were 0.421 cm2 (sd 0.087) and 0.373 cm2 (sd 0.11), respectively, whereas the mean VAS on the right and left sides were 8.77 (sd 2.02) and 8.54 (sd 2.14), respectively. At baseline, a significant correlation was found between VAS and minimal cross‐sectional area, but no correlation was found between VAS and acoustic values after decongestion.

Conclusions:  We conclude that VAS shows potential as a subjective tool to investigate nasal obstruction in children over 7 years of age. There was a correlation between VAS and acoustic rhinometry in children with no nasal symptoms at baseline. No correlation was found in children with decongested normal nasal airways.