bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Finding out about social care: what information seekers want
Authors: Bright Les , Clarke Alison , Dalley Gillian
Published: June 2013

Purpose

The research reported here aims to explore the problems facing individuals searching for information about available options in choosing care services.

Design/methodology/approach

It presents data drawn from an on‐line survey, follow‐up telephone calls and a focus group, which reveals the preferences people have in searching for information about care services and the difficulties encountered.

Findings

It finds that people need information but find it complicated, unwieldy and inaccessible. In addition to using on‐line sources, they value person‐to‐person contact and information tailored to meet their specific needs.

Research limitations/implications

This study is original in raising issues and presenting findings that open up the topic of information in care decision‐making. While it relies on a self‐reporting survey and the direct participation of a small number of subjects, future research based on random sampling and a larger sample of subjects would enable these findings to be tested more thoroughly.

Practical implications

High quality, accurate information is an essential element in enabling individuals to make appropriate choices about the care they seek for themselves or their loved ones. Service providers, councils and commercial undertakings each have a part to play in facilitating that choice.

Social implications

This research highlights issues that confront both information searcher and provider, making recommendations about overcoming them. The concept of individual choice is a cornerstone of social policy but findings reveal the complexity facing individuals, providers and practitioners in making this a reality.

Originality/value

The importance of information in making decisions about care is under‐researched; this study raises issues and presents findings which open the topic for further exploration.
SOS: a relational orientation towards social inclusion
Authors: Denham‐Vaughan Sally , Chidiac Marie‐Anne
Published: June 2013

Purpose

Relational approaches have become fashionable in a variety of areas from organisational to clinical interventions, however the practical implications of such approaches are still misunderstood. This paper aims to define what we mean by “relational” and explores how understanding and practising a specific type of relational approach is necessary to truly promote social inclusion and recovery. Design/methodology/approach – A hypothetical case study is described giving a practical illustration of how a relational approach would be used in the context of the provision of socially inclusive mental health services.

Findings

The paper makes the case for a relational and socially inclusive approach to change. A three‐pronged “SOS” model calling attention to the exploration of Self, Other and Situation is outlined. Most importantly, the model attempts to balance the complex and varying needs of clients, others and the wider situation/community/organisation, as opposed to primarily focussing on individual “fault/lack”.

Research limitations/implications

The paper relies on self‐report methods from a relatively small number of individuals.

Originality/value

The paper challenges a still predominant individualistic paradigm to change. Instead it suggests the need to redirect attention to clients’ existing relational supports to effect quicker and more sustainable change.
FDA and the role of e‐cigarettes in harm reduction
Authors: Wilcox Neil L. , Kovacevic Patricia I.
Published: June 2013

Purpose

This article aims to provide an informed overview of the current policy and upcoming e‐cigarette legislation, and their impact on the potential for harm reduction in the tobacco products arena in the USA. The article argues in favor of reasonable regulatory options supportive of harm reduction, and which take into consideration the realities of the emerging US e‐cigarette market.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors consider the recent refocus on harm reduction potential in the e‐cigarettes, which are growing in popularity but will be soon subject to potentially very restrictive regulation. This article provides an overview of selected, relevant provisions of the US tobacco product regulatory framework as it may soon apply to e‐cigarettes, not only for the benefit of the tobacco harm reduction debate, but also to global stakeholders, as well.

Findings

FDA needs strong leadership to avoid current political pressures to label all tobacco products as equally dangerous, vilify nicotine and deny a reasonable approach to harm reduction that promotes the benefits of reduced risk as a legitimate approach to better health. Admittedly, more research is needed before a final assessment can be made on the population‐level health benefits of e‐cigarettes.

Originality/value

This article provides an informed view of US e‐cigarette industry regulatory challenges by two industry regulatory experts, and an overview of possible e‐cigarette regulatory outcomes in the USA, in light of the US Food and Drug Administration announcement that such regulation is to be expected shortly.
Tobacco control, harm reduction and the problem of pleasure
Authors: Bell Kirsten
Published: June 2013

Purpose

This article examines the relationship between tobacco control and tobacco harm reduction, illuminating the differences and similarities between them.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on published sources, the author conducts a critical analysis of the prevailing discourses on tobacco control and tobacco harm reduction.

Findings

Although tobacco control and tobacco harm reduction differ in their views on the resolutions to the tobacco “problem”, they manifest similar underlying assumptions about the nature of “the smoker” and are equally silent on the topic of pleasure.

Originality/value

This article emphasises the need for tobacco harm reduction to take pleasure seriously and highlights the limitations of approaches focused exclusively on risk and harm reduction.
The wine consumption preferences of young people: a Spanish case study
Authors: Garcia Teresa , Barrena Ramo , Grande Ildefonso
Published: June 2013

Purpose

This paper aims to analyze the current wine consumption situation with special attention being paid to the habits and preferences of young consumers.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was carried out on a sample of 318 consumers; 50 per cent of the sample were under the age of 35 and 50 per cent were older. The information gathered was then subjected to the appropriate statistical tests. The lifestyles and images of wine consumption of those surveyed was first looked at, followed by the results obtained related to consumption of drinks such as water, fruit juice, soft drinks, beer and, of course, wine.

Findings

Lifestyles are changing and the results found here indicate that the under‐35s are concerned about their health and to maintain a healthy lifestyle. This is reflected in a certain negative view of wine with its consumption being reserved for special occasions. With regard to knowledge of Denominacion de Origen, the results are pointing out that a small sector of the under‐35 group had only a vague notion of its meaning. This situation suggests a need for promotional activity by business and institutions aimed at increasing the knowledge of young people have of wine.

Originality/value

This study offers information to the wine industry for the improvement of young consumers' knowledge of the meaning of Denominacion de Origen as a guarantee of the origin of a product and of its quality.
An appraisal of United Nations and other money laundering and financing of terrorism counter‐measures
Authors: Mugarura Norman
Published: June 2013

Purpose

The purpose of the paper was to examine the challenges inherent in harnessing the UN and other AML counter‐measures, paying particular attention to the United Nations Resolutions on countering financing of terrorism and why the UN Security Resolutions have not been easy to invoke. As regards other AML counter‐measures, the paper examined the legal status of soft law instruments, articulating the possible reasons why they are easy to implement.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper was written by the analysis of UN and other AML counter‐measures – which were evaluated in the gaze of how they have been implemented across states. While states are under an obligation to implement UN AML counter‐measures such as international treaties and soft law instruments, private banks as non‐state actors have exploited some loopholes in the law to flaunt them. This has undermined the efficacy of global AML counter‐measures. Many banks have been fined for violating UN sanctions on countries like Iran and Sudan. These examples were utilized in appraising the current UN and other AML counter‐measures across states.

Findings

The findings of the paper were compelling in demonstrating that global anti‐money laundering laws are often emasculated by the fact that they are implemented in the realm of international law. International law manifests itself within independent member states' vested strategic self‐interests. In the event of conflicts, national self‐interests will prevail. But again, money laundering is an opportunistic crime because it generates both synergies and externalities and the response of individual states often depends on how it is affected by it. It is wrong to assume as doing things in the realm of international law is not as easy as it is presumed to be.

Research limitations/implications

It would have been better to carry out interviews so as to corroborate secondary data sources used in writing this paper. But due to some constraints, this option was not possible. It would also have been better to undertake the analysis of data based on a large sample of countries rather than cherry picking. While implementing AML counter‐measures in the realm of international law is necessary to foster international co‐operation, there are still some loopholes that need to be paid more attention.

Originality/value

The paper was written, analysed and evaluated based on the most recent literature on implementation of UN and other AML counter‐measures across countries. It also utilized the recent cases involving violations of UN AML counter‐measures by banks on sanctioned countries such as Iran and Sudan.
The impact of social media to value added in knowledge‐based industries
Authors: Roblek Vasja , Pejić Bach Mirjana , Meško Maja , Bertoncelj Andrej
Published: June 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the significance of Web 2.0 and social media for organizational development and adaptation to an ever‐changing business environment and its successful managing. A model is proposed based on the concepts of innovative economy, knowledge management and social media for value creation in knowledge‐based industries.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper examines critical factors that influence the role of social media in organizational change and value creation in knowledge‐based industries.

Findings

The paper contributes to discussion about the increasingly important role of social media in the value added chain in knowledge‐based industries.

Research limitations/implications

Social media are still an emerging phenomenon and further studies are required to investigate these relationships over a longer period of time.

Practical implications

The topic is relevant for designing corporate strategies in knowledge‐based companies becoming a part of global networks. Better understanding of the impact of social media on value added could significantly enhance both the top and bottom lines.

Originality/value

The paper explores when and why the inexpensive, but increasingly wider, use of social media in knowledge‐based industries is preferred to traditional media. This paper intends to give executives practical hands‐on advice for using social media in business campaigns.
The influence of internal organisational factors on corporate‐community partnership agendas
Authors: Glennie Miriam , Lodhia Sumit
Published: June 2013

Purpose

Corporate‐community partnerships, the collaboration between business and community groups, have risen to prominence recently. This paper seeks to examine how internal organisational factors affect the agenda of corporate‐community partnerships.

Design/methodology/approach

The internal factors considered in this research were the processes involved in the partnerships' agenda development and the attitudes of participating members towards the partnership and its social or environmental goals. Interviews were conducted with representatives from both the corporate and community members of two major partnerships in Australia.

Findings

The findings suggest that internal organisational processes and attitudes affect five major features of the partnerships' agenda: form, target, scope, stability and sustainability.

Research limitations/implications

The study proposes a framework for understanding how internal organizational factors affect the various features of agenda formation in corporate‐community partnerships.

Practical implications

This research provides a practical understanding of corporate‐community partnerships in relation to the influences on agenda formation, and would be useful to both corporations and stakeholders, especially community groups.

Social implications

This study stresses the increasing importance of corporate‐community partnerships and suggests that government policies should encourage the development of such partnerships.

Originality/value

The paper examines the influences on the agenda formation of corporate‐community partnerships through the voices of corporations and community groups.
Structural breaks in the parameter estimates of the determinants of capital structure
Authors: Chipeta Chimwemwe , Wolmarans Hendrik P. , Vermaak Frans N.S. , Proudfoot Stacey
Published: June 2013

Purpose

This paper aims to test the effects of financial reforms on the structural stability of the parameter estimates in the determinants of capital structure.

Design/methodology/approach

A panel of 100 non‐financial companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange is constructed, and a panel least squares estimation technique is used to test for lagged, current and leading structural breaks in the firm specific determinants of leverage.

Findings

The results show that structural reforms have a significant role in influencing the empirical relationship between leverage and its determinants. Specifically, the lifting of international sanctions and stock market liberalisation have a significant impact on the stability of the profitability, growth and tax rate variables for the book and market values of the debt to equity ratio. Furthermore, when the total and short term debt ratios are considered, only stock market liberalisation appears to have a significant influence on the stability of the profitability parameter.

Originality/value

This paper adds to the existing body of literature on capital structure by documenting the extent of structural breaks in the parameter estimates of the relationship between leverage and firm specific determinants of capital structure for listed non‐financial firms in South Africa.
Setting up global mobility strategies
Authors: Maes Sophie
Published: June 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify some of the legal issues that HR professionals may face when seconding talent internationally for work assignments and offer advice on how to overcome the challenges involved.

Design/methodology/approach

Best practices are outlined to help avoid legal issues when seconding talent to other countries. The guidance offered is based on private practice experience of almost 15 years in employment and global mobility issues and studies of case law and jurisprudence with regard to global mobility.

Findings

Seconding employees abroad can be a complex and confusing process. Assumptions should be avoided and care taken to investigate the legal and tax implications in each country. A global mobility strategy should be put in place to ensure proper procedures are applied.

Originality/value

The best practice provided in this paper will be useful to HR professionals with employees working across the globe, as it takes a global view of talent mobility.
Emotional Temperature, Probabilistic Choice and the Optimal Power of Incentives*
Authors: Basov Suren
Published: June 2013

From the time of Plato it has been assumed that emotions cloud rational thinking. Fully rational individuals were supposed to be completely free of emotions. Modern psychological research challenged this paradigm. One of the insights of this research is that though emotions indeed interfere with the ability to evaluate the objective consequences of choices, they also allow the decision maker to feel the difference in utility arising from those choices. In this article, I formalise this intuition by introducing the concept of emotional temperature. I show that there exists a positive optimal emotional temperature, which leads to an irreducible probability of suboptimal choice. I apply the model to characterise the optimal contracts under moral hazard, assuming that the emotional temperature of the decision maker increases when the contract provides more powerful incentives. A more general point the article makes is that a mechanism designer needs to be aware that the mechanism will not only affect incentives but also the degree of rationality of the agents.
Intrahepatic cholestasis in common chronic liver diseases
Authors: Jüngst Christoph , Berg Thomas , Cheng Jun , Green Richard M. , Jia Jidong , Mason Andrew L. , Lammert Frank
Published: June 2013

Background and objective

Cholestasis represents the consequence of impaired bile formation and decrease in bile flow, generally classified as extra‐ and intrahepatic. Cholestasis is the pivotal hallmark of the so‐called primary cholestatic liver diseases but may also emerge in other forms of chronic liver injury. The aim now was to summarise the current state of knowledge on intrahepatic cholestasis related to chronic liver diseases.

Methods

For this overview on intrahepatic cholestasis in chronic liver disorders other than the ‘classic’ cholestatic liver diseases, selected references were retrieved by literature search in MEDLINE and textbooks were reviewed. All articles were selected that discussed pathophysiological and clinical aspects of intrahepatic cholestasis in the context of alcoholic liver disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, chronic hepatitis B and C virus infections as well as drug‐induced and granulomatous liver diseases. Titles referring to primary biliary cirrhosis and sclerosing cholangitis were excluded.

Results and conclusions

Dependent on the aetiology, intrahepatic cholestasis is present at variable frequencies and in different disease stages in chronic liver diseases. Cholestasis secondary to chronic liver injury may denote a severe disease course and development of end‐stage liver disease or specific disease variants. These findings indicate that ‘secondary intrahepatic cholestasis’ (SIC) can occur in the natural course of chronic liver diseases other than the primary cholestatic diseases, in particular in the setting of advanced disease progression.
Predicting teamwork results from social network analysis
Authors: Crespo Pedro Terras , Antunes Cláudia
Published: June 2013

Modelling students' behaviours has reached a status that can only be overcome by improving the ability of predicting the results on teamwork. Indeed, teamwork is an important piece on the learning process, but understanding their mechanisms and predicting the results achieved is far from being solved by traditional classifiers. In this paper, we address the problem of predicting teamwork results, and propose a recommender system that suggests new teams, in the context of a given curricular unit. Any student, who is looking for a team, may use the system; in particular, he may ask for the best team to join, either considering all available colleagues or just the set of his previous teammates. Our system makes use of social network analysis and classification methods as the algorithmic core of the decision‐making process. System evaluation is presented through a set of experimental results, which report the performance of social network analysis and classification algorithms over real datasets.
Fatigue crack growth characteristics of inertia friction welded Ti17 alloy
Authors: Ji Y. , Wu S. , Yu G.
Published: June 2013

Fatigue crack growth rates (FCGR) of the inertia friction welded Ti17 alloy joint was studied at room temperature (RT) and 400 °C at a stress ratio of 0.1. Microstructural analysis and mechanical tests were also carried out. The results show that at RT, FCGR of weld metal with recrystallisation microstructure was higher compared with the base metal and the thermo‐mechanically affected zone. At 400 °C, however, the difference of the FCGR became insignificant. Fractographic observation showed that the failure of the base metal was dominated by slip band in transgranular mode at both RT and 400 °C, whereas crack in weld metal grew in intergranular mode at RT but in transgranular mode at 400 °C. The combined effects of lower yield strength and bigger yield‐ultimate tensile strength difference may be responsible for the higher fatigue crack growth (FCG) resistance of inertia friction welded Ti17 alloy at elevated temperature.
Fatal embrace: trading in hospitality on the frontiers of South and Central Asia
Authors: MARSDEN MAGNUS
Published: June 2013

This paper explores the contested yet critical importance of hospitality to the everyday lives of Afghan traders in Afghanistan and the Central Asian Republic of Tajikistan. Ethnographically, it focuses on the ways in which these people's relationship to the norms and values of hospitality are often highly reflective and shot through with irony, irreverence, and wit. Theoretically, it aims to move beyond anthropological approaches to the study of morality that document tensions between calculation and ethics in everyday life to a position that reflects the co‐implication of these facets of morality.

Le présent article explore l'importance, contestée mais centrale, de l'hospitalité dans la vie quotidienne des marchands afghans en Afghanistan et au Tadjikistan voisin. Du point de vue ethnographique, il se concentre sur la manière dont la relation de ces marchands avec les normes et valeurs de l'hospitalité est souvent fortement réflexive et teintée d'ironie, d'irrévérence et d'humour. Sur le plan théorique, il cherche à dépasser les approches anthropologiques de l'étude de la moralité qui rendent compte des tensions entre calcul et éthique dans la vie quotidienne pour mettre en lumière l'implication conjointe de ces aspects de la moralité.
Stratospheric Ozone Depletion and its Relationship to Skin Cancer
Authors: AMRON DAVID M. , MOY RONALD L.
Published: June 2013

Several articles have appeared in the literature regarding the impact of stratospheric ozone depletion on the prevalence of skin cancer due to increasing ultraviolet radiation. While it has been shown that UVB radiation is related to carcinogenesis of both melanoma and non‐melanoma skin cancer, it has not definitively been shown that stratospheric ozone depletion is translating into increased penetrating ultraviolet radiation. Estimates of increasing skin cancer in the future are dependent on calculations of UVB increases drawn from data on ozone depletion. The present article describes the history of stratospheric ozone depletion, how it may affect UVB penetration and skin cancer rates, and what is currently being done to prevent man's further detrimental effects on our atmosphere.
Choriocarcinoma of the Testis Metastatic to the Skin
Authors: REQUENA LUIS , SÁNCHEZ MANUEL , AGUILAR ANTONIO , YUS EVARISTO SÁNCHEZ
Published: June 2013

A case of choriocarcinoma of the testis metastatic to the skin is reported. In this case report the primary tumor was first diagnosed by the histopathologic findings in the cutaneous biopsy of a single nodule that appeared on the chest, with both syncytiotrophoblastic and cyto‐trophoblastic cells in the metastatic solid tumor islands. Using peroxidase‐antiperoxidase techniques, beta‐human chorionic gonadotropin (beta‐HCG) was positive within the cytoplasm of syncytiotrophoblastic cells. The patient was treated with orchiectomy, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. With these measures there was a decrease of chorionic gonadotropin serum levels to normal limits and 2 years after this treatment there is no evidence of recurrence.
Mohs Micrographic Surgery of the Nail Unit
Authors: GOLDMINZ DAVID , BENNETT RICHARD G.
Published: June 2013

Malignancies of the nail unit are relatively uncommon, with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) representing most of the reported cases. Squamous cell carcinoma of the nail unit, although commonly considered to be a curable malignancy, can and does kill. Review of the literature as well as a personal series confirm that Mohs micrographic surgery is an ideal treatment for periungual and subungual SCCs without osseous involvement. In addition, the anatomy and histology of nail unit SCC, as well as prognostic factors and perioperative evaluation as they relate to performing Mohs micrographic surgery, are reviewed.
Running Vertical Mattress Suture
Authors: KOLBUSZ ROBERT V. , BIELINSKI KENNETH B.
Published: June 2013

Various types of running sutures have been described for use in dermatologic surgery. The running vertical mattress suture is a time‐saving technique that can be used alone or in combination with any running‐suture technique. It is useful for wound eversion, providing hemostasis, and closing wounds under mild tension.
Pseudocyst of the Auricle
Authors: HOFFMANN THOMAS J. , RICHARDSON TIM F. , JACOBS RANDY J. , TORRES ABEL
Published: June 2013

BACKGROUND. Pseudocyst of the auricle is a benign swelling of the ear characterized by collection of fluid within an unlined intracartilaginous cavity. The etiology and pathogenesis of this disorder remain unknown. Various forms of management have been described in several case reports and small series.

OBJECTIVE. Description of a surgical procedure for successful management of pseudocyst of the auricle.

METHODS. Case report of a patient who declined nonsurgical treatment options following failed management with aspiration.

RESULTS. The described procedure resulted in cure of the pseudocyst with good cosmetic outcome.

CONCLUSION. Pseudocyst of the auricle can be successfully managed by surgical excision of the anterior wall of the cyst.
Autologous Collagen?
Authors: COLEMAN WILLIAM P. , LAWRENCE NAOMI , SHERMAN RICHARD N. , REED RICHARD J. , PINSKI KEVIN S.
Published: June 2013

BACKGROUND. Soft tissue augmentation with processed fat has been used clinically for several years. This material has been termed “autologous collagen” since it was presumed it was composed primarily of collagen and fibrous tissue from lipocyte cell walls.

OBJECTIVE. To examine the histologic behavior of dermis implanted with processed fat.

METHOD. Volunteers were injected with processed fat intradermally in the post auricular area and these sites were biopsied at one week, one month, and three months.

RESULTS. Early biopsies revealed no intact adiopocytes but a significant inflammatory infiltrate. Subsequently biopsies revealed replacement of the inflammatory reaction with cellular fibrosis and expansion of the dermis.

CONCLUSION. Intradermal injection of processed fat results in deposition of fibrous material and collagen due to the response of the recipient site. The material itself contains very little collagen. J Dermatology Surg Oncol 1993:19:1032‐1040.
Two New Retractors for Hair Replacement Surgery
Authors: BRANDY DOMINIC A.
Published: June 2013

BACKGROUND. Two new retractors that facilitate scalp reduction and scalp‐lifting surgery are introduced.

OBJECTIVE. To improve the accuracy, visibility and speed of alopecia reducing procedures.

METHODS. These retractors were developed through trial and error in cooperation with the Robbins Instrument Corporation.

RESULTS. The suction retractor has been found to clear the field, elevate the scalp flap, and put the skin on stretch simultaneously. The serrated hook retractor has been found to greatly improve visibility for the cauterization of bleeders. The hook and serrated surface of this retractor prevents intraoperative slippage.

CONCLUSION. The two new retractors introduced in this article have been found to improve greatly the accuracy, visibility, and speed of alopecia reducing procedures.
Circumferential Scalp Reduction
Authors: BRANDY DOMINIC A.
Published: June 2013

background. Conventional scalp reduction techniques involve the undermining of bald skin, inducing the problems of stretch‐back and slot formation in the majority of patients. Conversely, extensive scalp‐lifting, a relatively new technique, never undermines bald skin; therefore, the problem of stretch‐back is minimal and slot formation is reduced. This procedure, however, is more intricate, owing to the undermining down to the hairline of the nape. Because not all cosmetic hair replacement surgeons desire to perform this more intricate surgery, the author takes many of the principles of scalp‐lifting and applies them to the scalp reduction procedure. With the application of these principles, many of the problems of scalp reduction surgery are significantly reduced and other aesthetic aspects improved.
The New Life Market
Authors: Blake David , Cairns Andrew , Coughlan Guy , Dowd Kevin , MacMinn Richard
Published: June 2013

ABSTRACT

The huge economic significance of longevity risk for corporations, governments, and individuals has begun to be recognized and quantified. By virtue of its size and prevalence, longevity risk is the most significant life‐related risk exposure in financial terms and poses a potential threat to the whole system of retirement income provision. This article reviews the birth and development of the Life Market, the new market related to the transfer of longevity and mortality risks. We note that the emergence of a traded market in longevity‐linked capital market instruments could act as a catalyst to help facilitate the development of annuity markets both in the developed and the developing world and protect the long‐term viability of retirement income provision globally.
Will the Sarb always Succeed in Fighting Inflation with Contractionary Policy?
Authors: Liu Guangling (Dave)
Published: June 2013

The conventional view is that a monetary policy shock has both supply‐side and demand‐side effects, at least in the short run. Barth and Ramey show that the supply‐side effect of a monetary policy shock may be greater than the demand‐side effect. We argue that it is crucial for monetary authorities to understand whether an increase in expected future inflation is due to supply shocks or demand shocks before applying contractionary policy to forestall inflation. We estimate a standard New Keynesian dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model with the cost channel of monetary policy for the South African economy to show that whether the South African Reserve Bank should apply contractionary policy to fight inflation depends critically on the nature of the disturbance. If an increase in expected future inflation is mainly due to supply shocks, the South African Reserve Bank should not apply contractionary policy to fight inflation, as this would lead to a persistent increase in inflation and a greater loss in output. Our estimation results also show that with a moderate level of cost‐channel effect and nominal rigidities, a New Keynesian dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model with the cost channel of monetary policy is able to mimic the price puzzle produced by an estimated vector autoregressive model.
Effect of baby oil on pruritus, sleep quality, and quality of life in hemodialysis patients: Pretest–post‐test model with control groups
Authors: Karadag Ezgi , Kilic Serap Parlar , Karatay Gülnaz , Metin Ozgur
Published: June 2013

Aim

To assess the effect of baby oil on pruritus, sleep quality, and quality of life in hemodialysis (HD) patients.

Methods

This pretest–post‐test model with control groups study was conducted in HD units in two different provinces in eastern Turkey. The study group consisted of a total of 70 patients receiving HD treatment who met the inclusion criteria, 35 being in the intervention group and 35 in the control group. After the patients in both groups were informed about the study, they were administered a questionnaire, the Severity Scale, Visual Analog Scale, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and the SF‐36 Quality of Life Scale. Following the administration of baby oil to the patients in the intervention group three times a week for a period of 1 month, the same scales were repeated to explore their pruritic status, sleep quality, and quality of life. The same scales were repeated also for the patients in the control group 1 month later but without administering any baby oil.

Results

When the Itch Severity Scale, Visual Analog Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and SF‐36 Quality of Life Physical and Mental Component scores of the patients in the control and intervention groups before and after the intervention were compared, the differences in the change were found to be statistically significant in favor of the intervention group (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

It was found in this study that administration of baby oil had positive effects on itching, quality of life, and sleep quality in HD patients who had itching complaints.
Short‐term effects of a suicide education intervention for family caregivers of people who are suicidal
Authors: Sun Fan‐Ko , Chiang Chun‐Ying , Lin Yu‐Hua , Chen Tai‐Been
Published: June 2013

Aims and objectives

To evaluate the short‐term effects of a suicide care educational intervention on the family's ability to care, family's caring stress levels and family's attitudes towards attempted suicide.

Background

Research has demonstrated that suicide prevention educational programmes are provided mostly for professional staff and not for the family caregivers of people who are suicidal.

Design

A experimental design, using two groups and a pre‐ and postintervention survey method, was used.

Methods

A randomised controlled study was conducted with 74 family caregivers of people who are suicidal (37 using suicide education and 37 in the control group). The experimental group was provided with a two‐hour suicide care education intervention, and the control group received normal suicide care support. Participants were recruited at a Suicide Prevention Centre and two acute psychiatric hospitals between October 2009–December 2010. Three questionnaires were collected: (1) the Suicidal Caring Ability Scale (2) the Caring Stress Scale and (3) the Suicide Attitudes Scale. Descriptive statistics, independent t‐tests or Mann–Whitney U‐tests were used to analyse the data.

Results

The results demonstrated that there were statistically significant differences in the Suicidal Caring Ability Scale and the Suicide Attitudes Scale but no statistically significant differences in the Caring Stress Scale. That is, the suicide education programme can promote the ability to care for people who are suicidal and can generate a positive attitude towards people who are suicidal from their caregivers.

Conclusions

Family caregivers of suicidal individuals who attended the psycho‐education programme had an increased caring ability and positive attitudes for their suicidal relatives.

Relevance to clinical practice

Nurses could use the two‐hour personal suicidal education programme to increase one's ability to care for their relatives who had attempted suicide and promote one's positive attitudes towards attempted suicide.
Genetic regulation and potentially therapeutic application of cancer‐associated fibroblasts in oral cancer
Authors: Wang Jingyi , Min Anjie , Gao Shan , Tang Zhangui
Published: June 2013

Carcinoma‐associated fibroblast (CAF) is the most important host cell type in tumor microenvironment, which greatly contributes to tumor initiation, progression, and metastasis. Therefore, a large amount of data has emerged, showing the cancer‐promoting function of these cells via paracrine effects that escort tumor cells through all the steps of cancer development. CAF is a heterogeneous cell population that can arise from the differentiation of resting fibroblasts, epithelial cells, endothelial cells, and mesenchymal stem cells. This review summarizes the current knowledge of the role of CAFs in tumor progression, with a particular focus on the cellular and molecular features and recent advances in researches on the genetic status and microRNA regulation, and addresses the potential prognostic and therapeutic values for patients with oral cancer by targeting CAFs.
Current approaches using genetic distances produce poor estimates of landscape resistance to interindividual dispersal
Authors: Graves Tabitha A. , Beier Paul , Royle J. Andrew
Published: June 2013

Landscape resistance reflects how difficult it is for genes to move across an area with particular attributes (e.g. land cover, slope). An increasingly popular approach to estimate resistance uses Mantel and partial Mantel tests or causal modelling to relate observed genetic distances to effective distances under alternative sets of resistance parameters. Relatively few alternative sets of resistance parameters are tested, leading to relatively poor coverage of the parameter space. Although this approach does not explicitly model key stochastic processes of gene flow, including mating, dispersal, drift and inheritance, bias and precision of the resulting resistance parameters have not been assessed. We formally describe the most commonly used model as a set of equations and provide a formal approach for estimating resistance parameters. Our optimization finds the maximum Mantel r when an optimum exists and identifies the same resistance values as current approaches when the alternatives evaluated are near the optimum. Unfortunately, even where an optimum existed, estimates from the most commonly used model were imprecise and were typically much smaller than the simulated true resistance to dispersal. Causal modelling using Mantel significance tests also typically failed to support the true resistance to dispersal values. For a large range of scenarios, current approaches using a simple correlational model between genetic and effective distances do not yield accurate estimates of resistance to dispersal. We suggest that analysts consider the processes important to gene flow for their study species, model those processes explicitly and evaluate the quality of estimates resulting from their model.
Quaternary range and demographic expansion of Liolaemus darwinii (Squamata: Liolaemidae) in the Monte Desert of Central Argentina using Bayesian phylogeography and ecological niche modelling
Authors: Camargo Arley , Werneck Fernanda P. , Morando Mariana , Sites Jack W. , Avila Luciano J.
Published: June 2013

Until recently, most phylogeographic approaches have been unable to distinguish between demographic and range expansion processes, making it difficult to test for the possibility of range expansion without population growth and vice versa. In this study, we applied a Bayesian phylogeographic approach to reconstruct both demographic and range expansion in the lizard Liolaemus darwinii of the Monte Desert in Central Argentina, during the Late Quaternary. Based on analysis of 14 anonymous nuclear loci and the cytochrome b mitochondrial DNA gene, we detected signals of demographic expansion starting at ~55 ka based on Bayesian Skyline and Skyride Plots. In contrast, Bayesian relaxed models of spatial diffusion suggested that range expansion occurred only between ~95 and 55 ka, and more recently, diffusion rates were very low during demographic expansion. The possibility of population growth without substantial range expansion could account for the shared patterns of demographic expansion during the Last Glacial Maxima (OIS 2 and 4) in fish, small mammals and other lizards of the Monte Desert. We found substantial variation in diffusion rates over time, and very high rates during the range expansion phase, consistent with a rapidly advancing expansion front towards the southeast shown by palaeo‐distribution models. Furthermore, the estimated diffusion rates are congruent with observed dispersal rates of lizards in field conditions and therefore provide additional confidence to the temporal scale of inferred phylogeographic patterns. Our study highlights how the integration of phylogeography with palaeo‐distribution models can shed light on both demographic and range expansion processes and their potential causes.
Imported Capital Goods and Manufacturing Productivity: Evidence from Botswana's Manufacturing Sector
Authors: Habiyaremye Alexis
Published: June 2013

This article examines the effects of imported capital goods on manufacturing productivity growth in Botswana. Despite consistent efforts aimed at diversification, Botswana's economy has remained heavily dependent on diamond exports, and the country's productivity remains a point of concern. The ability to apply foreign technologies to increase productivity and spur diversification is limited by the foreign exchange gap. This study uses an imported input growth model to analyse how the importation of capital goods contributes to enabling productivity growth and export diversification. With a panel of 340 manufacturing firms, the study also analyses the effects of imported capital goods on firm productivity growth and skills development. The results show that imported machines and equipment have increase manufacturing productivity after 1‐2 years following the investment. Additionally, foreign‐owned firms were found to enjoy more productivity growth than their domestic counterparts.
Science Standards Begin Long, Hard Road to Classroom
Authors: Mervis Jeffrey
Published: June 2013

Last week, Kansas became the third state to adopt the Next Generation Science Standards, a voluntary national initiative to redefine how U.S. schoolchildren learn science.
Global Gamma Observatory Looks for (Two) Homes
Authors: Dominguez Nuno
Published: June 2013

Astronomers are planning twin observatories to scan the whole sky for sources of gamma rays, but first they must choose from nine potential sites.
Pharmacogenomics of Cytauxzoon felis Cytochrome
b
: Implications for Atovaquone and Azithromycin Therapy in Domestic Cats with Cytauxzoonosis
Authors: Schreeg Megan E. , Marr Henry S. , Tarigo Jaime , Cohn Leah A. , Levy Michael G. , Birkenheuer Adam J.
Published: June 2013

Cytauxzoon felis
, an emerging virulent protozoan parasite that infects domestic cats, is treated with atovaquone and azithromycin (A&A). Atovaquone targets parasite cytochrome
b
. We characterized the
C. felis
cytochrome
b
gene (
cytb
) in cats with cytauxzoonosis and found a
cytb
genotype that was associated with survival in A&A-treated cats.
Immune Activation and Regulation in Simian Immunodeficiency Virus-Plasmodium fragile-Coinfected Rhesus Macaques
Authors: Trott Kristin A. , Richardson Amy , Hudgens Michael A. , Abel Kristina
Published: June 2013

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is characterized by immune activation, while chronic malaria is associated with elevated interleukin-10 (IL-10) levels. How these apparently antagonizing forces interact in the coinfected host is poorly understood. Using a rhesus macaque model of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)-
Plasmodium fragile
coinfection, we evaluated how innate immune effector cells affect the balance between immune activation and regulation.
In vitro
Toll-like receptor (TLR) responses of peripheral blood myeloid dendritic cells (mDC) and monocytes were temporarily associated with acute parasitemic episodes and elevated plasma IL-10 levels. Prolonged infection resulted in a decline of mDC function. Monocytes maintained TLR responsiveness but, in addition to IL-12 and tumor necrosis factor alpha, also produced IL-10. Consistent with the role of spleen in the clearance of parasite-infected red blood cells, coinfected animals also had increased splenic IL-10 mRNA levels. The main cellular source of IL-10 in the spleens of coinfected animals, however, was not splenic macrophages but T cells, suggesting an impairment of adaptive immunity. In contrast to those in spleen, IL-10-positive cells in axillary lymph nodes of coinfected animals were predominantly mDC, reminiscent of the immunosuppressive phenotype of peripheral blood mDC. Concurrent with IL-10 induction, however, SIV infection promoted elevated systemic IL-12 levels. The continuously increasing ratio of plasma IL-12 to IL-10 suggested that the overall host response in SIV-
P. fragile
-coinfected animals was shifted toward immune activation versus immune regulation. Therefore, SIV-
P. fragile
coinfection might be characterized by earlier manifestation of immune dysfunction and exhaustion than that of single-pathogen infections. This could translate into increased morbidity in HIV-malaria-coinfected individuals.
MicroRNA Profiling of Sendai Virus-Infected A549 Cells Identifies miR-203 as an Interferon-Inducible Regulator of IFIT1/ISG56
Authors: Buggele William A. , Horvath Curt M.
Published: June 2013

The mammalian type I interferon (IFN) response is a primary barrier for virus infection and is essential for complete innate and adaptive immunity. Both IFN production and IFN-mediated antiviral signaling are the result of differential cellular gene expression, a process that is tightly controlled at transcriptional and translational levels. To determine the potential for microRNA (miRNA)-mediated regulation of the antiviral response, small-RNA profiling was used to analyze the miRNA content of human A549 cells at steady state and following infection with the Cantell strain of Sendai virus, a potent inducer of IFN and cellular antiviral responses. While the miRNA content of the cells was largely unaltered by infection, specific changes in miRNA abundance were identified during Sendai virus infection. One miRNA, miR-203, was found to accumulate in infected cells and in response to IFN treatment. Results indicate that miR-203 is an IFN-inducible miRNA that can negatively regulate a number of cellular mRNAs, including an IFN-stimulated gene target, IFIT1/ISG56, by destabilizing its mRNA transcript.
Functional Analysis of Antibodies against Dengue Virus Type 4 Reveals Strain-Dependent Epitope Exposure That Impacts Neutralization and Protection
Authors: Sukupolvi-Petty Soila , Brien James D. , Austin S. Kyle , Shrestha Bimmi , Swayne Sherri , Kahle Kristen , Doranz Benjamin J. , Johnson Syd , Pierson Theodore C. , Fremont Daved H. , Diamond Michael S.
Published: June 2013

Although prior studies have characterized the neutralizing activities of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against dengue virus (DENV) serotypes 1, 2, and 3 (DENV-1, DENV-2, and DENV-3), few reports have assessed the activity of MAbs against DENV-4. Here, we evaluated the inhibitory activity of 81 new mouse anti-DENV-4 MAbs. We observed strain- and genotype-dependent differences in neutralization of DENV-4 by MAbs mapping to epitopes on domain II (DII) and DIII of the envelope (E) protein. Several anti-DENV-4 MAbs inefficiently inhibited at least one strain and/or genotype, suggesting that the exposure or sequence of neutralizing epitopes varies within isolates of this serotype. Remarkably, flavivirus cross-reactive MAbs, which bound to the highly conserved fusion loop in DII and inhibited infection of DENV-1, DENV-2, and DENV-3, more weakly neutralized five different DENV-4 strains encompassing the genetic diversity of the serotype after preincubation at 37°C. However, increasing the time of preincubation at 37°C or raising the temperature to 40°C enhanced the potency of DII fusion loop-specific MAbs and some DIII-specific MAbs against DENV-4 strains. Prophylaxis studies in two new DENV-4 mouse models showed that neutralization titers of MAbs after preincubation at 37°C correlated with activityin vivo. Our studies establish the complexity of MAb recognition against DENV-4 and suggest that differences in epitope exposure relative to other DENV serotypes affect antibody neutralization and protective activity.