bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Swedish Health Care Personnel's Perceptions of Disease and Treatment-Related Problems Experienced by Children with Cancer and Their Families
Authors: Enskar Karin , Carlsson Marianne , Hamrin Elisabeth , Kreuger Anders
Published: July 2007

In recent decades, the intensification of treatment of children with cancer has resulted in a considerable increase in the number of those cured. The intensive treatment has also led to several problems for the children and their families. The aim of the present study was to identify the physical, psychological, social, and existential problems; symptoms and inconvenience caused by the disease and treatment or the hospital stay determined by Swedish health care personnel to be the most troublesome for children with cancer and their families. A modified three-round Delphi technique was used. In this way, 207 different problems were identified by 24 health care personnel. According to the personnel, the child is most troubled by physical symptoms, and family members are most troubled by feelings of anxiety about future events or possible events. The personnel interpreted the family members' problems as significantly worse than the child's. The results are related to the age and the diagnosis of the child.
A Memorial Service for Families of Children who Died From Cancer and Blood Disorders
Authors: Heiney Sue P. , Wells Linda , Ruffin Julian
Published: July 2007

The grief of staff who work with dying children and the grief of family members after the death of a child has been widely documented. Interventions to facilitate grieving have been extensively developed for parents but less so for siblings and staff. This article describes one approach, a memorial service, for families and staff that has wide applicability for providing support after a death. The memorial service provides families and staff with a healing ritual of remembrance, a source of closure after the death, and a recognition of the relationships established between families and staff. The service particularly legitimizes the staff's grief experience. The organization, implementation, and evaluation of such a program is discussed.
Uncertainty and Coping in Fathers of Children with Cancer
Authors: Sterken David J.
Published: July 2007

Limited research has been conducted regarding the father's relationship with the chronically ill child, particularly the child with cancer. How fathers cope with their child's illness and treatment is relatively unknown. The purpose of this study was to describe uncertainty and consequential coping patterns in fathers of children with cancer. The sample for this descriptive study was obtained from a computerized, nonalphabetized list of children currently undergoing treatment. The fathers were sent a packet of information that contained a letter introducing the study, a demographic data sheet, Mishel's Parent Perception of Uncertainty Scale, and the Jalowiec Coping Scale. Thirty-one of 150 eligible fathers completed the study. The age of the father, the age of the child, and the length of time since diagnosis showed direct correlation to patemal uncertainty and coping. Fathers used coping styles described as evasive, optimistic, and emotive.
A Comparison of the Educational Needs of Advanced Practice Nurses in Pediatric Oncology: 1987 and 1995
Authors: Fergusson Jean H. , Diserens Deborah
Published: July 2007

A survey conducted in 1987 identified and described the continuing education needs of Advanced Practice Nurses in Pediatric Oncology (APNPO). Questionnaires were mailed to 152 APNPOs, 120 were returned, and 92 (61 %) met criteria for inclusion in the study. These nurses had varied personal and professional backgrounds, but they reported similar needs for continuing education. They preferred clinically relevant information, with emphasis on the most recent scientific developments. A similar survey was mailed to 50 APNPOs in 1995. Forty-four surveys (88%) were returned and were usable. These nurses, who also had varied personal and professional backgrounds, reported a preference for continuing education about patient management in addition to the most recent scientific developments.
Four Concepts that Distinguish Pediatric Oncology Care in Japan From that in the United States: Telling the Diagnosis, Length of Hospitalization, Home Care, and Support Systems
Authors: Ishibashi Akiko
Published: July 2007

The concepts of telling the diagnosis, length of hospitalization, home care, and support systems are described and compared in this article as they currently exist in pediatric oncology care in Japan and the United States. These four concepts were selected because they best convey differences in the care given in these two countries. These concepts are also integral to care goals related to improving the quality of life of pediatric oncology patients in both countries. Although quality of life and related concepts have been actively studied for the past two decades in the United States, these concepts have only recently begun to appear in the scientific literature in Japan. Continuing efforts to study related concepts may assist researchers and pediatric oncology patients and their families. A clear difference was found on these four concepts. Based on these comparisons and analysis, some strategies for developing well-being are described.
Behavior Changes Exhibited by Siblings of Pediatric Oncology Patients: A Comparison Between Maternal and Sibling Descriptions
Authors: Heffernan Susan M. , Zanelli Ann S.
Published: July 2007

The purpose of this study was to identify the coping strategies used by the well siblings of pediatric oncology patients as identified by both the mother and the well siblings. The findings of this research study showed that both mothers and the well siblings were able to identify behavioral changes (95.2% of the mothers and 85.7% of the well siblings identified behavior changes). Behavior changes identified by both the siblings and mothers included being more sensitive to the needs of others, being more thoughtful, playing with friends, fighting, trouble sleeping, and complaints of headaches. Nurses can conduct thorough assessments of sibling behavior changes when a child family member has been diagnosed with cancer. From these assessments, nurses can provide care to assist the entire family during the ill child's treatment.
Life Situation and Problems as Reported by Children With Cancer and Their Parents
Authors: Enskär Karin , Carlsson Marianne , Golsäter Marie , Hamrin Elisabeth , Kreuger Anders
Published: July 2007

In recent years, the intensification of treatment for children with cancer has resulted in a considerable increase in the number of those who are cured. The intensive treatment has, however, led to a number of problems for the children and their families. The aim of this study was to identify children's experience of problems related to their cancer and the disease-effect on the child's life situation. Five children with varying diagnoses and treatment plans and five parents were interviewed separately. The qualitative interview data were compared with a quantitative measurement of problems. The interview data were analyzed by two of the authors according to qualitative analysis processes. Six categories regarding influencing factors on the children's life situation were found: (1) medical treatment and side effects, (2) isolation, (3) togetherness and support, (4) being in the center, (5) feelings and reactions, and (6) quality of care. About half of the variables on the list of problems were mentioned in 1 or more of the 10 interviews. Study findings suggest that health care personnel help children with cancer to reduce their fear of painful and frightening procedures by creating a relationship with the child.
Hypnosis for Children and Adolescents With Cancer: An Annotated Bibliography, 1985-1995
Authors: Steggles Shawn , Damore-Petingola Sheila , Maxwell Jocelyne , Lightfoot Nancy
Published: July 2007

This annotated bibliography reviews the professional literature published in English, from 1985 to 1995 inclusive, on the subject of the use of hypnosis with pediatric cancer patients. Books, chapters, and journal articles are included; dissertations, theses, and unpublished material are not. This bibliography contains 37 items organized into three categories: (1) General Discussions; (2) Case Reports or Case Studies; and (3) Experimental and Nonexperimental Group Designs. The brief annotations provided are not intended to be reviews or to be evaluative, but, rather, to inform the reader about the content and focus of the publication. This is an update of a previously published annotated bibliography, also presented in this Journal, which explored the relationship between hypnosis and pediatric cancer injournal articles published from 1960 to 1985.
Coping and Support Effects on Mothers' Stress Responses to Their Child's Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
Authors: Nelson Audrey E. , Shandor Miles Margaret , Belyea Michael J.
Published: July 2007

A hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is used as a treatment for cancer or nonmalignant hematological disorders in children. Little information is known about how an HSCT affects the mothers of these patients. The purposes of this repeated measures study were to examine the stress responses of mothers at four times during their child's hospitalization for an HSCT and to determine the relationships among mothers' stress responses and the resources for coping and social support. Maternal anxiety mean scores decreased significantly over time although a majority of the mothers had moderately high anxiety scores at all times. Mean scores of mothers' depressive symptomatologies decreased significantly over time. A majority of the mothers had depressive symptomatology scores above the cut-off score that indicates being at-risk for developing depression. At each of four data collection times, a specific coping style (defined as active reviewing of feelings or information associated with the situation) significantly explained the variance in mothers' scores for anxiety, depressive symptomatology, somatic complaints, and sleep behavior. Social support significantly explained differences in depressive symptomatology scores only at data collection times 1 and 3. Health care providers need to assess mothers for stress responses and assist them in dealing with their feelings and in understanding the information associated with an HSCT.
Development and Analysis of a Self-Sensing Magnetostrictive Actuator Design
Authors: Pratt Jon , Flatau Alison B.
Published: July 2007

A self-sensing magnetostrictive actuator design based on a linear systems model of magnetostrictive transduction for Terfenol-D is developed and analyzed. Self-sensing, or the ability of a transducer to sense its own motion as it is being driven, has been demonstrated for electromechanical transducers such as moving voice coil loudspeakers and, most recently, piezoelectric distributed moment actuators. In these devices, self-sensing was achieved by constructing a bridge circuit to extract a signal proportional to transducer motion even as the transducer was being driven. This approach is analyzed for a magnetostrictive device. Working from coupled electromechanical magnetostrictive transduction equations found in the literature, the concept of the transducer's "blocked" electrical impedance and motional impedance are developed, and a bridge design suggested and tested. However, results presented in this paper will show that magnetostrictive transduction is inherently non-linear, and does not, therefore, lend itself well to the traditional bridge circuit approach to self-sensing.
Identifying Delamination in Composite Beams Using Built-In Piezoelectrics: Part I—Experiments and Analysis
Authors: Keilers Charles H. , Chang Fu-Kuo
Published: July 2007

An investigation was performed on using piezoelectrics built into laminated composite structures to detect a delamination and estimate its size and location. Both experiments and analysis were conducted. In experiments, piezoceramics were attached to composite beams with and without an artificial delamination. Some of the piezoceramics were used as actuators to dynamically excite specimens while others were used as sensors to measure the beam responses. Tests showed that a delamination changed the measured piezo-induced dynamic forced response of beams. A delamination identification method is proposed which consists of a structural analysis, a response comparator, and a damage selector. The structural analysis was developed for predicting the output voltages of the sensors when a delaminated beam was excited by the actuators. The experimental results as well as the structural analysis are described in Part I of the study. In Part II, a response comparator and damage selector will be presented and will be integrated with the structural analysis for identifying delamination in composite beams with built-in piezoelectrics.
Modeling of Piezoresistively-Controlled Electromechanical Smart Material
Authors: Frommelt J.M. , Pilgrim S.M. , Carlson W.B. , Schulze W.A.
Published: July 2007

A finite element model of a proposed smart material was developed. This is an initial investigation into using a piezoresistive sensor in conjunction with a multilayer ceramic actuator and a resistor network as the control circuit. A device model, incorporating piezoresistive composites (with orders of magnitude change in resistivity) and piezoelectric actuators has also been constructed. The model accounts for all relevant material properties and configurations. The software also provides a method of optimizing geometry to obtain desired response. At present the 2-D case predicts a material package with a controllable compliance. This can be extended to a 3-D case consistent with available components.
Micro-Mechanical Model of a Composite Containing a Conservative Nonlinear Electro-Magneto-Thermo-Mechanical Material
Authors: Carman Greg P. , Cheung Kwok-Shun , Wang Donny
Published: July 2007

In this paper, we present an elasticity formulation using a concentric cylinders assemblage to investigate the response of a composite system containing a conservative nonlinear electro-magneto-thermo-mechanical (EMTM) material. The nonlinearity in the EMTM material is mathematically represented in the constitutive relations with terms coupling strain, electric/magnetic fields, temperature, and stress. These relations are representative of piezoelectric, electrostrictive, and magnetostrictive materials. The electric-magnetic-thermal field inside the composite material is assumed to be invariant with respect to position; this permits a closed form solution to be presented. The analytical model provides point wise stresses and strains in each constituent and is useful for evaluating possible locations for damage initiation and effective properties for the coupled material system. Parametric studies are presented to investigate the influence of constituents and actuator geometry on the material system's effective properties. Analytical results generated for a Terfenol-D composite indicate that nonlinear terms must be included to accurately characterize its response to large changes in stress or magnetic field strengths.
Integration and Design of Piezoceramic Elements in Intelligent Structures
Authors: Zhou S. , Liang C. , Rogers C.A.
Published: July 2007

The design of induced strain elements (actuators) is a comprehensive issue, involving not only the materials and geometry of the elements, but also the behaviors of the coupled host structures. In particular, the design of the active elements is essentially related to the prediction of induced strain or stress in the elements. A high stress or strain level in the actuators is useful to excite host structures; however, degradation or fatigue damage of the actuators may take place at the same time. This paper presents a dynamic analytical approach for the design and integration of active piezoceramic (PZT) patch elements locally coupled with host structures. Several critical design issues are addressed. These issues include the determination of the actuator dynamic outputs, the prediction of energy conversion efficiency, the estimation of system power requirement, and the limitation of induced alternate peak stress. A coupled electro-mechanical analytical model was developed to reveal the inherent connections among these issues. Both the mechanical stress behavior and the thermal stress characteristics of the PZT patch elements were investigated. A system power consumption-based model was developed to estimate the temperature and thermal stress distribution of the elements. The attention in parametric design was directed to the thickness and location of the elements. A simply-supported thin plate with surface-bonded PZT patches was built and tested to directly measure the induced dynamic strain of the PZT element so that the prediction accuracy and ability of the design model has been validated.
Adaptive Suspension of Vehicles Using Piezoelectric Sensors
Authors: Pletner Baruch , Abramovich Haim
Published: July 2007

A comprehensive theory for sensing deflections in helical compression springs and multi-leaf curved bar springs using piezoelectric copolymer film is developed and presented. This sensing capability is applied to the problem of sensing ground roughness in adaptive damping vehicular suspensions. A computer simulation of a vehicle equipped with an adaptive suspension system incorporating spring deflection sensors which is traveling over randomly rough surface is performed using MATLAB's SIMULINK module. A new algorithm for processing the sensor output and adapting the damping force to road conditions is presented and shown to be insensitive to sensor noise. The control algorithm is realized in SIMULINK, and the surface is simulated by a specifically designed random signal. The adaptive damping is shown to dramatically reduce inertial forces acting on the vehicle during travel over rough surfaces.
An Intelligent Control System for Multiple Degree-of-Freedom Vibration Isolation
Authors: Geng Z. Jason , Pan George G. , Haynes Leonard S. , Wada Ben K. , Garba John A.
Published: July 2007

Multiple degree-of freedom (DOF) vibration isolation and suppression capabilities are essential for precision control of a wide range of space-borne structures as well as earth-based systems. This paper presents the system design and implementation, control algorithms, parallel computing architecture, and real-time experiments of a six DOF Hexapod Active Vibration Isolation (HAVI) system developed at Intelligent Automation, Inc. The system design of the HAVI is based on the hexapod (Stewart Platform) concept. A novel geometric arrangement of a hexapod, called the "Cubic Configuration" is used. Magnetostrictive material Terfenol-D actuators are employed. A two-layer control system architecture incorporating local force feedback control and a robust adaptive filter control for active vibration isolation are employed. A high performance parallel computation engine MDSP-100 with multiple DSP processors and maximum 566 MFLOPs throughput is also developed for the HAVI applications and was used to implement proposed control algorithms. The unique architecture and functionality of the MDSP-100 facilitate the data acquisition and control law computation operations in a parallel computing fashion. Mechanical hardware for the HAVI system has been fabricated and tested. The six channel simultaneous active vibration control experiments were performed to demonstrate HAVI system's 6 DOF vibration isolation and suppression capabilities. A wide band (below 250 Hz) active vibration attenuation for all six channels was obtained in the real-time experiments.
An Analytical and Experimental Investigation of Electrorheological Material Based Adaptive Beam Structures
Authors: Don David L. , Coulter John P.
Published: July 2007

Modeling the dynamic behavior of the controllable structure itself is essential to the physical realization of electrorheological (ER) material based adaptive structures. Previous non-conclusive studies evaluated two well-known vibration theories, namely the Ross, Kerwin, and Ungar (RKU), and Mead and Markus models, in their relevance to ER based constrained layer structures. The present study consists of an in-depth theoretical and experimental investigation verifying the utility of these models in predicting the dynamic behavior of ER based structures. We restrict ourselves to a comparison between the structure's natural frequencies since the shear storage modulus dominates the material's rheological behavior. The material's loss modulus contribution to the structure's overall controllability is assumed to be negligible. The RKU and Mead and Markus theories adequately model the behavior of ER based adaptive beam structures. The model's accuracy depends upon uninhibited strain in the sandwiched layer, uniform thickness of the sandwich layer, and accurate determination of the material's rheological properties.
Ramified Structures of Magnetic Suspensions
Authors: Cebers Andrejs , Weili Luo
Published: July 2007

Concentration patterns of the magnetic suspension in flat layers under the action of the normal magnetic field are considered theoretically. From the balance of the demagnetized field energy and surface energy critical magnetic Bond numbers for instability of the magnetized stripe with respect to its branching and division are obtained. Energy of the stripe with multiple branchings is calculated and on that basis crossover behaviour of the concentration structure period in dependence on the layer thickness is described.
Combined Research - Curriculum Development in Smart Structures
Authors: Koval Leslie R. , Rao Vittal S. , Kern Frank J.
Published: July 2007

The field of smart structures is one of several areas of engineering where knowledge, which has been heretofore compartmentalized in several different engineering disciplines, must be integrated into a functional unit because the application crosses disciplinary boundaries. A successful understanding of the concept of a smart structure depends on an in-depth appreciation of how the fields of mechanics of materials, mechanical vibrations, structural analysis, and system modeling and control interact when applied to the analysis and design of a structural system that will contain built-in sensors, control and diagnostic components. At the University of Missouri-Rolla, an interdisciplinary curriculum is being developed under the sponsorship of the National Science Foundation.

The primary objective of the present effort is to integrate research results with curriculum development in the cross-disciplinary area of smart structures for the benefit of students in Electrical, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and Engineering Mechanics. We are in the process of developing a two-course sequence integrated with a multidisciplinary laboratory in smart structures.

Both courses are team taught with one instructor from the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and one from Electrical Engineering. We wish to share the experience in teaching multidisciplinary courses in smart structures.
The Design of Extended Bandwidth Shape Memory Alloy Actuators
Authors: Ditman Jason B. , Bergman Lawrence A. , Tsao Tsu-Chin
Published: July 2007

Extending the usable bandwidth of shape memory alloy actuators for vibration control is investigated, both analytically and experimentally. The differential actuator, which uses SMA wires in agonist-antagonist pairs, is a potential solution. Simulation shows that only modest power requirements are necessary to achieve bandwidths between 10 and 20 Hz.
Dynamic Power and Energy Capabilities of Commercially-Available Electro-Active Induced-Strain Actuators
Authors: Giurgiutiu Victor , Rogers Craig A.
Published: July 2007

A method has been developed to predict the apparent material constants, the input and output power and energy, and the electro-mechanical energy conversion efficiency of electro-active induced-strain actuators under full-stroke, quasi-linear dynamic operation. The effect of the piezo-electric counter electro-motive force on the apparent input admittance is included. The non-symmetric expansion-retraction behavior of the electro-active material under full-stroke dynamic operation is symmetrized using a bias-voltage component and a superposed dynamic voltage amplitude that produce, in the actuator, a static position and a dynamic stroke amplitude, respectively. It is shown that the presence of the bias-voltage operation increases significantly the reactive power amplitude, and a simple formula for estimating this increase is provided. Reaction power values up to three times larger than those for unbiased operation were found.

The secant linearization method and vendor data were used to evaluate the full-stroke piezoelectric strain coefficient, d, elastic compliance, s, electrical permittivity, ∈, and electro-mechanical coupling coefficient, x, of the electro-active actuator. Consistency with the basic active-material values was checked, and correction of the actuator full-stroke electro-mechanical coupling coefficient was applied, when required. Maximum power and energy delivery under optimal dynamic conditions (dynamic stiffness match) was studied, and the dynamic energy output capability of several commercially-available actuators were computed. Output energy densities per unit volume, mass, and cost were also calculated. The best electro-mechanical conversion efficiency, which was shown to take place at stiffness ratios slightly different from the dynamic stiffness match, was also computed.
Effects of Piezo-Actuator Delamination on the Performance of Active Noise and Vibration Control Systems
Authors: Kim Sung J. , Jones James D.
Published: July 2007

An analytical and experimental investigation is conducted to identify the effects of delaminations on the performance of surface-mounted piezo-actuators on a cantilever beam. Two types of delaminations are considered: an edge delamination and an inner delamination. Results indicate that an edge delamination will reduce the structural coupling performance of the piezo-actuator whereas an inner delamination has little detrimental effect on the coupling performance. Furthermore, the edge delamination will cause significant variations in the dynamic characteristics of the composite beam whereas the effect of the inner delamination is substantially less.
Modeling of Actively Damped Beams with Piezoelectric Actuators with Finite Stiffness Bond
Authors: De Faria Alfredo Rocha , Frascino Muller De Almeida Sérgio
Published: July 2007

The piezoelectric strain actuation of beams has been extensively studied. It is well known that a number of non-idealities may affect the performance of piezoelectric sensors or actuators. In particular, the existence of a finite stiffness bond between the actuator and the structure causes a reduction in the effectiveness (or sensitivity) of induced strain actuators (or sensors) mounted on the surface of a structure. This effect may be significant for short actuators and/or less stiff bonding layers. The objective of this work is to assess the influence of a finite stiffness bond between piezoelectric sensors/actuators and the structure on the active damping of beams subjected to rigid body rotations and elastic deformations. The depoling of the piezoelectric material is also taken into account in the model. A finite element formulation that incorporates this effect is proposed. The formulation uses an Euler-Bernoulli model for the beam and assumes the bond layer to be in a state of pure shear. The effect of the finite bond stiffness appears explicitly in the electro-mechanical coupling matrix. The present formulation includes the effect of the finite bond stiffness with good approximation without introducing extra degrees of freedom in the system. Active damping is introduced in the beam by a simple control law using rate feedback. A numerical example indicates that, within certain limits, the finite stiffness bond may be compensated for by using a higher gain in the control system. However, the finite bonding stiffness has to be taken into account when designing the control system.
Hybrid Model-Insensitive Control Using a Piezoelectric Sensoriactuator
Authors: Vipperman Jeffrey S. , Clark Robert L.
Published: July 2007

A hybrid control system based on a piezoelectric sensoriactuator is presented. The system uses the adaptive feedforward Time Averaged Gradient (TAG) descent algorithm to achieve persistent disturbance rejection. No system modeling is required for the TAG descent algorithm. However, this algorithm is not well suited for control of reverberant plants with slow modes, since the convergence rate is limited by the slowest time scales of the system. It is shown that Rate Feedback (RFB) control can be applied to a system to minimize the transient response and enhance the convergence characteristics of the TAG algorithm. An experimental demonstration of persistent and transient disturbance rejection in a cantilevered beam is presented. Results show that increasing the system damping by a factor of 4-6 increases the convergence time of the TAG algorithm by as much as 20 times.
CK19 and CD99 Immunoexpression Profile in Goblet Cell (Mucin-Producing Neuroendocrine Tumors) and Classical Carcinoids of the Vermiform Appendix
Authors: Alsaad Khaled O. , Serra Stefano , Perren Aurel , Hsieh Eugene , Chetty Runjan
Published: July 2007

The immunoexpression of CK19 recently has been identified as a marker of poor prognosis in pancreatic endocrine tumors and hepatocellular carcinoma. Conversely, the loss of expression of CD99 has been suggested to play a role in the tumorigenesis and dedifferentiation and is associated with poor outcome in some malignancies. The purpose of this study was to explore CK19 and CD99 immunostaining in mucin-producing neuroendocrine (goblet cell) and classical carcinoids of the appendix. Eighteen goblet cell carcinoids (GCCs) and 20 classic carcinoids were stained with CK19, CD99, and Ki-67, and these results were correlated with known pathological features of aggression: extent of invasion, mitoses, necrosis, and histological pattern. All 18 GCCs were CK19 strongly positive, whereas 16/20 classic carcinoids were also CK19 positive. Fourteen of 18 GCCs and 14/20 classic carcinoids were CD99 positive. CK19/CD99 immunoexpression did not correlate with extent of tumor invasion and mesoappendiceal extension, mitotic activity, Ki-67 labeling index, presence of extracellular mucinous pools dissecting muscle, and angiolymphatic and perineural/neural invasion. There is no difference in the immunostaining for CK19 and CD99 between GCCs and classic carcinoids, and both types of neuroendocrine tumor show the same extent of expression of both markers.
Colonic Aberrant Crypts in Children With Familial Adenomatous Polyposis
Authors: Drut Ricardo
Published: July 2007

Aberrant crypt foci of the colonic mucosa have been reported in adults. The alteration may be defined macroscopically or histologically and may or may not be combined with adenomatous changes. Aberrant crypt foci have been regarded as precancerous lesions and are more common in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis. The present report describes the presence of many histologically recognizable aberrant crypt foci without adenomatous changes in the colonic mucosa of 3 children with familial adenomatous polyposis. The openings of the aberrant crypt foci contained inspissated granulofilamentous mucus. Additionally, this report documents the presence of a peculiar serrated appearance of the mucosae surface outline of the nonadenomatous areas. This appears to result from elongation of the crypts and dilated openings/micropapillary arrangement of the uppermost part of the walls of the crypts, with a thin intervening stroma. Neither of these findings has been reported previously to occur in children. They may represent the earliest histologically identifiable changes ever recorded in the colon of patients with familial adenomatous polyposis.
Uterine Angioleiomyomas: A Report of 3 Cases of a Distinctive Benign Leiomyoma Variant
Authors: McCluggage W. Glenn , Boyde Adam
Published: July 2007

We report 3 cases of a distinctive uterine leiomyoma containing numerous thick-walled vascular channels, which we term angioleiomyoma. The leiomyomas occurred in women aged 33, 44, and 49 and ranged from 1.5 to 6.0 cm. They were composed of bland, spindle-shaped cells with numerous evenly distributed, arteriole-like vessels with thick muscular walls throughout. The spindle cells often swirled around the vessels. In 1 case, fibrin was present within vessel walls. The spindle cells were positive with smooth-muscle markers and negative with HMB45. We believe angioleiomyoma should be recognized as a distinct entity and included in the World Health Organization classification of tumors of the female genital tract as a benign leiomyoma variant, similar to cellular and atypical leiomyoma. Uterine angioleiomyoma has a close morphological resemblance to the similarly named skin tumor. We review uterine smooth-muscle and other mesenchymal neoplasms in which prominent vascular channels are a feature.
Nuclear Expression of STAT5 in Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasms of the Pancreas
Authors: Kataoka Tatsuki R. , Ioka Tatsuya , Tsukamoto Yoshitane , Matsumura Makiko , Ishiguro Shingo , Nishizawa Yasuko
Published: July 2007

Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) are noninvasive lesions of the pancreas and classified as intraductal papillary mucinous adenomas (IPMAs), borderline IPMNs, and intraductal papillary mucinous carcinomas (IPMCs). Expression patterns of the specific genes alter during IPMN progression. Based on the evidence that signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) 5 play important roles in tumor development, we tested STAT5 expression in IPMAs, borderline IPMNs, and IPMCs by immunohistochemical method. STAT5 frequently expressed in the nuclei of tumor cells of borderline IPMNs or IPMCs but was not observed in those of IPMAs. Nuclear expression of STAT5 protein correlated to the Ki-67 labeling index of the examined IPMNs. STAT5 protein could contribute to the progression and proliferation of IPMNs.
The Giemsa Stain: Its History and Applications
Authors: Barcia Juan José
Published: July 2007

Gustav Giemsa was born in Germany in 1867, worked mainly as a chemist, and died in 1948. The staining method, which carries his name, was designed primarily for the demonstration of parasites in malaria, but it was also employed in histology because of the high-quality staining of the chromatin and the nuclear membrane, the metachromasia of some cellular components, and the different qualities of cytoplasmic staining depending on the cell type. The use of methylene azure and its mixture with methylene blue to form an eosinate made stable the stain and its results. Giemsa's stain is regarded as the world's standard diagnostic technique for malaria's plasmodium, and it is also the basic stain for classifying lymphomas in the Kiel classification.
Undifferentiated Sinonasal Carcinoma in a Patient With Nevoid Basal Cell Carcinoma Syndrome
Authors: Sobota Amy , Pena Maria , Santi Mariarita , Atif Ali Ahmed
Published: July 2007

Nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome is an autosomal dominant multisystem disorder characterized by developmental anomalies and occurrence of multiple basal cell carcinomas and other tumors in early childhood. In this article, the authors report a case of a 19-year-old African American male with nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome and a history of medulloblastoma at age 2, meningioma at age 14, thyroid follicular adenomas with papillary carcinoma at age 15, and 2 basal cell carcinomas at ages 16 and 18. Recently, he developed sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma (SNUC). The radiology and pathology of the sinonasal carcinoma are presented in this report. Review of the literature reveals that this is the first case of SNUC occurring in a patient with nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome.
Solitary Fibrous Tumor of the Pancreas: A Case Report
Authors: Miyamoto Hiroshi , Molena Daniela A. , Schoeniger Luke O. , Haodong Xu
Published: July 2007

Solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) is an unusual mesenchymal neoplasm that most often arises in the pleura; however, it has recently been described in a number of extrapleural sites. This report describes an extremely rare case of a benign SFT arising in the pancreas. A 41-year-old woman presented in the clinic with right upper abdominal pain. Subsequent ultrasonographic studies revealed a 1.5 × 1.5 × 1.4 cm hypoechoic mass within the pancreatic body, which was later confirmed on both helical computerized tomography and magnetic resonance imaging studies. An endocrine tumor was clinically suspected. Laparoscopic enucleation of the mass was performed. Microscopically, the tumor was composed of bland uniform spindle cells arranged between collagen bundles. On immunohistochemical studies, these spindle cells were positive for CD34 and bcl-2 but negative for cytokeratin (AE1+AE3 and Cam5.2), smooth muscle actin, desmin, S-100, and c-kit. Based on the light microscopic morphology and immunohistochemical staining profile, the diagnosis of SFT was rendered.
Follicular Dendritic Cell Sarcoma: A Rare Tumor Presenting as an Abdominal Mass
Authors: Low S.E. , Menasce L.P. , Manson C.M.
Published: July 2007

Follicular dendritic cell (FDC) sarcoma is a rare and probably even underreported entity. Only approximately some 50 cases have been described in the literature,1 the majority of which had a lymph node origin. The authors report a case of FDC sarcoma arising within the soft tissues of the abdominal cavity. As FDC markers are often not routinely included in antibody panels, awareness of this sarcoma is important, as it can be confused with other tumors, especially when occurring extranodally.
A Case of Concomitant Occurrence of Struma Ovarii and Malignant Transformation of Cystic Teratoma
Authors: Saito Norihiko , Hatori Tsutomu , Murata Nozomu , Shibuya Kazutoshi , Mitsuda Aki , Hasegawa Chikako , Akima Michio , Ikawa Meiki , Nonaka Hiroko
Published: July 2007

A 77-year-old woman received a total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy because of a tumor in the left ovary. The surgical specimen measured 8.5 × 4.5 × 4.0 cm, and the solid lesion measured 4.0 × 3.5 × 3.5 cm. The solid lesion was diagnosed as struma ovarii. The cyst wall partially comprised squamous epithelium-like and ciliated columnar epithelium-like cells. The tumorous lesion of the cyst wall revealed a poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells were positive for cytokeratin7, and were negative for cytokeratin20 and thyroid transcription factor-1. The authors diagnosed that struma ovarii and other parats coexisted as a poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma that had arisen from a mature ovarian cystic teratoma. As for the identification of the origin of adenocarcinomas arising from mature ovarian cystic teratomas, more cases need to be identified and investigated.
Testicular Juvenile Granulosa Cell Tumor in a Newborn: Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Alexiev Borislav A. , Alaish Samuel M. , Sun Chen-Chih
Published: July 2007

Juvenile granulosa cell tumor of the testis of neonates and infants is an uncommon lesion frequently associated with abnormal sex chromosome and ambiguous genitalia. This report describes a juvenile granulosa cell tumor arising in the testis of a neonate. Chromosome analysis of the tumor showed a normal male karyotype 46 XY. Histopathology and immunohistochemical studies revealed the occurrence of 2 well-differentiated epithelial-like and smooth muscle-like components in the neoplasm. The morphologic clues leading to the correct diagnosis of juvenile granulosa cell tumor and the possible histogenesis are briefly discussed.
Extramedullary Erythropoiesis in Chronic Subdural Hematoma Simulating Metastatic Small Round Cell Tumor
Authors: Kuhn Elisabetta , Dorji Tshering , Rodriguez Jaime , Rosai Juan
Published: July 2007

We report two cases of extramedullary erythropoiesis within chronic subdural hematoma that caused diagnostic confusion. In both cases, the initial favored diagnosis by the submitting pathologists was that of a metastatic malignant tumor, including lymphoma, carcinoma, and malignant melanoma. In both cases, the subdural chronic hematoma contained cohesive clusters of small round blue cells with scant cytoplasm and round hyperchromatic nuclei. In both cases, some mitotic figures were identified. There was no gross or microscopic evidence of a meningeal mass lesion. The erythroblastic nature of the cells was confirmed using immunohistochemistry for CD43, glycophorin A, and erythropoietin A. It is important for surgical pathologists to be aware of this benign process and not to overinterpret it as either a primary or metastatic malignant tumor.
Using Qualitative Comparative Analysis in Strategic Management Research
Authors: Greckhamer Thomas , Misangyi Vilmos F. , Elms Heather , Lacey Rodney
Published: July 2007

The authors present qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) as a viable method for strategic management research. Specifically, they demonstrate its ability to examine the potential interdependence and complexity among effects through a study of how industry, corporate, and business-unit attributes combine in determining business-unit performance. They present in an accessible manner the consecutive phases of the QCA approach by analyzing a sample of 2,841 cases of business-unit performance, and they examine the insights that the QCA analysis provides for this particular stream of literature. The authors conclude with a discussion of the benefits and limitations QCA poses for strategic management research more generally, including major contingencies under which QCA or linear methods may be more appropriate for strategy research.
Dietary Habits of Technical and Vocational Students in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - I Meal Skipping
Authors: Al-Sudairy A. , Howard Kevin
Published: July 2007

452 male technical and vocational students aged 16-25 years old were surveyed for their dietary habits at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The data presented here cover the habit of meal skipping. Results showed that dinner was skipped by 28%, breakfast by 20% and lunch was skipped by 15%. Differences are discussed according to age cohorts and accommodation status subgroups.
Lying in Children
Authors: Leung Alexander K. C. , Robson Wm Lane M. , Lim Stephen H. N.
Published: July 2007

Lying is a common problem in children. The causes of lying are numerous. With proper management including good parental role models, minimising or preventing contributing factors, and appropriate discipline, most children outgrow the tendency to lie.
Photovoice With Vulnerable Populations: Addressing Disparities in Health Promotion Among People With Intellectual Disabilities
Authors: Jurkowski Janine M. , Paul-Ward Amy
Published: July 2007

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading causes of death among Mexican American adults living in the United States. Using data from a modified Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey and guided by the Anderson model, this study examined the effect of nativity on CVD screening practices among 423 Mexican American adults in Chicago. Dependent variables included having had a blood pressure and cholesterol screening and a routine checkup in the past 2 years. Multivariate analyses were used to control for sociodemographic factors while accounting for complex sampling design. Compared to those born in Mexico, U.S.-born Mexican Americans had greater odds of obtaining blood pressure (OR = 5.61) and cholesterol screenings (OR = 1.60) and having a routine checkup (OR = 2.69) in the past 2 years. Health professionals wishing to increase screenings for CVD risk factors among Mexican Americans in northern cities should understand the impact of nativity on screening practices.
The Use of Family Health Histories to Address Health Disparities in an African American Community
Authors: Vogel Kristen J. , Murthy Vinaya S. , Dudley Beth , Grubs Robin E. , Gettig Elizabeth , Ford Angela , Thomas Stephen B.
Published: July 2007

African Americans continue to suffer from health disparities. The Center for Minority Health (CMH) within the University of Pittsburgh has the mission to eliminate racial and ethnic health disparities. CMH has designed and implemented the Family Health History (FHH) Initiative. The FHH Initiative places genetic-counseling graduate students in the African American community to provide risk assessments and emphasize the importance of family history as it pertains to disease prevention. The FHH Initiative also allows participants to enroll into the Minority Research Recruitment Database (MRRD). This enables CMH to alert individuals to available research participation opportunities. In the first year of this program, 225 African Americans completed their family health histories. More than 60% of individuals enrolled in the MRRD. The authors report their initial successes and challenges of an initiative that incorporates awareness of family history information, proper screening guidelines, behavior-modification recommendations, and support for participation in clinical research.
The Impact of Health Care Restructuring and Baccalaureate Entry to Practice on Nurses in New Brunswick
Authors: Rhéaume Ann , Dykeman Margaret , Davidson Patricia , Ericson Penny
Published: July 2007

Health care restructuring during the 1990s resulted in major changes in the way nurses' work is defined and implemented. The adoption of the baccalaureate degree as basic preparation for entry into nursing has further complicated the lives of nurses. The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the impact of health care reforms and changing educational requirements on nurses in New Brunswick, Canada. Sixty-three nurses representing different practice settings were interviewed and three focus groups were held with the nurses that were interviewed. Study findings indicate that nurses' practice has changed as a result of the reforms. Nurses give less direct care to patients and have taken on a greater administrative role. The requirement of a baccalaureate degree for entry to practice has placed a strain on working relationships between older and younger nurses, accentuating differences in working knowledge and work ethic among these groups.
Latinos, Acculturation, and Acculturative Stress: A Dimensional Concept Analysis
Authors: Caplan Susan
Published: July 2007

Background: Acculturation can be conceived of as a process of adaptation to stressful changes. In the field of public health, research indicates that recently arrived Latino immigrants, presumably most affected by acculturative stress, have better health outcomes than those who have spent greater time in the United States. This “immigrant paradox” is not well understood but supports the distinction between the process of acculturation and acculturative stress. Aim: To understand the nature of acculturative stress for Latinos in the context of political, historical, and societal forces. Results: Acculturative stress significantly affects the physical and mental health of many Latino immigrants. Types of stressors vary by ethnicity. Separation from family and lack of a community was the most often-cited stressor for new immigrants. Most Latino immigrants were adversely affected by discrimination. Conclusion: By developing an understanding of acculturative stress, nurses can better attend to the needs of our increasingly diverse population.