bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Grounded Theory and Feminist Inquiry: Revitalizing Links to the Past
Authors: Plummer Marilyn , Young Lynne E.
Published: December 2009

Grounded theory has served feminist research endeavors since the mid-1990s. Researchers from a variety of disciplines claim methodological compatibility and incorporate feminist principles into their grounded theory studies. This article seeks to demonstrate the epistemological affinity between feminist inquiry and grounded theory. Although this relationship is not necessarily unique, the authors contend that when combined, it loosens the androcentric moorings of the empirical processes underpinning grounded theory, enabling the researchers to design inquiry with greater potential to reveal issues particular to the lives and experiences of marginalized women. The article begins by retracing the roots of grounded theory and feminist inquiry to identify six key areas where the underpinnings of GT are enriched by a feminist perspective when working with women. In addition, the authors draw on the literature and their experience from a 2005 study of peer support and lone mothers’ health to demonstrate the advantages of combining these theoretical perspectives. Finally, the authors recommend that nurse researchers draw on feminist principles to guide their use of grounded theory to better serve the interests of women by surfacing issues of gender and power that influence the health experience.
Depression in Adoptive Parents: A Model of Understanding Through Grounded Theory
Authors: Foli Karen J.
Published: December 2009

A limited number of studies have explored parental depression in the postadoption time periods and these studies frequently lack a social context of the adoptive parent experience. The objective of this study is to form a midrange theoretical interpretation of parental postadoption depression as shared by adoptive parents and experts through a grounded theory approach. Semistructured interviews of adoptive parents, who acknowledge being depressed after the child is placed in the home, and adoption experts are audiotaped, transcribed, and coded to reveal themes. In total, 30 interviews are conducted. Researchers are also participant-observers during an adoptive parent support group meeting. Data reveal recurrent themes in relation to postadoption depression. These themes take into account the various contexts of adoption (international and domestic, public and private, etc.). Parents express unfulfilled and unrealistic expectations in the domains of self, child, family or friends, and society or others. A theoretical model is presented to facilitate the understanding of depression reported by adoptive parents.
Exploring the Research Decision Space: The Expected Value of Information for Sequential Research Designs
Authors: Griffin Susan , Welton Nicky J. , Claxton Karl
Published: December 2009

Purpose. To investigate the expected value of partial perfect information (EVPPI) and the research decisions it can address. Methods. Expected value of information (EVI) analysis assesses the expected gain in net benefit from further research. Where the expected value of perfect information (EVPI) exceeds the costs of additional research, EVPPI can be used to identify parameters that contribute most to the EVPI and parameters with no EVPPI that may be disregarded as targets for further research. Recently, it was noted that parameters with low EVPPI for a one-off research design may be associated with high EVPPI when considered as part of a sequential design. This article examines the characteristics and role of conditional and sequential EVPPI in EVI analysis. Results. The calculation of EVPPI is demonstrated for single parameters, groups of parameters, and conditional and sequential EVPPI. Conditional EVPPI is the value of perfect information about one parameter, conditional on having obtained perfect information about another. Sequential EVPPI is the value of perfect information for a sequential research design to investigate first one parameter, then another. Conditional EVPPI differs from the individual EVPPI for a single parameter. Sequential EVPPI includes elements from the joint EVPPI for the parameters and the EVPPI for the first parameter in sequence. Sequential designs allow abandonment of research on the second parameter on the basis of additional information obtained on the first. Conclusions. The research decision space addressed by EVI analyses can be widened by incorporating sequential EVPPI to assess sequential research designs.
Implementing Regulation Policy in Brazilian Health Care Regulation Centers
Authors: Marinho da Silva Márcia Elizabeth , Santos Eduardo R. , Borenstein Denis
Published: December 2009

The regulation of specialist medical appointments represents one of the problematic areas of the Brazilian Public Health System. In this regulation process, 2 issues stand out: 1) which patients should have the highest attendance priority, and 2) which service suppliers can best resolve the specific health problem of a patient? Based on the consideration of the existing Brazilian context in the field of medical assistance, this study proposes a model designed to aid regulation centers deal with the decisions related to the process of allocating specialist medical appointments. The model integrates multicriteria decision analysis and linear programming for the specialist medical appointment allocation, in which the allocation of patients is defined as a function of the relative significance of a set of criteria related to the notion of effectiveness of the specialist medical care and the capability of the accredited specialist health care units. The integrated model was implemented in a computer-based system and validated using cardiology and vein surgery data from the regulation center in Porto Alegre, Brazil. The validated computational system was applied to mammography services in another regulation center. The system successfully implemented a prioritization scheme, decreasing significantly the examination waiting time of severe cases.
Skill Level-Specific Differences in Snowboarding-Related Injuries
Authors: Ogawa Hiroyasu , Sumi Hiroshi , Sumi Yasuhiko , Shimizu Katsuji
Published: December 2009

Background

Snowboarding-related injuries have been associated with specific snowboarding skill levels, but differences in specific skill level have not been identified.

Hypothesis

Injury patterns are different among skill levels.

Study Design

Descriptive epidemiology study.

Methods

The subjects were 19 539 snowboarders from the Oku-Mino region in Gifu Prefecture, Japan, who were admitted to our hospital during the 12 snowboarding seasons from 1996 to 2008. They were asked to complete a questionnaire regarding age, gender, self-estimated skill level, injury location, injury type, mechanism of injury, and protective gear. Physicians documented diagnostic variables and injury severity score; these variables were compared among the self-estimated skill levels.

Results

Of the total 19 539 injured snowboarders, 1204 (6.2%) were novices, 6409 (32.8%) were beginners, 9260 (47.4%) were intermediates, 1918 (9.8%) were experts, and the skill level was not known in 748 (3.8%). Proportions of the trunk and multiple injuries increased with increases in skill level; however, the number of head/face injuries decreased with increase in skill level. Upper extremity injuries also decreased with increase in skill level, except in novices. Dislocations and multiple injuries increased with increase in skill level, while lacerations/contusions, fractures, and bruises decreased. The mean overall injury severity score was 3.28 ± 0.02, and the value increased significantly with increase in skill level. The proportion of collision and isolated fall injuries significantly decreased with increase in skill level, but that of jump injuries significantly increased. The percentage of protective gear use increased with the increase in skill level.

Conclusion

Prevalence of injury type, injury location, mechanism of injury, and percentage of protective gear use varied according to skill level, and the severity of the injury increased with increase in skill level. On the basis of our observations, we believe that snowboarding injury prevention strategies should be formulated according to skill level.
Retear Patterns after Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair
Authors: Cho Nam Su , Yi Jin Woong , Lee Bong Gun , Rhee Yong Girl
Published: December 2009

Background

A subset of patients is often seen with an unusual pattern of tendon failure after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair using a suture bridge technique.

Purpose

To evaluate retear patterns in cases with structural failure after arthroscopic primary repairs of rotator cuff tears.

Study Design

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods

Forty-six cases revealing retear on magnetic resonance imaging performed at least 6 months after arthroscopic repair for the treatment of full-thickness rotator cuff tear were evaluated. A single-row technique had been performed in 19 cases and a suture bridge in 27 cases. According to retear patterns on postoperative magnetic resonance imaging, cases were divided into type 1 (cuff tissue repaired at the insertion site of rotator cuff was not observed remaining on the greater tuberosity) and type 2 (remnant cuff tissue remained at the insertion site in spite of retear).

Results

In the single-row group, 14 cases (73.7%) had type 1 and 5 cases (26.3%) type 2 retear. In the suture bridge group, 7 cases (25.9%) had type 1 and 20 cases (74.1%) type 2. There were statistically significant differences between groups (P = .049). Extent of fatty degeneration of the rotator cuff did not affect retear patterns in the single-row group (P = .160). In the suture bridge group, the percentage of type 1 retear increased with severity of fatty degeneration (P = .030). Extent of muscle atrophy did not affect retear patterns of the single-row group; in the suture bridge group, the percentage of type 1 retear increased with severity of muscle atrophy (P = .904 vs .029).

Conclusion

The suture bridge technique tended to better preserve the cuff tissue repaired to the insertion site of the rotator cuff than a single-row technique did; the retear in cases with a suture bridge technique was mainly in the musculotendinous junction. Direct retear at the footprint of the rotator cuff increased with severity of fatty degeneration or muscle atrophy in cases with a suture bridge technique.
“We Take Care of the Older Person, Who Takes Care of Us?” Professionals Working with Older Persons in a Shared War Reality
Authors: Band-Winterstein Tova , Koren Chaya
Published: December 2009

The aim of this article is to describe and analyze how professional gerontological workers (PGWs) from northern Israel experienced a shared reality during the Second Lebanon War: how they perceived clients’ needs and their own needs, how they and their older clients functioned during this crisis, and what could be learned about the experience by exploring the PGWs’ perspective. Data were based on materials collected from four PGW focus groups held simultaneously after the war, using a phenomenological perspective to analyze content expressed by individuals, not group dynamics. Findings presented three identified themes: being caught between personal life and professional obligations, acting out of resilience and growth versus vulnerability and despair, and integrating past and present experiences to learn for future events. The discussion uses a phenomenology perspective to reexamine the coexistence of vulnerability in the two populations that share mutual experiences. Further studies and intervention implications are suggested.
Neighborhood Characteristics as Predictors of Male to Female and Female to Male Partner Violence
Authors: Caetano Raul , Ramisetty-Mikler Suhasini , Harris T. Robert
Published: December 2009

This article examines the association between neighborhood characteristics at the census tract—level, couples’ perceived neighborhood social cohesion and informal social control, and male-to-female (MFPV) and female-to-male (FMPV) partner violence in the United States. Data come from a second wave of interviews (2000) with a national sample of couples 18 years of age and older who were first interviewed in 1995. The path analysis shows that poverty is associated with perceived social cohesion and perceived social control as hypothesized. However, there is no significant mediation effect for social control or social cohesion on any type of violence. In the path analysis, Black ethnicity is associated with social cohesion, which is associated with MFPV. Intimate partner violence (IPV), as a form of domestic violence, may not be as concentrated in high-poverty neighborhoods as criminal violence. IPV may be more determined by personal and dyadic characteristics than criminal violence.
Bounded Rationality, Retaliation, and the Spread of Urban Violence
Authors: Jacobs Bruce A. , Wright Richard
Published: December 2009

Drawing from in-depth interviews with 52 active street criminals, this article examines the grounded theoretic implications of bounded rationality for retaliatory street violence. The bounds on rationality that this article explores are anger, uncertainty, and time pressure. These bounds create imperfections in the retaliatory decision-making process that, in turn, cause asymmetries in the way that reprisal is enacted. Two asymmetries are operative in this regard: strike intensity and target choice. Anger produces asymmetries of both types. Uncertainty and time pressure produce only target-choice asymmetry. All three modalities cause retaliation to be redirected. Redirection promotes the spread of urban violence through conflict spirals.
Family Conflict and Childhood Aggression: The Role of Child Anxiety
Authors: Tanaka Akiho , Raishevich Natoshia , Scarpa Angela
Published: December 2009

Family conflict and childhood anxiety has been implicated in the development of aggressive behaviors, but the nature of these relationships has not been fully explored. Thus, the present study examined the role of anxiety in moderating the relationship between family conflict and childhood aggression in 50 children aged 7 to 13 years. Specifically, the study proposed that family conflict would be positively related to aggression in the context of higher levels of child anxiety. Parents completed self-report instruments examining family conflict and aggressive behavior exhibited by their children. Children completed a self-report measure of anxiety. The hypothesis was partially supported as family conflict was related to increased proactive but not reactive aggression in children with high levels of anxiety. Implications of these findings are discussed.
Traumatic Stress Symptoms of Women Exposed to Different Forms of Childhood Victimization and Intimate Partner Violence
Authors: Becker Kimberly D. , Stuewig Jeffrey , McCloskey Laura A.
Published: December 2009

Interviews of women with ( n = 193) and without ( n = 170) recent exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) were used to examine how IPV and past exposure to child abuse influence self-reports of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. The measurement of IPV included assessing psychological, physical, escalated physical, and sexual abuse. Women’s retrospective accounts of childhood victimization included reports of physical abuse, sexual abuse, and witnessing domestic violence growing up. Each form of adult IPV showed an independent association with PTSD symptoms, as did each form of childhood victimization. In regression models including child and adult abuse together, adult IPV and childhood sexual abuse were related to PTSD symptoms, and adult IPV mediated the association between childhood physical abuse and adult PTSD. Tests of the interactions between childhood and adulthood victimization on PTSD symptoms were not significant. Findings are discussed within the context of a life-course perspective of trauma.
Self-Esteem in Pure Bullies and Bully/Victims: A Longitudinal Analysis
Authors: Pollastri Alisha R. , Cardemil, Esteban V. , O’Donnell Ellen H.
Published: December 2009

Past research on the self-esteem of bullies has produced equivocal results. Recent studies have suggested that the inconsistent findings may be due, in part, to the failure to account for bully/victims: those children who both bully and are victims of bullying. In this longitudinal study, we examined the distinctions among pure bullies, pure victims, bully/victims, and noninvolved children in a sample of 307 middle school students. Analyses of cross-sectional and longitudinal results supported the importance of distinguishing between pure bullies and bully/victims. In addition, results revealed some interesting sex differences: girls in the pure bully and bully/victim groups reported significant increases in self-esteem over time, with girls in the pure bully group reporting the greatest increase, whereas boys in these groups reported no significant changes in self-esteem over time.
Individual and Relationship Factors That Differentiate Female Offenders With and Without a Sexual Abuse History
Authors: McCartan Lisa M. , Gunnison Elaine
Published: December 2009

The link between prior sexual abuse and female offending is one of the most consistent findings within the etiology of female offending. It is not, however, part of every female offender’s life history. Working from research on the impact of abuse on individuals, the current article examines the individual and relationship factors that differentiate female offenders ( n = 131) with a history of sexual abuse and female offenders without a history of sexual abuse. Results from chi-square, t test, and logistic regression analyses indicated that offenders with a history of sexual abuse were more likely to report their household as loving, were more deeply involved in the criminal justice system, had more difficulty staying employed, and were more likely to be involved in an abusive relationship. Implications of the results are discussed.
Risk Recognition and Intimate Partner Violence
Authors: Witte Tricia H. , Kendra Rachel
Published: December 2009

The objective of this study was to determine whether female victims of physical forms of intimate partner violence (IPV) displayed deficits in risk recognition, or the ability to detect danger, in physically violent dating encounters. A total of 182 women watched a video depicting a psychologically and physically aggressive encounter between heterosexual dating partners and made repeated judgments about the interaction. Results from this study provided evidence for the validation of this methodology and found that history of physical forms of IPV was associated with risk recognition ability, such that victims of IPV were less likely to recognize the danger involved in the video vignette compared to nonvictims. Results showed important implications for IPV prevention programs.
Links Between Middle-Childhood Trajectories of Family Dysfunction and Indirect Aggression
Authors: Pagani Linda S. , Japel Christa , Vaillancourt Tracy , Tremblay Richard E.
Published: December 2009

Using data from three waves of a large Canadian data set, this research examined the relationship between middle-childhood trajectories of family dysfunction and indirect aggression. The authors applied family systems, developmental psychopathology, and life-course conceptualizations to meet this objective. The data analytic strategy used separate multivariate logits to examine this relationship, with and without the extent to which other possible explanations (acting as control variables) predict belonging to the highest family dysfunction trajectory. These included marital transition, socioeconomic status, family size, and depressive symptoms experienced by the adult most knowledgeable about the child (mostly mothers). The authors also explored possible interactions between indirect aggression and these explanatory variables. Supporting their hypothesis for both boys and girls, prolonged-duration high doses of family dysfunction were associated with the most extreme developmental trajectories of indirect aggression during middle childhood. Results showed gender specificity with respect to the influence of the explanatory variables on family dysfunction. For girls, the link between family dysfunction and indirect aggression persisted above and beyond such contextual influences. For boys, the relationship became unimportant once contextual factors were taken into account.
Being Period: An Examination of Bridging Discourse in a Historical Reenactment Group
Authors: Decker Stephanie K.
Published: December 2009

An ethnography found that when members of a historical reenactment group behave in ways that seem inconsistent with the group’s ideology, they engage in discourse to demonstrate to other members that their behavior is congruent with the group’s ideology and, in doing so, strengthen connections with other members who have different standards for behavior or different interpretations of the group’s ideology. The term bridging discourse is introduced to refer to this practice. Bridging discourse is useful for members of the historical reenactment group, as authenticity is an important but ambiguous part of the group’s ideology, and it is not always clear what behavior is authentic and what behavior is not. Members use bridging discourse to demonstrate to other members that a wide range of behavior can be considered authentic. Individuals engage in bridging discourse by redefining the group’s ideology, reinterpreting behavior, and making exceptions to the group’s normative standards. Such discourse ultimately allows the group to survive with a diverse membership.
The Emperor’s New Adventure: Public Secrecy and the Paradox of Adventure Tourism
Authors: Fletcher Robert
Published: December 2009

This study suggests that successful commercial adventure tourism requires the construction of a “public secret”—something commonly known but not articulated—whereby tourists are able to maintain the contradictory perceptions that they are simultaneously safe and at risk. Previous research has observed that adventure tourism appears to embody a paradox in its attempt to deliver a planned, controlled version of an activity usually defined as dangerous and unpredictable. In order to explain how adventure tourism can succeed despite this paradox, researchers suggested that providers emphasize one aspect of the paradox (risk or safety) while concealing the other. By contrast, the author contends that providers attempt to sell both risk and safety simultaneously, a situation sustained by the fact that the inconsistency between these images, while openly displayed, remains veiled by public secrecy. The author illustrates this analysis through ethnographic research undertaken on whitewater rafting trips in California and Chile.
Police Academy Socialization: Understanding the Lessons Learned in a Paramilitary-Bureaucratic Organization
Authors: Chappell Allison T. , Lanza-Kaduce Lonn
Published: December 2009

Even as community policing has emerged as the dominant paradigm, research indicates that police agencies continue to be highly militaristic and bureaucratic in structure and culture. This article reports findings from an observational study of recruit training at a police academy that had introduced a new curriculum emphasizing community policing and problem solving. The article explores the socialization that takes place there to see how the tension between traditional and community policing is resolved.The authors found that despite the philosophical emphasis on community policing and its themes of decentralization and flexibility, the most salient lessons learned in police training were those that reinforced the paramilitary structure and culture.
The Goals of Scholarship
Authors: Oliver Christine
Published: December 2009

This paper argues for the importance of discussion among management scholars about the goals of our scholarship and how it should be valued. Within the context of several identifiable pressures facing today’s management scholars, I recommend more overt debate about how we value our work and more ontological empathy towardd each other’s scholarship.
The Psychometric Properties of the Kentucky Inventory of Mindfulness Skills in Clinical Populations
Authors: Baum Corinna , Kuyken Willem , Bohus Martin , Heidenreich Thomas , Michalak Johannes , Steil Regina
Published: December 2009

The Kentucky Inventory of Mindfulness Skills (KIMS) is a well-validated multidimensional questionnaire measuring dimensions of mindfulness on four scales: Observing, Describing, Act With Awareness, and Accept Without Judgment. Even though the KIMS has been used in several clinical studies no information is available about the psychometric properties in different clinical samples. The present study includes two clinical samples: a German sample of people diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, or major depression and an English sample of people diagnosed with recurrent depression. Results of confirmatory factor analysis offer good support for the hypothesized model of four correlated factors, whereas the model of one general underlying mindfulness factor as a second order construct was not confirmed. Furthermore, our analyses revealed that the KIMS scales show high internal consistency and that all KIMS scales are sensitive to change in a subsample of participants taking part in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy.
Children’s Attributional Style From Middle Childhood to Early Adolescence: Further Validation of the Paper-and-Pencil Versions of the Children’s Attributional Style Interview
Authors: Rueger Sandra Yu , Haines Beth A. , Malecki Christine Kerres
Published: December 2009

The psychometric properties of two paper-and-pencil versions of the Children’s Attributional Style Interview (i.e., CASI-I and CASI-II) were evaluated in a sample of 166 third and fourth graders and a sample of 245 sixth and seventh graders. The results demonstrated strong internal consistency reliability, convergent validity, and a factor structure that was consistent with theory in both samples. Furthermore, analyses demonstrated adequate evidence of the reliability and validity of several dimensional subscale scores and the composite measures of attributional style for both positive and negative events. These results suggest the utility of the CASI in research testing specific attributional predictions of cognitive theories of depression with the dimensional subscale scores. They further add to the literature by demonstrating item-level factor analytic support for a children’s attributional style measure and the feasibility of administration sizes larger than previously tested, which add to the utility of the CASI in large-scale research designs.
Autism Spectrum Disorders as a Qualitatively Distinct Category From Typical Behavior in a Large, Clinically Ascertained Sample
Authors: Frazier Thomas W. , Youngstrom Eric A. , Sinclair Leslie , Kubu Cynthia S. , Law Paul , Rezai Ali , Constantino John N. , Eng Charis
Published: December 2009

The present study evaluated the hypothesis that autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are best represented as a discrete category distinct from typical behavior within autism-affected families. The latent structure, categorical versus dimensional, of ASDs informs future diagnostic revisions, clinical assessment, and the design of future research. Data were obtained from Interactive Autism Network, a registry that preferentially recruits families with at least one ASD-affected child. Caregivers reported autism symptoms for affected and unaffected children using the Social Responsiveness Scale and Social Communication Questionnaire. Taxometric and latent variable models examined whether dimensional or categorical models best fit the data. Taxometric and latent variable model comparisons consistently indicated two-group mixtures for all indicator sets, even in participants designated as unaffected by caregivers. The identified category was associated with external indicators of disability, supporting its validity. Results indicated that ASD is best characterized as a category, distinct from typical behavior within ASD-affected families.
Depressive Personality Disorder: A Comparison of Three Self-Report Measures
Authors: Miller Joshua D. , Tant Adam , Bagby R. Michael
Published: December 2009

Depressive personality disorder (DPD) was included in the appendix of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition ( DSM-IV) for further study. Questions abound regarding this disorder in terms of its distinctiveness from extant diagnostic constructs and clinical significance.This study examines the interrelations between three assessments of DPD and their relations to pathological personality traits and disorders in a sample of undergraduates ( N = 182). The DPD indices evinced adequate convergence with each other (mean r = .60) and similar pathological personality profiles. The authors also tested the incremental validity of the DPD scores in relation to psychological functioning, after controlling for depressive symptoms and the DSM-IV personality disorders (PDs). The DPD scores manifested limited incremental validity, mainly in the form of predicting lower levels of positive affectivity. Our results suggest that this is not specific to DPD, however, as the official PDs also manifested limited incremental validity.
The Validity of the Psychopathic Personality Inventory—Revised in a Community Sample
Authors: Uzieblo Katarzyna , Verschuere Bruno , Van den Bussche Eva , Crombez Geert
Published: December 2009

Research on the Psychopathic Personality Inventory—Revised (PPI-R) has revealed two factors: Fearless Dominance, and Self-Centered Impulsivity. This study examined the validity of these PPI-R factors in a community sample ( N = 675). First, confirmatory factor analyses did not support the two-factor structure. Second, the PPI-R factors showed good convergent and discriminant validity with two other self-report measures of psychopathy, that is, the Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory and Levenson’s Self-Report of Psychopathy. Third, PPI-R factors exhibited good external validity in relation to various theoretically relevant correlates. The results indicate that the PPI-R factors have good convergent, discriminant, and external validity, but confirmatory factor analysis raises concerns about the robustness of the two-factor structure.
What Have the Difference Scores Not Been Telling Us? A Critique of the Use of Self—Ideal Discrepancy in the Assessment of Body Image and Evaluation of an Alternative Data-Analytic Framework
Authors: Cafri Guy , van den Berg Patricia , Brannick Michael T.
Published: December 2009

Difference scores are often used as a means of assessing body image satisfaction using silhouette scales. Unfortunately, difference scores suffer from numerous potential methodological problems, including reduced reliability, ambiguity, confounded effects, untested constraints, and dimensional reduction. In this article, the methodological problems are outlined and an alternative framework is discussed. The alternative consists of a minimum of testing the constraints implied by the difference score model, and at most evaluating more exact body image hypotheses by incorporating nonlinear terms in a regression and testing features of the response surface. Two empirical examples are used to illustrate the utility of these methods. The first example uses both polynomial regression and response surface methods to examine eating disorder outcomes, whereas the second example uses polynomial regression to examine the outcomes related to muscle dysmorphia. Directions for future research related to assessment of body image are discussed.
Noninvasive Brain Stimulation with Low-Intensity Electrical Currents: Putative Mechanisms of Action for Direct and Alternating Current Stimulation
Authors: Zaghi Soroush , Acar Mariana , Hultgren Brittney , Boggio Paulo S. , Fregni Felipe
Published: December 2009

Transcranial stimulation with weak direct current (DC) has been valuable in exploring the effect of cortical modulation on various neural networks. Less attention has been given, however, to cranial stimulation with low-intensity alternating current (AC). Reviewing and discussing these methods simultaneously with special attention to what is known about their mechanisms of action may provide new insights for the field of noninvasive brain stimulation. Direct current appears to modulate spontaneous neuronal activity in a polarity-dependent fashion with site-specific effects that are perpetuated throughout the brain via networks of interneuronal circuits, inducing significant effects on high-order cortical processes implicated in decision making, language, memory, sensory perception, and pain. AC stimulation has also been associated with a significant behavioral and clinical impact, but the mechanism of AC stimulation has been underinvestigated in comparison with DC stimulation. Even so, preliminary studies show that although AC stimulation has only modest effects on cortical excitability, it has been shown to induce synchronous changes in brain activity as measured by EEG activity. Thus, cranial AC stimulation may render its effects not by polarizing brain tissue, but rather via rhythmic stimulation that synchronizes and enhances the efficacy of endogenous neurophysiologic activity. Alternatively, secondary nonspecific central and peripheral effects may explain the clinical outcomes of DC or AC stimulation. Here the authors review what is known about DC and AC stimulation, and they discuss features that remain to be investigated.
Social Representations of Risk in the Food Irradiation Debate in Canada, 1986-2002
Authors: Gauthier Elisabeth
Published: December 2009

This article proposes a new approach to the issue of the acceptability of food irradiation, based on the analysis of the discourse of opinion makers and the theory of social representations. Two rounds of public consultations were held in Canada concerning the regulation of irradiation. Through analysis of the participants’ discourse, the representations of risk that they expressed can be identified, and more can be learned about the social organization of the actors in the debate. By putting the results in perspective with the historical context, this article sheds new light on the influence that the discourse of opinion makers may have had on the regulatory and commercial fate of irradiation and on its acceptability among citizens-consumers.
Fatigue
Authors: Scruggs Brenda
Published: December 2009

When fatigue is not addressed, there is a high probability that it will negatively affect the patient’s participation in healthy behaviors. It is well known that a patient’s active participation can improve recovery from any injury or illness. The first step is the assessment of a patient’s fatigue, with a follow up focus on fatigue management strategies. The clinical guidelines for cancer-related fatigue recommend fatigue assessment as the sixth vital sign. This recommendation is a good guideline for all provider/patient interactions and provides an overall picture of the patient’s health. While fatigue is often an expected symptom of chronic illness or cancer therapy, few patients are given a proactive approach to fatigue management. When fatigue is left untreated, the patient is set up for failure in all self-management behaviors. Fatigue is a manageable condition but requires the active and well-informed patient and a supportive, well-informed health care team.
Using Evidence-Based Instruments to Document Eligibility and Improve Quality of Life of Hospice Patients
Authors: Havens Lang Susan , Cabin William D. , Cotten Chaquanna , Domizio Linda A.
Published: December 2009

Hospices have been implementing various approaches to cope with the increased regulatory scrutiny in the past 3 years, prompted by concern about costs and outcomes. Medicare, through its fiscal intermediaries, has issued increasingly more restrictive local coverage determination guidelines for initial and ongoing qualifying criteria. The article examines how one hospice, United Hospice of Rockland, Inc. (UHR, New City, NY), designed multifaceted program to simultaneously improve regulatory compliance and improve quality of life. This article presents how the six scales (i.e., pain-verbal and non-verbal, breathing, functional decline-PPS and Fast, and anxiety) were developed and implemented, and also presents the preliminary evaluation of successful results.
Can an ADN Internship Program Prepare New RNs for Careers in Home Health Care Nursing? Findings From an Evaluation Study at Visiting Nurse Service of New York
Authors: Rosenfeld Peri , Chaya Joan , Lewis-Holman Seon , Davin Denise
Published: December 2009

In view of shortages of baccalaureate-trained nurses, the Visiting Nurse Service of New York embarked on an initiative to determine whether associate degree nursing graduates, through an intensive internship program, can perform on par with baccalaureate nursing (BSN) graduates. The associate degree in nursing (ADN) internship resembles the existing internship for BSN graduates but includes supplemental educational components. A quasi-experimental evaluation design was developed to examine the formative and summative outcomes of the initiative. ADN interns were compared with BSN interns on retention in the internship, clinical thinking, assessment skills, productivity, and intention to remain in nursing. Data were collected at pre- and postintervention intervals. Findings reveal few significant differences between the ADN and BSN interns, suggesting that with competitive recruitment, appropriate support, and supplementary training, ADN interns can perform on par with their BSN counterparts. The small number of participants in the internship programs presents a significant limitation to the study findings.
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Video Instruction on Social and Communication Skills Training for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Review of the Literature
Authors: Shukla-Mehta Smita , Miller Trube , Callahan Kevin J.
Published: December 2009

Video instruction as an intervention for teaching skills to children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is gaining increased momentum in applied settings.Video instruction, comprised of video modeling, video self-modeling, and point-of-view video, has been utilized in various fields of study with various populations and target behaviors. Literature on video instruction will be reviewed to determine its effects on the acquisition and generalization of social and communication skills for students with ASD in order to determine whether empirical findings support video instruction as an evidence-based practice. Guidelines for effective implementation of video instruction strategies for students with ASD and recommendations for further research will be provided.
Power Cards to Improve Conversational Skills in Adolescents With Asperger Syndrome
Authors: Davis Kathy M. , Boon Richard T. , Cihak David F. , Fore Cecil
Published: December 2009

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of Power Cards on the initiation and maintenance of conversational skills in students with Asperger syndrome. Three high school students with Asperger Syndrome participated in this study. Power Cards were used to prompt students’ previously learned conversational skills in a multiple-baseline design across students. Results can be interpreted to conclude that there was a functional relationship between use of Power Cards and the percentage of time students engaged in conversations that focused on the interests of their conversational partners. Power Cards are inexpensive, easy to make, and may be useful for high school students with Asperger Syndrome.
Religious Belief as Compensatory Control
Authors: Kay Aaron C. , Gaucher Danielle , McGregor Ian , Nash Kyle
Published: December 2009

The authors review experimental evidence that religious conviction can be a defensive source of compensatory control when personal or external sources of control are low. They show evidence that (a) belief in religious deities and secular institutions can serve as external forms of control that can compensate for manipulations that lower personal control and (b) religious conviction can also serve as compensatory personal control after experimental manipulations that lower other forms of personal or external control. The authors review dispositional factors that differentially orient individuals toward external or personal varieties of compensatory control and conclude that compensatory religious conviction can be a flexible source of personal and external control for relief from the anxiety associated with random and uncertain experiences.
Pursuing Failure
Authors: Gray Peter H. , Cooper William H.
Published: December 2009

The field of organizational studies contains an eclectic collection of theories with underspecified ranges. Although the assortment of theories enriches the field, it also renders it less coherent. We argue that the field could increase its coherence if more of us followed a strategy of pursuing failure by (a) identifying the tacit assumptions embedded in theories, (b) discovering the boundaries beyond which theories do not hold, (c) conducting competitive tests between theories, and (d) adopting research methods that seek to explain counterexamples. We present these separate tactics as mutually supporting elements of an overall approach that emphasizes the value of long-term theory development. We describe how this approach could serve as a useful counterbalance to researchers’ valuable efforts to build new theories, identify barriers to the pursuit of failure, and anticipate several ways in which our suggestion may be wrong or misunderstood.
The Impact of Corruption on Social Trust
Authors: Richey Sean
Published: December 2009

I test the impact of governmental corruption on generalized social trust. Based on prior research in comparative politics and criminology, I hypothesize that increasing governmental corruption leads to decreasing beliefs that others are trustworthy. To test my hypothesis, I combine aggregate state-level data on convictions for governmental corruption with American National Election Studies panel survey data with waves in 2000, 2002, and 2004. My findings show a clear impact of greater corruption on levels of generalized trust. I find that living in states with increased corruption lowers generalized trust, while controlling for other known determinants. This research expands our knowledge of how institutional actions influence generalized trust.
Nutrition and Orthomolecular Supplementation in Lung Cancer Patients
Authors: Campos Diana , Austerlitz Carlos , Allison Ron R. , Póvoa Helion , Sibata Claudio
Published: December 2009

This article reviews updates and provides some data related to nutritional and orthomolecular supplementation in oncology patients with an emphasis on lung cancer, a commonly diagnosed tumor with significant nutritional disturbances. Cancer and its treatment play a significant role in nutritional imbalance which likely has negative impact on the patient both in terms of quality and quantity of life. Nutritional supplementation may correct these imbalances with significant clinical benefit both physiologically and psychologically. This review will help assist in providing clinically useful data to assess the cancer patient’s nutritional status and to guide nutritional intervention to assist these patients’ recovery.
Light-Mediated Perturbations of Circadian Timing and Cancer Risk: A Mechanistic Analysis
Authors: Reiter Russel J. , Dan Xian Tan  , Erren Thomas C. , Fuentes-Broto Lorena , Paredes Sergio D.
Published: December 2009

In industrialized countries, certain types of cancer, most notably, breast and prostate, are more frequent than in poorly developed nations. This high cancer frequency is not explained by any of the conventional causes. Within the past decade, numerous reports have appeared that link light at night with an elevated cancer risk. The three major consequences of light at night are sleep deprivation, chronodisruption, and melatonin suppression. Each of these individually or in combination may contribute to the reported rise in certain types of cancer. In this article, the potential mechanisms underlying the basis of the elevated cancer risk are briefly discussed. Finally, if cancer is a consequence of excessive nighttime light, it is likely that other diseases/conditions may also be exaggerated by the widespread use of light after darkness onset.
Making Circadian Cancer Therapy Practical
Authors: Block Keith I. , Block Penny B. , Reynolds Fox Susan , Stouffer Birris Jamie , Feng April Y. , de la Torre Michael , Nathan Deva , Tothy Peter , Maki Amanda K. , Gyllenhaal Charlotte
Published: December 2009

Practical circadian therapy for the cancer patient involves 3 spheres of intervention—improving lifestyle, optimizing internal biochemical milieu, and adjusting treatment times. The potential value of improving overall circadian functioning is shown in the work of Mormont et al in which pronounced rest—activity rhythms were associated with better survival in colorectal cancer patients receiving chronomodulated chemotherapy. Lifestyle interventions that may improve circadian functioning involve diet, physical activity, and mind—body therapies. A diet that is anti-inflammatory and has appropriate carbohydrate intake, as well as regular meal timing, encourages normal circadian cycles. Adequate daytime physical activity encourages restful sleep, and morning light exposure during exercise may entrain melatonin rhythms. Meditation and other mind—body therapies can reduce anxiety and depression that may disrupt sleep. Aspects of the biochemical milieu that specifically disrupt circadian functioning are inflammation and stress hormones. Inflammation and cytokine disruption can be addressed with diet, herbs, and other natural substances. Chronomodulation of chemotherapy in a US clinical setting will be discussed. A series of 12 cases will be presented of patients who experienced grade 3 to 4 toxicities with various chemotherapy regimens for colorectal cancer. When rechallenged with the same regimens administered chronotherapeutically, none of the patients experienced grade 3 to 4 toxicity. Integrating all the above treatment modalities has the potential to improve both the quality of life and disease outcomes in cancer patients.
Circadian Disruption in Experimental Cancer Processes
Authors: Filipski Elisabeth , Lévi Francis
Published: December 2009

The circadian timing system (CTS) coordinated by the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) of the hypothalamus regulates daily rhythms of behavior, physiology, as well as cellular metabolism and proliferation. Altered circadian rhythms predict for poor survival in cancer patients. An increased incidence of several cancers has been reported in flight attendants and in shift workers. To explore the contribution of the CTS to tumor growth, we developed experimental models of disrupted or enhanced circadian coordination through stereotaxic destruction of the SCN, modifications of photoperiodic or feeding synchronizers and/or the administration of pharmacologic agents. SCN ablation or exposure to experimental chronic jetlag (CJL, consisting of an 8-hour advance of the light-dark cycle every 2 days) caused alterations in circadian physiology and significantly accelerated tumor growth. CJL suppressed or altered the rhythms of clock gene and cell cycle gene expression in mouse liver. It increased p53 and decreased c-Myc expression, a result in line with the promotion of diethylnitrosamine -initiated hepatocarcinogenesis in jet-lagged mice. The accelerating effect of CJL on tumor growth was counterbalanced by the regular timing of food access over the 24-h. Meal timing prevented the circadian disruption produced by CJL and slowed down tumor growth. In synchronized mice, meal timing reinforced host circadian coordination, phase-shifted the transcriptional rhythms of clock genes in the liver of tumor-bearing mice and slowed down cancer progression. These results support the role of the CTS in cancer progression and call for the development of therapeutic strategies aimed at preventing or treating circadian clock dysfunctions.