bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Biogeographic aspects of the distribution of bird species breeding in Québec’s peatlands
Authors: Calmé Sophie , Desrochers André
Published: March 2003

Aim

The state of peatlands in eastern Canada is of growing concern. This habitat is in decline due to urban sprawl, agriculture, forestry, and peat mining. Moreover, reduction and fragmentation have led to increasing isolation of remaining peatlands. We determined how bird species distribution in peatlands conforms to expectations drawn from island dynamics. We also determined the factors influencing the occurrence of 10 common peatland bird species, two of which rely mainly on peatlands for nesting in the study region.

Location

We sampled sixty‐three peatlands in southern Québec, Canada, within a landscape characterized by a mosaic of forest stands and farmland.

Methods

We sampled nesting bird populations within peatlands from 4 June to 14 July 1995, using both transect lines and fixed‐radius point counts. Each sampled peatland was characterized by area, vegetation structure (microhabitats), and isolation. We used multiple regression to test the relationship between bird species richness, peatland area, heterogeneity, microhabitat richness, and relative isolation, after correction for sampling effort. Relationships between bird species abundances and the variables the environmental variables were investigated with Canonical Correspondence Analyses. We calculated probabilities of occurrence of individual species in peatlands by logistic regression, with the same explanatory variables as mentioned previously.

Results

Bird species richness was mainly explained by microhabitat richness, and to a lesser extent, by sampling effort. By contrast, the occurrence of more than half of the species was mainly explained by peatland microhabitat heterogeneity. Palm warblerDendroica palmarum(Gmelin) and upland sandpipersBartramia longicauda(Bechstein) were the only species less frequent in small and isolated peatlands than in other peatlands.

Main conclusions

The results for species richness support both the habitat diversity, and passive sampling hypotheses for patchy distribution of birds. By contrast, results from individual species emphasized the difference between factors affecting total species richness and individual species distribution. The distribution of palm warbler, the only species restricted to peatlands regionally, was consistent with expectations from island dynamics.
Fires and land‐cover change in the tropics:a remote sensing analysis at the landscape scale
Authors: Eva Hugh , Lambin Eric F.
Published: March 2003

Aim

Fires are an important landscape disturbance which interact in a complex way with land‐use and land‐cover change. The objective of this study is to understand the role of fires in vegetation‐cover change and, conversely, the role of land use as a controlling factor of fires.

Location

The study sites are located in Mato Grosso, Brazil, in Central Africa and on the border between Kenya and Tanzania.

Methods

The role of vegetation fire is addressed through a landscape‐scale analysis of the spatial association between maps of active fires and maps of land‐cover change derived from remote sensing data for the different sites in Africa and South America.

Results

The empirical results of this study clearly support the idea that fires have widely varying impacts on land cover in savanna and forest ecosystems. Fires play different roles within the different components of landscape mosaics and at different times of the land‐cover change trajectory. The impact of fires on vegetation is mainly controlled by land use.

Conclusions

There is thus a need to consider the socioeconomic purpose of biomass burning and the context in which such activities are undertaken. In forest ecosystems, a statistically significant relationship exists between the occurrence of fires and forest‐cover changes. One could not conclude however, that fires are always the cause of the change in land cover, nor that fires are a reliable indicator of ‘hot spots’ of deforestation. Current low spatial resolution information on fire activity derived from remote sensing systems can be prone to inaccuracies due to a poor co‐location of fire with respect to land‐cover data, and temporal sampling problems affecting fire data.
Factors affecting the presence of the cool temperate rain forest tree myrtle beech (Nothofagus cunninghamii) in southern Australia: integrating climatic, terrain and disturbance predictors of distribution patterns
Authors: Lindenmayer D. B. , Mackey B. G. , Cunningham R. B. , Donnelly C. F. , Mullen I. C. , McCarthy M. A. , Gill A. M.
Published: March 2003

Aim

This study identified the factors influencing the presence, stocking rate and basal area of the southern Australian cool temperate rain forest tree myrtle beech (Nothofagus cunninghamii).

Location

This investigation was conducted in the montane ash forests of the Central Highlands of Victoria, south‐eastern Australia.

Methods

The occurrence ofN. cunninghamiiwas measured as part of field surveys of 474 sites (2844 plots) distributed widely throughout mountain ash (Eucalyptus regnans), alpine ash (E. delegatensis) and shining gum (E. nitens) forests. Statistical analysis was employed to examine relationships between the occurrence ofN. cunninghamiiand measured site attributes and interpolated and derived environmental variables.

Results

The presence ofN. cunninghamiiwas significantly related to five variables: the age of the overstorey eucalypt stand, dominant species of overstorey eucalypt tree, topographic position in the landscape, slope and the estimated quantity of precipitation in the warmest quarter of the year.N. cunninghamiiwas more likely to occur in old growth eucalypt stands, in gullies and locations with high values for rainfall in the warmest quarter. In addition, there was an interaction between slope and dominant eucalypt tree species—in forests dominated byE. regnans,N. cunninghamiiwas more likely to occur on steep slopes whereas inE. nitensandE. delegatensis‐dominated stands,N. cunninghamiiwas more likely to occur on flatter terrain. Statistical modelling also showed a significant positive effect of slope on both the stocking rate and basal area of the species. The stocking rate ofN. cunninghamiialso was significantly higher in old growth eucalypt stands.

Main conclusions

The study demonstrated that the patterns of distribution ofN. cunninghamiimay be more complex than recognized previously and it illustrated the importance of multiple factors including climatic conditions, disturbance processes (as reflected through the age of the dominant overstorey eucalypt stands) and topography. Our work also shows there can be complex interactions between age cohorts of different tree species in the same stand—in this case, the dominant overstorey eucalypts and the understorey which includesN. cunninghamiistems.
Patterns of distribution for southern Australian marine echinoderms and decapods
Authors: O'Hara Timothy D. , Poore Gary C. B.
Published: March 2003

Aim To relate patterns of distribution of marine echinoderms and decapods around southern Australia to major ecological and historical factors.

Location Shallow‐water (0–100 m) marine waters off southern Australia, south of 30° S.

Methods (1) Record the presence/absence of known echinoderm and decapod species in cells ofc. 1° latitude and longitude, along the coast of southern mainland Australia and Tasmania. (2) Describe patterns in species composition, species richness and endemism through gradient analysis, ordination and cluster analysis. (3) Relate these patterns to distance and temperature gradients, the area of continental shelf, the average size of species range, and known historical factors.

Results Species composition varied with both latitude and longitude. Species richness was relatively constant from east to west but graded with latitude from high in the warm‐temperate regions around Perth and Sydney to low in cool‐temperate southern Tasmania. Species richness was not related to the area of continental shelf or average species range size. Species turnover was not correlated with rates of temperature change. It was problematic to separate distance from temperature gradients, but there was evidence that the southern distribution limits of some species are related to minimum sea surface temperature. Within the taxonomic groups surveyed, evolutionary radiation has been largely limited to a few cosmopolitan species‐rich genera.

Main conclusions There are historical as well as ecological hypotheses explaining the latitudinal gradient of marine species richness in southern Australia: (1) the continual invasion and speciation of species of tropical origin as Australia has split from Gondwana and drifted northward; (2) progressive extinction of some Gondwanan cool‐temperate species at the limits of their range; (3) low level of immigration of additional cool‐temperate species; and (4) somein situendemic speciation.
Forest plant species richness in small, fragmented mixed deciduous forest patches: the role of area, time and dispersal limitation
Authors: Jacquemyn Hans , Butaye Jan , Hermy Martin
Published: March 2003

Aim

The research aimed to investigate how plant species richness of small, fragmented forest patches changes over time. Also interactions between time and area were studied in relation to species richness. Finally, the relative importance of plant dispersal limitation on the process of species accumulation was examined by investigating how species were distributed within a regional landscape.

Location

Mixed deciduous forest patches in central Belgium.

Methods

The land use history of a region of 80 km2 was reconstructed using nine historical maps dating from 1775 to 1991. Within a central area of 42 km2, 241 forest patches were surveyed for presence/absence of 203 species predominantly occurring in forests. Aggregation of species within this region was estimated using a Monte Carlo simulation. Spatial and temporal patterns of species richness were investigated by both regression and analysis of variance (ANOVA).

Results

Fifty‐one of 103 species showed significant spatial aggregation patterns, suggesting severe dispersal limitation. Species richness significantly increased with age. However, the effects of time on species richness could not be separated from area and area and time clearly interacted. Slopes of regression equations for species number on area and patch age were shown to be significantly interrelated.

Main conclusions

Area and time cannot be treated independently as predictors of plant species richness. Dispersal proved to be important in structuring local forest plant community composition, contrary to most other studies that have investigated local forest plant community structure. The processes of forest succession and species accumulation are controlled by both local and regional processes. More studies focusing on the regional factors determining local community composition are needed in order to fully understand the process of forest plant community assembly.
Size and shape of the geographical ranges of Andean passerine birds: spatial patterns in environmental resistance and anisotropy
Authors: Ruggiero Adriana
Published: March 2003

Aim

The geographical distribution of 839 Andean passerine species was analysed using two biogeographical indices: environmental resistance (R50) and anisotropy (A50). R50 quantifies the loss of biotic resemblance occurring from any point in the map to the rest of the continent. A50 quantifies the extent to which the perimeter : area ratio of the geographical ranges of all species whose distributions overlap at any particular location depart from the perimeter : area ratio of a circle. Three predictions derived from the climatic‐tolerance hypothesis were tested: (1) the latitudinal Rapoport effect predicts an increase in the range‐sizes of species, and hence a decrease in the values of R50, towards the south; (2) Janzen’s argument that ‘mountain passes are higher in the tropics’ predicts greater anisotropy in the tropics; (3) because environmental conditions are relatively constant across the tropics, and begin to change at the boundaries, this predicts high spatial turnover – and hence rapid change of R50 values – at the limits of the tropics.

Location

The Andes, in South America.

Methods

The geographical ranges of 839 passerine species were drawn on a standardized grid map of the Andean region. The presence–absence (1–0) of each species in each of the 150 cells in the grid map was recorded. These data were used to create equiprobabilistic maps, which then were used to estimate a value of R50 and A50 for each cell in the grid map (sensuRapoport, 1975, 1979, 1982).

Results

The spatial patterns in R50 and A50 offer partial support to the original predictions. The tendency for R50 data to decrease with latitude (Rapoport effect) vanishes after controlling for differences in species richness among latitudes compared. In contrast, A50 data clearly offer indirect support to Janzen’s prediction of narrower climatic tolerances of species around the tropics, even after controlling for differences in species richness. The Andean passerine species confirm that spatial turnover of species exists at the southern edge of the tropics, and also at different latitudes within the tropics.

Main conclusions

The analysis suggests that it is the major structural change in the topography of mountains – and not merely latitude – that ultimately governs the spatial variation in size and shape of species ranges along the Andes.
Year‐to‐year variation in carabid beetle (Coleoptera, Carabidae) assemblages on the Åland Islands, south‐west Finland
Authors: Kotze D. Johan , Niemelä Jari
Published: March 2003

Aims

(1) To investigate changes in structure of carabid assemblages between sites on the main island of Åland and five small nearby islands between 1982 and 1999. (2) To determine whether island differences observed in one year is mirrored in another one. (3) To examine changes in abundance levels of individual carabid species on these islands since 1982. (4) To compare the proportion of flightless species on the main island of Åland with those on the small islands.

Location

Islands in the Baltic Sea, Finland; the main island of Åland (90,000 ha) and five small, nearby islands (8–29 ha).

Methods

Carabid beetles were collected, using pitfall traps, during 4 years (1982, 1987, 1988 and 1999). Sampling took place in moist, spruce‐dominated, lush forest patches.

Results

Overall, 12,127 individuals representing forty‐six carabid species were collected; forty‐one species (8580 individuals) on the main island of Åland, and thirty‐one species (3547 individuals) on the small islands. Carabid assemblage structure, measured using ordination techniques, was consistently and significantly different between the main island and the small island sites. Carabid assemblage structure and abundances of individual species did change significantly between years, possibly because of a combination of climatological and habitat changes in the Åland archipelago. The six most abundant species collected on the small islands, and the three most abundant species overall, were all short‐winged. Furthermore, the small islands had a higher proportion and number of short‐winged species compared with the main island of Åland.

Main conclusions

Carabid assemblage structure was significantly different between the main island and the small islands in all years sampled, indicating that single‐year studies are sufficient to demonstrate differences in carabid assemblages on Baltic islands. Small islands host a non‐random proportion of species pools available on the main island of Åland and mainland Finland. It appears that dispersal to islands in the Baltic Sea is easy for carabid beetles of all wing forms, but that short‐winged species are more successful colonizers.
Mammal extinctions on Australian islands: causes and conservation implications
Authors: Burbidge Andrew A. , Manly Bryan F. J.
Published: March 2003

Aim

Data on Australian landbridge islands were analysed to seek relationships between the extinction of mammals on islands and a number of variables related to the islands, the native mammal species that occur on them and the presence or absence of exotic mammalian predators. The data base included attributes of the mammals (mean adult body weight, diet and shelter habitat) and of the islands [area, rainfall, presence/absence of significant areas of rockpile habitat, presence/absence of European red fox Vulpes vulpes Linnaeus, 1758, feral cat Felis catus Linnaeus, 1758, and rats Rattus rattus (Linnaeus, 1758) and R. exulans (Peale, 1848)].

Methods

Statistical analysis of the 388 cases where a Critical Weight Range (CWR) mammal is extant and the forty‐one cases where a CWR mammal is extinct was conducted using logistic regression to model the probability of extinction as a function of the island and mammal variables.

Results

Foxes and cats are correlated with CWR mammal extinctions, but cats are associated with extinctions particularly on more arid islands. Extinctions are more likely on islands with an absence of significant areas of rockpile habitat and where the native mammal is restricted to the ground's surface, and is relatively large.

Conclusions

An association between the presence of cats and native mammal extinctions has not previously been demonstrated for Australian islands. The introduction of exotic predators to Australian islands with native mammal species should be avoided and should any of these predators establish all means should be employed to eradicate them. For Australian continental islands the introduction of exotic predators, not habitat clearance, has been the major factor in extinctions.
The relative abundance of three plant functional types in temperate grasslands and shrublands of North and South America: effects of projected climate change
Authors: Epstein Howard E. , Gill Richard A. , Paruelo Jose M. , Lauenroth William K. , Jia Gensuo J. , Burke Ingrid C.
Published: March 2003

Aim

Use a regression model that relates climatic variables to the relative abundances of shrubs, C4 and C3 grasses to project the plant functional type composition of temperate grasslands and shrublands within North and South America in response to climate change.

Location

The temperate zone grassland and shrubland regions of North and South America.

Methods

We used a regression model to project changes in the relative abundances of shrubs, C4 and C3 grasses under three general circulation model (GFDL, GISS, UKMO) climate change scenarios. The three climate change scenarios were applied to a global data set of mean monthly temperatures and precipitation. The regression model, which incorporates mean annual temperature, mean annual precipitation and seasonality of precipitation as input variables, was used to project plant functional type changes. Spatial patterns of change were analysed using a geographical information system.

Results

Relative abundance of C4 grasses were projected to increase >10% throughout most of the study region at the expense of C3 grasses. There were essentially no areas where C4 grasses decreased in abundance, and the areas with no change were largely the southern Great Plains and the Intermountain Basin and Range of North America. C3 grasses declined throughout with the exception of the north‐western Great Plains of the US and Canada, and north central Argentina. Changes in shrub abundance were mixed with some increases in Patagonia and the desert regions of the south‐western US; there were also some projected decreases, however, the locations varied across models.

Main conclusions

The projections made by our regression model were consistent with those of other more complex vegetation dynamics models. Changes in plant community composition in response to climate change may be substantial in certain areas and will probably lead to changes in water and nutrient cycling.
Complex biogeographical distribution of genetic variation within Podarcis wall lizards across the Strait of Gibraltar
Authors: Harris D. J. , Carranza S. , Arnold E. N. , Pinho C. , Ferrand N.
Published: March 2003

Abstract Aim  To examine the effect of a known geological barrier on genetic variation within a wall lizard species complex.

Location  The Iberian Peninsula and North Africa.

Methods  Sequencing of partial 12S rRNA and cytochrome b mtDNA.

Results  The current distribution of genetic variability is not related to the opening of the Strait of Gibraltar.

Conclusions  Podarcis hispanica in North Africa is probably a species complex. The Strait of Gibraltar should not be used as a known barrier to gene flow in other land based organisms without careful sampling to test for multiple crossings since its formation.
The illusion of preservation: a global environmental argument for the local production of natural resources
Authors: Berlik Mary M. , Kittredge David B. , Foster David R.
Published: March 2003

AbstractAim The United States (US) and other affluent countries consume vast quantities of global natural resources, but contribute proportionately less to the extraction of many raw materials. This imbalance is due, in part, to domestic policies intended to protect the environment. Ironically, developed nations are often better equipped to extract resources in an environmentally prudent manner than the major suppliers. Thus, although citizens of affluent countries may imagine that preservationist domestic policies are conserving resources and protecting nature, heavy consumption rates necessitate resource extraction elsewhere and oftentimes under weak environmental oversight. A major consequence of this ‘illusion of natural resource preservation’ is greater global environmental degradation than would arise if consumption were reduced and a large portion of production was shared by affluent countries. This paper considers some implications of the consumption, management and conservation of forests and wood at a local and global scale.

Location We focus on Massachusetts, the eighth most forested state in the USA (by area), the third most densely populated, and an affluent region with consumption rates that are among the highest in the country.

Methods Estimates of wood production and consumption are generated, and comparisons are made with other commonly used materials (e.g. steel, concrete, aluminium).

Results A comparison of the feasibility and environmental impact of various strategies for dealing with rising wood demand suggests that the US should strive to: (1) reduce per capita consumption of wood and its substitutes, (2) recycle forest products more effectively, (3) protect extensive areas of intensively managed and unmanaged forests and (4) promote sound forest management where the environmental consequences are mild. Forestry and the sustainable generation of wood in Massachusetts would allow preservation of primary forests elsewhere in the world.

Main conclusions When aggressive reductions in wood consumption and effective recycling are combined with judiciously increased harvest levels, 50% of the Massachusetts's wood consumption could be met at sustainable rates, even while preserving large undisturbed blocks of forest.
Environmental responses ofPinus ponderosaand associated species in the south‐western USA
Authors: Humphries H. C. , Bourgeron P. S.
Published: March 2003

AbstractAim We addressed four objectives: (1) Determine the regional responses of species, size classes and a vegetation type to climate and parent material predictors, including their distributions in environmental space and the relative contributions of the predictors to explained variation. (2) Determine whether size classes of a species respond similarly to climate and parent material. (3) Assess the extent to which the predicted regional distribution of a vegetation type can be approximated by the distribution of its diagnostic species andvice versa. The establishment of a consistent relationship between the distribution of a vegetation type and its diagnostic species would facilitate change detection, management and conservation planning by allowing the use of one distribution to generate the other when data availability is limited. (4) Examine landscape‐scale environmental variability in predicted species and vegetation type distributions.

Location South‐western USA (Arizona, New Mexico and southern Colorado).

Methods Ecological response surface models were developed using a data base of 1409 vegetation plots to analyse biotic–environmental relationships of (1)Pinus ponderosaP. & C. Lawson andAbies concolor(Gord. & Glend.) Lindl. Ex Hildebr. size classes, (2)P. ponderosa, A. concolorandQuercus gambeliiNutt. combined size classes, and (3) aP. ponderosaforest type widely distributed in the south‐western USA.

Results and main conclusions Pinus ponderosaandA. concolormodels generally were judged to be successful.Quercus gambeliimodels were judged unsuccessful, which may result from the influence of variables not modelled, such as soil moisture, disturbance, biotic factors and other site limiting factors. Size classes differed in the range of environmental conditions associated with high occurrence probabilities within and between species, reflecting differences in the effects of climate variability and anthropogenic changes, such as fire suppression, on the distribution of each size class.Pinus ponderosaalliance was predicted to be distributed over a narrower range of environmental conditions thanP. ponderosaspecies models, therefore limiting the use of this vegetation type as a surrogate for the distribution of the dominant species, andvice versa. Maps of combinations of environmental variables that produced a high probability ofP. ponderosaoccurrence showed that some landscapes predicted to contain the species exhibited diverse environmental conditions over short distances. The use of regional environmental relationships to characterize areas with high local environmental variability may facilitate identification of areas of potential rapid biotic change.
Using a supervisory framework to support and evaluate a multiproject practice development programme
Authors: Ward Martin F. , Titchen Angie , Morrell Clare , McCormack Brendan , Kitson Alison
Published: March 2003

• The paper describes a multiproject practice development programme undertaken over a period of 1 year.

• The background and development of the programme are outlined, whilst attention is paid to the innovatory nature of the work, particularly the use of inductive, deductive and integrated approaches to both change implementation and project supervision.

• The programme was monitored throughout using different data sources and the paper uses evaluative material retrospectively to provide answers to organizational and professional difficulties which arose during the course of the programme.

• The authors conclude that the use of combinations of different models for practice development has potential, but requires careful supervision.

• They also recommend that those involved in practice development are made fully aware of its local or micropolitics, and develop strategies to deal with change before it occurs, not after it has taken place.
Using the Delphi technique to identify the content and context of nurses' continuing professional development needs
Authors: GIBSON JOSEPHINE M. E.
Published: March 2003

• In order to identify and prioritize the development needs of medical and surgical nurses, their possible approaches to learning, and the contextual factors influencing their professional development, a Delphi survey was carried out using a panel of 28 participants.

• Current development needs included skills in essential clinical care, specialist nursing, changing roles, patient care management, research and practice development.

• Although there was ambivalence about changing nurses' clinical roles, participants expected roles to diversify in the future.

• The need for responsiveness to change was emphasized, as was the need to maintain current areas of expertise.

• Professional development activity could take many forms, but fostering an organizational climate in which development was inherent in everyday working practices was felt to be as valuable as formal course attendance.

• Restricting factors included lack of time, resources, support and recognition.

• The survey has enabled professional and practice development activities to be prioritized locally, and the method used could be readily applied to other settings.
Facilitating critical reflection in mothers of chronically ill children
Authors: GIBSON CHERYL H.
Published: March 2003

• The hybrid model, developed by Schwartz‐Barcott & Kim guided the conduct of a study of empowerment in mothers of chronically ill children.

• Integral to the model of empowerment that emerged from the study was an ongoing process of critical reflection.

• Through this process, mothers became aware of their strengths, abilities and resources.

• This paper is an in‐depth analysis of the process of critical reflection, which corroborates recent theory on women's development.

• The process of critical reflection is illuminated by women's ways of knowing, as exemplified in the story of one mother, and by elements of maternal thinking.

• Implications for nursing practice in working with mothers of chronically ill children are highlighted.
Professional assessment of optimal nursing care intensity level: a new method of assessing personnel resources for nursing care
Authors: FAGERSTRÖM LISBETH , RAINIO ANNA‐KAISA
Published: March 2003

•The primary aim of patient classification is to be able to respond to the constant variation in patients' caring needs. Systems of patient classification usually include some form of time study, e.g. work sampling or time‐and‐motion studies.

•This article deals with the pros and cons of traditional time studies and with the theoretical bases of a new method of assessing the need for staff resources for nursing, a method termed `Professional Assessment of Optimal Nursing Care Intensity Level'.

•The main idea of the method is to arrive at an optimal level of nursing care intensity for a ward by means of professional assessment and daily patient classification. The optimal level of nursing care intensity is supposed to prevail when there is a balance between the patients' need for care and the hospital's staff resources.

•The development of this new method and an account of a pilot study carried out in two wards are presented.

•The results of the pilot study established that the development of the method is worth continuing in order to create an administrative tool which, by its nature, is more compatible than traditional time studies with the idea of caring from the perspective of caring science.
A study of the effectiveness of different measuring times and counting methods of human radial pulse rates
Authors: Hwu Yueh‐Juen , Coates Vivien E. , Lin Feng‐Yu
Published: March 2003

• The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability and validity of measuring resting radial pulse rates by the use of three measuring times: 15, 30 and 60 s; and two counting methods: one beginning with zero (0) and the other with one (1).

• A two‐factor within‐subjects experimental design was used to determine the mean difference between pulse rates obtained from the radial artery, and the heart rates recorded by simultaneous electrocardiographic (ECG) recordings. The sample comprised 206 students.

• Mean difference was used to calculate the extent of any differences between radial pulse rates and the rate shown by the ECG. The interaction between measuring time and counting methods was confirmed using a two‐factor within‐subjects analysis of variance.

• For all types of measuring time, the counting from zero method produced a greater mean difference than the counting from one method. For all measuring times, the mean difference between radial pulse rates and rates shown by the ECG were non‐significant in the counting from one method. In other words, when the pulse rate is counted from one, the rates obtained at 15 or 30 s could be used to predict the one‐minute resting pulse rates.

• The results of this study can contribute to the evidence base for this commonly used aspect of patient care.
Asian patients’ perspective on the communication facilities provided in a large inner city hospital
Authors: Brooks  , Magee  , Bhatti  , Briggs  , Buckley  , Guthrie  , Moltesen  , Moore  , Murray
Published: March 2003

• Existing studies indicate the importance of communication, particularly for patients from minority ethnic groups, and the difficulties that occur in the healthcare arena when this communication is not effective.

• This study explored how verbal communication took place in an acute NHS trust between inpatients who spoke Urdu or Punjabi and health care providers.

• A total of 277 patients were recruited, of whom 34% spoke and understood English fluently, 35% spoke and understood limited English and 31% did not speak or understand English.

• Only half the respondents were aware of the existence of the interpreting service, the majority of whom found it useful. When the interpreting service was not available communication was directed primarily through relatives and visitors, members of staff and other patients, whilst a small percentage were unable to communicate at all.

• Patients were able to identify service improvements such as more interpreters, increasing patient awareness of the service, more Asian nurses and doctors working on the wards, interpreters linked to the wards and increased availability and accessibility of the interpreting service over the 24 h.

• This study has been successful in identifying the effectiveness of current communication provision and in developing recommendation for the Trust in order to shape and inform future service developments for minority ethnic groups.
A question of competence? Re‐evaluating the roles of the nursing auxiliary and health care assistant in the NHS
Authors: Thornley Carole
Published: March 2003

• This article draws from the first national sample survey evidence and detailed case studies of both the long‐standing grade of Nursing Auxiliary/Assistant and of the new grade of ‘Health Care Assistant/Support Worker’ in the NHS.

• It argues for a fundamental re‐evaluation of the real competencies of non‐registered caregivers, and of their potential to progress into registered nurse training.

• The study demonstrates their real maturity, experience, competencies, roles and responsibilities, along with the extent to which they perceive themselves as ‘substituting’ for registered nursing staff.

• It is shown that many have been blocked from entering registered nurse training due to domestic and financial constraints.

• The rise of NVQ accreditation has now provided both the potential for a formal recognition of their experiential learning and also the means by which they might progress into registered nurse training or even along parallel – and more practice‐orientated – lines.

• It is argued that registered nurses should welcome a more fluid and progressive role for these team members, since, failing such a welcome, managers will otherwise continue to ‘undercut’ registered staff with their ‘cheaper’ non‐registered caregiving colleagues.
Medical and surgical nurses’ perceptions of their level of competence and educational needs in caring for patients with cancer
Authors: McCaughan Eilis , Parahoo Kader
Published: March 2003

• Recent proposals recommend that cancer patients are cared for, as much as possible, in specialist cancer units and centres.

• However, a large number of these patients will still be admitted to medical and surgical wards of general hospitals at one time or other. Yet little is known about the knowledge and skills of nurses dealing with this group of patients.

• A survey design was used to assess the self‐reported level of competence, in a number of activities relating to their work with cancer patients, among medical and surgical nurses (n=106) in a district general hospital in Northern Ireland. It also aimed to identify their self‐reported educational needs in caring for this group of patients.

• Results showed that these nurses cared for people with a range of cancers.

• While they reported an above‐moderate level of competence, they also rated their level of competence higher in physical than in psychosocial care.

• Among their self‐perceived educational needs were more knowledge, and skills in psychosocial care, communication, dealing with side‐effects of treatment and pain management.
Nurses’ first encounters with parents of new‐born children – public health nurses’ views of a good meeting
Authors: Jansson Annkristin , Petersson Kerstin , Udén Giggi
Published: March 2003

•  The nurse’s view of the first meeting with parents of new‐born children may have consequences for the quality of future contact. A good start will lay a solid foundation for a lasting relationship, and have an affect on the nurse’s work to support parents and children and to promote health. We do not know what nurses mean by a ‘good meeting’.

•  The aim of this study was to discover how nurses view the first meeting as a general preventive measure aimed at all parents and their new‐born children.

•  Four focus groups interviews were held with nurses from different primary health care areas in the county of Skåne, southernmost Sweden.

•  Analysis of the content in the transcribed interview texts disclosed eight subcategories: good contact/reciprocal relationship; willingness to listen; guest/equal roles; time/peace and quiet; the family in its environment; socio‐cultural aspects; confirmation/support; and individual advice.

•  Three categories were established: creating trust; creating a supportive climate; and creating a picture of the family’s life situation.

•  The home visit was seen as an important way to establish trust and obtain a picture of the family’s life situation, which was in turn essential for creating a supportive climate.
Women’s lived experience of breast biopsy: a phenomenological study
Authors: O'Mahony Mairin
Published: March 2003

• This study aimed to explore Irish women’s lived experience of breast biopsy with a view to gaining a deeper understanding of their individual experiences and the meanings that it holds for them.

• A phenomenological approach from a Heideggerian hermeneutical perspective was used. Study participants were eight women aged 22–54 years who had experienced a recent breast biopsy with benign diagnosis. Data were collected using in‐depth interviewing. The work ofBenner (1994), together with guidelines fromMorse & Field (1996)andBurnard (1991)were used to guide the process of data analysis.

• Themes which emerged from the data were: ‘Finding the lump’, ‘Waiting, not knowing’, ‘knowing’, ‘Getting back to normal’ and ‘Reflections’. Women’s feelings of initial distress followed by relief permeate these themes.
`Seeking': a key activity for new family carers of stroke survivors
Authors: BRERETON LOUISE , NOLAN MIKE
Published: March 2003

• Stroke is one of the major causes of disability in the United Kingdom and considerable numbers of stroke survivors need help and support from family carers.

• The sudden and unexpected nature of stroke means that there is very little time for family members to prepare for a caring role.

• This paper draws on data from 37 interviews with 14 new carers of stroke survivors and highlights the uncertainty and lack of confidence that family members experience in adopting a caring role.

• During the initial period following the stroke carers engage in a number of different `seeking' activities in order to try and ensure that they feel competent, confident and safe to provide care and that they understand the likely future demands they may face.

• Rather than being facilitated by staff, carers' efforts often go unnoticed or are overlooked, resulting in carers feeling that they are `going it alone'.

• Staff need to be more aware of carers' `seeking' behaviour and actively encourage the formation of partnerships with family members.
Pathogenesis of urinary tract infections: a review
Authors: MOORE KATHERINE N. , DAY RENE A. , ALBERS MARILYN
Published: March 2003

• Pathogenesis of urinary tract infections (UTIs) is not well‐understood. In this paper, we review the current understanding of UTIs, particularly in relationship to individuals using intermittent catheterization.

• Relationships exist between the human host, infectious agent and the environment. In the human host, the urethra connects the bladder to potential infectious agents on the perineum. A high‐pressure zone exists within the urethra at a point where the urethra passes through the urogenital diaphragm. This zone creates a natural barrier to ascent of organisms colonized in the distal urethra and the bladder itself has natural defences against invading organisms.

• The interaction of host defences with bacteria (infectious agent) determines whether or not the bacteria persist. A small number of bacteria and some types of bacteria are controlled more effectively by natural bladder defence mechanisms and frequent bladder emptying than a large number of bacteria.

• Eschericia coli, coliforms and enterococci are considered common bacterial causes of UTIs and are found in high numbers on the perineum. Intermittent catheterization is an effective way of bladder emptying but as an invasive procedure it remains a risk factor in the development of UTI.
Psycho‐affective disorder in intensive care units: a review
Authors: HEWITT JEANETTE
Published: March 2003

• This paper reviews the literature related to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Syndrome. The intention of the paper is to explore the range of psychotic and affective phenomena that may be observed in practice, together with the management of contributory stressors.

• Patients experience a range of psycho‐affective disturbances that may be triggered by drugs, the environment, dehumanizing practices and sleep deprivation. Symptoms do not always disappear following discharge and further research is required to determine the long‐term psychological effects of an ICU.

• Comprehensive assessment of the patient's psychological state, using an appropriate tool, is necessary and should form an integral part of ongoing care.

• Interventions identified include eradication of dehumanizing behaviour, modification of environmental stimuli, effective communication and therapeutic touch.

• Where possible, communication needs should be addressed prior to admission, and patients and their families prepared for the unfamiliar world of the ICU.
Development of a short form of the Quality from the Patient's Perspective (QPP) questionnaire
Authors: LARSSON BODIL WILDE , LARSSON GERRY
Published: March 2003

• Patients' views on the quality of care are important and it is desirable that these can be assessed using short, yet valid and reliable instruments.

• The aim of the work reported here was to develop and test a short version of an established questionnaire: Quality from the Patient's Perspective (QPP).

• Patients (n=162, 79% response rate) receiving care at medical and surgical departments in two Swedish hospitals responded to the original QPP as well as to a newly developed short version. An ethical research committee approved the study.

• Pearson correlations were computed between the long and short forms and differences between means were analysed with t‐tests. Reliability was estimated by computing Cronbach alpha coefficients.

• Correlations of acceptable size were found between the short form and the original QPP. The short form also had acceptable reliability coefficients.

• The strengths of the work are that the items in the short version are derived from a patient perspective and are formulated in words used by patients; the items still have a theoretical foundation, which makes the interpretation of results more meaningful; global formulations such as `What do you think about your care?' have been avoided; the short format should make the questionnaire more attractive for many patients to respond to.

• Limitations are that results indicate that the short form does not fully measure what the long form does. Therefore, when the short form is used in practice, a two‐step procedure is suggested, where a follow‐up is done with a selection of items from the original long form. This selection could be restricted to areas where problems may be suspected, based on the results from the short form.
Changes in practice at the nurse–doctor interface. Using focus groups to explore the perceptions of first level nurses working in an acute care setting
Authors: Jones Angela M.
Published: March 2003

• A unique combination of factors has recently triggered a rapid change in the clinical practice of nurses in the UK.

• This study was carried out to explore the consequences of changing practice at the nurse–doctor interface, as perceived by first level nurses working in an acute care setting in the UK.

• Qualitative data were collected using focus group interviews and analysed thematically.

• Findings suggest that role change to these nurses is represented by a ‘shift’ in the practice of technical activities from junior doctors and a corresponding delegation of nursing activity to care assistants.

• It is suggested that the wholesale incorporation of technical interventions into the role of the nurse without an increase in the number of qualified nurses is turning nursing back to a task system of care delivery.

• This has the potential to depersonalize patients and reduce work satisfaction for nurses.
Why observing a dialogue may benefit learning
Authors: McKendree J. , Stenning K. , Mayes T. , Lee J. , Cox R.
Published: March 2003

Abstract The Vicarious Learner project is investigating the fundamental role of dialogue for learning. More specifically, the project is exploring the benefits to learners of being able to observe others participating in discussion. Such opportunities are becoming fewer with the proliferation of computer‐based courses and distance learning, as well as growing student numbers. This paper presents the theoretical aspects of the work. A high‐level ‘process model’ of learning is presented and then a more detailed model of what happens in educational dialogues. This ‘logic model’ of dialogue breaks discussions into two parts: the introduction of new premises and the derivation of new premises by the application of rules of reasoning in the domain. It is argued that in ordinary conversation the first aspect dominates while in educational dialogues, many misunderstandings arise from the need for more emphasis on explicit demonstration of use of rules.
Multimedia design: the effects of relating multimodal information
Authors: Dubois M. , Vial I.
Published: March 2003

Abstract Few models describe learner behaviour during the simultaneous processing of several types of information, yet this is the defining characteristic of the use of multimedia tools, which bring together media in different informational formats (fixed or moving images, sound, text). Following studies in cognitive psychology concerning the increase in the ability to form mental images of words, this study was aimed at defining how different multimedia presentation modes affect the learning of foreign language vocabulary (Russian). A statistically significant effect was observed on word memorisation in the different information presentation modes, suggesting better processing when there is co‐referencing of the different sources, especially when the encoding and tests modes are the same. In addition to these experimental results, some principles for the design of multimodal learning tools are discussed.