bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nurses’ responses to suicide and suicidal patients: a critical interpretive synthesis*
Authors: Talseth Anne‐Grethe , Gilje Fredricka L
Published: March 2011

Aims and objectives. To provide an inclusive understanding of nurses’ responses to suicide and suicidal patients that can benefit nursing practice and guide research. The question was ‘What is a critical interpretive synthesis of accumulated nursing research on nurses’ responses to suicide and suicidal patients?’

Background. Various studies address nurses’ responses to suicide and suicidal patients. An understanding of accumulated research‐based literature about nurses’ responses to suicide and suicidal patients may guide nurses to care for suicidal patients in ways that facilitate suicide prevention and recovery.

Design. The design is reflexive and iterative.

Method. A Critical Interpretive Synthesis was conducted, which comprised of six phases: formulating the review question, searching the literature, sampling, determining quality, extracting data and conducting an interpretive synthesis. Qualitative content analysis and systematic review of literature was included in these phases.

Results. The results report the review question, literature review strategies, purposive sample (26 full‐text studies published in peer reviewed journals, 1988–July 2009, conducted mostly in Europe and North American), quality determinants, data extraction into themes and an interpretive synthesis of four key concepts, i.e. critical reflection, attitudes, complex knowledge/professional role responsibilities, desire for support services/resources.

Conclusion. This understanding of accumulated research‐based literature enhances contextual, conceptual and methodological perspectives. Contextually, gaps exist in international research. Conceptually, the four key concepts can serve as a useful guide for nurses to understand their own and other nurses’ responses to caring for suicidal patients in various settings. Methodologically, the Critical Interpretive Synthesis approach moved a small body of knowledge that varied in quality measures beyond an aggregate understanding.

Relevance to clinical practice. Understanding nurses’ responses to suicide and suicidal patients may guide nurses to care for suicidal patients in ways that facilitate suicide prevention and recovery, thus addressing the urgent work of suicide prevention in the world.
A comparison of physical health status, self‐esteem, family support and health‐promoting behaviours between aged living alone and living with family in Korea
Authors: Sok Sohyune R , Yun Eun K
Published: March 2011

Aims.  This study examined and compared the physical health status, self‐esteem, family support and health‐promoting behaviours between aged living alone and the aged living with family.

Background.  As the Korean population ages, the number of older people living alone is steadily rising. Previous studies have been conducted to define the factors affecting the health of older people. However, research studies focused on the impact of family support, which potentially affects the overall health of older people, have been rarely conducted.

Design.  This was a comparative descriptive design.

Methods.  The survey included a set of four questionnaires. All measures were self‐administered. In the data analysis, descriptive statistics were used to analyse the demographic characteristics. The Chi‐square test and independent t‐test were used to examine the differences between the aged living alone and the aged living with family.

Results.  The physical health status (t = −40·85, p < 0·001), self‐esteem (t = −26·75, p < 0·001), family support (t = −16·46, p < 0·001) and health‐promoting behaviours, specifically exercise (t = −15·86, p < 0·001) and nutrition (t = −17·29, p < 0·001), of the aged living with family were higher than that of the aged living alone.

Conclusions.  This study shows that the aged living with family exhibited better physical health status, self‐esteem and health‐promoting behaviours than the aged living alone.

Relevance to clinical practice.  Clinical practice should be focused on emotional support with family or society for Korean aged, especially the aged living alone. Also, the practice should be adjusted to encourage the health‐promoting behaviour for them as well.
Creating a new profession in cancer nursing? Experiences of working as a psychosocial nurse in cancer care
Authors: Arving Cecilia , Holmström Inger
Published: March 2011

Aims.  To describe the nature of being a psychosocial nurse in cancer care.

Background.  Psychosocial nurses in cancer care are a new profession in cancer nursing in Sweden, with potential to offer unique support to patients regarding somatic and psychological needs. This new profession is hitherto unexplored.

Design.  A qualitative inductive interview approach was used.

Methods.  A strategic sample of five nurses working as psychosocial nurses in cancer care in Sweden was interviewed. A thematic stepwise analysis was performed.

Results.  The analysis revealed the twofold experience of being a psychosocial nurse in cancer care. The nurses felt as if they had two professions: nurse and therapist. They used skills from both professions to help the person, who had cancer and a psychosocial problem. It was stimulating to be able to combine the knowledge and practices of two professions. It was also difficult because they felt an uncertainty about what their roles and responsibilities really were.

Conclusions.  This new profession seems to need role descriptions and formal education so that psychosocial nurses receive respect and appreciation in their new and relatively unknown work in cancer care.

Relevance to clinical practices.  The adjustment to the cancer disease and treatment side effects can be difficult for the patients and their families, which has highlighted the need for psychosocial support. To meet this need the health care system has to provide such support. Nurses are available and can be successfully educated to handle psychosocial problems among cancer patients. A new profession among nurses is emerging, which the present study aimed at describing. The present findings have potential to make healthcare professionals grasp what the core of psychosocial cancer nursing is, as well as its potential and pitfalls.
Proteome analysis of Fusarium infection in emmer grains (Triticum dicoccum)
Authors: Eggert K. , Zörb C. , Mühling K. H. , Pawelzik E.
Published: March 2011

The fungal infection of emmer grain (Triticum dicoccum) with Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium culmorum was investigated at the level of the proteome. High‐resolution two‐dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry were used to identify proteins that were differentially expressed in response to fungal infection of emmer. Moreover, the effects of natural field conditions at two locations on the carbon and nitrogen contents and the mycotoxin concentration of emmer grains were evaluated. Inoculation of emmer with a mixture of the two Fusarium species led to infection of the ears, with deoxynivalenol concentrations up to 10 mg kg−1 in the grain. Carbon concentration and crude protein content were not significantly changed, but 10 distinct proteins changed in abundance. Stress‐related proteins, such as a serine protease inhibitor, a thaumatin‐like protein that reduced fungal growth and the starch hydrolysis β‐amylase increased upon infection, whereas the stress‐related proteins peroxidase, peroxiredoxin, a starch‐synthesis protein (a glycosyltransferase) and a fungal cell wall degrading protein (a chitinase) decreased. Furthermore, levels of three storage proteins in emmer grains were affected by Fusarium infection: α‐gliadin decreased and two globulins increased upon infection.
No Evidence for Linkage between the Hereditary Angiooedema Clinical Phenotype and the BDKR1, BDKR2, ACE or MBL2 gene
Authors: Freiberger T. , Grombiříková H. , Ravčuková B. , Jarkovský J. , Kuklínek P. , Kryštůfková O. , Hanzlíková J. , Daňková E. , Kopecký O. , Zachová R. , Lahodná M. , Vašáková M. , Grodecká L. , Litzman J.
Published: March 2011

Hereditary angiooedema (HAE) is a life‐threatening disease with poor clinical phenotype correlation with its causal mutation in the C1 inhibitor (SERPING1) gene. It is characterized by substantial symptom variability even in affected members of the same family. Therefore, it is likely that genetic factors outside the SERPING1 gene have an influence on disease manifestation. In this study, functional polymorphisms in genes with a possible disease‐modifying effect, B1 and B2 bradykinin receptors (BDKR1, BDKR2), angiotensin‐converting enzyme (ACE) and mannose‐binding lectin (MBL2), were analysed in 36 unrelated HAE patients. The same analysis was carried out in 69 HAE patients regardless of their familial relationship. No significant influence of the studied polymorphisms in the BDKR1, BDKR2, ACE and MBL2 genes on overall disease severity, localization and severity of particular attacks, frequency of oedema episodes or age of disease onset was detected in either group of patients. Other genetic and/or environmental factors should be considered to be responsible for HAE clinical variability in Caucasians.
Evidence for a Repertoire of Functional Untolerized CD4+ T Cells Specific for Melanoma‐Associated Antigens
Authors: Huber V. , Benkhoucha M. , Huard B.
Published: March 2011

Active vaccination against melanoma requires tolerance break as melanoma‐associated antigens (MAA) used in vaccine formula are mostly self‐antigens. While tolerance to MAA in the CD8+ T cell compartment is well characterized, it is still not the case for the CD4+ T cell compartment. Here, we analysed CD4+ T cell tolerance to such antigens in mice genetically engineered to express ovalbumin (OVA) in melanocytes (Tyr‐OVA mice). When we crossed Tyr‐OVA mice with DO11.10 and OT‐II mice transgenic for an OVA‐specific TCR restricted by MHC class II, we observed different tolerization levels. Central tolerance was complete for high avidity DO11.10 CD4+ T cells, but absent for low avidity OT‐II CD4+ T cells. OT‐II CD4+ T cells also ignored OVA in the periphery of Tyr‐OVA mice, albeit being potently reactive to vaccination. OVA challenge in single transgenic Tyr‐OVA mice confirmed the existence of OVA‐reactive CD4+ T cells with the induction of efficient T helper cells for antibody production and anti‐tumour T cell response. In total, our study demonstrates the existence of low avidity MAA‐specific CD4+ T cells escaping by ignorance central and peripheral tolerance, but valuable in the context of vaccination against melanoma.
Maternal red blood cell alloimmunisation in South Western Uganda
Authors: Natukunda B. , Mugyenyi G. , Brand A. , Schonewille H.
Published: March 2011

Aims/Objectives: To identify the frequency and nature of maternal red blood cell (RBC) alloimmunisation in Uganda and to determine the prevalence of RhD negativity and the rate of RBC alloimmunisation in Ugandan pregnant women.

Background: Haemolytic disease of the foetus and newborn (HDFN) results from maternal alloimmunisation following exposure to allogeneic RBCs during pregnancy or blood transfusion. The prevalence of maternal RBC alloimmunisation in Ugandans is not known.

Materials and Methods: Pregnant women at Mbarara Hospital, South Western Uganda, were investigated in a cross‐sectional study. Demographics, transfusion and obstetric histories were recorded. Maternal RBC alloimmunisation was demonstrated using immunohaematological techniques.

Results: A total of 2001 pregnant women were recruited; 3·6% of them being RhD negative. Forty‐five women (2·2%; 95% CI: 1·6–2·9) were found to be alloimmunised to RBC antigens. There were 38 RBC alloantibodies of known specificity including anti‐S, 12; anti‐M, 11; anti‐Lea, 6; anti‐D, 4 and 1 each of anti‐K, anti‐Fyb, anti‐Jka, anti‐Lua and anti‐Kpa. In two women (4·4%), there were antibody combinations (anti‐M+S and anti‐K+Kpa). Obstetric history, gestational age and previous immunising events were not significantly associated with the rate of alloimmunisation.

Conclusions: This study revealed a maternal RBC alloimmunisation rate of 2·2% which was comparable with findings from a Zimbabwean study where the prevalence was 1·7%. Given the 6·0% prevalence of anti‐D among RhD‐negative women in our study and the high immunogenicity of the D antigen, programmes for preventing anti‐D alloimmunisation and HDFN in Uganda should be considered seriously.
Climate change and weed adaptation: can evolution of invasive plants lead to greater range expansion than forecasted?
Authors: CLEMENTS D R , DITOMMASO A
Published: March 2011

ClementsDR & DitommasoA (2011). Climate change and weed adaptation: can evolution of invasive plants lead to greater range expansion than forecasted?Weed Research51, 227–240.

Invasive plants are frequently viewed as harbingers of climate change owing to their potential to cause economic and ecological damage in the process of expanding their ranges. Models are being developed to help predict the range expansion of these plants, based on known tolerance ranges. Success of weeds has often been attributed to an ‘all‐purpose genotype’, implying a high level of phenotypic plasticity. However, recent work has shown that many species are capable of relatively rapid genetic change as well, enhancing their ability to invade new areas in response to anthropogenic ecosystem modification. We thus predict that range expansion by many invasive species will exceed that predicted by modelling approaches that do not consider potential evolutionary change. We highlight a number of cases where weeds have expanded their latitudinal ranges or are predicted to do so in response to climatic selection pressures. We also list ten traits as likely targets for natural selection under climate change. The lag phase commonly observed for invasive species may frequently be a result of the time needed for the invader to evolve to fit the new habitat. During this present period of climate change, many invasive plant populations are likely to be in the process of developing adaptations that could lead to exponential population growth in the near future. Thus, assessment of the risk of invasive species owing to changing climate must incorporate evolutionary potential.
Leaf cuticular n‐alkanes as markers in the chemotaxonomy of the eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) and related species
Authors: Haliński Ł. P. , Szafranek J. , Stepnowski P.
Published: March 2011

The complex of species formed by eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) and its wild and weedy relatives (mainly S. incanum L. and S. insanum L.) is characterised by an extreme morphological divergence that is not always associated with genetic variation. The taxonomy of so‐called ‘spiny Solanum’ species (subgenus Leptostemonum) is therefore extremely unclear. Cultivated eggplant lacks resistance to pests that frequently occur among the wild forms and species. As these wild plants are a potential gene pool for improvement of eggplant cultivars, knowledge of the characteristics of taxonomic relations between plants of different origin is crucial. We suggest using the leaf cuticular n‐alkane chain length distribution pattern as an alternative taxonomic marker for eggplant and related species. The results are in good agreement with current knowledge of the systematics of these plants; at the same time, the method developed here is useful for verifying plant identification based on morphological traits. Analysis of 13 eggplant cultivars, five accessions of S. incanum and two lines of S. macrocarpon enabled the intraspecific variation within eggplant to be assessed as low. There was wide variability among S. incanum accessions, probably because plants described as S. incanum are members of a number of different species. Some Asian accessions (sometimes described as S. insanum) were found to be almost identical to S. melongena, while a truly wild African S. incanum plant showed extensive similarity. The usefulness of the chemotaxonomic approach in dealing with the S. melongena–S. incanum complex is discussed.
Effects of Orchidectomy in Selective Biochemical Analytes in Beagle Dogs
Authors: Tvarijonaviciute A , Martinez‐Subiela S , Carrillo‐Sanchez JD , Tecles F , Ceron JJ
Published: March 2011

Contents

The objective of this study was to evaluate the possible effects of orchidectomy and associate hormonal changes on circulating concentrations of acute‐phase proteins (APPs) (CRP – C‐reactive protein; Hp – haptoglobin; Cp – ceruloplasmin), adiponectin and IGF‐1 in dogs. For this, a total of five adult Beagle dogs were subjected to orchidectomy. Blood samples were taken before neutering, during six consecutive days and on weeks 2, 4, 8 and 12 after surgery. Appropriate diet regime was maintained to keep stable body weight of the dogs. Concentrations of APPs significantly increased on days 2–3 for CRP and 2–7 for Hp and Cp. On days 3–4 after neutering, adiponectin levels were significantly lower than before surgery (p < 0.05 and <0.01, respectively). After this initial change, adiponectin did not show any significant alteration during the 3 months. Serum IGF‐1 concentrations were significantly decreased at days 2–5 after neutering. In addition, on weeks 8 and 12 serum IGF‐1 levels were significantly lower (p < 0.001 and <0.01 respectively) in comparison with those before surgery. In conclusion, orchidectomy induced a short‐term inflammatory process that was associated with the increase in serum levels of APPs and decrease in IGF‐1 and adiponectin levels. However, orchidectomy did not result in long‐term changes of circulating concentrations of APPs or adiponectin. Although a decrease in IGF‐1 levels was recorded 2 months after surgery, possibly as a consequence of associated decrease in androgen levels or food restriction.
Vagal activities are involved in antigen‐specific immune inflammation in the intestine
Authors: Liang Hong , Xu Lunshan , Zhou Chun , Zhang Yihua , Xu Minhui , Zhang Chengqu
Published: March 2011

Background and Aims:  The mechanism of intestinal immune inflammation, such as food allergy, remains to be further understood. The present study aims to investigate the role of the vagal nerve in the pathogenesis of skewed T‐helper 2 (Th2) responses in the intestine.

Methods:  The expression of the immunoglobulin E (IgE) receptor on the vagus nerve in the mouse intestine was observed by immunohistochemistry. Vagus ganglion neurons (VGN) were isolated from mice and cultured in vitro. The IgE receptor/IgE complex on vagus neurons was examined by immune precipitation assay. A food allergy mouse model was developed; the effect of the partial removal of the vagal nerve (PRVn) via surgery or administration with anticholinergic agents on the suppression of Th2 inflammation was evaluated.

Results:  The high‐affinity IgE receptor was detected on the intestinal vagus nerve. An increase in the expression of the IgE receptor on the vagus nerve was observed in the intestines of mice with intestinal immune inflammation. Isolated mouse VGN express IgE receptor I, which could form complexes with IgE. Re‐exposure to specific antigens activated the sensitized VGN, manifesting the release of transmitter glutamate that could activate dendritic cells by increasing the expression of CD80 and major compatibility complex class II and suppressing interleukin‐12. The PRVn suppressed Th2 inflammation in the intestine.

Conclusions:  The intestinal vagus nerve in mice expresses a high‐affinity IgE receptor. An antigen‐specific immune response can activate the vagus nerve in the intestine and induces the release of transmitters to modulate dendritic cell phenotypes that facilitate the development of skewed Th2 polarization in the intestine.
Lizard responses to wildfire in arid interior Australia: Long‐term experimental data and commonalities with other studies
Authors: PIANKA ERIC R. , GOODYEAR STEPHEN E.
Published: March 2011

Life in terrestrial Australian ecosystems has evolved over the past 10 million years to thrive in habitats kept in a dynamic state through fire succession cycles. Previous studies support the notion that wildfires promote species diversity in plant and animal communities by creating a heterogeneous mix of habitats, each habitat more suitable for particular subsets of species. We document population and community responses to fire in a species‐rich lizard assemblage in the Great Victoria Desert of Western Australia. Lizards were censused by pit trapping at a long‐unburned flat spinifex site in the Great Victoria Desert in Austral springs of 1992 and 1995. A controlled burn was undertaken in mid‐October of 1995, and lizards were censused thereafter in late 1995 and early 1996, and then again in the Austral springs of 1998, 2003 and 2008. Forty‐six species of lizards (2872 individuals) were collected and their stomach contents analysed over the course of a 16‐year fire succession cycle at this single study site. Most strikingly, relative abundances of two species of agamids varied inversely, responding oppositely to habitat clearing effects of fire. The military dragon Ctenophorus isolepis reached higher abundances when vegetation was dense, and decreased in abundance in open vegetation following fire. The netted dragon Ctenophorus nuchalis was rare when vegetation coverage was high but increased rapidly after fire. Abundances of five species of Ctenotus skinks, C. ariadnae, C. calurus, C. hanloni, C. pantherinus and C. piankai, tracked those of C. isolepis. Abundance of a termite‐specialized nocturnal gecko, Rhynchoedura ornata, increased in abundance following fire. Lizard diets changed during the course of the fire succession cycle, returning to near pre‐burn conditions after 16 years. In addition to short‐term fire succession cycles that contribute to structuring local communities, changes in long‐term rainfall also impact desert food webs and regional biotas.
The protein folding challenge in psychrophiles: facts and current issues
Authors: Piette Florence , Struvay Caroline , Feller Georges
Published: March 2011

The protein folding process in psychrophiles is impaired by low temperature, which exerts several physicochemical constraints, such as a decrease in the folding rate, reduced molecular diffusion rates and increased solvent viscosity, which interfere with conformational sampling. Furthermore, folding assistance is required at various folding steps according to the protein size. Recent studies in the field have provided contrasting and sometimes contradictory results, although protein folding generally appears as a rate‐limiting step for the growth of psychrophiles. It is proposed here that these discrepancies reflect the diverse adaptive strategies adopted by psychrophiles in order to allow efficient protein folding at low temperature. Cold adaptations apparently superimpose on pre‐existing cellular organization, resulting in different adaptive strategies. In addition, microbial lifestyle further modulates the properties of the chaperone machinery, which possibly explains the occurrence of cold‐adapted and non‐cold‐adapted protein chaperones in psychrophiles.
Targeted metagenomics: a high‐resolution metagenomics approach for specific gene clusters in complex microbial communities
Authors: Suenaga Hikaru
Published: March 2011

A major research goal in microbial ecology is to understand the relationship between gene organization and function involved in environmental processes of potential interest. Given that more than an estimated 99% of microorganisms in most environments are not amenable to culturing, methods for culture‐independent studies of genes of interest have been developed. The wealth of metagenomic approaches allows environmental microbiologists to directly explore the enormous genetic diversity of microbial communities. However, it is extremely difficult to obtain the appropriate sequencing depth of any particular gene that can entirely represent the complexity of microbial metagenomes and be able to draw meaningful conclusions about these communities. This review presents a summary of the metagenomic approaches that have been useful for collecting more information about specific genes. Specific subsets of metagenomes that focus on sequence analysis were selected in each metagenomic studies. This ‘targeted metagenomics’ approach will provide extensive insight into the functional, ecological and evolutionary patterns of important genes found in microorganisms from various ecosystems.
Warriors, authors and baseball coaches: the meaning of metaphor in theories of family therapy
Authors: Davies Elizabeth W.
Published: March 2011

This article examines the metaphors family therapists use in their theories to reveal aspects of the theories which are not explicitly stated, using Whitaker's symbolic experiential therapy, Minuchin's structural therapy and White's narrative therapy as examples. Such examination, drawing on social constructivist understandings of metaphor and meaning making, reveals that Minuchin's metaphors of family as organism and therapist as artist and warrior emphasize the family as relatively holistic and the therapist as relatively interventionist. In contrast, Whitaker's metaphor of family as ecological system or team and therapist as coach emphasizes the interdependence and context sensitivity of the family and relative powerlessness of the therapist to impose change. Finally, White, reflecting his explicitly post‐structural commitment, uses the metaphor of therapy as a journey undertaken with a map and as therapy as an act of re‐narrating a story.
What's the difference between children and adults? Conflict, cooperation and indifference in relationships between adult and children's therapeutic services
Authors: Reimers Sigurd
Published: March 2011

Children's and adult mental health services come from different traditions and have for long tended to work in ignorance of, or in conflict with, each other. This has led to many opportunities for a joined‐up approach to family difficulties being missed. Family therapy as a method is in a good position to make links between these separate silos and tackle the divisiveness of tribal professional thinking through the development of a crossover practice that draws on the best in both traditions.
Rebuilding and strengthening health systems and providing basic health services in fragile states
Authors: Newbrander William , Waldman Ronald , Shepherd‐Banigan Megan
Published: March 2011

The international community has compelling humanitarian, political, security and economic reasons to engage in rebuilding and strengthening health systems in fragile states. Improvements in health services and systems help to strengthen civil society and to restore legitimacy to governments. Effective engagement with fragile states to inform the design of health programmes and selection of interventions depends on donor coordination and an understanding of health system challenges. Planning requires consideration of allocation (services to be delivered), production (organisation of services), distribution (beneficiaries of services) and financing. The criteria for selecting interventions are: their impact on major health problems; effectiveness; the possibility of scale‐up; equity; and sustainability. There are various options for financing and models of engagement, but support should always combine short‐term relief with longer‐term development. Stakeholders should aim not only to save lives and protect health but also to bolster nations' ability to deliver good‐quality services in the long run.
Architecture and the extracellular matrix: the still unappreciated components of the adipose tissue
Authors: Divoux A. , Clément K.
Published: March 2011

Fibrosis is usually characterized by the modification of both the amount and composition of a wide panel of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. In the liver, pancreas, kidney and lung the accumulation of fibrosis disrupts cellular processes and appears detrimental for organ function. This review highlights the available evidence supporting an important ECM remodelling in adipose tissue (AT) and, in particular, during the development of obesity. The modifications and occurrence of new adipose ECM components leads to an abnormal accumulation of fibrosis in this tissue. This phenomenon was well described in rodent models and evidence is beginning to emerge in humans; however, the origin and potential impact of these depots in AT biology are unclear. Two animal models with disruptions in ECM components (secreted proteins acidic in nature rich in cysteine null mice and ob/ob collagen VI null mice) suggest that fibrosis limits adipocyte hypertrophy and may cause the metabolic disorders associated with obesity. Over‐expression of Hypoxia‐inducible factor 1 leading to an increase in collagen expression suggests a role for hypoxia in fibrosis development. We conclude this review with possible hypotheses regarding the cellular and molecular contributors of fibrosis initiation.
The effects of catechin rich teas and caffeine on energy expenditure and fat oxidation: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Hursel R. , Viechtbauer W. , Dulloo A. G. , Tremblay A. , Tappy L. , Rumpler W. , Westerterp‐Plantenga M. S.
Published: March 2011

Different outcomes of the effect of catechin‐caffeine mixtures and caffeine‐only supplementation on energy expenditure and fat oxidation have been reported in short‐term studies. Therefore, a meta‐analysis was conducted to elucidate whether catechin‐caffeine mixtures and caffeine‐only supplementation indeed increase thermogenesis and fat oxidation. First, English‐language studies measuring daily energy expenditure and fat oxidation by means of respiration chambers after catechin‐caffeine mixtures and caffeine‐only supplementation were identified through PubMed. Six articles encompassing a total of 18 different conditions fitted the inclusion criteria. Second, results were aggregated using random/mixed‐effects models and expressed in terms of the mean difference in 24 h energy expenditure and fat oxidation between the treatment and placebo conditions. Finally, the influence of moderators such as BMI and dosage on the results was examined as well. The catechin‐caffeine mixtures and caffeine‐only supplementation increased energy expenditure significantly over 24 h (428.0 kJ (4.7%); P < 0.001 and 429.1 kJ (4.8%); P < 0.001, respectively). However, 24 h fat oxidation was only increased by catechin‐caffeine mixtures (12.2 g (16.0%); P < 0.02 and 9.5 g (12.4%); P = 0.11, respectively). A dose‐response effect on 24 h energy expenditure and fat oxidation occurred with a mean increase of 0.53 kJ mg−1 (P < 0.01) and 0.02 g mg−1 (P < 0.05) for catechin‐caffeine mixtures and 0.44 kJ mg−1 (P < 0.001) and 0.01 g mg−1 (P < 0.05) for caffeine‐only. In conclusion, catechin‐caffeine mixtures or a caffeine‐only supplementation stimulates daily energy expenditure dose‐dependently by 0.4–0.5 kJ mg−1 administered. Compared with placebo, daily fat‐oxidation was only significantly increased after catechin‐caffeine mixtures ingestion.
Podcasts are not for everyone
Authors: Kazlauskas Alanah , Robinson Kathy
Published: March 2011

Twenty‐first century students are expected to utilise emerging technologies such as lecture podcasts as learning tools. This research explored the uptake of podcasts by undergraduate students enrolled in two very different cognitively challenging subjects in the second year of the nursing programme and in the first year of a business programme. Regardless of the semester, the different content being studied and the statistically significant demographic differences between the nursing and business cohorts, striking behavioural similarities emerged. Students from both cohorts in each semester under investigation spent similar amounts of time studying regardless of gender, age, Internet access and time spent on paid work. The patterns of podcast usage by responding nursing and business students were not significantly different. Non‐listeners in both cohorts did not differ significantly from podcast users (listeners) either demographically or with regard to personal access to computers, the Internet and MP3/4 players. Non‐listeners utilised lecture notes, text resources and the learning management system in a similar way to listeners. The only significant difference was the longer hours spent in paid work by non‐listeners.

These findings reinforce the emerging concept that podcasts are not embraced by everyone. Despite the flexibility and mobile learning opportunities afforded by podcasts, significant numbers of students prefer to learn in face‐to‐face environments and by reading and/or listening in set study environments.
The Risks of Political Authority: Trust, Knowledge and Political Agency in Locke's Second Treatise
Authors: Nacol Emily C.
Published: March 2011

This article focuses on the interplay of risk, trust and the possibility of reliable political knowledge in Locke's political thought. Locke's work captures in a nuanced way the shifting power relations and asymmetries that characterize all trusting relationships, and it supports the insight that we often understand what trust is retroactively – that is, when it is betrayed. The article first delineates Locke's basic assumption that political life is plagued by uncertainty and chaos. It then analyzes his modeling of political relations as a kind of fiduciary trust in light of this assumption, situating prerogative as the limit case of political trust. A consideration of Locke's views on revolution as the moment of broken trust emphasizes that scrutinizing and testing trust, while difficult cognitive work, is a task to be performed continuously in politics. Locke thus presents an account of political agency that emphasizes the crucial role of thought alongside action.
Employment Protection and Temporary Work Agencies
Authors: Baumann Florian , Mechtel Mario , Stähler Nikolai
Published: March 2011

Employers who use temporary agency staff in contrast to regular staff are not affected by employment protection regulations when terminating a job. Therefore, services provided by temporary work agencies may be seen as a substitute for regular employment. In this paper, we analyse the effects of employment protection on the size of the temporary work agency sector in a model of equilibrium unemployment. We find that higher firing costs may even reduce temporary work agency employment if agencies themselves are subject to employment protection, a consideration that distinguishes our results from those for fixed‐term employment arrangements.
The White & Carter Principle: A Restatement
Authors: Liu Qiao
Published: March 2011

This article reviews the English courts' approach to the controversial decision in White & Carter (Councils) Ltd v McGregor and suggests a systematic reformulation of the principle to be derived from that case. It argues that the notion of ‘legitimate interest’, at the core of that principle, suffers from severe obscurity as it stands. The critical issue in White & Carter is whether the wastefulness of a party's continuing performance outweighs its performance interest in earning the contract price. Three tests currently employed to determine the existence of a ‘legitimate interest’, namely, the adequacy of damages, the duty to mitigate and the concept of wholly unreasonable, are assessed and dismissed as either misdirecting or unsatisfactory in other ways. Finally, it articulates a new test based on a reappraisal of existing case law and summarises the key reasons for the courts to exercise their equitable jurisdiction against wasteful performance.
How Successful and Distinctive is the Human Rights Act? An Expatriate Comparatist's Assessment
Authors: Gardbaum Stephen
Published: March 2011

This article first assesses the success and distinctiveness of the Human Rights Act 1998 from the perspective of its status as an exemplar of ‘the new Commonwealth model of constitutionalism.’ This new, intermediate model attempts to straddle the dichotomy of parliamentary sovereignty and judicial supremacy by protecting rights through a reallocation of powers between courts and legislatures that brings them into better balance than under either of these two traditional, more lopsided models. As part of its assessment, the article critically examines an influential strand of commentary claiming that in practice the HRA has proven to be less distinctive from US‐style constitutionalism than initially claimed or hoped. The second part of the article seeks to contribute to current debates about reform of the HRA by proposing ways to address its main structural weaknesses, especially the problem of remedial distortion.
The Legal Profession as Gatekeeper to the Judiciary: Design Faults in Measures to Enhance Diversity
Authors: Barmes Lizzie , Malleson Kate
Published: March 2011

The gate‐keeping role played by the legal profession in the judicial appointments process gives rise to the translation of entrenched group‐based identity hierarchies from legal practice into the judiciary. The relationship between the composition of the legal profession and the judiciary has been almost completely unaffected by recent reforms designed to increase diversity in the composition of the judiciary. This article identifies legal and institutional defects which help to explain the failure to disrupt the reproduction of these patterns of appointment. We identify two particular defects which we call ‘soft target radicalism’ and ‘regulatory bind’ as important factors inhibiting change. We conclude that if the legal profession is to retain its gate‐keeping role, equality law which directly regulates legal practice should be strengthened and the regulatory binds in which the Judicial Appointments Commission and other public entities are caught should be loosened.
Litigation Costs and Before‐the‐Event Insurance: The Key to Access to Justice?
Authors: Lewis Richard
Published: March 2011

The cost of civil litigation is a key factor in determining the extent of access to justice. Following cuts in legal aid attention has focused upon finding alternative methods of assisting litigants without producing costs which are out of proportion to the damages obtained. The recent report by Lord Justice Jackson attempts to deal with concerns about increasing and disproportionate costs said to arise in part because of the encouragement of conditional fee agreements. This article considers the proposals made in the report, and argues that too little attention has been paid to before‐the‐event insurance as a means of securing access to justice for the great majority of claimants who suffer personal injury.
Economic Development, Social Inclusion and Urban Governance: The Case of the City‐Region of Ottawa in Canada
Authors: ANDREW CAROLINE , DOLOREUX DAVID
Published: March 2011

Over the last decade, numerous studies have emerged that attempt to articulate the links between economic development, social inclusion and democratic politics at the level of the city‐region. One very significant set of articles comprised the Debate on City‐Regions in this journal in 2007, propounding the arguments for an interpretation of the politics of city‐regions as necessarily involving tensions between economic development and social inclusion, and requiring empirical investigation to determine the precise patterns of interrelations between wealth creation, social reproduction, democratization and citizenship. This article addresses these issues in the context of a study of the city‐region of Ottawa, Canada. It examines the public policies put in place to promote the regional economy and build the structure of the city‐region, the role of actors in building institutional infrastructure to support the regional economy and address social exclusions, and also the development of associative modes of governance at different scales within the city‐region. The article ascertains how the politics of the Ottawa city‐region succeed, or do not succeed, in bringing together economic development and social inclusion.

Ces dix dernières années, de nombreuses études ont tenté d'exposer les liens entre développement économique, inclusion sociale et politiques démocratiques au niveau d'une région métropolitaine. Un ensemble très intéressant d'articles sur les régions métropolitaines a paru en 2007 dans la partie Débat de cette publication; il proposait comme interprétation que les politiques des régions métropolitaines s'accompagnaient obligatoirement de tensions entre évolution économique et inclusion sociale, tout en suggérant la nécessité d'études empiriques pour établir les schémas précis d'interrelations entre création de richesses, reproduction sociale, démocratisation et citoyenneté. Cet article traite ces aspects dans le cadre d'une étude sur la région métropolitaine d'Ottawa au Canada. Il examine les politiques publiques mises en place pour promouvoir l'économie régionale et bâtir la structure métropolitaine régionale. Il étudie également le rôle des acteurs dans la construction d'une infrastructure institutionnelle visant à soutenir l'économie régionale et à traiter les exclusions sociales, ainsi que l'évolution des modes de gouvernance associatifs aux différents échelons de la région métropolitaine. L'article établit comment les politiques de la région métropolitaine d'Ottawa ont réussi, ou échoué, dans leurs efforts pour combiner développement économique et inclusion sociale.
Comparative epidemiological study of non‐melanoma skin cancer between Spanish and north and central European residents on the Costa del Sol
Authors: Aguilar Bernier M. , Rivas Ruiz F. , De Troya Martín M. , Blázquez Sánchez N.
Published: March 2011

Background  Non‐melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is the most common tumour in white people. The progressive increase of these malignancies in such populations as those found in Europe represents an important public health concern which it is presumed will have a great impact on healthcare costs. However, the lack of comparable epidemiological information between countries hinders the development of a common health policy.

Objectives  The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiological, clinical and therapeutic aspects of NMSC in the public health area of the western part of the Costa del Sol, in southern Spain, and study the differences between the Spanish (S) population and that originally between the north and centre of Europe (N).

Methods  We undertook a retrospective analysis of all patients with histologically confirmed tumours in both populations during the period 1 January 2006 to 30 June 2009.

Results  In comparison with the Spanish, the patients from the north and centre of Europe were more likely to have phototype I/II (S: 56.9%; N: 85.8%), recreational photoexposure (S: 48.4%; N: 83.8%), multiple carcinomas (S: 16.8%; N: 28.2%) and more carcinomas per patient (S: 1.7 ± 1.3; N: 2.3 ± 2.3). The tumours were more often located on the trunk and limbs (S: 28.3%; N: 50.2%) with a predominance of the less aggressive histological types (S: 34.7%; N: 42.6%) and non‐invasive treatments in patients from the north and centre of Europe (S: 25.6%; N: 35.3%) when compared with the Spanish population.

Conclusion  Persons from the north and centre of Europe living on the Costa del Sol present a different pattern of NMSC to the local Spanish population and usually require a less invasive therapeutic approach. These findings highlight the need to define prevention and treatment policies for NMSC according to the characteristics of each particular population. This would help reduce not only the frequency but also the associated morbimortality of this disease, particularly in high‐risk populations.
Cholinergic urticaria: pathogenesis‐based categorization and its treatment options
Authors: Nakamizo S. , Egawa G. , Miyachi Y. , Kabashima K.
Published: March 2011

Background  Cholinergic urticaria (CU) has well‐described characteristic clinical presentations, yet the precise pathological mechanism remains incompletely understood. A variety of pathogeneses has been proposed, which suggests that there exists several clinical subtypes.

Conclusions  In this review, we categorize CU into four subtypes: (i) CU with poral occlusion; (ii) CU with acquired generalized hypohidrosis; (iii) CU with sweat allergy; and (iv) idiopathic CU, and discuss diagnostic and treatment options.
Rethinking Procreation: Why it Matters Why We Have Children
Authors: LOTZ MIANNA
Published: March 2011

abstract

Attempts to explain the intuitive wrongfulness in alleged ‘wrongful life’ cases commonly do so by attributing harmful wrongdoing to the procreators in question. Such an approach identifies the resulting child as having been, in some sense, culpably harmed by their coming into existence. By contrast, and enlarging on work elsewhere, this paper explores the relevance of procreative motivation, rather than harm, for determining the morality of procreative conduct. I begin by reviewing the main objection to the harm‐based approach, which arises out of Derek Parfit's analysis of the non‐identity problem and its implications for preconception cases. Most attempts to avoid the non‐identity objection adopt either an impersonal harm approach or draw on some version of a metaphysical modal counterpart theory to defend a person‐affecting harm account. But here I develop an alternative view. The proposed account construes the wrongness in the considered cases as ‘evil’ rather than harm, and the type of evil in question as being of a non‐grievance, welfare‐connected, collective kind. Understanding the wrongness in this way offers a basis for the view that it matters morally why we procreate, and not just whether or how we do so.
Can Consent be Presumed?
Authors: DEN HARTOGH GOVERT
Published: March 2011

abstract

Opt‐out systems of postmortal organ procurement are often referred to as ‘presumed consent’ systems. A presumption directs us, in a case in which no compelling evidence is available to hold that P, nevertheless to proceed as if P were true, unless there is sufficient evidence that it is false. It is recommended to presume consent in this case, because, in the absence of registered objections of the deceased, it is held to be more probable that she consented than that she did not. Whether this suggestion makes sense, however, turns out to depend on the proper interpretation of the concept of ‘consent’. On a mental state conception of consent we are allowed to presume it if we have reason to suppose the deceased to have been in favour of donation. However, we should rather understand consent to be a public action of authorisation. On that view consent cannot be presumed, and the opt‐out systems as we presently know them on the European continent and elsewhere do not satisfy the requirement that the deceased should have consented to the removal of his organs.
The influence of peripheral afferent signals on the rating of perceived exertion and time to exhaustion during exercise at different intensities
Authors: Pires Flávio O. , Lima‐Silva Adriano E. , Bertuzzi Rômulo , Casarini Dulce H. , Kiss Maria Augusta P. D. M. , Lambert Mike I. , Noakes Timothy D.
Published: March 2011

This study determined which peripheral variables would better predict the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and time to exhaustion (TE) during exercise at different intensities. Ten men performed exercises at first lactate threshold (LT1), second lactate threshold (LT2), 50% of the distance from LT1 to LT2 (TT50%), and 25% of the distance from LT2 to maximal power output (TW25%). Lactate, catecholamines, potassium, pH, glucose, V̇O2, VE, HR, respiratory rate (RR) and RPE were measured and plotted against the exercise duration for the slope calculation. Glucose, dopamine, and noradrenaline predicted RPE in TT50% (88%), LT2 (64%), and TW25% (77%), but no variable predicted RPE in LT1. RPE (55%), RPE+HR (86%), and RPE+RR (92% and 55%) predicted TE in LT1, TT50%, LT2, and TW25%, respectively. At intensities from TT50% to TW25%, variables associated with brain activity seem to explain most of the RPE slope, and RPE (+HR and+RR) seems to predict the TE.