bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Incorporating individual community assets in neighbourhood houses: Beyond the community-building tradition of settlement houses
Authors: Yan Miu Chung , Lauer Sean , Riaño-Alcalá Pilar
Published: April 2016

As a global movement, neighbourhood houses (NHs) are found in urban communities all over the world. Following the community-building tradition of early settlement houses, NHs have been actively nurturing and mobilizing community assets to serve the local community, but it is not known whether NHs have incorporated these assets in their infrastructure. This article reports the findings of a clearinghouse survey of 15 NHs in Metro Vancouver, Canada, which indicate that they nurtured community assets and incorporated them into their infrastructure as paid staff. Yet at the leadership level, the incorporation falls short of ethno-racial minority members from the community.
The influence of socio-economic status on mothers’ volubility and responsiveness in a monolingual Dutch-speaking sample
Authors: Vanormelingen Liesbeth , Gillis Steven
Published: April 2016

This article investigates the amount of input and the quality of mother–child interactions in mothers who differ in socio-economic status (SES): mid-to-high SES (mhSES) and low SES. The amount of input was measured as the number of utterances per hour, the total duration of speech per hour and the number of turns per hour. The quality of the mother–child interactions was analysed using a simple coding scheme: (1) response or not?, (2) incorporation or not? and (3) exact repetition or expansion? Main results showed that mothers of lowSES have fewer utterances per hour, shorter durations of speech and fewer turns per hour than mothers of mhSES. Also, lowSES mothers respond significantly less to their children’s utterances and use more exact repetitions than expansions.
Responding to Failure: The Responsibility to Protect after Libya
Authors: Hobson Christopher
Published: April 2016

During its first decade in existence, the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) doctrine has struggled to transcend the complexities that plague humanitarian action. This article examines the political challenges that shape the practice of R2P, as well as the discourse that informs it. It reflects on the constant presence of failure that haunts humanitarian intervention, and argues for a more humble stance on what is possible in such situations. Humility entails meditating on human limits, both physical and mental, which serves as an important guide in determining action. It promotes a more chastened position; one that acknowledges that right intentions might not lead to just outcomes, that there are real limits on the ability of external actors to understand or control events during and following an intervention, and that our ability to comprehend such complex situations should warn against premature judgements and confident conclusions. And when failure occurs, it means not denying or avoiding it, but facing it squarely and reckoning with the consequences. The value of adopting a more humble approach will be considered through examining the 2011 Libyan intervention, a significant case for the R2P doctrine. There, success appears to have been exchanged for failure, leaving challenging and unresolved questions about what this experience means for Libya and R2P.
All Fun and Cool Clothes? Youth Workers’ Consumer Identity in Clothing Retail
Authors: Misra Joya , Walters Kyla
Published: April 2016

Retail offers notoriously bad jobs that exist at the nexus of work and consumption. Previous brand-based retail studies assert that youth workers see the stores’ coolness and the employee discount as compensating for the low pay and variable schedules. The authors use interviews with 55 former and current young clothing retail workers to examine how they experience retail work in relation to their consumer identities. The authors find that while some workers identify with the brand, all workers criticize the poor working conditions. Workers draw on their consumer identities to understand what good service entails and sometimes to resist managers’ orders that they interpret as bad deals for shoppers. This article concludes that youth retail workers’ consumer identities do not compensate for the low pay and poor work conditions but instead help them navigate the interactive aspects of service work and find fulfillment on the job.
The Asian American Advantage in Math among Young Children
Authors: Gibbs Benjamin G. , Shah Priyank G. , Downey Douglas B. , Jarvis Jonathan A.
Published: April 2016

Asian American children exhibit stronger math and reading skills than white children at school entry, a pattern that has motivated scholars to examine early childhood to determine when and why these gaps form. Yet, to date, it has been unclear what parenting practices might explain this “Asian Advantage.” Analyzing more than 4,100 children from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study –Birth Cohort, we find that the role of parenting is complex. Asian American parents have high educational expectations compared with whites but are less engaged in traditional measures of parenting (e.g., reading to the child, maternal warmth, parent-child relationship), and these differences matter for understanding the Asian American/white math advantage in early childhood. Thus, even by age four, Asian American parents (across ethnic subgroups) play an important but complex role in the development of a child’s cognitive skills in the first few years of life.
Person-Centered Care Practices in Long-Term Care in the Deep South: Consideration of Structural, Market, and Administrator Characteristics
Authors: Jacobs M. Lindsey , Snow A. Lynn , Parmelee Patricia A. , Davis Jullet A.
Published: April 2016

The purpose of this study was to identify structural, market, and administrator factors of nursing homes that are related to the implementation of person-centered care. Administrators of Medicare/Medicaid-certified nursing homes in the Deep South were invited to complete a standardized survey about their facility and their perceptions and attitudes regarding person-centered care practices (PCCPs). Nursing home structural and market factors were obtained from public websites, and these data were matched with administrator data. Consistent with the resource-based theory of competitive advantage, nursing homes with greater resources and more competition were more likely to implement PCCPs. Implementation of person-centered care was also higher in nursing homes with administrators who perceived culture change implementation to be feasible in their facilities. Given that there is a link between resource availability and adoption of person-centered care, future research should investigate the cost of such innovations.
Parent perceptions of music therapy in an on-campus clinic for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Schwartzberg Edward T. , Silverman Michael J.
Published: April 2016

Although researchers have investigated parent perceptions of family-based group music therapy sessions for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), no researcher has examined parent perceptions of individual music therapy sessions for children with ASD in a university-based clinic. The purpose of this study was to understand parent perceptions of individual music therapy sessions in an on-campus university clinic for children with ASD. Research questions included: (a) How do parents of children with ASD perceive music therapy in an on-campus clinic? (b) How might parents differentiate music therapy from other treatments their child may be receiving? Four mothers of children with ASD receiving music therapy participated separately in semi-structured interviews. Using an inductive approach to thematic analysis, the authors identified and established code categories and themes during repeated readings of the data. Parents perceived music therapy to be a meaningful treatment for their children with ASD and five themes emerged: 1) music therapy is a unique and enjoyable multisensory approach that engages and motivates their children and distinguishes itself from other therapies 2) working with music therapy students is beneficial for children with ASD as it provides a change of routine and fosters flexibility; 3) the collaborative approach benefits all aspects of treatment and promotes rapport and alliance; 4) gains and progress resultant of music therapy generalize to other settings; 5) parents independently implement techniques used in music therapy in other settings. Implications for clinical practice and suggestions for future research are provided.
Pregabalin for the Treatment of Restless Legs Syndrome
Authors: Griffin Emily , Brown Jamie N.
Published: April 2016

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of pregabalin for the treatment of restless legs syndrome (RLS). Data Sources: A search of the MEDLINE database (1956-February 2016) and EMBASE (1957-February 2016) was conducted, using the terms pregabalin and restless legs syndrome. In addition, a manual review of the references cited in each publication identified from the database search was conducted to identify relevant articles. Study Selection and Data Extraction: All English-language, peer-reviewed publications were evaluated for relevance. From an initial review of 285 articles, 5 clinical trials were included in the final analysis. Data Synthesis: Pregabalin is an analog of γ-aminobutyric acid that exhibits antinociceptive and anticonvulsant activity by binding to voltage-gated calcium channels in the central nervous system. Studies of pregabalin have demonstrated efficacy through significant reductions in mean International RLS Scale scores and wake after sleep onset scores, and it had a lower rate of augmentation than pramipexole treatment. Study durations ranged from 6 to 52 weeks, with doses ranging from 150 to 600 mg daily. The most common adverse effects associated with pregabalin use in all studies included dizziness and somnolence. Conclusions: Clinical evidence suggests that pregabalin may improve symptoms of RLS and reduce disturbances in sleep, resulting in improvements in quality of life for patients affected by the disease. Pregabalin is considered to be relatively safe and poses a minimal risk of augmentation unlike current recommended first-line treatments for RLS. Thus, evidence suggests that pregabalin is a reasonable therapeutic option for the treatment of RLS.
Factors Associated With Waiting Time for Breast Cancer Treatment in a Teaching Hospital in Ghana
Authors: Dedey Florence , Wu Lily , Ayettey Hannah , Sanuade Olutobi A. , Akingbola Titilola S. , Hewlett Sandra A. , Tayo Bamidele O. , Cole Helen V. , de-Graft Aikins Ama , Ogedegbe Gbenga , Adanu Richard
Published: April 2016

Background. Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality among women in Ghana. Data are limited on the predictors of poor outcomes in breast cancer patients in low-income countries; however, prolonged waiting time has been implicated. Among breast cancer patients who received treatment at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, this study evaluated duration and factors that influenced waiting time from first presentation to start of definitive treatment. Method. We conducted a hospital-based retrospective study of 205 breast cancer patients starting definitive treatment at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital between May and December 2013. We used descriptive statistics to summarize patient characteristics. Mann–Whitney U and Kruskal–Wallis tests and Spearman rank correlation were performed to examine the patients, health system, and health worker factors associated with median waiting time. Poisson regression was used to examine the determinants of waiting time. Results. The mean age of the patients was 51.1 ± 11.8 years. The median waiting time was 5 weeks. The determinants of waiting time were level of education, age, income, marital status, ethnicity, disease stage, health insurance status, study sites, time interval between when biopsy was requested and when results were received and receipt of adequate information from health workers. Conclusion. A prolonged waiting time to treatment occurs for breast cancer patients in Ghana, particularly for older patients, those with minimal or no education, with lower income, single patients, those with late disease, those who are insured, and who did not receive adequate information from the health workers. Time to obtain biopsy reports should be shortened. Patients and providers need education on timely treatment to improve prognosis.
Leptomeningeal enhancement in Susac’s syndrome and multiple sclerosis: Time to expect the unexpected?
Authors: Sastre-Garriga Jaume
Published: April 2016

Magnetic resonance imaging detection of leptomeningeal enhancement has long been considered a red flag for a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. However, recent studies seem to suggest that leptomeningeal enhancement can be detected in up to 25% of patients with multiple sclerosis. The case reported here suggest a distinct set of features of leptomeningeal enhancement in a patient with Susac’s syndrome which may still be helpful in the differential diagnosis between Susac’s syndrome and multiple sclerosis.
Explain the ‘unexplainable’: A qualitative enquiry of the representations of the caregivers of brain-injured people
Authors: Huet Magali , Dany Lionel , Apostolidis Thémistoklis
Published: April 2016

The aim of our research is to highlight the role of social representations of the traumatic brain-injured person in the adjustments made by caregivers in building and maintaining quality of care. Twenty-three semi-structured interviews were conducted with nursing assistants and medico-psychological assistants, working in a long-term care facility. The interviews were the subject of a thematic content analysis. The analysis shows the role of representations of the traumatic brain-injured person in the way caregivers explain behaviours and situations and in the orientation of their professional practices. In explaining the inexplicable, caregivers establish a more human relationship through individualized care.
Salient aspects of quality of life among women diagnosed with endometriosis: A qualitative study
Authors: Roomaney Rizwana , Kagee Ashraf
Published: April 2016

This study examined health-related quality of life among a sample of South African women diagnosed with endometriosis. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 25 participants in South Africa. Participants discussed the ways in which endometriosis affected their health-related quality of life. A total of 10 categories emerged from the data, namely, (1) medical factors, (2) physical functioning, (3) psychological functioning, (4) sexual functioning, (5) reproductive functioning, (6) interpersonal functioning, (7) occupational functioning, (8) information and knowledge, (9) healthcare and medical treatment and (10) financial impact and considerations. Each category was described and compared with findings from other health-related quality of life research in women with endometriosis.
Impact of personal and social resources on parenting stress in mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Zaidman-Zait Anat , Mirenda Pat , Duku Eric , Vaillancourt Tracy , Smith Isabel M , Szatmari Peter , Bryson Susan , Fombonne Eric , Volden Joanne , Waddell Charlotte , Zwaigenbaum Lonnie , Georgiades Stelios , Bennett Teresa , Elsabaggh Mayada , Thompson Ann
Published: April 2016

This study examined the longitudinal associations between child behavior problems, coping strategies, social resources, and parenting stress in mothers of young children with autism spectrum disorder. Participants were 283 mothers who completed self- and child-report measures at the time of diagnosis and 2 years later. Hierarchical multiple regression was conducted to predict overall parenting stress. At diagnosis, the final model indicated that high levels of social support and mothers’ use of active engaged coping strategies were associated with lower levels of parenting stress. Conversely, high levels of child externalizing behavior problems, family dysfunction, and mothers’ use of disengaged coping strategies were associated with higher parenting stress. Two years later, high levels of parenting stress at diagnosis predicted increased parenting stress. In addition, high or increasing levels of social support predicted a decrease in parenting stress, while high or increasing levels of family dysfunction predicted increased stress. Finally, increased use of disengaged coping strategies and decreased use of active coping strategies over time predicted higher levels of parenting stress. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for the provision of targeted supports that are designed to enhance the personal and social resources available to mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder.
Inappropriate prescription of antibiotics in pediatric practice
Authors: Marc Clémence , Vrignaud Bénédicte , Levieux Karine , Robine Antoine , Guen Christèle Gras-Le , Launay Elise
Published: April 2016

Misuse of antibiotics is largely responsible for the emergence of bacterial resistance. Children represent a subset of the population who frequently receive antibiotics. The objectives were to calculate the frequency of antibiotic prescriptions that do not comply with best practice recommendations in paediatrics primary care and to examine the thoughts and feelings of physicians and parents about antibiotic prescription and recommendations from the national health authorities. We included children admitted at the paediatric emergency room (PER) of the NANTES university hospital between June 2011 and October 2012 and who were under antibiotic drugs. Two independent experts evaluated the compliance with the national recommendations. Parents and general practitioner (GP) who prescribed the antibiotic before admission to PER were called to collect their thoughts and feeling about antibiotic prescription. The median age of the 88 included children was 2.8 years. The upper respiratory tract infection motivated the prescription of antibiotic in 59%. Seventy-six per cent of the prescriptions analysed were inappropriate, 72% of the antibiotics had a too broad spectrum, and one-third was not indicated. Ninety-one per cent of the interviewed parents thought that the antibiotic prescribed to their child was adequate. Among the 77 prescribing GP who were called, 33% agreed that they lacked time during consultation to explain to parents that no antibiotics were required. Antibiotic prescriptions were too often inadequate in this sample of children admitted in a French PER. Efforts have to be made with physicians and general public to optimize the antibiotic drug use.
Crosswalk algorithms for the conversion of mean EQ-5D indices calculated with different value sets
Authors: Nemes Szilárd , Garellick Göran , Salomonsson Roger , Rolfson Ola
Published: April 2016

Aims: The EQ-5D questionnaire of EuroQol is an important tool, not only for researchers, but also for quality registers. Until 2013, Sweden did not have a country-specific value set to convert the EQ-5D health states into a single index. Commonly, the UK time trade-off (UK TTO) value set has been used. The study reported here aimed to establish an easy to use tool for the bidirectional crosswalk of the mean EQ-5D values based on two different value sets: the UK TTO and the Swedish TTO value sets. Methods: Using an artificial data set encompassing all possible EQ-5D outcomes, we calculated the EQ-5D index using both the UK TTO and Swedish TTO value sets. Thereafter we modelled the relationship between the two indices using least-squares regression and major axis regression. A series of simulations was run to assess the feasibility of the obtained crosswalk algorithms. Results: Major axis regression was superior to ordinary least-squares regression. Converting the mean EQ-5D values from the UK TTO scale to the Swedish TTO scale was more accurate than the inverse conversion. Values close to the floor and ceiling of the EQ-5D index were more challenging to crosswalk. Conclusions: We established algorithms based on major axis regression to crosswalk EQ-5D values based on the UK TTO and the Swedish TTO value sets. The presented algorithm may facilitate comparisons of EQ-5D values when only mean values are available. The existence of a crosswalk algorithm will ease the transition from the UK TTO to the Swedish TTO value set.
Assessing Patient Exposure to a Video-Based Intervention in STD Clinic Waiting Rooms
Authors: Besera Ghenet T. , Cox Shanna , Malotte C. Kevin , Rietmeijer Cornelis A. , Klausner Jeffrey D. , O’Donnell Lydia , Margolis Andrew D. , Warner Lee
Published: April 2016

Safe in the City, a video intervention for clinic waiting rooms, was previously shown to reduce sexually transmitted disease (STD) incidence. However, little is known about patients’ recall of exposure to the intervention. Using data from a nested study of patients attending clinics during the trial, we assessed whether participants recalled Safe in the City, and, if so, how the intervention affected subsequent attitudes and behaviors. Analyses were restricted to responses to a 3-month follow-up questionnaire among participants who were exposed to the video ( n = 708). Impact was measured as participants’ reports of the video’s effect on behaviors and attitudes. Associations were evaluated using multivariable logistic regression. Of participants who were exposed, 685 (97%) recalled viewing the video, and 68% recalled all three vignettes. After watching the video, participants felt more positive about condoms (69%) and comfortable acquiring condoms (56%), were reminded of important information about STDs and condoms (90%), and tried to apply what they learned to their lives (59%). Compared with those who recalled viewing one or two vignettes, participants who recalled viewing all three vignettes reported more positive attitudes toward condoms and peer/provider communication. These findings demonstrate that a low-resource video intervention for waiting rooms can provide sufficient exposure to positively influence STD-related attitudes/behaviors.
Standardized Protocol to Analyze Computed Tomography Imaging of Type B Aortic Dissections
Authors: Kamman Arnoud V. , van Herwaarden Joost A. , Orrico Matteo , Nauta Foeke J. H. , Heijmen Robin H. , Moll Frans L. , Trimarchi Santi
Published: April 2016

Purpose: To propose a standard measuring protocol for type B aortic dissections so as to improve comparability between studies reporting aortic dimensions. Methods: Fifteen computed tomography (CT) scans of type B aortic dissections were measured with a standard protocol by 2 independent observers using postprocessing software. The following parameters were assessed: true, false, and total lumen diameter; true and false lumen volume; and entry tear size, location, and number. Diameters were measured in a perpendicular plane at 2, 10, and 20 cm from the left subclavian artery and 5 cm from the most distal renal artery. True lumen volume was assessed from the left subclavian artery to the aortic bifurcation, while the false lumen volume was from the start to end up to the aortic bifurcation. Entry tear location was assessed in relation to the left subclavian artery. Intra- and interobserver repeatability and agreement were evaluated using the Bland-Altman method, an a priori set of acceptable differences, and Lin’s concordance correlation coefficient (LCCC). Results: Intra- and interobserver mean differences for aortic diameter and true and false lumen volumes were generally within the limits of agreement and the a priori differences; the LCCC showed excellent agreement. Entry tear location, size, and number were difficult to measure in a repeatable manner, with inconsistent correlation coefficients, especially between the 2 observers. Conclusion: This protocol showed acceptable repeatability for aortic diameter and aortic volume measurements. Assessment of entry tears proved challenging and associated with less favorable results. Additionally, investigators are urged to be more transparent regarding the measurement methodology used in studies describing aortic dimensions.
Congenital absence of internal carotid artery with intercavernous anastomosis: Case report and systematic review of the literature
Authors: Oz Ibrahim Ilker , Serifoglu Ismail , Yazgan Omer , Erdem Zuhal
Published: April 2016

The absence of an internal carotid artery is a rare congenital anomaly. In the absence of the internal carotid artery, collateral circulations develop through the circle of Willis, persistent embryonic arteries or transcranial collaterals of the external carotid artery. Six pathways of collateral circulation have been described. Intercavernous anastomosis is between cavernous segments of the bilateral internal carotid arteries and is rarely seen. Patients with an absence of the internal carotid artery can be completely asymptomatic. However, these patients can present with subarachnoid hemorrhage or stroke accompanying cerebral aneurysm or abnormal collateral. We combined our case with 33 previous publications to form a retrospective series including 35 cases of unilateral internal carotid artery agenesis with intercavernous anastomosis.
Information dissemination in new media: YouTube and the Israeli–Palestinian conflict
Authors: Evans Matt
Published: April 2016

This work examines the ways in which YouTube videos inform audiences about international news, issues, and events. As new media increasingly becomes the public’s primary news source, research has produced conflicting contentions of how, and to whom, information is conveyed. Some studies have found Twitter and Facebook to be important tools for social organization and facilitating political involvement. Others, however, assert that these media act as echo chambers, reinforcing preexisting views rather than providing new information or perceptions. This research analyzes videos pertaining to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict to reveal how they provide information. The findings show that the methods – empirical and visceral – used to frame information in YouTube videos correspond to the narratives supported by the uploaders. Additionally, the results indicate YouTube videos are watched by a heterogeneous public and have the potential to transcend selective exposure and present viewers with new information and perspectives.
Participant Characteristics as Modifiers of Response to N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Authors: Sarris Jerome , Oliver Georgina , Camfield David A. , Dean Olivia M.
Published: April 2016

We previously reported on a 16-week, double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled trial (RCT) using 3 grams per day of N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) (1.5 grams twice per day) in 44 participants (aged 18–70) with DSM-5-diagnosed obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). We now report on an analysis of age, severity and duration of illness, OCD presentation type, baseline anxiety and depression scores, as well as the use of antidepressant medications as potentially modifying factors. Results revealed a significant effect ( p = .037) for younger participants (under mean age of 34) responding to NAC. This remained significant using OCD severity as a covariate ( p = .044). For those under 34 years of age with less than 17 years of OCD duration, this was also significant ( p = .037). Regression analysis within the NAC treatment group also revealed that duration of OCD presentation was a significant predictor of Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (YBOCS) change at study endpoint ( p = .019), whereas baseline Montgomery–Asberg Depression Rating Scale scores were also a trend-level predictor ( p = .060) of YBOCS change in the NAC group.
Effect of LXR/RXR agonism on brain and CSF Aβ40 levels in rats
Authors: Wang Songli , Wen Paul , Wood Stephen
Published: April 2016

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized pathologically by the presence of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. The amyloid hypothesis contends that the abnormal accumulation of Aβ, the principal component of amyloid plaques, plays an essential role in initiating the disease. Impaired clearance of soluble Aβ from the brain, a process facilitated by apolipoprotein E (APOE), is believed to be a contributing factor in plaque formation. APOE expression is transcriptionally regulated through the action of a family of nuclear receptors including the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma and liver X receptors (LXRs) in coordination with retinoid X receptors (RXRs). It has been previously reported that various agonists of this receptor family can influence brain Aβ levels in rodents. In this study we investigated the effects of LXR/RXR agonism on brain and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of Aβ40 in naïve rats. Treatment of rats for 3 days or 7 days with the LXR agonist, T0901317 or the RXR agonist, bexarotene did not result in significant changes in brain or CSF Aβ40 levels.
Adherence to guidelines regarding total hip replacement for fractured neck of femur
Authors: Fishlock A , Scarsbrook C , Marsh R
Published: April 2016

Introduction

In 2011 the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published guidelines suggesting that clinicians offer total hip replacement (THR) to patients with displaced intracapsular hip fractures who could walk independently outside with no aids or one stick, who are not cognitively impaired and are ASA (American Society of Anesthesiologists) grade ≤2. They also stated that best practice is operating within 36 hours of presentation. This audit aimed to determine whether Scarborough Hospital was following these guidelines and compared the results with the national average.

Methods

Two years of data (January 2012 – December 2013) were collected retrospectively from Scarborough Hospital’s hip fracture database on all patients presenting with an intracapsular hip fracture. Data were analysed to determine whether patients who had a THR fulfilled NICE criteria. Furthermore, patients with hemiarthroplasties who were eligible for THRs were identified. Finally, the time to surgery was calculated to examine whether patients receiving THRs waited longer than patients receiving hemiarthroplasties.

Results

In 2012, 48.6% of all eligible patients received a THR while in 2013 the figure was 55.9%. These percentages are much higher than the national average. However, 36 (53.7%) of the 67 patients who received a THR did not fulfil all the NICE criteria, mainly owing to high ASA grade. The mean time from presentation to theatre for THR was 8 hours and 37 minutes longer for THR patients than for hemiarthroplasty in 2012. This difference was reduced to 2 hours and 12 minutes in 2013.

Conclusions

Small general hospitals can meet and even exceed the standards regarding treatment strategies for hip factures. However, there is still room for improvement. Departmental training may be useful in achieving this aim. The anaesthetic team should be involved at the earliest opportunity, to help optimise patients preoperatively and determine whether patients listed for THR with higher ASA grades are suitable for this surgery.
O ARQUIVO MUNICIPAL DE FERREIRA DO ALENTEJO: EDIFÍCIO PÚBLICO DE CONSTRUÇÃO SUSTENTÁVEL
Authors: Schmidberger Edeltraud Vera
Published: April 2016

Este artigo é uma breve reflexão sobre a utilização da terra crua na arquitectura contemporânea, apresentando alguns dos princípios da construção ecológica que se concretizam no uso deste material natural na edificação. O caso da construção do edifício do Arquivo Municipal de Ferreira do Alentejo, aponta claramente para os pontos mais frágeis do mercado da construção civil em Portugal, quando se trata da realização de um edifício de cariz sustentável com a utilização de materiais de construção à base de terra crua. O edifício foi executado com a utilização de adobes em todas as paredes interiores e na face interior das paredes exteriores. Existem ainda duas paredes de taipa à vista, que apoiam o sistema de ventilação natural para além de estabilizarem o clima interior com a sua elevada inércia térmica. O ar que circula por detrás destas paredes, é naturalmente arrefecido no verão e temperado no inverno. Este sistema é baseado na circulação de ar por meio de chaminé solar com elevada inércia térmica. Os rebocos foram preparados em obra à base de pastas de terra e de terra e cal hidratada conforme ensaios preparados pelo Projectista. Apesar do Projecto ser elaborado antes da entrada em vigor do D.L. nº 80/2006 de 4 de Abril (RCCTE), foram considerados para as paredes exteriores valores de transmissão térmica de U = 0.75W/m2ºC. O edifico será monitorizado para analisar a sua “performance” quanto à eficiência energética. O objectivo desta comunicação é: - Demonstrar que mesmo em edifícios públicos é possível criar obras que empregam terra crua para assegurar as condições de conforto e a qualidade do ambiente interior, usufruindo em simultâneo do valor estético deste material; - Apontar para a natureza de problemas que podem surgir para os Construtores e Projectistas quando confrontados com a execução de obras consideradas “fora dos métodos de construção comuns” em Portugal e apontar vias alternativas para a solução dos mesmos.
TRADITIONAL BUILDING TECHNIQUES OF THE DRÂA VALLEY (MOROCCO)
Authors: Baglioni Eliana , Mecca Saverio , Rovero Luisa , Tonietti Ugo
Published: April 2016

The present work reports the results of investigations carried out on earthen constructions in the villages of Tamnougault, Tissergat, Amzrou and Tamngrout, in the Drâa valley (Morocco). This study aims to illustrate the techniques characterizing the local building culture, in order to understand its origins and motivation. Constructions show the use of both rammed earth (pisé) and adobe, used separately in different parts of the building. Floors and roofs are made with palm wood, canes and earth. The built heritage of the Drâa valley is an excellent example of high quality architecture, but also of how the local people and culture were able to respond in an excellent way to the environmental challenge, when the context was very poor in natural resources.
Lo «natural» en fonología
Authors: Varela Ortega Soledad
Published: April 2016

This paper is centred on some points of interest for today's Phonology —that which follows the model of SPE and some of its follow-ups: «Natural Phonology», «Auto-Segmental and Particle Phonology»— which are related to the concept of «naturality» in Phonology. Our aim is to show that the interest in defining what is «natural» has been evident since the foundation of Phonology as a science, that is, since the formation of the Prague School of Linguistics, and has continued to be a thematic constant throughout the history of Phonology. For this purpose, we begin by attempting to characterize the natural phonetic facts by revising all those traits that are found in the pages of Generative Phonology and coincide, at least twice, with the observations of the Structuralist phonologists. Secondly, we outline some of the formal devices which have been proposed to explain these natural phenomena, with a view to connect the above mentioned phenomena and formalisms with the data which have been given by previous non-generative phonologists, and with their methods of analysis as well.
Un manuscrito olvidado de D. Gregorio Mayans y Siscar: «El abecé español»
Authors: Azorín Fernández Dolores , Feliu García Emilio
Published: April 2016

Among the Gregorio Mayans's linguistic production, it figures a Castilian orthographic treatise entitled El Abecé Español. This work was never published and the manuscript —in Mayans's own handwriting— nowadays remains at the Corpus Christi ancient College Library of Valencia. The purpose of this article is to introduce the content of the mentioned treatise. Actually it is quite unknown, and the few notices about it are generally erroneous. The orthographic theory developed in El Abecé Español may be considered moderner than the one of the Real Academia Española, as well as the opinions of other authors of the XVIII century, since Mayans disregards etymological point of view, basing in the use and pronunciation his orthographic system.
Fundamentos metateóricos de la ciencia empírica de la literatura
Authors: Chico Rico Francisco
Published: April 2016

The present article constitutes the systematic exposition of the metatheoretical bases of the empirical science of literature, conceived and developed by Siegfried J. Schmidt of Germany. These metatheoretical bases permit both the construction of theories and the establishment, upon the different conceptions elaborated according to their presuppositions, of the fundamentally non-conservative theoretical scientific conditions. The belong to the constructive functionalism («konstruktiver Funktionalismus»), developed among various disciplines by Peter Finke from a modified version of the analytic theory of science elaborated in detail and demonstrated for theories of mathematical physics by Joseph D. Sneed.
Sobre la connotación
Authors: Bonfantini Massimo A.
Published: April 2016

This work attempts to explain the interpretative value of Connotation in Semiotics. Some reductions of Hjelmslev's Semiotic are reported, in order to integrate a Peircean point of view. The author defines Connotation as a kind of Interpretant and classifies the different connotative meanings appearing in the dialogic process.
El tiempo objetivo y el sistema de mundos posibles en el texto narrativo
Authors: Martín Jiménez Alfonso
Published: April 2016

The Theory of the Possible Worlds makes feasible an efficient survey of the objective time in narration. In all narrative text there exists a hierarchy of the character's worlds in accordance with the objective time. This hierarchy, wich is evident in every level of the text, permits an exclusive selection of the characters' time whom the author is interested in emphasizing. The plurality of temporal lines infable resolves itself into the sujet's typical unique temporal line, by means of the activation of a Double Temporal Transformer Mechanism which operates in two consecutive phases: as a result of the first phase, a new temporal arrangement of the elements takes place in each character's world, ocurring as many temporal lines as character's worlds the text contains; as a result of the second one, there arises a combination of the elements of all character's worlds in a sole temporal line, by respecting in each world the arrangement of the elements resultant from the former phase.
Los morfemas diminutivos -ico, -illo, -ito, en documentos hispanoaméricanos de América Central y de la Nueva España: siglos XVI y XVII
Authors: Franco Figueroa Mariano
Published: April 2016

The purpose of this work consists of both offering some inventories of derived voices that present the morphemes -ico, -illo, -ito, and observing their vitality and productive performance in the process of lexical creation begun with the Discovery. We have differenciated the notional meanings of the suffix from those in which the lexicalization of the morpheme has occurred. The statistical results show that -illo is the most often documented suffix, but the one that appears with the highest lexicalization; -ito appears in only a few lexical cases, which proves its high performance as a diminutive. Observing the lexicalization of these two makes evident a larger proportion of americanisms in favour of -illo. The suffix -ico, with a high percentage of lexicalized words, is of low performance. The group formed by these three facultative morphemes would show that since the very first moment of the colonization, -ito goes on working with its originary sense of diminution and illo, because of the vast majority of documented terms, would corroborate the Andalusian settlers' inflow and that this is preferred when they want to add different values from the notional one, even in the case of proper nouns.
Algunos italianismos en el lunfardo
Authors: Simón Casas Javier
Published: April 2016

This paper develops a survey of some slang (lunfardo) words borrowed from Italian, extracted from tangos, milongas and other written texts which usually reflect the use of this underworld slang. Its ethymology and meaning are discussed, in the light of the opinions that some lexicographers who have worked in this issue have shown. In some cases a more accurate origin is propposed, derived either from some of the copious italic dialects, or from some kind of 'specialized languages'.
La heterogeneidad enunciativa: algunas manifestaciones de la heterogeneidad mostrada
Authors: Pendones de Pedro Covadonga
Published: April 2016

The object of the present article is to analyse in the most systematic form the steps that the enunciator leaves impressed in his speach by certain enunciatives phenomenoms, as per formal variations of the code, grammatical irregularities, interrupted speeches and use of typographical marks. The relevance in such phenomenoms is it's capacity to introduce other enuntiators voices through the word of the speaker, polyphonics acts which give place to interdiscoursives strategies which breaks or alters the image of a lineal speech.
El poema de Mio Cid (un comentario)
Authors: Ariza Viguera Manuel
Published: April 2016

My research is a philological commentary of a fragment of the Cantar de Mio Cid. I study the text problems, and the external structure - rhyme, formulistic dictions, dialogue, etc. - After, I study the internal structure - temps, tense, adjective, semantic structures, syntax, etc. Finally I examine any interesting words.
Sobre la distinción aspecto vs. aktionsart
Authors: Fernández Pérez Milagros
Published: April 2016

The objective of this work is to show the uselessness of the distinction between aspect and akionsart, both from General Linguistcs and from Descriptive Linguistics viewpoint. After rewiewing the Slavonic tradition (crucial to set up the most well-known notion of aspect), and the substantial and inflective conception of Morphology, the work tries to show the necessity of a description of the grammatical (morphological) nature of aspect, based on syntagmatical implications rather than on the means through which it may be rendered (lexical, periphrastical, inflective, etc.). Grammatical formalization of aspectual contents is thus explained through the regular syntactical repercussions which causes, e.g. specific syntactic functions, certain constitutive frameworks, restricted combination possibilities, etc.
Marcadores textuales de «ejemplificación» textual
Authors: Fernández Bernárdez Cristina
Published: April 2016

This paper presents an approach (from the point of view of the Text Grammar of Spanish language, i.e. the grammar that considers the text as the highest unity of analysis) to some particles that the Spanish grammatical tradition has hardly paid attention to. We talk about the expressions: por ejemplo, así, como, ejemplo, verbigracia, a saber and esto es, which we have named text markers of "exemplification", taking into account the textual function that they play or can play. Although we can find many other expressions that fulfil this function, the forms we have pointed out above are the only ones that are lexicalized and, therefore, susceptible to a grammatical study. The principal aim of the paper is to give a formal and functional description of the aforementioned markers in the grammatical system of Spanish language; in order to do that, we have analyzed a wide corpus of written and oral language.
Hacia una sociosemiótica de cultura: Landowski y La sociedad figurada
Authors: Jiménez Ruiz Juan Luis
Published: April 2016

Semantic, Syntax and Pragmatic represent in themselves three different approaches to the same concern: semiotic structure. The aim of this paper is to provide a general view of Landowskian Semiotics, discussing the results achieved from different fields of knowledge to the same object and showing the relations between language and power.
Anotaciones sobre los componentes de la comunicación en el discurso político gubernamental
Authors: Pendones de Pedro Covadonga
Published: April 2016

The object of the present article is to reanalyse the communication system proposed by R. Jakobson within the governmental political speech. It is established some complex components within the enunciator frame, where the person deixis are configurated as very functional units and it also helps to determinate the discursive-ideological priorities of the enunciator.
Una aproximación a algunos marcadores con función textual de «resumen», «conclusión» y «cierre»
Authors: Vázquez Veiga Nancy
Published: April 2016

The aim of this paper is to provide a linguistic description of some Spanish discourse markers with the functions of «summary», «conclusion» and «closing». These markers are: en resumen, resumen, en resumidas cuentas, en suma, total, en conclusión, conclusión, en fin, finalmente and por último. This description will include a study of the discursive uses of each marker through an analysis of, among others, their possible lexicalization, the pertinence of their presence, the type of syntactic relation and their degree of autonomy.
El significante de las categorías morfológicas
Authors: Albertuz Carneiro Francisco José
Published: April 2016

From a structuralistic point of view, a definition of the concept grammatical category necessarily requires a description of its semiotic status. In order to achieve this aim, several conceptions about minimum-sign expression are reviewed. After having analyzed phonic, syntagmatic (either in pure or mixed form) and other non-phonological (as Hockett's, 1961) theories, it is argued that minimum-sign expression-form is not phonic but minimum-sign expression-substance is. This interpretation fits in with Hjelmslev's (1928) description of morphemes expression, and Hockett's (1958) and Lyons' (1968) accounts of the relations between morphemes and morphs. As conclusion, the entity minimum-sign (morpheme) is claimed to be the semiotic means by which grammatical categories perform their function in language.
La dimensión expresivo-evaluativa en entrevistas orales a estudiantes universitarios
Authors: Giammatteo Mabel
Published: April 2016

The aim of this work is to study some textual composition acts in relation with the so called expressive-evaluative area of language. The corpus of analysis is formed by interviews to universitary students about the beginnings of their career and their opinions about the different subjects. In the article, after a brief summary of the theoretical foundations of the investigation, we present the structural analysis of the interviews, divided into thematic parts, and seek to correlate the textual composition acts involved in each part with the language functions —referential or emotive— they serve. Finally, we verify that the functions of the textual composition acts depend of the prevailing language function and, consecuently, we recognize that the same acts may be filled with different communicative values according with the language function they are associated.
Los prefijos intensivos del español: caracterización morfo-semántica
Authors: Martín García Josefa
Published: April 2016

In this paper, we take into account the meaning Spanish intensivo prefixes provide for derived items, the restrictions that operate in this derivative process as well as the morphological characterization of these elements in Spanish prefix system. We consider prefixes such as ARCHI-, HIPER-, INFRA-, MACRO-, MEGA-, MICRO-, RE-, SEMI-, SOBRE-, SUB-, SUPER-, SUPRA-, and ULTRA-. As far as the meaning of complex words is concerned, intensive prefixes convoy a connotative sense, that can indicate a positive intensity or a negative one. In the first case, the intensification involves two degrees: superlative and augmentative. In the other case, it implies a diminishing sense. In relation to morphological characterization, intensive prefixes are considered as adverbial prefixes, projected syntactically as adjuncts to a base and they are the most external prefixes in morphological structures.