bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical heterogeneity and prognostic features of South Australian patients with anti‐synthetase autoantibodies
Authors: Dugar M. , Cox S. , Limaye V. , Blumbergs P. , Roberts‐Thomson P. J.
Published: January 2010

Aim:  To determine the clinical, serological and prognostic features of patients with autoantibodies against three aminoacyl‐transfer RNA synthetases (ARS), namely Jo‐1 (histidyl‐tRNA synthetase), PL‐7 (threonyl‐tRNA synthetase) and PL‐12 (alanyl‐tRNA synthetase) in South Australia.

Methods:  Patients with autoantibodies against ARS detected by line immunoassay (anti‐Jo1, anti‐PL7, anti‐PL12) or enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (anti‐Jo1) were identified from existing laboratory databases for the period 1994–2009. Demographic, clinical and serological data were obtained by retrospective review of patients' medical records and laboratory databases.

Results:  Forty‐two patients with autoantibodies were identified (anti‐Jo1 = 37, anti‐PL7 = 4, anti‐PL12 = 1). Females were more commonly affected than males (M : F = 12:30). Twenty‐one patients had polymyositis (anti‐Jo1 = 17, anti‐PL7 = 4), seven dermatomyositis (anti‐Jo1 = 6, anti‐PL12 = 1), 10 overlap syndrome (anti‐Jo1 = 10; lupus = 4, scleroderma = 3, Sjögren's syndrome = 2 and rheumatoid arthritis = 2) and four had interstitial lung disease (ILD) only (anti‐Jo1 = 4). ILD was present in 69%, polyarthritis in 59% and positive anti‐nuclear antibody (ANA) in 43% of patients. Concurrence of autoantibodies against Ro‐52 with Jo‐1 was seen in 12 patients. The mean follow‐up period was 8.3 years (95% CI 5.8–10.8) with 12 deaths. Poor prognostic indicators were age of onset >60 years (P= 0.001), cancer (P= 0.002), negative ANA (P= 0.006) and negative autoantibodies to extractable nuclear antigens (P= 0.02).

Conclusion:  Patients with autoantibodies against ARS present with varied clinical features and occasionally with isolated lung involvement (amyopathic ILD). Older age of onset, malignancy and negative immunologic tests are predictors of poor prognosis. Concurrence of autoantibodies against Jo‐1 and Ro‐52 may reflect a coupling effect during generation of autoimmunity.
Acute gout management during hospitalization: a need for a protocol
Authors: Gnanenthiran S. R. , Hassett G. M. , Gibson K. A. , McNeil H. P.
Published: January 2010

Aim: To review systematically the management of acute gout during hospitalization.

Methods: Case‐file review of all episodes of acute gout occurring in a large tertiary hospital over a 20‐month period.

Results: Of 134 acute gout episodes identified, the large majority (118) occurred in patients not admitted under the rheumatology unit. Baseline anti‐gout medications were frequently ceased on admission and in 9% of episodes, no pharmacotherapy was prescribed. Delays in initiation of treatment occurred in up to 29% of patients. Acute management included anti‐inflammatory monotherapy, or combinations of colchicine, non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and corticosteroids. Of patients prescribed colchicine, 26% received >1.5 mg/day and a strong correlation was found between colchicine dose and the occurrence of diarrhoea. NSAIDs were prescribed in 29% of patients with pre‐existing renal impairment. Overall, 25% of patients received inappropriate pharmacological management. In patients not under the direct care of the rheumatology unit, in‐hospital rheumatology consultation was sought by the treating unit in 34% of episodes. Consultation was sought more frequently in patients with multiple joint involvement, but there were no other obvious differences in baseline clinical characteristics between cases with or without rheumatology involvement. In cases with rheumatology involvement, patients were investigated more frequently, they received more pharmacotherapeutic intervention, in particular combination anti‐inflammatory therapy, and they achieved better symptomatic relief and long‐term follow up.

Conclusion: Acute gout episodes in hospital are variably investigated and treated with frequent suboptimal management. We recommend establishment of a hospital‐wide protocol to support decision‐making regarding investigations, treatment and follow up.
Six‐minute walk test: observed adverse events and oxygen desaturation in a large cohort of patients with chronic lung disease
Authors: Jenkins S. , Čečins N.
Published: January 2010

Background:  The 6‐min walk test (6MWT) is widely used to assess patients with chronic lung disease (CLD). Anecdotal reports and studies in small numbers of patients with CLD suggest that complications associated with the 6MWT are rare. This study reports the incidence of observed adverse events during the 6MWT in patients referred to an outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation service.

Methods:  Seven hundred and forty‐one patients with stable CLD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), n= 572) completed the 6MWT in accordance with a standardized protocol that included continuous monitoring of oxygen saturation (SpO2) and heart rate (Polar).

Results:  Adverse events occurred in 43 tests (6%). One 6MWT was terminated by the tester because of chest pain and one patient developed persistent tachycardia and irregular pulse immediately following the test. In 35 tests, the tester instructed the patient to stop walking because of profound oxygen desaturation (SpO2 < 80%). Six patients prematurely terminated the 6MWT because of symptoms. Forty‐seven per cent (n= 345) of patients exhibited significant oxygen desaturation (≥4% fall in SpO2 to <90%). Pre‐exercise SpO2 was a significant predictor of desaturation in the COPD (1.79, 1.54–2.08, adjusted odds ratio (OR), 95% confidence intervals) and ILD (OR 1.40, 1.11–1.77) cohorts with FEV1 (forced expiratory volume in 1 s) also a predictor in COPD (OR 3.02, 1.77–5.15).

Conclusion:  Profound oxygen desaturation is the most common adverse event observed during the 6MWT in patients with stable ILD and COPD. We propose that the American Thoracic Society 6MWT guidelines are revised to recommend continuous monitoring of SpO2 during the 6MWT in patients with ILD and COPD.
The intraspecific scaling of metabolic rate with body mass in fishes depends on lifestyle and temperature
Authors: Killen Shaun S. , Atkinson David , Glazier Douglas S.
Published: January 2010

Ecology Letters (2010) 13: 184–193

Metabolic energy fuels all biological processes, and therefore theories that explain the scaling of metabolic rate with body mass potentially have great predictive power in ecology. A new model, that could improve this predictive power, postulates that the metabolic scaling exponent (b) varies between 2/3 and 1, and is inversely related to the elevation of the intraspecific scaling relationship (metabolic level, L), which in turn varies systematically among species in response to various ecological factors. We test these predictions by examining the effects of lifestyle, swimming mode and temperature on intraspecific scaling of resting metabolic rate among 89 species of teleost fish. As predicted, b decreased as L increased with temperature, and with shifts in lifestyle from bathyal and benthic to benthopelagic to pelagic. This effect of lifestyle on b may be related to varying amounts of energetically expensive tissues associated with different capacities for swimming during predator–prey interactions.
Sperm of colourful males are better protected against oxidative stress
Authors: Helfenstein Fabrice , Losdat Sylvain , Møller Anders Pape , Blount Jonathan D. , Richner Heinz
Published: January 2010

Ecology Letters (2010) 13: 213–222

Sperm cells are highly vulnerable to free radicals, and sperm quality and male fertility are critically affected by oxidative stress. Recently, sexual ornaments, particularly carotenoid‐based colourful traits, have been proposed to depend on a male’s capacity to resist oxidative stress, and thus to signal sperm quality. We conducted an experimental test of this hypothesis on great tits Parus major, in which adults are sexually dichromatic in carotenoid‐based breast plumage. We report the first evidence that ornaments and sperm quality may be linked through oxidative stress. When experimentally subjected to oxidative stress resulting from increased workload, less colourful males suffered a greater reduction in sperm motility and swimming ability, and increased levels of sperm lipid peroxidation compared to more colourful males. Moreover, the level of sperm lipid peroxidation was negatively correlated with sperm quality. Finally, carotenoid supplementation increased sperm quality of less colourful males, suggesting that pale males are deficient in carotenoid antioxidants.
Statistical learning in typically developing children: the role of age and speed of stimulus presentation
Authors: Arciuli Joanne , Simpson Ian C.
Published: January 2010

It is possible that statistical learning (SL) plays a role in almost every mental activity. Indeed, research on SL has grown rapidly over recent decades in an effort to better understand perception and cognition. Yet, there remain gaps in our understanding of how SL operates, in particular with regard to its (im)mutability. Here, we investigated whether participant‐related variables (such as age) and task‐related variables (such as speed of stimulus presentation) affect visual statistical learning (VSL) in typically developing children. We tested 183 participants ranging in age from 5 to 12 years and compared three speeds of presentation (using stimulus durations of 800, 400 and 200 msecs). A multiple regression analysis revealed significant effects of both age and speed of presentation – after attention during familiarization and gender had been taken into consideration. VSL followed a developmental trajectory whereby learning increased with age. The amount of learning increased with longer presentation times (as shown by Turk‐Browne, Jungé & Scholl, 2005, in their study of adults). There was no significant interaction between the two variables. These findings assist in elucidating the nature of statistical learning itself. While statistical learning can be observed in very young children and at remarkably fast presentation times, participant‐ and task‐related variables do impact upon this type of learning. The findings reported here may serve to enhance our understanding of individual differences in the cognitive and perceptual processes that are thought to rely, at least in part, on SL (e.g. language processing and object recognition).
Mapping numerical processing, reading, and executive functions in the developing brain: an fMRI meta‐analysis of 52 studies including 842 children
Authors: Houdé Olivier , Rossi Sandrine , Lubin Amélie , Joliot Marc
Published: January 2010

Tracing the connections from brain functions to children’s cognitive development and education is a major goal of modern neuroscience. We performed the first meta‐analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data obtained over the past decade (1999–2008) on more than 800 children and adolescents in three core systems of cognitive development and school learning: numerical abilities, reading, and executive functions (i.e. cognitive control). We ran Activation Likelihood Estimation (ALE) meta‐analyses to obtain regions of reliable activity across all the studies. The results indicate that, unlike results usually reported for adults, children primarily engage the frontal cortex when solving numerical tasks. With age, there may be a shift from reliance on the frontal cortex to reliance on the parietal cortex. In contrast, the frontal, temporo‐parietal and occipito‐temporal regions at work during reading in children are very similar to those reported in adults. The executive frontal regions are also consistent with the imaging literature on cognitive control in adults, but the developmental comparison between children and adolescents demonstrates a key role of the anterior insular cortex (AIC) with an additional right AIC involvement in adolescents.
The development of emotional face and eye gaze processing
Authors: Hoehl Stefanie , Striano Tricia
Published: January 2010

Recent research has demonstrated that infants’ attention towards novel objects is affected by an adult’s emotional expression and eye gaze toward the object. The current event‐related potential (ERP) study investigated how infants at 3, 6, and 9 months of age process fearful compared to neutral faces looking toward objects or averting gaze away from objects. Furthermore, we examined how the processing of novel objects is affected by gaze direction and emotional expression. We hypothesized that an adult’s fearful expression should be particularly salient when it is directed toward a referent in the environment. Furthermore, responses to objects should be increased if the face previously expressed fear toward the object. Three‐month‐olds did not show differential neural responses to fearful vs. neutral faces regardless of gaze direction. Six‐month‐olds showed an enhanced negative central (Nc) component for fearful relative to neutral faces looking toward objects, but not when eye gaze was averted away from the objects. Furthermore, 6‐month‐olds showed an enhanced Nc for objects that had been gaze‐cued by a fearful compared to a neutral face. Nine‐month‐olds showed an enhanced Nc for fearful relative to neutral faces in both eye gaze conditions and showed an enhanced Nc for objects that had been gaze‐cued by a neutral face. The findings are discussed in the context of social cognitive and brain development.
THE EXTENT OF THE WORLD COFFEE MARKET
Authors: Ghoshray Atanu
Published: January 2010

This paper employs a novel method to determine whether the prices of various types of coffee are co‐integrated. In the spirit of Stigler's arbitrage definition of the market, an attempt is made to test whether all the prices co‐integrate in pairs, implying that there is a single market for coffee. This test for co‐integration is carried out using both linear and non‐linear approaches. This finding demonstrates that the conclusions drawn from the linear and non‐linear tests may be drastically different.
Assessing the Concept of the ‘Insecure‐Other’ Category in the Cassidy–Marvin Scheme: Changes Between 4 and 6 Years in the English and Romanian Adoptee Study
Authors: Kreppner Jana , Rutter Michael , Marvin Robert , O'Connor Thomas , Sonuga‐Barke Edmund
Published: January 2010

We set out to explore the meaning of the attachment categories in the Cassidy/Marvin strange situation procedure, as employed in the home, using data from a longitudinal study of children adopted into UK families up to the age of 42 months from Romanian institutions, and of adopted children without the experience of institutional care––both groups being assessed at 4 and 6 years of age. Inter‐rater reliability was found to be good. Security (meaning the use of the parent as a secure base and no negative behavior on reunion) was the modal categorical rating in both the institution‐reared and comparison groups, but the category of anomalous non‐normative behavior (meaning a lack of any ordered attachment behavior as covered by the standard ratings), previously labeled ‘insecure‐other’, was more common in the institution‐reared children. Because this was unassociated with the usual manifestations of insecurity (such as avoidance or resistance) and because it was largely evident in interactions with the stranger, it is concluded that the adjective ‘insecure’ was not appropriate. Although this ‘insecure‐other’ category was associated with disinhibited attachment as reported by parents (meaning a lack of differentiation among adults, a willingness to go off with strangers and a lack of checking back with parents in anxiety‐provoking situations), it did not prove to be a good index of disinhibited attachment because changes over time in the ‘insecure‐other’ category were not associated with changes in the rate of disinhibited attachment. Also, whereas the rate of ‘insecure‐other’ fell markedly in the institution‐reared group between 4 and 6 years of age, it rose in the comparison group, raising queries over its meaning.
Random-Effects Models for Migration Attractivity and Retentivity: A Bayesian Methodology
Authors: Congdon Peter
Published: January 2010

Several studies have proposed methods for deriving summary scores for describing the in-migrant attractivity of areas, as well as out-migrant push (or conversely migrant retentivity). Simple in-migration and out-migrant rates (migrant totals divided by populations) do not correct for spatial separation or the migration context of a particular area, namely the size and proximity of nearby urban areas with populations at risk of migrating to an area, or offering potential destinations for out-migrants from an area. An extended random-effects gravity model is proposed to represent the influences of attractivity and retentivity after controlling for urban structure. Whereas the existing literature is focused on fixed effects modelling (and classical estimation), the focus in this paper is on a Bayesian hierarchical random-effects approach that links estimates of pull-and-push scores across areas (i.e. allows scores to be spatially correlated) and also allows correlation between attractivity and retentivity within areas. As demonstrated by a case-study of English local authorities, a random-effects model may have a lower effective model dimension than a fixed effects model.
How Much can we Learn about Missing Data?: An Exploration of a Clinical Trial in Psychiatry
Authors: Jackson Dan , White Ian R. , Leese Morven
Published: January 2010

When a randomized controlled trial has missing outcome data, any analysis is based on untestable assumptions, e.g. that the data are missing at random, or less commonly on other assumptions about the missing data mechanism. Given such assumptions, there is an extensive literature on suitable methods of analysis. However, little is known about what assumptions are appropriate. We use two sources of ancillary data to explore the missing data mechanism in a trial of adherence therapy in patients with schizophrenia: carer-reported (proxy) outcomes and the number of contact attempts. This requires additional assumptions to be made whose plausibility we discuss. Proxy outcomes are found to be unhelpful in this trial because they are insufficiently associated with patient outcome and because the ancillary assumptions are implausible. The number of attempts required to achieve a follow-up interview is helpful and suggests that these data are unlikely to depart far from being missing at random. We also perform sensitivity analyses to departures from missingness at random, based on the investigators’ prior beliefs elicited at the start of the trial. Wider use of techniques such as these will help to inform the choice of suitable assumptions for the analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Assessing Publication Bias in Meta-Analyses in the Presence of Between-Study Heterogeneity
Authors: Peters Jaime L. , Sutton Alex J. , Jones David R. , Abrams Keith R. , Rushton Lesley , Moreno Santiago G.
Published: January 2010

Between-study heterogeneity and publication bias are common features of a meta-analysis that can be present simultaneously. When both are suspected, consideration must be made of each in the assessment of the other. We consider extended funnel plot tests for detecting publication bias, and selection modelling and trim-and-fill methods to adjust for publication bias in the presence of between-study heterogeneity. These methods are applied to two example data sets. Results indicate that ignoring between-study heterogeneity when assessing publication bias can be misleading, but that methods to test or adjust for publication bias in the presence of heterogeneity may not be powerful when the meta-analysis is not large. It is therefore unrealistic to expect to disentangle the effects of publication bias and heterogeneity reliably in all except the largest meta-analyses.
Combining Available Migration Data in England to Study Economic Activity Flows Over Time
Authors: Smith Peter W. F. , Raymer James , Giulietti Corrado
Published: January 2010

Information about internal migration in England may come from decennial censuses, surveys or population (health) registers. We propose a methodology that allows us to combine aspects from multiple sources of data to provide a time series of detailed migration flows. By detailed, we refer to a migration flow table cross-classified by origin, destination, age, sex and economic activity (e.g. employees, retirees or students). Our results can be used to analyse the movements of various population groups between counties in England over time.
Disaggregated Spatial Modelling for Areal Unit Categorical Data
Authors: Tassone Eric C. , Miranda Marie Lynn , Gelfand Alan E.
Published: January 2010

We consider joint spatial modelling of areal multivariate categorical data assuming a multiway contingency table for the variables, modelled by using a log-linear model, and connected across units by using spatial random effects. With no distinction regarding whether variables are response or explanatory, we do not limit inference to conditional probabilities, as in customary spatial logistic regression. With joint probabilities we can calculate arbitrary marginal and conditional probabilities without having to refit models to investigate different hypotheses. Flexible aggregation allows us to investigate subgroups of interest; flexible conditioning enables not only the study of outcomes given risk factors but also retrospective study of risk factors given outcomes. A benefit of joint spatial modelling is the opportunity to reveal disparities in health in a richer fashion, e.g. across space for any particular group of cells, across groups of cells at a particular location, and, hence, potential space–group interaction. We illustrate with an analysis of birth records for the state of North Carolina and compare with spatial logistic regression.
Shape Spaces for Prealigned Star-Shaped Objects—Studying the Growth of Plants by Principal Components Analysis
Authors: Hotz T. , Huckemann S. , Munk A. , Gaffrey D. , Sloboda B.
Published: January 2010

We analyse the shapes of star-shaped objects which are prealigned. This is motivated from two examples studying the growth of leaves, and the temporal evolution of tree rings. In the latter case measurements were taken at fixed angles whereas in the former case the angles were free. Subsequently, this leads to different shape spaces, related to different concepts of size, for the analysis. Whereas several shape spaces already existed in the literature when the angles are fixed, a new shape space for free angles, called spherical shape space, needed to be introduced. We compare these different shape spaces both regarding their mathematical properties and in their adequacy to the data at hand; we then apply suitably defined principal component analysis on these. In both examples we find that the shapes evolve mainly along the first principal component during growth; this is the ‘geodesic hypothesis’ that was formulated by Le and Kume. Moreover, we could link change-points of this evolution to significant changes in environmental conditions.
A Copula Model for Dependent Competing Risks
Authors: Lo Simon M. S. , Wilke Ralf A.
Published: January 2010

Many popular estimators for duration models require independent competing risks or independent censoring. In contrast, copula-based estimators are also consistent in the presence of dependent competing risks. We suggest a computationally convenient extension of the copula graphic estimator to a model with more than two dependent competing risks. We analyse the applicability of this estimator by means of simulations and unemployment duration data from Germany. We obtain evidence that our estimator yields nice results if the dependence structure is known and that it is a powerful tool for the assessment of the relevance of (in-)dependence assumptions in applied duration research.
Selim's Sisters: Muslim Women in Novels by Uwe Timm and Hermann Schulz
Authors: Albrecht Monika
Published: January 2010

Against the backdrop of the fact that German writers with a German background do not seem to be very interested in casting Germans with a migrant background as their literary characters, this paper focuses on two of the rare exceptions that deal with Muslim women of Turkish origin, Uwe Timm's Rot (2001) and Hermann Schulz's Iskender (1999). In discussing these novels, I am mostly interested in the way these writers take part in current debates on Muslims in Western societies and in how they engage in their specific vision of a multicultural Germany. The results are at least twofold; on the one hand one has to conclude that both Hermann Schulz and Uwe Timm are dividing Muslims into good and bad, desired and not desired; on the other hand their novels also provide facets of a counter image and introduce largely unfamiliar aspects – which can count as a major achievement in the light of the prevailing idea of the Islamic world in the imagination of the German public.

Ethnische Minderheiten sind selten in Werken von einheimischen Schriftstellern zu finden. Vor diesem Hintergrund konzentriert sich der vorliegende Essay auf zwei der wenigen Ausnahmen, Uwe Timms Roman Rot (2001) and Hermann Schulz' Iskender (1999), in denen türkisch‐muslimische Frauen Teil des literarischen Ensembles sind. Das Interesse gilt insbesondere der Art und Weise, wie ihre Autoren an gegenwärtigen Debatten über Muslime in westlichen Gesellschaften Teil haben, und es wird nach ihrer Vision eines multikulturellen Deutschland gefragt, wie es in den Texten zum Ausdruck kommt. Dabei fällt auf, dass Muslime sowohl bei Hermann Schulz als auch bei Uwe Timm in gute und schlechte, erwünschte und weniger erwünschte aufgeteilt werden. Andererseits entwerfen die Romane jedoch auch Gegenbilder und beziehen Aspekte ein, die der Mehrheit der Deutschen nicht vertraut sind – was angesichts gängiger Vorstellungen über die islamische Lebenswelt als bemerkenswerter Beitrag zur Multikulturalismusdebatte gelten kann.
Work, Sex, and Socialism: Reading Beyond Cultural Hybridity in Emine Sevgi Özdamar's Die Brücke vom Goldenen Horn
Authors: Weber Beverly M.
Published: January 2010

Emine Sevgi Özdamar's work reveals and challenges two dominant images of the immigrant woman in circulation in Germany. When she superimposes the images of the headscarf and the cleaning woman, she reveals the often hidden intersections of representations of the veiled immigrant woman and her role in the German service industry. As ‘the Other’ within Germany, the Muslim woman's veiled body constructs emancipated, democratic Germanness while effectively obscuring the role immigrant women's labour has played in Germany's globalised economy. This production of Germanness participates in a peculiar biopolitics that limits the terrain on which immigrant women, particularly Muslim immigrant women, can participate in German culture. In this essay I briefly sketch out one of the dominant discourses within which immigrant women have been represented in Germany. I then consider a novel by the Turkish German author Emine Sevgi Özdamar, Die Brücke vom Goldenen Horn (1998), in order to consider how her narrative of a ‘sexual’ coming of age also becomes a narrative that reveals and resists those discursive boundaries that circumscribe Muslim woman's femininity and the possibility for ‘Islam in Germany’.

Das Werk Emine Sevgi Özdamars legt die dominanten Bilder von Frauen mit Migrationshintergrund in Deutschland offen, und stellt diese Darstellungen wiederum in Frage. Wenn Özdamar die Bilder des Kopftuchs und der Putzfrau zusammenbringt, enthüllt sie die oft versteckten Verschränkungen der Darstellungen der bedeckten Frau mit Migrationshintergrund und ihre wirkliche Rolle in der Dienstindustrie. Als das schlechthin ‘Andere’ fungiert der bedeckte Körper der muslimischen Frau, um ein emanzipiertes, demokratisches Deutschand zu bestätigen. Gleichzeitig verdeckt er die Rolle, die ihre Arbeit in der globalisierten Wirtschaft Deutschlands spielt. So eine Konstruktion von Deutschland wirkt bei einer seltsamen Biopolitik mit, die den Raum begrenzt, in dem Frauen mit Migrationshintergrund, besonders muslimische Frauen, mitmachen dürfen. In diesem Aufsatz skizziere ich zunächst ein wichtiges Diskursfeld, in dem die muslimische Frau dargestellt wird. Ich analysiere den Roman Die Brücke vom Goldenen Horn um zu zeigen, wie dieses Buch die Form eines sexuellen Bildungsromans verwendet, um die diskursiven Grenzen der ‘muslimischen Frau’ und ‘Islam in Deutschland’ in Frage zu stellen.
Hybridity and the Politics of the Everyday in Contemporary Austria1
Authors: Karner Christian
Published: January 2010

This article pursues two inter‐related aims. First, it adds to existing research on contemporary Austrian society and politics by analysing select empirical snapshots of different forms of hybridity from within the realms of the country's ideologically heterogeneous media, recent political debates, cultural production and everyday life. Second, analysis of these empirical materials is used to engage critically with existing theoretical strands in the literature on hybridity and creolisation. Taking conceptualisations of anthropoemic and anthropophagic responses to ‘the stranger’ as my point of conceptual departure, I demonstrate that both strategies depend on clear‐cut classifications of self and other that construct liminality as problematic. This is then followed by a discussion of alternative discourses of national identity not premised on rigid self‐other distinctions and other manifestations of hybridity not primarily defined by precarious liminality. Hybridity is thus shown to be also reflexively politicised and celebrated, in critical opposition to nationalist discourses of belonging. I discuss the tension between everyday syncretism and culturally hybrid life histories on the one hand, and their denial or silencing by exclusivist identity politics on the other.

Dieser Artikel verfolgt zwei Absichten. Erstens leistet er einen Beitrag zur bereits bestehenden Literatur zur österreichischen Gesellschaft und Politik, indem er ausgewählte ‘Schnappschüsse’ unterschiedlicher Arten der Hybridität in Österreichs ideologisch vielfältiger Medienlandschaft, aktuellen politischen Debatten, Kulturproduktion und Alltag analysiert. Zweitens dient die Analyse dieser empirischen Materialien einer kritischen Auseinandersetzung mit theoretischen Ansätzen zur ‘Hybridität’ und ‘Creolisierung’. Dabei liefern Überlegungen bezüglich anthropoemischer und anthropophagischer Reaktionen auf ‘den Fremden’ einen Ansatzpunkt. Es wird gezeigt, dass beide Strategien das Eigene und das Andere als deutlich getrennte Kategorien konstruieren und dabei jegliche Überschneidungen als problematisch betrachten. Dem folgt eine Diskussion alternativer Diskurse nationaler Identität, welche nicht auf starre Grenzziehungen bestehen, und eine Analyse anderer Arten der Hybridität, die nicht in erster Linie durch einen prekären Schwellenzustand gekennzeichnet sind. Dabei wird gezeigt, dass Hybridität zum Teil auch aktiv politisiert und zelebriert wird – und zwar in kritischem Widerstand zu nationalistischen Diskursen der Ausgrenzung. Letztlich findet auch die Spannung zwischen Alltagssynkretismus und kulturell vielfältigen Lebensgeschichten und deren Verdrängung in ausgrenzender Identitätspolitik Erwähnung.
AUGUSTINE, ROUSSEAU, AND THE IDEA OF CHILDHOOD1
Authors: DUSCHINSKY ROBBIE
Published: January 2010

The social history of childhood usually identifies Rousseau as the origin of our contemporary understanding of the topic. The literature describes how Rousseau's notion of childhood as a time of natural innocence became embedded in key social forms such as the family and universal education. Scholars working in the history of political thought, however, have uncovered a fundamental relationship between Rousseau and Augustine. Analysis shows that Rousseau's philosophy of childhood recapitulates many Augustinian elements, and was not therefore an ex nihilo creation.
Badiou and the philosophy of social work: a reply to Stephen Webb
Authors: Imre Robert
Published: January 2010

Imre R. Badiou and the philosophy of social work: a reply to Stephen Webb

Int J Soc Welfare 2010: 19: 253–258 © 2010 The Author, Journal compilation © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd and the International Journal of Social Welfare.

Stephen Webb's recent article ‘Against diversity and difference in social work’ claims that the work of Alain Badiou has the potential to be of great use in social work practice. Webb is faced with the problem of a discourse that has eroded any practical meaning attached to notions of diversity and difference, he laments the ‘ethical turn’ in social work practice and blames post‐modernism. Webb views the work of Badiou as a way to reinvigorate social work practice. I claim that Badiou's Being and Event is exclusive to ontology. Connections between Being and Event and possible ‘uses’ of Badiou's subtractive ontology, as an instrumentalisation, are not worthwhile. Critiquing Badiou's non‐ontological philosophies and political polemics is a better way to assess the practicality of his thought outside of his ontology. Webb's conflation of post‐modernism, neoliberalism and the difference, diversity and ethics discourse is also problematic and is critiqued here.
An introduction to electrocardiogram monitoring
Authors: Jevon Phil
Published: January 2010

The aim of this paper is to provide an introduction to electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring. The objectives are to:

define an ECG;

describe how the ECG relates to cardiac contraction, with specific reference to the conduction system of the heart;

recognize sinus rhythm;

list the indications for ECG monitoring;

discuss the important features of a modern bedside cardiac monitor;

describe where to position ECG electrodes;

outline a suggested procedure for ECG monitoring;

discuss the infection control issues related to ECG monitoring.
Clinical Assessment of Ischemia‐modified Albumin and Heart Fatty Acid–binding Protein in the Early Diagnosis of Non‐ST‐elevation Acute Coronary Syndrome in the Emergency Department
Authors: Charpentier Sandrine , Ducassé Jean Louis , Cournot Maxime , Maupas‐Schwalm Françoise , Elbaz Meyer , Baixas Cécile , Juchet Henri , Lang Thierry , Lauque Dominique
Published: January 2010

Objectives:  Heart fatty acid–binding protein (h‐FABP) and ischemia‐modified albumin (IMA) have recently been evaluated, but to the best of our knowledge, no study has reported an analysis of these two markers for the detection of early myocardial infarction and myocardial ischemia in a large cohort of consecutive patients presenting to an emergency department (ED). This study evaluates the diagnostic accuracy and the clinical utility of h‐FABP and IMA for non‐ST‐segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (ACS) diagnosis in the first hour of management in an ED.

Methods:  In a prospective 11‐month study, 677 patients admitted to the ED with chest pain and suspected non‐ST‐segment elevation ACS were enrolled. On presentation, blood samples were obtained for the measurement of the biomarkers h‐FABP (immunodetection with CardioDetect) and IMA (albumin cobalt‐binding test). Two physicians, blinded to the results of the markers, independently categorized patients as having or not having non‐ST‐segment elevation ACS.

Results:  Of the 677 patients who were prospectively recruited, non‐ST‐segment elevation ACS was diagnosed in 185 (27.3%). While IMA was not predictive of the ACS diagnosis (odds ratio [OR] = 1.23; 95% CI = 0.87 to 1.81), h‐FABP was predictive of ACS diagnosis (OR = 4.65; 95% CI = 2.39 to 9.04) with specificity at 96.8% (95% CI = 95.4% to 98.1%) and sensitivity at 13.5% (95% CI = 10.9% to 16.1%). However, h‐FABP did not add significant additional information to a predictive model that included the usual diagnostic tools for non‐ST‐elevation ACS management (p = 0.40).

Conclusions:  In this study on a large cohort of patients admitted to an ED for chest pain, IMA and h‐FABP did not provide valuable information for ACS diagnosis.

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2010; 17:27–35 © 2010 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Influence of Sex on the Out‐of‐hospital Management of Chest Pain
Authors: Meisel Zachary F. , Armstrong Katrina , Crawford Mechem C. , Shofer Frances S. , Peacock Nick , Facenda Kim , Pollack Charles V.
Published: January 2010

Background:  Sex disparities in the diagnosis and treatment of chest pain or suspected angina have been demonstrated in multiple clinical settings. Out‐of‐hospital (OOH) care for chest pain is protocol‐driven and may be less likely to demonstrate differences between men and women.

Objectives:  The objectives were to investigate the relationship between sex and the OOH treatment of patients with chest pain. The authors sought to test the hypothesis that OOH care for chest pain patients would differ by sex.

Methods:  A 1‐year retrospective cohort study of 683 emergency medical services (EMS) patients with a complaint of chest pain was conducted. Included were patients taken to any one of three hospitals (all cardiac referral centers) by a single municipal EMS system. Excluded were patients transported by basic life support (BLS) units, those younger than 30 years, and patients with known contraindications to any of the outcome measures. Multivariable regression was used to adjust for potential confounders. The main outcome was adherence to state EMS protocols for treatment of patients over age 30 years with undifferentiated chest pain. Rates of administration of aspirin, nitroglycerin, and oxygen; establishment of intravenous (IV) access; and cardiac monitoring were measured.

Results:  A total of 342 women and 341 men were included. Women were less likely than men to receive aspirin (relative risk [RR] = 0.76; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.59 to 0.96), nitroglycerin (RR = 0.76; 95% CI = 0.60 to 0.96), or an IV (RR 0.86; 95% CI = 0.77 to 0.96). These differences persisted after adjustment for demographics and emergency department (ED) evaluation for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) as a blunt marker for cardiac risk. Women were also less likely to receive these treatments among the small subgroup of patients who were later diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

Conclusions:  For OOH patients with chest pain, sex disparities in treatment are significant and do not appear to be explained by differences in patient age, race, or underlying cardiac risk.

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2010; 17:80–87 © 2010 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Minimal Illumination for Direct Laryngoscopy and Intubation in Different Ambient Light Settings
Authors: Cheung Ka Wai , Kovacs George J. , LeBlanc Derek J. , Gao Jun , Sandeski Robert , Leslie Ronald A.
Published: January 2010

Objectives:  This study sought to investigate the minimal laryngoscope illumination required for proper laryngoscopy and intubation in different ambient light settings as determined by paramedics.

Methods:  Paramedics qualified to intubate patients in the field were recruited to intubate a cadaver embalmed with a minimal fixation technique designed to maintain tissue integrity. All paramedic participants intubated the cadaver under three different ambient light settings representing possible out‐of‐hospital settings: an outdoor night setting, an indoor setting, and an outdoor day setting. Paramedics were asked to determine the minimal illumination required for intubation of the cadaver under each of these settings.

Results:  Twenty‐three paramedics participated in the study. The mean (±SD) minimal illumination required for intubation was 39.1 (±35.4) lux at the night setting, 92.5 (±57.3) lux at the indoor setting, and 209.7 (±117.4) lux at the day setting. There was a statistically significant difference in minimal illumination required between each of the three light settings (p < 0.0001).

Conclusions:  Minimal illumination requirements in the out‐of‐hospital setting may be lower than previously recommended. Ambient light intensity affects this minimal illumination requirement, with brighter ambient light conditions necessitating more laryngoscope light output. Further studies assessing out‐of‐hospital laryngoscope illumination should consider ambient light conditions.

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2010; 17:103–107 © 2010 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Trends in Adult Suicides in New Mexico: Utilizing Data from the New Mexico Violent Death Reporting System*
Authors: Styka Anne N. , White David S. , Zumwalt Ross E. , Lathrop Sarah L.
Published: January 2010

Abstract:  Although many suicide prevention programs focus on youth suicides, data indicate the vast majority of suicides occur among adults (18–64 years). In 2005 New Mexico joined the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Violent Death Reporting System, collecting data on suicides, homicides, and unintentional firearm fatalities to better inform state and national prevention programs. We utilized data collected by the New Mexico Violent Death Reporting System in its first 2 years of operation (2005 and 2006) in order to define the demographic patterns of adult suicides in the state and characterize risk factors. A total of 526 suicides occurred among adults during this time, with the majority being male (78.5%) and White non‐Hispanic (56.7%). The highest incidence was in adults between 45 and 54 years (28.1%). Firearms were the most commonly used mechanism, and “current depressed mood” the most commonly identified risk factor. High rates of adult suicide indicate the need for targeted prevention programs.
Good Work for dentists – a qualitative analysis
Authors: Berthelsen Hanne , Hjalmers Karin , Pejtersen Jan Hyld , Söderfeldt Björn
Published: January 2010

Berthelsen H, Hjalmers K, Pejtersen JH, Söderfeldt B. Good Work for dentists – a qualitative analysis. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 2010. © 2009 John Wiley & Sons A/S

Abstract –  Objective:  This study explores dentists’ perceptions of Good Work in the meaning of positive and rewarding aspects in their work in contrast to a traditional problem‐centred focus on work life.

Methods:  Nine informants were selected among Danish and Swedish general dental practitioners to obtain variation as to country of origin, gender, age and clinical work experience. Semi‐structured, in‐depth interviews were audio‐recorded and transcribed verbatim in the original language. Statements concerning positive aspects of work were used for systematic text condensation according to the principles of Giorgi’s phenomenological analysis, as modified by Malterud, generalizing descriptions reflecting aspects of Good Work. Selection of participants continued until saturation of the emerging categories was achieved.

Results:  The core of Good Work emanates from the clinical encounter: from the relation with the patient and from the opportunity to carry out high quality odontological handicraft. Social relations at the workplace, as well as organizational values and conditions were perceived as influencing the opportunities to achieve the rewarding aspects from the clinical encounter.

Conclusions:  The results implicate a need for developing a work‐environmental model with intrinsic as well as extrinsic rewards when dealing with human service organizations. At policy level it is necessary to address the professional culture.
REVIEW ARTICLE: The Unique Properties of Uterine NK Cells
Authors: Manaster Irit , Mandelboim Ofer
Published: January 2010

Citation Manaster I, Mandelboim O. The unique properties of uterine NK cells. Am J Reprod Immunol 2009

Natural killer (NK) cells are lymphocytes of the innate immunity system that are able to kill various hazardous pathogens and tumors. However, it is now widely accepted that NK cells also possess non‐destructive functions, as has been demonstrated for uterine NK cells. Here, we review the unique properties of the NK cells in the uterine mucosa, prior to and during pregnancy. We discuss the phenotype and function of mouse and human endometrial and decidual NK cells and suggest that the major function of decidual NK cells is to assist in fetal development. We further discuss the origin of decidual NK cells and suggest several possibilities that might explain their accumulation in the decidua during pregnancy.
Convenient care clinics: Making a positive change in health care
Authors: Evans Steven W.
Published: January 2010

Abstract

Purpose: To discuss the impact of retail health clinics, also known as convenient care clinics (CCC), on the changing landscape of health care in the United States.

Data sources: Selected articles from the scientific literature and data from the industry literature.

Conclusions: The concept of the CCC has been well‐received by the public, and nurse practitioners (NPs) have been intimately involved in the development and expansion of these clinics. The professional association of CCCs has been instrumental in promoting operational standards for CCCs to insure a high quality of service. Some resistance to the concept from physicians remains but the convenience for consumers appears to drive the high levels of satisfaction reported.

Implications for practice: Collaboration among all healthcare providers is essential to expand access to care for everyone. NPs are crucial to the operation of CCCs and provide care that is well‐received by consumers.
Psychological empowerment and structural empowerment among nurse practitioners
Authors: Stewart Julie G. , McNulty Rita , Griffin Mary T. Quinn , Fitzpatrick Joyce J.
Published: January 2010

Abstract

Purpose: Empowering workplaces provide practitioners with access to information, support, resources, and opportunities to learn and grow. Empowerment is also a psychological process, which occurs when one has a sense of motivation in relation to the workplace environment. There is no previous research on the relationship of psychological empowerment and structural empowerment in nurse practitioner (NP) practice.

Data Sources: Structural empowerment was measured using the conditions of work effectiveness questionnaire‐II (CWEQ‐II), and psychological empowerment was measured using Spreitzer's psychological empowerment scale. The sample consisted of 74 NPs in the state of Connecticut. The correlational scores for the instruments were derived with n = 72 as two subjects had extreme scores on multiple variables and were excluded. There were significant correlations between psychological and structural empowerment for total scores, and within 10 of these tools' subscales.

Conclusions: The NPs who participated in this study scored high on perceptions of structural empowerment and psychological empowerment. The results of the psychological empowerment instrument indicated that the NPs value their work and find meaning in what they do.

Implications for Practice: The relationships between psychological empowerment and structural empowerment have been linked to work effectiveness, quality patient care, cost‐effectiveness, and retention. Study results support an implication that it is of critical importance for the organization or practice setting to facilitate both psychological and structural empowerment to the NP to ensure successful practice.
Dysphagia and aspiration pneumonia in older adults
Authors: Sue Eisenstadt Ellen
Published: January 2010

Purpose: To review the risks, diagnosis, management, and prevention of aspiration pneumonia in adults over age 65, and discuss the major role of dysphagia as a risk factor in this population.

Data sources: A comprehensive search of the literature using PubMed (MedLine) and CINAHL.

Conclusions: Aspiration pneumonia is a common diagnosis in older adults and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Oropharyngeal and esophageal dysphagia, often related to stroke, dementia, poor oral hygiene, or multiple chronic illnesses, increases the risk of aspiration. Nurse practitioners (NPs) need to be aware that frequent episodes of pneumonia may be caused by aspiration: therefore it is prudent to identify dysphagia and implement precautions.

Implications for practice: Numerous physical, cognitive, or environmental factors have been identified as predictors of aspiration pneumonia. Knowledge of clinical features, treatments, and prevention will help NPs improve outcomes in older adults with aspiration pneumonia; especially those in long‐term care.