bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
POVERTY COMPARISONS WITH ABSOLUTE POVERTY LINES ESTIMATED FROM SURVEY DATA
Authors: Simler Kenneth R. , Arndt Channing
Published: March 2007

The objective of measuring poverty is usually to make comparisons over time or between two or more groups. Common statistical inference methods are used to determine whether an apparent difference in measured poverty is statistically significant. Studies of relative poverty have long recognized that when the poverty line is calculated from sample survey data, both the variance of the poverty line and the variance of the welfare metric contribute to the variance of the poverty estimate. In contrast, studies using absolute poverty lines have ignored the poverty line variance, even when the poverty lines are estimated from sample survey data. Including the poverty line variance could either reduce or increase the precision of poverty estimates, depending on the specific characteristics of the data. This paper presents a general procedure for estimating the standard error of poverty measures when the poverty line is estimated from survey data. Based on bootstrap methods, the approach can be used for a wide range of poverty measures and methods for estimating poverty lines. The method is applied to recent household survey data from Mozambique. When the sampling variance of the poverty line is taken into account, the estimated standard errors of Foster–Greer–Thorbecke and Watts poverty measures increase by 15–30 percent at the national level, with considerable variability at lower levels of aggregation.
THE MEASUREMENT OF INCOME DISTRIBUTION DYNAMICS WHEN DEMOGRAPHICS ARE CORRELATED WITH INCOME
Authors: Cogneau Denis , Grimm Michael
Published: March 2007

We show how to account for differentials in demographic variables, in particular mortality, when performing welfare comparisons over time. The idea is to apply various ways of “correcting” estimated income distribution measures for “sample selection” due to differential mortality. We distinguish the direct effect of mortality, i.e. individuals who die leave the population and no longer contribute to monetary welfare, from the indirect effect, i.e. the impact on survivors in the deceased's household who may experience a decrease or increase in monetary welfare. In the case of Indonesia, we show that the direct and indirect effects of mortality on income distribution have opposite signs, but are roughly the same in magnitude. Moreover, the effects of other demographic changes dominate the effects of mortality, whether direct or indirect. However, in the post‐crisis period these demographic changes also explain a substantial part of the overall change in the distribution of income.
Managed Migration: The Caribbean Approach to Addressing Nursing Services Capacity
Authors: Salmon Marla E. , Yan Jean , Hewitt Hermi , Guisinger Victoria
Published: March 2007

Objective. To (1) provide a contextual analysis of the Caribbean region with respect to forces shaping the current and emerging nursing workforce picture in the region; (2) discuss country‐specific case(s) within the Caribbean; and (3) describe the Managed Migration Program as a potential framework for addressing regional and global nurse migration issues.

Principal Findings. The Caribbean is in the midst of a crisis of shortages of nurses with an average vacancy rate of 42 percent. Low pay, poor career prospects, and lack of education opportunities are among the reasons nurses resign. Many of these nurses look outside the region for job opportunities in the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, and other countries. Compounding the situation is the lack of resources to train nurses to fill the vacancies. The Managed Migration Program of the Caribbean is a multilateral, cross‐sector, multi‐interventional, long‐term strategy for developing and maintaining an adequate supply of nurses for the region.

Conclusions. The Managed Migration Program of the Caribbean has made progress in establishing regional support for addressing the nursing shortage crisis and developing a number of interesting initiatives such as training for export and temporary migration. Recommendations to move the Managed Migration Program of the Caribbean forward focus on advocacy, integration of the program into regional policy decisions, and integration of the program with regional health programming.
International Recruitment of Nurses: Policy and Practice in the United Kingdom
Authors: Buchan James
Published: March 2007

Objective. To synthesize information about nurse migration into and out of the United Kingdom in the period to 2005, and to assess policy implications.

Principal Findings. There has been rapid growth in inflow of nurses to the United Kingdom from other countries. In recent years, 40–50 percent of new nurse registrants in the United Kingdom have come from other countries, principally the Philippines, Australia, India, and South Africa. Outflow has been at a lower level, mainly to other English‐speaking developed countries—Australia, the United States, New Zealand, Ireland, and Canada. The United Kingdom is a net importer of nurses. The principal policy instrument in the United Kingdom, the Code of Practice on International Recruitment, has not ended the inflow of nurses to the United Kingdom from sub‐Saharan Africa.

Conclusions. Given the increasing globalization of labor markets, it is likely that the historically high levels of inflow of internationally recruited nurses to the United Kingdom will continue over the next few years; however the “peak” number reached in 2002/2003 may not be repeated, particularly as large‐scale active international recruitment has now been ended, for the short term at least. New English language tests and other revised requirements for international applicants being introduced by the Nurses and Midwives Council from September 2005 may restrict successful applications from some countries and will also probably add to the “bottleneck” of international nurse applicants. Demographic‐driven demand for health care, combined with a potential reduction in supply of U.K. nurses as many more reach potential retirement age means that international recruitment is likely to remain on the policy agenda in the longer term, even with further growth in the number of home‐based nurses being trained.
Nurses on the Move: A Global Overview
Authors: Kingma Mireille
Published: March 2007

Objective. To look at nurse migration flows in the light of national nursing workforce imbalances, examine factors that encourage or inhibit nurse mobility, and explore the potential benefits of circular migration.

Principal Findings. The number of international migrants has doubled since 1970 and nurses are increasingly part of the migratory stream. Critical nursing shortages in industrialized countries are generating a demand that is fueling energetic international recruitment campaigns. Structural adjustments in the developing countries have created severe workforce imbalances and shortfalls often coexist with large numbers of unemployed health professionals. A nurse's motivation to migrate is multifactorial, not limited to financial incentives, and barriers exist that discourage or slow the migration process. The migration flows vary in direction and magnitude over time, responding to socioeconomic factors present in source and destination countries. The dearth of data on which to develop international health human resource policy remains. There is growing recognition, however, that migration will continue and that temporary migration will be a focus of attention in the years to come.

Conclusions. Today's search for labor is a highly organized global hunt for talent that includes nurses. International migration is a symptom of the larger systemic problems that make nurses leave their jobs. Nurse mobility becomes a major issue only in a context of migrant exploitation or nursing shortage. Injecting migrant nurses into dysfunctional health systems—ones that are not capable of attracting and retaining staff domestically—will not solve the nursing shortage.
U.S. Nurse Labor Market Dynamics Are Key to Global Nurse Sufficiency
Authors: Aiken Linda H.
Published: March 2007

Objectives.To review estimates of U.S. nurse supply and demand, document trends in nurse immigration to the United States and their impact on nursing shortage, and consider strategies for resolving the shortage of nurses in the United States without adversely affecting health care in lower‐income countries.

Principal Findings.Production capacity of nursing schools is lagging current and estimated future needs, suggesting a worsening shortage and creating a demand for foreign‐educated nurses. About 8 percent of U.S. registered nurses (RNs), numbering around 219,000, are estimated to be foreign educated. Eighty percent are from lower‐income countries. The Philippines is the major source country, accounting for more than 30 percent of U.S. foreign‐educated nurses. Nurse immigration to the United States has tripled since 1994, to close to 15,000 entrants annually. Foreign‐educated nurses are located primarily in urban areas, most likely to be employed by hospitals, and somewhat more likely to have a baccalaureate degree than native‐born nurses. There is little evidence that foreign‐educated nurses locate in areas of medical need in any greater proportion than native‐born nurses. Although foreign‐educated nurses are ethnically more diverse than native‐born nurses, relatively small proportions are black or Hispanic. Job growth for RNs in the United States is producing mounting pressure by commercial recruiters and employers to ease restrictions on nurse immigration at the same time that American nursing schools are turning away large numbers of native applicants because of capacity limitations.

Conclusions.Increased reliance on immigration may adversely affect health care in lower‐income countries without solving the U.S. shortage. The current focus on facilitating nurse immigration detracts from the need for the United States to move toward greater self‐sufficiency in its nurse workforce. Expanding nursing school capacity to accommodate qualified native applicants and implementing evidence‐based initiatives to improve nurse retention and productivity could prevent future nurse shortages.
Developing a Nursing Database System in Kenya
Authors: Riley Patricia L. , Vindigni Stephen M. , Arudo John , Waudo Agnes N. , Kamenju Andrew , Ngoya Japheth , Oywer Elizabeth O. , Rakuom Chris P. , Salmon Marla E. , Kelley Maureen , Rogers Martha , St. Louis Michael E. , Marum Lawrence H.
Published: March 2007

Objective. To describe the development, initial findings, and implications of a national nursing workforce database system in Kenya.

Principal Findings. Creating a national electronic nursing workforce database provides more reliable information on nurse demographics, migration patterns, and workforce capacity. Data analyses are most useful for human resources for health (HRH) planning when workforce capacity data can be linked to worksite staffing requirements. As a result of establishing this database, the Kenya Ministry of Health has improved capability to assess its nursing workforce and document important workforce trends, such as out‐migration. Current data identify the United States as the leading recipient country of Kenyan nurses. The overwhelming majority of Kenyan nurses who elect to out‐migrate are among Kenya's most qualified.

Conclusions. The Kenya nursing database is a first step toward facilitating evidence‐based decision making in HRH. This database is unique to developing countries in sub‐Saharan Africa. Establishing an electronic workforce database requires long‐term investment and sustained support by national and global stakeholders.
Nurse Migration from a Source Country Perspective: Philippine Country Case Study
Authors: Lorenzo Fely Marilyn E. , Galvez‐Tan Jaime , Icamina Kriselle , Javier Lara
Published: March 2007

Objectives. To describe nurse migration patterns in the Philippines and their benefits and costs.

Principal Findings. The Philippines is a job‐scarce environment and, even for those with jobs in the health care sector, poor working conditions often motivate nurses to seek employment overseas. The country has also become dependent on labor migration to ease the tight domestic labor market. National opinion has generally focused on the improved quality of life for individual migrants and their families, and on the benefits of remittances to the nation. However, a shortage of highly skilled nurses and the massive retraining of physicians to become nurses elsewhere has created severe problems for the Filipino health system, including the closure of many hospitals. As a result, policy makers are debating the need for new policies to manage migration such that benefits are also returned to the educational institutions and hospitals that are producing the emigrant nurses.

Conclusions and Recommendations. There is new interest in the Philippines in identifying ways to mitigate the costs to the health system of nurse emigration. Many of the policy options being debated involve collaboration with those countries recruiting Filipino nurses. Bilateral agreements are essential for managing migration in such a way that both sending and receiving countries derive benefit from the exchange.
International Nurse Recruitment in India
Authors: Khadria Binod
Published: March 2007

Objective. This paper describes the practice of international recruitment of Indian nurses in the model of a “business process outsourcing” of comprehensive training‐cum‐recruitment‐cum‐placement for popular destinations like the United Kingdom and United States through an agency system that has acquired growing intensity in India.

Findings. Despite the extremely low nurse to population ratio in India, hospital managers in India are not concerned about the growing exodus of nurses to other countries. In fact, they are actively joining forces with profitable commercial ventures that operate as both training and recruiting agencies. Most of this activity is concentrated in Delhi, Bangalore, and Kochi.

Conclusions. Gaps in data on nursing education, employment, and migration, as well as nonstandardization of definitions of “registered nurse,” impair the analysis of international migration of nurses from India, making it difficult to assess the impact of migration on vacancy rates. One thing is clear, however, the chain of commercial interests that facilitate nurse migration is increasingly well organized and profitable, making the future growth of this business a certainty.
Market Transparency and the Accounting Regime
Authors: BLECK ALEXANDER , LIU XUEWEN
Published: March 2007

We model the interaction of financial market transparency and different accounting regimes. This paper provides a theoretical rationale for the recently proposed shift in accounting standards from historic cost accounting to marking to market. The paper shows that marking to market can provide investors with an early warning mechanism while historical cost gives management a “veil” under which they can potentially mask a firm's true economic performance. The model provides new explanations for several empirical findings and has some novel implications. We show that greater opacity in financial markets leads to more frequent and more severe crashes in asset prices (under a historic‐cost‐accounting regime). Moreover, our model indicates that historic cost accounting can make the financial market more rather than less volatile, which runs counter to conventional wisdom. The mechanism shown in the model also sheds light on the cause of many financial scandals in recent years.
Assessing the Information Content of Mark‐to‐Market Accounting with Mixed Attributes: The Case of Cash Flow Hedges
Authors: GIGLER FRANK , KANODIA CHANDRA , VENUGOPALAN RAGHU
Published: March 2007

We examine how outsiders rationally interpret a reported loss on derivatives when the application of mark‐to‐market accounting to cash flow hedges creates a mixed attribute problem. We find that because of the mixed attribute problem, the information content of mark‐to‐market accounting is related to the information content of historical cost accounting in a very specific way. This relationship allows us to identify the circumstances under which mark‐to‐market accounting facilitates and when it detracts from the objective of providing an early warning of potential financial distress. We show that the reporting of an impending derivative loss by a distressed firm can actually lead outsiders to infer that the firm is in a better financial position than what they would have inferred under the silence associated with historical cost accounting. Without the mixed attribute problem, mark‐to‐market accounting would always yield more accurate assessments of the firm's financial position.
Which Institutional Investors Trade Based on Private Information About Earnings and Returns?
Authors: BUSHEE BRIAN J. , GOODMAN THEODORE H.
Published: March 2007

Recent work suggests that institutional investors execute profitable trades based on private information about earnings and returns. We provide new evidence on the prevalence and sources of such informed trading by (1) testing for the creation and liquidation of positions based on private information, (2) introducing private information proxies that reflect the size and nature of an institution's position in each portfolio firm, and (3) using a methodology that examines multiple investor characteristics simultaneously at the institution‐firm level. We find that changes in ownership by institutions with large positions in a firm are consistent with informed trading. However, other previously documented proxies for private information produce results more consistent with risk‐based trading (e.g., investment style) or insignificant in the presence of other proxies (e.g., fiduciary type). We also find that informed trading is more prevalent in small firms and when the large positions are taken by investment advisers and large institutions.
Never Ending Stories: Recent Trends in the Historiography of Jammu and Kashmir
Authors: Hewitt Vernon
Published: March 2007

This article reviews recent historiography on Jammu and Kashmir, showing how it has sought to escape an overemphasis on independence and partition, and has sought to relocate itself free of the histories of India and Pakistan. In doing so, it has tried to critique the official Indian and Pakistani sources, question the homogeneity of Kashmiri identity, and interrogate the aims and objectives of leading Kashmiri nationalists, primarily that of Sheikh Abdullah. It has also sought to identify the multiplicity of Kashmiri voices premised on issues of culture and language. Energised by the recent violence and turmoil within Indian administered Kashmir, new trends in historiography hold out real potential in offering not just fresh insights but also new and innovative solutions, at some risk of losing sight of the ‘political’ as an subject open to meaningful generalisation and investigation.
The Ethics and Practice of Islamic Medieval Charity
Authors: Lev Yaacov
Published: March 2007

Charity is deeply embedded in the religious thought and teachings of the three monotheistic religions. This article, while focusing on medieval Islam, is set in a wider framework with references to both Jewish and Christian parallels. Three main topics are examined: the religious meaning of charity, the social and political ramifications of almsgiving, and the impact of the institutional form of charity (the pious endowment system,waqfpl.awqaf) on Muslim medieval society. In the course of this examination, the article deals with the motives and attitudes of the donors (mainly people of the ruling class and the wealthy) and with the recipients of charity (the poor as well as the learned class). The article equally provides an overview of the charitable institutions and functions that existed in Muslim medieval societies.
Sino‐Cuban Relations and Cuba's Future after Fidel Castro
Authors: Cheng Yinghong
Published: March 2007

Since the Soviet block collapsed, how the rest of the communist world has survived the impact has been observed closely by academic and policy communities. This article examines the possibility of the post‐Castro Cuban leadership adopting the Chinese approach – using capitalist mechanism and integrating with world economy to legitimize the one‐party regime – and argues that to forestall such a prospect, the US current embargo policies ought to be abandoned.
Liminal ‘Criminals’: Re‐thinking Historiographies of, and through, the ‘Thuggee’ Phenomenon
Authors: Lloyd Tom
Published: March 2007

If persuasive, this article holds relevance for all historiographical enquiries into ‘the past’, though particularly those engaging with colonial encounters, in which the documentary sources typically relied‐upon are bound‐up with the complex politics of the peculiar political, economic, social and cultural situations in which they were created. In the case of ‘thuggee’– a ‘bandit’ phenomenon suppressed by the British in 1830s India – the complexity of power‐relations between colonizers and colonized are brought to the fore in the court‐records of ‘thug’ trials. In these trials, the British relied upon the use of informants called approvers, who testified against former accomplices in return for a pardon, thus capitalizing on their liminal position in both judicial and criminal worlds. British dependence upon the very ‘criminals’ whose activity they aimed to suppress in order to secure the convictions of other ‘thugs’ has hobbled historical enquiries into ‘thuggee’ however, miring them in questions about its existence or non‐existence independently of the colonial mind. This article argues that a re‐evaluation of the ambitions of historiography and the type of truth‐claims it makes are imperative if historical studies of ‘thuggee’ are to continue to offer insightful impressions about colonial pasts.
Innovative technologies for high performance textiles
Authors: Holme Ian
Published: March 2007

Increasing global competition in textiles has created many challenges for European dyers and finishers. The rapid growth in technical textiles and in their end‐uses has generated many opportunities for the application of innovative chemical finishes. Novel finishes of high added value for apparel fabrics are also greatly appreciated by a more discerning and demanding consumer market. This review will concentrate on some of the new approaches to producing high added value textiles that provide consumers with greater levels of comfort, safety, aesthetics and functional performance. Some of the technologies to be described are developed to the commercial exploitation stage, while others are still in development but offer potential for the future. Textile finishing personnel and companies must be active in keeping abreast of the developments in chemical finishing that are emerging globally, in order to survive and prosper in this very competitive and cost‐conscious sector of the textile industry. The future of textile finishing within Europe depends upon rapid adoption of high performance, high added value finishes that provide innovation and novelty to the consumer, and in seeking out new end‐uses and markets for such finishes.
Fading of reactive dyes on cellulose under light and perspiration
Authors: Zhuang Dehua , Zhang Liyuan , Pan Dawei , He Jinxin
Published: March 2007

The fading of nine reactive dyes on cotton fabrics under light and perspiration was investigated using the ATTS standard and many factors affecting the stability of these dyes were discussed, viz. exposure environment, chromophores of dyes, the pH value and components of the artificial perspiration. The experimental results show that reactive dyes exhibit lowest stability under simultaneous exposure to light, perspiration and oxygen in a wet state. Among all selected dyes, Cu‐complex azo reactive dyes appear to be the most sensitive, whereas anthraquinone reactive dyes show the best stability. The pH value of perspiration may also greatly influence the fading of dyes by affecting the hydrolytic stability of dye–fibre bonding. Furthermore, the study on the contribution of artificial perspiration components discloses that some acidic components play major roles in the fading of the dyes and inorganic salts usually decelerate the fading extent.
Improved reactive dyeing of wool with novel trifunctional reactive dyes†
Authors: Cho H J , Lewis D M , Jia B H
Published: March 2007

The synthesis of a new trifunctional reactive dye is described in this paper by reaction of a di‐chloro‐s‐triazine dye with the specially synthesised amine, N,N’‐bis{2[(2‐chloroethyl)sulphonyl]ethyl}amine. When applied to wool from boiling dyebaths at pH 5, fixation efficiency values of 96% were recorded even at heavy depths (3% owf). In the case of the β‐chloroethyl sulphone group, there is good evidence that elimination to vinyl sulphone occurs readily in mildly acidic dyebaths at the boil. Since elimination is gradual, the reactive species does not form rapidly allowing migration and level dyeing to be achieved.
A study of the properties of ink‐jet printed cotton fabric following low‐temperature plasma treatment
Authors: Yuen C W M , Kan C W
Published: March 2007

This paper studies the effect of low‐temperature plasma treatment on an ink‐jet printed cotton fabric. Due to the specific printing and conductivity requirements for ink‐jet printing, not all conventional printing chemicals, such as sodium alginate and urea, used for cotton fabric can be directly incorporated into the ink formulation. As a result, the cotton fabric requires pretreatment with the printing chemicals prior to the stage of ink‐jet printing. Cotton is pretreated with the printing chemicals by means of a coating method. The aim of this paper was to study the possibility and effectiveness of applying low‐temperature plasma treatment to enhance the performance of pretreatment paste containing sodium alginate so as to improve the properties of the ink‐jet printed cotton fabric. Experimental results revealed that a low‐temperature plasma pretreatment coupled with the ink‐jet printing technique could improve the final printed properties of cotton fabric.
Colour gamut produced by applying mixtures of natural dyes on de‐inked mechanical pulp
Authors: Savvidou M I , Economides D G
Published: March 2007

Plants that are available from various regions of Greece were investigated as sources of natural dyes in a paper‐dyeing operation. The production of natural dyes was achieved by aquatic extraction of plant materials in order to obtain an environmentally friendly method of producing the dyes. The extracted dyes were applied on de‐inked mechanical pulp. A broad variation in shade and colour depth was achieved by applying mixtures of plant extracts in various combinations. The produced colours were found to lie in the first and second quadrant of a two‐dimensional chromatic diagram.
Prevalence and Predictors of Poor Antihypertensive Medication Adherence in an Urban Health Clinic Setting
Authors: Hyre Amanda D. , Krousel‐Wood Marie A. , Muntner Paul , Kawasaki Lumie , DeSalvo Karen B.
Published: March 2007

Poor medication adherence may contribute to low hypertension control rates. In 2005, 295 hypertensive patients who reported taking antihypertensive medication were administered a telephone questionnaire including an 8‐item scale assessing medication adherence. Overall, 35.6%,36.0%, and 28.4% of patients were determined to have good, medium, and poor medication adherence, respectively. After multivariable adjustment, adults younger than 50 years and 51 to 60 years were 1.39 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.56–3.42) and 1.53 (95% CI, 0.64–3.66),respectively, times more likely to be less adherent when compared with their counterparts who were older than 60 years. Black adults and men were 4.30 (95% CI, 1.06–17.5) and 2.45 (95% CI, 1.04–5.78) times more likely to be less adherent, respectively. Additionally, caring for dependents, an initial diagnosis of hypertension within 10 years, being uncomfortable about asking the doctor questions, and wanting to spend more time with the doctor if possible were associated with poor medication adherence. The current study identified a set of risk factors for poor antihypertensive medication adherence in the urban setting.
The Nonpharmacologic Treatment of Hypertension: How Effective Is It?An Update
Authors: Moser Marvin , Franklin Stanley S. , Handler Joel
Published: March 2007

Following a hypertension symposium in Los Angeles, CA, in October 2006, a panel was convened to update information about lifestyle changes or the nonpharmacologic treatment of hypertension. Dr Marvin Moser, Clinical Professor of Medicine at the Yale University School of Medicine, moderated the panel. Dr Stanley S. Franklin, Clinical Professor of Medicine and Associate Medical Director of the Heart Disease Prevention Program at the University of California, Irvine, and Dr Joel Handler, Director of the Orange County Kaiser‐Permanente Hypertension Clinic and clinical hypertension leader of the Care Management Institute of Kaiser Permanente, participated in the discussion.
Microalbuminuria: What Is It? Why Is It Important? What Should Be Done About It? An Update
Authors: Chugh Atul , Bakris George L.
Published: March 2007

Microalbuminuria (MA) is defined as a persistent elevation of albumin in the urine of >30 to <300 mg/d (>20 to <200 µg/min). Use of the morning spot urine test for albumin‐to‐creatinine measurement (mg/g) is recommended as the preferred screening strategy for all patients with diabetes and with the metabolic syndrome and hypertension. MA should be assessed annually in all patients and every 6 months within the first year of treatment to monitor the impact of antihypertensive therapy. It is an established risk marker for the presence of cardiovascular disease and predicts progression of nephropathy when it increases to frank microalbuminuria >300 mg/d. Data support the concept that the presence of MA is the kidney's warning that there is a problem with the vasculature. The presence of MA is a marker of endothelial dysfunction and a predictor of increased cardiovascular risk. MA can be reduced, and progression to overt proteinuria prevented, by aggressive blood pressure reduction, especially with a regimen based on medications that block the renin‐angiotensin‐aldosterone system, and control of diabetes. The National Kidney Foundation recommends that blood pressure levels be maintained at or below 130/80 mm Hg in anyone with diabetes or kidney disease.
Genetics and Hypertension
Authors: Weder Alan B.
Published: March 2007

Although it has long been appreciated that there is a genetic component to hypertension, it is only recently that specific genes are being identified. This progress is part of a general advancement of our understanding of common, genetically complex human diseases. This understanding will eventually affect clinical practice.
LPHT metamorphism in a late orogenic transpressional setting, Albera Massif, NE Iberia: implications for the geodynamic evolution of the Variscan Pyrenees
Authors: VILÀ M. , PIN C. , LIESA M. , ENRIQUE P.
Published: March 2007

During the Late Palaeozoic Variscan Orogeny, Cambro‐Ordovician and/or Neoproterozoic metasedimentary rocks of the Albera Massif (Eastern Pyrenees) were subject to low‐pressure/high‐temperature (LPHT) regional metamorphism, with the development of a sequence of prograde metamorphic zones (chlorite‐muscovite, biotite, andalusite‐cordierite, sillimanite and migmatite). LPHT metamorphism and magmatism occurred in a broadly compressional tectonic regime, which started with a phase of southward thrusting (D1) and ended with a wrench‐dominated dextral transpressional event (D2). D1 occurred under prograde metamorphic conditions. D2 started before the P–T metamorphic climax and continued during and after the metamorphic peak, and was associated with igneous activity. P–T estimates show that rocks from the biotite‐in isograd reached peak‐metamorphic conditions of 2.5 kbar, 400 °C; rocks in the low‐grade part of the andalusite‐cordierite zone reached peak metamorphic conditions of 2.8 kbar, 535 °C; rocks located at the transition between andalusite‐cordierite zone and the sillimanite zone reached peak metamorphic conditions of 3.3 kbar, 625 °C; rocks located at the beginning of the anatectic domain reached peak metamorphic conditions of 3.5 kbar, 655 °C; and rocks located at the bottom of the metamorphic series of the massif reached peak metamorphic conditions of 4.5 kbar, 730 °C. A clockwise P–T trajectory is inferred using a combination of reaction microstructures with appropriate P–T pseudosections. It is proposed that heat from asthenospheric material that rose to shallow mantle levels provided the ultimate heat source for the LPHT metamorphism and extensive lower crustal melting, generating various types of granitoid magmas. This thermal pulse occurred during an episode of transpression, and is interpreted to reflect breakoff of the underlying, downwarped mantle lithosphere during the final stages of oblique continental collision.
On the origin of oriented rutile needles in garnet from UHP eclogites
Authors: HWANG S. L. , YUI T. F. , CHU H. T. , SHEN P. , SCHERTL H. P. , ZHANG R. Y. , LIOU J. G.
Published: March 2007

Although oriented rutile needles in garnet have been reported from several ultrahigh‐pressure (UHP) rocks and considered to be important UHP indicators, their crystallographic features including growth habit and lattice correspondences with garnet host have never been properly characterized. This paper presents a detailed analytical electron microscopic (AEM) study on evenly distributed oriented rutile needles in garnet of two eclogitic rocks from Sulu. Some garnet in one UHP diamondiferous quartzofeldspathic rock from the Saxonian Erzgebirge, and in one high‐pressure (HP) felsic granulite from Bohemia also contain a few unevenly distributed oriented rutile needles. They have also been studied for the purpose of comparison. Despite different distribution patterns, AEM revealed that all rutile needles are oriented along the 〈111〉 directions of garnet with their lateral sides surrounded by the {110} planes of garnet, and that the growth directions of most needles are close to the normal of the {101} planes of rutile. No other specific crystallographic orientation relationships between rutile and garnet host were observed, and there is no pyroxene associated with rutile, as necessitated by the precipitation reaction of rutile in garnet as previously proposed. A simple solid‐state precipitation scenario for the formation of the rutile needles in garnet in these two eclogitic rocks is not justified. Three alternative mechanisms are considered for the formation of oriented rutile needles: (i) the rutile needles may be inherited from precursor minerals; (ii) the rutile needles may be formed by a dissolution–reprecipitation mechanism; and (iii) the rutile needles may be formed by cleaving and healing of garnet with rutile deposition. None of these mechanisms can fully explain the observations, although the first one is less likely and the third one is preferred. This study presents an example where the presence of oriented/aligned inclusions in minerals does not necessarily imply a precipitation origin.
Petrology of rodingite derived from eclogite in western Tianshan, China
Authors: LI X‐P. , ZHANG L. , WEI C. , AI Y. , CHEN J.
Published: March 2007

This study reports a new rodingite type which was derived from eclogite enclosed in the ultramafic rocks of Changawuzi ophiolites, western Tianshan, China. Based on petrographical investigations, rodingite, partial rodingitized rock and completely rodingitized rock are characterized in this paper. These rocks show a continuous variation in their bulk compositions, mineralogy and their textural properties from eclogite to rodingite. The completely rodingitized rocks can be further divided into prehnite rodingites, hydrogrossular‐diopside rodingite and vesuvianite rodingites on the basis of the mineral assemblage and textural character. The chemical potential path of μ(SiO2)–μ(CaO/MgO) can be used to constrain the evolution of two stages of rodingitization. The first rodingitization possibly started under conditions of 410–430 °C and 7–9 kbar at upper greenschist facies, and resulted from a secondary serpentinization during exhumation of the subducted slab. A second and pervasive rodingitization took place under conditions of 250–350 °C and 2–10 kbar from greenschist to subgreenschist facies. The P–T path presented shows a retrograde evolution from eclogite to rodingite. We conclude that the process of rodingitization may also take place under subduction zone conditions in addition to its more common occurrence under ocean‐floor metamorphic conditions.
Experimental dehydration kinetics of serpentinite using pore volumometry
Authors: LLANA‐FÚNEZ S. , BRODIE K. H. , RUTTER E. H. , ARKWRIGHT J. C.
Published: March 2007

A series of dehydration experiments was carried out on both intact rock and cold‐pressed powdered samples of serpentinite at temperatures in the range 535–610 °C, 100–170 °C above the onset of the breakdown temperature of 435 °C. Pore water pressures near 120 MPa were servo‐controlled using a pore volumometer that also allowed dehydration reaction progress to be monitored through measurement of the amount of evolved water. Effective hydrostatic confining pressures were varied between 0 and 113 MPa. The reaction rate of intact specimens of initially near‐zero porosity was constant up to 50–80% reaction progress at any given temperature, but decreased progressively as transformation approached completion. Water expulsion rates were not substantially affected by elevation of effective pressures that remained insufficient to cause major pore collapse. An Arrhenius relation links reaction rate to temperature with an activation enthalpy of 429 ± 201 and 521 ± 52 kJ mol−1 for powdered and intact specimens, respectively. Microstructural study of intact specimens showed extensive nucleation beginning at pre‐existing cracks, veins and grain boundaries, and progressing into the interior of the lizardite grains. Extrapolation of these data towards equilibrium temperature provides an upper bound on the kinetics of this reaction in nature.
Effect of a Collaborative Approach on the Quality of Prescribing for Geriatric Inpatients: A Randomized, Controlled Trial
Authors: Spinewine Anne , Swine Christian , Dhillon Soraya , Lambert Philippe , Nachega Jean B. , Wilmotte Léon , Tulkens Paul M.
Published: March 2007

OBJECTIVES:To evaluate the effect of pharmaceutical care provided in addition to acute Geriatric Evaluation and Management (GEM) care on the appropriateness of prescribing.

DESIGN:Randomized, controlled trial, with the patient as unit of randomization.

SETTING:Acute GEM unit.

PARTICIPANTS:Two hundred three patients aged 70 and older.

INTERVENTION:Pharmaceutical care provided from admission to discharge by a specialist clinical pharmacist who had direct contacts with the GEM team and patients.

MEASUREMENTS:Appropriateness of prescribing on admission, at discharge, and 3 months after discharge, using the Medication Appropriateness Index (MAI), Beers criteria, and Assessing Care of Vulnerable Elders (ACOVE) underuse criteria and mortality, readmission, and emergency visits up to 12 months after discharge.

RESULTS:Intervention patients were significantly more likely than control patients to have an improvement in the MAI and in the ACOVE underuse criteria from admission to discharge (odds ratio (OR)=9.1, 95% confidence interval (CI)=4.2–21.6 and OR=6.1, 95% CI=2.2–17.0, respectively). The control and intervention groups had comparable improvements in the Beers criteria.

CONCLUSION:Pharmaceutical care provided in the context of acute GEM care improved the appropriate use of medicines during the hospital stay and after discharge. This is an important finding, because only limited data exist on the effect of various strategies to improve medication use in elderly inpatients. The present approach has the potential to minimize risk and improve patient outcomes.
Home Intravenous Antimicrobial Infusion Therapy: A Viable Option in Older Adults
Authors: Cox Amanda M. , Malani Preeti N. , Wiseman Stephen W. , Kauffman Carol A.
Published: March 2007

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether older adults and younger adults are equally able to administer home intravenous antimicrobial infusion therapy (home IV antimicrobials) without intensive support from home care agencies.

DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING: Veterans Affairs Ann Arbor Healthcare System, a 100‐bed tertiary care medical center.

PARTICIPANTS: All patients who received home IV antimicrobials from July 1, 2000, through December 31, 2003.

MEASUREMENTS: Demographic data, underlying medical conditions, indications for therapy, antimicrobial agents administered, concomitant medications, frequency of patient visits and phone calls, adverse events, and outcomes of infections.

RESULTS: A total of 205 patients received 231 courses of home IV antimicrobials, with 107 courses in patients aged 60 and older and 124 courses in patients younger than 60. For both groups, the most common indication for therapy was osteoarticular infections, and the predominant pathogens were Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase‐negative Staphylococcus. Older patients were significantly more likely than younger patients to require the assistance of family members to help with the infusion and were more likely to be seen in urgent care or to call the infectious diseases pharmacist or physicians with questions. Overall, clinical outcomes and numbers of adverse events were similar in both groups, with the exception of nephrotoxicity, which was greater in the older group (P=.02).

CONCLUSION: With appropriate support from a hospital‐based home IV antimicrobials therapy team, home IV antimicrobial appears to be a viable option for older adults.
Association Between Fasting Plasma Glucose and Left Ventricular Mass and Left Ventricular Hypertrophy over 4 Years in a Healthy Population Aged 60 and Older
Authors: Lin Tsung‐Hsien , Chiu Herng‐Chia , Su Ho‐Ming , Voon Wen‐Chol , Liu Hong‐Wen , Lai Wen‐Ter , Sheu Sheng‐Hsiung
Published: March 2007

OBJECTIVES: To test the association between fasting glucose level and left ventricular mass (LVM) and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in people aged 60 and older.

DESIGN: Population‐based prospective study with 4‐year follow‐up.

SETTING: Department of Internal Medicine and Family Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University (KMU), Chung‐Ho Memorial Hospital, and Graduate Institute of Medicine and Public Health, KMU.

PARTICIPANTS: Of 1,500 people screened, 105 without symptoms or signs of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, or cardiovascular disease were recruited from senior activity centers in Kaohsiung city.

MEASUREMENTS: All received two‐dimensional echocardiography and fasting glucose examination at baseline and at 2‐ and 4‐year follow‐up. LVH was defined as a LVM index (LVMI) greater than 122.4 g/m2 or 51 g/m2.7.

RESULTS: Age ranged from 60 to 81 (mean 71.7±3.9). Baseline glucose ranged from 83 to 118 mg/dL (mean 99.7±7.9 mg/dL). LVMI was significantly higher at the 4‐year follow‐up (97.5±24.9 vs 104.5±27.5 g/m2 and 44.2±12.1 vs 47.2±13.4 g/m2.7, both P<.01), as was the occurrence of LVH (16% vs 32% and 25% vs 39%, both P<.01). Baseline glucose correlates with 4‐year change in LVMI (both P<.02). In the fourth year, baseline glucose was a significant predictor of LVMI (both P<.01) and LVH (P=.03 in g/m2 definition) using logistic regression analysis.

CONCLUSION: Because fasting glucose is an independent predictor for greater LVM and for development of LVH, it should be considered in assessment of cardiac disease and LVM in healthy older people without diabetes mellitus.
Wanderers with Cognitive Impairment in Department of Veterans Affairs Nursing Home Care Units
Authors: Schonfeld Lawrence , King‐Kallimanis Bellinda , Brown Lisa M. , Davis Darlene M. , Kearns William D. , Molinari Victor A. , Werner Dennis H. , Beattie Elizabeth R. , Nelson Audrey L.
Published: March 2007

OBJECTIVES: To explore the extent of and factors associated with male nursing home residents who wander.

DESIGN: Cross‐sectional design with secondary data analyses.

SETTING: One hundred thirty‐four nursing home facilities operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

PARTICIPANTS: Fifteen thousand ninety‐two nursing home residents with moderate or severe cognitive impairment admitted over a 4‐year period.

MEASUREMENTS: Selected variables from the Minimum Data Set included ratings recorded at residents' admission to the nursing home (cognitive impairment, mood, behavior problems, activities of daily living, and wandering).

RESULTS: In this sample of residents with moderate or severe cognitive impairment, the proportion of wanderers was found to be 21%. Wanderers were more likely to exhibit severe (vs moderate) cognitive impairment, socially inappropriate behavior, resistance to care, use of antipsychotic medication, independence in locomotion or ambulation, and dependence in activities of daily living related to basic hygiene. A sizable proportion of wanderers were found to be wheelchair users (25%) or were wanderers with dual dementia and psychiatric diagnoses (23%), characteristics that are not well documented in the literature.

CONCLUSION: These results support previous clinical understanding of wanderers to be those who are more likely to exhibit more‐severe cognitive impairment. Based on a statistical model with variables generated from prior research findings, classification as a wanderer was found to be associated with other disruptive activity such as socially inappropriate behavior and resisting care. Two understudied populations of wanderers were documented: wheelchair wanderers and those with comorbid dementia and psychiatric diagnoses. Future longitudinal studies should examine predictors of wandering behavior, and further research should explore the understudied subpopulations of wheelchair and dual‐diagnosis wanderers who emerged in this study.