bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of the East Asian Economic Crisis on Health and Health Care: Malaysia's Response
Authors: MBBS Abu Bakar Suleiman , MBBS Lye M. S. , Yon Rohaizat , MBBS Teoh S. C. , Alias Mymoon
Published: June 2011

In the wake of the east Asian economic crisis, the health budget for the public sector in Malaysia was cut by 12%. The Ministry of Health responded swiftly with a series of broad-based and specific strategies. There was a careful examination of the operating expenditure and where possible measures were taken to minimise the effects of the budget constraints at the service interface. The MOH reprioritised the development of health projects. Important projects such as rural health projects and training facilities, and committed projects, were continued. In public health, population-based preventive and promotive activities were expected to experience some form of curtailment. There is a need to refocus priorities, maximise the utilisation of resources, and increase productivity at all levels and in all sectors, both public and private, in order to minimise the impact of the economic downturn on health.
Role of Schools of Public Health on Maternal and Child Health Programmes in the Asia-Pacific Region
Authors: Zulkifli Siti Norazah , Yun-Low Wah , Yusof Khairuddin
Published: June 2011

This paper assessed the role of public health schools on maternal and child health programmes in the Asia Pacific region. Economic development and its associated effects, particularly in the ASEAN countries, for example, migrant labour, ageing, environmental health, turbulence and social climate, has a tremendous impact on maternal and child health. Based on these current issues, it is evident that public health schools can play a major role in maternal and child health in terms of policy formulation and programme development. Several areas were proposed as to what schools of public health can do, namely, through networking, communication, research and training.
Measles, Immunisation and Disease: Situation Analysis in a Resettlement Area of Northern India
Authors: Chaturvedi Sanjay , Aggarwal OP
Published: June 2011

India has a goal of covering all infants with measles immunisation between 9-12 months. The present study was conducted in a resettlement area of east Delhi, with a population of nearly one lac, to assess the extent of measles immunisation and infection among children aged under three years. All the 21 blocks of the area were covered and 10% households were selected by systematic random sampling from each of the blocks to provide 944 households and 517 under-3 children, who were individually examined by a doctor. Two hundred and eighty one children aged 12 months or above were immunised at or after 9 months giving a coverage of 74.14%. Among the immunised children 7.78% and 8.36% were vaccinated before and after the recommended age-range (9-12 months) respectively. One fifth of the children aged 12 months or above were not immunised against measles at all. Among the surviving under-3 children, no child suffered measles before 6 months but 11.86% of the children had measles between 6-8 months. Six children were vaccinated even after measles episode and seven children had measles even after immunisation. Systematic community contact and special attention to resistant and hostile parents is important in order to accomplish 100% coverage. In view of the sizeable proportion of measles infection among the age group of 6-8 months, there is a case for bringing forward the recommended age for measles immunisation, if we are to eradicate the disease.
Side Effects and Discontinuation Rates of Intrauterine Contraceptive Device Use in the Jilin Province of China
Authors: Wu Tiejian , Buck Germaine
Published: June 2011

Data from the Fertility and Contraception Survey undertaken in the Jilin Province in 1988 were used to examine both the rates of side effects and discontinuation among women using intrauterine devices (IUDs). The results show that among the 1, 912 first time IUD users, the combined side effects rate comprising excessive bleeding, irregular menstruation, or abdominal pain was 11.7 percent; 0.2 percent of first time IUD users became seriously ill due to faulty insertion techniques. The gross cumulative failure rates at the end of the first, second and third year following insertion were 5.3%, 9.2% and 11.9%, respectively. Total gross cumulative discontinuation rates for these three time periods were 9.9%, 19.3%, and 28.3%, respectively. It was also found that selected social and service factors such as nationality, farm/non-farm residency, medical institution where the insertion was provided, interval between the date of last pregnancy and the date of the insertion, and the number of children at the time of insertion were associated with IUD-related side effects and/or discontinuation. The Findings are further discussed with respect to governmental intervention in regulating family size, in terms of the reliability of the self-reported data, and other IUD related effects.
A Survey on the Vaccination Practice for Perinatal Hepatitis B Virus Infection at a Clinic in Okinawa, Japan
Authors: Hokama Tomiko , Yara Asao , Hirayama Kiyotake , Itokazu Ken , Uema Nobuhiro , Kinjho Rieko , Yabu Eri , Toma Fusako
Published: June 2011

The prevalence of hapatitis B (HB) virus carrier mothers and the HB immunization rate at a clinic in Okinawa prefecture were investigated. The prevalence of HB virus carrier mothers during 1981-1985, 1986-1994 and 1995-1997 were 3.5%, 2.3% and 1.1% respectively. According, to the national prevention program, passive-active immunoprophylaxis with HB immune globulin (HBIG) and HB vaccine was carried out for 12 infants born to HB virus carrier mothers positive for HBe antigen (high risk infants) and for 24 infants born to carrier mothers negative for HBe antigen (low risk infants) since 1986. The immunization rate of high risk infants and low risk infants were 100.0 % and 91.7%, respectively. A follow up system for the prevention program and assessment of vaccination schedule will be necessary to improve HB immunization rate of low risk infants in the future.
Factors Involved In the Diagnosis of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Malaysia
Authors: Khoo SP , Shanmuhasuntharam P , Mahadzir WM , Tay KK , Latif A , Nair S
Published: June 2011

The delay in the diagnosis of oral cancer has been variously reported as being contributed by the clinicians, patients or both. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the referral pattern of 65 patients eventually diagnosed as having oral squamous cell carcinoma. The results showed that 50% of the patients delayed seeking professional help for more than 3 months after being aware of the lesion. The majority of the patients consulted medical practitioners as the first source of help. The mean clinicians' and patients' delay were 10.3 weeks and 28.9 weeks respectively. Dental practitioners showed a tendency to refer more advanced lesions compared to the medical practitioners. The findings raise the concern that lack of patients' awareness, misdiagnosis by clinicians and late detection by dental practitioners prevail thus calling for urgent measures towards early detection of the disease.
Ultraviolet Radiation and Cataract—A Review
Authors: Hayashi Liju Chu , Yano Eiji
Published: June 2011

Senile cataract has become a serious public health problem as the elderly population is increasing worldwide. As lens with dark iris is reported to have a higher prevalence of cataract, public health concern about cataract in Asia is a bigger issue. Among factors assumed to be involved in the pathogenesis of cataract, ultraviolet radiation (UV) has received much attention in accordance with the recent problem of ozone column depletion. It has been agreed that UV induces cataract in animal and biochemical experiments. However, in epidemiological studies, such agreement has not been reached. There are many factors that should be considered and controlled when investigating the association between cataract and UV.

In this review, we summarize major findings obtained so far on the relationship between UV and cataract, and we discuss important factors that may be the cause of disagreement in epidemiological studies. We also point out some of the research foci which should be clarified and propose protective measures against UV induced cataract.
Attitudes Towards Abortion Among Married Women in Shanghai
Authors: Ling Li , Hayashi Kenji , Wang Ling
Published: June 2011

The current study sheds light on factors affecting women's attitudes towards abortion in Shanghai, China. A sample of 1,000 women aged from 20 through 49 years were interviewed. The samples were obtained from the outpatients in visiting order in five clinics including that of Shanghai University of Medical Sciences and interviews were conducted concurrently in the clinics until the required numbers were obtained. Analysis revealed permissive attitudes towards abortion related not only to their demographic and socioeconomic background such as women's age, educational attainment, monthly income, residence during childhood days, but also to their husband's attitudes towards contraception. The results suggested that “contraception care free” husband would expose his spouse to risk of an abortion and the episode of abortion would subsequently shape the women's attitudes towards abortion reflecting their negative psychological response. The 1995 official statistics for Shanghai showed that 92% of married women had practised contraception. Taking the contraceptive prevalence rate into account, the current study seems to suggest that abortion control in Shanghai is greatly dependent on the educational level of the husband.
Representativeness of Three Survey Methods in Ethnic Health Research
Authors: Rissel Chris , Jorm Louisa , Ward Jeanette
Published: June 2011

Study objective: To identify the survey method which generates the most representative sample of respondents in an ethnic community

Design: Three survey methods (including sampling from the telephone book and telephone surveys, cluster sampling of households from areas with known high concentrations of migrants from the target community and face-to-face interviews, and sampling of persons listed on the electoral roll and a mailed survey) were employed concurrently in a defined area.

Setting: Metropolitan Sydney, Australia.

Participants: Persons aged 18 years or more born in Lebanon.

Main results: The telephone survey method consistently outperformed cluster sampling and sampling from the electoral roll in terms of cost, response and contact rates, ease and speed of administration and representativeness of the sample. All methods generated a similar age profile but over-represented females compared with census data for the study area. There was relatively little duplication of respondents. The proportion of respondents who rated their health as fair or poor was comparable.

Conclusions: Telephone surveying of migrant populations is a recommended strategy for health research in the Lebanese migrant population in metropolitan Sydney, and is also likely to be recommended for migrant populations with ethnically identifiable surnames.
Gender Differences in Health-Related Practices among University Students in Northeast Thailand
Authors: Nanakorn Somsong , Osaka Ryoko , Chusilp Kusuma , Tsuda Akira , Maskasame Srinoi , Ratanasiri Amornrat
Published: June 2011

The study aims at appraising gender differences in health-related practices, and health behaviour among university students of the Khon Kaen University, northeast Thailand, using a self-administered questionnaire. Of 539 university students, there were 155 males, 384 females, with mean ages 19.7 (±1.2) and 19.6 (±1.1) years, respectively. Persistent health problems were not significantly different between male and female students (12.9% vs. 15.4%). An average body mass index (BMI) was significantly different between male and female students (20.2 ± 2.1 vs. 19.8 ± 2.1). Female students reported positive health habits, in terms of drinking, smoking, sun protection, tooth brushing, fruit consumption, conscious efforts to avoid fat and cholesterol, over men, while regular exercise and safety belt use were more likely practised among male students. Using ANOVA and pairwise multiple comparisons, female students demonstrated better health eating habits than men (p=0.0001). Coronary heart disease preventive habits between the medical and non-medical faculty was greater for female students than for male students (p=0.0006 for gender; p=0.0001 for faculty). Health behaviour (combination of health eating habits, deliberate nutritional practices and coronary heart diseases preventive behaviour) was found to be better practised among women than men (p= 0.0001). These findings, therefore, should focus attention on university students as a target group for health education.
A Statewide Survey of General Practitioners in NSW, Australia, about Immunisation and Strategies to Increase Childhood Immunisation Rates
Authors: Guevarra Maria Victoria C , Gupta Leena , Heath Timothy C , Burgess Margaret A
Published: June 2011

A statewide survey was conducted to ascertain GPs' views in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, about the potential usefulness of strategies to increase immunisation rates and to facilitate providing childhood immunisation in their practice. The survey also explored the usefulness of information sources about immunisation. From September 1997-January 1998, a cross-sectional study using a four page self-administered questionnaire was undertaken. Four hundred GPs practising in NSW, Australia were randomly selected and 343 were eligible to participate. Of these, 281 returned a completed questionnaire (82% response rate). Ninety-one percent and 88% of GPs, respectively, agreed that television campaigns or registering children with the national Australian Childhood Immunisation Register (ACIR) w ere likely to increase immunisation rates. Sixty-two percent of respondents considered that the media created unwarranted parental concern about immunisation. GPs most commonly rated availability of an ACIR list of children overdue for immunisation, better parent educational material and better access to vaccines as strategies which would make immunisation easier. Sixty percent of respondents felt that increased GP payments would be successful in increasing immunisation rates. Only 51% indicated that they had used the “Australian Immunisation Procedures Handbook 6th edition” (a national clinical practice guideline) in the previous month. This study identified GP support for many initiatives aimed at increasing immunisation rates in Australia although GPs were sceptical about the benefits of some programmes. Studies to monitor the impact of GP incentives on immunisation rates in populations and individual practices are underway. These will be useful in determining whether GPs' opinions found in our study correlate with practice in this regard.
Pattern and Distribution of Ocular Morbidity in Primary School Children of Rural Delhi
Authors: Chaturvedi Sanjay , Aggarwal O. P.
Published: June 2011

A total of 679 primary school children drawn from developed southern parts and underdeveloped eastern parts of Delhi were examined for ocular morbidity. Their age range was 5-15 years and both sexes had almost equal representation.

The prevalence of eye diseases was relatively high. Over 40 percent of all the children studied had one or more ocular problems. Trachoma (18%) was the most common ocular morbidity followed by vitamin A deficiency (10.6%), visual acuity <6/9 (7.4%) and apparent / latent squint (7.4%). In most of these eye disorders, the majority of the children came from the underdeveloped eastern parts of Delhi.

Ocular morbidity seems to be unevenly distributed in rural Delhi with a significantly worse picture in the underdeveloped eastern parts, across the river ‘Yamuna’.

Though blinding trachoma may cease to be a major problem in India, the country continues to have endemic pockets of its non-blinding form.

One puzzling observation was that children with protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) did not show any specific vulnerability to ocular diseases. In fact, those with normal weight-height index were having a higher share of eye diseases. Though this issue needs to be explored further in the light of biological plausibility, it appears that children who do not have PEM are also exposed to ocular diseases at least with comparable risk.
An Investigation of the Disabled Elderly in a Geriatric Health Services Facility in an Urban Area of Japan & Attitudes of their Family Caregiver
Authors: Watanabe Misuzu , Kono Koichi , Miyata Kaori , Nakaya Hisanaga , Higuchi Yumi , Kawamura Keiko
Published: June 2011

We investigated characteristics of 72 clients in a geriatric health services facility (hereafter called GHSF), conditions of their family caregivers, and the factors associated with the caregivers choice of discharge destination.

Most of the clients were elderly females with a low degree of independence, and dementia was observed in about 60% of them. The clients had children, but many of them lived alone before admission to the GHSF. The rate of admission from hospitals was high (54%), and that of discharge to hospitals was also high (50%). Sixty-seven percent of the clients stayed in for a period of over six months.

Most of the family caregivers were daughters or daughters-in-law, and considered themselves to be healthy. Sixty-three percent of them had jobs, and most of the caregivers had no sub-caregiver to assist them. The family caregivers desired the client's home (19.4%), hospital or another GHSF (54.2%), or nursing home (26.4%) as the discharge destination from the GHSF. According to Hayashi's quantification theory type II, the factors related to the home as the discharge destination desired by client's family caregivers are as follows; caregivers used formal home public health nursing visit service before entering the GHSF, the job of the caregiver was a part-time job, the client did not show dementia, the period of care experience was shorter than one year.
The Prevalence of Low Back Pain in Australian Adults. A Systematic Review of the Literature from 1966-1998
Authors: Walker Bruce F.
Published: June 2011

The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the literature on the prevalence of low back pain in Australian adults. All Australian low back pain prevalence studies published between 1966 and 1998 were identified. General and methodological criteria using current best practice were applied to each prevalence study. Five studies meeting the inclusion criteria were identified. Out of these, three met the minimum current criteria for methodologic acceptance. These studies were Australian Government Health studies conducted over the past 12 years. However, even these studies were flawed, and thus the true prevalence of low back pain in Australia remains uncertain. A methodologically sound study for Australia is recommended as are best practice guidelines for other studies.
Analysis of Birth Weight Data from the Malaysian Family Life Survey II
Authors: Mahmud Awang Bulgiba Awang , Sallam Atiya Ab
Published: June 2011

An analysis of birth weight was undertaken on secondary data derived from the Malaysian Family Life Survey II. A total of 1629 last singleton live birth infants was analysed with the aim of identifying from the variables available potential risk factors for low birth weight. Univariate and subsequently multivariate analyses were carried out for this purpose. The incidence of low birth weight was 11.8 percent. Race, parity and prematurity were found to be significantly associated with low birth weight after controlling of the other variables. The findings indicate that more work needs to be done to establish the underlying reasons for low birth weight in Malaysia.
The Health Impacts of Pesticide Use on Sugarcane Farmers in Fiji
Authors: Szmedra Philip
Published: June 2011

A survey conducted among sugarcane farmers in Fiji found significant differences in the incidence of chronic illness and disease between users of pesticides and a non-user control group. Though average production of sugarcane was markedly higher among pesticide users, average annual medical expenditures were also significantly higher. Advanced technological methods including chemical pesticides require a system of institutional support to provide, inter alia, information for an effective transition from traditional to modern agricultural practices. Without that support the ad hoc application of technology may result in inefficiency and, in the case of pesticides, increased health risks among the farm population. Besides practical handling and application advice farmers require information describing the chronic health impacts of pesticide exposure to allow their weighing of the full costs of pesticide use against the production benefits.
High Toxoplasma Seroprevalence Associated with Meat Eating Habits of Locals in Nepal
Authors: Rai Shiba Kumar , Matsumura Takeo , Ono Kazuo , Abe Ayako , Hirai Kazuko , Rai Ganesh , Sumi Katsumi , Kubota Koji , Uga Shoji , Shrestha Hari Govinda
Published: June 2011

A serosurvey of Toxoplasma gondii infection in apparently healthy subjects (n=404) living in Achham (n=215) and Dang (n=189) districts in western Nepal was carried out. An interview with 249 participants, each representing a household, was also conducted. This interview pertained to their meat eating habits and the keeping of cats in their houses. Toxoplasma antibodies were detected by using the microlatex agglutination test. The overall seroprevalence was 65.3% with no significant difference in the two districts (Achham: 66.9% and Dang: 63.5%) included ( p=0.546). Females and the Indo-Aryan ethnic-group showed marginally higher prevalence compared with their male ( p=0.545) and Tibeto-Burman ( p=0.075) counterparts. The majority of the infections was found to have occurred during childhood. The frequency of meat eating in western and eastern regions differed greatly ( p=0.000) with the people in the eastern region being frequent meat eaters than those in the western region. About one-third of the subjects, all Indo-Aryans, in the western region had the raw meat eating habit but none in the eastern region. Approximately 7.0% of households in both western and eastern regions kept cats. The present findings demonstrated a typical role of meat eating habits of people in the high Toxoplasma seroprevalence in Nepal.
Caries Risk Factors among Three-year Old Children in Chiba, Japan
Authors: Tada Akio , Ando Yuichi , Hanada Nobuhiro
Published: June 2011

In order to predict the factors which affect the occurrence of dental caries in children after the age 18-months, we analyzed the relationship between the increment of the decayed, missing, and filled teeth (dmft) in children from 18-months to three-years of age and caries risk factors. Subjects were 392 infants who received both an 18-month-old check-up and a three-year-old check-up in Chiba city. Stepwise multiple logistic regression analyses were used to analyze the results with the increment of the dmft by various combinations of independent variables (sex, order of birth, sweets intake, beverage intake, tooth brushing and feeding). The most predictive factors for the increment of the dmft in upper anterior and molar were “breast feeding” and “bottle feeding” respectively. From these results, we concluded that bottle feeding and breast feeding were the risk factors for the increment of the dmft from the age of 18-months to three years.
Governance of the London 2012 Olympic Games legacy
Authors: Girginov Vassil
Published: June 2011

This study addresses the governance of the London 2012 Olympics legacy. It presents legacy not as a retrospective but a prospective concept concerned with shaping the future through interactions between the state, market and society. This entails designing systems of governance to guide and steer collective actions towards a consensus amongst various parties concerned. Four modes of governance and a range of policy instruments were examined in the delivery of sustainable London Olympics sport legacy including coercive, voluntarism, targeting and framework regulation. The British government actively created a new policy space and promoted institutional conduct consistent with its legacy visions. The current global legacy framework is lacking the governance dimension and its logic needs to be reconsidered. A meaningful sport legacy requires not top-down approaches but locally informed strategies supported by a developmental design of the Olympic Games informed by sustainable principles.
Health Care Provider Perspectives on Informal Supporters’ Involvement in HIV Care
Authors: Mosack Katie E. , Wendorf Angela R.
Published: June 2011

Positive social support has been associated with medication adherence and slowed disease progression among people living with HIV. The nature of support within the medical context itself has not been adequately investigated, however. The purpose of our study was to describe HIV health care providers’ perspectives on informal supporter-oriented health care and whether and how the involvement of patients’ adult informal supporters in health care and health care decision making is helpful or beneficial. We conducted in-depth qualitative interviews with 11 HIV specialists between March and September, 2005. Using directed qualitative content analysis, we first describe the frequency and course of others’ involvement and the type of support provided. We then situate these findings within the context of role theory and consider the meaning they have in terms of the negotiated relationships among and between patients, providers, and informal supporters. Finally, we provide research and clinical recommendations based on these findings that are designed to improve patient care.
Outcomes and Processes at a Camp for Youth With HIV/AIDS
Authors: Gillard Ann , Witt Peter A. , Watts Clifton E.
Published: June 2011

The impact of HIV/AIDS on the lives of youth with this chronic illness suggests the need for additional support as youth develop. Summer camp can serve as a therapeutic intervention for youth with HIV/AIDS. Using a case study employing observations, focus groups, and interviews, we examined outcomes associated with participation in a camp for youth with HIV/AIDS, and program processes that influenced outcomes. Findings showed that camp played a major developmental role for youth. Three outcomes of camp emerged: (a) forming caring connections (awareness of commonalities, lack of isolation); (b) feeling reprieve and recreation (fun activities, anticipation of and reflection on camp, sense of freedom); and (c) increasing knowledge, attitudes, and skills (conflict management, disclosure, skill learning and education, medication adherence). Processes included formal and informal education, staff–camper interactions, long-term relationships, outside-of-camp support, activities, planning for camper needs, accessibility, and freedom from worry. We discuss implications for youth programs.
Sleep and Psychomotor Vigilance in Female Shiftworkers
Authors: Ruggiero Jeanne S. , Redeker Nancy S. , Fiedler Nancy , Avi-Itzhak Tamara , Fischetti Natalie
Published: June 2011

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationships between sleep and psychomotor vigilance in female nurses and the changes in these variables over time. Participants comprised 16 staff registered nurses (10 day, 6 night; aged 30–65 years [ M = 47.6; SD = 8.1]) who wore wrist actigraphs continuously and completed a 10-min psychomotor vigilance test (PVT-192, Ambulatory Monitoring, Inc., Ardsley, New York) and the Stanford Sleepiness Scale (SSS) in their homes before and after work for three consecutive 24-hr periods. Repeated measures ANOVA revealed that night nurses slept significantly less than day nurses, F(1, 15) = 26.06, p ≤ .001; M = 227.88 ± 37.03 min versus M = 365.75 ± 59.01 min, respectively, daily for three consecutive days. Night nurses napped more frequently and had more changes in the length of their main sleep periods than day nurses. Day nurses reported more wake episodes during main sleep periods. Night nurses were sleepier after work than day nurses; both groups had increased sleepiness after work for the first 2 days and similar psychomotor vigilance test results. These findings suggest that sleep deprivation, irregular sleep patterns, and sleepiness are significant issues for shiftworking nurses. Future study of the characteristics of sleep and sleepiness in a larger sample would be useful to evaluate the focus for interventions to improve sleep and alertness in shiftworking nurses.
The Effects of Music as Therapy on the Overall Well-Being of Elderly Patients on Maintenance Hemodialysis
Authors: Lin Yen-Ju , Lu Kuo-Cheng , Chen Ching-Min , Chang Chia-Chi
Published: June 2011

In this study, the authors explored the use of music during hemodialysis (HD) as a complementary therapy to improve overall well-being in elderly patients. The authors recruited a convenience sample of 88 patients on maintenance HD from a teaching hospital in northern Taiwan and randomly assigned them to either an experimental group ( n = 44) or a control group ( n = 44). In the first week, participants in the experimental group created their own music playlists. During the second week, these participants listened to music from their own playlists during each HD session (three times/week). The authors evaluated the effects of music as therapy by assessing its impact on perceived stressors and adverse reactions during HD (HD Adverse Reactions Self-Assessment Scale and HD Stressor Scale [HSS]) and measuring changes in physiological indices during the course of the music listening. After 1 week of the use of music as therapy during HD, the authors noted significant reductions in the frequency and severity of adverse reactions during dialysis and in scores on the HSS, p < .001. The authors also observed significantly decreased respiratory rate and significantly increased finger temperature and oxygen saturation, p < .001, during the same period. In conclusion, listening to music during HD may promote overall patient well-being. It may thus serve as a complementary form of therapy that facilitates care and delivery of adequate dialysis and thus improves overall patient well-being in the long run.
Bilateral traumatic chylothorax treated by thoracic duct embolization: A rare treatment for an uncommon problem
Authors: Kurklinsky Andrew K , McEachen James C , Friese Jeremy L
Published: June 2011

Prolonged chylothorax is a rare, life-threatening, pleural effusion that may be encountered in the setting of trauma. Conservative treatment may be successful and is the traditional approach in cases of limited chyle output. Early surgical intervention is required in cases with large refractory chyle output, but may be associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Percutaneous thoracic duct embolization is an uncommon, minimally invasive, safe and effective treatment alternative. We report a case of successful thoracic duct embolization to treat large-volume chylothorax due to blunt trauma.
Association of lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 and endothelial function in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)
Authors: Garg Parveen K , McClelland Robyn L , Jenny Nancy S , Criqui Michael , Liu Kiang , Polak Joseph F , Jorgensen Neal W , Cushman Mary
Published: June 2011

Mechanisms underlying the role of lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) in atherosclerotic development are not completely understood. We evaluated the relationship of Lp-PLA2 with endothelial dysfunction, an early manifestation of atherosclerosis, in a cohort without known clinical cardiovascular disease. A total of 2809 participants in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis underwent plasma Lp-PLA2 mass and activity measurement and brachial artery flow-mediated vasodilation testing. In adjusted linear regression models, higher Lp-PLA2 mass and activity levels were not associated with lower endothelial function (−0.04%, p = 0.51 and −0.09%, p = 0.10, respectively). Among individuals with subclinical atherosclerosis based on ankle–brachial index (ABI) or carotid intima–media thickness (IMT), Lp-PLA2 mass and activity were not associated with lower endothelial function (−0.03%, p = 0.88 and −0.31%, p = 0.16 for ABI < 1.00; 0.01%, p = 0.94 and −0.15%, p = 0.20 for abnormal carotid IMT). In summary, Lp-PLA2 is not associated with endothelial dysfunction, suggesting its role in atherosclerosis development is primarily related to other factors.
Avoidance orientation moderates the effect of threatening messages
Authors: van ’t Riet Jonathan , Ruiter Robert AC , de Vries Hein
Published: June 2011

This study investigated the influence of individual differences in people’s dispositional avoidance orientation on the persuasive effects of low- and high-threat messages promoting moderate drinking. First, participents ( N = 99) individual differences in avoidance orientation were assessed, after which they were provided with either high- or low-threat messages about the consequences of drinking too much alcohol. The primary outcome measures were information acceptance, attitude and intention. Results showed that participants low in avoidance orientation were more likely to be persuaded by the low-threat message, whereas participants high in avoidance orientation were more likely to be persuaded by the high-threat message.
Posttraumatic growth in mothers and fathers of children with severe illnesses
Authors: Hungerbuehler Ines , Vollrath Margarete E , Landolt Markus A
Published: June 2011

Posttraumatic growth (PTG) can occur after various types of trauma but has not been studied prospectively in parents of children with chronic diseases. In this study, PTG was assessed in 126 parents of 67 children with type 1 diabetes or cancer three years after diagnosis. Most parents (62.7%) reported at least a moderate degree of PTG. Quality of family relationships, parental psychological distress and child medical characteristics assessed one month after diagnosis, and parents’ gender, explained 34 percent of PTG variance. The findings confirm that a severe disease of a child can lead to personal growth in the child’s parents.
Utilizing Qualitative Data from Nominal Groups: Exploring the Influences on Treatment Outcome Prioritization with Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients
Authors: Sanderson Tessa , Hewlett Sarah , Richards Pam , Morris Marianne , Calnan Michael
Published: June 2011

The nominal group technique generates quantitative data through a process of experts ranking items of interest. This article focuses on the additional collection of qualitative data from nominal groups with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, used to explore the influences on prioritizing treatment outcomes. Across all groups, the top five outcomes with the highest importance scores were identified as: pain; joint damage; fatigue; activities of daily living; and mobility. Qualitative findings showed that the personal impact of RA influenced decisions on how to rank specific outcomes through four domains: disease impact; adaptation to illness; external resources and stressors; and social expectations.
Perceived Risk of Developing Diabetes in Early Adulthood: Beliefs about Inherited and Behavioral Risk Factors across the Life Course
Authors: Dickerson Justin B. , Smith Matthew Lee , Sosa Erica , McKyer E. Lisako , Ory Marcia G.
Published: June 2011

This study aimed to determine how college students perceive their risk of developing diabetes over their life course, with specific emphasis on their beliefs about the influence of inherited versus behavioral risk factors. A bivariate ordered probit regression model was used to simultaneously predict perceived risk for 10-year absolute risk of diabetes and lifetime absolute risk of diabetes. Ten-year and lifetime absolute risk were both increased when the respondent self-identified with a race/ethnicity other than non-Hispanic white (β = 0.42, p < .001 and β = 0.33, p = .004, respectively), and when the respondent had an increasing number of family members with diabetes (β = 0.33, p < .001 and β = 0.45, p < .001, respectively). Beliefs linking behavioral risk factors to perceived risk of developing diabetes across the life course were not statistically significant. The absence of significant association between perceptions of behavioral risk as factors for developing diabetes and perceived risk for diabetes over the life course supports the need for educational interventions about behavioral and genetic causes of diabetes among the college-aged population.
Impacts of a Book Reading Club Intervention on Enhancing Parents’ Positive Thinking
Authors: Hong Zuway-R , Lin Huann-shyang
Published: June 2011

This study investigated the effects of participating in a book reading club on improving parents’ positive interactions with children and positive thinking. A total of 85 parent volunteers were randomized into the experimental or comparison group. The Parent Questionnaire was used to measure positive thinking and interaction with children. Additionally interview results were used to triangulate and elucidate the findings. The findings revealed a positive impact on parents’ positive thinking and interaction with children and that these were significant predictors of parents’ positive thinking. Implications and recommendations are presented.
Enriching the trustworthiness of health-related web pages
Authors: Gaudinat Arnaud , Cruchet Sarah , Boyer Celia , Chrawdhry Pravir
Published: June 2011

We present an experimental mechanism for enriching web content with quality metadata. This mechanism is based on a simple and well-known initiative in the field of the health-related web, the HONcode. The Resource Description Framework (RDF) format and the Dublin Core Metadata Element Set were used to formalize these metadata. The model of trust proposed is based on a quality model for health-related web pages that has been tested in practice over a period of thirteen years. Our model has been explored in the context of a project to develop a research tool that automatically detects the occurrence of quality criteria in health-related web pages.
Developing tools and resources for the biomedical domain of the Greek language
Authors: Vagelatos Aristides , Mantzari Elena , Pantazara Mavina , Tsalidis Christos , Kalamara Chryssoula
Published: June 2011

This paper presents the design and implementation of terminological and specialized textual resources that were produced in the framework of the Greek research project “IATROLEXI”. The aim of the project was to create the critical infrastructure for the Greek language, i.e. linguistic resources and tools for use in high level Natural Language Processing (NLP) applications in the domain of biomedicine. The project was built upon existing resources developed by the project partners and further enhanced within its framework, i.e. a Greek morphological lexicon of about 100,000 words, and language processing tools such as a lemmatiser and a morphosyntactic tagger. Christos Tsalidis, Additionally, it developed new assets, such as a specialized corpus of biomedical texts and an ontology of medical terminology.
A medical ontology for intelligent web-based skin lesions image retrieval
Authors: Maragoudakis Manolis , Maglogiannis Ilias
Published: June 2011

Researchers have applied increasing efforts towards providing formal computational frameworks to consolidate the plethora of concepts and relations used in the medical domain. In the domain of skin related diseases, the variability of semantic features contained within digital skin images is a major barrier to the medical understanding of the symptoms and development of early skin cancers. The desideratum of making these standards machine-readable has led to their formalization in ontologies. In this work, in an attempt to enhance an existing Core Ontology for skin lesion images, hand-coded from image features, high quality images were analyzed by an autonomous ontology creation engine. We show that by exploiting agglomerative clustering methods with distance criteria upon the existing ontological structure, the original domain model could be enhanced with new instances, attributes and even relations, thus allowing for better classification and retrieval of skin lesion categories from the web.
Pirate culture and hacktivist mobilization: The cultural and social protocols of #WikiLeaks on Twitter
Authors: Lindgren Simon , Lundström Ragnar
Published: June 2011

This article uses the case of Twitter activity under the #WikiLeaks hashtag to address issues of social movements online. The aim is to analyze the potential of elusive web spaces as sites of mobilization. Looking at linguistic and social aspects, our main questions were: What are the characteristics of the communication in terms of common discursive codes versus fragmentation? In what respects can social order be distinguished, and to what extent are connections between users simply random? Are there any prominent patterns as regards the commitment of participators over time? With the help of tools from semantic, social network and discourse analysis, we were able to show that common codes, networks of connections and mobilization do exist in this context. These patterns can be seen as part of the elaboration of a ‘cognitive praxis’. In order to organize and mobilize, any movement needs to speak a common language, agree on the definition of the situation and formulate a shared vision. Even though it is global and loosely-knit, Twitter discourse is a space where such processes of meaning-production take place.
Navigating discourses in place in the world of Webkinz
Authors: Wohlwend Karen E. , Vander Zanden Sarah , Husbye Nicholas E. , Kuby Candace R.
Published: June 2011

Geosemiotics (Scollon and Scollon, 2003) frames this analysis of play, multimodal collaboration, and peer mediation as players navigate barriers to online connectivity in a children’s social network and gaming site. A geosemiotic perspective enables examination of children’s web play as discourses in place: fluidly converging and diverging interactions among four factors: (1) social actors, (2) interaction order, (3) visual semiotics, and (4) place semiotics. The video data are excerpted from an ethnographic study of a computer club for primary school-aged children in an afterschool program serving working-class and middle-class families in a US Midwest university community. Discourses of schooling in the computer room and Webkinz complicated children’s goal of coordinated game play and mutual participation in online games. Barriers to online connection produced ruptures that foregrounded childrens’ collaborative management of time and space. This foregrounding makes typically backgrounded practices, modes, and discourses visible and available for deconstruction and critique.
‘From bricks to clicks’: Hybrid commercial spaces in the landscape of early literacy and learning
Authors: Nixon Helen
Published: June 2011

In their quest for resources to support children’s early literacy learning and development, parents encounter and traverse different spaces in which discourses and artifacts are produced and circulated. This paper uses conceptual tools from the field of geosemiotics to examine some commercial spaces designed for parents and children that foreground preschool learning and development. Drawing on data generated in a wider study, I discuss some of the ways in which the material and virtual commercial spaces of a transnational shopping mall company and an educational toy company operate as sites of encounter between discourses and artifacts about children’s early learning and parents of preschoolers. I consider how companies connect with and ‘situate’ people as parents and customers, and then offer pathways designed for parents to follow as they attempt to meet their very young children’s learning and development needs. I argue that these pathways are both material and ideological, and that they are increasingly tending to lead parents to the online commercial spaces of the World Wide Web. I show how companies are using the online environment and hybrid offline and online spaces and flows to reinforce an image of themselves as authoritative brokers of childhood resources for parents, which is highly valuable in a policy climate that foregrounds lifelong learning and school readiness.
‘I don’t know what literacy is’: Uncovering hidden literacies in a community library using ecological and participatory research methodologies with children
Authors: Pahl Kate , Allan Chloe
Published: June 2011

This article describes an ecological study in Eastside, a particular area of Rotherham, a town in the north of England, UK. The purpose of the study was to collect information about literacy practices in a community setting, focusing on a library. The researchers used an ecological approach to data collection. The methodology included approaches such as a community walk around; using Flip video cameras, to record literacy practices; an audit of leaflets and literacy materials in local shops, libraries and other places; a visual log using photographs of the library and its surroundings; and fieldnotes, including observations of parent groups and craft groups, which were written up after each visit by two researchers. Following this, a regular weekly meeting called Research Rebels was set up by a group of young people aged between 6 and 13. This was a participatory project researching literacy in the community and in the library. The project was part of a longer study assessing the impact of a community literacy project in Rotherham. Analysis of the data revealed that the children’s perceptions of literacy included some practices that were less visible to adults. We argue that an understanding of space and place is critical to recognise the way in which children inhabit and use the spaces of literacy practices.
‘Literacy nooks’: Geosemiotics and domains of literacy in home spaces
Authors: Rainbird Sophia , Rowsell Jennifer
Published: June 2011

Conceptualizations of the home have changed, particularly in respect to children’s rearing and development. An increased awareness of early intervention in meeting a child’s learning needs has filtered down into the organization of space in homes. Maximizing learning opportunities by creating ‘literacy nooks’, which involves carving out interactive domains in the home, has become a way of asserting parental agency in their children’s development. The Parents’ Networks project is an Australian Research Council (ARC) funded project that focuses on how specific locales, such as commercial retail outlets, playgroups, libraries, health services and home spaces, have become networks of information sourcing and learning. This paper refers to a sub-project derived from this larger study that focuses specifically on the home space. We suggest that within the home space, parents construct learning environments for preschool children based on concepts of ‘good’ parenting. Four case studies of family homes in the US town of Greystone (pseudonym) are presented, exploring how space is arranged to produce an environment conducive to learning and development. In this article, we locate interview and observational data within space theory to posit how learning is mobilized within and across home environments.