bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The geographical relationships of the British and Irish flora: a comparison of pteridophytes, flowering plants, liverworts and mosses
Authors: Preston C. D. , Hill M. O.
Published: March 2003

AimTo compare the wider distribution of the pteridophytes, flowering plants, liverworts and mosses recorded as natives of Britain and Ireland, and to assess the proportion and distribution of species in each group which belong to predominantly extra‐European genera.

LocationThe species native to the British Isles are considered in relation to their distribution in the Northern Hemisphere, and predominantly extra‐European genera are identified by consideration of the distribution and centre of numerical diversity of the genera worldwide.

MethodsA recent classification of the pteridophytes, flowering plants, liverworts and mosses into floristic elements is used in a quantitative study of the distribution of species in the four groups, the patterns of occurrence being compared by standardized residuals.

ResultsMosses and liverworts have more northerly distributions than the flowering plants in the Northern Hemisphere; pteridophytes show an intermediate pattern. There are marked differences in the longitudinal ranges of the groups south of the Boreal biome, with vascular plants tending to be confined to Europe or western Eurasia whereas cryptogams are more likely to occur additionally in North America or have a circumpolar distribution. The proportion of predominantly extra‐European genera is particularly high in the pteridophytes and the liverworts and in these groups the rich hyperoceanic flora of the British Isles is almost entirely composed of species in genera that attain their centre of diversity in the tropics.

Main conclusionsMajor taxonomic groups show different distribution patterns, reflecting their rates of evolution and powers of dispersal. The flowering plants, as the least mobile and most rapidly evolving group, have a greater proportion of their species in the European and Eurosiberian elements and a higher proportion of species from extra‐European genera in the more northerly elements.
Insular biogeography of mammals in Canadian parks: a re‐analysis
Authors: Gurd D. Brent , Nudds Thomas D.
Published: March 2003

Aim
Glenn & Nudds (1989) compared mammal species richness in Canadian parks to estimated species‐area relationships prior to European settlement to test if parks presently contain their historical compliment of species. However, the data they used to estimate the presettlement species‐area relationships were not commensurate with the scale of the parks and were not independent. This uncertainty reduces the utility of Glenn and Nudds analysis to detect which, if any, parks are experiencing mammal extirpations and ultimately to direct conservation efforts to enhance mammal conservation in Canada. We improved Glenn and Nudds methods and re‐assesed the conservation status of mammals in Canadian parks.

Location Canada.

Methods We constructed species‐area curves for disturbance tolerant and intolerant species in five mammal regions of Canada by sampling historical range maps using plots of 10– 10,000 km2. We compared these estimates of expected species richness to current species richness in thirty‐six parks and contrast our results with those of Glenn and Nudds.

Results All ten re‐estimated species‐area regressions had higher intercepts than those reported by Glenn and Nudds; four had lower slopes. Of seventy‐two cases analysed, we found twenty in which parks had fewer species than expected and four in which parks had more species than expected, compared to fourteen and thirty‐three, respectively, reported by Glenn and Nudds. Changes in both the regression parameters and increases in the prediction intervals accounted for the disparity between these results. Park residuals were not significantly different from zero in eight of ten analyses. Residuals for parks in the Alleghenian‐Illinoian mammal province were negative and decreased with increasing park size.

Main conclusions Improvement of Glenn and Nudds methods had an effect on both the parameter estimates and precison of the presettlement species‐area curves. As a result, mammal conservation in some Canadian parks is worse than Glenn and Nudds reported. Six additional parks contained fewer disturbance intolerant species than predicted. However, Glenn and Nudds finding of systematic differences between expected and observed species richness in parks in the densely populated region of southern Ontario, southern Quebec and the maritime provinces was not an artefact of their methods. In this region, seven of ten parks appear to have lost disturbance‐sensitive species of mammals. The pattern of species loss in this region was consistent with the idea that these parks have become isolated from mammal dispersal by surrounding habitat change and have experienced local species extirpations.
Changes in woody community structure and composition under constrasting landuse systems in a semi‐arid savanna, South Africa
Authors: Higgins Steven I. , Shackleton Charlie M. , Robinson E. Robbie
Published: March 2003

We aimed to explore the farm scale effects of three landuse types, communal grazing, wildlife management and commercial cattle farming, on the woody vegetation of a semiarid savanna.

Location The study farms were located within a single bioclimatic zone in semiarid savanna, South Africa.

Methods The species composition and structure of woody vegetation on three farms of each of three landuse types were sampled.

Results We found that communal grazing land sites were classified outside the topland‐bottomland vegetation dichotomy characteristic of this region. Comparisons of size class distributions showed the communal grazing lands had fewer small and large individuals; suggesting both lower levels of regeneration and regenerative capacity in the communal grazing lands. The species richness and biomass of woody plants was lower on communal grazing lands than on private game reserves and commercial cattle farms. The longevity of tree species explains the observed lag between changes in abundance and species loss; we consequently predict that there will be future losses of species in the communal grazing lands. By classifying species into a range of use‐categories we showed that utilization and species loss was not limited to certain plant use categories. Higher levels of wood harvesting measured in the communal grazing lands are likely to be responsible for the observed differences.

Main conclusions It is concluded that communal grazing management at this study site has substantially changed the composition and structure of woody plant communities, and that these changes have reduced the current availability of natural resources and will reduce resource production in the future.
Inter‐ocean dispersal is an important mechanism in the zoogeography of hakes (Pisces:Merlucciusspp.)
Authors: Grant W. Stewart , Leslie Robin W.
Published: March 2003

Aim

To present new genetic data and to review available published genetic data that bear on the phylogeny of hakes in the genusMerluccius. To construct a zoogeographical model from a summary phylogenetic tree with dated nodes. To search for an explanation of antitropical distributions in hakes. To assess peripheral isolate, centrifugal and vicariance models of speciation in view of the molecular phylogeny and zoogeography of hakes.

Locations

Northern and southern Atlantic Ocean, eastern Pacific Ocean, South Pacific Ocean.

Methods

Electrophoretic analysis of 20 allozyme loci in 10 species of hakes. Phylogenetic tree construction with parsimony and bootstrap methods. Reanalysis of previous genetic data. Analysis of zoogeographical patterns with geographical distributions of molecular genetic markers.

Results

Phylogenetic analyses of new and previous allozyme data and previous mitochondrial DNA data indicate a deep genetic partition between Old‐ and New‐World hakes with genetic distances corresponding to 10–15 Myr of separation. This time marks a widening rift between Europe and North America and a rapid drop in ocean temperatures that subdivided an ancestral population of North Atlantic hake. Two Old‐World clades spanning the equator include pairs of sister taxa separated by tropical waters. Divergence times between these pairs of sister‐taxa variously date to the early Pliocene and late Pleistocene. Amongst New‐World hakes, pairs of sister taxa are separated by equatorial waters, by the Southern Ocean, and by the Panama Isthmus. These genetic separations reflect isolation by the rise of the Isthmus 3–4 Ma and by Pliocene and Pleistocene dispersals. Pairs of species occurring in sympatry or parapatry in six regions do not reflect sister‐species relationships, but appear to reflect allopatric divergence and back dispersals of descendent species. Some geographically isolated regional populations originating within the last few hundreds of thousands of years merit subspecies designations.

Conclusions

Vicariance from tectonic movement of continental plates or ridge formation cannot account for the disjunct distributions of most hake sister taxa. Molecular genetic divergences place the origin of most hake species diversity in the last 2–3 Myr, a period of negligible tectonic activity. Distributions of many hake species appear to have resulted from dispersals and back dispersals across both warm equatorial waters and cool waters in the Southern Ocean, driven by oscillations in climate and ocean temperatures. Genetic and ecological divergence prevents hybridization and competitive exclusion between sympatric species pairs in six regions. Sister‐taxa relationships and estimates of divergence are consistent with the modified peripheral isolate model of speciation in which vicariances, range expansions and contractions, dispersals and founder events lead to isolated populations that subsequently diverge to form new species.
Interactive effects of human activities, herbivory and fire on quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) age structures in western Wyoming
Authors: Hessl Amy E. , Graumlich Lisa J.
Published: March 2003

Aim

Fire suppression, elk (Cervus elaphusErxleben) browsing and drought have been suggested as possible explanations for low aspen (Populus tremuloidesMichx.) ramet regeneration in elk winter range of the Greater Yellowstone Area (GYA) during the twentieth century. This study analyses the relationship between the rates of aspen regeneration, biophysical factors and human land use since 1830. This approach reveals the importance of indirect human impacts, especially through fire and elk management strategies, on forest structure.

Location

This study was conducted in and around the winter range of the Jackson Hole elk herd in western Wyoming, USA. Aspen stands in this region represent the ecotone between coniferous forest and sagebrush‐grassland vegetation.

Methods

Age structures of aspen stands were reconstructed from tree‐rings in order to determine how variation in drought, elk populations and fire occurrence may have affected aspen ramet regeneration since 1830. The effects of recent prescribed fires and elk browse on aspen regeneration were also evaluated by measuring stem height, browse intensity and age of ramets <2 m tall in prescribed burns and in unburned areas.

Results

Aspen ramet regeneration has occurred consistently but at low frequencies since 1830, with three peaks of regeneration: 1860–85, 1915–40 and 1955–90. Periods of frequent ramet regeneration coincided with low to moderate elk populations and aspen regenerated only sporadically when elk populations were high. Based on a comparison of the age structures with a tree‐ring reconstruction of Palmer drought severity index (PDSI), observed PDSI and annual precipitation, drought variability appears unrelated to episodes of aspen regeneration. Recent regeneration patterns suggest that fire does not enhance the recruitment of tree‐sized aspen stems in the presence of elk browse, although sample sizes were small. Since 1900, elk hunting and spatially clustered elk feeding in the study area has facilitated low but consistent regeneration of aspen ramets in the twentieth century. In contrast, extremely low ramet regeneration has been observed in national parks of the Rocky Mountains, where elk have been managed according to the `natural regulation' policy (no hunting or feeding) since 1969.

Main conclusions

Over time, different management strategies have altered the interactions between fire, herbivory and aspen regeneration suggesting that management history and the causes of change in management, should be explicitly included in ecological studies and future management strategies. These results also point to the value of using the spatial and temporal variation in human interactions with ecological systems as a method for understanding ecological relationships.
Genetic variation of the endangered holoparasiteDactylanthus taylorii(Balanophoraceae) in New Zealand
Authors: Holzapfel Sebastian , Faville Marty Z. , Gemmill Chrissen E. C.
Published: March 2003

Aim

Dactylanthus tayloriiHook. f. (Balanophoraceae) is an endemic, endangered root‐holoparasitic flowering plant in New Zealand. We investigated genetic variation within and among populations of the species over its entire known distribution range to study distinctness of populations, geographical distribution of genetic variation, the level of gene flow among populations and implications of the findings for conservation.

Location

Populations ofD. tayloriiwere sampled from the central, eastern and western North Island of New Zealand and from the only known population on an offshore island (Little Barrier Island) off the north‐east coast of the North Island.

Methods

Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) profiles were obtained from inflorescence samples of 146 tuber clumps in seventeen populations. We usedUPGMAcluster analysis based on Nei's genetic distance and analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) to calculate partitioning of genetic variation within and among populations and the relationship between geographical and genetic distance.

Results

Reproducible RAPD markers, including several that were specific to single populations, show that all populations sampled are unique. Populations can be grouped into two main clusters based on genetic variation, corresponding to an eastern and western distribution, respectively, and separated by the Taupo Volcanic Zone. Genetic variation is predominantly (63%) among as opposed to within populations and is not correlated with geographical distance below the regional scale.

Main conclusions

Results indicate long isolation and restricted gene flow among populations, both of which are interpreted mainly as characteristics of the species rather than as results of human influence. Widespread disturbance of vegetation through repeated volcanic events, with a dominant eastern direction of ash flow and tephra formation, are seen as the likely mechanism for the regional grouping of genetic variation into two clusters. Results support the national coordination of conservation management ofD. tayloriiand identify priorities for protection. Because geographical distance is not a good indicator for genetic similarity, findings cannot be extrapolated to populations that have not been sampled; the usual concept of nearest‐provenance‐based sourcing (eco‐sourcing) of seeds for restoration may not apply to the species.
Habitat islands in fire‐prone vegetation: do landscape features influence community composition?
Authors: Clarke Peter J.
Published: March 2003

Aim, Location

Landscape features, such as rock outcrops and ravines, can act as habitat islands in fire‐prone vegetation by influencing the fire regime. In coastal and sub‐coastal areas of Australia, rock outcrops and pavements form potential habitat islands in a matrix of fire‐prone eucalypt forests. The aim of this study was to compare floristic composition and fire response traits of plants occurring on rocky areas and contrast them with the surrounding matrix.

Methods

Patterns of plant community composition and fire response were compared between rocky areas and surrounding sclerophyll forests in a range of climate types to test for differences. Classification and ordination were used to compare floristic composition and univariate analyses were used to compare fire response traits.

Results

The rock outcrops and pavements were dissimilar in species composition from the forest matrix but shared genera and families with the matrix. Outcrops and pavements were dominated by scleromorphic shrubs that were mainly killed by fire and had post‐fire seedling recruitment (obligate seeders). In contrast, the most abundant species in the adjacent forest matrix were species that sprout after fire (sprouters).

Main conclusions

Fire frequency and intensity are likely to be less on outcrops than in the forest matrix because the physical barrier of rock edges disrupts fires. Under the regime of more frequent fires, obligate seeders have been removed or reduced in abundance from the forest matrix. This process may have also operated over evolutionary time‐scales and resulted in convergence towards obligate seeding traits on outcrop fire shadows. In contrast, there may have been convergence towards sprouting in the forest matrix as a result of selection for persistence under a regime of frequent fire.
The historical bridge between the Amazon and the Atlantic Forest of Brazil: a study of molecular phylogeography with small mammals
Authors: Costa Leonora P.
Published: March 2003

Abstract Aim  To examine how the genetic diversity of selected taxa of forest‐dwelling small mammals is distributed between and within the major rain forest domains of Amazonia and Atlantic Forest and the intervening interior forests of Brazil, as inferred by the relationships between gene genealogies and geography. I also addressed the historical importance of the central Brazilian forests in connecting Amazon and Atlantic Forest populations of rodents and marsupials.

Methods  I evaluated variation in the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene to estimate the levels of sequence divergence between those taxa occurring throughout the Amazon, Atlantic Forest, and forests in the Cerrado and Caatinga regions. I inferred the hierarchical relationships between haplotypes, populations and formal taxa using the cladistic approach of maximum parsimony. I compared areas and the clades identified by superimposing cladograms on the geographical distribution of samples. The degree of concordance both in phylogeny and the depth of the nodes in these phylogenies, in addition to patterns of geographical distribution of clades, permitted me to make inferences on how, when and where the taxa differentiated.

Results  Sequence similarity is often greater between samples from the Atlantic Forest and either Amazon or central Brazilian forests than it is within each of the two rain forest domains. The Atlantic Forest clades are either not reciprocally monophyletic or are the sister group to all the other clades. There is some indication of northern and southern components in the Atlantic Forest. Given the geographical distribution of clades and the relatively deep levels of divergence, the central Brazilian area does not behave as a separate region but is complementary to either Amazon or Atlantic Forest. Patterns of area relationships differ across taxa, suggesting that different processes and/or historic events affected the diversification within each lineage.

Main conclusions  The Amazon and the Atlantic forests are not exclusive in terms of their small mammal faunas; both overlap broadly with taxa occurring in gallery forests and dry forests in central Brazil. Central Brazilian forests are an integral part of the evolutionary scenario of lowland small mammals, playing an important role as present and past habitats for rain forest species. Therefore, representatives from this area should always be included in analyses of the evolutionary history of lowland rain forest faunas. The incongruence of branching patterns among areas is in agreement with recent results presented for Neotropical passerine birds and indicates that a single hypothesis of Neotropical area relationships is unlikely. These findings reinforce the idea that speciation in the Neotropics will not be explained by any single model of vicariance or climatic changes.
Psychiatric patients' views on the concept of self‐determination: findings from a descriptive study
Authors: Välimäki Maritta
Published: March 2003

• Using content analysis of unstructured interviews, this study examined the views of 72 long‐term psychiatric patients on the concept of self‐determination.

• The aim was to shed further light on the meaning of the concept for the purpose of developing a better tool for evaluation.

• One‐third of the patients were familiar with the concept, another third had never heard of self‐determination.

• The majority (52 patients) presented their views and definitions regardless of whether they had heard of the concept before.

• Content analysis revealed two central aspects in the definitions: an intrapersonal aspect, with self‐determination defined in relation to the patients themselves or to their own activities; and an interpersonal aspect, with the focus on the patients' relationship with other persons.

• In spite of its limitations, the study certainly adds to our understanding of the concept of self‐determination.

• It demonstrates that psychiatric patients are capable of offering valuable insights into key concepts of nursing, even if they are abstract.

• The results open new avenues for strengthening the self‐determination of psychiatric patients.
Nursing development units: their structure and orientation
Authors: Redfern Sally , Stevens Warren
Published: March 2003

• This paper provides background material about the Department of Health funded Nursing Development Units (NDUs), specifically their biographical and contextual characteristics, their aims and values, and their organization of work and resources acquired.

• The data were drawn from questionnaires to clinical leaders and from documentation.

• The findings are summarized under five questions which address the NDUs' values and aims, their organization of work, multiprofessional working, activeness in acquiring resources and support and the effect of the host organization.

• Taken as a whole, the aims match the vision of the ideal NDU specified by the pioneers of the NDU movement, and most clinical leaders subscribed to primary nursing as their preferred mode of organizing nursing work.

• Multiprofessional working was a common feature and there was considerable evidence of equality in team membership status.

• A small number of NDUs had been awarded grants for research and most were successful in generating income from conferences.

• Nearly all had links with an academic institution.

• NDUs that had the support of their Trust's management were able to market their services successfully.

• Our findings indicate that many NDUs have made good progress but their clinical leaders are the first to admit that there is much more to be done.
Increasing collaboration within a multidisciplinary neurorehabilitation team: the early stages of a small action research project
Authors: Bennett
Published: March 2003

• This paper describes how the process of action research is being used in undertaking a team‐focused, practice‐based project.

• The problems that the team has previously experienced in initiating change are outlined.

• An explanation is advanced as to why action research is an appropriate strategy for the team to adopt, and the early stages of the action research project are described.

• This is followed by a discussion of how the outcome of such research can be generalizable from one clinical setting to another.
Nurse specialists’ perceptions of their role and function in relation to starting an adult diabetic on insulin
Authors: Sigurdardóttir Árún K.
Published: March 2003

• The purpose of this study was to describe how diabetes nurse specialists perceived their role and function in relation to starting adult patients with insulin dependent diabetes on insulin.

• Using Heideggerian hermeneutic phenomenology as a research method, six diabetes nurse specialists were interviewed and the interviews were analysed according to Colaizzi’s method of phenomenological inquiry.

• Results showed that the diabetes nurses perceived their role to be composed of six themes: educator; promoter of physical skill acquisition; psychological supporter; advocate of individualized care; promoter of self‐care; ‘safeguard’ in assessing and ensuring patient safety.

• These results support findings from other studies, that the diabetes nurse specialist role seems to be more complex than descriptions in the nursing literature offer.
Identifying approaches to meet assessed needs in health visiting
Authors: Cowley Sarah , Billings Jennifer Ruth
Published: March 2003

• An action research project, based in a single fundholding practice on the south coast of England, aimed to identify the health needs of families with resident children, then use the contracting system to redirect health visiting services to meet those needs.

• After assessing the health needs, it was necessary to assess the potential of a range of health visiting approaches that might be proposed to meet those needs.

• This paper explains how the approaches were assessed for use in the local area and why funding for two additional, innovative posts was deemed necessary.

• Despite the unsophisticated evidence base for health visiting interventions, a case can be made for commissioning particular service approaches by using a combination of survey data and results from controlled and uncontrolled service evaluations.

• The supportive focus of health visitor home visiting remains an appropriate use of existing resources, but the usual intensity of visiting may be insufficient for full effectiveness. To rationalize such services by targeting them only at individuals with established needs risks an exacerbation of deteriorating health trends across an area.

• Alternatively, augmenting home visiting with a community development approach to improve the adverse social environments in which families live may help to change the underlying factors that contribute to ill‐health and prove more widely cost‐effective.
Effect of education on evidence‐based care and handling of peripheral intravenous lines
Authors: Lundgren Anna , Wahren Lis Karin
Published: March 2003

• Deficient routines in use, care, handling and documentation of peripheral intravenous vein cannulae (PIV) have previously been reported, and complications have been noted in 50–75% of the patients.

• The aim of the study was to examine whether specially trained nurses change their actions to decrease complications when using cannulae.

• The study included 36 nurses assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental group followed an education programme explaining how to use and take care of a PIV.

• To evaluate the intervention document analysis, observations and patient interviews were performed in 99 patients with 172 PIVs in situ for less than 24 h.

• After the education programme, fewer complications, more carefully performed care and handling, and better documentation and information were found in the experimental group. Nurses in the control group followed current routines, which resulted in a greater degree of complications.

• Education in evidence‐based care and handling gives nurses the opportunity to improve their ability to use theoretical knowledge in clinical problems.
The development of a collaborative stroke training programme for nurses
Authors: Dowswell George , Forster Anne , Young John , Sheard Jayne , Wright Philip , Bagley Pam
Published: March 2003

• The effectiveness of multidisciplinary stroke rehabilitation may be enhanced by nurses and therapists adopting a single consistent approach to the positioning and mobilizing of patients. As patients can spend as little as 4% of the waking day receiving ‘therapy’ there is considerable potential for a more dynamic nursing intervention, which may contribute to improving patient care.

• We aimed to investigate whether physiotherapists could step back from direct patient treatment in order to participate in a structured training programme for nurses involved with patients recovering from stroke on an established elderly care rehabilitation ward in a district general hospital.

• Qualitative methods were used within a participatory action research framework to describe the development process and content of the training programme. Nursing staff, physiotherapists and their respective managers were interviewed to identify perceived training needs. This informed the structure and content of the training course and allowed insight into interprofessional working.

• We found that nursing staff were highly motivated to undertake rehabilitation training and to develop a more consistent interdisciplinary approach. A course of six theoretical and practical sessions, on normal movement, positioning and transferring patients, the upper limb, and gait re‐education, was delivered to participating nursing staff over a five month period. This was supplemented by practical, informal individual patient/physiotherapist/nursing sessions. Details are provided for those wishing to replicate the course elsewhere.

• In conclusion, nursing staff, physiotherapists and physiotherapy tutors participated fully in the establishment, development, delivery and review of the course. As participants in the project became committed to its aims, creative solutions were found to the practical problems which arose. The course addressed important professional issues and provided reasonable opportunities to practise skills.
Reflective narrative and dementia care
Authors: Graham
Published: March 2003

• This study was an enquiry into how clinical supervision could enable a team of six community psychiatric nurses to provide improved patient‐centred care. It also examined how feelings of burn‐out, stress and tedium when caring for people with dementia could be relieved.

• The methodology used in the study analysed the process, enabling the findings to be studied. This is new paradigm research, requiring the researcher and participants to be equal and active coenquirers into the process facilitating the enquiry.

• Six community psychiatric nurses allowed their period of supervision to be recorded over six months in order to identify relevant issues of concern and resolution in their practice. It was anticipated that the experiences revealed during supervision would provide a means by which the nurses could develop their skill and knowledge and improve their care‐giving.

• The findings suggest that the education of community psychiatric nurses needs to enable them to develop the ability to demonstrate emotional competence and to carry out self‐questioning.
Development, implementation and evaluation of a new nurse‐led continence service: a pilot study
Authors: Williams Kate S. , Assassa R. Phil , Smith Nigel K. G. , Jagger Carol , Perry Sarah , Shaw Christine , Dallosso Helen , McGrother Catherine , Clarke Michael , Brittain Katherine R. , Castleden C. Mark , Mayne Christopher
Published: March 2003

• The Leicestershire Medical Research Council (MRC) Incontinence Study is a series of interrelated studies exploring the epidemiology of urinary symptoms, including incontinence, and evaluating service provision and treatment options for these symptoms.

• This paper describes one aspect of the Leicestershire MRC Incontinence Study, namely the development, implementation and evaluation of a new nurse‐led continence service.

• When developing a new service it is important to determine its acceptability and suitability to the target population.

• The new mode of service delivery was dependent on specially trained Continence Nurse Practitioners (CNP) delivering predefined evidence‐based treatment interventions.

• Objective and subjective outcome measures were used to evaluate the service.

• The service was shown to be effective in reducing urinary symptoms and led to high levels of patient satisfaction.

• This service is currently being evaluated in a randomized controlled trial.
The dialysis diet and fluid non‐adherence questionnaire: validity testing of a self‐report instrument for clinical practice INFORMATION POINT: Kendall’s Tau
Authors: Vlaminck Hans , Maes Bart , Jacobs An , Reyntjens Stefanie , Evers Georges
Published: March 2003

• This study evaluated the validity of the dialysis diet and fluid non‐adherence questionnaire (DDFQ) as a self‐report instrument for clinical practice. The DDFQ was designed to measure non‐adherence behaviour with diet and fluid guidelines in patients treated with hospital‐based haemodialysis in Flanders (Belgium).

• In a multicentre cross‐sectional study design, 564 patients from 10 dialysis centres in Flanders completed the DDFQ. Criterion and construct validity of the instrument were substantiated using correlation techniques between the DDFQ and biochemical and biological ratings of non‐adherence.

• The results of this study suggest that the DDFQ is a valid self‐report instrument to assess non‐adherence behaviour in haemodialysis patients in Flanders and probably also in other cultures.
Health promotion practices of older adults: testing an individualized approach
Authors: Resnick Barbara
Published: March 2003

• The world's population is getting older. Consequently, the World Health Organization has focused efforts on health promotion activities for these individuals.

• The purpose of this study was to explore the factors that influence health promotion behaviours and to describe the impact of an individualized approach to decision‐making with regard to health promotion activities in a group of older adults living in a continuing care retirement community.

• The study used a single group pre‐ and post‐test design that included a total of 134 residents. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the sample. A McNemar test was used to compare health promotion activities pre‐ and postintervention. Regression analysis was used to consider the factors that influenced health promotion activities in these individuals.

• The survey included questions about health promotion activities and both mental and physical health status. In the year between baseline and follow‐up testing a geriatric nurse practitioner provided both formal and informal education about health promotion activities.

• With the exception of monitoring dietary fat intake, there was not a statistically significant difference in primary and secondary health promotion behaviours pre‐ and post‐testing. There was, however, a decline in smoking and alcohol use, an increase in physical activity and a slight decline in the percentage of older adults who engaged in cancer screenings.

• An individualized approach may be a useful way to help older adults make health decisions and engage in those health promotion activities that will increase their quality of life.
Design issues of a distance learning course on Business on the Internet
Authors: Stefanov K. , Stoyanov S. , Nikolov R.
Published: March 2003

Abstract The paper presents the main design issues of a distance learning course on Business on the Internet. The instructional design is based on a learner‐centred instructional strategy which allows learners to construct their own knowledge while solving real business problems and transferring their knowledge to other learners. They learn autonomously taking the responsibility for their learning and following their individual cognitive styles, interests, preferences. The learners have access to the Internet being members of a global, cooperative learning community. The learning community involves students and tutors who collectively take responsibility for the design and evaluation of the course content and the teaching methods to be applied. Both students and tutors inhabit a virtual learning environment that offers different virtual places and services: virtual university, virtual enterprise, auditoriums, workshop rooms, cafes, libraries, etc. where students from different locations can meet, interact, learn and work together, as if they were face‐to‐face.
Cognitive strategies observed during problem solving with LOGO
Authors: Lowenthal F. , Marcourt C. , Solimando C.
Published: March 2003

Abstract The present paper is devoted to a clinical preliminary analysis of the strategies used during one school year by 280 9 to 12 year olds, working in pairs and engaged in LOGO related problem solving activites. The data are grouped as a function of the type of strategies used by the pupils for a given problem and these strategies are defined as a function of the complexity level of the LOGO procedures created and measured on the basis of a hierarchy based upon actual observations. The types of solving processes and the types of mistakes most often encountered are also analysed. The evolution of the strategies used by different groups are compared. All these data show the relevance of a multilinear and contextual vision of problem solving strategies as opposed to the rigid vision described by some authors. The results presented here are especially relevant for teachers engaged in remedial activities.
Artificial intelligence in education: an exploration
Authors: Cumming G.
Published: March 2003

Abstract The research field of Artificial Intelligence in Education (AIED) embraces a wide diversity of research interests. Psychology, education and cognitive science are strongly represented, alongside computer science and artificial intelligence. A key interest is in modelling, especially of learning processes and cognition. This paper gives a brief outline of the development of AIED, and examples of current issues and projects. The ‘AI’ in the title may give a misleading picture of a research field that is in fact dynamic and broad, with many links to the classroom.
The effect of software type on the quality of talk
Authors: Anderson A. , McAteer E. , Tolmie A. , Demissie A.
Published: March 2003

Research was undertaken comparing teacher‐pupil and pupil‐pupil dyads using computer‐assisted learning programs, of both ‘open’ (where the means of achieving the task goal are under the users’ control) and ‘closed’ (where the routes to achieving the task goal are much more controlled by the computer) types. The interactions within teacher‐pupil and pupil‐pupil dyads whilst using the programs were videorecorded and subsequently analysed to ascertain whether the nature of the software (open or closed) exerted any constraining effect upon the dyads’ interactions. Variations in interactional styles were identified using quantitative methods; these, plus other more qualitative data are discussed with reference to specific examples of software. It is concluded that the open‐closed distinction conflates several dimensions of machine behaviour, particularly the number of options of action available to users at any given point, the frequency of computer interventions, the nature of computer interventions (eg. prompt versus question) and the granularity of the task.
The role and design of screen images in software documentation
Authors: Van der Meij H.
Published: March 2003

Abstract Software documentation for the novice user typically must try to achieve at least three goals: to support basic knowledge and skills development; to prevent or support the handling of mistakes, and to support the joint handling of manual, input device and screen. This paper concentrates on the latter goal. Novice users often experience split‐attention problem due to the need to (almost) simultaneously attend to different media. Existing research indicates that split‐attention problems can be prevented or reduced by the presence of screen images in the manual. Research is yet unclear about the optimal design of these pictures. This study examines three design styles. Forty‐eight novice users received one of the three manual based on these styles. The manuals were an introduction to Windows 95. The users of the most successful manual needed 25% less training time and had a 60% better retention. The most important characteristics of the design style of this manual were its use of full screen images (instead of partial ones) and a two‐column lay‐out in which the instructions and screen images were presented side‐by‐side in a left‐to‐right reading order. The discussion focuses on the tension that exists between theory and practice. Special attention is given to the contributions of a taxonomy of screen images and cognitive load theory.
European Union policies and practice
Authors: Mitchell Jeremy
Published: March 2003

Abstract: Early attempts to build a harmonized legal system for banking and financial services throughout the EU met insurmountable difficulties. The shift towards the single market approach in the mid‐1980s has been much more successful in terms of removing the obstacles preventing banks and other financial services organizations from establishing themselves and selling their services wherever they choose throughout the EU. The theory has been that consumers would benefit in terms of wider choice and lower prices, but consumer protection needs have been relatively neglected until recently. The emphasis is now changing, and there is widespread recognition that consumer protection aspects of the marketing of banking and financial services need special consideration. However, there is still an unfinished agenda of consumer issues, including distance selling of financial services, overindebtedness, mortgage credit, better consumer information and improved systems of providing redress.
Comparison of clothing purchase behaviour between US and Japanese female university students
Authors: Kawabata Hiroko , Rabolt Nancy J.
Published: March 2003

The clothing purchase behaviour of US and Japanese female university students was compared. Evaluative criteria when buying clothing, an interest in clothing and fashion and source of fashion information were studied. Relationships between variables were investigated and the difference and similarity between the two countries were discussed. For evaluative criteria, fit and style/design were ranked the most important in both countries. US students tended to give higher scores for fit, quality, fashion and brand/designer name than Japanese students. Japanese students were more economical, and colour and style/design were important. We found differences in the meaning of fashion between the two countries by cluster analysis. Interest in clothing was almost at the same level in the two countries. But interest in fashion was different; Japanese students were more interested in fashion when they spent more money on clothing. The fashion information sources most frequently used were fashion magazines, store displays, friends and TV. US students were more active in collecting information about fashion and used family members and non‐personal sources, such as catalogues, the cinema, newspapers and electronic sources. Japanese students used more retail‐oriented sources such as store displays and sales people. In both countries, students who were information search oriented tended to rank evaluative criteria highly and to have more interest in clothing/fashion.
Studying food tastes among young adults using Bourdieu's theory
Authors: Øygard Lisbet
Published: March 2003

The purpose of this study was to study the relationship between social position and food tastes. The empirical data stem from a survey carried out in 1991 on 703 people aged 23–26 years. Bourdieu's theory of the relationship between social position and consumption was used as a theoretical framework. Bourdieu attacks the position often expressed by economists that consumers are similar in most respects except for their economic capital. He introduced the concept ‘cultural capital’ when describing different consumption practices and emphasizes the relationship between gender and food tastes. The social position variables in this study include economic and cultural capital, and gender. Participants were asked to evaluate exotic, healthy, filling, inexpensive and traditional food. Two dimensions of food orientations were observed: food as form and food as function. Economic capital was of importance concerning the costs of food and its filling functions. Groups rich in cultural capital were more interested in healthy and exotic food and less interested in filling food than those possessing less cultural capital. Women were more concerned about healthy food than men. Cultural capital had an independent effect when economic capital was constant.
Use and knowledge of food labels of shoppers in a city with a high proportion of heart disease
Authors: Tessier Sophie , Edwards Christine A. , Morris Susan Eley
Published: March 2003

This study aimed to assess consumers’ use and understanding of food labelling and the improvements that they would like. Systematically selected supermarket shoppers were interviewed using a questionnaire. Data showed that the use of food labels was low. Among those who read food labels, at least occasionally, use‐by‐date was the most reported information looked at. Understanding of the content of five nutrients on a standard food label provided was poor. Although a high proportion of participants claimed to have no problem with the current format, those who had problems wanted food labels that were ‘bigger’, ‘highlighted’ or written in ‘plain English’. These results suggest that before improved food labels can have an impact on consumers’ food choice, strategies to encourage shoppers to read them are needed.
Reproductive allocation and the long‐term costs of reproduction in Siparuna grandiflora, a dioecious neo‐tropical shrub
Authors: Nicotra A. B.
Published: March 2003

1 Using a combination of observational and experimental approaches, both allocation of resources to reproduction (often called the direct cost of reproduction) and the subsequent long‐term costs (the indirect, delayed or demographic cost) associated with reproductive allocation to male and female function in Siparuna grandiflora (Siparunaceae), a tropical dioecious shrub, were examined.

2 The objectives were to determine whether females allocate more biomass or nitrogen per reproductive episode than males, and whether there is a long‐term cost of reproduction in terms of subsequent growth or reproduction for either sex. If there is no long‐term cost of reproduction, then reproduction may be viewed as free in an evolutionary sense.

3 As is generally the case in dioecious species, females allocated more biomass and nitrogen to reproduction than males. Females also showed delayed costs of reproduction in terms of decreased growth and subsequent reproduction, whereas males did not.

4 The lack of measurable delayed costs in males suggests that with the evolution of dioecy, selection has reduced delayed costs of reproduction in S. grandiflora males. In contrast, females that were prevented from reproducing were able to re‐allocate resources to growth, and produced more stem length on average than males. This re‐allocation response may have evolved to reduce delayed costs of reproduction in females over time frames longer than that considered in the present study.