bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Organized Blood Pressure Control Programs to Prevent Stroke in Australia
Authors: Cadilhac Dominique A. , Carter Rob , Thrift Amanda G. , Dewey Helen M.
Published: February 2012

Background and Purpose—

High blood pressure (BP) is the most important modifiable stroke risk factor. Worldwide high BP in many people is uncontrolled or people are unaware of their BP status. We aimed to assess whether a program of organized multidisciplinary care and medication would be cost-effective for improving BP control for the prevention of stroke.

Methods—

A novel aspect was to simulate the intervention to match recent primary care initiatives (eg, new Medicare reimbursement items) to ensure policy relevance. Current practice and additional costs of each intervention were included using the best available evidence. The differences in the cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained for the interventions were compared against current practice. Cost-effectiveness was defined as cost per QALY gained was less than Australian dollars (AUD) 50 000 (societal perspective; reference year 2004). The robustness of estimates was assessed with probabilistic multivariable uncertainty analysis.

Results—

For primary prevention, the median cost per QALY gained was AUD11 068 (95% uncertainty interval AUD5201 to AUD18 696) in those aged 75 years or older and was AUD17 359 (95% uncertainty interval AUD10 516 to AUD26 036) in those aged 55 to 84 years with ≥15% absolute risk of stroke. Primary prevention interventions were not cost-effective if aged younger than 50 years. The median cost per QALY gained for secondary prevention was AUD1811 and AUD4704, depending on which medications were modeled.

Conclusions—

Organized care for BP control targeted at specific populations offers excellent value over current practice. Organized care for secondary prevention provided the greatest benefits and strongest cost-effectiveness. Translation into clinical practice requires improved use of relevant Medicare policy in Australia.
Risk Factors and Outcome of Patients With Symptomatic Intracranial Stenosis Presenting With Lacunar Stroke
Authors: Khan Amir , Kasner Scott E. , Lynn Michael J. , Chimowitz Marc I.
Published: February 2012

Background and Purpose—

We hypothesized that patients with intracranial stenosis with lacunar stroke presentations would face lower risks of recurrent stroke than those with index nonlacunar strokes, and that their recurrent strokes would predominantly be lacunar.

Methods—

We analyzed subjects enrolled with an index stroke into the Warfarin Aspirin Symptomatic Intracranial Disease (WASID) trial. The index stroke was classified as lacunar or nonlacunar. The primary end point was recurrent ischemic stroke. Cox proportional hazard models were generated with stratification for severity of stenosis.

Results—

Three hundred forty-seven subjects were enrolled after an index stroke; 38 were lacunar and 309 were nonlacunar. Over a mean follow-up of 1.8 years, there was no significant difference in stroke recurrence between patients whose index stroke was lacunar (7 of 38 [18%]) versus nonlacunar (69 of 309 [22%]; hazard ratio, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.36–1.71). Furthermore, no significant differences were found when groups were stratified by 50% to 69% stenosis (hazard ratio, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.12–2.1) and ≥70% stenosis (hazard ratio, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.34–2.2). Of the 7 recurrent strokes in patients whose index stroke was lacunar, all 7 were nonlacunar and 3 were in the territory of the stenotic artery.

Conclusions—

In patients with symptomatic intracranial stenosis, the risk of recurrent stroke was similar in patients who presented with lacunar and nonlacunar strokes, and recurrent strokes in patients presenting with lacunar stroke were typically nonlacunar. These findings suggest that the pathophysiology of these strokes is related to the stenosis rather than small vessel disease. Patients presenting with lacunar strokes should be included in trials investigating secondary prevention for symptomatic intracranial stenosis.
Depression Screening in Stroke
Authors: Turner Alyna , Hambridge John , White Jennifer , Carter Gregory , Clover Kerrie , Nelson Louise , Hackett Maree
Published: February 2012

Background and Purpose—

Screening tools for depression and psychological distress commonly used in medical settings have not been well validated in stroke populations. We aimed to determine the accuracy of common screening tools for depression or distress in detecting caseness for a major depressive episode compared with a clinician-administered structured clinical interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth Edition as the gold standard.

Methods—

Seventy-two participants ≥3 weeks poststroke underwent a diagnostic interview for major depressive episode and completed the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 and -9, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Beck Depression Inventory-II, Distress Thermometer, and Kessler-10. Internal consistency, sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratios, and posttest probabilities were calculated. Each measure was validated against the gold standard using receiver operating characteristic curves with comparison of the area under the curve for all measures.

Results—

Internal consistency ranged from acceptable to excellent for all measures (Cronbach α=0.78–0.94). Areas under the curve (95% CI) for the Patient Health Questionnaire-2, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale depression and total score, Beck Depression Inventory-II, and Kessler-10 ranged from 0.80 (0.69–0.89) for the Kessler-10 to 0.89 (0.79–0.95) for the Beck Depression Inventory-II with no significant differences between measures. The Distress Thermometer had an area under the curve (95% CI) of 0.73 (0.61–0.83), significantly smaller than the Beck Depression Inventory-II (
P
<0.05).

Conclusions—

Apart from the Distress Thermometer, selected scales performed adequately in a stroke population with no significant difference between measures. The Patient Health Questionnaire-2 would be the most useful single screen given free availability and the shortest number of items.
Process-Based Decomposition of the Global Surface Temperature Response to El Niño in Boreal Winter
Authors: Deng Yi , Park Tae-Won , Cai Ming
Published: February 2012

This paper reports an attribution analysis that quantifies addible contributions to the observed temperature anomalies from radiative and nonradiative processes in terms of both amplitude and spatial pattern for the two most prominent surface temperature patterns in an El Niño winter. One is the El Niño SST pattern consisting of warming SST anomalies over the eastern equatorial Pacific basin surrounded by cooling SST anomalies in the western and subtropical Pacific, and the other is a tripole surface temperature anomaly characteristic of a positive Pacific–North American (PNA) teleconnection pattern. The decomposition of the observed temperature anomalies is achieved with the coupled atmosphere–surface climate feedback-responses analysis method (CFRAM), which is formulated utilizing energy balance in the atmosphere–surface columns and linearization of radiative energy perturbation.

Out of the mean amplitude of 0.78 K of the El Niño SST pattern, the oceanic dynamics and heat storage term alone contributes to 2.34 K. Water vapor feedback adds another 1.6 K whereas both cloud and atmospheric dynamical feedbacks are negative, reducing the mean amplitude by 2.02 and 1.07 K, respectively. Atmospheric dynamical feedback contributes more than 50% (0.73 K) of the mean amplitude (1.32 K) of the PNA surface temperature pattern. Water vapor and surface albedo feedbacks contribute 0.34 and 0.13 K, respectively. The surface processes, including oceanic dynamics in the North Pacific, heat storage anomalies, and surface sensible/latent heat flux anomalies of ocean and land also contribute positively to the PNA surface temperature pattern (about 0.14 K). Cloud and ozone feedback, although very weak, act to oppose the PNA surface temperature anomaly.
Acoustic Correlates of Emphatic Stress in Central Catalan
Authors: Nadeu Marianna , Hualde José Ignacio
Published: February 2012

A common feature of public speech in Catalan is the placement of prominence on lexically unstressed syllables (“emphatic stress”). This paper presents an acoustic study of radio speech data. Instances of emphatic stress were perceptually identified. Within-word comparison between vowels with emphatic stress and vowels with primary lexical stress reveals that the former are characterized by having a high tone, higher F0 scaling, and greater intensity, but shorter duration with respect to lexically stressed vowels. Emphatic stress can thus be characterized as anchoring an intonational pitch accent on a lexically unstressed syllable. When this phenomenon occurs, primary lexical stress is still cued by duration. Compared with other lexically unstressed vowels, vowels with emphatic stress have greater duration and intensity, and less vowel centralization. Thus, vowels are hyperarticulated when bearing emphatic stress. In particular, schwa is more open, without merging with /a/. Regarding the distribution of emphatic stresses, the most common pattern observed is binary or rhythmic ( le̱s instituc i̱o ns ‘the institutions’), with emphatic stress occurring two syllables before the primary stress. Less frequently, emphatic stress appears on the first syllable of the prosodic word ( na̱cionalit a ts ‘nationalities’), occasionally producing stress clash ( e̱l m a rc ‘the framework’).
Public confidence in government: empirical implications from a developing democracy
Authors: Aydın Aylin , Cenker Cerem I.
Published: February 2012

This article explores the determinants of confidence in the Turkish government. We question whether confidence-related questions in mass surveys tap specific support for the incumbent government or tap diffuse support for government as a democratic institution. For this purpose, sociocultural, performance, and party explanations are tested. Four waves of the World Values Survey for Turkey are used as the data set. The article finds that performance and party-based explanations are the most relevant. Turkish citizens place greater emphasis on ‘government as the incumbent’ rather than on ‘government as a democratic institution’. The analysis also reveals the changing influences of both performance and party-based explanations across time, which points to the significance of context. Through a cross-country analysis, the viability of the findings in the Turkish case are evaluated against those of other developing democracies.
A group theory of group theory: Collaborative mathematics and the ‘uninvention’ of a 1000-page proof
Authors: Steingart Alma
Published: February 2012

Over a period of more than 30 years, more than 100 mathematicians worked on a project to classify mathematical objects known as finite simple groups. The Classification, when officially declared completed in 1981, ranged between 300 and 500 articles and ran somewhere between 5,000 and 10,000 journal pages. Mathematicians have hailed the project as one of the greatest mathematical achievements of the 20th century, and it surpasses, both in scale and scope, any other mathematical proof of the 20th century. The history of the Classification points to the importance of face-to-face interaction and close teaching relationships in the production and transformation of theoretical knowledge. The techniques and methods that governed much of the work in finite simple group theory circulated via personal, often informal, communication, rather than in published proofs. Consequently, the printed proofs that would constitute the Classification Theorem functioned as a sort of shorthand for and formalization of proofs that had already been established during personal interactions among mathematicians. The proof of the Classification was at once both a material artifact and a crystallization of one community’s shared practices, values, histories, and expertise. However, beginning in the 1980s, the original proof of the Classification faced the threat of ‘uninvention’. The papers that constituted it could still be found scattered throughout the mathematical literature, but no one other than the dwindling community of group theorists would know how to find them or how to piece them together. Faced with this problem, finite group theorists resolved to produce a ‘second-generation proof’ to streamline and centralize the Classification. This project highlights that the proof and the community of finite simple groups theorists who produced it were co-constitutive–one formed and reformed by the other.
Ultrasound as a Primary Evaluation Tool of Bone Stress Injuries in Elite Track and Field Athletes
Authors: Papalada Agapi , Malliaropoulos Nikolaos , Tsitas Kostas , Kiritsi Olga , Padhiar Nat , Del Buono Angelo , Maffulli Nicola
Published: February 2012

Background: Little is known about therapeutic ultrasound (TUS) to diagnose bone stress injuries.

Hypothesis: Therapeutic ultrasound is an accurate, cost-efficient alternative to other imaging methods for primary assessment of bone stress injuries.

Study Design: Cohort study (diagnosis); Level of evidence, 2.

Methods: One hundred thirteen elite track and field athletes (mean age, 20.1 years; range, 17-28 years) underwent TUS and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for clinical suspicion of a bone stress injury. A 5-stage MRI grading system was used to classify bone stress injuries. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and positive and negative predictive values of TUS were calculated using MRI as the standard for diagnosis.

Results: At MRI, of 113 assessed patients, 3 (2.7%) had grade 0 injuries, 12 (10.6%) had grade 1, 15 (13.3%) had grade 2, 77 (68.2%) had grade 3, and 6 (5.3%) had grade 4. At TUS, no injury was detected in 22 of 113 patients: 2 with grade 0 injury, 8 with grade 1, 8 with grade 2, and 4 with grade 3. Using MRI as the gold standard, TUS showed 81.8% sensitivity, 66.6% specificity, 99.0% positive predictive value, 13.4% negative predictive value, and 81.4% accuracy.

Conclusion: Therapeutic ultrasound is a reproducible procedure that is reliable to diagnose bone stress injuries.
Research in Group Analysis: Commissioning the Systematic Review
Authors: Potter Jenny
Published: February 2012

This article describes the context for commissioning a systematic review into the effectiveness of group analytic and psychodynamic group therapies, and sets out an argument for supporting and promoting research within group analysis.
Report on a Systematic Review of the Efficacy and Clinical Effectiveness of Group Analysis and Analytic/Dynamic Group Psychotherapy
Authors: Blackmore Chris , Tantam Digby , Parry Glenys , Chambers Eleni
Published: February 2012

This article reports on a systematic review to assess the efficacy and clinical effectiveness of group analysis and analytic/dynamic (A/D) group psychotherapy. Systematic literature searches were undertaken; 34 primary studies and 19 reviews met the inclusion criteria and their data was extracted. Of the primary studies, the randomized controlled trials provided evidence for the efficacy and clinical effectiveness of group therapy approaches in a range of clinical problems, but not for specific benefits of any particular theoretical approach. The controlled studies and observational studies gave support for the use of group psychotherapy in a variety of conditions.

The review of reviews confirms that group therapies in general are more effective than wait list or standard care controls. Methodological challenges encountered and recommendations for further research are presented, along with a more detailed discussion of the implications of the review for the research community.
DPPH free radical scavenging activity and phenotypic difference in hepatoprotective plant (Silybum marianum L.)
Authors: Ahmad Nisar , Fazal Hina , Abbasi Bilal Haider , Anwar Shazma , Basir Abdul
Published: February 2012

Silybum marianum L. is medicinally important for its active principle component silymarin. Silymarin regenerates damaged hepatic tissues. On the basis of such regenerative properties, the radical scavenging activity (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH)) of different tissues and the phenotypic difference of the hepatoprotective species, S. marianum L. were evaluated. There was less phenotypic difference in purple and white varieties of S. marianum. Assay of the antioxidant potential of different parts of the plant revealed that significantly higher activity (78.2%) was observed in seeds of the purple flowering plant than seeds of white flowering plant (49%) after different time intervals. Young leaves collected from white flowering plant exhibit 64.8% activity, which is higher than the purple flowering plant (55.1%). Significantly, same activity was observed in mature leaves of white (52%) and purple flowering plants (50%). The main stem collected from both the varieties exhibits similar activity from 50 to 52%. A 67.2% activity was recorded for mature roots of white flowering plant followed by roots of the purple variety (65%). The present study revealed that seeds and roots of both the varieties scavenge and detoxify more DPPH free radicals than other plant parts and can be used as a source of natural antioxidants and food additives.
Effects of exposure to low-level lead on spatial learning and memory and the expression of mGluR1, NMDA receptor in different developmental stages of rats
Authors: Wang Xin-Mei , Liu Wen-Jun , Zhang Rong , Zhou Yi-Kai
Published: February 2012

The effect of different periods of lead exposure on deficits of learning and memory is still unclear. In this study, we conduct in vivo experiment to investigate the critical stages when lead induced neurotoxicity in rats and its underlying mechanisms in some critical stages. Rats were exposed to 0.2% mg/ml lead acetate solution via drinking water during gestation, lactation and ablactation periods. Behavior deficits were found in gestation and lactation. N-Methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor subunit 2A (NR2A) increased during gestation both in hippocampus and cerebral cortex compared to the control group; in all treatment groups NR2B decreased in hippocampus and in cerebral cortex during the lactation period. Meanwhile, in hippocampus metabotropic glutamate receptor 1 (mGluR1) decreased during gestation and lactation periods but increased during the ablactation period. These observations suggest that exposure to lead in gestation and lactation periods could cause neurobehavioral deficits which extend to adulthood, and lactation was a more sensitive period for lead exposure. Furthermore, the abnormal expression of NMDA receptor 2 (NMDAR 2) subunits and mGluR1 are likely to be associated with the impairment.
Determination of the genotoxic effects of Convolvulus arvensis extracts on corn (Zea mays L.) seeds
Authors: Sunar Serap , Yildirim Nalan , Aksakal Ozkan , Agar Guleray
Published: February 2012

In this research, the methanolic extracts of Convolvulus arvensis were tested for genotoxic and inhibitor activity on the total soluble protein content and the genomic template stability against corn Zea mays L. seed. The methanol extracts of leaf, stem and root of C. arvensis were diluted to 50, 75 and 100 μl concentrations and applied to corn seed. The total soluble protein and genomic template stability results were compared with the control. The results showed that especially 100 μl extracts of diluted leaf, stem and root had a strong inhibitory activity on the genomic template stability. The changes occurred in random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) profiles of C. arvensis extract treatment included variation in band intensity, loss of bands and appearance of new bands compared with control. Also, the results obtained from this study revealed that the increase in the concentrations of C. arvensis extract increased the total soluble protein content in maize. The results suggested that RAPD analysis and total protein analysis could be applied as a suitable biomarker assay for the detection of genotoxic effects of plant allelochemicals.
Guns and roses: Collective identity processes of women activists in India
Authors: Vindhya U.
Published: February 2012

This article explores the processes of construction of collective identity of women activists in the state of Andhra Pradesh in south India. Utilizing methods such as the Twenty Statements Test and a semi-structured interview format with 10 activists, the study focused on their self-description as activist, formative influences on their decision to engage in activism, and their recall and narration of a significant collective action incident. Broadly, two dimensions of collective identity – sharing of a collective action frame and connection with a broader community rather than with narrow familial or personal identities – were found to characterize the way the participants construct their selves. The self-perceptions framed by political ideology and collective action experiences contained psychological overtones of subjective well-being that serve to explain in part the sustainability of their involvement with the organization.
Pain Experience in Children With Advanced Cancer
Authors: Van Cleve Lois , Muñoz Cynthia E. , Riggs Matt L. , Bava Laura , Savedra Marilyn
Published: February 2012

Background: It is important for health care professionals to understand the pain experience in children with advanced cancer. There has been increased attention to this topic, but systematic studies are limited. Objective: To examine pain symptoms and management in children with advanced cancer using child self-report and nurse documentation. Methods: A prospective, longitudinal method was used to collect data from 62 children over a 5-month period. Children were English and Spanish speaking, ages 6 to 17 years, with advanced cancer. Nurses also provided data. Results: Across all interviews, pain was reported 56% of the time by all children. Nurses documented pain only 23% of the time. Children most frequently reported head pain (31%), followed by abdomen, lower back, leg, and feet pain (20% to 30%). Children consistently reported more intense pain compared with nurses. Nonopioids were used more frequently (45%) than opioids (32%), and nurses’ perception of pain intensity was more highly correlated with administration of opioids ( r = .72, P < .001). Children who died during their participation in this study received more opioids over time. Pain intensity was relatively stable over time. Nurses noted ethnicity related differences with higher pain levels for Caucasian children, who received analgesics more frequently. Discussion: The children consistently reported pain. Child self-report and nurse documentation of pain differed, as did pain management among children who died compared with those who did not. Ethnicity differences in the identification and management of pain by nurses begs further study. Overall, nurses were aware of and responsive to pain and pain management.
Randomized Trial of Suicide Gatekeeper Training for Social Work Students
Authors: Jacobson Jodi M. , Osteen Phillip J. , Sharpe Tanya L. , Pastoor Jennifer B.
Published: February 2012

Problem: Education and research on social work’s role in preventing client suicide is limited. Method: Seventy advanced master of social work students were randomly assigned to either the training group (Question, Persuade, and Referral suicide gatekeeper training) or the control group. Outcomes measured over time included suicide knowledge, attitudes toward suicide prevention, self-efficacy, and skills. Results and Conclusion: Interaction effects between group assignment and time suggest improvement among the intervention group with regard to knowledge, efficacy to perform the gatekeeper role, and skills. Both groups improved over time for reluctance to engage with clients at risk for suicide, referral, and gatekeeper behaviors. The intervention group reported improved knowledge of resources and perceived preparedness. No changes in attitudes were observed.
Progression in physical education teachers’ career-long professional learning
Authors: Armour Kathleen , Makopoulou Kyriaki , Chambers Fiona
Published: February 2012

This paper considers the issue of learning ‘progression’ in pedagogy for physical education (PE) teachers in their career-long professional development (CPD). This issue arose from an analysis of findings from three research projects in which the authors were involved. The projects were undertaken in different national contexts (Ireland, Greece, England), but all used similar methods to investigate questions about effective/ineffective PE-CPD. The findings identified numerous barriers that teachers and pre-service teachers encountered in accessing effective professional development. Of particular interest, however, was the realization that taken together, the findings raised concerns about teachers’ learning progression, including progression over time, across learning contexts and in specific areas of interest. This issue has rarely been discussed in the existing literature and is poorly theorized. Indeed, there would appear to be little agreement in the profession about how to conceptualize ‘good’ or ‘adequate’ learning progression in pedagogy across a career. This paper, therefore, seeks to open a new line of enquiry.
Effects of a group contingency strategy on middle school physical education students’ heart rates
Authors: Vidoni Carla , Azevedo Liane , Eberline Andrew
Published: February 2012

The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of a dependent group contingency on eighth-grade students’ heart rates. Participants were 18 male and female students. A multielement research design was used to examine the intervention effects. The intervention consisted of: (a) teacher explanation about effort; (b) students’ suggestions to increase effort; (c) a chart posting the target heart rate zones goals; and (d) teacher prompts to remind students about their effort. Participants’ heart rates were monitored during physical education lessons. The target rate was set between 70 and 85% of the participant’s estimated maximum heart rate. The results show that participants increased their time in and above target heart rate zone from 42.1% in baseline to 62.9% during intervention. Therefore, we can conclude that the intervention was successful to increase the exercise intensity during physical education lessons.
A five-stage process for the development and validation of a systematic observation instrument
Authors: Roberts Simon , Fairclough Stuart
Published: February 2012

The primary purpose of this study was to develop and validate a System for Observing the Teaching of Games in Physical Education (SOTG-PE). Primary pilot testing of the SOTG-PE was conducted in a large, selective, all-boys secondary school in the north-west of England. Two hundred and eighty three pupils aged 11–16 volunteered as participants for the pilot testing phase of this study. The SOTG-PE coded 1379 minutes of physical education games lessons across three games categories, including invasion, net/wall and striking and fielding. In addition, the teaching interactions of four full-time teachers of physical education and one pre-service teacher were also coded. The inter-observer and intra-observer mean re-test coefficients suggest that the SOTG-PE is valid for evaluating and recording child activity, lesson context and teacher interactions during various physical education games lessons in the UK.
Mentoring in TGfU teaching
Authors: Wang Lijuan , Ha Amy
Published: February 2012

This study aims to examine the approaches used in mentoring and investigate the interactions occurring between pre-service teachers and mentors during the mentoring process. The study is placed in the context of the implementation of Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU). The theoretical framework of this study was based on situated learning theory. Written artefacts and interview transcripts were collected from ten pre-service teachers, nine cooperating teachers and three university supervisors. Findings indicate that although a hierarchy mentoring model is adopted by mentors to supervise the teaching of pre-service teachers, interactions occur between pre-service teachers and mentors during the mentoring process in TGfU teaching. According to the perspective of pre-service teachers, university supervisors assisted them in acquiring a better understanding and facilitating the teaching of TGfU, although some suggestions are idealistic. The mentoring from cooperating teachers did not focus on TGfU teaching due to their limited knowledge of the subject. From the perspective of mentors, the mentoring in TGfU teaching resulted in their own professional growth. Based on the findings, we suggest that situated learning theory and the mentoring model be modified and developed further.
The effect of teachers trained in a fundamental movement skills programme on children’s self-perceptions and motor competence
Authors: Breslin Gavin , Murphy Marie , McKee David , Delaney Brian , Dempster Martin
Published: February 2012

Perceived and actual motor competence are hypothesized to have potential links to children and young people’s physical activity (PA) levels with a potential consequential link to long-term health. In this cross-sectional study, Harter’s (1985, Manual for the Self-perception Profile for Children. Denver, CO: University of Denver) Competency Motivation-based framework was used to explore whether a group of children taught, during curriculum time, by teachers trained in the Fundamental Movement Skills (FMS) programme, scored higher on self-perception and on core motor competencies when compared to children whose teachers had not been so trained. One hundred and seventy seven children aged 7–8 years participated in the study. One hundred and seven were taught by FMS-trained teachers (FMS) and the remaining 70 were taught by teachers not trained in the programme (non-FMS). The Harter Self-Perception Profile for Children assessed athletic competence, scholastic competence, global self-worth and social acceptance. Three core components of motor competence (body management, object control and locomotor skills) were assessed via child observation. The FMS group scored higher on all the self-perception domains ( p < 0.05). Statistically significant differences were found between the schools on all of the motor tasks ( p < 0.05). The relationships between motor performance and self-perception were generally weak and non-significant. Future research in schools and with teachers should explore the FMS programme’s effect on children’s motor competence via a longitudinal approach.
Almost all start but who continue? A longitudinal study of youth participation in Swedish club sports
Authors: Jakobsson Britta Thedin , Lundvall Suzanne , Redelius Karin , Engström Lars-Magnus
Published: February 2012

Many young people in Sweden stop participating in club sports during their teens, but some continue. Drawing on a longitudinal study, the aim of this article is to highlight some of the characteristics of teenagers who continue with club sports and to discuss the relation between club-sport participation and social and cultural conditions, with the help of Bourdieu’s theoretical framework. This is done by studying the characteristics of teenagers who do club sports at 13 and 16 years of age and comparing them with non-participants at the age of 16. In focus are girls and boys ( n = 289) who participated in both 2004 and 2007 by answering self-reported questionnaires on sporting activity in their leisure time, their academic success and the social position of their families. The conclusion is that young people who possess specific dispositions and certain assets in terms of a habitus with a taste for sport and a cultural capital remain more often in club sports.
Language alternation and conversational repair in bilingual conversation
Authors: Gafaranga Joseph
Published: February 2012

Researchers have consistently reported language alternation in repair sequences in bilingual conversation. However, up until now, no systematic account of the relationship between language alternation and conversational repair has been put forward. The aim of this article is to fill this gap. Two main questions are addressed: (a) where in the repair sequence can language alternation occur? And (b) what does language alternation do in repair sequences when it occurs? Two main theoretical ideas are drawn upon in addressing these research questions, namely the fact that “nothing is, in principle, excludable from the class ‘repairable’” (Schegloff, Jefferson & Sacks, 1977, p. 363) and the fact that language choice itself is a “significant aspect of talk organisation” (Gafaranga, 1999). Applying these ideas, the article shows that language alternation can occur at any point in the repair sequence. As for the functionality of language alternation, the article shows that, among bilingual speakers, repair may be addressed to language choice itself. Alternatively, language alternation may be used as an additional resource in the organization of repair.
Determinants of parental satisfaction with ultrasound hip screening in child health care
Authors: Witting Marjon , Boere-Boonekamp Magda M , Fleuren Margot AH , Sakkers Ralph JB , IJzerman Maarten J
Published: February 2012

Prior research has shown ultrasound (US) screening for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) in preventive child health care to be more effective than the current screening method. In the present study, 3-month-old infants were screened for DDH with US. The objective of this study was to examine parental satisfaction with the screening and determinants that affect satisfaction. Parental satisfaction was measured using a questionnaire. Independent variables included socio-demographic determinants, structure, process and outcome-related determinants and the meeting of expectations. Satisfaction with the screening was high. Parents who perceived the screener as competent, had enough time to ask questions, perceived the proceeding as fluent, perceived a low burden on their infant and whose expectations were met, were more likely to be satisfied. Satisfaction was influenced by process-related factors and not by factors related to the structure and the outcome of the screening. Good information provision before the screening and communication during the screening are means by which parental satisfaction can be influenced positively.
Cardiorespiratory fitness, weight status and objectively measured sedentary behaviour and physical activity in rural and urban Portuguese adolescents
Authors: Machado-Rodrigues Aristides M , Coelho-e-Silva Manuel J , Mota Jorge , Padez Cristina , Ronque Enio , Cumming Sean P , Malina Robert M
Published: February 2012

Relationships among weight status (body mass index [BMI]), cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and objective measures of sedentary behaviour and physical activity (PA) were considered in a cross-sectional sample of Portuguese adolescents. The sample included 362 youth aged 13–16 years (165 males, 197 females) from urban and rural regions of the Portuguese midlands. CRF was assessed with the 20-m shuttle-run test. An uniaxial accelerometer was used to obtain five consecutive days of activity behaviours including time being sedentary. Pearson correlations and logistic regression analysis were used to examine relationships among variables. Rural adolescents were less active than their urban peers over the weekend. Both rural and urban youth with higher levels of CRF had a lower relative risk of being overweight/obese. The observations indicate important associations between weight status and CRF in both rural and urban Portuguese adolescents. In addition, place of residence has an important impact on weight status of this sample of adolescents.
Design and development of embroidered textile electrodes for continuous measurement of electrocardiogram signals
Authors: Kannaian T , Neelaveni R , Thilagavathi G
Published: February 2012

Textile electrodes are a new and potential choice for long term and continuous monitoring of electrocardiogram measurements. In this research, textile electrodes have been designed and developed by embroidering conductive yarn on the polyester fabric to measure electrocardiogram biosignals of patients. Silver-coated nylon thread is embroidered on 100% polyester fabric in square form 11 mm × 11 mm with satin stitches in order to form three heart vectors (V3, V4, and V5). These electrodes are characterized based on electrode impedance and electrocardiogram measurement and the results are compared with the commercially available disposable Ag/AgCl electrodes. Further, additional tests have been performed using an electrode designed with 50% of the conductive thread used in the original sample. Real-time electrocardiogram signals, QRS-complex, P-wave, and T-wave were obtained for 10 subjects using existing hospital electrocardiogram equipment. The performance and repeatability of the electrode designed with 50% less conductive thread and effect of laundering were also studied. The results showed that the impedance of electrode has an acceptable value of 1.45 MΩ/cm2. Ageing tests showed that there is only a negligible deviation in the performance of the electrode. The results after laundering showed that the performance of the electrode is not affected by the laundering process.
From Lymph to Fat
Authors: Brorson Håkan
Published: February 2012

There is some controversy regarding liposuction for late-stage lymphedemas. Although it is clear that conservative therapies such as complex decongestive therapy and controlled compression therapy should be tried in the first instance, options for the treatment of late-stage lymphedema that is not responding to treatment is not so clear. Liposuction has been used for many years to treat lipodystrophy. Some results have been far from optimal; however, improvements in technique, patient preparation, and patient follow-up have led to a greater and a wider acceptance of liposuction as a treatment for lymphedema. This article outlines the benefits of using liposuction and presents the evidence to support its use.
The Effects of Exposure, Proximity, and Capable Guardians on the Risk of Bullying Victimization
Authors: Popp Ann Marie
Published: February 2012

Bullying victimization in school is a significant social problem, which has been linked to serious, detrimental, lifelong consequences for its victims. Therefore, it is imperative that we understand the factors that shape the student’s risk of bullying victimization. This study utilizes opportunity theory, more specifically student’s exposure and proximity to motivated offenders and crime-prone environments and the school’s guardianship efforts, to explain student’s risk of bullying victimization. The study employs data drawn from the 2007 National Crime Victimization Survey School Crime Supplement. Logistic regression models were analyzed to explore whether the student’s risk of bullying victimization was influenced by the measures of exposure and proximity and guardianship. The study provides empirical support for opportunity theory; the student’s exposure and proximity to motivated offender and crime-prone environments and the school’s guardianship efforts were associated with the student’s risk of experiencing bullying victimization while at school. The implications of the study’s findings for bullying victimization research and opportunity theory are discussed.
Triangulation 2.0
Authors: Denzin Norman K.
Published: February 2012

A third way of conceptualizing mixed methods research is proposed, one based on critical interpretive methodologies.
Tuberculosis in childhood
Authors: Shingadia Delane
Published: February 2012

There has been a recent global resurgence of tuberculosis (TB) fuelled by HIV infection and migration. Childhood TB represents a sentinel event in the community, suggesting recent transmission from an infectious adult. The diagnosis of TB in children is based on chest X-ray, tuberculin skin testing and mycobacterial staining/culture, although the diagnostic yield from these investigations is often lower than in adults. Newer diagnostic tests are being developed and may improve the diagnostic yield in childhood TB. Treatment of TB in children is similar to adults in that short-course multidrug treatment has been adopted as standard therapy in many national TB programmes. Compliance is a major determinant of the success of drug treatment and directly observed therapy has been adopted as a key component of TB treatment programmes. Although uncommon in children, multidrug-resistant TB is also increasing and treatment often involves longer courses of therapy with second-line drugs.
N-Acetylcysteine mucolysis in the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Sadowska Anna M.
Published: February 2012

To develop an efficient therapy for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), N-acetylcysteine (NAC) has been tested as a medication that can suppress various pathogenic processes in this disease. NAC is a thiol compound, which provides sulfhydryl groups. NAC can act as a precursor of reduced glutathione and as a direct reactive oxygen species scavenger, hence regulating the redox status in the cells. In this way NAC can interfere with several signaling pathways that play a role in regulating apoptosis, angiogenesis, cell growth and inflammatory response. Mucus hypersecretion has been reported in COPD and in other respiratory conditions. Two pathological processes have been described to play an important role in COPD, namely oxidative stress and inflammation. Both of these processes can induce mucin gene expression leading to mucin production. NAC, therefore, may influence mucin expression by acting on oxidative stress and inflammation, and play a role as a mucolytic agent. In this review we focus on the mucolysis of NAC in the management of COPD.
Overutilization of proton-pump inhibitors: what the clinician needs to know
Authors: Heidelbaugh Joel J. , Kim Andrea H. , Chang Robert , Walker Paul C.
Published: February 2012

Proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) remain the leading evidence-based therapy for upper gastrointestinal disorders, including gastroesophageal reflux disease, dyspepsia, and peptic ulcer disease. The effectiveness of PPIs has led to overutilization in multiple treatment arenas, exposing patients to an increasing number of potential risks. The overutilization of PPIs in ambulatory care settings is often a result of failure to re-evaluate the need for continuation of therapy, or insufficient use of on-demand and step-down therapy. PPI overutilization in the inpatient setting is often a result of inappropriate stress ulcer prophylaxis (SUP) in nonintensive care unit patients, and failure to discontinue SUP prior to hospital discharge. Potential consequences of prolonged PPI therapy include hypergastrinemia, enterochromaffin-like cell hyperplasia, and parietal cell hypertrophy, leading to rebound acid hypersecretion. PPIs have been linked via retrospective studies to increased risk of enteric infections including Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea, community-acquired pneumonia, bone fracture, nutritional deficiencies, and interference with metabolism of antiplatelet agents. Reducing inappropriate prescribing of PPIs in the inpatient and outpatient settings can minimize potential for adverse events, and foster controllable cost expenditure.
Prejudice Concerns and Race-Based Attentional Bias
Authors: Bean Meghan G. , Slaten Daniel G. , Horton William S. , Murphy Mary C. , Todd Andrew R. , Richeson Jennifer A.
Published: February 2012

The present study used eyetracking methodology to assess whether individuals high in external motivation (EM) to appear nonprejudiced exhibit an early bias in visual attention toward Black faces indicative of social threat perception. Drawing on previous work examining visual attention to socially threatening stimuli, the authors predicted that high-EM participants, but not lower-EM participants, would initially look toward Black faces and then subsequently direct their attention away from these faces. Participants viewed pairs of images, some of which consisted of one White and one Black male face, while a desk-mounted eyetracking camera recorded their eye movements. Results showed that, as predicted, high-EM, but not lower-EM, individuals exhibited patterns of visual attention indicative of social threat perception.
Being Fearless and Fearsome
Authors: Irwin Katherine , Umemoto Karen
Published: February 2012

Violence and masculinity, as many criminologists have argued, are tightly coupled in the United States. According to the current masculinity and crime perspectives, men who confront multiple oppressions (e.g., class, race, and political) are particularly apt to use violence because, while marginalized men lack economic power, they possess power in terms of their gender, especially through the use or threat of violence. While many scholars acknowledge that racial oppression can contribute to the development of violent masculine identities, the authors argue that race remains undertheorized in prevailing explanations of masculine identities and violence. In this study, the authors argue for further advancement of the colonial criminology framework to deepen our understanding of the race-based inequalities leading up to violence. More specifically, the authors analyze data collected from a 6-year ethnographic study of youth violence among Pacific Islander adolescents to illustrate the effects of the lasting legacy of colonialism as well as the continuing salience of racial and ethnic identity formation in explanations of violence, primarily involving Native Hawaiian and Samoan youths in Hawai‘i.
Inhibitory effects of tiotropium on rhinovirus infection in human airway epithelial cells
Authors: Yamaya Mutsuo , Nishimura Hidekazu , Hatachi Yukimasa , Yasuda Hiroyasu , Deng Xue , Sasaki Takahiko , Kubo Hiroshi , Nagatomi Ryoichi
Published: February 2012

Infection by rhinoviruses (RVs) causes exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The long-acting anti-cholinergic agent tiotropium reduces the frequency of COPD exacerbations, but the inhibitory effects of tiotropium on the COPD exacerbations induced by RVs are unclear. Likewise, the effects of tiotropium on RVs infection remain to be studied.

To examine the effects of tiotropium on RV infection and RV infection-induced airway inflammation, human tracheal epithelial cells were infected with a major group RV, type 14 RV (RV14).

RV14 infection increased the viral titre and the amount of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-1β and -6, in supernatant fluids and the amount of RV14 RNA in cells. Tiotropium reduced RV14 titres, RNA and cytokine concentrations, and susceptibility to RV14 infection. Tiotropium reduced the expression of intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1, the receptor for RV14, and the number of cellular acidic endosomes, which allow RV14 RNA to enter the cytoplasm. Tiotropium inhibited the activation of nuclear factor-κB proteins, including p50 and p65, in the nuclear extracts, and it increased the cytosolic amount of inhibitory κB-α.

Tiotropium may inhibit RV14 infection by reducing the levels of ICAM-1 and acidic endosomes and may also modulate airway inflammation in rhinovirus infection.