bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Financial assistance for families with severely disabled children and transport costs
Authors: Roberts Keri , Lawton Dot
Published: March 2006

Families with severely disabled children encounter many difficulties in getting out and about. The inadequacy of statutory financial assistance for transport related costs is confirmed by an analysis of families receiving grants from the Family Fund Trust. A third of the sample of 37 000 families with a severely disabled child, received grants for transport related costs. Such grants were more common for families with very young disabled children, children with particular diagnoses, or severely impaired motor function, sight and speech, and families whose children were dependent on technology, or who subsequently died. Recommendations for improving current statutory support are made. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Multidimensional approach to helping emotionally abused and neglected children and abusive parents
Authors: Iwaniec Dorota , Herbert Martin
Published: March 2006

Emotional abuse is notoriously difficult to define and, thus, to assess and operationalise for intervention purposes. This paper addresses these issues and emphasises the heterogeneous nature of emotional maltreatment, a fact that demands a multi‐level, multidimensional approach to intervention. Some of the available methods for tackling the various facets of a complex social and personal problem will be outlined and discussed. Social work and other professionals involved in child care protection work may find the material provided here helpful when working with these children and families. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Order and disorder: the contradictions of childhood
Authors: Smith Roger
Published: March 2006

This article reviews the question of childhood in the context of conflicting social trends, namely the simultaneous globalisation and atomisation of social life. The experience of childhood is discussed in relation to three distinct ‘levels’; children as consumers, children as interpreters, and children as actors. It is suggested that understanding the changing social context in relation to each of these levels helps to explain some of the tensions and disruptions that characterise the lives of some children, especially those at the margins. In conclusion, it is argued that this analysis is not only of theoretical interest, but indicates specific requirements for the formulation of coherent social policies to meet the needs of all children. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Sharing genetic origins information in third party assisted conception: a case for Victorian family values?
Authors: Blyth Eric
Published: March 2006

In the United Kingdom (UK) approximately 2500 children are born each year as a result of third party assisted conception. Since formal record keeping by the statutory regulatory body, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, began in 1991, the total number of children known to have been born from all forms of third party assisted conception exceeds 13 500. Although the records contain information about these children's genetic origins, including the identity of the donor, current legislation severely circumscribes their ability to access this information and, save in very exceptional circumstances, they are not permitted to learn the identity of the donor. Consequently, they are the only individuals in the UK whose inability to learn the identity of both their genetic parents is formally endorsed by statute. This paper identifies different approaches to exchanging genetic origins information in third party assisted conception. It provides a critique of the model currently in force in the UK and advocates its replacement by a system that more closely resembles that introduced in Victoria (Australia) in 1998. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Adversity, resilience and young people: the protective value of positive school and spare time experiences
Authors: Gilligan Robbie
Published: March 2006

This paper argues for the value of resilience as a key concept in work with young people in need and considers some of the implications of a resilience led approach for policy and practice. Resilience refers to a capacity to do well despite adverse experience. Social and developmental factors influencing a child or young person's degree of resilience are discussed, with particular reference to the resilience enhancing potential of school experiences and spare time activities. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Young people and prostitution: an end to the beginning?
Authors: Ayre Patrick , Barrett David
Published: March 2006

Since the mid‐1970s, we have developed in England and Wales a complex and sophisticated inter‐agency system dedicated to protecting children from abuse. However, we have failed to apply it effectively to the protection of young people sexually abused through involvement in prostitution. This paper examines some of the reasons for this failure and identifies a number of characteristics of the child protection system which seem to fit it poorly for work with these young people. It is argued that lasting improvement in their well‐being depends on the creation of truly ‘joined‐up’, integrated, interdisciplinary services addressing the whole range of their needs. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Darwin's final message: we have no honour
Authors: Miles James
Published: March 2006

There is much talk currently about the genetic basis of violence and crime. Yet far from undermining the National Children's Bureau (NCB) position that ‘children are not born violent: they are made so', evolutionary biology wholeheartedly endorses this view. From Darwin to Dawkins, the NCB stance is affirmed. Unfortunately, the war that has been running for over a quarter of a century within Darwinism has allowed certain evolutionary heretics to promote their agenda instead. Between the heretics' flawed understanding of genetics, and their defence of the anti‐scientific concept of ‘free will', we continue to abuse the unluckiest and most vulnerable children in our society. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
School students' views on school councils and daily life at school
Authors: Alderson Priscilla
Published: March 2006

This article reports a survey conducted in schools in Great Britain and Northern Ireland during 1997–8 with 2,272 students aged seven to 17 years. The 24‐page booklet questionnaire included six groups of questions about school councils. The question of whether pupils who have a council see it as effective was cross‐tabulated with a range of other questions, in order to examine associations between students' views about their school councils with their views on other aspects of school. About half the students reported that they had a school council. Of these, the ones who thought their council was effective generally had positive views about their school's social and academic activities, whereas the ones who said their council was ineffective generally had more negative attitudes. Some schools find that creating an effective school council can considerably improve standards of behaviour, but this process has to involve further changes in systems and relationships in the school. Simply introducing a token council can increase students' scepticism. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Listening to children with cancer
Authors: Balen Rachel
Published: March 2006

Many children now live with cancer rather than die from it, and such children need both to continue their social, emotional and cognitive development and to make long‐term psychological adjustments. This paper has its foundations in the findings of a research project set up to explore issues pertinent to the current provision of an activity week experience for a group of British paediatric cancer patients. This research suggested that the activity week appeals to children who are confident, active and able to separate from parents and whose parents are keen to encourage independence and new experiences. Children diagnosed and treated at a younger age and further away from treatment are more likely to express concerns about homesickness and safety and to not apply for the week. In this paper, issues of protection, independence and disability are discussed with reference to the importance of parental attitude on children's psychological accommodation to disease and treatment. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Children of mixed parentage: data collection needs
Authors: Aspinall Peter J.
Published: March 2006

In a review of Tizard and Phoenix's (1993) study, Sinclair drew attention to the paucity of official statistical information on children of mixed parentage, including the omission of a ‘mixed’ category in the 1991 Census classification. This article documents the limitations of that classification (which unsatisfactorily accommodated the needs of some 230 000 persons who identified their mixed origins in write‐in descriptions), examines the only official sources of information that can be used to estimate the number of children of mixed parentage, including the Samples of Anonymised Records and the Labour Force Survey statistics, and assesses the current policy needs for such information. Finally, the provision for people of ‘mixed’ ethnic/cultural background in the 2001 Census is discussed. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Young people in Britain at the beginning of a new century
Authors: Coleman John
Published: March 2006

The intention of this review article is to consider some of the major social changes that have had an impact on adolescents during the latter part of the last century, and to suggest ways in which the behaviour and development of young people in the present century will alter in response to such a change. It is argued that alteration in the labour market and in family composition and structure will have particular effects on young people in the coming years. The article also considers race, gender, sexuality, mental health and social exclusion. The review concludes with some tentative predictions concerning the attitudes and likely behaviours of young people in the twenty first century. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Internalising and externalising children's behaviour problems in Britain and the US: relationships to family resources1
Authors: McCulloch Andrew , Wiggins Richard D. , Joshi Heather E. , Sachdev Darshan
Published: March 2006

A large sample of British children (n=994) of varying ages (7–18 years) and a large sample of American children (n=886) of varying ages (7–16 years) were rated by their mothers using respectively the Rutter Child Scale A and the Behaviour Problems Index both of which cover a variety of behavioural problems. Factor analysis of the behavioural scales distinguished externalising and internalising dimensions of behaviour in both countries. We examined whether children's experiences of family change, cognitive ability and family adversity including economic deprivation were associated with differences in the prevalence of the behavioural dimensions. Mean cognitive scores decreased significantly with increasing level of externalising behavioural problems in British and American children but showed no significant relationship to levels of internalising behaviour problems in either sample. Among American children internalising and externalising behavioural problems were related to experience of non‐intact family structures and measures of family adversity. Externalising behavioural problems were related to measures of family adversity among British boys and girls but were only related to experience of non‐intact family structures in the sample of British girls. Among British girls, internalising behavioural problems were also related to non‐intact family structures. The associations between non‐intact family structures and behavioural problems were independent of measures of economic deprivation in both samples of children. This study documents some of the background factors which affect children's behavioural and cognitive outcomes. Unlike children's family structure economic deprivation can be influenced through policy intervention, and the analysis supports the view that relieving economic deprivation would help improve children's behavioural outcomes. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Being evaluated: a practitioner's view
Authors: Draper Lucy
Published: March 2006

The impacts of evaluation exercises on people and services being evaluated are examined, including those that are unintended. Using the example of a parents' centre in central London, the paper asks whether evaluators are measuring the right things, whether the resulting ‘evidence’ is valid, and what effects an evaluation may have on the service. It seeks to identify the features of research and evaluation exercises that are most likely to justify the time spent on data collection by leading to improvements in services for children and families. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Survey of Audit Pricing in Ireland
Authors: Simon Daniel T. , Taylor Mark H.
Published: March 2006

Many studies have been conducted on the market for audit services in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and other countries, but many countries, including Ireland, have not been studied in detail. This paper examines the audit services market in Ireland. The findings indicate broad similarities in the market for audit services in Ireland and countries previously studied. In addition to extending the results of prior studies of the audit services market to a country not previously examined in detail, this study makes an additional contribution by examining whether the large audit‐firm fee premium is a general phenomenon or is attributable to specific audit firms. The results suggest that the large audit‐firm fee premium documented in many countries may be attributable to only a few large accounting firms rather than to all large accounting firms. In this regard the market for audit services in Ireland may differ from many of the countries previously studied.
The Relationship between Categories of Non‐Audit Services and Audit Fees: Evidence from UK Companies
Authors: Ezzamel M. , Gwilliam D. R. , Holland K. M.
Published: March 2006

Using survey data we examine the relationship between various categories of non‐audit services and audit fees. Compared to previous research, we use a more refined classification of non‐audit services both for incumbent and non‐incumbent auditors, and control for the existence of an internal audit function and basis of disclosure. Our results suggest that the relationship between levels of audit fees and non‐audit services varies by category of non‐audit service. These results support explanations of the positive association between fees paid for non‐audit services and audit fees in terms either of client specific differences, e.g. organisational complexity, or of events giving rise to the purchase of more audit and non‐audit services rather than in terms of direct economic linkages between the cost functions for audit and non‐audit services. We speculate that the presence of another auditing firm at the client in a consulting capacity may exert competitive pressure on the fee for external audit.
International Dimensions of the Audit Fee Determinants Literature
Authors: Cobbin Phillip E.
Published: March 2006

A review of the literature in the area of audit fee determinants includes fifty‐six studies drawn from seventeen countries over the period 1980 to 2000. The review starts with work initially based in the US market and then shows that attention spread almost immediately to a number of other markets, some of which were similar in structure to that of the US including the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand and Ireland. A second extension of this work has seen studies based on data drawn from markets including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, South Africa, The Netherlands and Norway. The comparative, analytical review highlights the use of a core audit fee determinants model that is used and adapted in a limited way, to reflect market specific circumstances and to address market specific issues. The review indicates some consistency across markets in respect of generic variables identified as core determinants of the level of audit fees. There is little evidence in the literature to indicate historical, cultural, institutional or other market‐specific factors being addressed in a systematic way, particularly in respect of developing countries.
An International Study of Cross‐sectional Variations in Audit Fees
Authors: Chung Shifei , Narasimhan Ramesh
Published: March 2006

Most previous studies in the market for auditing services and modeling of audit fees have been limited to either a single country (e.g., Johnson et al. 1995) or a single region (e.g., Simon et al. 1992) or a collection across regions (Haskin & Williams 1988). The main studies to examine cross‐country audit fee models are Taylor and Simon (1999) and Wingate (1994). This study extends their previous work by building an audit fees model for 12 countries in Europe, Africa, and Asia. A more comprehensive model is tested which includes the developing stage of the country, (a variable not yet tested) and industry classifications (a variable not tested by most previous studies). Data were compiled from the annual reports published in the International Accounting and Auditing Trends, Fourth Edition (1995) over 1989–1993 by Center for International Financial Analysis and Research (CIFAR).

Our results show that, on average, companies in developed countries pay higher audit fees than companies in developing countries. Companies in manufacturing industries for most of the countries studied have the lowest fees charged to them, as compared to the other four industries, presumably because auditors get more training in auditing manufacturing companies than other companies. As in previous studies, our results show that the Big 6 audit firms charge higher fees than non‐Big 6 auditors. The fee premium may be due to the need for quality‐differentiated audits in the emerging capital markets, or due to the brand name reputation enjoyed by the Big 6.
Public Accountability and Performance Auditing in Government
Authors: Ng Andy Y.
Published: March 2006

Recent incidents which may involve corruption and misconduct by high government officials in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) have aroused public interest in, and concern for, the processes for which the government is held accountable to its citizens as a whole. This requires the reinforcement and reinstatement of a proper and workable government audit mechanism. The objectives of the government audit are considered, together with a discussion of the latest notions of public accountability which require periodic reporting by managers and an annual audit. The modern notion of a comprehensive performance audit in the government sector is also discussed. Finally, some suggestions to remedy the weaknesses in the present government audit are put forward.
Auditor Independence: A Comparative Descriptive Study of the UK, France and Italy
Authors: Stevenson Joanna E.
Published: March 2006

The independence of the external auditor has long been a subject of great debate, particularly by UK and US interested parties. With the growth and globalisation of the large multi‐disciplinary firms, it has again been pushed to the fore: new ethical guidance issued by international bodies such as La Fédération des Experts‐ Comptables Européens (FEE) and The International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) and the activities of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Independence Standards Board in the US have encouraged a wider consideration of the issue. In Europe, the European Commission has issued a Consultative Paper containing fundamental principles for adoption into Member States’ own regulation on statutory auditor independence. Increasing pressure for the removal of obstacles to a single European audit market have resulted in safeguards of auditor independence in some countries being described as undesirable barriers. This paper considers the issue of statutory auditor independence across three EU Member States: the UK, France and Italy, by comparing the ethical guides and the legal and professional regulations in place, highlighting and discussing areas of divergence, and contrasting them with the EC's Consultative Paper. It takes into account factors such as culture and the historical development of auditing in order to explore the differences found. The paper demonstrates that positions taken in France and Italy on the issue of auditor independence differ markedly from that taken by the UK profession. Of the three countries reviewed, the UK viewpoint has most obviously influenced the drafting of the EC Paper. The implications of these variances for EU harmonisation are discussed, and the paper concludes that there is a clear need for empirical study of this important issue in Europe to better understand the reasons for differing perceptions and attitudes, and the repercussions of these differences on the process of European audit harmonisation.
The New Accountancy Foundation: A Credible Form of Regulation for UK Listed Company Audit?
Authors: Dewing Ian P , Russell Peter O
Published: March 2006

This paper considers the new system of regulation of the accountancy profession in the UK, based on the Accountancy Foundation. It explores how the system compares with: principles of regulation produced by the Better Regulation Task Force and National Consumer Council; stakeholder perceptions on the nature of an independent regulatory body for UK listed company audit; new and emerging developments arising from the review of competition in professions by the Office of Fair Trading; recommendations of the Company Law Review Steering Group and establishment of the Financial Services Authority; and, events set in train in the UK as a result of the collapse of Enron in the US. The paper concludes it is ironic that the new system, enthusiastically endorsed so recently by government, should be called into question so fundamentally, and so rapidly, by events outside its jurisdiction.
Intensive referral to 12‐Step self‐help groups and 6‐month substance use disorder outcomes
Authors: Timko Christine , DeBenedetti Anna , Billow Rachel
Published: March 2006

Aims  This study implemented and evaluated procedures to help clinicians make effective referrals to 12‐Step self‐help groups.

Design  Randomized controlled trial.

Setting  Out‐patient substance use disorder treatment.

Participants  Individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs) entering a new treatment episode (n = 345) who were assigned randomly to a standard referral‐ or an intensive referral‐to‐self‐help condition.

Measurements  Self‐reports of 12‐Step group attendance and involvement and substance use at baseline and a 6‐month follow‐up.

Intervention  The intensive referral intervention focused on encouraging patients to attend 12‐Step meetings by connecting them to 12‐Step volunteers.

Findings  Among patients with relatively less previous 12‐Step meeting attendance, intensive referral was associated with more meeting attendance during follow‐up than was standard referral. Among all patients, compared with those who received standard referral, those who received intensive referral were more likely to be involved with 12‐Step groups during the 6‐month follow‐up (i.e. had provided service, had a spiritual awakening and currently had a sponsor). Intensive referral patients also had better alcohol and drug use outcomes at 6 months. Twelve‐Step involvement mediated part of the association between referral condition and alcohol outcomes.

Conclusions  The brief intensive referral intervention was associated with improved 12‐Step group involvement and substance use outcomes even among patients with considerable previous 12‐Step group exposure and formal treatment. Future 12‐Step intensive referral procedures should focus on encouraging 12‐Step group involvement in addition to attendance to benefit patients most effectively.
The effect of red blood cells on thrombin generation
Authors: Horne McDonald K. , Cullinane Ann M. , Merryman Paula K. , Hoddeson Elizabeth K.
Published: March 2006

We have developed an assay of thrombin generation in clotting whole blood. Because our goal was to study patients with red blood cell diseases that are associated with thrombosis, the initial evaluation of this assay analysed the effect of the haematocrit and haemolysate on the total amount of thrombin activity generated and the maximal concentration of thrombin achieved. Both of these parameters were proportional to the haematocrit throughout a wide range of clinically relevant cell concentrations. Red cell lysate also augmented thrombin generation. Because this effect was removed by filtration of the lysate, we propose that it was related to red cell microparticles.
Fecundity, egg size and early hatchery survival for wild Atlantic salmon, from the River Bush
Authors: MOFFETT I. J. J. , ALLEN M. , FLANAGAN C. , CROZIER W. W. , KENNEDY G. J. A.
Published: March 2006

Abstract  A total of 118 wild Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., females were stripped at the River Bush Salmon Station. The total number of eggs (fecundity) and egg diameters were compared for three age groups of adults. Adult length explained the majority of the variation in fecundity whilst freshwater age explained the majority of the variation in egg diameter. Parallel regression analysis for the total number of eggs on fish length relation for 3 years (2000–2002) showed significant temporal variation among years. Larger eggs from 2.1+ adults produced longer and heavier swim‐up fry than smaller eggs from 1.1+ adults. There was also the suggestion that the survival of eggs from 1.1+ adults was lower than eggs from 2.1+ adults to the swim‐up stage.
Effects of salinity and source of inocula on germination of Anabaena akinetes from a tidally influenced lake
Authors: FAITHFULL CAROLYN L. , BURNS CAROLYN W.
Published: March 2006

1. Sedimentary akinetes (resting stages) may represent significant potential inocula for nuisance blooms of cyanobacteria. We studied the effects of salinity and sediment source on the germination and subsequent growth of Anabaena flos‐aquae akinetes from a shallow, tidally influenced lake.

2. Surface sediments collected from littoral and open‐water sites were used as inocula to culture A. flos‐aquae akinetes in four salinities (0.1, 2.2, 4.4 and 6.5) over 22 days. Akinete germination and development was followed by counting developmental stages every second day.

3. Filament growth, but not akinete germination, was inhibited by salinity and there were significantly fewer filaments at 6.5 than at 0.1 and 2.2. Cultures inoculated with littoral sediment had more akinetes, germlings and filaments than those inoculated with open‐water sediment.

4. Sediment is a potential source of inocula for Anabaena blooms in the lake, which potentially could develop solely from this source because germination and subsequent filament growth do not depend on the existence of an initial pelagic Anabaena population.
Habitat structure and fish predation: effects on invertebrate colonisation and breakdown of stream leaf packs
Authors: RUETZ CARL R. , BREEN MATTHEW J. , VANHAITSMA DANA L.
Published: March 2006

1. We investigated the effects of two features of leaf‐pack habitat structure (i.e. mass of a leaf pack and surface area of leaves comprising a leaf pack) and fish predation on colonisation of shredders and leaf breakdown rates in a coldwater stream. Packs were constructed of red maple (Acer rubrum) leaves.

2. A 2 × 3 × 3 factorial experiment was used to manipulate fish predation (exclusion and control cage), leaf‐pack mass (1, 3 and 5 g dry mass) and leaf surface area (small: approx. 17.9 cm2, medium: approx. 34.6 cm2, large: approx. 65.6 cm2). Exclusion cages had mesh on all sides, whereas control cages lacked mesh on two sides to provide access to fish.

3. Common shredders were Gammarus pseudolimnaeus, Pycnopsyche and Lepidostoma. Shredder biomass per leaf pack increased with the mass of a leaf pack (P < 0.001), but biomass per unit mass of leaf pack did not differ with leaf‐pack mass (P = 0.506). Shredder densities did not respond to the exclusion of fish (P > 0.7) or leaf surface area (P > 0.7), and interactions among treatment factors were not significant (P > 0.2).

4. Breakdown rates were lower for leaf packs comprised of small leaves (P < 0.001) and leaf packs with high mass (P = 0.001). Excluding fish did not significantly affect leaf breakdown rates (P = 0.293), and interactions among treatment factors were not significant (P > 0.3). Breakdown rates were highest when packs consisted of few leaves (i.e. leaf packs with large leaves and low mass) and were colonised by many shredders.

5. Fish predation was not an important factor controlling shredder densities in leaf packs over the spatiotemporal scale of our experiment. Nevertheless, we found shredder colonisation was proportional to leaf‐pack mass and breakdown rates were affected by leaf‐pack size (i.e. number of leaves in a pack). We suspect that fragmentation is the primary mechanism causing the breakdown rates to be dependent on leaf‐pack size.
Taxon‐specific variation in the stable isotopic signatures (δ13C and δ15N) of lake phytoplankton
Authors: VUORIO KRISTIINA , MEILI MARKUS , SARVALA JOUKO
Published: March 2006

1. The variability in the stable isotope signatures of carbon and nitrogen (δ13C and δ15N) in different phytoplankton taxa was studied in one mesotrophic and three eutrophic lakes in south‐west Finland. The lakes were sampled on nine to 16 occasions over 2–4 years and most of the time were dominated by cyanobacteria and diatoms. A total of 151 taxon‐specific subsamples covering 18 different phytoplankton taxa could be isolated by filtration through a series of sieves and by flotation/sedimentation, followed by microscopical identification and screening for purity.

2. Substantial and systematic differences between phytoplankton taxa, seasons and lakes were observed for both δ13C and δ15N. The values of δ13C ranged from −34.4‰ to −5.9‰ and were lowest in chrysophytes (−34.4‰ to −31.3‰) and diatoms (−30.6‰ to −26.6‰). Cyanobacteria were most variable (−32.4‰ to −5.9‰), including particularly high values in the nostocalean cyanobacterium Gloeotrichia echinulata (−14.4‰ to −5.9‰). For δ13C, the taxon‐specific amplitude of temporal changes within a lake was usually <1–8‰ (<1–4‰ for microalgae alone and <1–8‰ for cyanobacteria alone), whereas the amplitude among taxa within a water sample was up to 31‰.

3. The values of δ15N ranged from −2.1‰ to 12.8‰ and were high in chrysophytes, dinophytes and diatoms, but low in the nitrogen‐fixing cyanobacteria Anabaena spp., Aphanizomenon spp. and G. echinulata (−2.1‰ to 1.6‰). Chroococcalean cyanobacteria ranged from −1.4‰ to 8.9‰. For δ15N, the taxon‐specific amplitude of temporal changes within a lake was 2–6‰, (2–6‰ for microalgae alone and 2–4‰ for cyanobacteria alone) and the amplitude among taxa within a water sample was up to 11‰.

4. The isotopic signatures of phytoplankton changed systematically with their physical and chemical environment, most notably with the concentrations of nutrients, but correlations were non‐systematic and site‐specific.

5. The substantial variability in the isotopic signatures of phytoplankton among taxa, seasons and lakes complicates the interpretation of isotopic signatures in lacustrine food webs. However, taxon‐specific values and seasonal patterns showed some consistency among years and may eventually be predictable.
Litter‐associated bacteria and fungi – a comparison of biomass and communities across lakes and plant species
Authors: MILLE‐LINDBLOM CECILIA , FISCHER HELMUT , TRANVIK LARS J.
Published: March 2006

1. We investigated the importance of lake water chemistry and substrate properties in regulating microbial decomposer communities on macrophyte litter. Ten lakes of differing water chemistry, including such variables as nutrient concentration, pH and dissolved organic carbon, were sampled in October 2003. Water chemistry was analysed, and litter from the macrophytes Phragmites australis, Schoenoplectus lacustris and Nuphar lutea was collected from both above and below the water surface.

2. The three plant species differed widely in carbon and nitrogen content. The aerial parts of P. australis had highest C : N ratio (mean value 125), while the lowest values were found in leaves of N. lutea (19.8).

3. Fungal carbon ranged from 0.15 to 6.4 mg g−1 dry weight (DW), and was higher on aerial than on submerged plant parts. Fungal biomass was highest on S. lacustris and lowest on N. lutea. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis revealed no differences in the number of fungal taxa between plant species or plant parts, with the limitation that no molecular analysis was possible for N. lutea.

4. In contrast, bacteria were most abundant on N. lutea, but showed no significant difference between leaf and stem parts. The number of bacterial taxa was highest on the submerged parts of P. australis.

5. The correlations between microbial variables and the properties of lakes and litter were analysed using multivariate statistics. In a principal component analysis, litter properties explained 78% of the variation in microbial variables. In contrast, redundancy analysis revealed that the explanatory power of lake water chemistry was only 20%, indicating that the properties of the growth substratum were more important than those of the lake water for the attached microbial communities.
Assessment of pain coping styles: development of an inventory
Authors: Crow Carolyn S , Olivet Linda W , Burry‐Stock Judith , VanderMeer Jeanette L
Published: March 2006

The Pain Coping Style Inventory (PCSI) is an instrument designed to measure the pain coping style of individuals It is based on the pain coping model and typology described by Copp A study with a convenience sample of 145 university graduates, undergraduates, and faculty revealed a Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient of 0 90, adequate stability, and a nine factor analysis solution representing 57% of the variance Four of Copp's five coping styles are clearly defined by the factor analysis interactive, reactive, combatant, and victim Five more coping styles are named contractor, distractor, spiritual coping, substance users, and mind over matter The development and piloting of the PCSI is a step towards empowering the nurse with the ability to provide patients with individualized pain coping strategies
Effects of relaxation and music on postoperative pain: a review
Authors: Good Marion
Published: March 2006

Postoperative patients differ in their response to pain and opioids It is therefore important that nurses offer other options as adjuvants to medication Relaxation and music may reduce pain by interrupting the postoperative cycle of pain, muscle tension and sympathetic activity This review summarizes and critiques studies on the effectiveness of relaxation and music use during postoperative pain Relaxation and music were effective in reducing affective and observed pain in the majority of studies, but they were less often effective in reducing sensory pain or opioid intake However, the between‐study differences in surgical procedures, experimental techniques, activities during testing, measurement of pain, and amount of practice make comparisons difficult Furthermore, within studies, the problems of inadequate sample size, lack of random assignment, no assurance of pretest equivalence, delayed post‐test administration and no control for opiates at the time of testing reduces the validity of the studies' conclusions Randomized controlled studies of the types of relaxation and music that are most helpful to postoperative patients should be explored in various contexts
Burden and health outcomes of family caregivers of hospitalized bone marrow transplant patients
Authors: Foxall Martha J , Gaston‐Johansson Fannie
Published: March 2006

Twenty‐four family caregivers of bone marrow transplant (BMT) patients were interviewed to describe the burden of care and health outcomes (anxiety, depression, symptom distress and fatigue) A descriptive correlational research design with repeated measures was used Data were collected in a conference room in the oncology unit of a midwestern university hospital using a battery of questionnaires Questionnaires were administered pre‐BMT (prior to the patient's hospitalization) and 5 and 20 days post‐BMT Objective burden remained at a similar level throughout the study (mean range 31 4 to 32 9), whereas subjective burden was highest pre‐BMT (mean range 25 3–21 7) Significant correlations were found between objective burden and all health outcomes (P<0 01 to P<0 001) on day 5 Symptom distress was significantly correlated to subjective burden pre‐BMT and to both types of burden on days 5 and 20 Results of this study suggest that family caregivers of BMT patients may experience more objective burden than subjective burden, and that burden of care may contribute to negative health outcomes, especially on day 5 post‐BMT Interventions designed to reduce sources of caregiver burden and negative health outcomes should be planned according to critical time periods of the BMT patient's hospitalization
Towards further clarification of the concept ‘dignity’
Authors: Haddock Jane
Published: March 2006

The word dignity is used frequently in nursing and is deemed important to maintain or promote in patients Its meaning, however, remains unclear This paper uses the model of concept analysis described by Chinn and Kramer to further clarify the concept and develop the ideas of Mains A tentative definition and indicators are suggested to ascertain if dignity is present in a given interaction and context Dignity is found to be connected to the shared humanity of patient and nurse, whilst acknowledging the uniqueness of individuals It emerges through the analysis that, in order to effectively promote the dignity of patients, the nurse should also possess dignity
Young diabetics' compliance in the framework of the mimic model
Authors: Kyngas Helvi , Hentinen Maija , Koivukangas Pirjo , Ohinmaa Arto
Published: March 2006

The compliance of 346 young diabetics aged 13–17 years with health regimens is analysed in the framework of a MIMIC (multiple indicators, multiple causes) model The data were compiled by means of a questionnaire on compliance, conditions for compliance, the meaning attached to treatment and the impact of the disease, and the model constructed using the LJSREL VII programme, treating compliance as an unobserved variable formulated in terms of observed causes (x‐variables) and observed indicators (y‐variables) The resulting solutions are entirely satisfactory The goodness‐of‐fit index is 0 983, the root mean square residual 0 058 and the chi‐squared statistic 43 35 (P<0 001) The values for the individual parameters in the model are also shown to be reliable and valid The model shows compliance to be indicated by self‐care behaviour, responsibility for treatment, intention to pursue the treatment and collaboration with the physician, and to be greatly determined by motivation, experience of the results of treatment and having the energy and will‐power to pursue the treatment and, to a lesser extent, by a sense of normality and fear
The changing academic role of the nurse teacher in the United Kingdom
Authors: Kirk Susan , Carlisle Caroline , Luker Karen A
Published: March 2006

This paper presents findings from a national study conducted over a 3‐year period (1991–94) which examined the changing role of the nurse teacher The study used multiple methods to collect data from a wide variety of respondents (nurse teachers, midwife teachers, clinical nurses, health service managers and higher education lecturers) This paper presents the findings relating to the development of the nurse teacher's academic role following the introduction of Project 2000 The issues presented and discussed include specialization within the nurse teacher's role, the nature of this specialization and the development of academic credibility and scholarship The implications of these changes in terms of the development of nursing as an academic subject area and the opportunity to contribute to the establishment of research based practice are explored
Reflective journal writing in nurse education: whose interests does it serve?
Authors: Wellard S J , Bethune E
Published: March 2006

The use of reflective journal writing has become popularized in the past decade This paper uses the experience of two university lecturers to problematize this practice The practice of journal writing in nursing courses is explored firstly through the lens of critical theory and secondly that of post‐structuralism This paper challenges nurse academics to confront the power relationships established by the adoption of journal writing uncritically into courses
Nasointestinal intubation with tiger tubes: a case series indicates risk of mucosal damage
Authors: Taylor S. J. , Pullyblank A. , Manara A.
Published: March 2006

In five intubations using the tiger tube (Cook) two were successfully placed into the small intestine. Two of the three intubation failures were due to early death due to the underlying condition. Nasointestinal placement permitted successful enteral feeding. Unfortunately, both nasointestinal placements were associated with mucosal damage that appears to be related to the tube ‘flaps’. The tiger tube facilitates nasointestinal tube placement but until concerns regarding safety are addressed its clinical use cannot be recommended.
Mechanotransduction and the glycocalyx
Authors: TARBELL J. M. , PAHAKIS M. Y.
Published: March 2006

Endothelial cells (ECs) line all blood vessel walls and are exposed to the mechanical forces of blood flow which modulate their function and play a role in vascular regulation, remodelling and disease. The principal mechanical forces sensed by ECs are the shear stress of flowing blood on their apical surface, and the circumferential stress resisting blood pressure, which induces stretch in the cell body. ‘Mechanotransduction’ refers to the mechanisms by which these forces are transduced into biomolecular responses of the cells. Given the importance of endothelial mechanotransduction in cardiovascular physiology and pathology, numerous research efforts have been dedicated to identifying the mechanosensory component(s) of ECs. This review focuses on mechanotransduction of shear stress by ECs and considers the evidence in support of the surface glycocalyx acting as a mechanotransducer.
Vasculoprotective properties of the endothelial glycocalyx: effects of fluid shear stress
Authors: GOUVERNEUR M. , VAN DEN BERG B. , NIEUWDORP M. , STROES E. , VINK H.
Published: March 2006

The endothelial glycocalyx exerts a wide array of vasculoprotective effects via inhibition of coagulation and leucocyte adhesion, by contributing to the vascular permeability barrier and by mediating shear stress‐induced NO release. In this review, we will focus on the relationship between fluid shear stress and the endothelial glycocalyx. We will address the hypothesis that modulation of glycocalyx synthesis by fluid shear stress may contribute to thinner glycocalyces, and therefore more vulnerable endothelium, at lesion‐prone sites of arterial bifurcations. Finally, we will discuss the effects of known atherogenic stimuli such as hyperglycaemia on whole body glycocalyx volume in humans and its effect on endothelial function.
Effect of Neonatal Hypothyroidism on the Kinetic Properties of Na+, K+‐ATPase from Rat Brain Microsomes
Authors: Katyare S. S. , Billimoria F. R. , Dave B. N.
Published: March 2006

The effects of neonatal hypothyroidism on the kinetic properties of Na+, K+‐ATPase from rat brain microsomes were examined. Neonatal hypothyroidism resulted in decreased Na+, K+‐ATPase activity compared to control samples (7.4 ± 1.48 and 29.8 ± 2.30 µmol Pi/h/mg protein, respectively, P < 0.001). Substrate kinetics studies with ATP, Na+ and K+ revealed that there were generalised decreases in Vmax. For ATP, Na+ and K+, activities resolved into two kinetic components in the control group. In hypothyroid animals, the low‐affinity component for ATP was absent. The opposite pattern (i.e. an absence of the high‐affinity component) was noted for Na+. For K+, although both kinetic components were discernible in neonatal hypothyroid brain microsomes, the Km of the high‐affinity component was significantly higher (P < 0.001) compared to control samples. In the control group, the enzyme displayed allosteric behaviour at high concentrations of Mg2+; in hypothyroid animals, the pattern was completely allosteric. The Na+, K+‐ATPase enzyme from the hypothyroid brain microsomes bound two molecules of ATP rather than one, unlike in the control animals. Our results thus indicate that neonatal hypothyroidism results in an impairment of microsomal Na+, K+‐ATPase activity in the rat brain, together with subtle alterations in the kinetic properties of the enzyme.
Spectroscopic analyses of six suspected chemically peculiar stars
Authors: Catanzaro Giovanni
Published: March 2006

The abundance pattern of six stars classified as suspected chemically peculiar in the General Catalogue of Ap and Am stars by Renson has been derived to ascertain the real nature of these objects. Spectroscopic observations in the range λλ4800–5600 Å have been carried out at the stellar station of the INAF – Catania Astrophysical Observatory.

Among the studied stars, for only three of them we confirmed their peculiarity, HD 155102 being a silicon star, HD 159082 a mercury–manganese star and HD 162132 a moderate metallic A-type star.

The other three objects have chemical abundances not so different from the standard values derived in the literature for A-type stars and, furthermore, they do not show light variability. Hence, we suggest that they could be ruled out from Renson's catalogue.
Proximal stomach function in obesity with normal or abnormal oesophageal acid exposure
Authors: Iovino P. , Angrisani L. , Galloro G. , Consalvo D. , Tremolaterra F. , Pascariello A. , Ciacci C.
Published: March 2006

Abstract  There is an increased prevalence of gastro‐oesophageal reflux and symptoms in obese patients. Information about the proximal stomach in obese patients with reflux is lacking. Gastric volume and compliance are similar between obese and lean subjects. To study the proximal stomach function and perception in obese patients with normal or abnormal oesophageal acid exposure, thirty‐one obese patients, with normal or abnormal oesophageal acid exposure, underwent medical evaluation of oesophageal and gastrointestinal symptoms by a questionnaire and measurement of proximal stomach function and perception by an electronic barostat and a standardized questionnaire. Nineteen obese patients had abnormal oesophageal acid exposure. The percentage of total time with pH <4 is significantly related to the presence of hiatal hernia, the oesophageal intensity‐frequency symptom score and gender, i.e. higher percentage in men. The perception cumulative score was significantly different between patients with normal and abnormal oesophageal acid exposure after adjusting for covariates (gender, body mass index, age, minimal distending pressure, gastric tone and gastric compliance). Gastric tone and compliance were significantly related to the perception cumulative score. In conclusion, patients with abnormal oesophageal acid exposure have increased gastric perception. A significant relation among gastric tone, gastric compliance and upper gastrointestinal sensations was shown.