bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Training Parents to Manage Difficult Children: A Comparison of Methods
Authors: Sutton Carole
Published: June 2009

This study examined the efficacy of training parents in different methods of child management, using social learning theory/behavioural principles. Following an encouraging pilot study, thirty-seven pre-school children, six girls and thirty-one boys, were allocated to one of four methods of parent training: group, home visit, telephone, or waiting list/delayed intervention control. Assessment conducted pre- and post-intervention and at twelve to eighteen months follow-up indicated clinical improvement for all three active intervention conditions compared to the waiting list control condition. There were no significant differences between the three active intervention conditions either at post-intervention or at follow-up. Results are discussed in terms of their theoretical and practical implications.
Outcome of Group Therapy for Body-Image Emotionality and Weight-Control Self-Efficacy
Authors: Lewis Vivien J. , Blair Alan J. , Booth David A.
Published: June 2009

Long-term maintenance of weight loss is generally poor after clinical interventions, whether behavioural, cognitive-behavioural, dietary, pharmacological or surgical. This may be because self-assertion regarding body shape and self-efficacy in weight control are insufficiently encouraged in clients. Semi-structured group therapy sessions with written handouts were therefore designed to strengthen personal effectiveness and self-esteem. The therapy sessions also provided information about successful dieting behaviour, and encouragement of less switching between dieting strategies, less emotional eating, and more resistance to inappropriate social pressures. The clients were 24 women with a median (range) Body Mass Index of 28.9 (24.6–48.5) kg/m2, referred by their General Practitioners or self-referred. They participated in eight weekly therapeutic sessions in four groups and were followed up six months after the final session. There were large improvements during therapy in reported self-esteem, emotional overeating, personal effectiveness and self-efficacy, habit variation, and attitudes to body-size, improvements which were maintained at follow-up. In addition, there was a significant loss of body weight during therapy, with further loss observed at follow-up. Thus it is practicable to achieve marked reductions in professed problems with body image and eating control, changes that are theoretically necessary to empower clients to choose appropriate weight targets and to make progress towards them.
Applied Behaviour Analysis and Normalization: New Carts for Old Horses? A Commentary
Authors: Baldwin Steve
Published: June 2009

True rapprochement attempts should be welcomed as initiatives to promote understanding between different theoretical positions and in the interest of parsimony. Persuasion attempts to achieve behaviour change, based on the moral imperative, should be inspected very closely indeed.
Applied Behaviour Analysis and Normalization: Reason, Rhetoric and Rationality
Authors: Baldwin Steve
Published: June 2009

Single definitions of complex terms do not exist. Previous authors have identified one possible translation of “rapprochement”. Equally, other definitions exist: “to bring together, to approach” (Webster's Collegiate) or “a drawing together” (Chamber's Concise).
Coin Identification and Relative Value: A Training Programme for Adults with Mental Handicap
Authors: Llorente Carmen , Gaffan E. A.
Published: June 2009

The five participants in this study were adult long-term residents of institutions for people with mental handicap who had only rudimentary numerical and monetary skills. All were successfully trained, using methods based on “errorless stimulus fading” techniques within a multiple-baseline experimental design, to recognize the seven British coin types and to judge their relative value. Recognition training incidentally resulted in ability to name the coins. Training at each skill required four to seven sessions of up to 20 minutes each, at intervals of 24 hours or more. Performance remained accurate at three-week and six-month follow-up. In four out of five subjects, improvement at recognition could be attributed specifically to the training sequence.
New Developments in the Understanding and Treatment of Suicidal Behaviour
Authors: MacLeod Andrew K. , Williams J. Mark G. , Linehan Marsha M.
Published: June 2009

Recent developments in the understanding, assessment and treatment of suicidal behaviour are reviewed. The accumulated social and demographic knowledge of suicidal populations has proved to be clinically useful in shaping the general level of concern, but at the individual level an understanding of the psychological processes involved in suicidal behaviour is required. Studies examining psychological processes involved in suicidal behaviour is required. Studies examining psychological processes in parasuicidal groups have revealed a number of deficits, including poor interpersonal problem solving, hopelessness about the future, and reduced ability to regulate affect. Research has also begun to look at some of the processes underlying these deficits, such as over-general retrieval of autobiographical memories and reduced anticipation of specific positive experiences. The clinical picture is now more optimistic, with therapies, such as Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, which focus on using problem solving strategies with those clients who are most vulnerable to repeat parasuicide episodes, producing demonstrable delays in parasuicide and reduced risk of repetition. The importance of the relationship between research and clinical practice is emphasized.
Individual Parent Training Implemented by Nursery Nurses: Evaluation of a Programme for Mothers of Pre-School Children
Authors: Lawes Ginny
Published: June 2009

The study set out to evaluate an individual parent training programme implemented by nursery staff. The experimental group was made up of eight mothers and their pre-school children. A matched group of nine mothers underwent group parent training, and a control group (N= 11) were given simple reading material on child development and took part in a discussion group. Pre- and post-test measures on maternal self-esteem (SES), parental attitude towards children (PAS), and knowledge of behavioural principles (KBP) were completed by mothers in all groups. A pre-school behaviour checklist (PSBC) was administered by staff on all children at the nursery whose mothers took part in the project. Results indicated a significant improvement pre- to post-test: (1) in PAS and KBP for the mothers who had undergone individual parent training; and (2) in PAS, SES and children's scores on the PSBC for those who took part in the group training. Whether or not mothers were living on their own was found to be a confounding variable on two of the measures. The implications of improved maternal self-esteem in the group, but not the individual setting, and an increase in knowledge in the individual, but not the group setting, are also discussed.
Staff Training to Run Activity Groups with People with Profound Learning Disabilities: Evaluation of Attitude, Knowledge and Skill Changes
Authors: Binney Valerie
Published: June 2009

A training course designed to prepare staff to run stimulation groups for people with profound learning disabilities is described and evaluated. Nursing staff attending the day workshop improved significantly more than a control group in their attitudes, knowledge and skills (a simulated performance test) in relation to appropriate stimulation for this group. A profile of pre-training attitude, knowledge and skill is provided for different staff groups and it is shown that, prior to the workshop, nursing assistants had significantly more negative attitudes to such activities than trained staff or those in training. While each staff group improved on attitude and knowledge tests, nursing assistants alone failed to show post-training skill improvements. The practical implications of the results are discussed and the usefulness of the three measures assessed.
Differential Effects of Severe Self-injurious Behaviour on the Behaviour of Others
Authors: Hall Scott , Oliver Chris
Published: June 2009

Research into the operant determinants of self-injurious behaviour (SIB) in people with learning difficulties has largely concentrated on the reinforcing effects that the behaviour of others may exert on the occurrence of SIB. In this single case study, the effects of SIB of differential severity on the behaviour of others are considered. The results of continuous, direct natural observations show social contact to be more likely to follow long bursts of SIB than short bursts and to be presented intermittently during and following long bursts of SIB. The implications of this finding for the functional analysis of SIB and the long term maintenance and development of severe SIB are discussed and related to the establishing operations and contingencies which govern the behaviour of the participants in the interaction.
An Evaluation of Companion Pets with Elderly Psychiatric Patients
Authors: Haughie Elaine , Milne Derek , Elliott Valerie
Published: June 2009

The main aim of this study was to evaluate pet therapy in terms of increased interaction with two groups of elderly psychiatric patients. These patients were different in respect of their diagnosis, but their environments were similar in layout, decor and facilities. Each group of patients was observed by an independent observer, and further rated by the ward nurses on a scale which recorded change in their behaviour over the three conditions: baseline, dog intervention and photographic intervention. The total time of observing was four weeks where the baseline (i.e. “normal” amount of interaction) and the two intervening stimuli were introduced, and compared with one another. Time sampling was used throughout the study. The results indicate that the dog intervention was the most effective in increasing interaction when comparisons were made with other conditions.
Does Stimulus Elaboration Potentiate Exposure in vivo Treatment? Two Forms of One-Session Treatment of Spider Phobia
Authors: Arntz Arnoud , Lavy Edith
Published: June 2009

The hypothesis that elaboration of the phobic stimulus potentiates exposure in vivo treatment was put to the test in a clinical experiment. Forty-one female spider phobics, who applied for treatment, were randomly allocated to one of two conditions. In both conditions a 2.5 hour therapist-directed exposure treatment was given. In the elaboration condition Ss were required to attend to and describe the objective features of the spider constantly. In the non-elaboration condition the therapist tried to prevent this. A manipulation check suggested that Ss in the elaboration condition had indeed elaborated more extensively on the objective features of the spiders during exposure than Ss in the non-elaboration condition. However, Ss in the elaboration condition practised with somewhat fewer spiders than Ss in the non-elaboration condition, probably because of the time the elaboration took. Contrary to the hypothesis, elaboration did not potentiate either short-term or long-term effects of the exposure treatment. It seems superfluous to let patients elaborate on the phobic stimulus during exposure in vivo treatment: the processing of phobic stimulus information which is needed for an effective treatment seems to occur spontaneously when the patient engages in exposure in vivo exercises.
Body Dysmorphic Disorder: Phenomenology and Case Descriptions
Authors: Neziroglu Fugen A. , Yaryura-Tobias Jose A.
Published: June 2009

Thirteen cases of Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) were described. There were eight males (61.5%) and five females (38.5%) with ages ranging from 16 to 37 (mean=24.7). All patients were also diagnosed as obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), according to DSM-III-R, with the exception of one. Patients were administered the Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, Wechsler Intelligence Scale, Over-valued Ideation Scale and MMPI. The Phenomenology of BDD, its relationship to OCD, and the patients' responses to the above tests were reported. Due to the bizarreness of the symptoms and the secretiveness of the patients, it was suggested that clinicians be thoroughly aware of the disorder and inquire as to its presence during the initial consultation. Otherwise, these patients go unnoticed and they resort to treatment from dermatologists and plastic surgeons.
Improving Sleep-Wake Schedules Amongst People with Mental Handicaps: Some Preliminary Case Material
Authors: Espie Colin A. , Wilson Angela
Published: June 2009

This paper suggests that a 24-hour perspective may be useful when considering attention and learning deficits. Sleep-wake schedules are placed within a conceptual model of arousal and attention, and it is argued that an “optimal” schedule may predict improved functioning. A synopsis of five clinical cases illustrates the application of behavioural treatment principles, designed to optimize the sleep-wake schedule. Although promising results were achieved, these must be taken as preliminary and it is hoped that further systematic study will be prompted.
Behaviour Modification in the Treatment of Pseudoseizures: A Case Report
Authors: Lachenmeyer Juliana Rasic , Olson Madelyn E.
Published: June 2009

This paper presents a case of a 13-year-old educably retarded girl with a seizure disorder who also presented with pseudo-seizures. Behavioural techniques, specifically planned to ignore the seizure and reinforcement of “seizure free” periods were used to eliminate the pseudo-seizures. The intervention was carried out simultaneously in multiple settings by school and medical personnel as well as parents. A four-year follow-up indicated that treatment gains had been maintained and had generalized over time and across settings.
Bulimia Nervosa: An Examination of the Anxiety-Inhibiting Properties of the Prospect of Vomiting
Authors: French Douglas J. , Nicki Richard M. , Cane Douglas B.
Published: June 2009

The anxiety-inhibiting properties of the prospect of vomiting were assessed and contrasted in 12 women with bulimia nervosa and an equal number of non-bulimic women. Subjects were exposed to a pleasant control scene and six food-related scenes in which they imagined eating standardized test meals with the knowledge that vomiting could or could not occur afterwards. The level of anxiety evoked by the scenes was assessed using subjective, behavioural and physiological measures. As predicted, bulimics reported that they would consume more of the meal when vomiting could occur after. No such difference was found for control subjects. However, the groups did not differ on subjective and physiological measures of anxiety. The results of the present study suggest that bulimics may utilize a hierarchy of control strategies to mediate the anxiety evoked by eating that may be amenable to cognitive-behavioural interventions.
Problem Solving Training to Enhance Dietary Self-management in a Diabetic Patient
Authors: Goodall Tracy A. , Halford W. Kim , Mortimer Robin
Published: June 2009

A central aspect of self-management of diabetes involves patients regulating the timing and intake of dietary carbohydrates. A 20 year old female diabetic patient was taught to identify deviations from appropriate dietary self-management, and a problem solving intervention was used to train new behavior in settings associated with such deviations. Dietary behavior and blood glucose levels were monitored in a diary and electronically, and treatment effects were evaluated in a multiple baseline across settings design. Treatment resulted in clear improvement in dietary management, and a substantial gain in blood glucose control at the end of intervention. At follow-up dietary change was maintained. Long term effects on blood glucose levels were confounded by a reduction in insulin dosage between treatment and follow-up.
The Reduction of Disruptive Behaviour Using Feedback On-Task Behaviour: An Across Setting Study of a Class of 12- and 13-Year-Old Pupils
Authors: McNamara E. , Jolly M.
Published: June 2009

The growing body of research indicating that classroom behavioural management strategies can successfully modify the behaviour of mainstream classes of disruptive adolescent pupils is referred to. These “successes” are qualified by the observation that they could make the pupil teacher dependent, whereas pupil self-control is the ideal control state. Feedback strategies have the potential to encourage internalization of control (Van Houton, 1984). An intervention package involving the feedback of level of on-task behaviour as a major component is described. The effect on the individual and the group's level of on-task behaviour in two settings (Religious Education and French lessons) is reported.
Claims are made that (1) the intervention promoted levels of on-task behaviour and (2) the group data generally reflected the data of individual pupils. The conclusions are drawn that while it remains to be demonstrated that the behavioural attributional tendencies of the pupils were moved in the direction of “internalization” nonetheless the research can serve as a starting point for further research in this area.
The Effects of Pre-experience on Performance Within an Implicit Reward Situation
Authors: Sharpley Christopher F.
Published: June 2009

The effects of implicit rewards upon adults' performance were examined in a study which replicated the design and procedures of previous research using children as subjects. Data revealed that unlike children, the adults in the present study did not show implicit extinction effects under certain experimental conditions. However, there were significant inconsistencies in performance across the two different conditions contrasted here, indicating effects attributable to the implicit reward paradigm and the order in which it occurs relative to other reward conditions.
Health technology assessment in Canada
Authors: Battista Renaldo N. , Côté Brigitte , Hodge Matthew J. , Husereau Don
Published: June 2009

Canada's health system is a unique combination of public financing and private provision. With the significant government role in financing health services, health technology assessment (HTA) has found a ready audience as a form of policy research. In addition, Canada has been a leader in HTA and is entering a phase of deepening and maturation of HTA activities. The relative absence of dramatic change in the overall health system, coupled with public faith in the Canadian approach has been favorable to HTA's development in Canada. Emerging issues, beyond the demographic and economic pressures facing all Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development health systems, include the convergence of assessment modalities and organizations for drug and nondrug technologies, increasing public concerns about the viability of Canada's approach to healthcare services, and the transition of HTA from an activity targeting macro-level policy makers to a management tool for healthcare facilities and providers.
Health technology management in Israel: HTA in action
Authors: Shemer Joshua , Shani Mordechai , Tamir Orly , Siebzehner Miriam Ines
Published: June 2009

Objectives:The aim of this study was to describe the history and present situation with health technology assessment (HTA) in Israel.

Methods:The method used in this study was a historical analysis based mainly on the knowledge of the authors, but supplemented by the published literature.

Results:HTA originated in Israel as a centralized function conducted under the auspice of research, developing into an active multidisciplinary center. Throughout the expansion of the field, HTA was performed in affiliation with several local and international bodies, while providing direct and indirect support at the national level. Today, mainly as a result of vigorous dissemination of the principles, methodology and tools for HTA by the Israeli Center for Technology Assessment in Health Care (ICTAHC), this discipline is increasingly a decentralized activity conducted by a great variety of institutions. Israeli health policy decisions are increasingly based on the results of HTA.

Conclusions:ICTAHC's role and functioning has expanded since its beginnings. HTA has become an important part of health care in Israel.
Health technology assessment in the United Kingdom
Authors: Drummond Michael , Banta David
Published: June 2009

Objectives: The aim of this study was to describe generally the development and present situation with health technology assessment (HTA) in the United Kingdom.

Methods: The methods used are a review of important materials that have described the development process and present situation, supplemented by some personal experiences.

Results: The United Kingdom has been characterized historically as a country with a strong interest in evidence in health care, both clinical trials for efficacy and cost-effectiveness analyses. However, this evidence was not well-linked to the needs of the National Health Services (NHS) before formation of the NHS R&D Programme in 1991, The R&D Programme brought substantial resources into HTA and related activities, with the central aim of improving health care in Britain and increasing value for money. However, policy makers as well as staff of the R&D Programme were dissatisfied with the use of the HTA results in clinical and administrative practice. Therefore, the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) was formed in 1999. NICE issues guidance intended to influence practical decision making in health care at the national and local levels, based on efficacy information and, in some cases, economic analyses. NICE is now also seeking ways to maximize impacts on practice.

Conclusions: The UK experience shows that information on clinical and cost-effectiveness may not be enough to change practice, at least in the short-run. Still, one may conclude that the United Kingdom now has one of the few most important and influential HTA programs in the world.
History of healthcare technology assessment in Japan
Authors: Hisashige Akinori
Published: June 2009

There has been a rapid growth of healthcare technology assessment (HTA) activities among health service researchers and physicians in Japan in the younger generation since the mid-1980s. HTA has become visible since the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare (MHLW) set up the several committees related to HTA in the late 1990s. The MHLW had to participate in regulatory and administrative reform, coping with the serious economic stagnation since 1991, following the economic recession in the 1980s. However, HTA has not been developed as expected. The most important failure is that the application of HTA to health policy has been neglected by the MHLW. Only application to clinical practice has been implemented by developing evidence-based clinical practice guidelines. The MHLW had the main aim of containing costs by reducing excess or useless healthcare services through guidelines, rather than to implement a radical reform. Without a central organization for HTA, several researchers have still continued to do HTA studies, but most researchers and physicians promoting HTA have been moved into diverse related areas. Ultimately, increasing efficiency may be the only way of reconciling rising demands for health care with public financing constraints. Therefore, the reconsideration and reorganization of HTA, which covers not only healthcare services but also the healthcare system as a whole, is becoming an urgent matter for healthcare reform.
Health technology assessment in South Korea
Authors: Kim Chang-yup
Published: June 2009

Objective: To analyze evolution of the health technology assessment (HTA) at the national level in South Korea.

Methods: Analysis of public documents, personal communication, and literative review.

Results: HTA in South Korea has been developed since 1990s, first introduced by academia and institutionalized within the National Health Insurance (NHI). Rapidly increasing expenditure had been a challenge of the NHI, which considered health technology management as a cost controlling measure. An amendment was made to the NHI Law in 2000, and provision was made to regulate the process of determining new insurance benefits including procedures, drugs, and equipment. This requirement made the NHI agencies to promote HTA approaches in connection with the government and professional organizations. Also the Healthcare Act was revised in October 2006 ruling that HTA focusing on safety and effectiveness be responsible for new health technologies. Currently, the HTA process is governed by a governmental committee comprising twenty members and technically supported by the HTA center created in the NHI structure.

Conclusions: Institutionalized HTA in Korea has been driven mainly by the requirements of the NHI and manifested strengths as well as weaknesses. The government is establishing a new organization for HTA, independent from the NHI.
Historical development of health technology assessment in Thailand
Authors: Teerawattananon Yot , Tantivess Sripen , Yothasamut Jomkwan , Kingkaew Pritaporn , Chaisiri Kakanang
Published: June 2009

Objectives: This study aims to review the development of health technology assessment (HTA), including the socioeconomic context, outputs, and policy utilization in the Thai setting.

Methods: This study was conducted through extensive document reviews including these published in both domestic and international literature.

Results: Evidence suggests that contextual elements of the health system, especially the country's economic status and health financing reforms, as well as their effects on government budgeting for medical and public health services, played an important role in the increasing needs and demands for HTA information among policy makers. In the midst of substantial economic growth during the years 1982 to 1996, several studies reported the rapid diffusion and poor distribution of health technologies, and inequitable access to high-cost technology in public and private hospitals. At the same time, economic analysis and its underpinning concept of efficiency were suggested by groups of scholars and health officials to guide national policy on the investment in health technology equipment. Related research and training programs were subsequently launched. However, none of these HTA units could be institutionalized into national bodies. From 1997 to 2005, an economic recession, followed by the introduction of a universal health coverage plan, triggered the demands for effective measures for cost containment and prioritization of health interventions. This made policy makers and researchers at the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) pay increasing attention to economic appraisals, and several HTA programs were established in the Ministry. Despite the rising number of Thai health economic publications, a major problem at that period involved the poor quality of studies. Since 2006, economic recovery and demands from different interests to include expensive technologies in the public health benefit package have been crucial factors promoting the role of HTA in national policy decisions. Meanwhile, HTA capacity has been strengthened through the establishment of many health economic and HTA initiatives. An illustration of the work and contributions of the Health Intervention and Technology Assessment Program (HITAP) is provided. In this phase, HTA policy integration has been enhanced through different mechanisms and organizations.

Conclusion: Over the past two decades a notable progression has been made in relation to the capacity building of HTA research and its policy utility in Thailand. Such development has been shaped by multiple factors. It is anticipated that experience gained among academics, health officials, and civil society organizations will be helpful not only in sustaining the momentum but also in improving formal HTA systems in the future.
Health technology assessment in Mexico
Authors: Gómez-Dantés Octavio , Frenk Julio
Published: June 2009

Objectives:The history of health technology assessment (HTA) in Mexico is examined, starting with the efforts to incorporate this topic into the policy agenda and culminating with the recent creation of a specialized public agency.

Methods:Information was gathered through a bibliographic search and interviews with actors involved in HTA in Mexico.

Results:HTA efforts were developed in Mexico since the mid-1980s with the participation both of academics and of policy makers, a relationship that eventually led to the creation of the Center for Technological Excellence within the Ministry of Health.

Conclusions:Institutionalization of HTA in resource-constrained settings requires the development of a critical mass of researchers involved in this field, the implementation of information efforts, and the establishment of strong relationships between HTA experts and policy makers.
Assessing health technologies in a changing world
Authors: Blume Stuart S.
Published: June 2009

The author argues that a “narrowing down” in the scope of HTA that occurred at the end of the 1970s was paralleled by developments in bioethics at the same time. Both disciplines responded to changes in the institutional and political field in which they operated. Over the past 20 years, decision making in the health field has changed again. To remain relevant, HTA must evolve further. Building in mechanisms for consultation with stakeholders will be an important element in this adjustment.
History of health technology assessment: A commentary
Authors: Sivalal Sadasivan
Published: June 2009

I have long felt the need for documentation on the global development—I could probably pin it to the moment I was visiting health technology assessment (HTA) institutions in the United States in 1995, and was looking forward to a trip to the Office of Technology Assessment, only to be told it had just been shut. Instead, I visited the Office of Health Technology Assessment in Washington. In addition, I have observed that some regular attendees of annual meetings of International Society of Technology Assessment in Health Care (ISTAHC) and then Health Technology Assessment International (HTAi), have been slowly dropping out, so that a lot of the history as well as their valuable experiences and expertise have been lost. To be fair, studies have been written about specific HTA institutions, programs, countries, and even regions. Attempts have also been made to chart the history of HTA, but these have, however, fizzled out. Why is this important? Going back to my personal experience, when I first set out to establish HTA in Malaysia, I was plagued with several questions—apart from the obvious one about what HTA really meant, there were others like what organization structure should it have, what should be the work process, how could HTA be used, to name a few. I needed to know what the options were, for example, in coming up with an organizational structure, and to understand these options I would need to look at organizational models in other countries—should it be a national office with regional offices like the Canadian model, or a fully public agency but not within the department of health, like the Swedish model, or an almost independent agency like the Catalan agency in Barcelona. In the absence of a detailed account with the information I sought, I actually had to physically visit various agencies to study their organizational structure, work process, and application, to hear of the challenges they faced, and to learn from their experiences of what could work and what may not.
Cyclotomic units and class groups in p-extensions of real abelian fields
Authors: NUCCIO FILIPPO ALBERTO EDOARDO
Published: June 2009

For a real abelian number field F and for a prime p we study the relation between the p-parts of the class groups and of the quotients of global units modulo cyclotomic units along the cyclotomic p-extension of F. Assuming Greenberg's conjecture about the vanishing of the λ-invariant of the extension, a map between these groups has been constructed by several authors, and shown to be an isomorphism if p does not split in F. We focus in the split case, showing that there are, in general, non-trivial kernels and cokernels.
Geographical variation of sporadic Legionnaires' disease analysed in a grid model
Authors: RUDBECK M. , JEPSEN M. R. , SONNE I. B. , ULDUM S. A. , VISKUM S. , MØLBAK K.
Published: June 2009

The aim was to analyse variation in incidence of sporadic Legionnaires' disease in a geographical information system in three time periods (1990–2005) by the application of a grid model and to assess the model's validity by analysing variation according to grid position. Coordinates of the addresses at time of disease of 606 confirmed cases with Legionnaires' disease were obtained. The incidence was calculated in cells of 10×10 km in 25 different grids superimposed on a map of Denmark. A 95% and 99% threshold was applied to identify cells with excess incidence representing potential clusters. Four cells had excess incidence in all three time periods. The analysis in 25 different grid positions indicated a low risk of overlooking cells with excess incidence in a random grid. The coefficient of variation ranged from 0·08 to 0·11 independent of the threshold. By application of a random grid model we demonstrated that it was possible to detect small areas with excess incidence that were not detected in the present surveillance system.
A modified case-control study of cryptosporidiosis (using non-Cryptosporidium-infected enteric cases as controls) in a community setting
Authors: PINTAR K. D. M. , POLLARI F. , WALTNER-TOEWS D. , CHARRON D. F. , McEWEN S. A. , FAZIL A. , NESBITT A.
Published: June 2009

Data from the first sentinel site (Waterloo Region, Ontario) of the Canadian Integrated Enteric Disease Surveillance System (C-EnterNet) were used in a secondary-based case-control study of laboratory-confirmedCryptosporidiuminfections to study the role of various exposure factors. The incidence of cryptosporidiosis in Waterloo Region was almost double both the provincial and national rates. Persons ill with one of nine other enteric infections (amoebiasis, campylobacteriosis, cyclosporiasis, giardiasis, listeriosis, salmonellosis, shigellosis, verotoxigenicE. coliinfections, yersiniosis) captured by the surveillance system were used as the control group. Of 1204 cases of enteric illness in the sentinel area between April 2005 and December 2007, 36 cases and 803 controls were selected after excluding outbreak and international travel-related cases. Univariable analyses (Pearson χ2and Fisher's exact tests) and multivariable logistic regression were performed. Results of the multivariable analysis found that cryptosporidiosis was associated with swimming in a lake or river (OR 2·9, 95% CI 1·2–7·4), drinking municipal water (a potential surrogate for urban respondentsvs.rural) (OR 2·4, 95% CI 1·04–5·7), and having a family member with a diarrhoeal illness (OR 2·9, 95% CI 1·3–6·4).
Meta-analysis of a polymorphic surface glycoprotein of the parasitic protozoaCryptosporidium parvumandCryptosporidium hominis
Authors: WIDMER G.
Published: June 2009

Due to its extensive polymorphism, a partial sequence of theCryptosporidiumsurface glycoprotein gene gp60 has been frequently used as a genetic marker. I explored the global diversity of this protein, and compared its sequence diversity inCryptosporidium parvumandCryptosporidium hominis. In marked contrast to the geographical partition ofC. parvumandC. hominismulti-locus genotypes, gp60 allelic groups showed no evidence of segregating in space, or of differing with respect to geographical diversity. Globally, genetic diversity ofC. hominisgp60 exceeded that ofC. parvum. WithinC. parvum, gp60 alleles originating from human isolates were more diverse than those infecting ruminants. Phylogenetic analysis grouped gp60 sequences into a small number of relatively homogenous allelic groups, with only a small number of alleles having evolved independently. With the notable exception of a group of alleles restricted to humans,C. parvumalleles are found in ruminants and humans.
Cell size of Antarctic phytoplankton as a biogeochemical condition
Authors: Hewes Christopher D.
Published: June 2009

Two contrasting high nutrient/low chlorophyll regions having different conditions that control phytoplankton production, and separated by an area of blooming, are found during summer in the vicinity of the South Shetland Islands (Antarctica). Low chlorophyll conditions occur either in Fe-rich, deeply mixed and high salinity Weddell Sea shelf waters, or the Fe-poor, shoaled and low salinity Drake Passage Antarctic Circumpolar Current waters, while phytoplankton blooms are located between in mid salinity water. Contrasting phytoplankton communities were found to populate these different biogeochemical provinces. In data from six field seasons (1999–2007), nanoplankton (2–20 μm) were found to be dominant in the phytoplankton populations from light-controlled coastal waters, including blooms, with most chlorophyll found in the 2–5 μm size class. In contrast, the adjacent and presumably Fe-controlled Drake Passage waters were dominated by the microplankton (> 20 μm) size class. The asymmetrical distribution of phytoplankton size classes across the salinity gradient, when analysed independently of total chlorophyll concentration, supports the hypothesis that the different food web grazing dynamics are dependent upon biogeochemical provinces.
Rapid dissolution of shells of weakly calcified Antarctic benthic macroorganisms indicates high vulnerability to ocean acidification
Authors: McClintock James B. , Angus Robert A. , Mcdonald Michelle R. , Amsler Charles D. , Catledge Shane A. , Vohra Yogesh K.
Published: June 2009

Antarctic calcified macroorganisms are particularly vulnerable to ocean acidification because many are weakly calcified, the dissolution rates of calcium carbonate are inversely related to temperature, and high latitude seas are predicted to become undersaturated in aragonite by the year 2100. We examined the post-mortem dissolution rates of aragonitic and calcitic shells from four species of Antarctic benthic marine invertebrates (two bivalves, one limpet, one brachiopod) and the thallus of a limpet shell-encrusting coralline alga exposed to acidified pH (7.4) or non-acidified pH (8.2) seawater at a constant temperature of 4°C. Within a period of only 14–35 days, shells of all four species held in pH 7.4 seawater had suffered significant dissolution. Despite calcite being 35% less soluble in seawater than aragonite, there was surprisingly, no consistent pattern of calcitic shells having slower dissolution rates than aragonitic shells. Outer surfaces of shells held in pH 7.4 seawater exhibited deterioration by day 35, and by day 56 there was exposure of aragonitic or calcitic prisms within the shell architecture of three of the macroinvertebrate species. Dissolution of coralline algae was confirmed by differences in weight loss in limpet shells with and without coralline algae. By day 56, thalli of the coralline alga held in pH 7.4 displayed a loss of definition of the conceptacle pores and cracking was evident at the zone of interface with limpet shells. Experimental studies are needed to evaluate whether there are adequate compensatory mechanisms in these and other calcified Antarctic benthic macroorganisms to cope with anticipated ocean acidification. In their absence, these organisms, and the communities they comprise, are likely to be among the first to experience the cascading impacts of ocean acidification.
The oldest hexanchiform shark from the Southern Hemisphere (Neoselachii; Early Cretaceous, Antarctica)
Authors: Cione Alberto Luis , Medina Francisco
Published: June 2009

The oldest record of the hexanchiform sharks from the Southern Hemisphere and the second chondrichthyan report known from Carboniferous to Early Cretaceous beds in Antarctica is given. The material was collected in late Aptian rocks of the Kotick Point Formation outcropping in the western part of James Ross Island, near Antarctic Peninsula. It consists of an isolated tooth assignable to a hexanchiform different from the other described genera. The tooth shows putative plesiomorphic cusp (few cusps, no serrations) and apomorphic root characters (relatively deep, quadrangular). It could be related to a species close to the origin ofHexanchus(unknown in beds older than Cenomanian).
Bovine sperm cells viability during incubation with or without exogenous DNA
Authors: Feitosa Weber Beringui , Milazzotto Marcella Pecora , Simões Renata , Rovegno Mariana , Nicacio Alessandra Coralo , Nascimento Aníbal Ballarotti , Gonçalves José Sérgio Arruda , Visintin José Antonio , Assumpção Mayra Elena Ortiz D'Ávila
Published: June 2009

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of exogenous DNA and incubation time on the viability of bovine sperm. Sperm were incubated at a concentration of 5 × 106/ml with or without plasmid pEYFP–NUC. Fluorescent probes, propidium iodide/Hoechst 33342, FITC–PSA and JC-1, were used to assess plasma membrane integrity (PMI), acrosome membrane integrity (AMI) and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) respectively at 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4 h of incubation. Exogenous DNA addition did not affect sperm viability; however, incubation time was related to sperm deterioration. Simultaneous assessment of PMI, AMI and MMP showed a reduction in the number of sperm with higher viability (integrity of plasma and acrosome membranes and high mitochondrial membrane potential) from 58.7% at 0 h to 7.5% after 4 h of incubation. Lower viability sperm (damaged plasma and acrosome membranes and low mitochondrial membrane potential) increased from 4.6% at 0 h to 25.9% after 4 h of incubation. When PMI, AMI and MMP were assessed separately we noticed a reduction in plasma and acrosome membrane integrity and mitochondrial membrane potential throughout the incubation period. Therefore, exogenous DNA addition does not affect sperm viability, but the viability is reduced by incubation time.
Comparison Between the Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia Patients and Normal Controls on the Basis of Cognitions Affect and Physiology
Authors: Khawaja Nigar G. , Oei Tian P. S. , Evans Larry
Published: June 2009

Research using ambulatory monitoring and cognitive sampling procedures has revealed the importance of negatively biased cognitions in panic attacks and panic disorder. However, the normal population has never been investigated on the basis of these procedures and it is still unclear how patients deviate from them on the basis of negative cognitions and their interaction with affect and physiology. The present study investigated these issues by comparing 15 panic disorder patients with an equal number of normal controls. The results revealed that, although the pattern of reporting cognitions was similar, the two groups differed on type and content of the cognitions. In general, there were significant differences between the two groups for neutral and negative cognitions. Patients experienced high anxiety levels that were associated with cognitions of negative affect. There was a low frequency of reported panic attacks in the patients group. Possible reasons for the limited number of panic attacks are discussed.
Treatment of Polydipsia Using a Contingency Management Procedure Incorporating a Self-Management Approach: A Single Case Study
Authors: Turnbull John
Published: June 2009

Polydipsia is a disorder that has received little attention in the research literature. Treatment has been mainly confined to medical or pharmacological intervention. Few studies have reported the use of contingency management techniques and none have sought to encourage self-management. This study shows how such a procedure brought about a significant change in rates of water drinking in a thirty-one year old man with a mild learning disability.
The Utility of Consumer Satisfaction Data: A Case Study in Organizational Behaviour Management
Authors: Milne Derek , Kennedy Stephanie
Published: June 2009

Despite considerable cajoling and some good results, behavioural psychotherapists have remained predominantly intra-personal in the focus of their research. Analysis of the wider environmental determinants of the behaviours that concern them have been few, and there has been no upwards trend. This is problematic in that it fails to exploit the full scope of behaviourism, limiting practitioners and their efficiency. The present analysis concerns one kind of systems-level work, the use of data to guide a psychiatric day hospital service. Although limited in rigour and scope, it nonetheless indicates a ready and promising “generalization” of behaviour therapy from the individual to the system. The study also illustrates how the emerging behavioural assessment principle of “treatment utility” can be analysed.
Problems of Drop-out in the Self-help Treatment of Chronic, Occupational Pain of the Upper Limbs
Authors: Spence Susan H. , Sharpe Louise
Published: June 2009

The present study evaluated the effectiveness of a self-help, cognitive-behavioural programme in the rehabilitation of a sample of chronic pain patients. The results demonstrated significant benefits for subjects who completed the self-help treatment on measures of depression, anxiety, coping strategies, impact on daily living, pain beliefs and self-monitored pain. These benefits were generally maintained at 6 month follow-up and no differences were found in outcome between subjects who completed the self-programme compared to those who completed the same treatment in a traditional clinic-based format. Unfortunately, a very high drop-out rate was found for the self-help condition, indicating the approach to be unsuitable for many clients. Attempts to identify the characteristics of subjects who completed the self-help programme versus those who dropped-out revealed only one predictor, namely pretreatment ratings of the credibility of the programme.
The Effects of Anxiety Management Training on Psychological Variables and Immune Parameters in Cancer Patients: A Pilot Study
Authors: Elsesser K. , van Berkel M. , Sartory G. , Biermann-Göcke W. , Öhl S.
Published: June 2009

The effect on psychological and immune function measures of a 6-week psychological intervention for anxiety states was evaluated in cancer patients who had already completed medical treatment for a tumor. Ten patients were treated with anxiety management and stress inoculation training while another ten served as a waiting list control group. The treated group showed a slight improvement in psychological variables but there were no group differences in immunological measures. Changes in the latter were, however, correlated with changes in psychological variables, notably, an increase in the T4/T8 ratio, with an improvement in the Quality of Life index.
Abbreviated Cognitive Therapy for Depression: A Pilot Study in Primary Care
Authors: Scott Christine S. , Scott Jan L. , Tacchi Mary Jane , Jones Roger H.
Published: June 2009

There is increasing interest in the use of psychological therapies for depressive disorder in primary care. This paper describes a pilot study using an abbreviated form of cognitive therapy as an adjunctive treatment for major depressive disorder in primary care. Seven primary care patients received an abbreviated cognitive intervention package in addition to their usual treatment. The patients were assessed before and after intervention using observer and self rating measures of depression and their subjective evaluation of the intervention was sought. Four of the subjects showed 50% change in depression ratings at the end of the intervention and only one of the group was taking antidepressant medication. The intervention was generally well accepted by patients and feasible within the time constraints. The initial results are encouraging and a randomized control trial of this brief intervention is now underway.