bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
UPDATE: ANATOMICAL ABSTRACTS
Authors:   Editorial Board
Published: May 2007

The following synopses, which have been prepared in conjunction with members of the Editorial Board, are presented to promote the link between anatomy and operative surgery. Older surgeons may remember a slender but dense text called ‘Anatomical Abstracts’ that was produced by the late Professor Howard H. Eddey. Younger surgeons may remember seeing his portrait on the wall of the Gordon Craig Library in the College. This section, which will be published from time to time, honours his memory.

John Hall (Editor‐in‐Chief) School of Surgery & Pathology (Royal Perth Hospital) University of Western Australia
High temperature effects on gas exchange for the invasive buffel grass (Pennisetum ciliare [L.] Link)
Authors: BARRERA ERICK DE LA , CASTELLANOS ALEJANDRO E.
Published: May 2007

Buffel grass was introduced to the Sonoran Desert in the mid‐twentieth century, where it has aggressively invaded new areas. Given its ecological success at a place where the air temperature can approach 50°C, the effects of high air temperatures on gas exchange were studied for this species. The carbon dioxide uptake and water use efficiency were maximal at day/night air temperatures of 30/20°C for potted plants, substantially decreasing at higher temperatures until the plants died at 45/35°C.
Should the use of modified Jackson Rees T‐piece breathing system be abandoned in preschool children?
Authors: UNGERN‐STERNBERG BRITTA S. VON , SAUDAN SONJA , REGLI ADRIAN , SCHAUB EMMANUEL , ERB THOMAS O. , HABRE WALID ,   ON BEHALF OF THE SWISS PEDIATRIC RESPIRATORY RESEARCH GROUP
Published: May 2007

Background:  The Jackson Rees breathing system is commonly used for bag and mask ventilation in preschool children, although the lack of a pressure release valve can increase the risk of gastric insufflation. Therefore, we investigated the impact of bag and mask ventilation with a Jackson Rees system on functional residual capacity (FRC) and ventilation homogeneity and evaluated the effect of the level of training of the anesthesiologist in charge.

Methods:  Functional residual capacity and ventilation homogeneity were measured in 74 children (1–6 years) undergoing general surgery and the level of training of the anesthesiologist was recorded. FRC was measured (i) after intubation and (ii) after gastric emptying. Sixty‐four children were ventilated using a Jackson Rees system, whereas 10 children were ventilated using a circle system to compare these two breathing systems in the second phase of the protocol.

Results:  Functional residual capacity and ventilation homogeneity increased in all patients following gastric emptying with the highest improvement (25%) being observed when nurse students were in charge of the ventilation with the Jackson Rees system. The lowest changes in FRC and ventilation homogeneity were observed when pediatric consultants were in charge, whereas ventilation by the pediatric nurse anesthetists led to significant gastric gas insufflation. However, the circle system was associated with significantly less gastric insufflation than the Jackson Rees system.

Conclusions:  The efficacy of bag and mask ventilation was highly dependent on the training of the anesthesiologist with consultants demonstrating significantly better skills than any of the other groups. As the circle system is associated with a much steeper learning curve than the Jackson Rees system, its use in daily routine practice may prevent ventilatory impairment induced by gastric insufflation.
Paediatric propofol pharmacokinetics: a multicentre study
Authors: Rigby‐Jones AE , Priston MJ , Wolf AR , Sneyd JR
Published: May 2007

Introduction:  Schuttler and Imhsens propofol pharmacokinetic (PK) model (1) based on pooled adult and paediatric data lacked information for the smallest patients. We conducted a pooled population analysis of available neonatal and paediatric propofol PK data. The variable clinical circumstances of the individual studies allowed us to explore health status as a PK model covariate.

Methods:  We combined raw propofol blood/plasma concentration vs time data, dosing information and demographic data from eight paediatric studies conducted by six research groups, with our data (2,3). The pooled data set comprised 197 individuals (2315 observations), aged 0.02–12.25 years (2.75–60.5 kg, median 15 kg). In this preliminary population PK analysis using NONMEM, the basic model structure was established before all model parameters were allometrically scaled to body weight. The influence of health status on paediatric propofol PK was explored.

Results:  In this 3‐compartment preliminary model, postcardiac surgery patients have significantly reduced metabolic clearance rates (31–45% less when compared with healthy children or noncardiac PICU patients). The volume of the deep peripheral compartment in critically ill and postcardiac surgery children is 319% and 205% larger, respectively, than in healthy children, see Table 1.

 PK values for a child weighing 15 kg

Parameter
Typical Value
95% Confidence Interval

CL (l·min‐1)

Healthy
0.614
0.563–0.665

PICU
0.767
0.628–0.906

PICU cardiac
0.421
0.366–0.476

Q2 (l·min‐1)
0.839
0.703–0.975

Q3 (l·min‐1)
0.252
0.221–0.283

V1 (l)
7.76
6.33–9.19

V2 (l)
14.4
12.8–16.0

V3 (l)

Healthy
83.9
61.4–106

PICU
268
183–353

PICU cardiac
172
117–227
A synthesis of experimental work on parasite local adaptation
Authors: Greischar Megan A. , Koskella Britt
Published: May 2007

The study of parasite local adaptation, whereby parasites perform better on sympatric hosts than on allopatric hosts and/or better on their own host population than do other parasites, is of great importance to both basic and applied biology. Theoretical examination of host–parasite coevolution predicts that parasite migration rate, generation time and virulence all contribute to the pattern of parasite local adaptation, such that parasites with greater dispersal ability, more frequent reproduction and/or high virulence ought to exhibit increased infectivity on local hosts. Here, we present a meta‐analysis of experimental work from 57 host–parasite systems across 54 local adaptation studies to directly test theoretical predictions concerning the effect of each attribute on parasite adaptation. As expected, we find that studies of parasites with higher migration rates than their hosts report local adaptation, as measured by infection success, significantly more often than studies of parasites with relatively low migration rates. Furthermore, this synthesis serves to identify biases in the current body of work and highlight areas with the greatest need for further study. We emphasize the importance of unifying the field with regard to experimental methods, local adaptation definitions and reported statistics for cross‐infection studies.
Stress and domestication traits increase the relative fitness of crop–wild hybrids in sunflower
Authors: Mercer Kristin L. , Andow David A. , Wyse Donald L. , Shaw Ruth G.
Published: May 2007

After a decade of transgenic crop production, the dynamics of gene introgression into wild relatives remain unclear. Taking an ecological genetics approach to investigating fitness in crop–wild hybrid zones, we uncovered both conditions and characteristics that may promote introgression. We compared diverse crop–wild hybrid genotypes relative to wildHelianthus annuusunder one benign and three stressful agricultural environments. Whereas relative fitness of crop–wild hybrids averaged 0.25 under benign conditions, with herbicide application or competition it reached 0.45 and was more variable. In some instances, hybrid fitness matched wild fitness (≈ 1). Thus, wild populations under agronomic stress may be more susceptible to introgression. Although ‘domestication’ traits are typically considered unlikely to persist in wild populations, we found some (e.g. rapid growth and early flowering) that may enhance hybrid fitness, especially in stressful environments. Rigorous assessment of how particular genotypes, phenotypes, and environments affect introgression will improve risk assessment for transgenic crops.
Scales of association: hierarchical linear models and the measurement of ecological systems
Authors: McMahon Sean M. , Diez Jeffrey M.
Published: May 2007

A fundamental challenge to understanding patterns in ecological systems lies in employing methods that can analyse, test and draw inference from measured associations between variables across scales. Hierarchical linear models (HLM) use advanced estimation algorithms to measure regression relationships and variance–covariance parameters in hierarchically structured data. Although hierarchical models have occasionally been used in the analysis of ecological data, their full potential to describe scales of association, diagnose variance explained, and to partition uncertainty has not been employed. In this paper we argue that the use of the HLM framework can enable significantly improved inference about ecological processes across levels of organization. After briefly describing the principals behind HLM, we give two examples that demonstrate a protocol for building hierarchical models and answering questions about the relationships between variables at multiple scales. The first example employs maximum likelihood methods to construct a two‐level linear model predicting herbivore damage to a perennial plant at the individual‐ and patch‐scale; the second example uses Bayesian estimation techniques to develop a three‐level logistic model of plant flowering probability across individual plants, microsites and populations. HLM model development and diagnostics illustrate the importance of incorporating scale when modelling associations in ecological systems and offer a sophisticated yet accessible method for studies of populations, communities and ecosystems. We suggest that a greater coupling of hierarchical study designs and hierarchical analysis will yield significant insights on how ecological processes operate across scales.
Synchrony's double edge: transient dynamics and the Allee effect in stage structured populations
Authors: Friedenberg Nicholas A. , Powell James A. , Ayres Matthew P.
Published: May 2007

In populations subject to positive density dependence, individuals can increase their fitness by synchronizing the timing of key life history events. However, phenological synchrony represents a perturbation from a population's stable stage structure and the ensuing transient dynamics create troughs of low abundance that can promote extinction. Using an ecophysiological model of a mass‐attacking pest insect, we show that the effect of synchrony on local population persistence depends on population size and adult lifespan. Results are consistent with a strong empirical pattern of increased extinction risk with decreasing initial population size. Mortality factors such as predation on adults can also affect transient dynamics. Throughout the species range, the seasonal niche for persistence increases with the asynchrony of oviposition. Exposure to the Allee effect after establishment may be most likely at northern range limits, where cold winters tend to synchronize spring colonization, suggesting a role for transient dynamics in the determination of species distributions.
Effects of anaesthesia on the nitrergic pathway during the micturition reflex in rats
Authors: Masuda Hitoshi , Ogawa Teruyuki , Kihara Kazunori , Chancellor Michael B. , De Groat William C. , Yoshimura Naoki
Published: May 2007

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effects of anaesthesia on the nitrergic pathway during the micturition reflex in rats.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The effects of NG‐nitro‐l‐arginine methyl ester (L‐NAME), an inhibitor of nitric oxide (NO) synthase, on bladder and urethral activities were evaluated by infusion cystometrography (CMG) and urethral perfusion pressure under isovolumetric conditions in awake or urethane‐anaesthetized rats. L‐NAME was administered intravenously (i.v.), intrathecally (i.t.), intracerebroventriculary (i.c.v.) or intravesically in normal rats or rats pre‐treated with resiniferatoxin, a potent C‐fibre afferent neurotoxin.

RESULTS

L‐NAME injected i.v. decreased the intercontraction interval (ICI) in the awake but increased it in the anaesthetized rats. L‐NAME injected i.t. increased the ICI in both states and these effects were not apparent after pre‐treatment with resiniferatoxin. L‐NAME injected i.c.v. decreased the ICI in the awake but increased i.t. in the anaesthetized rats. Intravesical L‐NAME decreased the ICI in the awake but not in the anaesthetized rats. L‐NAME administered i.v., but not i.t. or i.c.v., increased bladder contraction during CMG. Under isovolumetric conditions, L‐NAME administered i.v., but not i.t. or i.c.v., reduced the urethral relaxation without changing bladder contraction.

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicate that spinal NO release facilitates the mechanoceptive C‐fibres, and this facilitatory effect is masked by supraspinal (possibly forebrain) and local inhibitory effects of NO during the micturition reflex in awake rats. Urethane seems to inhibit the supraspinal and local inhibitory effects of NO, resulting in unmasking the facilitatory effect of NO in the spinal cord and brain stem. During the voiding phase, urethral relaxation depends on the peripheral but not the central NO system.
Reconsidering the use of the International Index of Erectile Function questionnaire in evaluating the preoperative erectile function status of patients undergoing radical prostatectomy
Authors: Papadoukakis Stefanos , Kusche Dirk , Stolzenburg Jens Uwe , Truss Michael C.
Published: May 2007

OBJECTIVE

To assess the use of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF), routinely used in patients being treated for localized prostate cancer, including potency‐preserving, nerve‐sparing radical prostatectomy (RP), as many patients complain that the results of the IIEF over 4 weeks before RP are not representative.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The study included 123 consecutive patients (mean age 64.6 years, range 52–78) who had endoscopic‐extraperitoneal RP and who completed the IIEF. The interval between the diagnosis of the disease and surgery was >4 weeks in all. The patients completed the same questionnaire referring to the last 4 weeks before their prostate biopsy, as a modified index of their sexual status (IIEFm and EFm).

RESULTS

The clinical stage of disease was cT1c (34.9%), cT2a (49.5%), cT2b (5.7%) and cT2c (9.9%) before RP. The mean IIEF score was 42.8 and the mean EF domain score was 16.9; the mean IIEFm was 54.9 and the EFm domain score was 23.7. All the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The IIEF questionnaire scores are influenced by many factors. Depression after a diagnosis of cancer, and the prostate biopsy‐related symptoms, e.g. prostatitis, perineal pain and haemospermia, might compromise the patients’ well‐being and libido, and thus affect the IIEF scores before RP. We therefore suggest using the IIEFm and EFm scores before prostate biopsy to assess the patients’ sexual status before any treatment for localized prostate cancer.
Analysis of the efficacy and safety of sildenafil citrate in the geriatric population
Authors: Müller Alexander , Smith Lizette , Parker Marilyn , Mulhall John P.
Published: May 2007

Associate Editor

Michael G. Wyllie

Editorial Board

Ian Eardley, UK

Jean Fourcroy, USA

Sidney Glina, Brazil

Julia Heiman, USA

Chris McMahon, Australia

Bob Millar, UK

Alvaro Morales, Canada

Michael Perelman, USA

Marcel Waldinger, Netherlands

OBJECTIVE

To define the efficacy and tolerability of sildenafil in elderly men, as epidemiological data show an increasing life‐expectancy of the population, and age is not only correlated with increasing morbidity but also an increase in the prevalence of erectile dysfunction (ED), for which sildenafil, available for >8 years, is effective and safe across a wide variety of medical comorbidities, severity and causes of ED.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A database was generated from all sildenafil users in one sexual medicine practice, and data were extracted for men aged >60 years. The database included data on patient demographics, comorbidities, International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) scores and adverse events (AEs). The patients were subdivided into those aged 60–69 (group 1), 70–79 (group 2), and ≥ 80 years (group 3). Analysis of variance was used to assess differences among the three groups for several variables of demographics and erectile response.

RESULTS

In all, 167 patients were analysed; there were no significant differences in the duration of ED (5 ± 3 years) or presence of comorbidities among the three groups. With a mean of two risk factors, the overall incidence of comorbidities was hypertension in 37%, dyslipidaemia in 28%, diabetes in 26%, coronary artery disease in 18% and lower urinary tract symptoms in 46%. The efficacy data showed that overall, 54% of men responded to sildenafil, with a mean increase in IIEF EF domain score of 5.7. Within the three groups there was a significant age‐related decrease in response rate and IIEF EF domain score with age. However, there was no difference in AE incidence among the three groups, with an overall profile of 18% headache, 8% flushing, 8% dyspepsia, 5% nasal congestion and 2% visual changes. No overt cardiovascular events were reported.

CONCLUSIONS

From these data, sildenafil is an effective agent in elderly men, but had a lower efficacy rate with increasing age, especially in men aged >80 years. The incidence of side‐effects was similar to that in the general population taking sildenafil, with no difference in AEs among the different age groups
Distribution of prostate specific antigen (PSA) and percentage free PSA in a contemporary screening cohort with no evidence of prostate cancer
Authors: Chun Felix K.‐H. , Hutterer Georg C. , Perrotte Paul , Gallina Andrea , Valiquette Luc , Benard Francois , McCormack Michael , Briganti Alberto , Ionescu Constantin , Jeldres Claudio , Guay Jean‐Pierre , Saad Fred , Karakiewicz Pierre I.
Published: May 2007

OBJECTIVE

To explore the distribution of total prostate specific antigen (PSA) and percentage free/total PSA (%f/tPSA) in healthy volunteers with no clinical evidence of prostate cancer, who participated in prostate cancer screening.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

PSA and %f/tPSA values from 2323 men, who participated in one of three annual prostate cancer screening events between 2004 and 2006, were tabulated according to age strata of 40–49, 50–59, 60–69 and 70–79 years. Local regression smoothing plots provided a graphical display of the relation between age and PSA or %f/tPSA, respectively. All PSA and %f/tPSA analyses were repeated for each age category after excluding, respectively, the top and the bottom 10% of PSA and %f/tPSA values.

RESULTS

Within the entire cohort, the median PSA level was 1.0 ng/mL and the median %f/tPSA was 25%. According to the age categories the PSA level and %f/tPSA medians within the entire cohort were, respectively, 0.7, 0.9, 1.3, 1.8 ng/mL and 28.0, 26.0, 24.0 and 25.0%. Of the 2323 men, 438 (18.9%) had a PSA level of >2.5 ng/mL and 1172 (50.5%) had a %f/tPSA of ≤ 25%. When either a PSA level of >2.5 ng/mL or a %f/tPSA of ≤ 25% were considered, 1235 (53.2%) had one or two abnormal values. Finally, if either a PSA level of >2.5 ng/mL or %f/tPSA of ≤ 15% was used, 617 (26.6%) were considered abnormal.

CONCLUSION

Half of men with no clinical evidence of prostate cancer should have PSA levels of <1.0 ng/mL and a %f/tPSA of >25%. A PSA level threshold of 2.5 ng/mL would require a biopsy in 20% of men and a %f/tPSA threshold of ≤ 25% in half of the men. Alternatively, a %f/tPSA threshold of ≤ 15% would decrease the probability to 15%.
Phytoestrogens from Belamcanda chinensis regulate the expression of steroid receptors and related cofactors in LNCaP prostate cancer cells
Authors: Thelen Paul , Peter Thomas , Hünermund Anika , Kaulfuß Silke , Seidlová‐Wuttke Dana , Wuttke Wolfgang , Ringert Rolf‐Hermann , Seseke Florian
Published: May 2007

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the changes in expression underlying the marked reduction of tumour growth in vivo, by analysing the effect of Belamcanda chinensis extract (BCE) on LNCaP cells in vitro, as phytoestrogens are chemopreventive in prostate cancer, and in previous studies we examined the effects of the isoflavone tectorigenin isolated from B. chinensis on LNCaP prostate cancer cells, and a BCE consisting of 13 phytoestrogenic compounds on tumour‐bearing nude mice.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

LNCaP cells were treated with 100, 400 or 1400 µg/mL BCE; proliferation was assessed with an Alamar Blue assay. We used real‐time reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction to quantify mRNA expression of the androgen receptor (AR), the AR coactivator prostate derived Ets transcription factor (PDEF), NKX3.1, prostate specific antigen (PSA) and oestrogen receptor‐β (ER‐β) compared with the expression of the housekeeping gene porphobilinogen deaminase (PBGD). PSA secretion from LNCaP cells was measured and protein expression of the AR investigated by Western blot analysis.

RESULTS

Concomitant with a marked decrease of tumour cell proliferation BCE down‐regulated the expression of the AR, PDEF, NKX3.1 and PSA. In the same experiments, the expression of PBGD was unaltered, whereas ER‐β expression increased. Furthermore, AR protein and PSA secretion were markedly diminished after treatments with the BCE.

CONCLUSION

BCE, comprising 13 different phytoestrogens, decreases the expression of the AR and its co‐activator PDEF concomitant with diminished cell proliferation and PSA secretion. NKX3.1 expression was also reduced by BCE. We hypothesise that the positive effects of BCE are initiated by up‐regulation of the ER‐β, a putative tumour‐suppressor gene.
Empowerment among Latina nurses in Mexico, New York and Indiana
Authors: Baker C. M. , McDaniel A. M. , Fredrickson K. C. , Gallegos E. C.
Published: May 2007

Background:  Increasing empowerment among nurses may help retain nurses and increase the international workforce. There are very few cross‐national studies of nurse empowerment reported in the professional literature.

Aim:  To conduct a cross‐national exploratory study testing a theoretical model of nurse empowerment.

Design:  Descriptive survey of three convenience samples of graduate Latina nurses in Monterrey, Mexico, New York City and Indiana.

Methods:  Data were collected using self‐administered questionnaires. The Klakovich Reciprocal Empowerment Scale (RES) was translated into Mexican‐Spanish using a translation back‐translation technique. Variables for the study included empowerment, years of experience, job satisfaction and intent to stay. Frequency distributions and descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data.

Findings:  Empowerment involves reciprocity between the leader and follower, a common vision and synergy about the work, and a sense of ownership in the work site. Mexican nurses scored significantly higher on synergy than Latina nurses in New York and Indiana. Empowerment is related to job satisfaction, age and years of employment.

Conclusions:  Results indicate the usefulness of the RES instrument for Latina nurses and the need for further research with larger samples. Cross‐national research provides culturally sensitive information. Such research partnerships facilitate modelling the importance of nursing research to graduate nurses and students.
Community mental health care in Botswana: approaches and opportunities
Authors: Seloilwe E. S. , Thupayagale‐Tshweneagae G.
Published: May 2007

Aim:  The purpose of this article is to provide an insight into the developmental trends in community mental health care in Botswana. Different approaches are discussed and the opportunities that have emanated from them.

Background:  Care of the mentally ill in Botswana is provided at different levels of coverage and sophistication. There is a single mental hospital in the country. Attached to the district hospitals are psychiatric outpatient clinics run by psychiatric nurses and a psychiatrist who visits them on monthly basis. Mental health care in Botswana has gone through a paradigm shift, from the prepenal years, penal years and institutional to community based care, which reflects a philosophy of citizen involvement and collaboration.

Conclusion:  Several approaches have been utilized in the development of community mental health care. However, difficulties and challenges still exist in the provision of community mental health care.
Physical assessment: implications for nurse educators and nursing practice
Authors: Lesa R. , Dixon A.
Published: May 2007

Aim:  In New Zealand, the physical assessment of a patient has traditionally been the domain of the medical profession. As a country implementing advanced practice roles, with an expectation that both nurse practitioners and registered nurses will use physical assessment skills, the relevancy of physical assessment for each scope of practice has currency. The aim of this literature review was to discover what could be learnt from the experiences of Western countries that already incorporate physical assessment skills into nurses’ health assessment.

Findings:  Nurses in the USA, and more recently Canada and Australia, readily incorporate physical assessment skills into their nursing practice as a component of health assessment. The international literature identified that any change to the nurse’s role in health assessment, to include physical assessment skills, requires strategies that involve the regulatory, educational and practice components of nursing.

Conclusion:  Nurses and other health professionals must perceive that this role expansion will improve health outcomes for the diverse populations accessing health care. Teaching physical assessment skills within a holistic health model will enable nurses to contribute a more comprehensive health assessment to the planning and monitoring of people’s health care.
Community health nurses in action: a case study from Jordan
Authors: Shishani K.
Published: May 2007

Community health nurses can make a considerable difference in the lives of disadvantaged population groups. One of their major roles is to conduct studies that focus on at‐risk populations and to use the findings to implement nursing actions to promote the public’s health. This case study describes one such activity in Jordan.
Critical care nursing organizations and activities – a second worldwide review
Authors: Williams G. , Chaboyer W. , Alberto L. , Thorsteinsdottir R. , Schmollgruber S. , Fulbrook P. , Chan D. , Bost N.
Published: May 2007

Background:  This study is the second world survey of critical care nursing organizations (CCNOs). The first survey was undertaken 6 years ago and data were collected from 23 countries over a 2‐year period. The aim of the second survey was to profile the issues and activities of critical care nurses and their professional organizations, expanding on the previous survey to obtain both an update of the issues and a wider global perspective.

Methods:  A descriptive survey was emailed to 80 potential responding countries with recognized CCNOs or nursing leaders. Responses were analysed descriptively by geographical region.

Results:  A total of 51 respondents completed the questionnaire over a 6‐month period, achieving a return rate of 64%. The most common issues identified by critical care nurses were staffing levels and teamwork. Other important issues included wages, working conditions and access to quality educational programmes. The respondents perceived national conferences, professional representation, standards for educational courses, provision of a website, and educational workshops and forums as the five most important activities that should be provided for critical care nurses by national CCNOs.

Conclusions:  Workforce and education issues remain dominant themes among critical care nurses of the world. These issues have changed very little in the last 6 years. Using the World Federation of Critical Care Nurses network of regional CCNOs and critical care nursing leaders has proven to be a successful strategy for the collection of data on world issues and for international communication and support.
Factors affecting nurses’ decisions to join their professional association
Authors: Alotaibi M.
Published: May 2007

Background:  Many nursing associations in the world are facing difficulties in increasing nurses’ membership. Many researchers have identified possible causes for this decline.

Aim:  To explore factors that influence nurses’ decision to join or not to join the Kuwait Nursing Association (KNA).

Methods:  A Professional Association Membership Questionnaire (PAMQ) developed by Yeager (1981) was used. A short demographic questionnaire and two open‐ended questions developed by the researcher were added at the end of the questionnaire to gather the data sought in this study. The participants were 40 nurses who are current members of KNA and 100 nurses who had been members of KNA in the past and did not renew their membership in 2005.

Results:  This study showed that all 29 reported benefits were not very important to both groups. However, nine benefits strongly influenced the current members’ decisions to join KNA, namely social activities, relief from boredom, fun, travel, improvement of health care, Something new, friendship, group benefit plans and peer group contact. The former members valued five benefits, namely education, programmes, support, professionalism and self‐improvement.

Conclusion:  Current and former members differ in their reasons to join or not to join the KNA. All the benefits provided by an association may not necessarily attract members and the philosophical differences between them are one of the reasons not join an association.
The development of role adequacy for professional nurses in Jordan
Authors: Shuriquie M. , While A. , Fitzpatrick J.
Published: May 2007

Aim:  This paper reviews the development of role adequacy in Jordan through an examination of nurse education, specialization and continuing education programmes in order to identify the developmental needs for the Jordanian professional nurse’s initial and continued competence.

Background:  The concept of role adequacy in nursing relates directly to the skills and competencies of individuals who undertake the nursing role. Various types and levels of nursing education have been established with several reforms over time in attempt to meet the Jordanian nursing workforce’s need for key competencies. A nursing council was established in 2002 but it has yet to guide professional development.

Conclusion:  The nursing profession in Jordan has made great advances towards developing role adequacy over the last half century. Currently, there is a relatively good national system of educational preparation of nurses with the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree providing the only point of entry to the profession. However, this draws heavily on North American curricula and textbooks and therefore may not be culturally and economically sensitive to the population’s needs. The state of continuing education and specialist training in Jordan indicates there is an urgent need to set national minimum standards for continuing professional development requirements if nurses’ role adequacy and continued competence are to be maintained. National cooperation between educational institutions, healthcare providers and the nursing regulatory body is needed if the goal of a competent nursing workforce is to be realized.
Universal Owners: challenges and opportunities
Authors: Hawley James , Williams Andrew
Published: May 2007

This special issue of Corporate Governance is devoted to the concept of “universal ownership” (UO) and grows out of a conference of universal owners, institutional investors, investment professionals and academics held in April 2006 at Saint Mary’s College of California, under the sponsorship of the Center for the Study of Fiduciary Capitalism (A report of the conference is available at http://www.fidcap.org). Four of the seven articles in this issue are based on papers presented at the conference, while an additional three (by Lydenberg, Syse and Gjessing, and Lippman et al.) were written specifically for this issue. The conference purposefully developed a practitioners’ perspective on universal ownership and these articles reflect this orientation, although each article in its own way breaks new ground which academics, policy researchers and practitioners can and should develop.
Universal Investors and Socially Responsible Investors: a tale of emerging affinities
Authors: Lydenberg Steven
Published: May 2007

This paper posits three types of investors in today’s financial markets: Universal Investors, Social Investors and Rational Investors. It argues that the Universal and Social Investor are theoretically inclined to seek returns that benefit society and the environment as a whole, while the tenets of modern portfolio theory lead the Rational Investor to seek returns based primarily on market price. Because of the dominance of modern portfolio theory, the actual practices of the Universal and Social Investor reproduce those of the Rational Investor in most regards today. However, Universal and Social Investors are now pioneering at least three investment practices that promote returns to the economy and society. These are engagement with corporate management, investments that benefit underserved communities, and the setting of social and environmental standards in selecting investments. These practices differ from those of the mainstream in that they deliberately take into account more than market price in seeking returns on investments.

This paper argues that measuring the value of corporations to society solely on their stock price and their ability to raise that price is not only a narrow expression of the value of corporations to society, but a potentially dangerous one. It views Universal and Social Investors as having the potential to build on and improve upon the practices of Rational Investors by developing an expanded and more complete conception of investment returns and of corporations’ role in providing those returns.

This paper hypothesises that universal investors and socially responsible investors – two classes of investors whose investment practices are increasingly gaining recognition around the world – share a basic affinity for the promotion of a just and sustainable society. Although the two currently differ in certain regards, together they constitute a theoretically coherent model of investment that builds and improves upon the dominant investment theory and practice of rational investors, which focus primarily on market‐based returns.

Part One of this paper explores the theoretical affinities between universal and socially responsible investors and highlights their points of departure from certain aspects of modern portfolio theory. Part Two examines the emerging investment practices that characterise these investors and that distinguish them from their mainstream colleagues.
Universal Owners and ESG: leaving money on the table?
Authors: Kiernan Matthew J.
Published: May 2007

ESG (environmental, social and governance) issues represent both a “tragedy of the commons” and a golden opportunity for a positive system change. Universal Owners should recognise both their power and their responsibilities, and then to leverage their investment strategies to catalyse ESG improvements in their investee companies. This can be done through both stock selection and direct engagement with companies. To date, unfortunately, a myriad of largely cognitive barriers have prevented Universal Owners from mobilising their considerable investment power in this way to any significant extent. There is, however, some encouraging evidence that this is beginning to change.
Two Challenges for Fiduciary Capitalism
Authors: Monks Robert A. G.
Published: May 2007

The modern institutional trustee in its incarnation as majority owner of American business has conflicts of interest of debilitating proportions. Notwithstanding the inveterate and unchanging rigour of trust law requiring the fiduciary to administer assets “for the exclusive benefit of plan participants”, today’s conglomerate – understandably enough in a world where there is no enforcement – persistently favours its own interest in pleasing present and potential customers. There has been no enforcement of breach of fiduciary obligations either by the executive or judicial branches of government. In light of the trend of some courts towards the Law & Economics policy of “efficient compliance”, there must be some doubt as to whether courts will require compliance with trust law.

What has emerged is a badly crippled owner. Enforceability of the trust promise is what is required for the concept of “fiduciary ownership” to flower.

Ironically, casting the majority owner of public companies in trust mode has twice cursed the beneficiaries. On the one hand, the trustees made extensive use of trust assets to protect themselves against any possibility of liability by hiring “consultants”, the sum of whose contribution to the economic welfare of participants is highly problematic. Their real value is in providing trustees defence against any claim of negligence. On the other hand, trustees, with “no skin in the game” were motivated to adopt the most minimalist policies of investment, thus ensuring mediocre results. The only fiduciaries, largely public employee pension plans, free of conflict of interest are identified with what might be styled the “anti business” end of the spectrum of ownership. Until the balance of owners participate, the promise of “fiduciary capitalism” will not be fulfilled.
The End of CED? Minimalism and Extraction Domains
Authors: Stepanov Arthur
Published: May 2007

Abstract. The traditional ‘‘unified’’ approaches to extractability out of subjects and adjuncts in the form ofHuang's (1982)Condition on Extraction Domains (CED) andChomsky's (1986a)Barriersand its minimalist descendants face an empirical challenge presented by languages in which extraction out of subjects is possible but extraction out of adjuncts is not. The existence of such languages calls into question the unifying basis for the traditional accounts—namely, the complement/noncomplement distinction that was at the core of these accounts. In this paper I consider a possible extension of a recent minimalist account making use of the complement/noncomplement distinction—Nunes and Uriagereka (2000)—to the problematic languages and show that it also encounters conceptual and empirical problems. I then propose an ‘‘eclectic’’ minimalist approach to extraction domains in which extractability out of subjects and adjuncts are regulated by different mechanisms of grammar in a nonoverlapping manner.
Youth language in media contexts: insights into the functions of English in Finland
Authors: LEPPÄNEN SIRPA
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACT: Recent research has shown that the role of English in Finland is now changing. In particular contexts, it is sometimes used as a lingua franca, an intracultural means of communication, and an additional language, along with Finnish. An interesting domain in terms of the spread and changing role of English is also youth language – the focus of the present paper. Approaching youth language from a discourse‐analytic and sociolinguistic perspective, this paper investigates an electronic game session, hip‐hop lyrics, fan fiction and weblogs. As in youth language in other bi/multilingual speech communities, the paper argues that the uses of English in these Finnish youth language contexts are characterised by appropriation and creativity, and serve as means for constructing identity and communality.
The effect of English job titles in job advertisements on Dutch respondents
Authors: VAN MEURS FRANK , KORZILIUS HUBERT , PLANKEN BRIGITTE , FAIRLEY STEVEN
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACT:  This paper reports on a study that tested the effect on Dutch respondents of using English in job titles. One half of the respondents evaluated five English job titles, and the other half evaluated the equivalent Dutch job titles. The results of the experiment support claims about the effect of English in job titles in the Netherlands and other non‐English‐speaking countries which had not previously been tested experimentally. In those cases where there were statistically significant differences, English job titles were evaluated worse than their Dutch counterparts, while jobs with English titles were assessed more positively, were thought to have higher salaries, and were on the whole considered to be more international. Contrary to what is suggested in the literature, where there were significant differences, jobs with English titles were not considered more gender‐neutral, but in fact were perceived to be more male‐oriented than their Dutch equivalents. Although no statistically significant differences were found between the associations evoked by equivalent English and Dutch job titles, our findings support the hypothesis, formulated with respect to English in advertising in non‐English‐speaking countries, that English words do not just have referential meaning but also carry symbolic value.
CHANGES IN THE NATURE OF URBAN SPATIAL STRUCTURE IN THE UNITED STATES, 1890–2000*
Authors: Kim Sukkoo
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACTThis paper documents the long‐run trends in the average densities and density gradients of urban areas in the United States. The data show that between 1890 and 2000 the average densities of cities and metropolitan areas rose and fell but that the density gradients of urban areas generally declined monotonically over time. While it is beyond the scope of this paper to estimate the causes of these changes, this paper argues that a complete understanding of the changes in the nature of US urban spatial structures is likely to go beyond the standard explanations based on the monocentric city model such as decreases in transportation costs and increases in household incomes.
Conflict, Accommodation, and Bargaining: The Implications of Using Politically Buffered Institutions for Contentious Decision Making
Authors: BOURDEAUX CAROLYN
Published: May 2007

One type of new public management reform has been the devolution of services to quasi‐autonomous single purpose governments. This research examines the implications of using a particular type of single purpose government, known as a public authority, in a politically contentious policy setting. Public authorities are generally observed to be highly effective in accomplishing their desired ends in the face of political controversy. However, in examining cases of New York State public authorities siting and developing landfills and incinerators, this research found that they were far less effective than their general purpose government counterparts. The cases suggest that the public authorities created a paradox of power and professionalism. Many public authorities were created to protect professional decision making from political influence, but as a result, they had few resources to bargain in the political process. However, if a public authority had political resources, they had less need to be professional.
The Role of the Public Manager in Inclusion: Creating Communities of Participation
Authors: FELDMAN MARTHA S. , KHADEMIAN ANNE M.
Published: May 2007

In this article, we focus on the role of the public manager in bringing about inclusion. While inclusion often implies public participation, we have observed that one of the challenges for public managers practicing inclusive management is the necessity of combining information and perspectives of three domains: the political, the technical, and the local or experiential. Inclusion, from this perspective, involves the creation of communities of participation in which representatives of these three domains can use their knowledge to address public problems. We examine the ways in which managers do informational and relational work to enact such communities of participation.
The Interface of Globalization and Peripheral Land in the Cities of the South: Implications for Urban Governance and Local Economic Development
Authors: KEIVANI RAMIN , MATTINGLY MICHAEL
Published: May 2007

This essay examines the impact of globalization on land peripheral to large cities of the south. It identifies such land as providing major arenas for contested claims between the requirements of international firms and those of local inhabitants and businesses, entailing both threats and opportunities in terms of local economic development. Much depends on the urban governance and institutional processes surrounding the use and allocation of land that are themselves directly influenced by the globalization process. In many cities national, state or provincial governments have set up special parastatal organizations with substantial funding and significant decision‐making powers over infrastructure development and land use to facilitate the rebirth of their cities as havens for international investment. In the process local municipalities and the local population are often excluded from the decision‐making process, while being left to cope with the aftermath and maintenance of the grand projects. The essay identifies weaknesses in elite governance models usually centred at the state or national levels, and asks if a better alternative may be a local government‐led ‘inclusive leadership’ model capable of clear leadership, greater coordination of different governance layers and inclusion of local actors.

Cet essai étudie l’impact de la mondialisation sur les terrains situés à la périphérie des grandes villes du Sud. Il identifie ces terrains comme des scènes majeures de contradiction entre les besoins des multinationales et les revendications des entreprises et habitants locaux, ce qui créent à la fois menaces et opportunités en termes d’expansion économique locale. Le résultat dépend largement des processus institutionnels et de gouvernance urbaine qui entourent l’utilisation et l’affectation des terrains, processus eux‐mêmes directement influencés par la mondialisation. Dans de nombreuses villes, les organes de gouvernement nationaux, étatiques ou provinciaux ont créé des entités para‐étatiques spécialisées, dotées de fonds et de pouvoirs décisionnels considérables en matière d’aménagement des infrastructures et d’occupation des sols, afin de réinstaurer leur ville en terre d’accueil de l’investissement international. Or, les municipalités et populations locales sont souvent exclues du processus de décision alors qu’on les laisse assumer les conséquences et la maintenance des grands projets. L’article repère les faiblesses des modèles de gouvernance par les élites, généralement centrés aux niveaux de l’Etat ou de la nation, et se demande si un modèle de ‘leadership inclusif’ sous la houlette du gouvernement ne serait pas une meilleure alternative, permettant un leadership clair, une meilleure coordination des différentes strates de gouvernance et l’intégration des acteurs locaux.
A review of quality of life issues and people with autism spectrum disorders
Authors: Plimley Lynn A.
Published: May 2007

This article draws on existing theory and research findings in the field of quality of life (QoL) and those with learning/intellectual disability and extrapolates current thinking in terms of measurable domains of QoL. The condition of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is becoming increasingly prevalent in the sector of supported living and adult residential care. The author examines the core features of ASD and applies known characteristics to ways in which QoL domains and assessment tools can be adapted to people with ASD.