bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Demographic and Geographic Vascular Risk Factor Differences in European Young Adults With Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Putaala Jukka , Yesilot Nilufer , Waje-Andreassen Ulrike , Pitkäniemi Janne , Vassilopoulou Sofia , Nardi Katiuscia , Odier Celine , Hofgart Gergely , Engelter Stefan , Burow Annika , Mihalka Laszlo , Kloss Manja , Ferrari Julia , Lemmens Robin , Coban Oguzhan , Haapaniemi Elena , Maaijwee Noortje , Rutten-Jacobs Loes , Bersano Anna , Cereda Carlo , Baron Pierluigi , Borellini Linda , Valcarenghi Caterina , Thomassen Lars , Grau Armin J. , Palm Frederick , Urbanek Christian , Tuncay Rezzan , Durukan-Tolvanen Aysan , van Dijk Ewoud J. , de Leeuw Frank-Erik , Thijs Vincent , Greisenegger Stefan , Vemmos Konstantinos , Lichy Christoph , Bereczki Daniel , Csiba Laszlo , Michel Patrik , Leys Didier , Spengos Konstantinos , Naess Halvor , Bahar Sara Zarko , Tatlisumak Turgut
Published: July 2012

Background and Purpose—

We compared among young patients with ischemic stroke the distribution of vascular risk factors among sex, age groups, and 3 distinct geographic regions in Europe.

Methods—

We included patients with first-ever ischemic stroke aged 15 to 49 years from existing hospital- or population-based prospective or consecutive young stroke registries involving 15 cities in 12 countries. Geographic regions were defined as northern (Finland, Norway), central (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, The Netherlands, Switzerland), and southern (Greece, Italy, Turkey) Europe. Hierarchical regression models were used for comparisons.

Results—

In the study cohort (n=3944), the 3 most frequent risk factors were current smoking (48.7%), dyslipidemia (45.8%), and hypertension (35.9%). Compared with central (n=1868; median age, 43 years) and northern (n=1330; median age, 44 years) European patients, southern Europeans (n=746; median age, 41 years) were younger. No sex difference emerged between the regions, male:female ratio being 0.7 in those aged <34 years and reaching 1.7 in those aged 45 to 49 years. After accounting for confounders, no risk-factor differences emerged at the region level. Compared with females, males were older and they more frequently had dyslipidemia or coronary heart disease, or were smokers, irrespective of region. In both sexes, prevalence of family history of stroke, dyslipidemia, smoking, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease, peripheral arterial disease, and atrial fibrillation positively correlated with age across all regions.

Conclusions—

Primary preventive strategies for ischemic stroke in young adults—having high rate of modifiable risk factors—should be targeted according to sex and age at continental level.
Regional Surges of Monsoonal Moisture into the Southwestern United States
Authors: Favors James E. , Abatzoglou John T.
Published: July 2012

Episodic surges of moisture into the southwestern United States are an important attribute of the North American monsoon. Building upon prior studies that identified mesoscale gulf surges using station-based diagnostics, regional surges in monsoonal moisture are identified using precipitable water and integrated water vapor flux from the North American Regional Reanalysis. These regional surge diagnostics exhibit increased skill over gulf surge diagnostics in capturing widespread significant multiday precipitation over the state of Arizona and are associated with the northward intrusion of moisture and precipitation into the southwestern United States. Both tropical and midlatitude circulation patterns are associated with identified regional surge events. In the tropics, the passage of a tropical easterly wave across the Sierra Madre and through the Gulf of California facilitates a northeastward flux of moisture toward the southwestern United States. In midlatitudes, the breakdown and eastward shift of an upper-level ridge over the western United States ahead of an eastward-propagating trough off the Pacific Northwest coast helps destabilize the middle troposphere ahead of the easterly wave and provides a conduit for subtropical moisture advection into the interior western United States.
How Do Typographical Factors Affect Reading Text and Comprehension Performance in Arabic?
Authors: Ganayim Deia , Ibrahim Raphiq
Published: July 2012

Objective:

The objective of this study was to establish basic reading performance that could lead to useful design recommendations for print display text formats and layouts for the improvement of reading and comprehension performance of print text, such as academic writings, books, and newspapers, of Arabic language.

Background:

Readability of English print text has been shown to be influenced by a number of typographical variables, including interline spacing, column setting and line length, and so on. Therefore, it is very important to improve the reading efficiency and satisfaction of print text reading and comprehension by following simple design guidelines. Most existing research on readability of print text is oriented to build guidelines for designing English texts rather than Arabic. However, guidelines built for English script cannot be simply applied for Arabic script because of orthographic differences.

Method:

In the current study, manipulating interline spacing and column setting and line length generated nine text layouts. The reading and comprehension performance of 210 native Arab students assigned randomly to the different text layouts was compared.

Results:

Results showed that the use of multicolumn setting (with medium or short line length) affected comprehension achievement but not reading and comprehension speed. Participants’ comprehension scores were better for the single-column (with long line length) than for the multicolumn setting. However, no effect was found for interline spacing.

Conclusion:

The recommendations for appropriate print text format and layout in Arabic language based on the results of objective measures facilitating reading and comprehension performance is a single-column (with long line length) layout with no relevance of the interline spacing.
Water Security: Ethiopia–Egypt Transboundary Challenges over the Nile River Basin
Authors: Rahman Majeed A
Published: July 2012

This article examines the transboundary water challenges among riparian states in and around the Nile river basin. The article argues in agreement with the Collier-Hoeffler conflict model (1998) which claims that Africa’s natural endowments, such as diamonds, gold, copper, bauxite, and oil, are strong predictors of violent conflict in Africa. This article further posits that these natural economic endowments, such as natural resources and geographical locations which include the Nile river basin, are potential triggers of conflict in the horn of Africa.
Flexible polyurethane foams modified with natural oil based polyols
Authors: Prociak Aleksander , Rojek Piotr , Pawlik Henryk
Published: July 2012

Polyols based on natural oils can be used in formulations of various polyurethane materials including foams with the cell structure and properties required for their typical applications. Vegetable oils such as rapeseed and palm oils were used as raw materials for preparing flexible polyurethane foams. The reference polyurethane systems were elaborated on the basis of petrochemical polyols. These formulations were modified with rapeseed and palm oil based polyols. The effects of such modifications on selected physical–mechanical properties of prepared foams are discussed. The application of both vegetable oil based polyols allowed to obtain the foams with higher ability for energy absorbing and better thermal stability.
Improving tensile strength and moisture barrier properties of gelatin using microfibrillated cellulose
Authors: Fadel Shaimaa M , Hassan Mohammad L , Oksman Kristiina
Published: July 2012

Microfibrillated cellulose isolated from bagasse was used to prepare novel nanocomposites using cross-linked gelatin as a biodegradable polymer matrix. Microfibrillated cellulose loadings up to 25% (weight percent) were used. The prepared nanocomposites were characterized regarding their wet and dry tensile strength, water sorption, and water vapor permeability. Nanocomposites’ surfaces were examined by scanning electron microscopy; the scanning electron microscopy images indicated homogeneous distribution of microfibrillated cellulose in the gelatin matrix. Microfibrillated cellulose improved wet and dry maximum tensile stress and modulus of cross-linked gelatin but resulted in a decrease of its strain at break. Microfibrillated cellulose did not affect the water absorption of cross-linked gelatin but significantly improved its moisture barrier property.
On the parameters influencing the effective properties of a piezoelectric nanocomposite film employing FEM
Authors: Jafari Akbar , Khatibi Akbar Afaghi , Mashhadi Mahmoud Mousavi , Ghazavizadeh Akbar
Published: July 2012

Characterization of the effective elasto-piezoelectric properties of a special class of nanocomposites is the subject of this article. The piezonanocomposites of interest are thin films of non-piezoelectric polymer reinforced with a row of piezoelectric boron nitride nanotubes. The boron nitride nanotubes are unidirectionally aligned but randomly distributed in the piezonanocomposite films. The characterization methodology relies primarily on the finite element simulations of the representative volume elements from the piezonanocomposites. Decoupling the coupled constitutive elasto-piezoelectric equations and double checking criteria for the evaluation of the effective properties are two highlights of the methodology. Sensitivity analyses are carried out to achieve the appropriate representative volume elements size. As influencing parameters, the effects of the boron nitride nanotubes volume fraction and aspect ratio on the overall effective properties are investigated. Additionally, different physical properties are assigned to the space inside nanotubes and their impacts on the effective properties are examined. The calculated effective properties are compared to the ones output by three different analytical approaches as well as the results of similar studies on conventional piezocomposites. The agreements observed corroborate the final results as well as the proposed methodology to be applied to similar problems.
Frequency Analyses of Prephonological Spellings as Predictors of Success in Conventional Spelling
Authors: Kessler Brett , Pollo Tatiana Cury , Treiman Rebecca , Cardoso-Martins Cláudia
Published: July 2012

The present study explored how children’s prephonological writing foretells differential learning outcomes in primary school. The authors asked Portuguese-speaking preschool children in Brazil (mean age 4 year 3 months) to spell 12 words. Monte Carlo tests were used to identify the 31 children whose writing was not based on spellings or sounds of the target words. Two and a half years later, the children took a standardized spelling test. The more closely the digram (two-letter sequence) frequencies in the preschool task correlated with those in children’s books, the better scores the children had in primary school, and the more preschoolers used letters from their own name, the lower their subsequent scores. Thus, preschoolers whose prephonological writing revealed attentiveness to the statistical properties of text subsequently performed better in conventional spelling. These analytic techniques may help in the early identification of children at risk for spelling difficulties.
A Synthesis and Meta-Analysis of Reading Interventions Using Social Studies Content for Students With Learning Disabilities
Authors: Swanson Elizabeth , Hairrell Angela , Kent Shawn , Ciullo Stephen , Wanzek Jeanne A. , Vaughn Sharon
Published: July 2012

A synthesis and meta-analysis of the extant research on the effects of reading interventions delivered using social studies content for students with learning disabilities in kindergarten through Grade 12 is provided. A total of 27 studies met criteria for the synthesis, with 16 studies providing sufficient data for inclusion in the meta-analysis. Reading interventions implemented within the context of social studies have employed the use of graphic organizers, mnemonics, reading and answering questions, guided notes, and multicomponent comprehension instruction. The overall mean effect size for interventions included in the meta-analysis was 1.02, indicating that reading interventions delivered using social studies content have a substantial positive effect on outcomes among students with learning disabilities.
A Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Study of Lexical Decision Task Supports the Dual Route Model and the Phonological Deficit Theory of Dyslexia
Authors: Sela Itamar , Izzetoglu Meltem , Izzetoglu Kurtulus , Onaral Banu
Published: July 2012

The dual route model (DRM) of reading suggests two routes of reading development: the phonological and the orthographic routes. It was proposed that although the two routes are active in the process of reading; the first is more involved at the initial stages of reading acquisition, whereas the latter needs more reading training to mature. A number of studies have shown that deficient phonological processing is a core deficit in developmental dyslexia. According to the DRM, when the Lexical Decision Task (LDT) is performed, the orthographic route should also be involved when decoding words, whereas it is clear that when decoding pseudowords the phonological route should be activated. Previous functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIR) studies have suggested that the upper left frontal lobe is involved in decision making in the LDT. The current study used fNIR to compare left frontal lobe activity during LDT performance among three reading-level groups: 12-year-old children, young adult dyslexic readers, and young adult typical readers. Compared to typical readers, the children demonstrated lower activity under the word condition only, whereas the dyslexic readers showed lower activity under the pseudoword condition only. The results provide evidence for upper left frontal lobe involvement in LDT and support the DRM and the phonological deficit theory of dyslexia.
Types of Motivating Operations in Interventions With Problem Behavior
Authors: Simó-Pinatella David , Font-Roura Josep , Planella-Morató Joaquima , McGill Peter , Alomar-Kurz Elisabeth , Giné Climent
Published: July 2012

A motivating operation (MO) alters both the effectiveness of a stimulus as a reinforcer and the current frequency of all behavior that has been reinforced by that particular stimulus. This article reviews studies that have manipulated a MO during interventions with school-age participants with intellectual disabilities and problem behavior. A systematic review was conducted using the following major electronic databases: PsychInfo, Education Resources Information Center, Science Direct, Blackwell, SAGE, and Medline. A total of 31 published articles representing 55 participants was examined. Findings from this study suggest that the modification of a MO usually has an effect on the problem behavior by either establishing or abolishing its motivation. Furthermore, a relationship was found between the type of MO and the behavioral function identified. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings, limitations of this study and potential issues for future research are discussed.
Recognizing Uncertainty in the Q-Matrix via a Bayesian Extension of the DINA Model
Authors: DeCarlo Lawrence T.
Published: July 2012

In the typical application of a cognitive diagnosis model, the Q-matrix, which reflects the theory with respect to the skills indicated by the items, is assumed to be known. However, the Q-matrix is usually determined by expert judgment, and so there can be uncertainty about some of its elements. Here it is shown that this uncertainty can be recognized and explored via a Bayesian extension of the DINA (deterministic input noisy and) model. The approach used is to specify some elements of the Q-matrix as being random rather than as fixed; posterior distributions can then be used to obtain information about elements whose inclusion in the Q-matrix is questionable. Simulations show that this approach helps to recover the true Q-matrix when there is uncertainty about some elements. An application to the fraction-subtraction data of K. K. Tatsuoka suggests a modified Q-matrix that gives improved relative fit.
Preliminary evidence for reduced preoperative cerebral blood flow velocity as a risk factor for cognitive decline three months after cardiac surgery: an extension study
Authors: Messerotti Benvenuti S , Zanatta P , Valfrè C , Polesel E , Palomba D
Published: July 2012

This extension study investigated the association between preoperative cerebral blood flow (CBF) velocity and postoperative cognitive decline (POCD) at a three-month follow-up in patients who underwent cardiac surgery. Continuous transcranial Doppler ultrasound on both middle cerebral arteries (MCAs) was used preoperatively in 31 right-handed cardiac surgery patients at rest. Each patient performed a neuropsychological evaluation to assess cognitive performance before surgery, at discharge and at three-month follow-up. Patients with POCD at the three-month follow-up had a marginally significantly lower preoperative CBF velocity in the left MCA than patients without POCD. Moreover, the group with POCD had a significantly lower CBF velocity in the left than in the right MCA, whereas no difference between the left and right CBF velocity was found in the group without POCD. These preliminary findings suggest that reduced preoperative CBF velocity in the left MCA may represent an independent risk factor for cognitive decline in patients three months after surgery.
The enigma of the dorsolateral pons as a migraine generator
Authors: Borsook D , Burstein R
Published: July 2012

In this editorial, we integrate improved understanding of functional and structural brain stem anatomy with lessons learned from other disciplines on brainstem function to provide an alternative interpretation to the data used to support the brainstem migraine generator theory.
“But Most of All, They Fought Together”
Authors: Wells Elisabeth C.
Published: July 2012

The present study provides a discourse analysis of judicial attributions about battered women in Canadian sentencing decisions involving women convicted of killing their abusive intimate partners. For cases in which the accused received a jail sentence, judges downgraded acts of previous partner violence by using minimizing descriptions and by emphasizing the mutuality of the violence and of substance abuse. These discourses mobilized doubt about the relationship as abusive and limited sympathy for the accused as a battered woman. Judges’ descriptions formulated domestic abuse as discrete episodes of violence, attributed in many cases to alcohol rather than to an ongoing pattern of serious domestic abuse. These descriptions reinforced the accused’s capabilities and strength, which served to diminish the opposing claim that she was trapped in a seriously abusive relationship. Recommendations include incorporating information about battered women’s resistance efforts into traditional battered woman syndrome testimony and examining police decision making in cases of dual arrest.
Understanding Gender Differences in Anxiety
Authors: Zalta Alyson K. , Chambless Dianne L.
Published: July 2012

Developing a better understanding of modifiable psychological factors that account for gender differences in anxiety may provide insight into interventions that can be used to target these risk processes. The authors developed a mediational model to examine the degree to which gender differences in anxiety are explained by instrumentality and mastery while controlling for the influence of environmental stress and social desirability. Undergraduates (159 men and 239 women) completed an online questionnaire including measures of mastery, instrumentality, daily hassles, social desirability, and anxiety. Women reported significantly lower levels of instrumentality and mastery and higher levels of anxiety than men. Path analyses indicated that instrumentality and mastery were both significant mediators of the relationship between gender and anxiety after controlling for social desirability and hassles. The addition of a direct path from gender to anxiety was not significant and did not improve the fit of the model. These findings suggest that differences in gender socialization and mastery learning experiences for men and women help account for the female preponderance of anxiety. Interventions aimed at building instrumentality and mastery, particularly among girls, may help buffer against anxiety.
Not All Nonlabelers Are Created Equal
Authors: Fitz Caroline C. , Zucker Alyssa N. , Bay-Cheng Laina Y.
Published: July 2012

Past research regarding feminist identity has revealed that a significant number of women endorse feminist attitudes yet reject a feminist identity. In the current study, we sought to examine whether these nonlabeling women fall into two distinct groups: (a) one that falls on the same ideological continuum of their feminist peers and (b) the other that represents an attitudinally unique group of women characterized by their neoliberal beliefs that prioritize individual merit as the sole determinant of success. Two samples of undergraduate women self-reported their feminist identity and political and sexist attitudes. In our first sample ( N = 231), we used k-means cluster analysis to identify two types of nonlabelers: quasi-feminists and neoliberals. Results revealed that, despite both groups’ shared belief in gender equality, quasi-feminists reported relatively lower levels of meritocratic, just world, and modern sexist beliefs, all of which were similar to those of their feminist-identified peers, whereas neoliberals indicated stronger meritocratic, just world, and modern sexist beliefs. In our second sample ( N = 351), we replicated findings from our first sample and subsequently validated these groupings. Specifically, multivariate analysis of variance results demonstrated that, separate from the differences found in relation to the measures used for cluster analysis, quasi-feminists scored lower than neoliberals on measures of ambivalent sexism, social dominance, and equal opportunity beliefs. Women’s individual and collective welfare often hinges on their endorsement of neoliberal and feminist beliefs, especially in the face of unfair treatment. We suggest that activists and policy makers tailor strategies for engaging nonlabelers in the movement toward gender equality to the subtype of nonlabeler in question.
Creating Effective Cause-Related Marketing Campaigns
Authors: Myers Beth , Kwon Wi-Suk , Forsythe Sandra
Published: July 2012

Based on the schema and attribution theories, this study examined hypotheses addressing the effects of cause-brand fit and campaign new source on consumers' attitudes toward a cause-brand alliance by modifying consumers' perceptions of the brand's motivation to engage in the alliance. An online experiment was conducted with a national sample of 742 college students using a 2 (cause vs. brand message source) x 2 (low vs. high cause-brand fit) between-subjects design based on hypothetical cause-brand alliance scenarios. Findings indicate that cause-brand fit influences cause-brand alliance attitude by increasing consumers' perceived altruistic brand motivations, whereas campaign news source did not have a significant impact on cause-brand alliance attitude. Managerial and theoretical implications are discussed.
Learning to Watch Out
Authors: Hicks Allison M.
Published: July 2012

In this article, I examine how prison chaplains are socialized to the risks of working with inmates. The dialectical tension of prison work—both routine and repetitive while also potentially uncertain and volatile—requires a distinctive working personality (see Skolnick 1966). I argue that the institution has a significant impact on the construction of a workplace culture defined primarily by risk management. The institutional culture of corrections creates perceptions of risk that chaplains come to internalize and negotiate in various ways. Using qualitative interview data, I discuss chaplains’ management of risk. I conclude by discussing the relationship between working in a total institution and the development of a working personality unique to correctional chaplains.
Beyond the Tea Party: Dismal Democrats, Radical Republicans, Debt Ceiling Drama, and the Long Right Tilt in the Age of Obama
Authors: Street Paul L. , DiMaggio Anthony R.
Published: July 2012

We examine and criticize inaccurate stereotypes of the Tea Party as a revolutionary, insurgent, populist force. We demonstrate the Tea Party’s role in furthering the longstanding and polarizing rightward drift of the Republican Party. We trace the pro-establishment voting biases of the Tea Party in a variety of policy areas and the capitulation of the Democratic Party to the Tea Party–Republican political and economic agenda. The role of the mass media in amplifying the message of the Tea Party (largely neglected in the dominant political discourse) is also examined.
The Madoffization of Society: A Corrosive Process in an Age of Fictitious Capital
Authors: Monaghan Lee F. , O’Flynn Micheal
Published: July 2012

In 2009, US financier Bernard (Bernie) L. Madoff was jailed for 150 years after pleading guilty to running a massive ponzi scheme. While superficial condemnation was widespread, his US$65 billion fraud cannot be understood apart from the institutions, practices and fictions of contemporary finance capitalism. Madoff’s scam was rooted in the wider political prioritization of accumulation through debt expansion and the deregulated, desupervised and criminogenic environment facilitating it. More generally, global finance capital reproduces many of the core elements of the Madoff scam (i.e. mass deception, secrecy and obfuscation), particularly in neoliberalized Anglophone societies. We call this ‘Madoffization’. We suggest that societies are ‘Madoffized’, not only in the sense of their being subject to the ill-effects of speculative ponzi finance, but also in the sense that their prioritization of accumulation through debt expansion makes fraudulent practices, economic collapse and scapegoating inevitable.
Diabetes Transitional Care from Inpatient to Outpatient Setting
Authors: Shah Mansi , Norwood CaTanya A. , Farias Sol , Ibrahim Sonia , Chong Pang H. , Fogelfeld Leon
Published: July 2012

Purpose: Diabetes transitional care from the inpatient to outpatient setting is understudied. This study evaluated the effect of inpatient pharmacist discharge counseling on outpatient diabetes medication adherence. Research methods: Prospective, randomized, controlled study compared pharmacist discharge counseling (intervention) with usual patient care (control) in 127 patients with established diabetes and an A1C ≥8% who had a provider and medications filled within the county health system. The primary outcome was diabetes medication adherence rate measured using the prescription of days covered (PDC) method. Results: Patients in the intervention, compared with control group, had greater diabetes medication adherence rate 150 days after discharge (55.2% vs 34.8%; P = .002), rate of follow-up visits (60.5% vs 43.9%; P = .01) and reduction in A1C (−1.97% vs +0.114%; P = .003). Being in the intervention group and having greater adherence with follow-up visits correlated independently with lower follow-up A1C. Conclusion: Transitional care in the form of inpatient education geared to improve self-management after hospital discharge. This may serve as a paradigm to improve outpatient adherence rate with medications, follow-up visits, and A1C reduction.
Nursing Perception of the Impact of Medication Carts on Patient Safety and Ergonomics in a Teaching Health Care Center
Authors: Rochais Élise , Atkinson Suzanne , Bussières Jean-François
Published: July 2012

Objectives: In our Quebec (Canada) University Hospital Center, 68 medication carts have been implemented as part of a nationally funded project on drug distribution technologies. There are limited data published about the impact of medication carts in point-of-care units. Our main objective was to assess nursing staff’s perception and satisfaction of medication carts on patient safety and ergonomics. Method: Quantitative and qualitative cross-sectional study. Data were gathered from a printed questionnaire administered to nurses and an organized focus group composed of nurses and pharmacists. Results: A total of 195 nurses completed the questionnaire. Eighty percent of the nurses agreed that medication carts made health care staff’s work easier and 64% agreed that it helped to reduce medication incidents/accidents. Only 27% and 43% agreed that carts’ location reduces the risk of patients’ interruptions and colleagues’ interruptions, respectively. A total of 17 suggestions were extracted from the focus group (n = 7 nurses; n = 3 pharmacist) and will be implemented in the next year. Conclusions: This descriptive study confirms the positive perception and satisfaction of nurses exposed to medication carts. However, interruptions are a major concern and source of dissatisfaction. The focus group has revealed many issues which will be improved.
Electronic Cigarettes
Authors: Odum Lauren E. , O’Dell Katie A. , Schepers Jacqueline S.
Published: July 2012

Electronic cigarettes have gained popularity among patients as a smoking cessation aid despite not being approved or supported for this purpose by the United States Food and Drug Administration due to concerns with poor manufacturing practices and the presence of known carcinogens in the limited products that they tested. A few studies have evaluated the effects of electronic cigarettes on plasma nicotine levels and heart rate but found negligible effects. Safety data are mainly limited to surveys in which patients report only minor side effects, such as mouth and throat irritation, headache, vertigo, and nausea. The efficacy of electronic cigarettes has been evaluated in studies in which patients report great success with being able to cut back or stop tobacco cigarette consumption. However, many of these studies introduce bias due to recruiting on e-cigarette Web sites and having tobacco cigarette use self-reported by the participant rather than objectively tested. A few studies have formally evaluated nicotine craving when using electronic cigarettes with mixed results. Although patients support the use of electronic cigarettes in smoking cessation, more formal studies on safety and efficacy should be completed in order to determine whether these products have a role in smoking cessation.
Concentrations of Diazepam and Nordiazepam in 1000 Blood Samples From Apprehended Drivers—Therapeutic Use or Abuse of Anxiolytics?
Authors: Jones Alan W. , Holmgren Anita
Published: July 2012

Using an in-house forensic toxicology database, we selected 1000 cases of driving under the influence of drugs (DUIDs) over a 12-month period if diazepam (D) and nordiazepam (ND) were both present in the blood samples. Quantitative analysis of D and ND in blood was done by solvent extraction (butyl acetate) and capillary column gas chromatography (GC) with a nitrogen–phosphorous (N-P) detector. The limits of quantitation of this analytical method for D and ND in blood were 0.05 mg/L. The correlation between D and ND concentrations in blood was statistically significant ( r = .58, P < .001), as expected for a parent drug and its primary metabolite. However, the frequency distributions were markedly skewed to the right with mean (median) and highest concentrations of 0.37 (0.20) and 6.1 mg/L for D and 0.39 (0.20) and 5.6 mg/L for ND. The mean (median) total concentration (D + ND) was 0.76 mg/L (0.50 mg/L), and the concentration ratios D/ND and ND/D were 1.29 (median 0.95) and 1.41 (median 1.06), respectively. In 90 cases (9%), the concentration of D in blood exceeded 0.83 mg/L, which corresponds to an upper therapeutic limit in plasma (∼1.5 mg/L), assuming a plasma/blood distribution ratio of 1.8:1.
Practices Associated with Serum Antiepileptic Drug Level Monitoring at a Pediatric Neurology Clinic
Authors: Salih Muhannad R. M. , Bahari Mohd. Baidi , Hassali Mohamed Azmi Ahmad , Shafie Asrul Akmal , Al-lela Omer Qutaiba B. , Abd Arwa Y. , Ganesan Vigneswari
Published: July 2012

Objectives: To assess the practices associated with the application of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) for antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in the management of children with structural–metabolic epilepsy. Methods: It was a retrospective chart review and included children aged ≥2 years old with structural–metabolic epilepsy, treated with AEDs, and received TDM. The data were extracted from the medical records. Results: Thirty-two patients were identified with 50 TDM assays. In two thirds of the assays, “check level” and “recheck level” were the reasons behind the requesting of serum level monitoring of AEDs. Knowledge of serum AED levels led to alterations in the management in 60% of the assays. Thirty-two (76%) pediatrician’s actions were consistent with the recommendation of TDM pharmacist. Forty-nine (98%) levels were appropriately indicated. In relation to the appropriateness of sampling time, 9 (18%) levels were not assessed due to missing data. Twenty-seven (54%) levels were appropriately sampled. Conclusions: More studies should be designed to improve the component of the current TDM request form, especially in the reason section. By the same token, the number of pointless assays and the costs to the health care system can be reduced both by enhancing and improving the educational standards of the requesting neurologists
Albumin Utilization in Cardiac Surgery After Transition to Hydroxyethyl Starch 130/0.4
Authors: Romerill David B. , Toyoda Alexander Y. , Brodeur Brandon E. , Moellentin Daniel
Published: July 2012

Objective:

Evaluate the impact of replacing hydroxyethyl starch (HES) 670/0.75 with lower molecular weight HES 130/0.4 on albumin utilization in cardiac surgery, as well as any impact on renal function and bleeding.

Design:

A pre- and postimplementation, retrospective analysis.

Setting:

Community, not-for-profit, tertiary medical center.

Participants:

One hundred forty-six patients undergoing nonemergent cardiac bypass graft and cardiac valve surgeries after exclusion for documented anemia, malignancy, coagulation disorder, end-stage renal disease, or personal objection to receiving blood products.

Intervention:

HES 130/0.4 utilization instead of HES 670/0.75 for volume expansion.

Measurements and Main Results:

Patients were less likely to be administered albumin intraoperatively (odds ratio [OR] 0.16, confidence interval [CI] 0.08-0.35, P < .001). When albumin was utilized, intraoperative amounts were similar (mean ± standard deviation [SD]: 36.1 ± 17.1 g vs 43.8 ± 15.5 g, P = .16). Patients were more likely to receive an intraoperative HES product after the formulary change (OR 11.1, CI 4.4-27.6, P < .001) as well as larger volumes (mean ± SD: 743 ± 544 mL vs 500 ± 0 mL, P = .01). No differences were detected in mean baseline-to-discharge changes in serum creatinine or in postoperative urine output, nor were there differences in clinically significant bleeding.

Conclusions:

Change to a lower molecular weight HES decreased intraoperative albumin utilization and increased HES utilization with no detected difference in renal function or bleeding complications.
A modelling approach to railway track asset management
Authors: Andrews John
Published: July 2012

The UK railway network contains around 20,000 miles of track and is now carrying more, faster and heavier trains than previously. The effective management of this ageing and increasingly utilised system with limited financial resources is a significant challenge. Modelling tools are required to investigate the alternative strategies to manage such assets. The models available to date are very limited in their capability. A fundamental problem is their inability to adequately account for the underlying degradation process which is strongly dependent upon the history of the previous maintenance carried out. They also lack the complexity to enable the detailed maintenance and renewal options to be explored. This paper describes a modelling approach which first of all analyses the available data on the track geometry, and by implication the condition of the ballast, gathered at regular intervals by a measurement train. The analysis produces distributions of times for the track geometry to degrade to a specified state. Degradation distributions are therefore of relevance to the railway network under consideration, avoiding the need to use generic and possibly inappropriate data. With the degradation distributions available, a track section model is formed which incorporates the maintenance and renewal processes and provides a means of predicting the condition of the ballast section over time. The model uses a Petri net formulation with a Monte Carlo solution routine and enables the effectiveness of different maintenance strategies to be investigated. Ways in which the complexity of the model can be increased if desired is discussed and a case study is provided to indicate the use of the model.
Competing loyalties in sports medicine: Threats to medical professionalism in elite, commercial sport
Authors: Anderson Lynley , Jackson Steve
Published: July 2012

This paper explores the ways in which the environment of elite-level and, in particular, commercial sport produces expectations and pressures on sports doctors that may compromise their professional standards. Specifically, this paper addresses the pressures and demands that emerge from varying groups and individuals with whom doctors have relationships within the world of elite sport including: the athlete, coach, management, media (including broadcasters) and sponsors. Using grounded theory and drawing upon qualitative data collected from semi-structured interviews with 16 sports doctors the study explores the ethical concerns of medical practitioners working with elite athletes and teams in New Zealand. Key emerging themes include: the complex environment within which sports doctors work, including the limited control over their work environment, the pressures arising from the commercial interests of sport, the issue of competing obligations, and emerging threats to medical professionalism.
‘This is men’s ultimate’: (Re)creating multiple masculinities in elite open Ultimate Frisbee
Authors: Crocket Hamish
Published: July 2012

Over the past 10 years, there has been an increasing focus on the complexity and diversity of masculinities produced in sporting contexts. In this article, I draw on Foucauldian notions of power and discourse to examine the performances of elite male Ultimate players. Based on a year-long ethnographic study with an elite male Ultimate team, I contribute to this growing body of literature by analyzing the performance of multiple masculinities by players within this team.
Infiltrating the boys’ club: Motivations for women’s fantasy sport participation
Authors: Ruihley Brody J , Billings Andrew C
Published: July 2012

Understanding gender differences in fantasy sport consumption involves in-depth assessment of personal attributes, consumption, sport fandom, and motivations to participate. The study addresses the area of gender and fantasy sport, examining motivation and consumption behaviors of men and women concerning this activity. In this research, a total of 530 men and women fantasy sport users were surveyed about their media consumption and overall motivations for participating. Results indicated men consuming nearly 10 hours more of sports media content each week than women. Regarding motivations, men and women yielded consistent motivations for play on five of the seven measures, with the two remaining measures, enjoyment and passing time, being significantly higher for men. Implications and directions for future research in this relatively new scholarly realm are offered.
New Europe, new chances? The migration of professional footballers to Poland’s Ekstraklasa
Authors: Elliott Richard
Published: July 2012

The intention of this paper is to offer a preliminary analysis of the migrations of professional footballers to Poland’s top division – the Ekstraklasa. Based upon a series of interviews conducted with migrant players located at an Ekstraklasa club, the paper focuses specifically on the factors that influence the players’ decisions to migrate to that particular league. The paper identifies that whilst the Ekstraklasa might sit outside of Europe’s core football economies, it still offers much as a migration destination for certain sorts of players. Specifically, the paper shows how ‘pull’ factors, such as financial gain and the opportunity to play in Europe’s elite club competitions, are juxtaposed with a number of structural factors that ‘push’ migrants from particular locations and that are contoured by the players’ desires to progress in their careers. The paper concludes by showing that the motivations of the migrants cannot be reduced to any single causal factor, but rather, to be more meaningful, a series of interdependent processes should be seen to be at work.
The naked female athlete: The case of Rebecca Romero
Authors: King Anthony
Published: July 2012

Since the 1990s, the image of the naked female body has become an increasingly important and common cultural motif that has engendered much scholarship. Focusing on the Powerade advertisement, which featured a now celebrated image of the naked Rebecca Romero, astride her racing bicycle, this article seeks to explore the cultural significance of this image for contemporary concepts of femininity. The analysis explores how overtly the Romero image seems to suggest the liberation and empowerment of women, in line with other representations of many other sporting females. However, while celebrating female empowerment, the image seems also to qualify and even to deny it through the re-sexualisation of Romero. The article examines how this re-sexualisation is achieved.
Ambivalence on the front lines? Attitudes toward Title IX and women’s sports among Division I sports information directors
Authors: Hardin Marie , Whiteside Erin , Ash Erin
Published: July 2012

In light of continuing research that assesses how dominant ideology is communicated via mediated sport, this study examines the attitudes of sports information directors (SIDs), arguably initial “gatekeepers” in the media production process and, thus, critical players in shaping sports media messages. A random sample of Division I SIDs was surveyed on questions clustered around gender and sexuality issues. The results showed that Division I SIDs are likely to help gay athletes stay in the closet, although they express more progressive attitudes toward sexuality than sports journalists, who were similarly surveyed in 2009. The results also showed mixed support for women’s sports and Title IX – with implications for coverage – and strong support for a gendered division of labor that could be problematic for the future prospects of women in the profession. The authors use the survey to question assumptions that female SIDs will advocate on behalf of women’s sports, Title IX and other related issues.
Sojourner perceptions of the St George Cross flag during the FIFA 2010 World Cup: A symbol of carnival or menace?
Authors: Brown Lorraine , Richards Steve , Jones Ian
Published: July 2012

Researchers have observed that during a major sporting event, participating nations are transformed into sites of carnival and patriotic celebration. National flags are important symbols, increasingly used to denote support for the national team and to express group identity. Using findings from a qualitative study of sojourner perceptions of a transformed England during the FIFA World Cup 2010, this paper explores how the display of the England national flag (St George Cross) is decoded by national outsiders to the culture. Two conflicting themes emerged from an inductive thematic analysis of data. The England flag is perceived as both a positive symbol of national pride and a signifier of potential violence.
An Outpatient Urgent Care Bay Within a Pediatric Cancer and Hematology Center
Authors: Mazur Kate A. , McCarthy Kathy , Suell Mary Nell , Hockenberry Marilyn J.
Published: July 2012

Time-sensitive medical care is essential for pediatric patients undergoing treatment for a hematologic or oncologic condition. Such patients commonly experience acute symptoms related to routine childhood illness and/or their underlying disease or therapy. An Urgent Care Bay (UCB) staffed by a designated nurse and medical provider was established within Texas Children’s Cancer Center Outpatient Clinic to provide time-sensitive, same-day diagnostic and therapeutic medical care during clinic hours for patients with acute, non-life-threatening symptoms. The number of patients seen in UCB, chief complaint, underlying diagnosis, and disposition was reviewed. To establish timeliness of care, the authors reviewed the time of referral to the UCB provider or nurse, time of arrival to UCB, time evaluated by providers, and time of initiation of treatment. The addition of an UCB to Texas Children’s Cancer Center Outpatient Clinic has shown to allow for rapid assessment and initiation of treatment while avoiding unnecessary emergency room care.
A Comparison of Emotional Indicators and Depressive Symptom Levels of School-Age Children With and Without Cancer
Authors: Durualp Ender , Altay Naime
Published: July 2012

This study aims to compare the emotional indicators and depressive symptom levels of 6- to 12-year-old children with and without cancer. The sample included 20 children with cancer and 20 healthy children of similar ages and gender. Data were collected by using the Child Introduction Form, Children’s Depression Inventory, the Human Figure Drawing test, and children’s drawings. The results showed that the depressive symptom levels of children with cancer were significantly higher than those of healthy children. Impulsivity, mistrust, and anger were observed significantly more in children with cancer ( P < .05). Although anxiety was equal in the two groups, shyness was observed more in the cancer group, though the difference was not significant ( P > .05). The emotional indicators of both groups of children did not have an effect on their depression scores.
The Needs of Siblings of Children With Cancer
Authors: O’Shea Eileen R. , Shea Joyce , Robert Tracey , Cavanaugh Cathleen
Published: July 2012

Findings from research studies on the needs of siblings of children with cancer have highlighted the imperative that these siblings be supported and involved in the plan of care when a diagnosis of cancer is made. However, few studies have included the perspective of the nurse when evaluating sibling needs or identifying interventions used to meet the needs. This qualitative descriptive study used a combination of individual interviews and a focus group to capture perspectives from 13 pediatric oncology nurses employed at a leading Children’s Hospital located in the northeast. Transcripts were analyzed for content and theme in relation to the 2 research questions. Needs identified included getting attention, wanting to know, having fears/worries, feeling at fault, wanting to help, and wanting a normal routine, whereas interventions identified included recognizing their needs, getting siblings involved, sharing appropriate information, being a resource, giving support, and bending the rules. Findings support previous studies that document the variety of needs experienced by siblings of children with cancer and offer examples of nursing interventions to meet these needs.