bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Joint angle measurement: a comparative study of the reliability of goniometry and wire tracing for the hand
Authors: Ellis Bridget , Bruton Anne , Goddard Jonathan R
Published: July 2008

Objectives: To compare the inter- and intra-rater reliability of goniometry and wire tracing in the assessment of finger joint angles: metacarpo-phalangeal (MCPJ), proximal (PIPJ) and distal interphalangeal joints (DIPJ).

Design: Twenty occupational therapists and 20 physiotherapists with a range of clinical experience were recruited from nine different centres. Using a masked goniometer and wire tracing they carried out repeated assessments of the MCPJ, PIPJ and DIPJ of a normal subject fixed in two different positions.

Results: The two assessment methods did not produce comparable angle measurements. Goniometry showed greater inter- and intra-rater reliability than wire tracing. Regardless of the assessment tool, the repeatability coefficient indicated that DIPJ measurement was less reliable than the other joints. Clinical and specialist experience did not affect reliability.

Conclusion: Although both goniometry and wire tracing show limitations as reliable assessment tools, it is recommended that where possible goniometry should be used.
Assessing and restoring function in elderly people — more than rehabilitation
Authors: Wilkinson TJ , Buhrkuhl DC , Sainsbury R.
Published: July 2008

Objective: To quantify the medical component of assessing and restoring function in the elderly and to determine if a subset who did not require medical input could be identified.

Design: Prospective consecutive sample.

Setting: Inpatient assessment, treatment and rehabilitation unit for the elderly in New Zealand.

Patients: Two hundred patients aged 60-98 years.

Main outcome measures: (1) Proportion of elderly people receiving rehabilitation who also required treatment of medical problems. (2) Characteristics of those not requiring medical input.

Results: One hundred and seventy-two (86%) of people required some medical input during their hospital stay for rehabilitation. Forty-nine per cent had medical conditions which had a direct impact on their rehabilitation. Rehabilitation was delayed for a mean 16.8 (13.0-20.6)% of hospital stay when significant medical problems required treatment. People with previously undiagnosed conditions affecting rehabilitation tended to be older. The referral diagnoses most likely to result in an uncomplicated inpatient stay (i.e. rehabilitation only or rehabilitation with treatment of minor medical problems) were postsurgical treatment (55% uncomplicated), stroke (47% uncomplicated) or amputation (55% uncomplicated). However, 45-53% of people with these problems had a major medical component to their stay. People with other referral diagnoses or those admitted from institutions for the elderly were more likely to have a medical component to their stay.

Conclusion: Restoration of function in the elderly requires a combination of both medical and rehabilitation skills. Reliable predictors of those not requiring medical input could not be found.
Further validation of the Elderly Mobility Scale for measurement of mobility of hospitalized elderly people
Authors: Prosser Linda , Canby Anne
Published: July 2008

Objective: To further assess the validity and inter-rater reliability of the Elderly Mobility Scale (EMS). Also whether the scale reflects elderly people's perceptions regarding their mobility, and whether it can predict discharge destination, or likelihood of falling.

Design: Questionnaire-based study completed on admission and weekly after this on all patients referred to physiotherapy for mobility problems over the course of one month.

Setting: Care of the elderly wards in the Bristol General Hospital.

Subjects: Sixty-six patients (ages 66-69 years, 66% female) were included in the validity study. Nineteen patients (ages 71-95 years, 47% female) were included in the inter-rater reliability study.

Interventions: EMS, Barthel and patients' perceptions of mobility were tested with routine physiotherapy treatment carried out as necessary.

Main outcome measures: Concurrent validity was assessed by correlating EMS scores with Barthel scores using Spearman's test. Inter-rater reliability was also tested using a Spearman's correlation. EMS scores of patients were also evaluated in conjunction with whether or not they fell and their destination on discharge.

Results: A significant correlation between EMS and Barthel scores indicated concurrent validity. Inter-rater reliability was demonstrated on 19 patients with a significant correlation between scores. No predictive validity could be ascribed to EMS in terms of discharge destination or likelihood of falling. Results do indicate a possible predictive validity of the functional reach component of the EMS regarding the risk of future falls.

Conclusions: The EMS was found to be a valid scale with good inter-rater reliability that could be readily applied during daily clinical work. However, it was found to have no predictive validity in terms of falling or discharge destination.
Delinquent Activity Among Jewish and Arab Junior and Senior High School Students in Israel
Authors: Sherer Moshe
Published: July 2008

This study compares the criminal activities of male and female Jewish and Arab junior and senior high school students in Israel based on self-reported criminal activities. The sample consisted of 906 randomly selected junior and senior high school students. The findings indicate that Jewish students committed more types of delinquent acts when compared with their Arab counterparts; males committed more delinquent acts than females; and Arab females had very low rates of delinquency. The findings are discussed in light of possible influences of cultural and ethnic origin and knowledge about possible discrimination against Arab juveniles by the Israeli criminal justice system. Theoretical and practical implications of the results are suggested.
Can Group Self-Management Mean a Loss of Personal Control: Triangulating a Paradox
Authors: Manz Charles C. , Angle Harold
Published: July 2008

This study focuses on the implications of introducing self-managed work groups in a context that has traditionally relied on individual self-management-an independent property and casualty insurance firm. A multimethod approach was employed in order to triangulate on a paradoxical situation in which establishment of self-managed work groups can threaten the personal control and autonomy of individual organization members.
The Role of Human Resource Management Practices in Predicting Organizational Commitment
Authors: Ogilvie John R.
Published: July 2008

Theoretical definitions suggest that psychological identification and exchange evaluations affect the levels of organizational commitment that managers experience. A new, more applied approach was offered, suggesting that the Human Resource Management Practices (HRMPs) of an organization have direct influences on commitment. It was hypothesized that HRMPs would be more strongly related to commitment than demographic, job characteristic, social environment, or supervisory variables. Stepwise and hierarchical regression results of the responses of agricultural managers supported the hypotheses. The perceptions of the merit-system accuracy and the fairness of promotions accounted for the most variability. Tenure with organization and task identity were also significant predictors in the stepwise regression.
The Continuity of Tradition
Authors: Galley Micheline
Published: July 2008

In Malta and Southern Italy, legends centred on the prestigious figure of the Sibyl are still known by the older people. In Majorca, the prophetic song attributed to the Greek Sibyl, Erythrea (6th century BC), is still sung on Christmas eve in the monastery-sanctuary of Lluc. This paper focuses on the history of this prophetic song since its adoption by the medieval Church and on its surviving tradition in certain areas of Catalan culture – a fabulous example of cultural continuity.
Inhalation Toxicity of Methanol/Gasoline in Rats: Effects of 13-Week Exposure
Authors: Poon Raymond , Park George , Viau Claude , Ih Chu  , Potvin Marc , Vincent Renaud , Valli Victor E.
Published: July 2008

The subchronic inhalation toxicity of a methanol/gasoline blend (85% methanol, 15% gasoline, v/v) was studied in rats. Sprague Dawley rats (10 animals per group) of both sexes were exposed to vapors of methanol/gasoline at 50/3, 500/30 and 5000/300 ppm for 6 hours per day, 5 days per week, for 13 weeks. Control animals inhaled filtered room air only. Control recovery and high dose recovery groups were also included which inhaled room air for an extra 4 weeks following the treatment period. No clinical signs of toxicity were observed in the treatment group and their growth curves were not significantly different from the control. Except for decreased forelimb grip strength in the high dose females, no treatment-related neurobehavioural effects (4-6 hours post inhalation) were observed using screening tests which included cage-side observations, righting reflex, open field activities, and forelimb and hindlimb grip strength. At necropsy, the organ to body weight ratios for the liver, kidneys, spleen, testes, thymus and lungs were not significantly different from the control group. There were no treatment-related effects in the hematological endpoints and no elevation in serum formate levels. Minimal serum biochemical changes were observed with the only treatment-related change being the decreased creatinine in the females. A dose-related increase in urinary ascorbic acid was detected in males after 2,4 and 8 weeks of exposure, but not after the 12th week, and in females only at week-2. Increased urinary albumin was observed in treated males starting at the lowest dose and at all exposure periods, but not in females. A treatment-related increase in urinary β2-microglobulin was detected in males at week-2 only. Except for mild to moderate mucous cell metaplasia in nasal septum B, which occurred more often and with a slightly higher degree of severity in the low dose groups of both sexes, and presence of a minimal degree of interstitial lymphocyte infiltration in the prostate glands of the high dose males, no other significant microscopic changes were observed in the tissues of treated animals. Based on the marked increase in urinary ascorbic acid and albumin in the high dose males and the decreased forelimb grip strength in the high dose females, we concluded that the no-observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) of methanol/gasoline vapor is 500/30 ppm.
The Blue-Light Photoreceptor CRYPTOCHROME Is Expressed in a Subset of Circadian Oscillator Neurons in the Drosophila CNS
Authors: Benito Juliana , Houl Jerry H. , Roman Gregg W. , Hardin Paul E.
Published: July 2008

In the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, CRYPTOCHROME (CRY) functions as a photoreceptor to entrain circadian oscillators to light-dark cycles and as a transcription factor to maintain circadian oscillator function in certain peripheral tissues. Given the importance of CRY to circadian clock function, we expected this protein to be expressed in all oscillator cells, yet CRY cellular distribution and subcellular localization has not been firmly established. Here we investigate CRY spatial expression in the brain using a newly developed CRY antibody and a novel set of cry deletion mutants. We find that CRY is expressed in s-LNvs, l-LNvs, and a subset of LNds and DN1s, but not DN2s and DN3s. CRY is present in both the nucleus and the cytoplasm of these neurons, and its subcellular localization does not change over the circadian cycle. Although CRY is absent in DN2s and DN3s, cry promoter activity and/or cry mRNA accumulation can be detected in these neurons, suggesting that CRY levels are regulated posttranscriptionally. Oscillators in DN2s and DN3s entrain to environmental light-dark cycles, which implies that they are entrained indirectly by retinal photoreceptors, extraretinal photoreceptors, or other CRY-expressing cells.
Fire—vegetation interactions during the Mesolithic—Neolithic transition at Lago dell'Accesa, Tuscany, Italy
Authors: Colombaroli Daniele , Vannière Boris , Emmanuel Chapron , Magny Michel , Tinner Willy
Published: July 2008

A new core from the centre of Lago dell'Accesa (Tuscany, Italy) was sampled for pollen and charcoal analyses to provide a high-resolution sequence from 8400 to 7000 cal. yr BP. We combined series of microscopic charcoal, macroscopic charcoal and pollen to address the response of vegetation to fire at different spatial scales. Before 7900 cal. yr BP, broadleaved evergreen forests of Quercus ilex were the most important vegetational type in the area of Lago dell'Accesa. The subsequent decline of Q. ilex occurred when human-induced fires increased at the Mesolithic/Neolithic transition ( c. 8000 cal. yr BP). Cross-correlation analyses show that fire was a key factor for vegetational change. Higher fire incidence affected the forest composition, converting evergreen forests to high-diversity open, partly deciduous forests and shrubby communities. The correlation is more pronounced at a local scale (macroscopic charcoal), whereas at a regional scale (microscopic charcoal) the vegetation followed the fire intervals with a more marked time lag (10—100 years). Climatic change, such as wetter periods inferred from lake levels, may have directly influenced the vegetational change, exacerbating the effect of human impact. Our study suggests that the disruption of evergreen broadleaved forests occurred when mean fire interval reached values as high as those of today's highly disturbed Mediterranean ecosystems. Hence broadleaved evergreen forests may not be as fire-resilient as assumed according to modern ecological paradigms. In view of the projected increase in fire frequency as a consequence of global warming, the present relict forests of Quercus ilex will be strongly affected.
The twentieth-century migration of parabolic dunes and wetland formation at Cape Cod National Sea Shore, Massachusetts, USA: landscape response to a legacy of environmental disturbance
Authors: Forman Steven L. , Sagintayev Zhanay , Sultan Mohamed , Smith Stephen , Becker Richard , Kendall Margaret , Marìn Liliana
Published: July 2008

Cape Cod, an early North American colony, was covered by mature forest prior to European contact but, with settlement in the late seventeenth century, aeolian processes dominated into the twenty-first century. An aerial photographic time series from AD 1938 to 2003 quantifies dune movement that reflects processes over centuries and documents accelerated parabolic dune movement at ~4 m/yr from 1938 to 1977 during a drier interval. In contrast, dune movement between 1987 and 2003 slowed to ~1 m/yr with wetter conditions. Wetlands expand post dune movement often forming in dune blowouts with seasonally wet conditions. Stratigraphic studies, coupled with optically stimulated luminescence ages, place erosion and burial of the pre-settlement forest soil by migrating dunes at AD 1690 ± 40 yr, with aeolian deposition continuing into the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, consistent with the historic record of land surface conditions. A threshold of landscape stability was exceeded in the late seventeenth to early eighteenth centuries, indicated by dune formation in response to human-induced land-cover changes, concomitant severe droughts and exposure to tropical storm/hurricane windfield. Dune orientation indicates preferential movement during winter with winds dominantly from the W—NW and with reduced vegetation cover. The present high biodiversity in interdunal wetlands is a legacy of aeolian processes from landscape disturbance initiated by European settlers in the seventeenth century.
Holocene depositional environments and surface-level changes at Lake Fryxell, Antarctica
Authors: Whittaker Thomas E. , Hall Brenda L. , Hendy Chris H. , Spaulding Sarah A.
Published: July 2008

We report on Holocene surface-level variations of Lake Fryxell, Antarctica, as determined from multi-proxy analyses of 18 sediment cores. During this time accumulating sediments were predominantly aeolian sand with algal and carbonate laminae. Based on stratigraphy, mineralogy and diatom assemblages we suggest some carbonate laminae were deposited when lake level dropped, leading to concentration and subsequent precipitation of salts. Although lake level appears to have remained relatively stable throughout the Holocene, minor (<4.5 m below present) lowstands occurred at approximately 6400, 4700, 3800 and ~ 1600 cal. yr BP. The stability of Lake Fryxell during the Holocene contrasts with large-scale variability at other Dry Valleys lakes (eg, Lake Vanda) and with suggestions from chemical diffusion models of a near-desiccation at ~1200 cal. yr BP. The reason for the comparative stability of Lake Fryxell is uncertain, but may be the result of basin morphology and the number, aspect and proximity of meltwater sources.
Antioxidant biofactor, a processed grain food, inhibits iron nitrilotriacetate–induced renal tumorigenesis, hyperproliferative response, and oxidative damage
Authors: Mizote A , Okazaki Y , Iqbal M , Okada S
Published: July 2008

We have evaluated the effect of dietary antioxidant, antioxidant biofactor (a processed grain food), on iron nitrilotriacetate–induced renal tumorigenesis, hyperproliferative response, and oxidative damage. In tumorigenesis studies, iron nitrilotriacetate alone treatment resulted in a development of 75% renal cell tumor incidence, whereas, in the group of animals fed with antioxidant biofactor diet and treated with iron nitrilotriacetate, only 43% of renal cell tumor incidence was observed. In oxidative damage studies, the decrease in the level of renal glutathione and antioxidant enzymes induced by iron nitrilotriacetate was significantly reversed by antioxidant biofactor diet pretreatment in a dose-dependent manner (18–71% recovery, P < 0.05). Antioxidant biofactor diet pretreatment also resulted in a dose-dependent inhibition (35–49% inhibition, P < 0.05) of iron nitrilotriacetate–induced lipid peroxidation as measured by thiobarbituric acid reactive substances formation in renal tissues. Similarly, in hyperproliferation studies, antioxidant biofactor diet pretreatment showed a strong inhibition of iron nitrilotriacetate–induced renal ornithine decarboxylase activity (18–54% inhibition, P < 0.05). In addition, antioxidant biofactor fed diet pretreatment also protected the kidney tissues against observed histopathological alterations. From this data, it can be concluded that antioxidant biofactor diet can abrogate the toxic and tumor promoting effects of iron nitrilotriacetate and can serve as a potent chemopreventive agent to suppress oxidant–induced tissue injury and tumorigenesis.
Comparison of selected skin decontaminant products and regimens against VX in domestic swine
Authors: Bjarnason S , Mikler J , Hill I , Tenn C , Garrett M , Caddy N , Sawyer TW
Published: July 2008

An anesthetized domestic swine model was used to compare the efficacy and cross-contamination potential of selected skin decontaminant products and regimens against the chemical warfare agent, VX. Animals topically exposed to 2×, 3× or 5× LD50 VX showed typical signs of organophosphate nerve agent poisoning, including miosis, salivation, mastication, dysrhythmias, and respiratory distress prior to death. Animals were exposed to 5× LD50 VX and then decontaminated 45 min later with the reactive skin decontamination lotion (RSDL®), Fuller’s earth (FE), 0.5% hypochlorite, or soapy water. Survival was 100% when the reactive skin decontamination lotion or FE was utilized, although 50% of Fuller’s earth-decontaminated animals exhibited serious signs of VX poisoning. Decontamination of VX-treated animals with 0.5% hypochlorite was less effective but also increased survival. Soapy water was ineffective in preventing lethality. Blood cholinesterase levels were not predictive of clinical outcome in decontaminated animals. The potential of “decontaminated” VX in open wounds to cause poisoning was assessed by vigorously mixing 5× LD50 VX with the test decontaminants for 5 min and then placing the mixture onto a full-thickness skin wound. Soapy water was ineffective in preventing lethality. Although treatment with dry Fuller’s earth prevented death and all signs of organophosphate poisoning, a significant proportion of treated animals decontaminated with Fuller’s earth in aqueous suspension exhibited serious signs of organophosphate poisoning, suggesting that live agent may be desorbed from Fuller’s earth when it is exposed to a liquid environment. Animals treated with reactive skin decontamination lotion or 0.5% hypochlorite-VX mixtures showed no signs of organophosphate poisoning during the 6- h test period.
Effects of calcium gluconate and PMSF in the treatment of acute intoxication of chicken by TOCP
Authors: Muzardo GA , Machado RGP , Honorato de Oliveira G
Published: July 2008

To examine the efficacy of calcium gluconate (two doses of Ca-Glu 5 mg/kg i.v.) to alleviate the injurious effects of organophosphorus induced delayed neuropathy (OPIDN) in the presence or absence of phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride (PMSF 90 mg/kg i.m.), 14 groups of four isabrown hens were used. To measure the lymphocyte neuropathy target esterase (LNTE)activity, groups receiving just distilled water (control), groups receiving just Tri-orto-cresyl phosphate (TOCP; 500 mg/kg p.o.) (Positive control), and other groups receiving TOCP and Ca-Glu or PMSF simultaneously or 12 hours later following intoxication by TOCP were used. They were sacrificed 12 and 24 hours after the administration of TOCP. To observe a 28-day time course of neurotoxicity scores and calcium plasma concentration, five groups were used. Regarding free Ca2+in the plasma, the positive control produced a characteristic profile time course up and down during 28 days, and some hens with maximum score of neurotoxicity in 28 days. The treatment, which prevented greater oscillation in free Ca2+ in the plasma, presented a decrease in OPIDN in relation to the positive control. Twelve hours after the administration of TOCP, LNTE was 70–80% inhibited when compared with control, whereas the first decrease in the free Ca2+ in the plasma was significantly different from the control only 24 hours after the administration of TOCP. In summary, the sooner the Ca-Glu is started, the less severe the neuropathy effects.
Lighting of hospital circulation spaces which are open to bed bays
Authors: Cockram A.H. , Colmns J.B.
Published: July 2008

Surveys of lighting conditions in existing hospitals where bed bays are completely open to circulation areas and nurses' stations, or are only partially separated from them, showed an urgent need for guidance for improving lighting of the circulation areas. The problem is particularly important at night when patients, endeavouring to sleep, often have lighting equipment of undesirably high brightness used for corridor lighting in their field of view. Laboratory studies in a full-scale mock-up of a simulated corridor and an adjoining open bed bay have resulted in the development of lighting arrangements which minimize visual disconxfort or disturbance to patients in bed, while providing adequate lighting for staff to make their way down the corridor in safety especially at night. Proposals are made for lighting arrangements suitable for daytime, evening and night.
End-of-Life Care and the Grieving Process: Family Caregivers Who Have Experienced the Loss of a Terminal-Phase Cancer Patient
Authors: Dumont Isabelle , Dumont Serge , Mongeau Suzanne
Published: July 2008

Family caregivers of a loved one with advanced cancer are at risk for developing bereavement complications following the loss of the person they cared for. However, little research has studied caregiving and bereavement experiences as an ongoing process. This study was conducted with the aim of identifying the main elements constitutive of the experience of providing care and assistance to a patient with terminal cancer that influence the grieving process. This qualitative study, conducted among 18 family caregivers, led to the specification of six principal dimensions of the caregiving experience: characteristics of the family caregiver and of the patient, symptoms of the illness, the relational context, social and professional support, and circumstances surrounding the death. Among these dimensions, the constituent elements of the caregiving experience that might positively or negatively influence the grieving process were identified. This knowledge is useful for a more perspicuous identification of caregivers who might experience bereavement complications.
Practicing Management in the Classroom
Authors: Goltz Sonia May
Published: July 2008

An alternative approach to teaching management is described, in which students are rotated as managers in the class's organization that has been created to develop, produce, and distribute to class members a university student survival guide. This method, similar to behavioral simulations and "classroom-as-organization" approaches, contains two added advantages: (a) every student experiences managing; and (b) students produce an actual, usable product that provides visible, concrete feedback concerning the effectiveness of the organization. The article discusses how to implement this approach-specifically, how to integrate teaching with processes occurring within the organization and how to structure the class.
The New Chicago School of Urbanism and the New Daley Machine
Authors: Simpson Dick , Kelly Tom M.
Published: July 2008

In the twentieth century, the “Chicago School” became a primary paradigm of urban studies. The demise of city machine governments, coupled with the changing settlement and business patterns, have rendered the “Old Chicago School” as outmoded but not irrelevant. Cities are multiracial metropolitan regions immersed in a global economy and are either not governed by machines or by radically different machines, even in Chicago. Nonetheless, similarities remain between the old machines and machine-like governance of today. The New Chicago School may be a template for global cities just as New York and Los Angeles provide models for others. This new school raises questions for scholars: (a) Is an autocratic mayor and a machine required to govern a twenty-first century city? (b) Will racial politics continue to be key? and (c) Can effective governance be created for a metropolitan region?
Attitudes About Community Notification: A Comparison of Sexual Offenders and the Non-offending Public
Authors: Brannon Yolanda Nicole , Levenson Jill S. , Fortney Timothy , Baker Juanita N.
Published: July 2008

Public notification laws have been enacted by legislatures to address the risk posed by sex offenders to the public. Little research has been done regarding either the public's or sex offenders' knowledge and attitudes about community notification and its impact. This study compared the experiences and perceptions of 125 sex offenders in outpatient treatment to 193 members of the public in Brevard County, Florida. Sex offenders were significantly more likely to believe that community notification laws and society are unfair, to feel that such laws should be applied to fewer sex offenders based on their level of risk or threat, and to view notification as being ineffective at reducing sex crimes. Nearly half of the offenders reported experiencing threats, property damage, or physical assault as a result of public disclosure. In comparison, only 10% of the public was aware of vigilantism against sex offenders. Implications for public policy and future research are discussed.
Offense History and Recidivism in Three Victim-age-based Groups of Juvenile Sex Offenders
Authors: Skubic Kemper Therese , Kistner Janet A.
Published: July 2008

This study compared subgroups of juvenile sex offenders (JSOs) who victimized children (child offenders), peers (peer offenders), or both children and peers (mixed offenders) on sexual and nonsexual offense history, treatment outcomes, and recidivism to determine if these are distinct and valid subgroups. Though the group of mixed offenders was small, results showed that they exhibited a more diverse and more physically intrusive sexual offense history than the other JSOs and were less likely to successfully complete treatment. Sexual and nonsexual recidivism rates of mixed offenders did not differ from the other subgroups despite subgroup differences in juvenile sexual and nonsexual criminal records. However, differences in sexual recidivism rates of child versus peer offenders were found when the mixed offenders were either excluded from the sample or combined with child offenders. The results highlight the need to include mixed offenders in future research examining the etiology of sexual offending, treatment, and recidivism of JSOs.
Lessons Learned From Advanced Practice Nursing Payment
Authors: Sullivan-Marx Eileen M.
Published: July 2008

For more than 25 years, advanced practice nurses have been incrementally included as a part of the health care financing structure. Following physician payment revisions at the federal level, advanced practice nurses were overtly recognized as Medicare providers and have participated in the establishment of current procedural terminology codes and the subsequent relative work values associated with payment. Success in this regard has been the result of business, political, and policy savvy that has important lessons for moving forward in any health care restructuring for both nurses and advanced practice nurses. Principles of valuing nurse work, time, and intensity in the Resource-Based Relative Value Scale are discussed with implications for future opportunities of measuring nursing work and any potential relationship to quality outcomes of care.
Paying Hospitals on the Basis of Nursing Intensity
Authors: Ginsburg Paul B.
Published: July 2008

Some believe that explicit incorporation of nursing intensity into hospital payment systems would lead hospitals to increase the use of nursing resources. But 25 years of Medicare provider payment policies, followed increasingly by Medicaid programs and private insurers, means that any incorporation of measures of nursing intensity into payment systems needs to be consistent with concepts of prospective payment. But the main impact of such a step would be to increase equity among hospitals with different case mixes and blunt incentives to specialize in diagnosis-related groups with relatively low nursing intensity. Issues of the role of nurses in hospitals and the intensity of nursing resources used in care are more likely to be influenced by quality reporting and pay for performance than by incorporating nursing intensity into a prospective payment system.
Is What's Good for the Patient Good for the Hospital? Aligning Incentives and the Business Case for Nursing
Authors: Needleman Jack
Published: July 2008

This article examines the social and business case for quality related to nursing and the need to restructure incentives to align the interests of the hospital and payers with the interests of the patients. Increasing the proportion of nurses who are registered nurses is associated with net cost savings. Increasing both nursing hours and the proportion of nurses who are registered nurses would result in improved quality and fewer deaths (creating a social case for improved staffing) but would be associated with small cost increases. Cost offsets associated with reduced turnover because of higher staffing would reduce the net cost increase but not result in savings. Under current reimbursement systems, hospitals that increase nurse staffing to improve patient outcomes will likely lose money as a result. Current proposals for pay for performance would create limited incentives for improving hospital nursing care.
A Gender-Centered Ecological Framework Targeting Black Men Living With Diabetes: Integrating a “Masculinity” Perspective in Diabetes Management and Education Research
Authors: Jack Leonard , Toston Tyra , Jack Nkenge H. , Sims Mario
Published: July 2008

Blacks have traditionally experienced a disproportionate burden of diabetes in the United States. Research published from 1980 to 2008 revealed a paucity of diabetes education and management research targeting Black men. There is a paucity of published research that takes into consideration attributes of “being male,” such as masculinity, and how its attributes influence diabetes self-management behaviors. This article discusses three important factors that may help explain diabetes-related disparities among Black men.These factors include absence of consistent sources of health care, lack of health insurance, and the absence of a masculinity perspective in diabetes education and management research. This article offers a gender-centered ecological framework that examines pathways between demographic factors, family functioning, knowledge and psychological health, biological health, behavioral health and medical compliance, masculinity, and diabetes-related outcomes. Recommendations for future research that consider how aspects of masculinity might lead to the identification of gender-based risk factors are presented.
Review: Systemic treatment of advanced colorectal cancer: Tailoring therapy to the tumor
Authors: Carethers John M.
Published: July 2008

Colorectal cancer is a prevalent disease in Western countries. While prevention through screening is the best approach to combat the development of colorectal cancer through the removal of precursor adenomas, many patients present with advanced disease that will require surgery and systemic therapy to improve survival. With reference to systemic therapy, the median survival of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (those with tumor spread to lymph nodes or distant sites) has improved over the past three decades due to the introduction of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), its subsequent biomodulation, and the addition other chemotherapeutic agents. There is now evidence that the biology of the colorectal tumor, in addition to the stage of colorectal cancer, may predict response to 5-FU-based therapy. More recently, systemic biological therapies that target signaling processes for tumor growth, such as epidermal growth factor receptor, and vascular endothelial growth factor, are also effective in improving patient survival with metastatic colorectal cancer. The use of a combination of systemic therapies that include chemotherapy and biologic therapy should continue to increase patient survival with metastatic colorectal cancer through appropriately designed clinical trials. Treatments based on the biology of the colorectal tumor also need to be examined through clinical trials.
Review: Recent and future advances in the treatment of status epilepticus
Authors: Rosenow Felix , Knake Susanne
Published: July 2008

Status epilepticus (SE) is one of the most frequent neurological emergencies with an incidence of 20/100,000 per year and a mortality between 3% and 40% depending on etiology, age, SE type and duration. Generalized convulsive forms of SE (GTCSE), in particular, require aggressive treatment. Presently, only 55—80% of cases of GTCSE are controlled by initial therapy. Therefore, there is a need for new options for the treatment of SE. Here we review the current standard treatment including recent advances and provide a summary of preclinical and clinical data regarding treatment options which may become available in the near future. The initial treatment of SE usually consists of a benzodiazepine (preferably lorazepam 0.1 mg/kg) followed by phenytoin or fosphenytoin or valproic acid (where approved for SE therapy). With intravenous formulations of levetiracetam, available since 2006, and lacosamide, which is expected for autumn of 2008, new treatment options have become available, that should be evaluated in prospective controlled trials. If SE remains refractory, the induction of general anaesthesia using propofol, midazolam, thiopental, or pentobarbital is warranted in GTCSE.
Effect of bond coat surface roughness on oxidation behaviour of air plasma sprayed thermal barrier coatings
Authors: Che C. , Wu G. Q. , Qi H. Y. , Huang Z. , Yang X. G.
Published: July 2008

Two layered thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) with different bond coat surface roughnesses were produced by air plasma spraying. Isothermal oxidation test was carried out to evaluate the durability and oxidation behaviour of these systems. The results show that the roughness of bond coat significantly affects the lifetime of TBCs. With the increase in bond coat roughness, the lifetime decreases exponentially. The durability is enhanced by surface grinding treatments that decrease diffusion paths on the surface of the bond coat and diminish Al depletion rate. The shape and path of cracks at failure are also affected by the bond coat surface roughness.
Particles adhesion onto massive substrates: Experimental measurement and deposition processes
Authors: Lefèvre G. , Fédoroff M. , Čerović Lj.
Published: July 2008

Deposition of particles from a circulating fluid is a common industrial problem. The experimental methods stated in literature to determine the kinetics of particle adhesion, as well as the parameters which have an effect on this phenomenon are reviewed. The deposition process of rutile (TiO2) particles, as a function of pH and stirring speed, onto glass and stainless steel has been studied using a laboratory set-up. For both materials, the maximum adhesion rate was obtained around pH=3·5–4, in the range where rutile particles are positively charged and wall materials are negatively charged. The increase in stirring speed has led to a decrease in adhesion rate, explained by an increase in the drag force which removes the deposited particles.
Different approaches in evaluating organic paint coatings with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy
Authors: Akbarinezhad E. , Faridi H. R.
Published: July 2008

This work presents the effectiveness of different approaches in evaluating two coatings with intermediate and poor qualities using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements. Different approaches with no errors in calculations, i.e. the breakpoint frequency, changing rate of impedance, impedance at low frequency, phase angle at high frequency, and the areas under Bode plots were used in evaluating coated samples with EIS measurements. Results from these approaches were compared with each other and with the results extracted from the equivalent electrical circuit (EEC) models. The results are in good agreement with EEC models in coating ranking point of view. It is found that the results of impedance at low frequencies, breakpoint frequency, and Bode area measurements were useful in evaluating coating performance during immersion period.
Effect of substrate heat treatment on morphology and corrosion resistance of Zn–Mn phosphate coating
Authors: Nikdehghan H. , Amadeh A. , Honarbakhsh-Raouf A.
Published: July 2008

Phosphate coatings are one of the ancient methods for improvement the corrosion resistance of steels. Many researchers have investigated the effect of process parameters on the structure and properties of these coatings, but the influence of substrate microstructure has been less studied. In this article, the effect of heat treatment of AISI 4130 steel on the surface morphology and corrosion resistance of Zn–Mn phosphate coating has been investigated. The steel substrate was subjected to different heat treatments before coating application. X-ray diffraction, optical and scanning electron microscopy were used for phase and microstructure analysis respectively. The corrosion resistance of the coatings was studied by means of salt spray, potentiodynamic polarisation and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy methods. The results showed that the corrosion resistance of phosphate coatings is greatly influenced by substrate microstructure. The finer the steel microstructure, the more condensed becomes the coating morphology and the better its corrosion resistance.
Reduction of UVA UVB radiation reflection by application of polyphenol particles on concrete surfaces
Authors: Zumelzu E. , Goosens W. , Hess S. , Lovengreen C. , Houbaert Y.
Published: July 2008

The present work evaluated the UVA and UVB radiation reflection of concrete after the application of a surface polyphenol coating. Measurements of the UVA, UVB and visible light reflections of a solution containing dissolved polyphenol at three different concentrations (0·2, 0·4, and 0·8 mg mL−1) were performed. The reduction of reflection achieved after the coating application was compared with the value obtained by a non-coated concrete surface, indicating 58·66% less UVB reflection for an angle of 58°. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations provided information on the presence and distribution of quercetin. The Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy analyses showed the changes of quercetin after the application to concrete. The results of this study are essential in the designing of concrete coatings aimed at increasing the amount of environmental energy absorption through the reduction of UV radiation reflection by concrete surfaces.
Effect of post-deposition heat treatment on mechanical properties of thermally sprayed hydroxyapatite coating
Authors: Xiao G.-Y. , Lu Y.-P. , Zhu R.-F. , Li S.-T. , Wang A.-J.
Published: July 2008

This paper mainly deals with the inner microstructure and mechanical performance of plasma sprayed hydroxyapatite (HA) coatings before and after heat treatment. The electron probe microanlyser shows that some regions with different contrasts exist in the as-sprayed coatings. Under the back scattering electron (BSE) model, the origin particles of HA are well melted, and there are the more inhomogeneites in the as-sprayed coatings. Heat treatment can eliminate the regions with different contrasts and improve the crystallinity of the coatings. Some coatings were immersed into 50 mL deionised water under constant 37°C condition for 20 days. After the immersion in the deionised water, new layers with dot like precipitates formed on the surface of the as-sprayed coatings and the inhomogeneities were eliminated. For as-sprayed coatings, the amount of precipitates on the surface of low crystalline coatings is larger than that of high crystalline coatings. For post-heat treated coatings, there are no other phases but β-Ca2P2O7 precipitates along the cracks paths. The shear strength of as-sprayed coatings of low crystallinity is higher than that of high crystalline coatings. In this paper, post-heat treatment can improve the shear strength of coarse coatings but decrease that of fine coatings.
The heparin-binding exosite of factor IXa is a critical regulator of plasma thrombin generation and venous thrombosis
Authors: Buyue Yang , Whinna Herbert C. , Sheehan John P.
Published: July 2008

The role of the factor IXa heparin-binding exosite in coagulation was assessed with mutations that enhance (R170A) or reduce (R233A) stability of the protease-factor VIIIa A2 domain interaction. After tissue factor (TF) addition to reconstituted factor IX-deficient plasma, factor IX R170A supported a 2-fold increase in velocity index (slope) and peak thrombin concentration, whereas factor IX R233A had a 4- to 10-fold reduction relative to factor IX wild-type. In the absence of TF, 5 to 100 pM of factor IXa increased thrombin generation to approach TF-stimulated thrombin generation at 100% factor IX. Factor IXa R170A demonstrated a 2- to 3-fold increase in peak thrombin concentration and 5-fold increase in velocity index, whereas the response for factor IXa R233A was blunted and delayed relative to wild-type protease. In hemophilia B mice, factor IX replacement reduced the average time to hemostasis after saphenous vein incision, and the time to occlusion after FeCl3-induced saphenous vein injury. At 5% factor IX, the times to occlusion for factor IX wild-type, R170A, and R233A were 15.7 minutes, 9.1 minutes (P ≤ .003), and more than 45 minutes. These data support the role of the factor IXa heparin-binding exosite as a critical regulator of coagulation and novel antithrombotic target.
In vitro behaviour of endothelial cells on a titanium surface
Authors: Breithaupt-Faloppa Ana Cristina , de Lima Wothan Tavares , Oliveira-Filho Ricardo Martins , Kleinheinz Johannes
Published: July 2008

Background

Endothelial cells play an important role in the delivery of cells to the inflammation site, chemotaxis, cell adhesion and extravasation. Implantation of a foreign material into the human body determines inflammatory and repair reactions, involving different cell types with a plethora of released chemical mediators. The evaluation of the interaction of endothelial cells and implanted materials must take into account other parameters in addition to the analysis of maintenance of cell viability.

Methods

In the present investigation, we examined the behavior of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) harvested on titanium (Ti), using histological and immunohistochemical methods. The cells, after two passages, were seeded in a standard density on commercially plate-shaped titanium pieces, and maintained for 1, 7 or 14 days.

Results

After 14 days, we could observe a confluent monolayer of endothelial cells (ECs) on the titanium surface. Upon one-day Ti/cell contact the expression of fibronectin was predominantly cytoplasmatic and stronger than on the control surface. It was observed strong and uniform cell expression along the time of α5β1 integrin on the cells in contact with titanium.

Conclusion

The attachment of ECs on titanium was found to be related to cellular-derived fibronectin and the binding to its specific receptor, the α5β1 integrin. It was observed that titanium effectively serves as a suitable substrate for endothelial cell attachment, growth and proliferation. However, upon a 7-day contact with Ti, the Weibel-Palade bodies appeared to be not fully processed and exhibited an anomalous morphology, with corresponding alterations of PECAM-1 localization.
Jejunal atresia presenting with mesenteric cyst in a neonate: a case report
Authors: Pandey A , Gangopadhyay AN , Sharma SP , Upadhyaya VD , Kumar V
Published: July 2008

Jejunoileal atresia is a congenital anomaly that is characterized clinically by bilious vomiting and abdominal distension. It has been associated with various congenital anomalies but its association with mesenteric cyst has only been reported sporadically. As this is a very rare entity, it is being reported with a brief review of literature.