bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of a DVD for women with diabetes: impact on knowledge and attitudes to preconception care
Authors: Holmes V. A. , Spence M. , McCance D. R. , Patterson C. C. , Harper R. , Alderdice F. A.
Published: March 2012

Diabet. Med. 29, 950–956 (2012)

Aims  To determine if an educational DVD increases knowledge and changes attitudes of women with diabetes towards preconception care.

Methods  Ninety‐seven women with diabetes (Type 1, n = 89; Type 2, n = 8), aged 18–40 years, completed a pre‐DVD and post‐DVD intervention study by postal questionnaire. Beliefs and attitudes associated with preventing an unplanned pregnancy and seeking preconception care were assessed using a validated questionnaire; scales included benefits, barriers, personal attitudes and self‐efficacy. Knowledge of pregnancy planning and pregnancy‐related risks were assessed by a 22‐item questionnaire.

Results  After viewing the DVD there was significant positive change in women’s perceived benefits of, and their personal attitudes to, receiving preconception care and using contraception: change in score post‐DVD viewing 0.7 (95% confidence interval 0.3, 1.2), P = 0.003, and 0.8 (0.3, 1.2), P = 0.001, respectively. The DVD significantly improved self‐efficacy, that is, self‐confidence to use contraception for prevention of an unplanned pregnancy and to access preconception care [3.3 (1.9, 4.7), P < 0.001], and significantly reduced perceived barriers to preconception care [−0.7 (−1.2, −0.2), P = 0.01]. Knowledge of pregnancy planning and pregnancy‐related risks increased significantly after viewing the DVD: mean increase was 37.6 ± 20.0%, P < 0.001, and 16.9 ± 21.2%, P < 0.001, respectively.

Conclusions  This study demonstrates the effectiveness of a DVD in increasing knowledge and enhancing attitudes of women with diabetes to preconception care. This DVD could be used as a prepregnancy counselling resource to prepare women with diabetes for pregnancy.
Urinary markers of renal inflammation in adolescents with Type 1 diabetes mellitus and normoalbuminuria
Authors: Cherney D. Z. I. , Scholey J. W. , Daneman D. , Dunger D. B. , Dalton R. N. , Moineddin R. , Mahmud F. H. , Dekker R. , Elia Y. , Sochett E. , Reich H. N.
Published: March 2012

Diabet. Med. 29, 1297–1302 (2012)

Aims  Patients with the highest albumin:creatinine ratio within the normal range are at an increased risk for developing microalbuminuria. The mechanistic basis for this is unknown, but may be related to renal inflammation. Our goal was to characterize the urinary excretion of cytokines/chemokines in normoalbuminuric adolescents with Type 1 diabetes to determine whether higher range normoalbuminuria is associated with evidence of renal inflammation.

Methods  Forty‐two urinary cytokines/chemokines were measured in subjects who were screened for the Adolescent Type 1 Diabetes Cardio‐Renal Intervention Trial. Urinary cytokines/chemokines were compared across low (n = 50), middle (n = 50) or high (n = 50) albumin:creatinine ratio tertile groups.

Results  At baseline, participants in the upper tertile were younger and had shorter diabetes duration compared with the other groups. Other clinical characteristics were similar. Urinary levels of interleukin 6, interleukin 8, platelet‐derived growth factor‐AA and RANTES differed across albumin:creatinine ratio tertiles, with higher values in patients in the middle and high tertiles compared with the lower tertile (ANCOVA P ≤ 0.01).

Conclusions  Within the normal albumin:creatinine ratio range, higher urinary albumin excretion is associated with elevated urinary levels of inflammatory markers. Ultimately, this may provide mechanistic insights into disease pathophysiology and stratify the risk of nephropathy in Type 1 diabetes.
Single subject research: applications to special education
Authors: Cakiroglu Orhan
Published: March 2012

Single subject research is a scientific research methodology that is increasingly used in the field of special education. Therefore, understanding the unique characteristics of single subject research methodology is critical both for educators and practitioners. Certain characteristics make single subject research one of the most preferred methodologies in special education. However, the design is not without limitations. The purpose of this article, by Orhan Cakiroglu, an assistant professor at Karadeniz Technical University, Turkey, is to provide an overview of the single subject research method's critical defining features and basic designs, and discuss what types of research questions single subject research is best suited to answer by providing examples from special education literature. Additionally, the key advantages and limitations of applying single subject research to the field of special education are discussed.
What's so inclusive about an inclusion room? Staff perspectives on student participation, diversity and equality in an English secondary school
Authors: Gilmore Gwen
Published: March 2012

This article by Gwen Gilmore, a lecturer in the School of Curriculum and Pedagogy at Massey University, draws on a research project which explored the nature, extent and characteristics of a disciplinary inclusion room (IR) in a secondary school in the south‐west of England using a Cultural Historical Activity Theory framework. In five years to 2010 this school reduced fixed‐term exclusion from a 10% rate to less than 0.01%. At the same time school attainment improved, with the percentage of students attaining grades A*–C in GCSEs increasing from 43% to 73%. The school under study was located within an Excellence in Cities and Behaviour Improvement Partnership initiative. The mixed methods used to inform this article include analysis of school documents, staff on‐line questionnaire and nine in‐depth interviews. Staff views of the IR indicated a dynamic, interactive model and the potential for increased discourse around inclusion informed by joint problem solving in context. This research suggests that a disciplinary IR and associated systems can complement educational goals. The findings prompt a reconsideration of the role of discipline provision and give strength to inclusive, educationally based practice. This article, the literature and research are also informed by a matched Year 8 and 9 student questionnaire and interviews with nine students who attended the IR.
The Coexistence of Natural and Supernatural Explanations Across Cultures and Development
Authors: Legare Cristine H. , Evans E. Margaret , Rosengren Karl S. , Harris Paul L.
Published: March 2012

Although often conceptualized in contradictory terms, the common assumption that natural and supernatural explanations are incompatible is psychologically inaccurate. Instead, there is considerable evidence that the same individuals use both natural and supernatural explanations to interpret the very same events and that there are multiple ways in which both kinds of explanations coexist in individual minds. Converging developmental research from diverse cultural contexts in 3 areas of biological thought (i.e., the origin of species, illness, and death) is reviewed to support this claim. Contrary to traditional accounts of cognitive development, new evidence indicates that supernatural explanations often increase rather than decrease with age and supports the proposal that reasoning about supernatural phenomena is an integral and enduring aspect of human cognition.
Marital Birth and Early Child Outcomes: The Moderating Influence of Marriage Propensity
Authors: Ryan Rebecca M.
Published: March 2012

Using data from the Fragile Families and Child Well‐Being Study, the present study tested whether the benefits of a marital birth for early child development diminish as parents’ risk of having a nonmarital birth increases (N = 2,285). It was hypothesized that a child’s likelihood of being born to unmarried parents is partly a function of father characteristics that predict his capacity to promote child development. Results partially supported hypothesis. A positive association emerged between parental marriage and cognitive outcomes at age 3 only for children whose parents were likely to be married at the child’s birth, suggesting average differences between children in married and unmarried families may overestimate the benefit of marriage in subpopulations most impacted by nonmarital birth.
The Impact of Value Similarity and Power on the Perception of Threat
Authors: Garcia‐Retamero Rocio , Müller Stephanie M. , Rousseau David L.
Published: March 2012

Threat perception is a powerful tool in international and intergroup conflict. Realists in international relations argue that the perception of threat in intergroup conflict is a function of power asymmetries between groups. In contrast, social constructivists in international relations suggest that a shared sense of identity or similarity can reduce, and in some cases eliminate, perceptions of intergroup threat. Consequently, threat perception might be influenced by both the value similarities and the power asymmetries between the ingroup and the outgroup. In this article, we present an attempt to test empirically how individuals evaluate the similarity of cultural and political values compared with another nation (outgroup) and assess its implications for cooperation among states in the international system. The results of two experiments demonstrate that both power and perceived value similarity play an important role in threat perception among states and discuss implications for future research.
Evolution of the Burmese Vowel System
Authors: Hill Nathan W.
Published: March 2012

Tibeto‐Burman historical linguistics has relied heavily on the spelling of Burmese and Tibetan words as found in standard modern dictionaries, at the expense of the earliest attested records. This examination of the development of the Burmese vowel system, in the light of early Burmese philological data and comparisons to Old Chinese and Old Tibetan, facilitates a refined understanding of Burmese historical phonology and the reconstruction of Tibeto‐Burman.
Latin Rhotacism: A Case Study in the Life cycle of Phonological Processes
Authors: Roberts Philip J.
Published: March 2012

Rhotacism in Latin is a well‐known phonological generalisation which, in its paradigm cases, can be stated as a regular sound change of [s] to [r] between vowels. This change/rule is posited on the basis both of comparative evidence, e.g. *swesor > Latin soror‘sister’, and of paradigms in which final s alternates with medial intervocalic r, e.g. flos, floris‘flower’. It is possible, however, to cite a number of exceptions to the basic rule which, if one attempts to account for all of them in a synchronic grammar, amount to outright paradoxes. This paper presents a diachronic model of the progress of rhotacism through the expected life cycle of a phonological process, within the formalism of Stratal Optimality Theory, and demonstrates that this model can account for the exceptions to rhotacism as epiphenomena of the expected progress of the constraint ranking giving rise to it from phrase to word level, and from word to stem level. Finally, I argue that rhotacism became a systematic property of the lexicon, at which point it was subject to analogical extension, giving the paradigm levelling observed in e.g. honor, honoris‘honour’ (formerly honos, honoris).
A state space model approach for HIV infection dynamics
Authors: Wang Jiabin , Liang Hua , Chen Rong
Published: March 2012

Mathematical models have been proposed and developed to model HIV dynamics over the past few decades, achieving remarkable gains. However, it remains a challenging problem to accurately and efficiently estimate all key parameters in these models from clinical data. In this article, we propose a state space approach to link these models with clinical data and estimate the corresponding parameters. Specifically, we approximate the target nonlinear differential equations by difference equations and add a stochastic perturbation in the dynamic of all cells and virions. The proposed model and methodology provide an alternative tool in HIV dynamic modeling and can be easily applied in other biomedical system characterized by dynamic systems. Simulation studies are conducted to compare the performance of the proposed model with some previous approaches and show superior performance. With moderate sample size, the approach is successful in estimating all HIV viral dynamic parameters without many constraints on the parameters. To illustrate the proposed method, we apply it on the clinical data of two individual HIV infected patients treated with antiretroviral therapies.
Extreme value analysis of optimal level‐crossing prediction for linear Gaussian processes
Authors: Martin Rodney A.
Published: March 2012

A novel approach of combining the practical appeal of Kalman filtering with the design of an optimal alarm system for the prediction of level‐crossing events was introduced in earlier work. Here, the aim is to perform a more detailed extreme value analysis using the critical threshold that enables definition of the level‐crossing event. It will be rigorously proven that the approximations and baseline methods previously used yield important intuitive conclusions about the impact of low measurement noise and high levels on improved capability of level‐crossing predictors. Where possible, elegant closed‐form solutions for a well‐known alarm system metric in face of those limiting considerations are also provided.
The MONET trial: week 144 analysis of the efficacy of darunavir/ritonavir (DRV/r) monotherapy versus DRV/r plus two nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, for patients with viral load < 50 HIV‐1 RNA copies/mL at baseline
Authors: Arribas JR , Clumeck N , Nelson M , Hill A , van Delft Y , Moecklinghoff C
Published: March 2012

Background

In the MONotherapy in Europe with Tmc114 (MONET) trial, darunavir/ritonavir (DRV/r) monotherapy showed noninferior efficacy vs. two nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) plus DRV/r at the primary 48‐week analysis. The trial was continued to week 144 to assess the durability of the results.

Methods

A total of 256 patients with viral load < 50 HIV‐1 RNA copies/mL on current highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) for at least 6 months switched to DRV/r 800/100 mg once daily, either as monotherapy (n = 127) or with two NRTIs (n = 129). Treatment failure was defined as two consecutive HIV RNA levels above 50 copies/mL [time to loss of virological response (TLOVR)] by week 144, or discontinuation of study drugs.

Results

Eighty‐one per cent of patients were male and 91% were Caucasian, and they had a median baseline CD4 count of 575 cells/uL. More patients in the DRV/r monotherapy arm had hepatitis C virus coinfection at baseline than in the control arm (18% vs. 12%, respectively). By week 144, the percentage of patients with HIV RNA < 50 copies/mL [intent to treat (ITT), TLOVR, switch = failure method] was 69% vs. 75% in the DRV/r monotherapy and triple therapy arms [difference = −5.9%; 95% confidence interval (CI) −16.9%, +5.1%]; by a strict ITT analysis (switches not considered failures), the percentage of patients with HIV RNA < 50 copies/mL was 84% vs. 83.5%, respectively (difference = +0.5%; 95% CI −8.7%, +9.7%). Twenty‐one and 13 patients had two consecutive HIV RNA results above 50 copies/mL in the DRV/r monotherapy arm and triple therapy arm, respectively, of whom 18 of 21 (86%) and 10 of 13 (77%) had HIV RNA < 50 copies/mL at week 144.

Conclusions

In this study, for patients with HIV RNA < 50 copies/mL at baseline, switching to DRV/r monotherapy showed noninferior efficacy to DRV/r plus two NRTIs in a strict ITT (switches not considered failures) analysis, but not in a TLOVR switch equals failure analysis.
The Recent Infection Testing Algorithm (RITA) in clinical practice: a survey of HIV clinicians in England and Northern Ireland
Authors: Garrett NJ , Lattimore S , Gilbart VL , Aghaizu A , Mensah G , Tosswill J , Murphy G , Delpech V
Published: March 2012

Objectives

In order to estimate HIV incidence among high‐risk groups, in January 2009 the Health Protection Agency introduced the Recent Infection Testing Algorithm (RITA) in England and Northern Ireland (E&NI), currently the only regions to inform patients of RITA results. This survey of HIV specialists aimed to investigate the role of RITA in patient management and explore clinicians' views on its role in clinical practice and during partner notification.

Methods

An online questionnaire was distributed to HIV specialists via the British HIV Association membership email list in February 2011.

Results

Forty‐two HIV specialists from 32 HIV centres responded to the survey among 90 centres enrolled in the programme (response rate 36%). Testing for recent infection was considered standard of care by 83% of respondents, 80% felt confident in interpreting results and 92% discussed results with patients, particularly in the context of a possible HIV seroconversion illness (96%) or when deciding when to start antiretroviral therapy (70%). A third (36%) of specialists were initially concerned that RITA results may cause additional anxiety among patients; however, no adverse events were reported. The majority (90%) felt that results could assist with contact tracing by prioritizing patients with likely recent infection. However, only a few centres have currently incorporated RITA into their HIV partner notification protocols.

Conclusions

RITA has been introduced into clinical practice with no reported patient adverse events. Access to results at centre level should be improved. National guidance regarding use of RITA as a tool for contact tracing is required.
HIV testing in community settings in resource‐rich countries: a systematic review of the evidence
Authors: Thornton AC , Delpech V , Kall MM , Nardone A
Published: March 2012

Objectives

Community HIV testing represents an opportunity for diagnosing HIV infection among individuals who may not have contact with health services, especially in hard‐to‐reach groups. The aim of this review was to assess the evidence for feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of HIV testing strategies in community settings in resource‐rich countries.

Methods

The PubMed database was searched for English language studies of outreach HIV testing in resource‐rich countries. Studies were included if they reported one of the following outcome measures: uptake of testing; seropositivity; client acceptability; or provider acceptability.

Results

Forty‐four studies were identified; the majority took place in the USA and targeted men who have sex with men. Uptake of HIV testing varied between 9 and 95% (in 14 studies). Seropositivity was ≥ 1% in 30 of 34 studies. In 16 studies the proportion of patients who received their test results varied from 29 to 100% and rapid testing resulted in a higher proportion of clients receiving their results. Overall, client satisfaction with community HIV testing was high. However, concern remained over confidentiality, professional standards and the need for post‐test counselling. Staff reported positive attitudes towards community testing.

Conclusions

In the majority of studies, the reported seropositivity was higher than 1/1000, the threshold deemed to be cost‐effective for routinely offering testing. Rapid testing improved the return of HIV test results to clients. HIV testing in outreach settings may be important in identifying undiagnosed infections in at‐risk populations, but appropriate data to evaluate these initiatives must be collected.
An analysis of patients' understanding of ‘routine’ preoperative blood tests and HIV screening. Is no news really good news?
Authors: Albrecht E , Frascarolo P , Meystre‐Agustoni G , Farron A , Gilliard N , Darling KEA , Cavassini M
Published: March 2012

Objectives

Many patients may believe that HIV screening is included in routine preoperative work‐ups. We examined what proportion of patients undergoing preoperative blood testing believed that they had been tested for HIV.

Methods

All patients hospitalized for elective orthopaedic surgery between January and December 2007 were contacted and asked to participate in a 15‐min computer‐assisted telephone interview (n = 1330). The primary outcome was to determine which preoperative tests patients believed had been performed from a choice of glucose, clotting, HIV serology and cholesterol, and what percentage of patients interpreted the lack of result communication as a normal or negative test. The proportion of patients agreeable to HIV screening prior to future surgery was also determined.

Results

A total of 991 patients (75%) completed the questionnaire. Three hundred and seventy‐five of these 991 patients (38%) believed incorrectly that they had been tested for HIV preoperatively. Younger patients were significantly more likely to believe that an HIV test had been performed (mean age 46 vs. 50 years for those who did not believe that an HIV test had been performed; P < 0.0001). Of the patients who believed that a test had been performed but received no result, 96% interpreted lack of a result as a negative HIV test. Over 80% of patients surveyed stated that they would agree to routine HIV screening prior to future surgery. A higher acceptance rate was associated with younger age (mean age 47 years for those who would agree vs. 56 years for those who would not; P < 0.0001) and male sex (
P < 0.009).

Conclusions

Many patients believe that a preoperative blood test routinely screens for HIV. The incorrect assumption that a lack of result communication indicates a negative test may contribute to delays in HIV diagnoses.
Pooled week 96 results of the phase III DUET‐1 and DUET‐2 trials of etravirine: further analysis of adverse events and laboratory abnormalities of special interest
Authors: Girard P‐M , Campbell TB , Grinsztejn B , Hartikainen J , Rachline A , Nijs S , Witek J
Published: March 2012

Objectives

The aim of the study was to investigate the frequency and severity of adverse events (AEs) and laboratory abnormalities of interest over 96 weeks of treatment with etravirine or placebo in the pooled TMC125 DUET (Demonstrate Undetectable viral load in patients Experienced with ARV Therapy) trials.

Methods

Treatment‐experienced, HIV‐1‐infected patients randomly received etravirine 200 mg twice a day (bid) or placebo, plus a background regimen. The frequency and severity of neuropsychiatric, rash, hepatic and lipid AEs were analysed; frequencies were also adjusted for total patient‐years of exposure (PYE).

Results

A total of 599 and 604 patients received etravirine and placebo, respectively (median treatment duration 96.0 and 69.6 weeks, respectively). There was no significant difference between the treatment groups in the frequency of neuropsychiatric AEs. However, a significant difference in the frequency of rash was observed (20.5% vs. 11.8%, respectively; P < 0.0001); rash was generally mild to moderate in severity; the rate of discontinuation because of rash was low (2.2% vs. 0% in the etravirine and placebo groups, respectively). The frequency of hepatic AEs was low and similar between the treatment groups (8.7% vs. 7.1%, respectively; P = 0.3370); hepatic enzyme levels did not increase over time. Lipid‐related laboratory abnormalities and changes over time in lipid levels were generally comparable between treatment groups. Adjusting for treatment exposure, the frequency of AEs remained similar between treatment groups, with the exception of rash [13.7 vs. 9.3 per 100 PYE; relative risk (95% confidence interval) 1.48 (1.02–1.95)].

Conclusions

The frequency of AEs of interest was generally similar between the treatment groups, both overall and when adjusted for treatment exposure, with the exception of rash which was more frequent in the etravirine group.
Rasch analysis of items from two self‐report measures of motor function: determination of item difficulty and relationships with children’s ability levels
Authors: STOUT JEAN L , GORTON GEORGE E , NOVACHECK TOM F , BAGLEY ANITA M , TERVO RAYMOND C , BEVANS KATHERINE , TUCKER CAROLE A
Published: March 2012

Aim  The aim of this article was to determine item measurement properties of a set of items selected from the Gillette Functional Assessment Questionnaire (FAQ) and the Pediatric Outcome Data Collection Instrument (PODCI) using Rasch analysis, and to explore relationships between the FAQ/PODCI combined set of items, FAQ walking scale level, Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels, and the Gait Deviation Index on a common measurement scale.

Method  Rasch analysis was performed on data from a retrospective chart review of parent‐reported FAQ and PODCI data from 485 individuals (273 males; 212 females; mean age 9y 10mo, SD 3y 10mo) who underwent first‐time three‐dimensional gait analysis. Of the 485 individuals, 289 had a diagnosis of cerebral palsy (104 GMFCS level I, 97 GMFCS level II, 69 GMFCS level III, and 19 GMFCS level IV). Rasch‐based person abilities and item difficulties based on subgroups defined by the FAQ walking scale level, Gait Deviation Index, and the GMFCS level were compared.

Results  The FAQ/PODCI item set demonstrated necessary Rasch characteristics to support its use as a combined measurement scale. Item groupings at similar difficulty levels were consistent with the mean person abilities of subgroups based on FAQ walking scale level, Gait Deviation Index, and GMFCS level.

Interpretation  Rasch‐derived person ability scores from the FAQ/PODCI combined item set are consistent with clinical measures. Rasch analysis provides insights that may improve interpretation of the difficulty of motor functions for children with disabilities.
Fear of suffocation alters respiration during obstructed breathing
Authors: Pappens Meike , Smets Elyn , Van Den Bergh Omer , Van Diest Ilse
Published: March 2012

We aimed to investigate whether fear of suffocation predicts healthy persons' respiratory and affective responses to obstructed breathing as evoked by inspiratory resistive loads. Participants (N = 27 women, ages between 18 and 21 years) completed the Fear of Suffocation scale and underwent 16 trials in which an inspiratory resistive load of 15 cmH2O/l/s (small) or 40 cmH2O/l/s (large) was added to the breathing circuit for 40 s. Fear of suffocation was associated with higher arousal ratings for both loads. Loaded breathing was associated with a decrease in minute ventilation, but progressively less so for participants scoring higher on fear of suffocation when breathing against the large load. The present findings document a potentially panicogenic mechanism that may maintain and worsen respiratory discomfort in persons with fear of suffocation.
Neural mechanisms underlying the orienting response to subject's own name: An event‐related potential study
Authors: Tateuchi Toshihiko , Itoh Kosuke , Nakada Tsutomu
Published: March 2012

Neural processes underlying the orienting response (OR) to subject's own name (SON) were investigated using the oddball paradigm. Subjects were presented with SON, subject's parent's name, and unfamiliar persons' names while they played a video game and ignored the auditory stimuli. A P3a‐like frontal positivity (P440, 440 ms) indexing OR was elicited by SON only when it was the rare stimulus and its amplitude decreased with the repeated presentation of SON. Preceding the P440, SON consistently elicited an early frontal negativity (SON negativity, 170–270 ms), including when SON was the high‐probability stimulus, and unlike the P440, this negativity did not habituate. These results conform to the hypothesis that early preattentive processing of speech sounds distinguishes SON from other names irrespective of short‐term stimulus context, and that this culminates in an OR only when SON is evaluated as being contextually meaningful.
Translocality and Gender Dynamics: The Pareja and the Thakhi System in Bolivia
Authors: BLUMTRITT ANDREA
Published: March 2012

The article focuses on the transformation of gender roles and concepts of the Bolivian Aymara. It analyses gender‐specific participation in a rural institution, the so‐called thakhi or ‘path of duties', which manifests the cosmological structure that provides the cultural context of gender relations in Aymara society. It guides and reflects human behaviour based on cultural norms. However, ongoing mobility in the context of migration has led to translocally organised lives that are shaped by different horizons of local experience. The example of an evangelical preacher illustrates how established concepts may change in this context.
The worldwide maritime network of container shipping: spatial structure and regional dynamics
Authors: DUCRUET CÉSAR , NOTTEBOOM THEO
Published: March 2012

Port and maritime studies dealing with containerization have observed traffic concentration and dispersion throughout the world. Globalization, intermodal transportation, and technological revolutions in the shipping industry have resulted in both network extension and rationalization. However, lack of precise data on inter‐port relations prevent the application of wider network theories to global maritime container networks, which are often examined through case studies of specific firms or regions. In this article, we present an analysis of the global liner shipping network in 1996 and 2006, a period of rapid change in port hierarchies and liner service configurations. While we refer to literature on port system development, shipping networks, and port selection, the article is one of the only analyses of the properties of the global container shipping network. We analyse the relative position of ports in the global network through indicators of centrality. The results reveal a certain level of robustness in the global shipping network. While transhipment hub flows and gateway flows might slightly shift among nodes in the network, the network properties remain rather stable in terms of the main nodes polarizing the network and the overall structure of the system. In addition, mapping the changing centrality of ports confirms the impacts of global trade and logistics shifts on the port hierarchy and indicates that changes are predominantly geographic.
Recession and international corporate mobility
Authors: SALT JOHN , WOOD PETER
Published: March 2012

The international mobility of MNE personnel has been increasing in recent years both through traditional forms of expatriation and short‐term assignments and through business travel. These overall ‘portfolios of mobility’, however, have been complemented by intensified virtual communication and growing localization of recruitment in developing production and market regions. In this article, we report on a return survey of the impacts of the 2008 recession on the mobility portfolios of a sample of UK‐based MNEs and consider how far it has affected established trends. We begin by reviewing evidence from recent large‐scale surveys on corporate staff mobility. We then focus on how the relationship between established business goals and global mobility strategies was rebalanced within individual companies as the recession took hold. Our evidence indicates the widely variable effects of recession, strongly affecting operations in some parts of the world, but making little, if any, change elsewhere. In many cases, corporate restructuring or the increased focus on emerging markets were already reshaping mobility portfolios. Diversification and flexibility have underlain the development of these portfolios over the last decade. The recession has accelerated several processes already under way, including a shift towards alternatives to traditional assignments and the closer incorporation of new and emerging markets into mobility systems. It has also allowed companies to drive through changes that might otherwise have been more contentious, such as reducing the financial incentives for assignment.
Patients’ lived experiences of a reduced intake of food and drinks during illness: a literature review
Authors: Larsen Laura Krone , Uhrenfeldt Lisbeth
Published: March 2012

Scand J Caring Sci; 2013; 27; 184–194

Patients’ lived experiences of a reduced intake of food and drinks during illness: a literature review

Aim:  This study aims to identify patients’ lived experiences of having a reduced intake of food and drink during illness, through a literature review.

Methods:  Scientific studies were selected through a systematic search of CINAHL, PubMed, SweMed, British Nursing Index, Psycinfo and EMBASE. A deductive thematic analysis was performed on the studies included. The analysis provided three main themes: (i) serving of food and drink – patient experiences. (ii) Modifications related to illness – patient experiences. (iii) Nutritional care provided by healthcare professionals nutritional care – patient experiences.

Findings:  Generally speaking, the findings showed high satisfaction with the food served at hospitals. However, patients’ individual tastes and preferences as to when and where to eat were found to affect their intake of food and drink. Physical changes because of illness were stated as the main reason for the patients’ lived experiences of a reduced intake of food and drink. These experiences seemed to be related to negative feelings, such as anxiety and shame during meals. Furthermore, the literature review revealed a lack of professional assistance during meals and insufficient guidance on how to handle specific nutritional problems.

Conclusions:  Patients expect committed nursing care in regard to nutritional advice during illness and assistance in meal‐related situations. Nurses need to refocus on fundamental caring.
ANALYSIS OF LATE BRONZE AGE GLASS AXES FROM NIPPUR—A NEW COBALT COLOURANT
Authors: WALTON M. , EREMIN K. , SHORTLAND A. , DEGRYSE P. , KIRK S.
Published: March 2012

A multidisciplinary study of a unique group of Late Bronze Age (LBA) ceremonial glass axe heads and other artefacts shows that these are the first significant group of glasses coloured with cobalt to be identified from the Near East. The axes were excavated from the site of Nippur, in present‐day Iraq. Several are incised with the names of three kings, which dates the material to the 14th–13th centuries bc. Analysis by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA–ICPMS) indicates that the glass had high magnesia (MgO) and potash (K2O) associated with a plant‐ash flux and was coloured blue by copper or a combination of copper and cobalt. These glasses are similar, but not identical, in major element composition to blue‐coloured glasses manufactured in ancient Egypt and elsewhere in Mesopotamia in the same period. However, the Nippur cobalt‐ and copper‐coloured glasses exhibit significantly different trace elemental compositions compared to Egyptian glass coloured with cobalt, showing that the ancient Near Eastern glassmakers had clearly identified and utilized a distinctive cobalt ore source for the colouring of this glass. Since it was previously thought that the only cobalt ores exploited in the LBA were exclusively of Egyptian origin, this new finding provides new insights on the origins of glass and how it was traded during the Bronze Age period.
MEASURING CHRONOLOGICAL UNCERTAINTY IN INTENSIVE SURVEY FINDS: A CASE STUDY FROM ANTIKYTHERA, GREECE*
Authors: BEVAN A. , CONOLLY J. , HENNIG C. , JOHNSTON A. , QUERCIA A. , SPENCER L. , VROOM J.
Published: March 2012

This paper considers how to make the most out of the rather imprecise chronological knowledge that we often have about the past. We focus here on the relative dating of artefacts during archaeological fieldwork, with particular emphasis on new ways to express and analyse chronological uncertainty. A probabilistic method for assigning artefacts to particular chronological periods is advocated and implemented for a large pottery data set from an intensive survey of the Greek island of Antikythera. We also highlight several statistical methods for exploring how uncertainty is shared amongst different periods in this data set and how these observed associations can prompt more sensitive interpretations of landscape‐scale patterns. The concluding discussion re‐emphasizes why these issues are relevant to wider methodological debates in archaeological field practice.
The Effectiveness of Chronic Care Management for Heart Failure: Meta‐Regression Analyses to Explain the Heterogeneity in Outcomes
Authors: Drewes Hanneke W. , Steuten Lotte M. G. , Lemmens Lidwien C. , Baan Caroline A. , Boshuizen Hendriek C. , Elissen Arianne M. J. , Lemmens Karin M. M. , Meeuwissen Jolanda A. C. , Vrijhoef Hubertus J. M.
Published: March 2012

Objective

To support decision making on how to best redesign chronic care by studying the heterogeneity in effectiveness across chronic care management evaluations for heart failure.

Data Sources

Reviews and primary studies that evaluated chronic care management interventions.

Study Design

A systematic review including meta‐regression analyses to investigate three potential sources of heterogeneity in effectiveness: study quality, length of follow‐up, and number of chronic care model components.

Principal Findings

Our meta‐analysis showed that chronic care management reduces mortality by a mean of 18 percent (95 percent CI: 0.72–0.94) and hospitalization by a mean of 18 percent (95 percent CI: 0.76–0.93) and improves quality of life by 7.14 points (95 percent CI: −9.55 to −4.72) on the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure questionnaire. We could not explain the considerable differences in hospitalization and quality of life across the studies.

Conclusion

Chronic care management significantly reduces mortality. Positive effects on hospitalization and quality of life were shown, however, with substantial heterogeneity in effectiveness. This heterogeneity is not explained by study quality, length of follow‐up, or the number of chronic care model components. More attention to the development and implementation of chronic care management is needed to support informed decision making on how to best redesign chronic care.
Impacts of Rising Health Care Costs on Families with Employment‐Based Private Insurance: A National Analysis with State Fixed Effects
Authors: Yu Hao , Dick Andrew W.
Published: March 2012

Background

Given the rapid growth of health care costs, some experts were concerned with erosion of employment‐based private insurance (EBPI). This empirical analysis aims to quantify the concern.

Methods

Using the National Health Account, we generated a cost index to represent state‐level annual cost growth. We merged it with the 1996–2003 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. The unit of analysis is the family. We conducted both bivariate and multivariate logistic analyses.

Results

The bivariate analysis found a significant inverse association between the cost index and the proportion of families receiving an offer of EBPI. The multivariate analysis showed that the cost index was significantly negatively associated with the likelihood of receiving an EBPI offer for the entire sample and for families in the first, second, and third quartiles of income distribution.

The cost index was also significantly negatively associated with the proportion of families with EBPI for the entire year for each family member (EBPI‐EYEM). The multivariate analysis confirmed significance of the relationship for the entire sample, and for families in the second and third quartiles of income distribution.

Among the families with EBPI‐EYEM, there was a positive relationship between the cost index and this group's likelihood of having out‐of‐pocket expenditures exceeding 10 percent of family income. The multivariate analysis confirmed significance of the relationship for the entire group and for families in the second and third quartiles of income distribution.

Conclusions

Rising health costs reduce EBPI availability and enrollment, and the financial protection provided by it, especially for middle‐class families.
Road Network Extraction in Suburban Areas
Authors: Grote Anne , Heipke Christian , Rottensteiner Franz
Published: March 2012

In this paper, an algorithm for the extraction of road networks in suburban areas is presented. The algorithm is region‐based and uses high‐resolution colour infrared images as well as, optionally, a digital surface model (DSM). The road extraction starts with a segmentation using the normalised cuts algorithm; afterwards the segments are grouped. Road sections are extracted from the grouped segments. Road sections that are likely to belong to the same road are connected to subgraphs in the next step. To eliminate false connections in the subgraphs, context objects such as vehicles, buildings and trees are employed. The remaining road strings, represented by their centre lines, are connected to a road network. The process employs combinations of radiometric and geometric features, derived from knowledge about the appearance of roads in suburban areas. Results are presented for two test data‐sets, acquired by different sensors. A quantitative analysis is performed for the quality of the road extraction as well as the topological quality of the extracted network.
Close Range Stereophotogrammetry and Video Imagery Analyses in Soil Ecohydrology Modelling
Authors: Rossi María J. , Ares Jorge O.
Published: March 2012

Ecohydrology is an emerging discipline in the environmental sciences. Soil micro‐relief is of relevance to various ecohydrological processes such as rainwater redistribution, seed displacement through water runoff, water erosion and plant competition for water. Mechanical–optical methods to characterise the soil surface and its incidence in these processes are time consuming and can produce modifications of soil relief. This research explores a methodology combining non‐contact techniques (close range stereophotogrammetry and geostatistical modelling) for microtopographic description with video imagery analysis to formulate quantitative determination of surface water movement and infiltration in undisturbed field plots. The numerical quality of the results obtained was tested with ad hoc laboratory models representing various elementary landforms (basin, hill and ridge), as well as with infiltration runoff experiments in undisturbed field plots. The requirements to define a minimum set of properly oriented digital images to attain target precision thresholds in modelling soil microtopography for ecohydrological applications are shown as well as the conditions and experimental arrangement to obtain adequate video imagery of water movement on the soil surface. The use of geostatistical algorithms to analyse ecohydrological processes occurring at the soil surface is illustrated with results obtained from field plots. The methodology presented serves to characterise and quantify water‐related ecological processes occurring at the soil surface while preserving undisturbed soil conditions. Potential applications are in ecohydrology, soil erosion science and environmental material transport studies.
Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas in cirrhosis are hypervascular in comparison with those in normal livers
Authors: Xu Jing , Igarashi Saya , Sasaki Motoko , Matsubara Takashi , Yoneda Norihide , Kozaka Kazuto , Ikeda Hiroko , Kim Jihun , Yu Eunsil , Matsui Osamu , Nakanuma Yasuni
Published: March 2012

Background and Aims

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas (ICCs) are usually adenocarcinomas with fibrotic and hypovascular stroma. Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas in cirrhosis and precirrhotic liver (ICC‐cirrhosis) are increasingly being diagnosed, and can display hypervascluar enhancement resembling a hepatocellular carcinoma on dynamic imaging.

Methods

In this study using ICC‐cirrhosis (71 cases), ICC with non‐specific reactive changes (ICC‐reactive) (72 cases) and the cholangiocarcinoma component of combined hepatocellular cholangiocarcinoma (HCC‐ICC) (30 cases), we tried to compare the tumour vasculature.

Results

It was found that ICC‐cirrhosis and the cholangiocarcinoma component of HCC‐ICC showed a higher density of arteries and microvessels (1.59 ± 0.58/mm2 (mean ± SD) and 140 ± 43/mm2 in ICC‐cirrhosis and 1.74 ± 0.67/mm2 and 131 ± 46/mm2 in the cholangiocarcinoma component of HCC‐ICC) than in ICC‐reactive (1.26 ± 0.61/mm2 and 103 ± 45/mm2). Dynamic computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed that a majority of ICC‐cirrhosis displayed strong hypervascular enhancement, whereas one‐third of ICC‐reactive each showed strong, weak and no or minimal enhancement respectively. The increased vascular density was positively correlated with enhanced arterial phase of dynamic CT and MRI.

Conclusion

The density of arteries and microvessels of ICC‐cirrhosis was higher than that in ICC‐reactive and comparable to that in the cholangiocarcinoma component of HCC‐ICC, and the higher density of arteries and microvessels in ICC may be responsible for the hypervascular enhancement of ICC‐cirrhosis.
Selective Contribution of Regional Adiposity, Skeletal Muscle, and Adipokines to Glucose Disposal in Older Adults
Authors: Ramachandran Ramona , Gravenstein Kristofer S. , Metter E. Jeffrey , Egan Josephine M. , Ferrucci Luigi , Chia Chee W.
Published: March 2012

Objectives

To study the relationships between muscle mass, regional adiposity, and adipokines and glucose disposal in an older population.

Design

Cross‐sectional analysis.

Setting

Community‐dwelling volunteers from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging.

Participants

Two hundred eighty men and 259 women with a mean age of 71.1 ± 0.4 (range 55–96) and complete data on fasting plasma adiponectin and leptin, oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) (plasma glucose available at 0, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, and 120 minutes), thigh computed tomography (CT), physical activity levels, and anthropometric measures.

Measurements

Participants were classified into eight groups according to the presence of global adiposity (body mass index > 27 kg/m2), central adiposity (waist circumference > 88 cm for women and > 102 cm for men), and low muscle mass (CT thigh, lowest sex‐specific tertile (93.8 cm2 in women and 110.7 cm2 in men) of adjusted thigh muscle area). Linear regression models were used to estimate the contribution of these eight groups to early glucose area under the curve (AUC) (t = 0–40 minutes), late glucose AUC (t = 60–120 minutes), and total glucose AUC (t = 0–120 minutes) from the OGTT.

Results

Regardless of muscle mass, individuals with a combination of central and global adiposity were more likely to have delayed glucose disposal rates (P < .05). A strong negative association was also found between circulating adiponectin levels and glucose disposal rates (early AUC, β = −0.14; late AUC, β = −0.20; and total AUC, β = −0.20; P < .05 for all three AUCs) after adjusting for regional adiposity, muscle mass, circulating leptin levels, physical activity, age, and sex.

Conclusion

Older individuals with global and central adiposity may be at risk of glucose intolerance unrelated to low muscle mass.