bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effectiveness of psychoeducation for depression: A systematic review
Authors: Tursi Mariana Flávia de Souza , Baes Cristiane von Werne , Camacho Fabio Ribeiro de Barros , Tofoli Sandra Marcia de Carvalho , Juruena Mario Francisco
Published: June 2013

Objective:

Pharmacological treatment is considered indispensable to major depressive disorder. In spite of this, a significant number of patients do not respond adequately to treatment based only on medication, presenting high relapse and recurrence rates. Therefore, psychosocial interventions, such as psychoeducation, have been increasingly recognized as an essential component in the treatment of depression, associated with pharmacological strategies. Thus, the aim of the present systematic review was to evaluate the effectiveness of psychoeducation for patients with unipolar depression, analyzing the evidence from the literature.

Method:

Searches were undertaken from April to October 2012 in LILACS, PsycINFO, PubMed, SCOPUS and ISI Web of Knowledge with keywords including ‘psychoeducation’, ‘psychoeducational intervention’ and ‘depression’, with no restriction regarding publishing dates.

Results:

Fifteen studies were included in the review, 13 of which evaluated the effectiveness of psychoeducation for patients with depression: 10 papers evaluated in-person psychoeducation approaches and three papers evaluated long-distance approaches. In addition to these 13 papers, one evaluated psychoeducational interventions for patients’ families and patients’ responses and another evaluated psychoeducational interventions for patients’ families and families’ responses. Findings suggest that increased knowledge about depression and its treatment is associated with better prognosis in depression, as well as with the reduction of the psychosocial burden for the family.

Conclusions:

Psychoeducation is a psychosocial treatment that has been well documented as an adjunct to pharmacological therapy. However, there are only a few studies regarding its effectiveness on adult patients with major depressive disorder. Although the publications in this area are still very limited, the articles selected in this review suggest that psychoeducation is effective in improving the clinical course, treatment adherence, and psychosocial functioning of depressive patients.
Financial abuse of older people: A case study
Authors: Wendt Sarah , Bagshaw Dale , Zannettino Lana , Adams Valerie
Published: June 2013

This article presents a case study to illustrate the complexities of financial abuse of older people by their family members. It provides insights into why older people and social care professionals may not detect or define family member’s behaviour as abuse or feel discomfort in talking about it. The authors argue case studies can lead to new understandings about financial abuse that move beyond operational definitions to theoretical explanations that consider practices and outcomes of ageism and gender relations.
TiO2/silver/carbon nanotube nanocomposite working electrodes for high-performance dye-sensitized solar cells
Authors: Hwang Hyun-Jun , Kim Hak-Sung
Published: June 2013

In this study, we developed a new way to increase the efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells by using TiO2/silver/carbon nanotube composites as the working electrode. Silver nanoparticles and multi-walled carbon nanotubes were mixed with TiO2 nanoparticles and used as working electrodes in a dye-sensitized solar cell. The effect of the silver nanoparticles and multi-walled carbon nanotubes on the efficiency of the dye-sensitized solar cell was studied as function of their volume fractions using several microscopic and spectroscopic characterization techniques such as scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, ultra-violet-vis and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. It was found that the silver nanoparticles could induce surface plasmonic phenomena, where the light absorption was enhanced in the ultra-violet wavelength range. Additionally, the carbon nanotubes could increase the electron mobility in the working electrode due to their high surface-to-volume ratio and superior electrical conductivity. The efficiency of the silver/carbon nanotube/TiO2 nanocomposite working electrode was compared with that of a conventional TiO2 working electrode under one-sun illumination (100 mWcm–2, AM 1.5 G). The TiO2/Ag/carbon nanotube nanocomposite working electrode had a two-fold higher efficiency (3.76%) than the conventional pure TiO2 working electrode (1.88%).
Stereotypes About Men’s and Women’s Intuitions
Authors: Gigerenzer Gerd , Galesic Mirta , Garcia-Retamero Rocio
Published: June 2013

Since the Enlightenment, rationality has been set above intuition and associated with male thought, while intuition has become linked with female thought. Do these stereotypes still exist today? If they do, are they the same for different domains of life? And are they stable across age groups, gender, and culture? We investigated these questions in two countries that differ in women’s traditional roles, using representative national samples of 1,016 people in Germany and 1,002 people in Spain. Participants reported their beliefs about men and women’s intuitions for nine personal and professional domains. The main results are as follows: Substantial stereotypes about intuition exist, are highly domain-specific rather than general and, strikingly, do not differ in sign and size between age groups. Moreover, in every domain, substantial in-group preferences exist: Females believe more strongly in the intuitive power of women, and males in that of men. Across domains, stereotypes about gender-specific intuition are more frequent in Germany, even though Spain has a stronger Catholic tradition and political history of conservative gender roles.
Characteristics of Canadian Youth-Perpetrated Homicides
Authors: Woodworth Michael , Agar Ava D. , Coupland Richard B. A.
Published: June 2013

Youth-perpetrated homicide has considerable impact on our society and justice system. Unfortunately, youth-perpetrated homicide is an understudied crime and even less research has been conducted specific to a Canadian population. Two decades ago, Meloff and Silverman published the most thorough examination of youth-perpetrated homicide in Canada. Since that time, it has been proposed that the motivations and characteristics of youth violence have changed in a number of important ways. The present study expands on previous limited empirical studies and investigation into features of youth homicides using a sample of 105 Canadian youth homicide offenders. A number of important differences were observed. For instance, there were substantially more multiple-perpetrator, stranger, and instrumental homicides. Results are considered in relation to trends observed in Canada and the United States.
What is the effect of IQ on offending?
Authors: Mears Daniel P. , Cochran Joshua C.
Published: June 2013

The aim of this study is to advance scholarship on the IQ–offending relationship by examining the functional form of this relationship and whether confounding introduced by socioeconomic status (SES) and other factors can be adequately addressed. Data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth are analyzed using generalized propensity score and propensity score matching analyses. The results suggest that the relationship is curvilinear, such that lower and higher levels of IQ are associated with lower levels of offending. They also indicate that the distribution of confounders, especially SES, may limit the ability of statistical approaches to arrive at unbiased estimates of IQ effects.
Pathways to Career-Ending Police Misconduct
Authors: White Michael D. , Kane Robert J.
Published: June 2013

Prior research has not sufficiently explained the various pathways that lead to career-ending misconduct among police officers, most notably the timing of misconduct in officers’ careers, whether certain factors are related to that timing, and whether the types of misdeeds vary over time. The current study seeks to address these questions through an examination of all officers separated from the New York City Police Department (NYPD) for career-ending misconduct ( n = 1,542) from 1975 to 1996 as well as a comparison sample of officers who served honorably during that same time ( n = 1,543). The authors adopt a survival perspective using both Cox regression survival analysis and multinomial logistic regression. Results indicate that time to termination is a complex, long-term process with distinct patterns that emerge over police officers’ careers. A number of variables were significantly associated with time to termination across officer careers, such as officer race and prior criminal history, while others were significant only at certain career stages. For example, promotion only protected against termination early in an officer’s career, while military service was a predictor of misconduct only after 10 years of service. The article highlights the importance of selection screening “out and in” processes, as officers with red flags early in their careers were at greatest risk for dismissal. The results also suggest that police departments themselves play an important role in shaping the patterns and timing of officer misconduct. Moreover, the survival framework provides a foundation for a long-overdue dialogue on good policing.
Collaboration and interconnectivity
Authors: Murphy Peter , Greenhalgh Kirsten , Parkin Craig
Published: June 2013

This article will describe the developing relationship between Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Services and the two higher education institutions in Nottingham. It will chronicle how a very traditional relationship has been transformed, initially by a simple consultancy project, into a much closer working relationship characterised by a much richer variety of collaborative projects. It demonstrates the potential mutual benefits that greater trust and reciprocity between the institutions can bring to both academia and to practice, and the impact they have already had on curriculum development, teaching and learning in Nottingham.
Political appeasement and academic critique
Authors: Wissenburg Marcel
Published: June 2013

Both environmental social movements and academic thinkers appear to move away from fundamental critique of dominant values in the direction of a more pragmatic approach to environmental politics. This article highlights some of the disadvantages of this development, using environmental concerns to illustrate the broader argument that decent societies aiming for social and environmental justice are best served by the existence of an informed, fundamental type of opposition next to cooperative, loyal modes of dissent. For academics in their inescapable role as fundamental critics, this would imply a relatively distant role as guardians of the critical potential of civil society.
Effects of Air-Pulsed Cryotherapy on Neuromuscular Recovery Subsequent to Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage
Authors: Guilhem Gaël , Hug François , Couturier Antoine , Regnault Stéphanie , Bournat Laure , Filliard Jean-Robert , Dorel Sylvain
Published: June 2013

Background:

Localized cooling has been proposed as an effective strategy to limit the deleterious effects of exercise-induced muscle damage on neuromuscular function. However, the literature reports conflicting results.

Purpose:

This randomized controlled trial aimed to determine the effects of a new treatment, localized air-pulsed cryotherapy (–30°C), on the recovery time-course of neuromuscular function following a strenuous eccentric exercise.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods:

A total of 24 participants were included in either a control group (CONT) or a cryotherapy group (CRYO). Immediately after 3 sets of 20 maximal isokinetic eccentric contractions of elbow flexors, and then 1, 2, and 3 days after exercise, the CRYO group received a cryotherapy treatment (3 × 4 minutes at −30°C separated by 1 minute). The day before and 1, 2, 3, 7, and 14 days after exercise, several parameters were quantified: maximal isometric torque and its associated maximal electromyographic activity recorded by a 64-channel electrode, delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS), biceps brachii transverse relaxation time (T2) measured using magnetic resonance imaging, creatine kinase activity, interleukin-6, and C-reactive protein.

Results:

Maximal isometric torque decreased similarly for the CONT (–33% ± 4%) and CRYO groups (−31% ± 6%). No intergroup differences were found for DOMS, electromyographic activity, creatine kinase activity, and T2 level averaged across the whole biceps brachii. C-reactive protein significantly increased for CONT (+93% at 72 hours, P < .05) but not for CRYO. Spatial analysis showed that cryotherapy delayed the significant increase of T2 and the decrease of electromyographic activity level for CRYO compared with CONT (between day 1 and day 3) in the medio-distal part of the biceps brachii.

Conclusion:

Although some indicators of muscle damage after severe eccentric exercise were delayed (ie, local formation of edema and decrease of muscle activity) by repeated air-pulsed cryotherapy, we provide evidence that this cooling procedure failed to improve long-term recovery of muscle performance.

Clinical Relevance:

Four applications of air-pulsed cryotherapy in the 3 days after a strenuous eccentric exercise are ineffective overall in promoting long-term muscle recovery. Further studies taking into account the amount of exercise-induced muscle damage would allow investigators to make stronger conclusions regarding the inefficiency of this recovery modality.
Changes in Circulating Biomarkers of Muscle Atrophy, Inflammation, and Cartilage Turnover in Patients Undergoing Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction and Rehabilitation
Authors: Mendias Christopher L. , Lynch Evan B. , Davis Max E. , Sibilsky Enselman Elizabeth R. , Harning Julie A. , DeWolf Paul D. , Makki Tarek A. , Bedi Asheesh
Published: June 2013

Background:

After anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, there is significant atrophy of the quadriceps muscles that can limit full recovery and place athletes at risk for recurrent injuries with return to play. The cause of this muscle atrophy is not fully understood.

Hypothesis:

Circulating levels of proatrophy, proinflammatory, and cartilage turnover cytokines and biomarkers would increase after ACL reconstruction.

Study Design:

Descriptive laboratory study.

Methods:

Patients (N = 18; mean age, 28 ± 2.4 years) underwent surgical reconstruction of the ACL after a noncontact athletic injury. Circulating levels of biomarkers were measured along with Short Form−12, International Knee Documentation Committee, and objective knee strength measures preoperatively and at 6 postoperative visits. Differences were tested using repeated-measures 1-way analysis of variance.

Results:

Myostatin, TGF-β, and C-reactive protein levels were significantly increased in the early postoperative period and returned to baseline. Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein levels decreased immediately after surgery and then returned to baseline. CCL2, CCL3, CCL4, CCL5, EGF, FGF-2, IGF-1, IL-10, IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-1ra, IL-6, myoglobin, and TNF-α were not different over the course of the study.

Conclusion:

An increase in potent atrophy-inducing cytokines and corresponding changes in knee strength and functional scores were observed after ACL reconstruction.

Clinical Relevance:

Although further studies are necessary, the therapeutic inhibition of myostatin may help prevent the muscle atrophy that occurs after ACL reconstruction and provide an accelerated return of patients to sport.
Tunnel gradients and aural health criterion for train passengers
Authors: Palmero Natalia Montenegro , Vardy Alan
Published: June 2013

An inconvenient consequence of the UIC health and safety criterion for allowable pressure changes in railway tunnels is highlighted. It is shown that the criterion limits allowable speeds in long tunnels with large changes of elevation much more than it does in equivalent tunnels with small changes in elevation. The constraint is especially strong for trains travelling uphill, but it can also exist for trains travelling downhill. Possible ways of avoiding the problem without reducing speed are considered and are found to be practicable in some cases. However, they are of uncertain suitability because they rely on exploiting a particular feature of the safety criterion in a manner that is unlikely to have been intended when it was mandated. In addition, attention is drawn to an ambiguity inherent in the application of the criterion to certain types of tunnel. Suggestions are made for simple modifications to the criterion and comparisons are made with conditions experienced routinely in commercial aviation.
Individual Differences in Eye Movements During Face Identification Reflect Observer-Specific Optimal Points of Fixation
Authors: Peterson Matthew F. , Eckstein Miguel P.
Published: June 2013

In general, humans tend to first look just below the eyes when identifying another person. Does everybody look at the same place on a face during identification, and, if not, does this variability in fixation behavior lead to functional consequences? In two conditions, observers had their free eye movements recorded while they performed a face-identification task. In another condition, the same observers identified faces while their gaze was restricted to specific locations on each face. We found substantial differences, which persisted over time, in where individuals chose to first move their eyes. Observers’ systematic departure from a canonical, theoretically optimal fixation point did not correlate with performance degradation. Instead, each individual’s looking preference corresponded to an idiosyncratic performance-maximizing point of fixation: Those who looked lower on the face performed better when forced to fixate the lower part of the face. The results suggest an observer-specific synergy between the face-recognition and eye movement systems that optimizes face-identification performance.
Perceiving Social Inequity
Authors: Rosette Ashleigh Shelby , Tost Leigh Plunkett
Published: June 2013

Researchers have suggested that viewing social inequity as dominant-group privilege (rather than subordinate-group disadvantage) enhances dominant-group members’ support for social policies aimed at lessening such inequity. However, because viewing inequity as dominant-group privilege can be damaging to dominant-group members’ self-images, this perspective is frequently resisted. In the research reported here, we explored the circumstances that enhance the likelihood of dominant-group members’ viewing inequity as privilege. Because social hierarchies have multiple vertical dimensions, individuals may have high status on one dimension but low status on another. We predicted that occupying a subordinate position on one dimension of social hierarchy could enhance perceptions of one’s own privilege on a different dimension of hierarchy, but that this tendency would be diminished among individuals who felt they had achieved a particularly high level of success. Results from three studies that considered gender-based and race-based hierarchies in organizational settings supported our hypothesis.
Images of the invisible: An account of iconic media in the history of psychology
Authors: Wieser Martin , Slunecko Thomas
Published: June 2013

What epistemic use and function do images and graphs fulfill in scientific practice? Whilst this question is nowadays broadly discussed in the history of science, the history of psychology usually ignores the iconic material presented in textbooks, papers, and essays of the discipline’s past. Such a habit of logo-centrism in the popular history of psychology seems all the more surprising as contemporary psychology heavily relies on flow charts, statistic diagrams, tables, and other iconic elements. Following arguments of the science historian Ludwik Fleck, this paper aims to sharpen the awareness for the specific attributes and performative capacities of iconic media in the history of psychology. We start out discussing general aspects and specifics of graphical objects and their relation to scientific texts and then analyze some popular diagrams in the history of psychology accordingly. Altogether, we argue for an icon-informed history of science to gain a deeper understanding of the discipline’s past and present.
Subtyping Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Rossi Giulio , Pelosi Giuseppe , Barbareschi Mattia , Graziano Paolo , Cavazza Alberto , Papotti Mauro
Published: June 2013

Morphology still remains the cornerstone in lung cancer classification and cytology and small biopsy samples should be interpreted by morphology, whenever feasible, according to shared and widely agreed-upon diagnostic schemes. However, as novel therapy strategies are being offered on the basis of the diverse tumor characteristics, pathologists are now challenged by the need to offer clinicians more detailed typing of non–small cell lung cancer, not otherwise specified (NSCLC-NOS), especially when dealing with limited diagnostic material or poorly differentiated tumors. Close integration of morphology, immunohistochemistry, and clinical data is highly warranted according to a multidisciplinary approach to limit the category of NSCLC-NOS as much as possible or exclude unsuspected metastases, so rendering more definite and clinically useful diagnoses. Among the many proposed immunohistochemical markers, which as a whole are more practical and diagnostically useful than cumbersome and expensive molecular assays, a 2-hit model including thyroid transcription factor-1 (TTF-1) and p40 (the latter more specific for squamous differentiation than p63) seems to be the most effective to basically highlight adenocarcinoma (positivity for TTF-1 regardless of p63) and squamous (always strongly and diffusely positive for p40 or p63 and negative for TTF-1) differentiation. This minimalist 2-hit diagnostic approach paves the way to novel perspectives in clinical trials on lung cancer, and it is also in keeping with the need of strategically preserving diagnostic material for molecular assays that are essential for personalizing therapies.
Working Within Hyphen-Spaces in Ethnographic Research
Authors: Cunliffe Ann L. , Karunanayake Geetha
Published: June 2013

Ethnographers often find themselves wrestling with choices about their relationship with respondents: choices experienced by researchers engaged in many other methodologies. This article examines the agentic and political nature of those relationships using the notion of hyphen-spaces: a concept that offers a way of recognizing their complexity, making choices about how to position ourselves and work within them, and understanding the implications for research identities and practice. Drawing on Fine’s notion of “working the hyphens” and personal experience of ethnographic fieldwork in a tea plantation in Sri Lanka, we propose four hyphen-spaces of insiderness-outsiderness, sameness-difference, engagement-distance, and political activism–active neutrality. We believe an understanding of these relationships will help us become more informed and ethical researchers interested in engaging in different methodologies. Finally, we emphasize the fluid and agentic nature of researcher-respondent identities and the implications for practice.
Anti-leaders(hip) in Social Movement Organizations: The case of autonomous grassroots groups
Authors: Sutherland Neil , Land Christopher , Böhm Steffen
Published: June 2013

Through the Arab Spring and the Occupy movement, the idea of horizontal, leaderless organization has come to the attention of the mass media. In this article we explore radical, participative-democratic alternatives to leadership through an empirical study of four Social Movement Organizations (SMOs). Whilst there has been some writing on leadership within SMOs, it has mirrored the ‘mainstream’ assumption that leadership is the product of individual leaders possessing certain traits, styles and/or behaviours. In contrast, critical leadership studies (CLS) recognize that leadership is a relational, socially constructed phenomenon rather than the result of a stable set of leadership attributes that inhere in ‘the leaders’. We utilize this framing to analyse how leadership is understood and performed in anarchist SMOs by examining how actors manage meaning and define reality without compromising the ideological commitments of their organizations. Furthermore, we also pay attention to the organizational practices and processes developed to: (a) prohibit individuals from permanently assuming a leadership role; (b) distribute leadership skills and roles; and (c) encourage other actors to participate and take-up these roles in the future. We conclude by suggesting that just because an organization is leaderless, it does not necessarily mean that it is also leadershipless.
Effects of text messaging in addition to emails on physical activity among university and college employees in the UK
Authors: Suggs Suzanne , Blake Holly , Bardus Marco , Lloyd Scott
Published: June 2013

Objectives

To test the effects of adding text messages to weekly email communications on recipients’ total physical activity (leisure-time; workplace; domestic and garden; and active transportation) in employees of universities and colleges in the UK.

Methods

A randomised trial with two study groups (email only or email plus text messaging for 12 weeks) was implemented at five workplaces. Data were collected at baseline, immediately after, and four weeks after the intervention. Intervention effects on physical activity were evaluated using latent growth modelling.

Results

Total physical activity decreased over time in both groups but the decrease was non-significant. The only significant difference between groups was found for workplace physical activity, with the group receiving emails and text messages having a linear decrease of 2.81 Metabolic Equivalent h/week ( β = −0.31, p = 0.035) compared to the email only group.

Conclusions

Sending employees two additional text messages resulted in less physical activity. Further investigation is needed to understand whether text messaging may play a beneficial role in promoting physical activity in workplace settings.
A confirmatory factor analysis of the General Health Questionnaire–28 in a Black South African sample
Authors: de Kock Francois S , Görgens-Ekermans Gina , Dhladhla Thamsanqla J
Published: June 2013

This study examined the latent factor structure of the General Health Questionnaire–28 (GHQ-28) in a Black South African sample ( N = 523). Results of the single-group confirmatory factor analysis support the universal four-factor structure of general psychological health observed in Western samples. However, multigroup confirmatory factor analyses (i.e. split-sample cross-validation approach, conducted with invariance analyses) for a three-factor structure suggest that psychological health could have a less differentiated dimensional structure in some African populations. Theoretical and practical implications of the study results are discussed.
Weekly variability in outcome expectations: Examining associations with related physical activity experiences during physical activity initiation
Authors: Loehr Valerie G , Baldwin Austin S , Rosenfield David , Smits Jasper AJ
Published: June 2013

Little is known about how outcome expectations change after physical activity initiation and whether changes are associated with physical activity experiences. In a diary study, physically inactive adults ( N = 102) initiated an exercise regimen and reported their experiences daily (e.g. progress toward goals) and corresponding outcome expectations weekly (e.g. how much progress they expect this week). Average levels (between-person effects) for eight experiences ( ps < .01) and deviations from the average levels (within-person effects) for three experiences ( ps < .05) were associated with changes in outcome expectations. The findings demonstrate that outcome expectations for exercise vary over time and are associated with people’s subjective experiences.
‘Men give in to chips and beer too easily’: How working-class men make sense of gender differences in health
Authors: Dolan Alan
Published: June 2013

This article, based on qualitative research with working-class men, explores men’s perceptions and experiences regarding gender differences in health. It demonstrates how men put forward a range of behavioural/cultural, materialist/structural and psychosocial factors, which were believed to differently impact men’s health compared to women. A common theme underpinning their explanations was the ways in which men and women were located within two distinct gender categories. These characterisations were used to explain why health-damaging beliefs and behaviours were more prevalent among men and also why men were better suited for certain kinds of jobs, albeit with potential costs to their health. Men also believed that women were protected from the damaging physical and emotional impact of manual employment because of their primary role within the home and because they were less emotionally robust, which required men to shield women from the stresses they experienced. However, men’s emotional withdrawal can also be viewed as another example of how men use whatever resources are available to achieve and maintain dominance over women. Finally, the article demonstrates how a gender- and class-based approach can capture the impact of men’s health-related practices alongside the broader cultural and structural influences on men’s health.
Insight, psychosis, and depression in Africa: A cross-sectional survey from an inpatient unit in Ghana
Authors: Poole Norman A. , Crabb Jim , Osei Akwasi , Hughes Peter , Young David
Published: June 2013

Few studies of the relationship of insight to psychopathology have been conducted in non-Western populations. This study examined the relationships between insight and depression, anxiety, and positive and negative symptoms on patients with schizophrenia resident in a psychiatric hospital in Ghana. A sample of 49 participants, (37 men and 12 women), with DSM-IV defined schizophrenia took part in semistructured interviews consisting of the Hamilton Rating Scales for Depression (HAM-D) and Anxiety (HAM-A); the Schedule for the Assessment of Insight – Expanded Version (SAI-E) and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Bivariate correlations between variables were examined and those significantly correlated with an insight domain were included in multiple regression models. Variables associated with the total insight score were age, gender, anxiety symptoms, depression symptoms, and treatment compliance. In the final model, HAM-D positively predicted total SAI-E score, whilst PANSS-pos was negatively associated with total SAI-E score. The results are broadly consistent with those found in Western samples regarding insight and depressive symptoms. Implications of these results for competing theories of insight in psychoses are discussed. Patients able to identify themselves as ill may be aware of their affective symptoms.
Circadian rhythms and second language development
Authors: de Bot Kees
Published: June 2013

In this article data are presented that suggest that individual language learners may have different optimal times of the day for learning a foreign language. Learners were tested on vocabulary learning and retention at different times of the day. In addition, different components of language aptitude were tested. Two components of the language aptitude test show an effect of early risers (‘larks’) performing better in the morning than in the evening, and late risers (‘owls’) performing better in the evening than in the morning. It is argued that chronotype should be included as one of the individual differences components in second language development.
A perspective on health care for the elderly who lose their only child in China
Authors: Li Yan
Published: June 2013

Objectives: The 30-plus years of the One Child Policy has brought about a new “childless” elderly phenomenon in China and this group is expanding rapidly. These elderly parents who lose their only child are forced to endure psychological suffering and cope with health problems alone, as they are often ignored by society. The aim of this study is to explore the psychological trauma and living dilemma among older Chinese people who lose their only child and to discuss the support and health care to this newly vulnerable group in China. Methods: In-depth interviews with 34 childless older people were conducted in three districts in Beijing. Results: The study shows that the death of only child causes an unbearable psychological trauma for elderly parents, who display prominent clusters of symptoms. Moreover, the childless elderly frequently encounter discrimination in their lives and they feel neglected by the government and society. Conclusions: Although several local governments have launched schemes to support the childless elderly, the gap in assistance is still vast. Support from the government is essential in relieving the difficulties currently faced by the childless elderly, and the difficulties they face in the future. This includes two major aspects: health and life care, and spiritual comfort.
Electronic patient records in action
Authors: Winman Thomas , Rystedt Hans
Published: June 2013

The implementation of generic models for organizing information in complex institutions like those in healthcare creates a gap between standardization and the need for locally relevant knowledge. The present study addresses how this gap can be bridged by focusing on the practical work of healthcare staff in transforming information in EPRs into knowledge that is useful for everyday work. Video recording of shift handovers on a rehabilitation ward serves as the empirical case. The results show how extensive selections and reorganizations of information in EPRs are carried out in order to transform information into professionally relevant accounts. We argue that knowledge about the institutional obligations and professional ways of construing information are fundamental for these transitions. The findings point to the need to consider the role of professional knowledge inherent in unpacking information in efforts to develop information systems intended to bridge between institutional and professional boundaries in healthcare.
Personal health records
Authors: Lafky Deborah Beranek , Horan Thomas A.
Published: June 2013

Personal health record (PHR) systems are a subject of intense interest in the move to improve healthcare accessibility and quality. Although a number of vendors continue to put forward PHR systems, user-centered design research has lagged, and it has not been clear what features are important to prospective PHR users. Here, we report on a user-centered design study that combines qualitative and quantitative approaches to investigate several dimensions relevant to PHR design, and to look at the effect of health status on user needs. The results indicate that health status, especially disability and chronic illness, is relevant to PHR design. Further, the results provide empirical evidence about the role of privacy and security in users’ attitudes toward PHR use. The exact nature of these attitudes differs from widely held perceptions about consumer values in healthcare information management.
When pictures aren’t pretty: Deconstructing punitive literacy practices
Authors: Fisher Teresa R , Albers Peggy , Frederick Temmy G
Published: June 2013

Young children frequently tell visual stories, drawing pictures to record and share their thoughts, feelings and understanding. How and what young children describe through art, especially when written language is not an option, is the focus of this interpretive analysis. A series of pictures by John, a 6-year-old boy, were drawn across the academic year at challenging moments when he exhibited distressing and/or alienating behaviour. We studied John’s drawings of his misbehaviour, as depicted in these action plans, over the course of 8 months, how they appeared and evolved over the year, and what we learned by doing a close analysis of these visual texts. Specifically, as teacher educators thinking back upon our own experiences as novice teachers, we wanted to know what kinds of practices, such as this discipline action plan, implemented in schools and in our classrooms use literacy practices in a punitive way? Drawing from visual discourse analysis which includes visual design, we attended to how John used colours, the intensity with which they were applied; how he used shape and line (curved, sharp), the size and volume of objects, the relationship among and between objects in the pictures, and the discourses around which he identified. We also looked across these pictures to see how certain objects (teacher, himself, other students) shifted and were retranslated across images and time, and how, collectively, these pictures wrote an ongoing narrative, one that tells a not-so-pretty story of John’s representation of self in these moments. This analysis forces us to problematize the use of multi-modal literacy practices as a punitive endeavour. Encouraging teachers to evaluate critically what ‘behaviour interventions’ actually do to and for students can provide a powerful platform for meaningful change.
Peter and Paul in Acts and the Construction of Early Christian Identity: A Review of Historical and Literary Approaches
Authors: Baker Coleman A.
Published: June 2013

The study of Peter and Paul in the Acts of the Apostles has gone through primarily two methodological phases, a search for the historical Peter and Paul and a search for the literary Peter and Paul. In recent decades, the literary approaches to the Bible have begun to raise questions about the role of the reader in understanding texts and their characters, resulting in a few studies that raise the question of the interaction between the reader and the characters of Peter and Paul. This latter development constitutes an emerging third methodological phase, the search for the identity-forming Peter and Paul. At issue in this search is how those who interact with the Acts narrative, both ancient and modern readers, are affected by the presentation of characters of Peter and Paul.
Recent Study of Greek Religion in the Archaic through Hellenistic Periods
Authors: Naiden F.S.
Published: June 2013

This article reviews recent literature in the field of Greek religion from approximately 800 to 150 bce. It notes the long-standing connections between the study of Greek religion and the religions of the Near East, sets forth several common features of these religions, and tells how the study of Greek religion came to embody the ideas of Robertson Smith, among others, and how three themes, the centrality of ritual, of animal sacrifice, and of the religion of the polis came to dominate the field in the last half-century. In the last twenty years, some scholars have questioned these dominant themes. This article concludes by describing the relation between Greek and Near Eastern religion today, and by offering two examples of unstudied parallels between the two fields.
Impact of a multi-hospital intervention utilising screening, hand hygiene education and pulsed xenon ultraviolet (PX-UV) on the rate of hospital associated meticillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection
Authors: Simmons Sarah , Morgan Melissa , Hopkins Teresa , Helsabeck Kim , Stachowiak Julie , Stibich Mark
Published: June 2013

Standard approaches to meticillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) prevention have included hand hygiene and active surveillance. These approaches have shown mixed results. The addition of pulsed xenon ultraviolet (PX-UV) room disinfection for MRSA prevention is a novel approach. This new MRSA prevention method was implemented at an acute care hospital system in Greensboro, NC, USA. An MRSA screening programme was implemented over a six-month period from July 2011 to January 2012 to include all high-risk patients and the majority of surgical patients. A two-week hand hygiene education initiative was implemented in February 2011. The use of PX-UV for terminal cleaning of MRSA patient rooms was also implemented in February 2011. The rates of hospital associated MRSA (HA-MRSA) infections were monitored before and after implementation of all prevention efforts. The HA-MRSA rate decreased at the largest facility in the system by 57%, and for the entire healthcare system by 56% ( p=0.001). The two smaller hospitals saw reductions of 51% and 66%, but the results were not statistically significant ( p=0.1047 and p=0.2263). Implementing a PX-UV device in conjunction with active screening and hand hygiene was associated with a decrease in HA-MRSA rates. Studies on the individual effect of PX-UV on HA-MRSA rates are warranted.
Biodiversity and Wine, a Nice Wedding: Saumur–Champigny in the Varinelles Domaine (Loire Valley, France)
Authors: Noblet Jean-Pierre , Pesqueux Yvon , Simon Eric
Published: June 2013

Since 2004, the 130 winegrowers of the Saumur–Champigny appellation d’origine controlee have been committed to biodiversity. In a sector sometimes resistant to change, and indeed for the first time in France, winegrowers have chosen more ecological weed control methods and concentrated on creating and maintaining plant hedges within zones écologiques reservoirs (ecological conservation areas)(ZER) ( Jarno, 2011 ). The growers’ Syndicate, backed by a powerful regional cooperative, rallied all its members and urged them to commit to the process. Collective awareness has driven the majority of winegrowers to ‘go organic’ and with the ultimate benefit of being awarded an organic label. But going organic is costly in terms of time, labour and finances and inevitably increases production costs. However, despite the less favourable cost equation, their business model is nonetheless effective, and most producers manage to sell their entire product. The aim of this case study is to show how some wine producers, in the quest for quality, have ‘looked outside the box’ for new information (for example: sustainable agriculture, biodiversity, biodynamics), assimilated that information and applied it to their own operation and production for improved commercial results.
Implementation of Electronic Medical Records—A Case Study of an Eye Hospital
Authors: Missah Yaw Marfo , Dighe Parag , Miller Monty G. , Wall Kenneth
Published: June 2013

Health care organizations around the world are recognizing the benefits of maintaining electronic medical records for patients with improved quality of service, free flow of information (across multiple locations), reduced cost of operations resulting in cost efficiencies, better health and efficient utilization of resources. Recognizing these benefits as opportunities, health care providers have or are in the process of migrating from paper-based health care records to electronic medical systems. This transition is not always free from challenges. This study presents recommendations for managing challenges with data conversion from paper form to electronic database based on a case study done by students from Colorado Technical University, Colorado Springs, CO, USA, for a prominent eye hospital in Jalna, India, using appreciative inquiry. The Culture, Administrative, Geographic and Economic (CAGE) framework at the industrial level is applied to evaluate the options considered for data conversion and transition.
Bone morphogenetic protein 9 (BMP9) controls lymphatic vessel maturation and valve formation
Authors: Levet Sandrine , Ciais Delphine , Merdzhanova Galina , Mallet Christine , Zimmers Teresa A. , Lee Se-Jin , Navarro Fabrice P. , Texier Isabelle , Feige Jean-Jacques , Bailly Sabine , Vittet Daniel
Published: June 2013

Key Points

BMP9 is required for lymphatic valve formation. Mice deficient in Bmp9 exhibit reduction in lymphatic draining efficiency.
Erwinia asparaginase achieves therapeutic activity after pegaspargase allergy: a report from the Children’s Oncology Group
Authors: Salzer Wanda L. , Asselin Barbara , Supko Jeffrey G. , Devidas Meenakshi , Kaiser Nicole A. , Plourde Paul , Winick Naomi J. , Reaman Gregory H. , Raetz Elizabeth , Carroll William L. , Hunger Stephen P.
Published: June 2013

Key Points

Erwinia asparaginase was granted FDA approval in November 2011 for use in patients with allergic reactions to E coli-derived asparaginase. Erwinia asparaginase 25 000-IU/m2 for 6 intramuscular doses M/W/F can be substituted for a single dose of pegaspargase.
RNA-seq analysis reveals extensive transcriptional plasticity to temperature stress in a freshwater fish species
Authors: Smith Steve , Bernatchez Louis , Beheregaray Luciano B
Published: June 2013

Background

Identifying genes of adaptive significance in a changing environment is a major focus of ecological genomics. Such efforts were restricted, until recently, to researchers studying a small group of model organisms or closely related taxa. With the advent of next generation sequencing (NGS), genomes and transcriptomes of virtually any species are now available for studies of adaptive evolution. We experimentally manipulated temperature conditions for two groups of crimson spotted rainbowfish (Melanotaenia duboulayi) and measured differences in RNA transcription between them. This non-migratory species is found across a latitudinal thermal gradient in eastern Australia and is predicted to be negatively impacted by ongoing environmental and climatic change.

Results

Using next generation RNA-seq technologies on an Illumina HiSeq2000 platform, we assembled a de novo transcriptome and tested for differential expression across the treatment groups. Quality of the assembly was high with a N50 length of 1856 bases. Of the 107,749 assembled contigs, we identified 4251 that were differentially expressed according to a consensus of four different mapping and significance testing approaches. Once duplicate isoforms were removed, we were able to annotate 614 up-regulated transfrags and 349 that showed reduced expression in the higher temperature group.

Conclusions

Annotated blast matches reveal that differentially expressed genes correspond to critical metabolic pathways previously shown to be important for temperature tolerance in other fish species. Our results indicate that rainbowfish exhibit predictable plastic regulatory responses to temperature stress and the genes we identified provide excellent candidates for further investigations of population adaptation to increasing temperatures.