bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Negative consequence of benevolent sexism on efficacy and performance
Authors: Jones Kristen , Stewart Kathy , King Eden , Botsford Morgan Whitney , Gilrane Veronica , Hylton Kimberly
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– Previous research demonstrates the damaging effects of hostile sexism enacted towards women in the workplace. However, there is less research on the consequences of benevolent sexism: a subjectively positive form of discrimination. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– Drawing from ambivalent sexism theory, the authors first utilized an experimental methodology in which benevolent and hostile sexism were interpersonally enacted toward both male and female participants.

Findings

– Results suggested that benevolent sexism negatively impacted participants' self-efficacy in mixed-sex interactions. Extending these findings, the results of a second field study clarify self-efficacy as a mediating mechanism in the relationship between benevolent sexism and workplace performance.

Originality/value

– Finally, benevolent sexism contributed incremental prediction of performance above and beyond incivility, further illustrating the detrimental consequences of benevolently sexist attitudes towards women in the workplace.
Study of staff who have been alleged perpetrators in adult protection cases
Authors: Walford Mel , Kaye Andy , Collins Mick
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– The protection of vulnerable adults from abuse is paramount for those working in adult protection. However, staff supporting vulnerable adults who are alleged to have abused them can feel very vulnerable and their needs must also be taken into account. The purpose of this paper is to consider the impact of adult protection investigations from the experiences of people who have been identified as alleged perpetrators in adult protection cases in order to identify improvements in practice.

Design/methodology/approach

– This limited study used qualitative semi-structured interviews to collect data that reflected views of the issues and experiences of participants.

Findings

– This study shows that expectations set out in the Wales Interim Policy and Procedures document under “support for alleged perpetrators” do not match with the experience of those who took part in this study. The experience of some alleged perpetrators is that the investigation process can be protracted, they may be left isolated with little or no information and feel very vulnerable.

Research limitations/implications

– A limitation of this study was the small number of participants who were interviewed and the selection and bias. Participation was on a voluntary basis and the participants were self-selecting. The participants were all paid staff. Vulnerable adults who had been identified as alleged abusers were excluded from the study on the premise that their experiences were likely to be quite different.

Practical implications

– It is vital that alleged perpetrators are not themselves abused by the process. The findings from this study should be used to develop recommendations to improve practice.

Originality/value

– The effects on staff who have been investigated as alleged abusers under adult protection policy and procedures has been under-researched. This study will make a contribution to addressing this.
Factors contributing to project time and hence cost overrun in the Malaysian construction industry
Authors: Shehu Zayyana , Endut Intan R. , Akintoye Akintola
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– The delivery of construction projects in Malaysia is plagued by time overruns, which turns what should have been successful projects into those incurring additional costs, or money-losing ventures; as well as leading to various other unexpected negative effects and faute de mieux situations. The purpose of this research is to assess those factors leading to time overrun in Malaysian construction projects. The perceptions of public and private sectors, contractors, clients, and consultants are compared relative to a list of factors derived from the review of extant literature in project delay.

Design/methodology/approach

– The research data were collected through an industry-wide questionnaire survey circulated across the Malaysian construction industry. The research develops a list of 84 time overrun factors. Responses were collected from 49 clients, 51 contractors, and 105 consultants, to explore and analyse the major factors that are responsible for causing time overrun based on sectors (public and private), organisations (clients, contractors and consultants) and professional roles.

Findings

– Project delays beyond contract dates are predominantly caused by contractors and are usually associated with financial factors. “Cash flow problems faced by the contractors” was found the major factor, which contributed to project delays, whereas “storage on site” was seen as the least significant factor.

Practical implications

– It is noteworthy that the findings in this research have a regional focus; it is, therefore, suggested that readers from other sections of the world exercise caution in applying the findings. As it is believed that every construction industry has its nature, culture and regulations, these factors can change as a result of such differences.

Originality/value

– This research provides stakeholders with information on factors, which, if properly understood, can make project delays less likely.
A meta-ethnography of organisational culture in primary care medical practice
Authors: Grant Suzanne , Guthrie Bruce , Entwistle Vikki , Williams Brian
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– Over the past decade, there has been growing international interest in shaping local organisational cultures in primary healthcare. However, the contextual relevance of extant culture assessment instruments to the primary care context has been questioned. The aim of this paper is to derive a new contextually appropriate understanding of the key dimensions of primary care medical practice organisational culture and their inter-relationship through a synthesis of published qualitative research.

Design/methodology/approach

– A systematic search of six electronic databases followed by a synthesis using techniques of meta-ethnography involving translation and re-interpretation.

Findings

– A total of 16 papers were included in the meta-ethnography from the UK, the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand that fell into two related groups: those focused on practice organisational characteristics and narratives of practice individuality; and those focused on sub-practice variation across professional, managerial and administrative lines. It was found that primary care organisational culture was characterised by four key dimensions, i.e. responsiveness, team hierarchy, care philosophy and communication. These dimensions are multi-level and inter-professional in nature, spanning both practice and sub-practice levels.

Research limitations/implications

– The research contributes to organisational culture theory development. The four new cultural dimensions provide a synthesized conceptual framework for researchers to evaluate and understand primary care cultural and sub-cultural levels.

Practical implications

– The synthesised cultural dimensions present a framework for practitioners to understand and change organisational culture in primary care teams.

Originality/value

– The research uses an innovative research methodology to synthesise the existing qualitative research and is one of the first to develop systematically a qualitative conceptual framing of primary care organisational culture.
Guidance for research-practice partnerships (R-PPs) and collaborative research
Authors: Ovretveit John , Hempel Susanne , L. Magnabosco Jennifer , S. Mittman Brian , V. Rubenstein Lisa , A. Ganz David
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to provide evidence based guidance to researchers and practice personnel about forming and carrying out effective research partnerships.

Design/methodology/approach

– A review of the literature, interviews and discussions with colleagues in both research and practice roles, and a review of the authors' personal experiences as researchers in partnership research.

Findings

– Partnership research is, in some respects, a distinct “approach” to research, but there are many different versions. An analysis of research publications and of their research experience led the authors to develop a framework for planning and assessing the partnership research process, which includes defining expected outcomes for the partners, their roles, and steps in the research process.

Practical implications

– This review and analysis provides guidance that may reduce commonly-reported misunderstandings and help to plan more successful partnerships and projects. It also identifies future research which is needed to define more precisely the questions and purposes for which partnership research is most appropriate, and methods and designs for specific types of partnership research.

Originality/value

– As more research moves towards increased participation of practitioners and patients in the research process, more precise and differentiated understanding of the different partnership approaches is required, and when each is most suitable. This article describes research approaches that have the potential to reduce “the research-practice gap”. It gives evidence- and experience-based guidance for choosing and establishing a partnership research process, so as to improve partnership relationship-building and more actionable research.
Do our current approaches to care planning and the CPA enhance the experience and outcomes of a person's recovery?
Authors: Rinaldi Miles , Watkeys Flippa
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– Increasingly mental health services are attempting to become recovery focused which demands changing the nature of day-to-day interactions and the quality of the experience in services. Care planning is the daily work of mental health services and within this context, care planning that enhances both the experience and the outcomes of a person's recovery is a key element for effective services. However, care plans, the care planning process and the Care Programme Approach (CPA) continue to pose a challenge for services. The purpose of this paper is to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– Conceptual paper.

Findings

– Within recovery focused services a care plan becomes the driving force, or action plan, behind a person's recovery journey and is focused on their individual needs, strengths, aspirations and personal goals. If involving people directly in the development of their care plan is critical to creating better outcomes then supporting self-management, shared decision making and coproduction all underpin the care planning process. Based on the evidence of people's experience of care plans and the care planning process it is time to seriously debate our current conceptualisation and approach to care planning and the future of the CPA.

Originality/value

– The paper describes aspects of the current situation with regard to the effectiveness of care planning in supporting a person's recovery. The paper raises some important questions.
An investigation of property-related decision practice of Australian fund managers
Authors: Reddy Wejendra , Higgins David , Wakefield Ron
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– In Australia, the A$2.2 trillion managed funds industry including the large pension funds (known locally as superannuation funds) are the dominant institutional property investors. While statistical information on the level of Australian managed fund investments in property assets is widely available, comprehensive practical evidence on property asset allocation decision-making process is underdeveloped. The purpose of this research is to identify Australian fund manager's property asset allocation strategies and decision-making frameworks at strategic level.

Design/methodology/approach

– The research was undertaken in May-August 2011 using an in-depth semi-structured questionnaire administered by mail. The survey was targeted at 130 leading managed funds and asset consultants within Australia.

Findings

– The evaluation of the 79 survey respondents indicated that Australian fund manager's property allocation decision-making process is an interactive, sequential and continuous process involving multiple decision-makers (internal and external) complete with feedback loops. It involves a combination of quantitative analysis (mainly mean-variance analysis) and qualitative overlay (mainly judgement, or “gut-feeling”, and experience). In addition, the research provided evidence that the property allocation decision-making process varies depending on the size and type of managed fund.

Practical implications

– This research makes important contributions to both practical and academic fields. Information on strategic property allocation models and variables is not widely available, and there is little guiding theory related to the subject. Therefore, the conceptual frameworks developed from the research will help enhance academic theory and understanding in the area of property allocation decision making. Furthermore, the research provides small fund managers and industry practitioners with a platform from which to improve their own property allocation processes.

Originality/value

– In contrast to previous property decision-making research in Australia which has mainly focused on strategies at the property fund investment level, this research investigates the institutional property allocation decision-making process from a strategic position involving all major groups in the Australian managed funds industry.
Competency expectations for property professionals in Australia
Authors: Poon Joanna , Brownlow Michael
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– The aim of this paper is to identify the competency expectations for property professionals in Australia. It further discusses differences in competency expectations between property professionals who have different professional backgrounds, such as valuers or non-valuers, and property professionals who work in different sectors or different-sized companies and who have differing amounts of experience. The competencies identified in this paper include knowledge areas, skills and attributes.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper presents the research findings of a questionnaire survey sent to Australian Property Institute members, which aimed to gather Australian property professionals' views on the knowledge, skills and attributes required to perform their roles effectively. The percentage of the respondents who provided different choices of given answers for each of the 31 knowledge areas, 20 skills and 21 attributes was identified and discussed. The professional backgrounds of the respondents were also identified to see whether these impact on competency expectations for property professionals. Content analysis was used to analyse written comments collected in the questionnaire.

Findings

– The most important categories of knowledge, skill and attribute for Australian property professionals are valuation, effective written communication and practical experience, respectively. The least important are international real estate, second language and creativity. Knowledge of rural valuation is very important in Australia, although this has not been mentioned in previous studies. Professional backgrounds have a large influence on Australian property professionals' views on knowledge requirements, but less so on skills and attributes.

Practical implications

– The findings of this paper can be used as guidance for property professionals in their professional development plan. In addition, property course providers can use the research findings of this paper to inform their curriculum development and redesign.

Originality/value

– This project is the first to identify the comprehensive competency expectations of property professionals as a whole in Australia. At the same time, it identifies differences in the competency expectations of property professionals who have different professional backgrounds. Similar types of study have been conducted in the UK, the USA, Hong Kong and New Zealand but not yet in Australia. An understanding of the knowledge, skills and attributes required for property professionals is important for continuing professional development, curriculum development and the redesign of relevant property courses in order to maintain performance and competitiveness in the property sector.
Associated effects of index composition changes: an evidence from the S&P CNX Nifty 50 index
Authors: Rahman Abdul , Rajib Prabina
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to test the long-term effects of price and volume with the help of Downward Sloping Demand Curve (DSDC) hypothesis, and also the short-term price and volume effects with the help of Price Pressure Hypothesis (PPH) for the index revisions on the S&P CNX Nifty 50 index.

Design/methodology/approach

– In order to report the long-term and short-term effects, the current study reviews two testable hypotheses, namely, DSDC hypothesis and PPH. The study has used the event study approach by including GARCH (1, 1) conditional variance in the market model.

Findings

– The results report that, the added stocks experienced a significant increase in price and volume on the effective date; whereas the deleted stocks experienced significant volume levels and insignificant price levels on the effective date. Accordingly, the study finds support in favor of PPH.

Research limitations/implications

– The study could not find evidence to support the most studied DSDC hypothesis.

Practical implications

– Index reorganization presumably affects the fund managers, domestic as well as international investors. As a result, studying the effect of index changes is a subject of attention to academicians and investors alike.

Originality/value

– The study contributes to the body of knowledge on index inclusion and exclusion effects by providing Indian evidence on long-term and short-term price and volume effects, and also documenting contrary results to the previous Indian and global research works.
Measuring evaporation distribution of mud brick and rammed earth
Authors: Fodde Enrico , Watanabe Kunio , Fujii Yukiyasu
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– Salt weathering is one of the most common agents of decay of Central Asian earthen sites and is in function of water evaporation from the wall surface. Soon after excavation the earthen walls and the stupa of the Buddhist temple of Ajina Tepa (seventh-eighth century AD) started to deteriorate due lack of protection and surface erosion. The most important issue in the planning of conservation work was to understand such mechanisms and to decrease the effect of salt weathering on structural damage. The purpose of this paper is to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– Evaporation distribution and salts types were studied on selected walls. In addition, three-dimensional recording of the walls and the stupa was undertaken with digital photogrammetric methods.

Findings

– It was clearly found that the intensity of salt weathering in the site is high and some salts such as halite (sodium chloride) are thought to originate from groundwater. On the basis of the results obtained, thick shelter coating with mud brick and mud render was designed and constructed as protective measure for the earthen walls.

Practical implications

– Those walls that were most affected by salts weathering and erosion at the base (coving) became structurally less sound and eventually collapsed if not conserved.

Originality/value

– The work is the first attempt in the design of a methodology for the selection of earthen repair materials and methods.
Complex system modeling on establishment of construction standard system
Authors: Sun Zhi , Zhang Shoujian
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– The complexity of the construction standards affects the relevance between the system internal elements. Therefore, research on the systematic effect can make the construction activities get the optimum benefit. The purpose of this paper is to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– The research reveals the complex adaptive characteristic of the standard system by using system science theory, analyzes the emergent property mechanism of construction standard system, and provides the mathematical form of the system.

Findings

– Finally, according to the complex characteristic of standard system, the structure modeling method of complex system is given. This paper provides a new method and theory bases for the construction standard system establishment.

Originality/value

– Dynamic, open and non-linear can be considered as the core characteristics of construction standard system in structure, environment and behavior aspects, and that means the standard system is a typical complex system.
Effects of herbivory on leaf life span in woody plants: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Zvereva Elena L. , Kozlov Mikhail V.
Published: March 2014

Premature abscission of leaves damaged by herbivores can increase the degree of defoliation beyond that imposed directly by insect feeding. Our aim was to explore the general patterns and sources of variation in the effects of insect herbivory on leaf life span in woody plants.

Meta‐analysis of published data demonstrated that herbivory significantly reduced the life span of damaged leaves; insect feeding had a greater effect than the same level of herbivory simulated by mechanical wounding. The effects of both natural and simulated herbivory became stronger with increase in the proportion of damaged leaf area. Damage to young leaves and to plant species with higher specific leaf area resulted in a greater reduction in leaf life span than damage to mature leaves and to species with lower specific leaf area.

Herbivores differed in the magnitude of their effects on leaf life span, but this variation was not explained by herbivore feeding guilds or specialization.

Natural herbivory similarly reduced leaf life span in deciduous and evergreen trees, thereby questioning the hypothesis that premature abscission as a defence response is primarily a characteristic of evergreen trees. However, simulated herbivory imposed stronger effects on evergreens, suggesting that they are more sensitive to non‐specific wound‐induced elicitors than deciduous trees.

Synthesis. We demonstrated that, in spite of pronounced variation between study systems, herbivory in general reduces the life span of the damaged leaves of woody plants. Our results suggest that variability in plant responses to herbivory may be linked with the leaf economic spectrum. Premature abscission of damaged leaves can be seen as a tolerance strategy that reduces the negative consequences of local damage on the whole plant. This phenomenon should be accounted for in estimation of losses of net primary production caused by herbivory.
‘Who am I?’
Authors: Schellinski Kristina
Published: March 2014

The dreams and existential questions of those, who came into being in order to replace a dead person, pivot around a central cry: ‘Who am I?’ If conceived, born or designated as a replacement child, such an individual may suffer—even as an adult—from a rarely recognized unconscious confusion of identity, compounded by grief and survivors’ guilt. From before the child is born, the archetypal forces of death and life are joined in a fateful constellation; the soul of the replacement child bears the shadow of death from the very beginning of life. Hope for the replacement child lies in an emergence of true self as soul recreates original life. Analysis can help the replacement child experience a ‘rebirth into true life’, not as ‘the one who returned’, but as a psychologically newborn individual; the path of individuation countering the replacement child‘s identification with the dead. Jungian analysis offers unique concepts for understanding and healing the replacement child; C.G. Jung himself was born after two stillborn babies and an infant that lived only five days.
Jung's understanding of schizophrenia: is it still relevant in the ‘era of the brain’?
Authors: Abramovitch Yehuda
Published: March 2014

Jung was highly committed to grasping the meaning of psychotic thinking, and left behind precious insights to treatment scattered through his works written between 1906 and 1958. The tendency of today's psychiatry is to attribute the psychotic process to alteration in the brain's anatomy, biochemistry and electrophysiology, thus exempting the subject, i.e. the afflicted person, from responsibility for attachment to reality and their sanity. Jung understood schizophrenia as an ‘abaissement du niveau mental’, a similar phenomenon to the one encountered in dreams, and caused by a peculiar ‘faiblesse de la volonté’. He contested that complexes in schizophrenia, in contrast with neurotic disorders, are disconnected and can either never reintegrate to the psychic totality or can only join together in remission ‘like a mirror broke into splinters’ (Jung , para. 507). Accordingly, a person who does not fight for the supremacy of ego consciousness and has let themself be swayed by the intrusion of alien contents arising from the unconscious (even to the point of becoming fascinated by regression) is exposed to the danger of schizophrenia. The contemporary relevance of these notions and their necessity in understanding the psychotic process in the light of modern scientific findings are discussed.
Perinatal vertical transmission of antibiotic‐resistant bacteria: a systematic review and proposed research strategy
Authors: Seale J , Millar M
Published: March 2014

Background

Antibiotic‐resistant bacteria contribute to both early‐ and late‐onset sepsis and outbreaks in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). The extent to which vertical transmission of these resistant bacteria contributes to colonisation or infection of vulnerable infants in NICUs is unclear. Risk factors for vertical transmission of antibiotic‐resistant bacteria are not well described.

Objectives

To identify studies describing vertical transmission of antibiotic‐resistant bacteria, risk factors for transmission and the impact of colonisation on neonatal outcomes.

Search strategy

EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane, PubMed, and MEDLINE databases were searched using selected terminology. Titles and abstracts were screened by two reviewers. Selected papers were reviewed in full by two individuals to ascertain whether they fulfilled the inclusion criteria.

Selection criteria

Any original article investigating perinatal vertical transmission of antibiotic‐resistant bacteria between a mother and neonate was included.

Data collection and analysis

Data were extracted on study design, organism, antibiotic resistance, and means of ascertaining vertical transmission.

Main results

Five papers out of 4839 titles fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Four studies were predominantly observational and one was a case report. Each demonstrated perinatal transmission. No study reported risk factors for the transmission of resistant bacteria or the impact of colonisation on neonatal outcomes.

Author's conclusions

There is an absence of research into the perinatal transmission of resistant organisms despite the potential implications of such a situation. We outline objectives that need to be addressed in future research and describe a study design to ascertain the prevalence and risk factors for vertical transmission.
Efficacy of Coronary Artery Screening Tests and Intervention in Hemodialysis Patients
Authors: Daimon Shoichiro , Mizushima Ichiro , Hamano Ryoko , Terai Hidenobu
Published: March 2014

Although cardiovascular disease (CVD) is an important cause of death in patients on hemodialysis, evidence of a beneficial effect of percutaneous intervention (PCI) on stable heart disease is scarce. We investigated the cardiovascular outcomes of hemodialysis patients under our policy of encouraging coronary artery screening tests to the extent possible. A total of 147 hemodialysis patients have been treated in our clinic so far. In 98 of them, coronary artery screening tests were performed, three in unstable and 95 in asymptomatic patients. Significant coronary artery stenosis was detected in 29 at the first tests and in 11 during subsequent tests (40/98, 40.8%), and PCI or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) was performed. Multiple PCIs were needed in 21 patients. In the other 49 patients, coronary artery screening tests were not undertaken based on the nephrologist's decision or patient refusal. At the end of the study, 73 (74.5%) patients with tests, and 14 (28.6%) without tests were still outpatients (P < 0.01). Of 40 patients transferred to other hospitals for medical reasons or who died before transfer, there was cerebrovascular accident in eight, malignancy in six, congestive heart failure without CVD in four, infection in three, sudden cardiac death in one, and others 18. No patient with tests died of CVD and the only patient who died of sudden cardiac death probably due to myocardial infarction was a patient who had declined the screening tests. Coronary artery screening tests, intervention and subsequent periodic tests for asymptomatic hemodialysis patients can reduce the occurrence of cardiovascular events in this population.
Effect of Calcium Carbonate Combined With Calcitonin on Hypercalcemia in Hemodialysis Patients
Authors: Wei Yong , Kong Xiang Lei , Li Wen Bin , Wang Zun Song
Published: March 2014

This short‐term study assessed the efficacy and safety of calcium carbonate combined with calcitonin in the treatment of hypercalcemia in hemodialysis patients. Patients (n = 64) on hemodialysis for chronic kidney disease for more than 6 months were included based on total serum calcium more than 10.5 mg/dL. All patients were randomized (1 : 1) to receive calcium carbonate combined with calcitonin (Group I) or lanthanum carbonate (Group II) for 12 weeks. Blood levels of calcium, phosphorus and intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) were measured every month, bone mass density (BMD) and coronary artery calcium scores (CACS) were measured at 3 months. During the study period, serum calcium decreased from 10.72 ± 0.39 to 10.09 ± 0.28 mg/dL (P < 0.05), serum phosphorus decreased from 6.79 ± 1.05 to 5.46 ± 1.18 mg/dL (P < 0.05), and serum iPTH levels in the Group I and Group II were not significantly different from the baseline. There were no significant differences in CACS in either group. There were no significant differences in the BMD values between Group I and baseline. In Group II, the BMD values at the lumbar spine and femoral neck were significantly lower than those before the trial and significantly lower than the corresponding values of Group I (P < 0.05). Calcium carbonate combined with calcitonin and lanthanum carbonate were equally effective in the suppression of hypercalcemia in hemodialysis patients. There were no serious treatment‐related adverse events in treatment with calcium carbonate combined with calcitonin.
Comparing female‐based contraceptive methods in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis and a healthy population
Authors: Dalkilic Ediz , Tufan Ayse Nur , Oksuz Mustafa Ferhat , Sahbazlar Mustafa , Coskun Belkis Nihan , Seniz Nihan , Pehlivan Yavuz , Inanc Murat
Published: March 2014

Aim

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a systemic autoimmune disease that is 10 times more prevalent in women, particularly those of reproductive age. The varying effects of pregnancy on SLE and the differences between available SLE treatments make pregnancy timing and contraceptive methods significant. We aimed to determine the contraceptive methods used by SLE patients in the north‐west part of Turkey, and compared them with those used by rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and healthy controls.

Method

The study was comprised of 113 SLE patients, and 84 RA patients at the Rheumatology Outpatient Clinic of Uludag University Medical Faculty.

Results

Twenty‐three (20.3%) out of 113 SLE patients, 18 (21.4%) out of 84 RA patients and 17 (18.6%) out of 92 healthy controls did not use any contraceptive methods. Use of the withdrawal and condom methods was more common among SLE patients, accounting for 61% (withdrawal 32.7%, condom 28.3%). Moreover, 52% of SLE and 50% of RA patients were neither given information about contraceptive methods nor offered a suggested method, compared to 34% in the health control group.

Conclusions

The prevalence of oral contraceptive use is low in Turkey; notwithstanding the withdrawal and condom methods, which are frequently used despite their high failure risk. Although pregnancy timing is of great importance for SLE patients, necessary information and recommendations concerning contraceptive methods have been ignored and the use of effective methods is not a priority.
Construction and Validation of a Data Collection Tool for the Clinical Assessment of Human Responses of Outpatients With Chronic Cardiovascular Diseases
Authors: Carneiro Camila de Souza , Lopes Juliana de Lima , Herdman T. Heather , Lopes Camila Takáo , Bachion Maria Márcia , Bottura Leite de Barros Alba Lucia
Published: March 2014

Purpose

To develop and test the content validity of a nursing assessment tool for data collection (NATDC) based on NANDA‐I for use in outpatients with chronic cardiovascular diseases.

Methods

Construction based on the literature, refinement with a pilot group of hypertensive outpatients and content validation by experts.

Findings

The NATDC questions were divided into demographic information of the patient and family, clinical data, physical examination, and interview according to NANDA‐I domains.

Conclusion

The NATDC was constructed and validated.

Implications for Nursing Practice

This tool can be used in patients with chronic illnesses who experience a variety of human responses seeking nursing care in an outpatient setting because it is based in human responses within a structured framework for nursing assessment.
Genomic architecture of histone 3 lysine 27 trimethylation during late ovine skeletal muscle development
Authors: Byrne K. , McWilliam S. , Vuocolo T. , Gondro C. , Cockett N. E. , Tellam R. L.
Published: March 2014

The ruminant developmental transition from late foetus to lamb is associated with marked changes in skeletal muscle structure and function that reflect programming for new physiological demands following birth. To determine whether epigenetic changes are involved in this transition, we investigated the genomic architecture of the chromatin modification, histone 3 lysine 27 trimethylation (H3K27me3), which typically regulates early life developmental processes; however, its role in later life processes is unclear. Chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled with next‐generation sequencing was used to map H3K27me3 nucleosomes in ovine longissimus lumborum skeletal muscle at 100 days of gestation and 12 weeks post‐partum. In both states, H3K27me3 modification was associated with genes, transcription start sites and CpG islands and with transcriptional silencing. The H3K27me3 peaks consisted of two major categories, promoter specific and regional, with the latter the dominant feature. Genes encoding homeobox transcription factors regulating early life development and genes involved in neural functions, particularly gated ion channels, were strongly modified by H3K27me3. Gene promoters differentially modified by H3K27me3 in the foetus and lamb were enriched for gated ion channels, which may reflect changes in neuromuscular function. However, most modified genes showed no changes, indicating that H3K27me3 does not have a large role in late muscle maturation. Notably, promyogenic transcription factors were strongly modified with H3K27me3 but showed no differences between the late gestation foetus and lamb, likely reflecting their lack of involvement in the myofibre fusion process occurring in this transition. H3K27me3 is a major architectural feature of the epigenetic landscape of ruminant skeletal muscle, and it comments on gene transcription and gene function in the context of late skeletal muscle development.
Classification, diagnosis, and approach to treatment for angioedema: consensus report from the Hereditary Angioedema International Working Group
Authors: Cicardi M. , Aberer W. , Banerji A. , Bas M. , Bernstein J. A. , Bork K. , Caballero T. , Farkas H. , Grumach A. , Kaplan A. P. , Riedl M. A. , Triggiani M. , Zanichelli A. , Zuraw B.
Published: March 2014

Angioedema is defined as localized and self‐limiting edema of the subcutaneous and submucosal tissue, due to a temporary increase in vascular permeability caused by the release of vasoactive mediator(s). When angioedema recurs without significant wheals, the patient should be diagnosed to have angioedema as a distinct disease. In the absence of accepted classification, different types of angioedema are not uniquely identified. For this reason, the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology gave its patronage to a consensus conference aimed at classifying angioedema. Four types of acquired and three types of hereditary angioedema were identified as separate forms from the analysis of the literature and were presented in detail at the meeting. Here, we summarize the analysis of the data and the resulting classification of angioedema.
Dropouts in sublingual allergen immunotherapy trials – a systematic review
Authors: Makatsori M. , Scadding G. W. , Lombardo C. , Bisoffi G. , Ridolo E. , Durham S. R. , Senna G.
Published: March 2014

Participant dropouts can reduce the power of allergen immunotherapy clinical trials. Evaluation of the dropout rate and reasons for dropout are important not only in the planning of clinical studies but are also relevant for adherence to immunotherapy in daily clinical practice. A systematic review was carried out in order to establish the overall dropout rate among published double‐blind, placebo‐controlled randomized clinical trials of sublingual immunotherapy for respiratory allergic diseases. Dropouts were analysed in regards to allergen, formulation, treatment schedule, participant age, study size, number of centres and type of allergic disease. Relative dropout rates in placebo and active groups as well as reasons for dropout were also assessed. A total of 81 studies, comprising 9998 patients, were included. Dropout rates in sublingual immunotherapy controlled studies do not appear to be a major problem with a composite dropout percentage of 14% (95% CI:11.9–16). Furthermore, they are not different for active compared to placebo‐treated participants. This lends support to the positive clinical outcomes seen in meta‐analyses of these trials.
Transthoracic echocardiography in women with treated severe pre‐eclampsia
Authors: Dennis A. T. , Castro J. M.
Published: March 2014

The aim of this study was to investigate cardiac function and haemodynamic indices using transthoracic echocardiography in women with severe pre‐eclampsia who had already received treatment interventions. Fifteen women with treated severe pre‐eclampsia were studied using transthoracic echocardiography. Mean (SD) cardiac output in women with treated disease was 5690 (1708) ml.min−1. Systolic function was preserved in women with treated disease evidenced by mean (SD) fractional shortening 41 (9)%, fractional area change 62 (12)% and septal s′ velocities 9.0 (2.1) cm.s−1. Left ventricle end‐diastolic diameters were within healthy reference ranges at 4.7 (0.3) cm and the left ventricle was not dilated. Diastolic function was reduced, with a mean (SD) mitral valve E/septal e′ ratio of 12.6 (4.1). Left ventricular mass was increased at 182.0 (44.4) g. There was large variability in haemodynamics in women with treated severe pre‐eclampsia. Transthoracic echocardiography is acceptable and applicable and enables quantification of cardiac function in women with severe pre‐eclampsia.
Remaining vigilant for the exotic: cases of imported canine leishmaniosis in Australia 2000–2011
Authors: Cleare E , Mason K , Mills J , Gabor M , Irwin PJ
Published: March 2014

Background

Canine leishmaniosis (CL) caused by Leishmania infantum is a disease of worldwide importance, not only because it causes severe and potentially fatal disease in dogs, but also because of its zoonotic relevance. The parasite is the causative agent of human visceral leishmaniosis, a severe, debilitating disease that causes an estimated 59,000 deaths annually. Australia is considered to be free of zoonotic leishmaniosis.

Methods

A retrospective case series of five imported dogs diagnosed with CL between 2000 and 2011. Cases were identified by word‐of‐mouth and by referral.

Results

The dogs were diagnosed with CL between 2000 and 2011; clinical, clinicopathological, and serological data are presented, together with a review of the disease and its biosecurity implications for Australia.

Conclusions

Because of the unique immunopathology and diagnostic challenges associated with CL, the importance of obtaining a travel history is reinforced because some dogs imported prior to 2006 may develop clinical signs of this disease and present for veterinary examination. Furthermore, it is possible for leishmaniosis to become established within Australia under certain circumstances.
Prevalence and risk factors for hyperinsulinaemia in ponies in Queensland, Australia
Authors: Morgan RA , McGowan TW , McGowan CM
Published: March 2014

Objectives

To determine the prevalence of hyperinsulinaemia in a population of ponies in Queensland, Australia, and identify associated factors.

Methods

Breeders or traders of ponies within a 100 km radius of Gatton, Queensland, were recruited for study using an internet database. Clinical and management details were obtained, including body condition score, fat deposition and history or evidence of laminitis. Blood samples were analysed for serum insulin and triglyceride concentrations and plasma adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) and leptin concentrations following short‐term removal from pasture and withholding of supplementary food for at least 12 h.

Results

Of 23 pony studs identified, 22 were available for visit. The study population consisted of 208 ponies: 70 Australian Ponies; 67 Welsh Mountain Ponies or Cobs; 51 Connemara Ponies; 20 Shetland ponies. We excluded 20 with suspected pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (>15 years, ACTH >50 pg/mL). In total, 27% of the ponies (51/188) were hyperinsulinaemic (insulin >20 μIU/mL). The final multivariable model revealed increasing age, supplementary feeding and increased leptin and triglyceride concentrations to be associated with hyperinsulinaemia.

Conclusions

Hyperinsulinaemia was prevalent and associated with age and evidence of metabolic disturbance, including elevated leptin and triglyceride concentrations, in this population. A significant number of ponies were at risk of hyperinsulinaemia, which has implications for strategies to reduce the risk of laminitis in this population.
Prognostic significance of soft tissue extension, International Prognostic Index, and multifocality in primary bone lymphoma: a single institutional experience
Authors: Wu Huanwen , Zhang Ling , Shao Haipeng , Sokol Lubomir , Sotomayor Eduardo , Letson Douglas , Bui Marilyn M.
Published: March 2014

Primary bone lymphoma (PBL) is a rare disease. The literature is inconsistent in regard to definition, stage and prognostic factors. We examined the PBL cases seen at the Moffitt Cancer Center between 1998 and 2013 using the 2013 World Health Organization criteria for bone/soft tissue tumours. Seventy PBL patients were included, of whom 53 (75·7%) patients were histologically classified as primary bone diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (PB‐DLBCL). Femur was the most commonly involved site in PBLs with unifocal bone lesions, whereas PBLs with multifocal bone lesions most frequently presented with spine disease. Further analysis of the PB‐DLBCL subgroup showed that these patients had 3‐ and 5‐year progression‐free survival (PFS) of 61·2% and 46·9%, respectively and 5‐ and 10‐year overall survival (OS) of 81·1% and 74·7%, respectively. Multivariate analysis identified soft tissue extension and International Prognostic Index (IPI) score as the most important unfavourable prognostic factors for both PFS and OS. Multifocality was also highly significantly associated with a worse PFS (P = 0·002) and OS (P < 0·001), although it was not identified in multivariate analysis due to its incorporation into the IPI. The results warrant further investigation regarding whether PBL with multifocal bone lesions could be considered as a systemic and more aggressive disease rather than a conventional PBL.
Temporal definition of haematopoietic stem cell niches in a large animal model of in utero stem cell transplantation
Authors: Jeanblanc Christine , Goodrich Angelina Daisy , Colletti Evan , Mokhtari Saloomeh , Porada Christopher D. , Zanjani Esmail D. , Almeida‐Porada Graça
Published: March 2014

The fetal sheep model has served as a biologically relevant and translational model to study in utero haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (IUHSCT), yet little is known about the ontogeny of the bone marrow (BM) niches in this model. Because the BMmicroenvironment plays a critical role in the outcome of haematopoietic engraftment, we have established the correlation between the fetal‐sheep and fetal‐human BM niche ontogeny, so that studies addressing the role of niche development at the time of IUHSCT could be accurately performed. Immunofluorescence confocal microscopic analysis of sheep fetal bone from gestational days (gd) 25–68 showed that the BM microenvironment commences development with formation of the vascular niche between 25 and 36 gd in sheep; correlating with the events at 10–11 gestational weeks (gw) in humans. Subsequently, between 45 and 51 gd in sheep (c. 14 gw in humans), the osteoblastic/endosteal niche started developing, the presence of CD34+ CD45+ cells were promptly detected, and their number increased with gestational age. IUHSCT, performed in sheep at 45 and 65 gd, showed significant haematopoietic engraftment only at the later time point, indicating that a fully functional BM microenvironment improved engraftment. These studies show that sheep niche ontogeny closely parallels human, validating this model for investigating niche influence/manipulation in IUHSCT engraftment.