bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intraoperative examination (IOE) in pediatric extracranial tumors
Authors: Dall'Igna Patrizia , d'Amore Emanuele S.G. , Cecchetto Giovanni , Bisogno Gianni , Carretto Elena , Bitetti Stefania , Famengo Barbara , Alaggio Rita
Published: January 2010

Background and objectives

Intraoperative evaluation of surgical specimens by frozen sections (IOE) is required to distinguish benign and malignant lesions, assess surgical margins, and determine sample adequacy of biopsies. In the last years, it has been used also for therapeutic decisions, particularly in children, who may need other ancillary procedures, in case of malignancies. Our purpose was the evaluation of diagnostic accuracy, limits, and different role of IOE in pediatric pathology.

Patients and methods

From 1990 to 2001, 416 IOEs were performed in 341 children, affected by lymph node pathology, soft tissue tumors, neuroblastic tumors, gonadal germ cell, and stromal tumors, hepatic lesions, renal tumors, and others; the technique was also used to assess surgical margins during major surgeries. IOEs were obtained from Tru‐cut biopsies (<1 cm3), wide biopsies (>1 cm3), or from the whole lesions, and the subsequent final diagnoses were classified as concordant, discordant, and deferred.

Results

Three hundred seventy cases (88.9%) were concordant, 10 (2.4%) discordant, and 36 (8.6%) deferred. The disagreement was found in two small lymph node samples, three soft tissue tumors, one hepatoblastoma, one metastasis, and three surgical margins. The deferred diagnoses were related to lymph node and soft tissue lesions.

Conclusions

IOE in pediatric oncology may integrate the diagnostic process and supports the therapeutic guidelines of different tumors. In our study, the diagnostic concordance was satisfactory. A rational use of the technique and the awareness of its limits are, however, prerequisites to avoid the risk of overtreatment. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2010;54:388–393. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
High pressure torsion of binary Cu64.5Zr35.5 alloy
Authors: Révész Ádám , Kovács Zsolt , Szabó Péter J. , Schafler Erhard , Varga Lajos K. , Hóbor Sándor
Published: January 2010

Disks of Cu64.5Zr35.5 composition were deformed by high pressure torsion. The cross‐section and radial dependence of the microstructure was monitored by X‐ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The extreme shear deformation, particularly at the perimeter of the disk promotes the formation of a homogeneous surface layer with a thickness of 10 µm and the blocks of Cu‐enriched regions in the bulk. Calorimetric measurements indicate the presence of a minor amorphous component.
State, forest and community: challenges of democratically decentralizing forest management in the Centre‐West Region of Burkina Faso
Authors: Bouda Henri‐Noël , Savadogo Patrice , Tiveau Daniel , Ouedraogo Boureima
Published: December 2009

This study examines challenges associated with early stages of decentralizing the administration and management of forest resources in the Centre‐West Region of Burkina Faso. It is based on fieldwork using rapid rural appraisal, focus group discussions and interviews with key stakeholders, methodology to explore the strengths and weaknesses of participatory forest management, and the main issues and challenges involved in these processes. The study found that a shift of administrative authority to the local level will not guarantee transparency and good governance in the forest sector unless measures are taken to remove challenging obstacles. The central government is still reluctant to decentralize a revenue‐generating sector such as forestry and the involvement of civil society remains weak. Decentralization also results in a plethora of conflicts at the local level as new responsibilities and opportunities arise with the devolution of new powers to the community. Decentralization of forest management will probably remain a work in progress for the foreseeable future. Thus, we recommend the introduction or reinforcement of participatory development programs through local dialogue with various stakeholders and an investigation of new policy and institutional arrangements that may promote equitable forest management. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.
Model‐based code generation for HLA federates
Authors: Adak Mehmet , Topçu Okan , Oguztüzün Halit
Published: December 2009

This paper addresses the problem of automated code generation for a High Level Architecture compliant federate application given its behavior model. The behavior model is a part of the architectural model of a federation that the federate can participate in. The federate behavior model is based on Live Sequence Charts, adopted as the behavioral specification formalism in the Federation Architecture Metamodel (FAMM). FAMM serves as a formal language for describing federation architectures. An objective is to help the testing of federation architecture by means of its prototype implementation early in the development lifecycle. A further objective is to help developers construct complete federate applications that are well modularized. The approach to achieve these objectives is aspect‐oriented in that the generated code, which handles the federate's interactions with a federation execution, serves as the base code, where the computation logic is to be weaved as an aspect. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Camila, the earth, and the sun: Constructing an idea as shared intellectual property
Authors: Radinsky Josh , Oliva Sonia , Alamar Kimberly
Published: January 2010

Recent research has challenged traditional assumptions that scientific practice and knowledge are essentially individual accomplishments, highlighting instead the social nature of scientific practices, and the co‐construction of scientific knowledge. Similarly, new research paradigms for studying learning go beyond focusing on what is “in the head” of individual students, to study collective practices, distributed cognition, and emergent understandings of groups. These developments require new tools for assessing what it means to learn to “think like a scientist.” Toward this goal, the present case study analyzes the discourse of a 6th‐grade class discussing one student's explanation for seasonal variations in daylight hours. The analysis identifies discourse moves that map to disciplinary practices of the social construction of science knowledge, including (1) beginning an explanation by reviewing the community's shared assumptions; (2) referencing peers' work as warrants for an argument; and (3) building from isolated ideas, attributed to individuals, toward a coherent situation model, attributed to the community. The study then identifies discourse moves through which the proposed explanation was taken up and developed by the group, including (4) using multiple shared representations; (5) leveraging peers' language to clarify ideas; and (6) negotiating language and representations for new, shared explanations. Implications of this case for rethinking instruction, assessment, and classroom research are explored. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 47:619–642, 2010
Boosting
Authors: Bühlmann Peter , Yu Bin
Published: December 2009

In this contribution, we review boosting, one of the most effective machine learning methods for classification and regression. Most of the article takes the gradient descent point of view, even though we do include the margin point of view as well. In particular, AdaBoost in classification and various versions of L2boosting in regression are covered. Advice on how to choose base (weak) learners and loss functions and pointers to software are also given for practitioners. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

This article is categorized under:

Statistical Learning and Exploratory Methods of the Data Sciences > Classification and Regression Trees (CART)
Importance sampling: a review
Authors: Tokdar Surya T. , Kass Robert E.
Published: December 2009

We provide a short overview of importance sampling—a popular sampling tool used for Monte Carlo computing. We discuss its mathematical foundation and properties that determine its accuracy in Monte Carlo approximations. We review the fundamental developments in designing efficient importance sampling (IS) for practical use. This includes parametric approximation with optimization‐based adaptation, sequential sampling with dynamic adaptation through resampling and population‐based approaches that make use of Markov chain sampling. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

This article is categorized under:

Statistical and Graphical Methods of Data Analysis > Sampling
Histogram
Authors: Scott David W.
Published: December 2009

Histogram is one of the most important graphical objects in statistical practice. In addition, the histogram provides a consistent estimate of any density function with very few assumptions. Construction of a density histogram with arbitrary mesh is described. Asymptotic theory of optimal histograms is used to provide practical rules for choosing a bin width with real data. Cross‐validation is shown to provide useful estimates of both the bin width and the bin origin. Examples are displayed using data from Sammy Sosa's best year for hitting home runs. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

This article is categorized under:

Statistical and Graphical Methods of Data Analysis > Density Estimation
Minimum covariance determinant
Authors: Hubert Mia , Debruyne Michiel
Published: December 2009

The minimum covariance determinant (MCD) estimator is a highly robust estimator of multivariate location and scatter. It can be computed efficiently with the FAST‐MCD algorithm of Rousseeuw and Van Driessen. Since estimating the covariance matrix is the cornerstone of many multivariate statistical methods, the MCD has also been used to develop robust and computationally efficient multivariate techniques.

In this paper, we review the MCD estimator, along with its main properties such as affine equivariance, breakdown value, and influence function. We discuss its computation, and list applications and extensions of the MCD in theoretical and applied multivariate statistics. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

This article is categorized under:

Statistical and Graphical Methods of Data Analysis > Robust Methods
Randomized clinical trials
Authors: Zheng Lu , Zelen Marvin
Published: December 2009

Randomization is widely recognized as a fundamental principle in the design of Phase III clinical trials. It is a way to minimize conscious and unconscious bias among patients and physicians with regard to treatment assignment and treatment acceptability. This paper outlines the advantages and disadvantages of randomization in clinical trials with discussions in permuted blocks, stratified randomization, cluster randomization, and the role of randomization as a basis for inference. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

This article is categorized under:

Applications of Computational Statistics > Clinical Trials
Le don de sperme en Israël, son secret et son anonymat
Authors: Soffer Y. , Birenbaum-Carmeli D.
Published: January 2010

Le secret et l’anonymat du don de sperme sont très forts en Israël. Ce mode est préféré par les couples inféconds et semble faciliter leur adaptation à la parentalité à long terme. Dans les communautés religieuses juives orthodoxes, ce don est, tout au plus, toléré à la condition paradoxale que le donneur soit d’ascendance non juive pour éviter un futur mariage incestueux ou consanguin. Bien que le nombre de couples inféconds n’ait pas diminué, la proportion des couples recevant un don de sperme ne cesse de baisser. Il n’est plus que de 20 à 25 % des receveurs de dons, la grande majorité, 75 à 80 %, étant constituée de femmes seules plutôt âgées. Lorsque l’enfant grandit, ces dernières désirent souvent qu’il puisse connaître son père biologique. La réussite du don de sperme à long terme exige aussi du médecin qu’il sache prendre en considération les sensibilités des personnes qu’il traite. Aussi, de même que l’importation de sperme de donneurs d’ascendance non juive est autorisée, il faudrait permettre le recrutement de donneurs sous un double régime: le régime de l’anonymat surtout pour les couples inféconds et le régime de « l’accessibilité » surtout pour les femmes seules.
Do We Need Chaperones for Intimate Examination in Urology Clinics? Patients' Preferences and Urologists' Practice in Scotland
Authors: Ong E. , Garnett S. , MacFarlane J.R. , Donat R.
Published: January 2010

Introduction:

General Medical Council (GMC) guidelines and the Ayling report recommend that a chaperone should be offered to all patients for every intimate examination. We wanted to establish whether these guidelines reflect men's preferences and urologists' current practice in intimate examination.

Methods:

All male patients attending urology outpatient clinics over a 3 month period at two hospitals were asked to fill in a preference questionnaire. A separate questionnaire was sent to all urologists in Scotland to establish the current practice.

Results:

315 patients returned evaluable questionnaires. While 227 patients (73%) felt that a chaperone should be offered, only 45 patients (14.3%) wanted a chaperone. Of these, only 15 patients (4.8%) would not have been comfortable to ask for a chaperone. 64 (75.3%) Scottish urologists responded and only 3 (4.7%) urologists offered a chaperone to all male patients. 47 (73.4%) urologists did not routinely counsel patients about intimate examination under anaesthesia as part of transurethral surgery.

Conclusion:

Most men do not wish a chaperone to be present. Recommended best practice will protect the small minority of patients who want to have a chaperone. This involves the offer of a chaperone to all patients and accurate record keeping in the patient's case note.
Acupuncture analgesia for temporal summation of experimental pain: A randomised controlled study
Authors: Zheng Zhen , Feng Sam Jian Qiang , da Costa Cliff , Li Chun Guang , Lu David , Xue Charlie Changli
Published: January 2010

Background: Temporal summation of pain, a phenomenon of the central nervous system (CNS), represents enhanced painful sensation or reduced pain threshold upon repeated stimulation. This pain model has been used to evaluate the analgesic effect of various medications on the CNS.

Aims: The present study aimed to evaluate the effects and characteristics of analgesia induced by electroacupuncture (EA), manual acupuncture (MA) and non‐invasive sham‐acupuncture (SA) in healthy humans on temporal summation of pain.

Methods: Thirsty‐six pain‐free volunteers were randomised into one of the three groups EA (2/100 Hz), MA or SA. Acupuncture intervention was on ST36 and ST40 on the dominant leg delivered by an acupuncturist blinded to the outcome assessment. Both subjects and the evaluator were blinded to the treatment allocation. Pain thresholds to a single pulse (single pain threshold, SPT) and repeated pulses electrical stimulation (temporal summation thresholds, TST) were measured before, 30 min after and 24 h after each treatment.

Results: The baseline values of three groups were comparable. Compared to SA, EA significantly increased both SPT and TST immediately after the treatment on the treatment leg as well as 24 h after on both the treatment and non‐treatment legs (ANOVA, p < 0.05). MA also increased SPT and TST, but the changes were not significantly different from those induced by SA.

Conclusion: EA induces bilateral, segmentally distributed and prolong analgesia on both SPT and TST, indicating a non‐centrally specific effect. This effect needs to be verified with heat or mechanical model and in pain patients.
Transbilayer (flip‐flop) lipid motion and lipid scrambling in membranes
Authors: Contreras F.-Xabier , Sánchez-Magraner Lissete , Alonso Alicia , Goñi Félix M.
Published: December 2009

This paper reviews the current knowledge on the various mechanisms for transbilayer, or flip‐flop, lipid motion in model and cell membranes, enzyme‐assisted lipid transfer by flippases, floppases and scramblases is briefly discussed, while non‐catalyzed lipid flip‐flop is reviewed in more detail. Transbilayer lipid motion may occur as a result of the insertion of foreign molecules (detergents, lipids, or even proteins) in one of the membrane leaflets. It may also be the result of the enzymatic generation of lipids, e.g. diacylglycerol or ceramide, at one side of the membrane. Transbilayer motion rates decrease in the order diacylglycerol ≫ ceramide ≫ phospholipids. Ceramide, but not diacylglycerol, can induce transbilayer motion of other lipids, and bilayer scrambling. Transbilayer lipid diffusion and bilayer scrambling are defined as two conceptually and mechanistically different processes. The mechanism of scrambling appears to be related to local instabilities caused by the non‐lamellar ceramide molecule, or by other molecules that exhibit a relatively slow flip‐flop rate, when asymmetrically inserted or generated in one of the monolayers in a cell or model membrane.
Structural and functional evidence for a substrate exclusion mechanism in mammalian tolloid like‐1 (TLL‐1) proteinase
Authors: Berry Richard , Jowitt Thomas A. , Garrigue-Antar Laure , Kadler Karl E. , Baldock Clair
Published: December 2009

MINT‐7386098: BMP‐1 (uniprotkb:P13497) cleaves (MI:0194) Chordin (uniprotkb:Q9H2X0) by protease assay (MI:0435)
RKIP inhibits NF‐κB in cancer cells by regulating upstream signaling components of the IκB kinase complex
Authors: Tang Huihui , Park Sungdae , Sun Shao-Cong , Trumbly Robert , Ren Gang , Tsung Eric , Yeung Kam C.
Published: December 2009

MINT‐7386121: TRAF6 (uniprotkb:Q9Y4K3) physically interacts (MI:0915) with RKIP (uniprotkb:P30086) by anti bait co‐immunoprecipitation (MI:0006)
New insights on Illinoian deglaciation from deposits of Glacial Lake Quincy, central Indiana
Authors: Wood J.R. , Forman S.L. , Pierson J. , Gomez J.
Published: December 2009

The deposits of Glacial Lake Quincy overlie a diamicton associated with the classically defined Illinoian limit in central Indiana. This lake covered at least 180 km2 with a depth of > 20 m and developed when the Illinoian ice sheet retreated 15 km from the maximum limit, causing lake impoundment against Devore Ridge. Overflow from Glacial Lake Quincy eroded across the ridge forming a number of steeped-walled outlets. A section along Mill Creek exposes a sedimentologic sequence associated with Glacial Lake Quincy from a subglacial diamicton to ice-proximal to ice-distal glacial lacustrine sediments. We report new optical ages by multiple aliquot regenerative dose procedure for the fine-grained rhythmically bedded sediments presumed to represent the lowest energy depositional facies, dominated by suspension settling, which maximized sunlight exposure. In turn, optical ages were determined on the fine-grained (4-11 μm) polymineral and quartz fractions under infrared and blue excitation, which yielded statistically similar ages. Optical ages span from ca. 170 to 108 ka, with the average of 16 optical ages indicating deglaciation at ca. 135 ka, generally coincident with Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage 6-to-5 transition and rise in global sea level.
An Institutional Comparison of Child Protection Systems in Australia and Norway Focused on Workforce Retention
Authors: HEALY KAREN , OLTEDAL SIV
Published: January 2010

By any standard, child protection work is a demanding field of social services work. Throughout much of the post-industrial world, child protection agencies face significant problems in recruiting and retaining front-line staff with the abilities required to undertake this often complex and stressful work. The capacity of these agencies to achieve their social policy objectives can be compromised by workforce instability. Despite a growing body of evidence about the contribution of local organisational and caseworker characteristics to workforce turnover, policy-makers face a dearth of information about how the broader institutional context of child protection systems contributes to challenges in workforce retention. This lack of evidence is notable given the varying rates of caseworker turnover observed internationally, particularly between social policy regimes where different institutional contexts shape workforce conditions. This article aims to contribute to the evidence base for improving workforce retention in child protection services through an institutional comparison of child protection systems in Queensland (Australia) and Norway. We analyse the role of the institutional conditions in shaping the nature and scope of child protection work, characteristics and responsibilities of caseworkers, and their financial remuneration for this work. We discuss how these institutional effects help to explain the differences in workforce turnover among child protection workers in Queensland and Norway.
How Not To Change Patriarch: A Comment on Dean v Burne
Authors: Rivers Julian
Published: January 2010

When Theseus returned from Crete, his ship was long preserved in Athens. Over time, individual planks rotted and were replaced, until eventually all the planks had been renewed. Was the Athenian ship still the original one of Theseus? The problem that vexed Greek philosophers can be made more acute if one imagines that the rotten planks had been preserved, restored and eventually reconstructed into another ship. Which is now Theseus' ship? This was the problem facing Blackburne J in the High Court in the case of Dean v Burne. In effect, he decided that the ship of new planks is still the original one.
Zwischen Pendelmigration und Pflegebedürftigkeit
Authors: Trifonopoulou Konstantina Dina
Published: December 2009

Im Rahmen einer qualitativen Untersuchung (halbstrukturierte Interviews mit acht Frauen und Männern im Alter von 65 bis 85 Jahren im Rhein-Main-Gebiet) wurde untersucht, wie alte griechische Migranten ihr Leben in der Nachberentungsphase im Rahmen der sog. «Pendelmigration» gestalten, welche Kontinuitäts- und Veränderungsmuster sich dabei abzeichnen, und mit welchen Absichten und Strategien sie sich auf ihre Zukunft einstellen. Auf dem Hintergrund der Datenlage zur sozialen Lage griechischer Migranten werden migrationstheoretische und gerontologische Ansätze diskutiert, die dazu geeignet sind, die je individuellen Formen (erfolgreicher) transnationaler Lebensgestaltung differenziert zu erfassen. Auf der Grundlage des Konzepts der Grounded Theory von Strauss und Corbin (1996 ) wurden die transkribierten Interviews einer Datenanalyse unterzogen und mithilfe eines daraus generierten Analysemodells ausgewertet. Ergebnisse: Hinter dem Begriff der «Pendelmigration» verbirgt sich eine facettenreiche Wirklichkeit aktiver transnationaler Lebensgestaltung, in der Strategien der Assimilation und Akkommodation ( Brandtstädter & Renner, 1990 ) balanciert werden («flexible experimentelle Zielverfolgung»). Diese Kompetenz erweist sich als eine Folge eines jahrzehntelangen Lernprozesses in der Migration und sollte in der gerontologischen Forschung noch weiter ausgearbeitet und in der Altenhilfeplanung stärker berücksichtigt werden.
Vielfältige Lebensstile und prekäre Lebenslagen allein stehender Frauen aus der Zuwanderergeneration
Authors: Matthäi Ingrid
Published: December 2009

In dem Aufsatz werden ausgewählte Ergebnisse aus einer qualitativen Studie zur sozialen Lage allein stehender Migrantinnen aus der Zuwanderergeneration vorgestellt. Im Fokus stehen geschlechts- und altersspezifische Lebenslagen, die für die Lebensqualität im Alter besonders bedeutsam sind. Die allein stehenden Migrantinnen aus der Zuwanderergeneration bilden keine homogene Sozialgruppe. Die Heterogenität und Vielfalt in den Lebensstilen der zugewanderten Migrantinnen darf allerdings nicht darüber hinwegtäuschen, dass diese allein stehenden Frauen im Alter in zahlreichen Lebensbereichen Einbußen in ihrer Lebensqualität hinnehmen müssen. Ihre objektive Lebenslage ist im Vergleich zu älteren Deutschen und anderen Migrantengruppen eher prekär und primär ein Ergebnis relativer sozio-ökonomischer Deprivation.
NS-Verfolgte mit Migrationshintergrund als Patienten in der Geriatrie
Authors: Zielke-Nadkarni Andrea
Published: December 2009

Hintergrund: Dieser Beitrag präsentiert die Ergebnisse verschiedener qualitativ-explorativer Studien zu Biographien von NS-Verfolgten mit Migrationshintergrund (Juden aus der GUS, Roma, Sinti und ehemaligen polnischen Zwangsarbeitern). Ziel ist die Erhebung der spezifischen Pflegebedürfnisse dieser vulnerablen Klientel im Hinblick auf ihre Abhängigkeit von anderen im Alter, wenn sie medizinische und pflegerische Versorgung benötigt. Methode: Semi-strukturierte Interviews auf der Basis der Grounded Theory wurden eingesetzt, um die soziale und familiale Situation der Befragten zu untersuchen. Ergebnisse: Die Angst, offen über ihre Verfolgungserfahrungen zu sprechen, ist das hervorstechendste Merkmal all dieser Migranten. In vielen Fällen hat das Trauma die Verbindung zu ihrer Umgebung gebrochen und ausgeprägte Gefühle der Isolation und Hilflosigkeit hervorgerufen. Obwohl sie aus unterschiedlichen sozialen Milieus stammen, gibt es eine Reihe von Verhaltensweisen, die ihnen gemeinsam sind und auf eine Verfolgungsgeschichte hinweisen. Zugleich enthüllt die Befragung ihren unsicheren Status als Migranten und ihr Leben in einer Gesellschaft, die sie oft als marginalisierend und ausschließend empfinden.
Gerontopsychiatrische Versorgungs- realität bei Heimbewohnern im Berliner Bezirk Marzahn-Hellersdorf
Authors: Dahling Volker Günter
Published: December 2009

Demographischer Wandel und Veränderungen in der Versorgung durch Angehörige lassen in den nächsten Jahren eine deutliche Zunahme der Betreuung Pflegebedürftiger in Heimen erwarten. Bereits 2005 sind mit der Veröffentlichung der SÄVIP-Studie Defizite in der psychiatrisch fachärztlichen Betreuung von Heimbewohnern benannt worden, der 2008 erschienene GEK-Pflegereport bestätigt diese Ergebnisse. Die vorliegende Arbeit stellt die psychiatrische Versorgung von Heimbewohnern im Berliner Bezirk Marzahn-Hellersdorf auf den Prüfstand. Dabei gehen Erfahrungen der zuständigen Psychiatrischen Institutsambulanz ebenso mit ein wie die Sicht der niedergelassenen Nervenärzte und der Pflegeheime. Alle befragten Leistungserbringer kommen zu dem Schluss, dass bereits jetzt eine Unterversorgung bei psychiatrisch erkrankten Heimbewohnern des Bezirkes besteht. Aufgrund der besonderen demografischen Situation des Bezirkes mit zu erwartender, weit überdurchschnittlich schneller Alterung steht Marzahn-Hellersdorf hier erst am Anfang einer Entwicklung, die das pointiert vorwegnehmen wird, was anderen Regionen Deutschlands noch bevorsteht. Es lohnt also auch in den kommenden Jahren einmal einen Blick nach Marzahn-Hellersdorf zu werfen und zu schauen, wie dort den wachsenden psychiatrischen Versorgungsbelangen von Heimbewohnern begegnet wird.
Psychotherapeutische und psychosoziale Interventionen zur Unterstützung der Krankheits- bewältigung für Menschen mit Demenz im Frühstadium
Authors: Stechl Elisabeth , Steinhagen-Thiessen Elisabeth , Mix Stefan
Published: December 2009

Degenerative Demenzerkrankungen können bislang nicht kausal behandelt werden. Die folgende Review fasst den aktuellen Stand der nicht-medikamentösen Interventionen für Menschen mit einer leichten Demenz zusammen. Viele empirische Studien und Therapieempfehlungen sind auf der Basis eines Paradigmenwechsels entstanden und bedienen sich Instrumenten und Verfahren der qualitativen Sozialforschung. Innerhalb dieses Perspektivenwechsels steht das Krankheitserleben der Betroffenen im Vordergrund. Die vorgestellten Einzel- und Gruppentherapieansätze beruhen auf der Prämisse, dass Menschen mit Demenz nicht passive Opfer ihrer degenerativen Abbauprozesse sind, sondern ihre Krankheit aktiv zu bewältigen versuchen. Es werden ein Überblick über allgemeine Grundsätze der therapeutischen Arbeit mit Menschen mit Demenz gegeben sowie verschiedene personenzentrierte Interventionen (Verhaltenstherapie, Gesprächspsychotherapie, kognitive Aktivierung) und Gruppentherapieansätze vorgestellt.
Eine Therapiestudie zur Behandlung des visuellen Neglekts mittels Prismenadaptation
Authors: Dimova Violeta , Förtsch Joachim , Klos Thomas , Schupp Wilfried , Reinhardt Frank , Lautenbacher Stefan
Published: December 2009

Studien weisen auf langfristige Therapieeffekte der Prismenadaptation auf Neglekt hin. Eine quantitative Einschätzung der Effektivität aufgrund von Effektgrößen liegt bisweilen nicht vor. Ziele der vorliegenden Studie waren die zu erreichenden Effektstärken nach einer mehrwöchigen Prismenadaptationstherapie bei visuellem Neglekt zu ermitteln und diese mit bekannten Erfolgsmaßen anderer Interventionsverfahren zu vergleichen. 14 Neglektpatienten bekamen in vier aufeinander folgenden Wochen (3x pro Woche) eine Prismenadaptationstherapie. Zur Erfassung der Therapieeffekte wurden diagnostische Standardtestverfahren und ein Fragebogen zu störungsspezifischen Beeinträchtigungen eingesetzt. Neun von den zehn ermittelten Effektgrößen der einzelnen neglekt-spezifischen Outcomemaße überstiegen den Wert von 0.8. Die Effektstärken für die miterhobene Kontrollvariable Aufmerksamkeit deuteten hingegen nur auf mittelgradige Veränderungen hin. Der Literaturvergleich mit weiteren Neglekttherapieverfahren legt ebenfalls die überdurchschnittlich hohe Effektivität der Prismenadaptationstherapie nahe.
Neurologische Erkrankungen und psychische Störungen: gesundheitsbezogene Lebensqualität und Kostenfaktoren
Authors: Fischer Stefan , Wendel Claudia , Jacobi Frank
Published: December 2009

Hintergrund/ Fragestellung. Die Untersuchung vergleicht die Prävalenz psychischer Störungen bei Personen mit versus ohne neurologischen Erkrankungen sowie die gesundheitsbezogene Lebensqualität (HRQOL) und gesundheitsökonomischen Kostenindikatoren zwischen diesen Gruppen.

Patienten und Methoden. Die Daten basieren auf dem bundesweiten Gesundheitssurvey (BGS 1998/99; repräsentative Erwachsenenstichprobe 18 – 65 Jahre, N=4181). Für eine Teilstichprobe von N=187 Teilnehmern mit mindestens einer neurologischen Diagnose (Lifetime) wurden die 12-Monats- Prävalenzen psychischer Störungen (DSM-IV; klinisches Interview: CIDI), ihr Zusammenhang mit der HRQOL (SF-36) und gesundheitsökonomischen Indikatoren (Inanspruchnahme medizinischer Leistungen, Ausfalltage) im Vergleich zur Allgemeinbevölkerung ohne neurologische Erkrankung untersucht.

Ergebnisse. Neurologische Erkrankungen gehen mit einer erhöhten Prävalenz psychischer Störungen einher (38.9 % vs. 30,8 %). Wenn psychische Störungen vorliegen, stehen diese bei der Gruppe mit neurologischer Diagnose mit einer verminderten psychischen und körperlichen HRQOL sowie ungünstigeren gesundheitsökonomischen Indikatoren (erhöhte Inanspruchnahme medizinischer Leistungen, erhöhte Anzahl an krankheitsbedingten Ausfalltagen) im Zusammenhang.

Schlussfolgerung. Die Daten unterstreichen die besondere Bedeutung psychischer Störung für die HRQOL und gesundheitsökonomische Kostenfaktoren nach neurologischen Erkrankungen.
EEG-Korrelate der Aufmerksamkeit bei Gesunden und Patienten mit Hirnschädigung
Authors: Wiegand Iris , Keller Ingo
Published: December 2009

In der vorliegenden Untersuchung sollte geprüft werden, inwieweit die Theta-Beta-Ratio ein geeignetes Maß für Neurofeedback ist. Bei einer Gruppe Gesunder sowie einer Gruppe hirngeschädigter Patienten wurde hierzu eine Einzelsitzung Neurofeedback mit der Theta-Beta-Ratio als Feedbackparameter durchgeführt. Im Anschluss mussten die Probanden einen Test zur Daueraufmerksamkeit absolvieren. Die Ergebnisse der gesunder Probanden zeigen statistisch signifikante Korrelationen zwischen der Theta-Beta-Ratio und der Anzahl richtiger und falscher Reaktionen sowie der Theta-Beta-Ratio und der Reaktionszeit. Hirngeschädigte Patienten zeigten wie die gesunden Versuchspersonen eine statistisch signifikante Korrelation zwischen der Theta-Beta-Ratio und der Fehlerzahl. Der gefundene Zusammenhang zwischen der Theta-Beta-Ratio und den Leistungen in dem Test zur Daueraufmerksamkeit zeigt, dass der Quotient aus Theta- und Beta-Aktivität ein geeigneter Parameter für Neurofeedback ist.
Konstruktvalidierung einer neuen Testbatterie für Wahrnehmungs- und Aufmerksamkeitsfunktionen (WAF)
Authors: Häusler Joachim , Sturm Walter
Published: December 2009

Bei der Entwicklung der Verfahren der Testbatterie Wahrnehmungs- und Aufmerksamkeitsfunktionen (WAF: Sturm, 2006 ) kommt der theoriegeleiteten Operationalisierung einer aktuellen Aufmerksamkeitstaxonomie (vgl. Van Zomeren & Brouwer, 1994 ; Posner und Raichle, 1994; Sturm, 2009b ) eine besondere Bedeutung zu. Das Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit war daher die Evaluierung mehrerer Aspekte der Konstruktvalidität, um eine Beurteilung zu ermöglichen, inwieweit die WAF Testbatterie das theoretische Modell, das ihr zugrunde liegt, widerspiegeln kann. Studie I befasst sich mit der Dimensionalität der Testmaterialien und verwendet zur Evaluierung Methoden der Probabilistischen Testtheorie, Studie II untersucht die nomothetische Spanne mittels linearer Strukturgleichungsmodelle. Beide Studien verwenden eine Stichprobe aus 295 gesunden Personen im Alter von 16 bis 77 Jahren.

Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Testverfahren bezüglich beider Aspekte der Konstruktvalidität die Anforderungen der theoretischen Modelle erfüllen. Einerseits kann gezeigt werden, dass die Messungen eindimensional erfolgen und dass die mittleren Reaktionszeiten erschöpfende Statistiken für die zu messenden latenten Eigenschaften darstellen, und damit – in einer Normalstichprobe – alle zur Interpretation notwendigen Informationen von dieser Variable transportiert werden. Andererseits kann gezeigt werden, dass die Struktur der WAF Testbatterie dem theoretischen Konstrukt entspricht, während alternative Konstrukte schlechter zu den vorliegenden Daten passen würden.
Testing a Psychological Contract Measure in a Swiss Employment Context
Authors: Raeder Sabine , Wittekind Anette , Inauen Alice , Grote Gudela
Published: December 2009

In this study, we validated a questionnaire measuring psychological contracts in a Swiss employment context. We argue that this measure sufficiently considers the characteristics of a stable employment situation and meets the criteria for the validity of psychological contract measures. The sample consisted of the employees of two firms and portfolio workers. An item and scale analysis was conducted and the dimensionality of the instrument was tested by means of confirmatory factor analyses. Finally, the instrument consists of three factors measuring employee expectations and employer inducements as well as two factors measuring employer expectations and employee contributions. Validity was evaluated by comparing groups with different employment status and by hierarchical regression analyses predicting intention to quit and performance.
La Duperie Volontaire d’un Test d’Associations Implicites (IAT) d’Estime de Soi
Authors: Chassard Delphine , Kop Jean-Luc , Pillerel Marie-Laure
Published: December 2009

The Implicit Association Test (IAT, Greenwald, McGhee, & Schwartz, 1998 ) provides indirect measurements, which are supposed to prevent voluntary control of answers by subjects. However, a systematic review of the empirical tests offers divergent results. This paper studies if it is possible to deliberately deceive a self-esteem IAT depending on whether subjects are given information on the strategy to be used or not and according to their acquaintance with the test. Results show that almost all subjects are able to control their answers to the IAT if they are provided an efficient strategy; only a part of naïve subjects succeed in it. These results are discussed in reference to the use of the IAT in basic and applied research.
Implicit but Stable
Authors: Ceschi Grazia , Banse Rainer , Van der Linden Martial
Published: December 2009

This study investigates the malleability of explicit and implicit anxiety through mental imagery. Sixty adults imagined themselves in an anxious, calm, or neutral situation. Thereafter, explicit state and trait anxiety were assessed with self-reports, and implicit anxiety was assessed with a variant of the Implicit Association Test. The results indicate that imagery manipulation changed state anxiety in the expected direction. Explicit trait anxiety and implicit anxiety, however, were found to be stable. These findings suggest that the implicit self-concept of anxiety has trait-like characteristics and is as stable against a short-term voluntary mental control strategy as an established explicit measure of trait anxiety.
Depressive and Anxious Symptomatology After September 2001
Authors: Krastel Bettina , Margraf Jürgen
Published: December 2009

This study compares depressive and panic-related anxious symptomatology before the World Trade Center Disaster and two contemporaneous local disasters in Switzerland with data collected immediately afterward, and approximately 2 and 7 years later. Four cross-sectional surveys of representative samples of the Swiss population were conducted in March 2000 (N = 1026), October 2001 (N = 1014), October 2003 (N = 1004), and February 2008 (N = 501), using a standardized screening instrument. Immediately after the disasters, the mean depressive symptomatology score increased significantly and remained elevated but stable up to 2 years after the disasters, decreasing significantly from 2003 to 2008. However, anxious symptomatology rates did not change over time, neither immediately after the disasters nor 2 or 7 years later.
Die unerkannte Hashimoto-Enzephalopathie
Authors: Voll Renate
Published: December 2009

Es erfolgt eine Literaturübersicht. Die Hashimoto-Enzephalopathie ist eine steroid-sensitive Enzephalopathie assoziiert mit Hashimoto-Thyreoiditis (SREHT). Die Vorkommenshäufigkeit der Hashimoto-Enzephalopathie wird unterschätzt. 2 Varianten der Erkrankungen werden beschrieben: Der diffus progressive Typ ist verknüpft mit schleichendem Beginn mit zunehmender Beeinträchtigung kognitiver Fähigkeiten mit Konfusion, Somnolenz und Psychose. Der vaskulitische Typ ist durch akute Schlaganfall-ähnliche Episoden, assoziiert mit fokal neurologischen Ausfällen und Anfällen gekennzeichnet. Die Hashimoto-Enzephalopathie (SREHT) ist ein klinisches Krankheitsbild mit erhöhten Schilddrüsenantikörpern, das Status epilepticus oder wiederkehrende epileptische Anfälle, Myoklonus, fokal neurologische Ausfälle und neuropsychiatrische Störungen wie Psychose, Verwirrtheit, Halluzinationen und affektive Störungen umfasst. Die große Mehrzahl der Krankheitsberichte über Kinder und Erwachsene beschreibt eine dramatische klinische Verbesserung der Patienten entweder auf eine Methylprednisolon-Stoß-Therapie oder auf die tägliche Gabe von Prednison oder Prednisolon.
Die ambulante Behandlung des elektiven Mutismus am Beispiel eines langjährig bestehenden elektiven Mutismus bei einem 17-Jährigen
Authors: Herdener-Pinnekamp Katharina , Gundelfinger Ronnie , Steinhausen Hans-Christoph
Published: December 2009

Im vorliegenden Fallbericht wird die erfolgreiche Behandlung eines 17-jährigen Jugendlichen mit einem seit 10 Jahren bestehendem elektiven Mutismus dargestellt. Nach einer zusammenfassenden Darstellung der in der neueren Literatur berichteten Therapieansätze bei elektivem Mutismus werden das in diesem Fall verfolgte Behandlungskonzept mit sorgfältiger Diagnostik der komorbiden Störungen, der Motivationsarbeit zur Therapie, der kognitiv-verhaltenstherapeutischen Maßnahmen mit unterstützender medikamentöser Intervention sowie der intensiven Zusammenarbeit mit den pädagogischen Bezugspersonen und Einbezug der Eltern berichtet.
Menstruation and Suicide
Authors: Leenaars Antoon A. , Dogra T.D. , Girdhar Shalini , Dattagupta S. , Leenaars Lindsey
Published: December 2009

Background: Previous research, albeit limited, has reported mixed findings on the impact of menstruation cycle on suicidal behavior. The contribution of menstruation to completed suicide is also controversial; the studies are, in fact, very limited and are not carefully designed. Aims: To examine whether the menstruation cycle impacts on suicide. Methods: In order to explore this relationship, 56 autopsies on completed suicides in females were performed and matched to a control group of 44 females who had died from other causes, at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi. Histopathological examination, a method of collecting tissue from the uterus through biopsy, was used to determine the stage of the menstrual cycle. Results: The results show that 25% of women who had died by suicide were menstruating at the time, compared to 4.5% of the control group; this is statistically (χ2) significant at the p < .002 level. Conclusions: Menstruation in the women who completed suicide, compared to a control group, appeared to have an association, though more research is warranted. Not only there are serious methodological problems in the study of menstruation and suicide (largely because of problematic tissue storage and examination), but also because of the need to understand the impact within a larger psychological, social, and cultural frame.
Are There Ethnic Differences in Positive Body Image Among Female British Undergraduates?
Authors: Swami Viren , Airs Natalie , Chouhan Bhavna , Amparo Padilla Leon Maria , Towell Tony
Published: December 2009

Numerous studies have examined ethnic differences in body image, although the literature has tended to focus on a negative orientation toward one’s body. The present study examined whether there were differences in positive body image among 131 Caucasian, 122 South Asian, 67 African Caribbean, and 67 Hispanic female undergraduates in Britain. Participants completed several scales measuring body appreciation, societal influence on body image, and self-esteem. Results showed that, after controlling for age, Hispanic women had the highest body appreciation scores, followed by African Caribbean, Caucasian, and South Asian women, respectively. Results also showed that Hispanics had the lowest score on media influence and the highest self-esteem. Finally, regressional analyses showed that self-esteem was a strong predictor of body appreciation, over-and-above ethnic affiliation. These results are discussed in relation to the extant literature on ethnic differences in body image.
Infant Coping and Maternal Interactive Behavior Predict Attachment in a Portuguese Sample of Healthy Preterm Infants
Authors: Fuertes Marina , Lopes-dos-Santos Pedro , Beeghly Marjorie , Tronick Ed
Published: December 2009

In this longitudinal study of a Portuguese sample of healthy preterm infants, the aim was to identify specific, independent predictors of infant-mother attachment status from a set of variables including maternal education, maternal representations’ of infant temperament, infant regulatory behavior (coping), and mothers’ interactive behavior in free play. The sample consisted of 48 medically low-risk preterm infants and their mothers who varied in education. When infants were 1 and 3 months (corrected age), mothers described their infants’ temperament using a Portuguese temperament scale (Escala de Temperamento do Bebé). At 3 months (corrected age), infants’ capacity to regulate stress (coping) was evaluated during Tronick’s Face-to-Face Still-Face paradigm (FFSF). At 9 months (corrected age), mothers’ interactive behaviors were evaluated during free play using the Crittenden’s Child-Adult Relationship Experimental Index (CARE-Index). At 12 months (corrected age), infants’ attachment security was assessed during Ainsworth’s strange situation. Sixteen (33.3%) infants were classified as securely attached, 17 (35.4%) as insecure-avoidant, and 15 (31.3%) as insecure-resistant. In bivariate analyses, multiple factors were significantly associated with attachment status. However, in hierarchical regression analyses, only infant coping and maternal responsiveness were significant predictors of attachment status. These findings suggest that both infant characteristics identifiable early in the first year, such as coping, and maternal characteristics such as sensitivity influence the process of attachment formation.
Adolescents’ Self-Concordance, School Engagement, and Burnout Predict Their Educational Trajectories 1This paper is part of a series on “Youth Development in Europe: Transitions and Identities” that will appear in the European Psychologist throughout 2008 and 2009. Taken together, the papers aim to make a conceptual contribution to the increasingly important area of youth development, especially within the context of an expanding Europe, by focusing on variations and changes in the transition to adulthood and emerging identities. The series will conclude with a summary by the organizers of the series, Katariina Salmela-Aro (University of Jyväskylä, Finland) and Ingrid Schoon (University of London, UK).
Authors: Vasalampi Kati , Salmela-Aro Katariina , Nurmi Jari-Erik
Published: December 2009

This study investigated whether self-concordance of adolescents’ achievement-related goal predicts their school engagement and lack of burnout during upper secondary school as well as their subsequent educational trajectories. We also examined whether goal effort and progress mediate these associations. The sample consisted of 614 17-year-old upper secondary school students, who were surveyed three times: (1) in the second grade of upper secondary, (2) in the third grade of upper secondary school, and (3) one year later. The results showed that when adolescents pursued their achievement-related goal for internal reasons, they also invested effort in their goal, which was reflected in a high level of goal progress. Among girls, goal progress predicted a high level of school engagement during upper secondary school and, subsequently, success in the educational transition after upper secondary school, whereas low goal progress was related to school burnout, which in turn was reflected later on in delay in studies and low educational aspirations.
Strengths and Weaknesses of the Choice/No-Choice Method in Research on Strategy Use
Authors: Luwel Koen , Onghena Patrick , Torbeyns Joke , Schillemans Viki , Verschaffel Lieven
Published: December 2009

About 10 years ago, Siegler and Lemaire (1997 ) introduced the choice/no-choice method as a means of obtaining unbiased estimates of performance characteristics of cognitive strategies. They also illustrated the possibilities of this method and discussed its potential extensions for cognitive (developmental) research. The present article provides a critical discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the choice/no-choice method in research on strategy choice and strategy change, starting from an overview of the studies that have been done with this new method. We end with a general evaluation and some issues for further research.
Collective Efficacy and Organizational Commitment in an Italian City Hall
Authors: Borgogni Laura , Dello Russo Silvia , Petitta Laura , Latham Gary P.
Published: December 2009

Employees (N = 170) of a City Hall in Italy were administered a questionnaire measuring collective efficacy (CE), perceptions of context (PoC), and organizational commitment (OC). Two facets of collective efficacy were identified, namely group and organizational. Structural equation models revealed that perceptions of top management display a stronger relationship with organizational collective efficacy, whereas employees’ perceptions of their colleagues and their direct superior are related to collective efficacy at the group level. Group collective efficacy had a stronger relationship with affective organizational commitment than did organizational collective efficacy. The theoretical significance of this study is in showing that CE is two-dimensional rather than unidimensional. The practical significance of this finding is that the PoC model provides a framework that public sector managers can use to increase the efficacy of the organization as a whole as well as the individual groups that compose it.