bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Role of Trust in the Informal Investor's Investment Decision: An Exploratory Analysis
Authors: Harrison Richard T. , Dibben Mark R. , Mason Colin M.
Published: January 2018

Research into the informal venture capital market is characterized by a focus on empirical research into the characteristics of the market and on the development and analysis of the public policy Implications of this empirical research. There has, however, been little systematic application or development of theoretical models and frameworks appropriate to the informal venture capital market. Nor, with a few recent exceptions, has the empirical analysis of the market moved on to examine issues surrounding the process of Informal investment rather than the outcomes of that process. In this paper we seek to rectify both of these deficiencies. First, we develop a framework for the elucidation of the concepts of swift trust and swift cooperation, and in so doing formalize and expand on the generally passing references to trust in the entrepreneurship and venture capital literatures. Second, we derive from this an operationable framework for analyzing trust and cooperation, which we apply to the informal Investment decision-making process. Using verbal protocol analysis of Investor reactions In real time to one particular investment opportunity, we empirically examine the role of trust and cooperation in the investors’ Initial screening of potential investment opportunities, and the investors’ assessment of the intermediary responsible for providing the initial referral of the Investment opportunity.
Venture Capital in Transition Economies: The Case of Hungary
Authors: Karsai Judit , Wright Mike , Filatotchev Igor
Published: January 2018

This paper examines the Hungarian venture capital industry, one of the most well-developed in the emerging economies of Central and Eastern Europe. Using a combination of secondary data, mail questionnaires, and face-to-face Interviews, the paper identifies areas of both similarity and difference with experience in developed capitalist economies. The need for venture capitalists to obtain control is found to be much stronger in Hungary than in the US. The relative importance of DCF and price/earnings ratio methods of valuation are reversed when Hungary and western experience are compared. There was evidence that Hungarian domestic venture capitalists engage in less detailed monitoring than either venture capitalists elsewhere or foreign-based venture capitalists operating in Hungary.
The Effect of the Environment on Export Performance among Telecommunications New Ventures
Authors: Zahra Shaker A. , Neubaum Donald O. , Huse Morten
Published: January 2018

The importance of exports for achieving business growth and superior financial performance is widely recognized in the literature. Consequently, researchers have sought to identify the variables that influence a company's export performance. Accumulated research findings highlight a need to document the effect of the domestic competitive environment on a firm's export performance. Adopting a multidimensional view of export performance, this study of 121 U.S. telecommunication new ventures concludes that dynamism, hostility, and heterogeneity in a firm's domestic environment are significantly associated with higher export performance. Further, while a venture's age, formal export planning, and technological sophistication are conducive to high export performance, the impact of the venture's size and past financial performance on export performance are insignificant.
Sanders Hospital and Health Center: A Case Study
Authors: Chadwick Ken , Chrisman James J. , Jurkus Anthony F.
Published: January 2018

This case study examines Sanders Hospital's (fictitious name) decision on a strategy for developing a specialized cardiovascular program. Cardiovascular services had been identified as an opportunity to assist Sanders better compete in the turbulent hospital industry. The hospital was in the process of determining the best alternative for seizing and pursuing this opportunity. Two options were under consideration. First, Sanders could implement the program internally and compete directly in the market. The second option was to jointly develop the cardiovascular program through an alliance with one of the two regional hospitals who were contemplating entering Sanders’ market area.
The Role of Socially Constructed Temporal Perspectives in the Emergence of Rapid-Growth Firms
Authors: Fischer Eileen , Reuber A. Rebecca , Hababou Moez , Johnson William , Lee Steven
Published: January 2018

This study examined how owners and top management team members in firms that are growing very rapidly socially construct time so as to facilitate rapid growth. A blend of interview and text-based qualitative methods was used to study some firms that have achieved rapid growth and some that have yet to do so. Analysis led to the identification of several thematic patterns regarding the enactment of time. The first was simultaneity: informants appeared to sustain a simultaneous focus on the events actually occurring in the present and the outcomes desired in the future, so that strategies to deal with the present are emergent but the goals and time-frames for obtaining them remain relatively fixed. The second was selectivity: rather than passively accepting the time-frames of key customers or employees, these firms sought out customers and staff who shared a pace and movability of enacted time in congruence with the firms’ goals. The third theme was shaping: top managers in rapid-growth firms adopted or developed systems and procedures that allow them to shape the enactment of time throughout their organizations. The paper concludes with some propositions about the nature of enacted time in firms that are more versus less successful in growing rapidly.
On the Interaction of Time and Money Invested in New Ventures
Authors: Lévesque Moren , Maccrimmon Kenneth R.
Published: January 2018

The owners of America's fastest-growing private companies listed in Inc. 500 magazine in 1995 kept their wage jobs for an average of four months after the birth of their new ventures. Why didn't they immediately commit themselves full-time to the new venture? The answer is their need for money. The earned wages contribute to the survival of the individual by covering living expenses and to the survival of the business by allowing the Investment of some of the wage income into it. We address the question of when the best time is for an entrepreneur to leave a wage job and become a full-time entrepreneur. We show that the optimal time-allocation policy is driven by the entrepreneur's tolerance for work and by how the returns behave with respect to time allocation in the venture. By utilizing an analytical approach we suggest some productive new directions for entrepreneurship research.
The Stages Model of High-Tech Venture Founding: Tried but True?
Authors: Hansen Eric L. , Bird Barbara J.
Published: January 2018

Recent large sample studies of start-up event sequences reported more stochasticity at a population level of analysis than the stages model would have predicted. This study examined a random sample of 18 technology-intensive start-ups in manufacturing and business service industries and found examples of both the stages model and an alternative. Stages model start-ups significantly outperformed the others.
Time Allocation Patterns of Craftsmen and Administrative Entrepreneurs: Implications for Financial Performance
Authors: Cooper Arnold , Ramachandran Mohan , Schoorman David
Published: January 2018

This paper considers how one of the major resources of a new venture, the time of the entrepreneur, is allocated. Building upon conceptual frameworks from the occupational choice and entrepreneurial typology literatures, it develops four hypotheses. These relate to entrepreneurial time allocation, the antecedents of that behavior, and venture performance. A longitudinal sample of 391 firms is analyzed, using path analysis and OLS regression. Entrepreneurial time allocation was found to be related to primary goals at time of founding, which, in turn, were related to level of prior management experience. There was also support for relationships between time allocation and venture performance.
Automated stacking of seismic reflection data based on nonrigid image matching
Authors: Reiche Sönke , Berkels Benjamin
Published: January 2018

Stacking of multichannel seismic reflection data is a crucial step in seismic data processing, usually leading to the first interpretable seismic image. Stacking is preceded by traveltime correction, in which all events contained in a common-midpoint (CMP) gather are corrected for their offset-dependent traveltime increase. Such corrections are often based on the assumption of hyperbolic traveltime curves, and a best fit hyperbola is usually sought for each reflection by careful determination of stacking velocities. However, assuming hyperbolic traveltime curves is not accurate in many situations, e.g., in the case of strongly curved reflectors, large offset-to-target-ratios, or strong anisotropy. Here, we found that an underlying model parameterizing the shape of the traveltime curve is not a strict necessity for producing high-quality stacks. Based on nonrigid image-matching techniques, we developed an alternative way of stacking, both independent of a reference velocity model and any prior assumptions regarding the shape of the traveltime curve. Mathematically, our stacking operator is based on a variational approach that transforms a series of seismic traces contained within a CMP gather into a common reference frame. Based on the normalized crosscorrelation and regularized by penalizing irregular displacements, time shifts are sought for each sample to minimize the discrepancy between a zero-offset trace and traces with larger offsets. Time shifts are subsequently exported as a data attribute and can easily be converted to stacking velocities. To demonstrate the feasibility of this approach, we apply it to simple and complex synthetic data and finally to a real seismic line. We find that our new method produces stacks of equal quality and velocity models of slightly better quality compared with an automated, hyperbolic traveltime correction and stacking approach for complex synthetic and real data cases.
Bayesian linearized petrophysical AVO inversion
Authors: Lang Xiaozheng , Grana Dario
Published: January 2018

Seismic reservoir characterization aims to provide a 3D model of rock and fluid properties based on measured seismic data. Petrophysical properties, such as porosity, mineral volumes, and water saturation, are related to elastic properties, such as velocity and impedance, through a rock-physics model. Elastic attributes can be obtained from seismic data through seismic modeling. Estimation of the properties of interest is an inverse problem; however, if the forward model is nonlinear, computationally demanding inversion algorithms should be adopted. We have developed a linearized forward model, based on a convolutional model and a new amplitude variation with offset approximation that combined Gray’s linearization of the reflectivity coefficients with Gassmann’s equation and Nur’s critical porosity model. Physical relations between the saturated elastic moduli and the matrix elastic moduli, fluid bulk modulus, and porosity are almost linear, and the model linearization can be obtained by computing the first-order Taylor series approximation. The inversion method for the estimation of the reservoir properties of interest is then developed in the Bayesian framework. If we assume that the distributions of the prior model and error term are Gaussian, then the explicit analytical solution of the posterior distribution of rock and fluid properties can be analytically derived. Our method has first been validated on synthetic seismic data and then applied to a 2D seismic section extracted from a real data set acquired in the Norwegian Sea.
Solid Organ Transplantation in Patients With a History of Lymphoma
Authors: Bierman Philip J.
Published: January 2018

There is an increasing number of long-term survivors of Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. These people may have a need for subsequent solid organ transplantation, often as a result of late effects of their lymphoma treatment. There is abundant literature demonstrating that patients with a history of lymphoma are appropriate candidates for solid organ transplantation. Long-term survival without relapse and with a functioning graft is possible. Patients with a history of post-transplantation lymphoproliferative disorders and patients who have received a prior hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation may also be candidates. Although high-level supporting evidence is not available, most guidelines recommend a waiting period of 2 to 5 years after lymphoma treatment before patients undergo solid organ transplantation. Each patient with a history of lymphoma requires a multidisciplinary approach and should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis before consideration of solid organ transplantation.
Hydroxyethyl Starch 130/0.4 and Its Impact on Perioperative Outcome: A Propensity Score Matched Controlled Observation Study
Authors: Pagel Judith-Irina , Rehm Markus , Kammerer Tobias , Hulde Nikolai , Speck Eike , Briegel Josef , Reinholz Falk , Crispin Alexander , Hofmann-Kiefer Klaus F.
Published: January 2018

BACKGROUND:

Adverse effects of hydroxyethyl starches (HESs) have been verified in patients suffering from sepsis or kidney disease, but not in surgical patients at large. The investigation aimed to determine whether the use of HES 130/0.4 was associated with the incidence of acute postinterventional adverse events compared to Ringer’s acetate alone in a perioperative setting.

METHODS:

This propensity score matched, controlled observational study was performed in a single-centre university hospital. The perioperative data of 9085 patients were analyzed. Group matching was based on 13 categories including demographic data, type of procedure, and 5 preexisting comorbidities. Duration of procedure and intraoperative transfusion requirements were integrated in the matching process to reduce selection and indication bias. The primary outcome was incidence of postoperative kidney failure. Secondary outcomes were in-hospital mortality, fluid requirements, blood loss, hemodynamic stability, and the need for postoperative intensive care unit (ICU) treatment.

RESULTS:

The administration of HES 130/0.4 was not associated with an increased frequency of postoperative kidney failure. In-hospital mortality (Ringer’s acetate: 2.58%; HES 130/0.4: 2.68%) and the need for ICU care (Ringer’s acetate: 30.5%; HES 130/0.4: 34.3%) did not differ significantly between groups. Significant intergroup differences were observed for mean blood loss (Ringer’s acetate: 406 ± 821 mL; HES 130/0.4: 867 ± 1275 mL; P < .001) and median length of hospital stay (Ringer’s acetate: 10.5 (5/17) days; HES 130/0.4: 12.0 (8/19) days; P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS:

An association between intraoperative HES therapy and postoperative kidney failure was not observed in a mixed cohort of elective surgical patients. In addition, HES 130/0.4 was not associated with an increased morbidity or the need for ICU therapy in this propensity score matched study.
Comparing Methods for Cardiac Output: Intraoperatively Doppler-Derived Cardiac Output Measured With 3-Dimensional Echocardiography Is Not Interchangeable With Cardiac Output by Pulmonary Catheter Thermodilution
Authors: Graeser Karin , Zemtsovski Mikhail , Kofoed Klaus F. , Winther-Jensen Matilde , Nilsson Jens C. , Kjaergaard Jesper , Møller-Sørensen Hasse
Published: January 2018

BACKGROUND:

Estimation of cardiac output (CO) is essential in the treatment of circulatory unstable patients. CO measured by pulmonary artery catheter thermodilution is considered the gold standard but carries a small risk of severe complications. Stroke volume and CO can be measured by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), which is widely used during cardiac surgery. We hypothesized that Doppler-derived CO by 3-dimensional (3D) TEE would agree well with CO measured with pulmonary artery catheter thermodilution as a reference method based on accurate measurements of the cross-sectional area of the left ventricular outflow tract.

METHODS:

The primary aim was a systematic comparison of CO with Doppler-derived 3D TEE and CO by thermodilution in a broad population of patients undergoing cardiac surgery. A subanalysis was performed comparing cross-sectional area by TEE with cardiac computed tomography (CT) angiography. Sixty-two patients, scheduled for elective heart surgery, were included; 1 was subsequently excluded for logistic reasons. Inclusion criteria were coronary artery bypass surgery (N = 42) and aortic valve replacement (N = 19). Exclusion criteria were chronic atrial fibrillation, left ventricular ejection fraction below 0.40 and intracardiac shunts. Nineteen randomly selected patients had a cardiac CT the day before surgery. All images were stored for blinded post hoc analyses, and Bland-Altman plots were used to assess agreement between measurement methods, defined as the bias (mean difference between methods), limits of agreement (equal to bias ± 2 standard deviations of the bias), and percentage error (limits of agreement divided by the mean of the 2 methods). Precision was determined for the individual methods (equal to 2 standard deviations of the bias between replicate measurements) to determine the acceptable limits of agreement.

RESULTS:

We found a good precision for Doppler-derived CO measured by 3D TEE, but although the bias for Doppler-derived CO by 3D compared to thermodilution was only 0.3 L/min (confidence interval, 0.04–0.58), there were wide limits of agreement (−1.8 to 2.5 L/min) with a percentage error of 55%. Measurements of cross-sectional area by 3D TEE had low bias of −0.27 cm2 (confidence interval, −0.45 to −0.08) and a percentage error of 18% compared to cardiac CT angiography.

CONCLUSIONS:

Despite low bias, the wide limits of agreement of Doppler-derived CO by 3D TEE compared to CO by thermodilution will limit clinical application and can therefore not be considered interchangeable with CO obtained by thermodilution. The lack of agreement is not explained by lack of agreement of the 3D technique.
Reconsidering an active role for G-actin in cytoskeletal regulation
Authors: Skruber Kristen , Read Tracy-Ann , Vitriol Eric A.
Published: January 2018

Globular (G)-actin, the actin monomer, assembles into polarized filaments that form networks that can provide structural support, generate force and organize the cell. Many of these structures are highly dynamic and to maintain them, the cell relies on a large reserve of monomers. Classically, the G-actin pool has been thought of as homogenous. However, recent work has shown that actin monomers can exist in distinct groups that can be targeted to specific networks, where they drive and modify filament assembly in ways that can have profound effects on cellular behavior. This Review focuses on the potential factors that could create functionally distinct pools of actin monomers in the cell, including differences between the actin isoforms and the regulation of G-actin by monomer binding proteins, such as profilin and thymosin β4. Owing to difficulties in studying and visualizing G-actin, our knowledge over the precise role that specific actin monomer pools play in regulating cellular actin dynamics remains incomplete. Here, we discuss some of these unanswered questions and also provide a summary of the methodologies currently available for the imaging of G-actin.
Migration against the direction of flow is LFA-1-dependent in human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells
Authors: Buffone Alexander , Anderson Nicholas R. , Hammer Daniel A.
Published: January 2018

The recruitment of immune cells during inflammation is regulated by a multi-step cascade of cell rolling, activation, adhesion and transmigration through the endothelial barrier. Similarly, hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) use this pathway to migrate and home to the bone marrow. After selectin-mediated braking, HSPCs migrate on adhesion ligands presented by the vascular endothelium including ICAM-1, VCAM-1 or MAdCAM-1. Here, we report that both the KG1a stem cell line and primary bone marrow CD34+ HSPCs can migrate against the direction of fluid flow on surfaces coated with cell adhesion molecules (CAMs), a behavior thus far only reported in T lymphocytes. We demonstrate that KG1a cells and primary HSPCs migrate upstream on surfaces presenting ICAM-1, downstream on surfaces presenting VCAM-1, and both upstream and downstream on surfaces presenting MAdCAM-1. In addition, we demonstrate that KG1a cells and HSPCs display upstream migration both on surfaces with multiple CAMs, as well as on human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) monolayers. By blocking with monoclonal antibodies, we show that lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1) is the key receptor responsible for upstream migration on the endothelium during the trafficking of HSPCs to the bone marrow.

This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
Hypofractionated volumetric modulated arc therapy in ductal carcinoma in situ: toxicity and cosmetic outcome from a prospective series
Authors: De Rose Fiorenza , Fogliata Antonella , Franceschini Davide , Iftode Cristina , Torrisi Rosalba , Masci Giovanna , Sagona Andrea , Tinterri Corrado , Testori Alberto , Gatzemeier Wolfgang , Fernandes Bethania , Rahal Daoud , Cozzi Luca , Santoro Armando , Scorsetti Marta
Published: January 2018

Objective:

Hypofractionated radiotherapy in early stage breast cancer is an effective adjuvant treatment, but there is a lack of randomized data for patients with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). The aim of this study is the evaluation of skin toxicity and cosmesis, and early clinical outcome of DCIS patients enrolled in an institutional Phase II trial of hypofractionated breast irradiation.

Methods:

137 DCIS patients were enrolled in the trial. All patients underwent volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) to the whole breast with a total dose of 40.5 Gy in 15 fractions over 3 weeks, without tumour bed boost. Acute and late skin toxicities were recorded. Cosmetic outcomes were assessed as excellent/good or fair/poor. Early clinical outcome was reported.

Results:

Median age was 58 y.o. (range 30–86). The median follow-up time was 22 months (range 6–45). At the end of the radiotherapy, skin toxicity was grade G1 in 56% of the patients, G2 in 15%, no patients presented G3 toxicity. In the range of 3–9 months of follow-up, the skin toxicity was G1 in 28% of patients, no G2–G3 cases; cosmetic outcome was good/excellent in 95% of patients. In the follow-up interval of 9–24 months, the skin toxicity was G1 in 12% of patients, no G2-G3 toxicity; cosmetic outcome was good/excellent in 96% of patients. After an early evaluation of clinical outcomes, 5 patients (3.6%) presented an in-breast recurrence.

Conclusion:

Hypofractionated radiotherapy using VMAT is a viable option for DCIS. A longer follow-up is needed to assess clinical outcomes and late toxicity.

Advances in knowledge:

The use of hypofractionated VMAT is dosimetrically feasible for treating breast DCIS.
Book reviews
Authors: Davis Sam , O'Hara Jane , Flanders Jane , O'Driscoll Muriel
Published: January 2018

Your Baby Has Down's Syndrome

The Second Report of the Code Monitoiring Committee for the Marketing of Infant Formulae in the UK

The Tentative Pregnancy 2nd Edition

Helping Pregnant Smokers Quit: Training for Health Professionals
A New Deal for doctors and new opportunities for midwives
Authors: Morgan Eryl
Published: January 2018

The New Deal for doctors in training (NHS Management Executive, 1991) was a government initiative designed to eliminate, among other things, the unsafe practice of patients being cared for by ‘doctors in training’ working excessive hours. More recently, the Changing Childbirth report (Department of Health, 1993), with its emphasis on safety for mother and baby, has shown the direction of government thinking towards a more midwiferyand community-oriented service. It clearly states the intentions for the midwife to make full use of all her skills and knowledge and reflect the full role for which she has been trained.
Effects of smoking on the fetus and young children
Authors: Chappell Chris , Lilley Gina
Published: January 2018

Smoking has a major effect on the outcome of many pregnancies and the health of young children. Midwives are very concerned about this and are committed to helping reduce smoking in pregnancy and young families. This article briefly reviews the prevalence and effects of smoking on the fetus and infants, and explores more fully the actions that midwives may take to help reduce this prevalence. It also highlights the new approaches to tackling smoking within health interviews.
A philosophical exploration of midwifery knowledge
Authors: Siddiqui Jeanne
Published: January 2018

There is an urgent need to identify the body of knowledge that underpins the practice of midwifery. It is vital that midwifery adopts an epistemology (the theory of knowledge) of practice which is based upon reflection and appropriate research.
How much choice do women really have in relation to their care?
Authors: Ralston Rossana
Published: January 2018

We all want to make our own choices and most of us believe that we have the right to do so. But, to date, women receiving midwifery care have not had the opportunity to make informed choices, to be treated as equal partners in their care, or to have a range of facilities from which to choose. This article examines the current situation.
Letters
Authors: Mander Rosemary , O'Driscoll Muriel , Foster Francesca
Published: January 2018

A meeting with our anaesthetic colleagues

Unwanted vaginal examinations

Bradford breastfeeding
Helping parents adapt to parenthood
Authors: Nolan Mary
Published: January 2018

This article looks at antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal influences on men's and women's adaptation to parenthood. Antenatal classes can help couples identify the skills that they already possess to help them as new parents. Continuity of care will make the midwife more effective in assisting postnatal adjustment.
What are we doing in the postnatal check?
Authors: Marchant Sally , Garcia Jo
Published: January 2018

This article identifies some aspects of postn atal care from a sam ple o f m others and midwives in tw o districts in an English health region. The information is taken from the National Perinatal Epidem iology Unit (NPEU) postnatal care project carried out between 1991 and 1994.
Writing a research proposal
Authors: Wraight Ann
Published: January 2018

Producing a research proposal is helpful to both the researcher and the reader as it helps to formulate the whole plan of the study and puts it into perspective with regard to time, cost and outcomes. It requires careful preparation and all issues of the proposed research work need to be considered. This article outlines the stages involved in writing a research proposal.
The midwife's role in educating doctors
Authors: Schott Judith
Published: January 2018

For most of their undergraduate course, medical students are taught and examined on the medical model of childbirth. Normal labour may be the baseline but, in line with the rest of medical training, the focus is on pathology and on when and how to intervene. Pregnancy and labour are only considered normal in retrospect.
Why have a supplement on the statutory bodies?
Authors: Henderson Christine
Published: January 2018

This article considers the depth of family planning knowledge required by midwives and explores how changes in the ENB 901 curriculum are making family planning courses more appropriate to the needs of individual practitioners.
The Welsh National Board
Authors: Hunt Shelia C
Published: January 2018

Statutory regulation is being actively sought by a variety of alternate and complementary therapists. Midwifery is regulated by an Act of Parliament and as a result, we have a profession to be proud of. The statutory bodies are of crucial importance in maintaining, controlling and improving midwifery education and practice for the benefit of women and their families.
Changing Childbirth: A challenge for general practitioners?
Authors: Carter Yvonne H
Published: January 2018

The Winterton Report (House of Commons Select Committee on Health) and The Cumberlege Report (Department of Health, 1993) both advocated an emphasis on increased community-based maternity care with more choice for women and a greater role for GPs in providing intrapartum care, particularly at home and in GP units. Anecdotal evidence, however, suggests that awareness and training about the implications and importance of these reports are areas that still need to be addressed in primary care.
Can midwives practise autonomously?
Authors: Gillen Judith
Published: January 2018

In July 1993, the Department of Health produced a document called Changing Childbirth. Its publication gives hope to women who feel that after years of frustration, maternity care needs are finally being recognised. This document offers a blueprint for change which is based on three simple principles: continuity, choice and control. Continuity of carer is accepted as being a fundamental right of pregnant women. Research is cited which demonstrates that women do not function well physiologically when attended by strangers at one of the most emotional and intimate times of their lives. The report formally recognises that choice in childbirth is another fundamental right. Giving birth in hospital, assisted by technology, is not necessarily in the best interests of all women. Women are individuals and have well-thought out preferences on both place and type of birth. Most importantly of all, the report states quite clearly that women need control over the planning and implementation of maternity care. It has become official that it is women who are at the centre of maternity care, not medical personnel, midwives and organisational constraints.
Book reviews
Authors: Kirkham Sandy , Flanders Jane , Farrah S , Pacanowski Lynne
Published: January 2018

Glasgow Health - Women Count

Vulliamy's The Newborn Child

The year after childbirth — surviving the first year of motherhood

Having a cervical smear
Midwifery education in Scotland — one year on
Authors: Grant Beatrice
Published: January 2018

Just over a year ago, the Secretary of State for Scotland announced proposals for midwifery and nursing education in Scotland (Grant, 1994). Since then, more information has been received from the Scottish Office and tenders for the contracting of midwifery and nursing education by higher education establishments is now being considered by the Scottish Office. The outcomes are awaited with interest and it is anticipated that these will be known in July or August.
GP fundholding and the maternity services
Authors: Downe Soo
Published: January 2018

The subject of GP fundholders purchasing maternity services is becoming increasingly topical. This month I have invited Soo Downe to explore some of the issues that will need to be addressed as these changes in purchasing are introduced.
How useful is a knowledge of ethics?
Authors: Fryer Norma
Published: January 2018

This article discusses how ethics, as an integral part of midwifery practice, may be taught through programmes of education that focus upon its effective application. It will examine the extent to which midwives are presently involved in the debate on ethics, and attempt to demonstrate the value of recognising that an understanding of ethics is a fundamental requirement for the advanced practitioner in the context of today's midwifery care.
Letters
Authors: O'Keefe Plaxy A , O'Keefe Eoin S , Roberts Billie , Edwards Grace
Published: January 2018

The challenge of home births

Attachment, bonding and loss

Socialisation of women
The end of martyrdom?
Authors: Tyler Suzanne
Published: January 2018

In years to come, midwives are sure to look back on this period of their history as a major turning point. Whatever the final result of this year's pay dispute and whatever the outcome of negotiations which began in the middle of May between the RCM and NHS Executive on midwives' pay for the future, the decision to end a 115-year tradition of opposing any form of industrial action, signals a major change in the way that midwives see themselves and their place in society.
Midwifery development unit at Glasgow Royal Maternity Hospital
Authors: McGinley Mary , Turnbull Deborah , Fyvie Heather , Johnstone Irene , MacLennan Barbara
Published: January 2018

This article discusses the first midwifery development unit (MDU) to be set up in the UK. The structure of the unit and the development of the care programme, spread over a 3-year period, is detailed.
Do midwives need preceptorship?
Authors: Jackson Sue
Published: January 2018

This article examines the inception process of preceptorship, the aims of the UKCC and how the UKCC sees preceptorship in practice. A local study was undertaken to identify midwives' views and apply their ideas to facilitate the implementation of preceptorship within Bolton.
Labour and birth in water in England and Wales: survey report
Authors: Alderdice Fiona , Renfrew Mary , Marchant Sally , Ashurst Hazel , Hughes Pam , Berridge Georgina , Garcia Jo
Published: January 2018

This article describes a survey that was undertaken to determine the extent and types of options available for women who wish to labour and/or give birth in water, to estimate the number of women who laboured and/or gave birth in water in 1992 and 1993 and to assess the extent of any reported problems following labour and/or birth in water for mothers, babies, and midwives.
Cup-feeding: an alternative for mothers and babies
Authors: Christmas Judy
Published: January 2018

This article promotes the use of cup-feeding for pre-term and small for gestational age infants that are to be breast-fed or are already breastfeeding. Cup-feeding provides an alternative to the use of naso-gastric tube feeding.
Premature babies-care that makes sense
Authors: Robinson Jean
Published: January 2018

This year, we went to New England on holiday. The highlight of the trip was not the clam chowder or the jazz but a meeting with a psychologist in Boston whose work had intruiged me ever since I came across one of her papers last year.
Postmenopausal babies
Authors: Price Mary
Published: January 2018

This article explores some of the ethical issues arising from helping postmenopausal women to have babies. A brief description of the treatment is followed by issues relevant to women, couples, their offspring and society. Postmenopausal assisted fertility is currently not available in the UK, although in Italy, a 59-year-old English woman gave birth to twins on Christmas Day 1992 in a London hospital, following in-vitro fertilisation in Italy.
A cautionary tale for midwives
Authors: Pyne Reg
Published: January 2018

Hilaire Belloc concludes his humourous poem ‘Jim’ with the lines: ‘And always keep-a-hold of nurse For fear of finding something worse.’
Implementation and evaluation of a midwifery development unit
Authors: Turnbull Deborah , McGinley Mary , Fyvie Heather , Johnstone Irene , Holmes Ann , Shields Noreen , Cheyne Helen , MacLennan Barbara
Published: January 2018

This article describes the implementation and evaluation of a programme of care at the Midwifery Development Unit, Glasgow Royal Maternity Hospital. This care programme is being provided as part of a ‘Choices for Care’ initiative.
Information strategies and the future of midwifery education
Authors: Ridgway Samantha
Published: January 2018

This article focuses on the changing information needs of both the external and internal environment and examines a range of educational information systems, including the Internet, the World Wide Web and information superhighways.
A good mentor will never make you feel like a burden
Authors: Stone Ruth
Published: January 2018

Ruth Stone, at the time of writing a final-year student at the University of East Anglia, reflects on the importance of an approachable, encouraging and sometimes challenging mentor for students on placement
Outcomes of very high C-reactive protein levels in paediatric practice
Authors: Paul Siba Prosad , De Aguiar Alifa , Barnden Joanna , Cannon Anna , Eaton Megan
Published: January 2018

Siba Prosad Paul, Alifa De Aguiar, Joanna Barnden, Anna Cannon and Megan Eaton discuss the implications of high levels of the inflammatory marker, drawing on local audit
The personal tutor as a role model for students: humanising nursing care
Authors: White Sara , Stainer Lucy , Cooper Karen , Waight Sharon
Published: January 2018

This article explores how nurse academics in one British university uphold and role model the humanising framework developed by Todres et al (2009) . It gives a brief overview of nurse education in the UK. Next it outlines the nature of the personal tutor role. It then offers an overview of the humanising framework, its background and embodiment in the undergraduate nursing curriculum. It explores how nurse academics role model humanisation and how this influences and impacts on students' ability to live and apply the humanising dimensions of nursing to enhance patients' lived experience of care. It concludes with examples of how this encourages positive meaningful relationships between students and tutors.
Musical chairs: ergonomic considerations in chair design
Authors: Kelnar Alison F , Ives Julie , Lambert C Michael
Published: January 2018

Information about current seating for orchestral musicians was sought from a group of 28 organisations where classical music is regularly played. Musicians' satisfaction with some commercially available chairs specifically designed to meet the needs of musicians were also assessed. Most musicians expressed dissatisfaction with the chairs used, but there was widespread ignorance about why musicians can become uncomfortable after short periods of playing, or of what can be done to help.
Open learning for the health-care professional
Authors: Maslin-Prothero Sian E
Published: January 2018

This article is an introduction to open learning. It discusses a definition of open learning and some of the philosophy surrounding the concept. There is an examination of why open learning has become such an attractive proposition for those in health care. Finally, it identifies some of the key points to be considered if open learning is to be successful.
Therapists and nurses in older people's rehabilitation: unmet role performance expectations
Authors: Walker Gill
Published: January 2018

Rehabilitation of elderly people in hospital is accepted as a multidisciplinary team effort. Nurses and therapists are important members of such teams and need to collaborate and cooperate to ensure effective delivery of rehabilitative care. Continuity is a key element in this, but do conflicting perceptions of the roles of nurses and therapists inhibit this?
Preparation for working together in rehabilitation
Authors: Walker Gill
Published: January 2018

Rehabilitation is a process of working together. Those professionals who cooperate with each other and the patient to bring about recovery come from all sorts of disciplines. However, pre- and post-registration education offers little in the way of shared learning across disciplines. How do we learn to work together without these sorts of opportunities? Surely we need something more than a ‘sitting next to Nellie’ approach?
An holistic approach to rehabilitation
Authors: Barnitt Rosemary , Pomeroy Valerie
Published: January 2018

The word ‘holism’ or ‘holistic’ is currently in vogue with therapists and other health professionals in the UK. Despite the popularity of the word, there is little agreement about a working definition of holism which rehabilitation staff can put into practice. This could lead to a charge of ‘woolly mindedness’ and lack of scientific rigour in delivering therapy. A framework for an holistic ‘approach’ is proposed.
Sociological factors and psychosocial implications of lymphoedema
Authors: Woods Mary
Published: January 2018

Lymphoedema can affect many patients with cancer, either as a result of treatment or in the advanced stages of disease. This article outlines some of the sociological and psychosocial factors that were found to be significant in the management of arm swelling. Older and working women were found to have significantly larger swollen arms. Arm size also increased when swelling had been present for a greater period. The psychosocial implications of lymphoedema appeared to be complex and unique to the individual.
A reflection on 6 years of hospice work
Authors: Hawthorne Mary
Published: January 2018

Six years of working in palliative care have left me with a need to explain my experiences.
Readers react to the launch of the IJPN and highlight a promising future for nursing research in palliative care.
Authors: Roberston Gaye , Morton Rosemary G
Published: January 2018

Madam,

Congratulations on a most timely, well-presented and highquality publication. We in New Zealand are particularly impressed with the international scope of your journal, being isolated in distance from Europe. We are developing closer ties with Australia and the Pacific Rim, but we have a lot to offer and learn, and therefore an international forum to share expertise is timely.
Specialist nursing practice
Authors: Webber Jeanette
Published: January 2018

April 1st was an important date for nurses in the UK as, after several years of preparation and planning, the long-awaited standards for postregistration education and practice (PREP) finally became a reality. Formulated by the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting (UKCC), these standards define what nurses must do in order to maintain their status on the UKCC register. They also set out the framework of postregistration education and practice required for specialist, community and advanced nursing practice (UKCC, 1994).
Nurses in the front lines of palliative care
Authors: Stjernswärd Jan
Published: January 2018

Nurses generally serve in the front lines of action; this is particularly true for those involved in palliative care. Informed nurses are essential around the world, especially in developing countries, where 39 of the 51 million individuals who die every year are to be found. Nurses are key in the delivery of palliative care and are in great need of the sort of timely and readily understandable in formation to be provided by the International Journal of Palliative Nursing (IJPN).
The partner's experience of breast cancer: a phenomenological approach
Authors: Sheppard Carmel , Markby Ruth
Published: January 2018

The aim of this study is to describe the immediate ‘lived experience’ of partners of breast cancer patients. Previous attempts to explore the reactions and feelings of partners have been restricted mainly to quantitative research methods. While these methods are valuable in collecting information on specific areas of concern, they are limited to gathering information that the researcher sees as important. Thus, the value of phenomenology is demonstrated in describing the experience as a whole. A problem in using this method is that it can be time-consuming, hence only seven participants were included in the study. The participants were selected on the basis that they had personally lived the experience and were willing to participate. Data collection was by means of in-depth, tape-recorded interviews that were transcribed and analysed. Significant statements were extracted from the data and linked to each other to form separate themes. The six themes which were identified are described: anticipating fate; fear; denial; helplessness; sharing of altered body image; and diversity of emotions. Finally, the implications for nursing are discussed.
Correspondence
Authors: Donald Mark
Published: January 2018

Madam,

Thank you for an excellent second edition of the International journal o f Palliative Nursing. I am excited by the development of the journal and eagerly await each edition.
Inside story: chaplain at work
Authors: Gascoigne Jeanette
Published: January 2018

This is a personal account of how I seek to accompany a person who is dying.
Short reports
Authors: Oliver Gill , Evans Margaret , Mercer Heather , Dicks Barbara
Published: January 2018

American Oncology Nursing Society congress

The third international conference on children and death

Annual scientific meeting of the European Association of Cancer Education

Launch of nurse-led initiatives in lung cancer care
Nurses are expanding their roles despite widespread demoralisation
Authors: Webber Jeanette
Published: January 2018

Throughout the world nurses are under pressure. Changes in approaches to health-care delivery are occurring in m any countries, resulting in a reduction in human and financial resources, downsizing of nursing staff and the increased use of unregistered health-care personnel. In the UK, the impact on morale has been profound. A recent survey by the Department of Health (1995) has revealed that one in three nurses who trained in 1991 and before have now left the profession. Of those questioned, 43% stated that they would never consider returning to the NHS because of their dissatisfaction with nursing.
The experiences and needs of patients attending a cancer support group
Authors: Evans Brian David
Published: January 2018

This paper explores the experiences of people who, following a diagnosis of cancer, initially received treatment in a conventional hospital setting under the direction of professional health-care workers and then joined a cancer support group. In this study it is assumed that an increased awareness of the experiences and needs of patients with a malignant disease will enhance the ability of professional health-care workers to provide more effective care and to meet the physical, psychological, social and spiritual needs of cancer patients. A phenomenological approach was employed in an attempt to understand the experiences from the perspective of the respondents in the study.
Professional support within hospices
Authors: Booth Katie
Published: January 2018

During a prospective study in two hospices, 41 nurses were interviewed about recent critical incidents at work. Questionnaires based on the work of House (1985) were used to measure their perceptions of professional support. At each interview, nurses detailed an average of four recent occasions when work-related support had been received. Overall, nurses were fairly satisfied with the professional support they had received, and it was evident that their direct supervisor was the most significant figure. However, some interesting distinctions were identified. For example, practical (as opposed to emotional) support was the most appreciated, and large meetings were frequently viewed as unhelpful. Nurses' friends and relatives were unlikely to be able to meet any needs for professional support that were not met in the work setting. The study demonstrated how helpful and unhelpful management strategies can be identified and how an overall picture of the level of professional support can be constructed.
Island Hospice Service — Harare
Authors: Khambatta-Perkin Anna
Published: January 2018

Since 1979, Island Hospice Service (IHS) has provided care for patients with a life-threatening illness together with their families and the bereaved. This article describes the experiences of a volunteer social worker who was a member of the IHS team for 3 years. IHS offers not only a nursing service but also a bereavement service, and these are free of charge. Group work includes members with a wide age range. There is a support and training network for all staff members, including volunteers.