bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Understanding conduct disorder: The ways in which mothers attempt to make sense of their children’s behaviour
Authors: Lewis Rhiannon M , Petch Victoria , Wilson Naomi , Fox Simone , Craig Catrina E
Published: June 2014

‘Disruptive behaviour disorders’ are the most common reason for referral to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). Current treatment guidelines focus on parent-training programmes. Difficulties are often reported when engaging families, with parental attributions and attitudes towards help-seeking proposed as influential factors. Previous research has tended to privilege pre-existing frameworks; this study utilised qualitative methods to add to the current understanding of the ways in which parents make sense of their children’s behaviour. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with six mothers, recruited through CAMHS. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) revealed four master themes: ‘Understanding the Emotional Child’, ‘The Emotional Parent’, ‘Getting Help’ and ‘The Journey’. Participants used a variety of explanations in order to make sense of their children’s behaviour, including the impact of loss and trauma. Help-seeking was associated with feelings of shame, and services were often viewed as inconsistent and stigmatising. In contrast, positive experiences were those which were characterised as being non-judgemental, normalising and took into account the wider family context, including mothers’ own emotional needs. These findings were discussed in relation to existing research and implications for clinical practice.
Residential ozone and lung function in the elderly
Authors: Bräuner Elvira V. , Karottki Dorina G. , Frederiksen Marie , Kolarik Barbara , Spilak Michal , Andersen Zorana J. , Vibenholt Anni , Ellermann Thomas , Gunnarsen Lars , Loft Steffen
Published: June 2014

Ground level ozone arises primarily from traffic, it is a powerful oxidant and its primary target organ is the lung. Most epidemiological studies reporting the health effects of ozone have estimated individual exposure from measurements obtained from outdoor monitors but surrogates of personal exposure may not adequately reflect personal exposures. Also, the main focus has been on infants and children. Our purpose was to assess associations between urban background ozone and indoor residential ozone levels as well as to investigate the effects of indoor residential ozone on lung function in 51 elderly non-smokers. Indoor ozone was measured passively in homes, while urban background outdoor ozone was monitored continuously at a fixed monitoring station located on the roof of the 20-m high university H.C. Ørsteds campus building in a park area. Lung function was measured at baseline as well as on three consecutive occasions, for each subject. The mean residential ozone levels were 1.33 ppb, and mean outdoor urban background levels were 27 ppb. Outdoor urban background ozone levels were not consistently associated with residential ozone. No significant changes in lung function were detected in association with residential ozone among healthy participants. In this study, we were unable to detect significant changes in lung function in association with increased levels of residential ozone amongst healthy elderly non-smokers.
Changing Juvenile Justice Policy in Response to the US Supreme Court: Implementing Miller v. Alabama
Authors: Liles Alesa , Moak Stacy C.
Published: June 2014

In the case of Miller v. Alabama, the US Supreme Court held that mandatory life without parole sentences for juveniles constituted a violation of the Eighth Amendment provision against cruel and unusual punishment. This case, along with other recently decided cases, appears to mark a shift in policy away from adultification of juveniles and toward a more rehabilitative philosophy. This article contains an analysis of three Supreme Court holdings, a review of Supreme Court rationale in reaching these decisions, and an analysis of the legislative changes that have occurred since Miller was decided.
Breaking Down Barriers with the Usual Suspects: Findings from a Research-informed Intervention with Police, Young People and Residents in the West of Scotland
Authors: Deuchar Ross , Miller Johanne , Barrow Mark
Published: June 2014

This article draws upon international research evidence that suggests that cyclical stereotyping can emerge among young people, the police and local residents in communities. The article examines the impact of a research-informed local intervention in one of the most deprived communities in Scotland, where local perspectives were drawn upon as the basis for designing integration workshops. Pre- and post- interviews were conducted with young male participants, residents, police officers and youth workers. Findings suggest that the workshops stimulated social capital and fledgling attempts to generate collective efficacy. The authors draw upon the findings to make recommendations for policy, practice and research.
A Preliminary Assessment of the Impact of Plea Bargaining Among a Sample of Waiver-Eligible Offenders
Authors: Burrow John D. , Lowery Patrick G.
Published: June 2014

This study examines the use of plea bargaining among a sample of waiver-eligible juveniles. Using focal concerns as our theoretical foundation, we examine whether concerns about public safety and blameworthiness help to shape plea bargain decision making. Data from a juvenile court in one South Carolina jurisdiction were analyzed using logistic regression ( N = 241). This research finds that several factors influence the plea bargain decision including type of offense, number of victims, age, and race. Additionally, the analysis shows that there are several interactive effects between race, first-time offenders, and presence of an attorney. The theoretical and policy implications of these findings are discussed.
The Simulation and analysis of a strapdown antenna platform in kinetic interception progress
Authors: Yue Guo , Xinxue Liu , Lefei Pan
Published: June 2014

A six-degree-of-freedom simulation of kinetic interceptors and modeling of a strapdown antenna platform have been worked out in Matlab Simulink to analyze the implication of nonlinear factors and the cross-coupling effect for the strapdown antenna platform. From the results of the simulation, the cross-coupling effect, which is between the inner gimbal and outer gimbal of the strapdown antenna platform, has less implication on the angular speed output. When the nonlinear factor was introduced, both the cross-coupling effect between the inner gimbal and outer gimbal and that between a missile body and antenna platform were increased. The results provide a theoretical foundation and simulation model for further research on the strapdown antenna platform.
Comparing Cognitive Efficiency of Experienced and Inexperienced Designers in Conceptual Design Processes
Authors: Sun Ganyun , Yao Shengji , Carretero Juan A.
Published: June 2014

Design cognition research aims to investigate the cognitive mechanisms and thought processes of human designers. In previous research, the cognitive activity of experienced and inexperienced designers has been compared in order to identify design strategies leading to design creativity. However, it is still unknown whether the design strategies applied are effective and whether the design processes are efficiently improved. In this paper, cognitive efficiency, describing how designers optimize mental resources to achieve creativity in conceptual design processes, was directly measured by the mental effort of designers and the creativity level of design outcomes. The results showed that the experienced designers generated more design concepts with higher quality and variety than did the inexperienced designers. The cognitive efficiency measures indicated that design expertise contributed to improving cognitive efficiency scores of quality. In addition, the systematic design method used by some designers was found to be related to high cognitive efficiency. It can be seen that the evaluation of cognitive efficiency has practical applications for designer training, design methodology evaluation, and design process improvement.
Response surface optimization of milling parameters for synthesis of carbon nanotubes/Al5083 by powder metallurgy
Authors: Li Zheng , Cai Xiao-lan , Zhou Lei , Yi Feng , Yu Ming-jun
Published: June 2014

Carbon nanotube/Al5083 composite material has been synthesized by powder metallurgy. And the yield strength has been predicted by mathematical models. The parameters such as milling time, rotary speed and carbon nanotube concentration are considered independent variables. The experiments were carried out based on the central composite design. The experimental results were analyzed by the analysis of variance, which revealed that the quadratic model was statistically significant. And the optimal milling parameters were 104 min milling time, 798 r/min rotary speed and 2.95 wt% carbon nanotube concentration. Under these conditions, the predicted yield strength was 179 MPa. The quadratic equation model can also predict the maximum yield strength at different concentrations of carbon nanotubes. By comparing the predicted yield strength by the Orowan strengthening model and the coefficient of thermal expansion model, it was shown that the coefficient of thermal expansion model overestimated yield strength. And the increase in strength can be explained by the Orowan strengthening mechanism.
Cystatin C, a novel indicator of renal function, reflects severity of cerebral microbleeds
Authors: Oh Mi-Young , Lee Hyon , Kim Joon Soon , Ryu Wi-Sun , Lee Seung-Hoon , Ko Sang-Bae , Kim Chulho , Kim Chang Hun , Yoon Byung-Woo
Published: June 2014

Background

Chronic renal insufficiency, diagnosed using creatinine based estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) or microalbumiuria, has been associated with the presence of cerebral microbleeds (CMBs). Cystatin C has been shown to be a more sensitive renal indicator than conventional renal markers. Under the assumption that similar pathologic mechanisms of the small vessel exist in the brain and kidney, we hypothesized that the levels of cystatin C may delineate the relationship between CMBs and renal insufficiency by detecting subclinical kidney dysfunction, which may be underestimated by other indicators, and thus reflect the severity of CMBs more accurately.

Methods

Data was prospectively collected for 683 patients with ischemic stroke. The severity of CMBs was categorized by the number of lesions. Patients were divided into quartiles of cystatin C, estimated GFR and microalbumin/creatinine ratios. Ordinal logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association of each renal indicator with CMBs.

Results

In models including both quartiles of cystatin C and estimated GFR, only cystatin C quartiles were significant (the highest vs. the lowest, adjusted OR, 1.88; 95% CI 1.05-3.38; p = 0.03) in contrast to estimated GFR (the highest vs. the lowest, adjusted OR, 1.28; 95% CI 0.38-4.36; p = 0.70). A model including both quartiles of cystatin C and microalbumin/creatinine ratio also showed that only cystatin C quartiles was associated with CMBs (the highest vs. the lowest, adjusted OR, 2.06; 95% CI 1.07-3.94; p = 0.03). These associations were also observed in the logistic models using log transformed-cystatin C, albumin/creatinine ratio and estimated GFR as continuous variables. Cystatin C was a significant indicator of deep or infratenorial CMBs, but not strictly lobar CMBs. In addition, cystatin C showed the greatest significance in c-statistics for the presence of CMBs (AUC = 0.73 ± 0.03; 95% CI 0.66-0.76; p = 0.02).

Conclusion

Cystatin C may be the most sensitive indicator of CMB severity among the renal disease markers.
Negotiated control between the manual and visual systems for visually guided hand reaching movements
Authors: Kim K Han , Gillespie R Brent , Martin Bernard J
Published: June 2014

Background

Control of reaching movements for manual work, vehicle operation, or interactions with manual interfaces requires concurrent gaze control for visual guidance of the hand. We hypothesize that reaching movements are based on negotiated strategies to resolve possible conflicting demands placed on body segments shared by the visual (gaze) and manual (hand) control systems. Further, we hypothesize that a multiplicity of possible spatial configurations (redundancy) in a movement system enables a resolution of conflicting demands that does not require sacrificing the goals of the two systems.

Methods

The simultaneous control of manual reach and gaze during seated reaching movements was simulated by solving an inverse kinematics model wherein joint trajectories were estimated from a set of recorded hand and head movements. A secondary objective function, termed negotiation function, was introduced to describe a means for the manual reach and gaze directing systems to balance independent goals against (possibly competing) demands for shared resources, namely the torso movement. For both systems, the trade-off may be resolved without sacrificing goal achievement by taking advantage of redundant degrees of freedom. Estimated joint trajectories were then compared to joint movement recordings from ten participants. Joint angles were predicted with and without the negotiation function in place, and model accuracy was determined using the root-mean-square errors (RMSEs) and differences between estimated and recorded joint angles.

Results

The prediction accuracy was generally improved when negotiation was included: the negotiated control reduced RMSE by 16% and 30% on average when compared to the systems with only manual or visual control, respectively. Furthermore, the RMSE in the negotiated control system tended to improve with torso movement amplitude.

Conclusions

The proposed model describes how multiple systems cooperate to perform goal-directed human movements when those movements draw upon shared resources. Allocation of shared resources can be undertaken by a negotiation process that is aware of redundancies and the existence of multiple solutions within the individual systems.
Ganoderma formosanum polysaccharides attenuate Th2 inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness in a murine model of allergic asthma
Authors: Pi Chia-Chen , Wang Hui-Yi , Lu Chiu-Ying , Lu Frank Leigh , Chen Chun-Jen
Published: June 2014

Allergic asthma is an inflammatory disease of the airways mediated by Th2 immune responses and characterized by airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR). Fungi of the genus Ganoderma are basidiomycetes that have been used in traditional Asian medicine for centuries. We recently found that PS-F2, a polysaccharide fraction purified from the submerged culture broth of Ganoderma formosanum, stimulates the activation of dendritic cells and primes a T helper 1 (Th1)-polarized adaptive immune response. This study was designed to investigate whether the Th1 adjuvant properties of PS-F2 could suppress the development of allergic asthma in a mouse model. BALB/c mice were sensitized by repeated immunization with chicken ovalbumin (OVA) and alum, followed by intranasal challenge of OVA to induce acute asthma. PS-F2 administration during the course of OVA sensitization and challenge effectively prevented AHR development, OVA-specific IgE and IgG1 production, bronchial inflammation, and Th2 cytokine production. Our data indicate that PS-F2 has a potential to be used for the prevention of allergic asthma.
Musical note analysis of solo violin recordings using recursive regularization
Authors: Lin Yi-Ju , Wang Tien-Ming , Chen Ta-Chun , Chen Yin-Lin , Chang Wei-Chen , Su Alvin WY
Published: June 2014

Composers may not provide instructions for playing their works, especially for instrument solos, and therefore, different musicians may give very different interpretations of the same work. Such differences usually lead to time, amplitude, or frequency variations of musical notes in a phrase in the signal point of view. This paper proposes a frame-based recursive regularization method for time-dependent analysis of each note presenting in solo violin recordings. The system of equations evolves when a new frame is added and an old frame is dropped to track the varying characteristics of violin playing. This method is compared with a time-dependent non-negative matrix factorization method. The complete recordings of both BWV 1005 No. 3 played by Kuijken and 24 Caprices op. 1 no. 24 in A minor played by Paganini are used for the transcription experiment, where the proposed method performs strongly. The analysis results of a short passage extracted from BWV 1005 No. 3 performed by three famous violinists reveal numerous differences in the styles and performances of these violinists.
The Global Earthquake History
Authors: Albini Paola , Musson Roger M. W. , Rovida Andrea , Locati Mario , Gomez Capera Antonio A. , Viganò Daniele
Published: June 2014

The study of earthquakes from historical sources, or historical seismology, was considered an early priority for the Global Earthquake Model (GEM) project, which commissioned a study of historical seismicity on a global scale. This was the Global Earthquake History (GEH) project, led jointly by the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV; Milan, Italy) and the British Geological Survey (BGS; UK). GEH was structured around three complementary deliverables: archive, catalog, and the Web infrastructure designed to store both the archive and catalog. The Global Historical Earthquake Archive (GHEA) provides a complete account of the global situation in historical seismology for large earthquakes. From GHEA, the Global Historical Earthquake Catalogue (GHEC v1.0) was derived—a world catalog of earthquakes for the period 1000–1903, with magnitudes of Mw7 and over. Though much remains to be done, the data here presented show that the compilation of both archive and catalog contribute to an improved understanding of the Global Earthquake History.
The Limiting Behaviour of Hanski's Incidence Function Metapopulation Model
Authors: McVinish R. , Pollett P. K.
Published: June 2014

Hanski's incidence function model is one of the most widely used metapopulation models in ecology. It models the presence/absence of a species at spatially distinct habitat patches as a discrete-time Markov chain whose transition probabilities are determined by the physical landscape. In this analysis, the limiting behaviour of the model is studied as the number of patches increases and the size of the patches decreases. Two different limiting cases are identified depending on whether or not the metapopulation is initially near extinction. Basic properties of the limiting models are derived.
Stochastic Brownian Game of Absolute Dominance
Authors: Luo Shangzhen
Published: June 2014

In this paper we study a reinsurance game between two insurers whose surplus processes are modeled by arithmetic Brownian motions. We assume a minimax criterion in the game. One insurer tries to maximize the probability of absolute dominance while the other tries to minimize it through reinsurance control. Here absolute dominance is defined as the event that liminf of the difference of the surplus levels tends to -∞. Under suitable parameter conditions, the game is solved with the value function and the Nash equilibrium strategy given in explicit form.
A Crump-Mode-Jagers Branching Process Model of Prion Loss in Yeast
Authors: Olofsson Peter , Sindi Suzanne S.
Published: June 2014

The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has emerged as an ideal model system to study the dynamics of prion proteins which are responsible for a number of fatal neurodegenerative diseases in humans. Within an infected cell, prion proteins aggregate in complexes which may increase in size or be fragmented and are transmitted upon cell division. Recent work in yeast suggests that only aggregates below a critical size are transmitted efficiently. We formulate a continuous-time branching process model of a yeast colony under conditions of prion curing. We generalize previous approaches by providing an explicit formula approximating prion loss as influenced by both aggregate growth and size-dependent transmission.
Displacement of p130Cas from focal adhesions links actomyosin contraction to cell migration
Authors: Machiyama Hiroaki , Hirata Hiroaki , Loh Xia Kun , Kanchi Madhu Mathi , Fujita Hideaki , Tan Song Hui , Kawauchi Keiko , Sawada Yasuhiro
Published: June 2014

Cell adhesion complexes provide platforms where cell-generated forces are transmitted to the extracellular matrix. Tyrosine phosphorylation of focal adhesion proteins is crucial for cells to communicate with the extracellular environment. However, the mechanisms that transmit actin cytoskeletal motion to the extracellular environment to drive cell migration are poorly understood. We find that the movement of p130Cas (Cas), a mechanosensor at focal adhesions, correlates with the actin retrograde flow, and depends upon actomyosin contraction and phosphorylation of the Cas substrate domain (CasSD). This indicates that CasSD phosphorylation underpins the physical link between Cas and the actin cytoskeleton. FRAP experiments reveals that CasSD phosphorylation, as opposed to its association with Src, facilitates Cas displacement from adhesion complexes in migrating cells. Furthermore, stabilization of Src-Cas binding, as well as myosin II inhibition, both of which sustain CasSD phosphorylation but mitigate Cas displacement from adhesion sites, retard cell migration. These results indicate that Cas promotes cell migration by linking actomyosin contractions to the adhesion complexes through a dynamic interaction with Src as well as through the phosphorylation-dependent correlation with the actin cytoskeleton.
Role of cell–cell adhesion complexes in embryonic stem cell biology
Authors: Pieters Tim , van Roy Frans
Published: June 2014

Pluripotent embryonic stem cells (ESCs) can self-renew or differentiate into any cell type within an organism. Here, we focus on the roles of cadherins and catenins – their cytoplasmic scaffold proteins – in the fate, maintenance and differentiation of mammalian ESCs. E-cadherin is a master stem cell regulator that is required for both mouse ESC (mESC) maintenance and differentiation. E-cadherin interacts with key components of the naive stemness pathway and ablating it prevents stem cells from forming well-differentiated teratomas or contributing to chimeric animals. In addition, depleting E-cadherin converts naive mouse ESCs into primed epiblast-like stem cells (EpiSCs). In line with this, a mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition (MET) occurs during reprogramming of somatic cells towards induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), leading to downregulation of N-cadherin and acquisition of high E-cadherin levels. β-catenin exerts a dual function; it acts in cadherin-based adhesion and in WNT signaling and, although WNT signaling is important for stemness, the adhesive function of β-catenin might be crucial for maintaining the naive state of stem cells. In addition, evidence is rising that other junctional proteins are also important in ESC biology. Thus, precisely regulated levels and activities of several junctional proteins, in particular E-cadherin, safeguard naive pluripotency and are a prerequisite for complete somatic cell reprogramming.
σ1B-adaptin sorts sortilin in adipose tissue regulating adipogenesis
Authors: Baltes Jennifer , Larsen Jakob Vejby , Radhakrishnan Karthikeyan , Geumann Constanze , Kratzke Manuel , Petersen Claus Munck , Schu Peter
Published: June 2014

We describe altered sortilin sorting in AP-1/σ1B complex deficient adipocytes, which leads to the inhibition of adipogenesis. The AP-1 complex mediates protein sorting between the trans-Golgi network and endosomes. Vertebrates express three σ1-subunit isoforms: σ1A, σ1B and σ1C. σ1B −/− mice have impaired synaptic-vesicle recycling and a lipodystrophy. Sortilin is over-expressed in σ1B −/− adipose tissue and its over-expression in wild-type cells is sufficient to suppress adipogenesis. σ1B-specific binding of sortilin requires its DxxD-x12-DSxxxL motif. σ1B-deficiency does not lead to a block of sortilin transport out of a specific organelle, but the fraction which reaches lysosomes is reduced. Sortilin binds the DLK1 receptor, an inhibitor of adipocyte differentiation, and sortilin overexpression prevents DLK1 down-regulation, which leads to enhanced inhibition of adipogenesis. DLK1 and sortilin expression are not increased in the brain, although it is the tissue of highest σ1B and sortilin expression. Thus adipose tissue specific and σ1B-dependent routes for transport of sortilin exist and take part in the regulation of adipogenesis and adipose-tissue mass.
Protein kinase D activity controls endothelial nitric oxide synthesis
Authors: Aicart-Ramos Clara , Sánchez-Ruiloba Lucía , Gómez-Parrizas Mónica , Zaragoza Carlos , Iglesias Teresa , Rodríguez-Crespo Ignacio
Published: June 2014

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) regulates key functions of the endothelium such as angiogenesis or vessel repair in processes involving endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase (eNOS) activation. On the other hand, one of the effector kinases that become activated in endothelial cells upon VEGF treatment is Protein Kinase D (PKD). We show herein that PKD uses eNOS as substrate leading to its activation with the concomitant increased ·NO synthesis. Using mass spectrometry, we show that the purified active kinase specifically phosphorylates recombinant eNOS on Ser1179. Treatment of endothelial cells with VEGF or PDBu activates PKD and increases eNOS Ser1179 phosphorylation. In addition, pharmacological inhibition of PKD and gene silencing of both PKD1 and PKD2 abrogate VEGF signaling, resulting in a clear diminished migration of endothelial cells in a wound-healing assay. Finally, inhibition of PKD in mice results in an almost complete disappearance of the VEGF-induced vasodilatation as monitored through the determination of the diameter of the carotid artery. Hence, our data indicate that PKD is a novel regulatory kinase of eNOS in endothelial cells whose activity orchestrates mammalian vascular tone.
Cortactin binding protein 2 increases microtubule stability and regulates dendritic arborization
Authors: Shih Pu-Yun , Lee Sue-Ping , Chen Yi-Kai , Hsueh Yi-Ping
Published: June 2014

Neurons are characterized by subcellular compartments such as axons, dendrites and synapses that have highly specialized morphologies and biochemical specificities. Cortactin binding protein 2 (CTTNBP2), a neuron-specific F-actin regulator, has been shown to play a role in the regulation of dendritic spine formation and maintenance. Here, we show that in addition to F-actin, CTTNBP2 also associates with microtubules before mature dendritic spines formed. The association of CTTNBP2 and microtubules induced the formation of microtubule bundles. Although the middle (Mid) region of CTTNBP2 was sufficient for association with microtubules, for microtubule bundling, the N-terminal region containing the coiled coil motifs (NCC) mediating the dimerization or oligomerization of CTTNBP2 is also required. Our study indicates that CTTNBP2 proteins form a dimer or oligomer and bring multiple microtubule filaments together to form bundles. In cultured hippocampal neurons, knockdown of CTTNBP2 or expression of the Mid or NCC domain alone reduced the acetylation levels of microtubules and impaired dendritic arborization. The study suggests that CTTNBP2 influences both the F-actin and microtubule cytoskeletons and regulates dendritic spine formation and dendritic arborization.
Capturing Dependency Among Link Boundaries in a Stochastic Dynamic Network Loading Model
Authors: Osorio Carolina , Flötteröd Gunnar
Published: June 2014

This work adds realistic dependency structure to a previously developed analytical stochastic network loading model. The model is a stochastic formulation of the link-transmission model, which is an operational instance of Newell’s simplified theory of kinematic waves. Stochasticity is captured in the source terms, the flows, and, consequently, in the cumulative flows. The previous approach captured dependency between the upstream and downstream boundary conditions within a link (i.e., the respective cumulative flows) only in terms of time-dependent expectations without capturing higher-order dependency. The model proposed in this paper adds an approximation of full distributional stochastic dependency to the link model. The model is validated versus stochastic microsimulation in both stationary and transient regimes. The experiments reveal that the proposed model provides a very accurate approximation of the stochastic dependency between the link’s upstream and downstream boundary conditions. The model also yields detailed and accurate link state probability distributions.
Fruit & Veg: C is for carrot…
Authors: Hammond Paula , Leslie Stephen
Published: June 2014

This month, we continue our extended adventure around the alphabetical fruits and vegetables of the world, with a look at those sweet, crunchy and colourful carrots.
Double UK standards
Authors: Jones Julia
Published: June 2014

The governments of England and Wales may be heading in opposite directions in terms of childcare and school starting age, both driven by cost issues rather than learning needs.
Narrative approaches to healthcare research
Authors: Gregory Sheila
Published: June 2014

Background:

The significance of the patient's story has evolved over the centuries and has varied according to the importance placed on the subjective experience of illness. Patients are no longer regarded as passive recipients of healthcare; they have become active participants, with personal stories to tell about the journeys they have travelled from sickness to health.

Contents:

Narrative methodologies play a valuable role in participatory health research. Listening to what patients choose to tell, rather than asking pre-determined research questions, involves a shift of power. A narrative approach offers a different way of exploring a patient's world and reflecting on our everyday practices. It respects the individuality of human experience, and calls for an individualized therapeutic response. Narratives can be analysed in different ways, with a focus on what has been told, or on why a story has been constructed in a certain way.

Conclusions:

Narrative methods are increasingly relevant in the current climate of public and patient involvement strategies. Patients' stories can produce vital evidence about how they perceive their therapeutic and rehabilitation needs. They also illuminate how patients regard our everyday practices, what could be done differently and how we can respond to the issues they raise.
Observational pain assessment in advanced dementia
Authors: Dening Karen Harrison
Published: June 2014

With a significant proportion of deaths occurring in care homes, it is important for staff to be able to identify residents approaching the end of life. Karen Harrison Dening discusses how to assess pain in dementia and provide pain relief for those in distress and discomfort
Understanding multifactorial fall risks
Authors: Swann Julie I
Published: June 2014

By understanding multifactorial fall risks, care staff will be able to identify residents who are at greater risk and put safeguards in place. This article looks at factors that can cause a fall and why some people are more likely to sustain injuries after one
Training staff in handling and administering medication
Authors: Hughes-Cook Jane
Published: June 2014

New guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence highlights the importance of staff training to reduce medication errors. Jane Hughes-Cook considers how managers and providers can support staff to ensure residents' safety.
More than just a token presence
Authors: Saunders Diana
Published: June 2014

The latest Health Service Circular (HSC) 1998/139, finally delivered on the 14 August, gives guidance on ‘Developing Primary Care Groups’. When read alongside A First Class Service — Quality in the NHS, Junes publication from the DoH, it gives us a clearer vision of the reality of the new NHS.
Integrating complementary therapies
Authors: Peters David , Peacock Wendell
Published: June 2014

Complementary therapies (CTs) are an ever more popular option for health care, with an estimated 4–5 million people visiting a complementary practitioner each year. Although you might think they would be difficult to access in the NHS, over the last few years ways have been found to make them more available in the public sector. Patients are beginning to expect a wider range of treatment choices and increasingly, doctors and nurses are suggesting they should try them.
Herbal medicine: An overview
Authors: Barnes Joanne
Published: June 2014

Complementary (or ‘alternative’) remedies are becoming more and more popular. Recent market research estimated that, in the UK, the total market for complementary remedies was £72 million in 1996 (Anon, 1997). Sales of herbal remedies account for over one half of all retail sales of complementary remedies — in 1996, the herbal remedies market totalled £38 million.

Joanne Barnes introduces one of the most popular forms of complementary medicine.
Patient's role in screening for complications
Authors: Head Jo
Published: June 2014

The aim of diabetes care is twofold. First, to enable the individual with the disease to enjoy their life and second, to prevent long term complications. Screening annually for these complications is a vital part of care, as early detection will enable early treatment and prevention of possible disability, (St Vincent, 1989) completing the cycle of enabling the individual to remain well and enjoy their life. Patients co-operation in attending for complication screening is a vital part of diabetes care.
A look inside America
Authors: Jenkins Alison
Published: June 2014

Durham in North Carolina proudly boasts that it is the USA's ‘City of Medicine’. Practice nurse Alison Jenkins has lived and worked there for a year and thinks that medicine is not top of most American doctors' agenda.
Letters
Authors: Singer Ron , Drake Linda , Thompson Angela
Published: June 2014

PCGs do hold some of the answers

HCAs in general practice

Congratulations to Yorkshire PNA for conference
Where are we going?
Authors: Richards Sue
Published: June 2014

The NHSE have given nurses another chance to take control of their own future. Sue Richards says take it.
PN training for competent care
Authors: Grant Helma
Published: June 2014

Practice nurses in the North West Anglia Health Authority (NWAHA) are taking part in an innovative scheme to improve their skills and provide a high standard of care to their patients.

The scheme was launched in 1996 after a training needs analysis survey by Sue Thompson (1995) recommended that the development of a training practice pilot scheme should be incorporated in an induction programme for new practice nurses. The survey highlighted the different levels of competence and standards among practice nurses.
Letters
Authors: Higson Nigel , West Tori , Vaughan Alison
Published: June 2014

Shameful disregard of PN qualifications

Vaccine already available

Swab is only useful to detect certain conditions
Quality of life and COPD
Authors: Madden Vicky
Published: June 2014

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. It is now the third most common cause of death in the European Union, after cancer and heart disease, and the fifth leading cause of death worldwide according to a World Health Organization report (1997).

Although the exact figures for prevalence are difficult to determine because some patients with mild to moderate COPD may not be diagnosed, it is thought that in the UK around 11 per cent of men and 14 per cent of women aged 40–68 may have features associated with COPD.
Advising on HRT and the menopause
Authors: Andrews Gilly
Published: June 2014

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is receiving increasing attention in the general media, with accounts ranging from individual horror stories to miraculous transformations! Such conflicting and perhaps inaccurate coverage means more and more women are turning to their practice nurse for advice, not only about the benefits of HRT but also concerning the long term risks and suitable alternatives.
Managing chronic skin disease
Authors: Watkins Jean , Goodwin Peter , Slade Denise
Published: June 2014

Skin diseases form an enormous part of general practice work. It is estimated that between 10 and 33% of the population will be suffering from some skin problem at any one time and that skin diseases comprise about 10% of consultations with GPs (All Party Parliamentary Group on Skin, 1997).

The GP is able to manage the majority of these problems but a proportion will be referred for specialist opinion at the hospital. Some of these will be for the purposes of diagnosis and advice regarding treatment, while others will be for the management of those with chronic problems or exacerbations of conditions such as eczema and psoriasis (All Party Parliamentary Group on Skin, 1997).
The accidental tourist
Authors: Richards Sue
Published: June 2014

Practice nurses should be aware of the dangers that may be encountered by patients holidaying in this country, as well as those holidaying abroad, says Sue Richards
Clinical governance: the challenge at practice level
Authors: Feeney Julie
Published: June 2014

The aim of this article is to look at the introduction of clinical governance in primary care and what this may mean to members of the primary health care team. There are many different definitions and ideas of clinical governance but these are often unclear and rather vague. The RCN's definition is clear, concise and emphasizes that effective patient care is at the centre of the whole ethos of clinical governance: Clinical governance is a framework or structure which helps all clinicians improve quality and safeguard standards of care continuously (RCN, 1998).

Julie Feeney considers how the tenets of clinical governance will translate into practice
Pain symptoms and effects
Authors: McCleane Gary
Published: June 2014

‘An unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage’ (International Association for the Study of Pain, 1996); ‘the sensation of acute physical hurt or discomfort caused by injury, illness, etc.’; ‘emotional suffering or mental distress’ (Collins English Dictionary, 1991).

Gary McCleane examines the physical processes that cause different types of pain
Acne: make the new approach
Authors: Dhillon Gouri
Published: June 2014

Better treatment and less scarring for patients with acne could follow a more active approach from practice nurses
Walk-in Clinic: Confusion in the elderly
Authors: Johnson Wendy , Johnson Stephen
Published: June 2014

Confusion is a descriptive term often used loosely, and given a variety of different definitions. Lishman (1987) describe it as thinking with less than accustomed clarity, while Roberts and Caird (1990) regard it as varying degrees of disorientation from time, place and person, inability to concentrate, short-term memory loss and cognitive decline.
What's happened to whooping cough?
Authors: Fleming Douglas
Published: June 2014

Immunization is still the mainstay of tackling the problem of pertussis, as DM Fleming explains.
Patient checklist for depot antipsychotic injection
Authors: Garland Carol , Ross Fiona
Published: June 2014

Carol Garland is a community psychiatric nurse in Southwest London; Fiona Ross is Professor of Primary Care Nursing, Faculty of Health Care Sciences, St George's Hospital Medical School and Kingston University. Increasingly people with severe and enduring mental illness are cared for in the community. Around 25% of people with schizophrenia have no specialist contact with any mental health professional and are looked after entirely in general practice (King & Nazareth, 1996).
Praise and punishment
Authors: Thornton Stephanie
Published: June 2014

Despite knowing in theory that praise works better than criticism and blaming, faced with bad behaviour, it can be tricky in practice. Stephanie Thornton has some tips.
The boy in the corner?
Authors: Ovenden Jonathan
Published: June 2014

Jonathan Ovenden discusses the dilemma of raising achievement in white working class boys and suggests using technology to reignite their enthusiasm for learning.
Are we keeping up?
Authors: David Anthony
Published: June 2014

Developing a socially-minded curriculum is, arguably, beyond our role as teachers but to ignore it, is to short change our children, says Anthony David
How do you think the characters compare?
Authors: Williams Brenda
Published: June 2014

Brenda Williams suggests ways in which books can be used together, providing a context for children to make comparisons and connections to enhance meaning
Noise from total hip replacements
Authors: Wyatt M. C. , Jesani S. , Frampton C. , Devane P. , Horne J. G.
Published: June 2014

Objectives

Our study aimed to examine not only the incidence but also the impact of noise from two types of total hip replacement articulations: ceramic-on-ceramic and ceramic-on-polyethylene.

Methods

We performed a case-controlled study comparing subjective and objective questionnaire scores of patients receiving a ceramic-on-ceramic or a ceramic-on-polyethylene total hip replacement by a single surgeon.

Results

There was a threefold higher incidence of noise from patients in the ceramic-on-ceramic group compared with the control group. The impact of this noise was significant for patients both subjectively and objectively.

Conclusions

This study reports a high patient impact of noise from ceramic-on-ceramic total hip replacements. This has led to a change in practice by the principal author. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2014;3:183–6.
Cuban Migration to the United States and the Educational Self-Selection Problem
Authors: Aleida Cobas Valdés  , Ana Fernández Sainz
Published: June 2014

The aim of this article is to study the educational self-selection problem of Cuban migration to the US. For this analysis, we specify and estimate a binary logit model to analyse the observable covariates that explain migration probability. The data used in the study came from the 2010 Census of Population and Housing in the US and from the 2002 Cuba Census of Population and Housing, both data set have been provided by IPUMS (2010) and IPUMS International (2011). The results indicate that education, age and occupational covariates explain migration probability. Moreover, there is a positive educational self-selection problem, that is, those people with a higher education migrate. The principal contribution of this article is to demonstrate how high-level education increases the probability of Cubans emigrating. The positive educational self-selection problem has significant negative consequences, for example, loss of human capital.
Democracy Still in Motion: The 2013 Election Results in Cuba
Authors: Arnold August
Published: June 2014

This paper considers the significance of the 2013 results of the elections to Cuba's National Assembly in the light of trends identified in the author's recent book, Cuba and its Neighbours: Democracy in Motion (August, 2013). Particular attention is paid to the longer-term trajectory of decline in the solidity of the ‘united’ or slate vote. Other aspects of change are noted in a process characterised as Cuban ‘democracy in motion’, rather than as a drift towards the liberal democratic model demanded by the U.S. ‘regime change’ objectives, and by other critics of Cuba's constitution.
[Concept / Object] [Text / Event]
Authors: Brown Bill
Published: June 2014

The essay pursues an ontological question (which asks what character of being or mode of existence a text may be said to have) and a pragmatic question (which asks how a text, whatever status you grant it, may be said to function). It does so in recognition of the distinction between textual materialists (such as Susan Howe), for whom the text is inseparable from its incarnation, and those who appear to be textual idealists (such as Nelson Goodman), for whom the text transcends any particular materialization of it. The pursuit of the questions gets dramatized at the intersection of language art and Language poetry, where an awkward chiasmus becomes visible: the textualization of the material object (part of the so-called dematerialization of art, circa 1966–1972) finds its specular completion in the materialization of the text (the poet’s effort to forestall the transparency of language). After engaging the ontological question in light a various literary-critical claims, the essay tracks the career of Lawrence Weiner, from his early efforts to replace objects and events with descriptions of them, to his more recent inscriptions that assume an object-character of their own. While highlighting the inconsistent demands made on text , the essay ends by speculating on the demands made by texts themselves.
Ораторика в революционном законодательном собрании: риторический портрет Государственной думы 1-го и 2-го созывов (1906–1907)
Authors: Усманова Диляра
Published: June 2014

The article presents an attempt to characterize parliamentary culture in the wake of the First Russian Revolution of 1905 through an analysis of debates in the first and second State Dumas. Three key aspects had shaped this culture and revealed themselves in the rhetoric of Duma speakers. First, the specific circumstances of establishing the Duma as the cornerstone of the modernizing political system; second, the revolution as the context of Duma activities that directly affected the behavior and stylistics of the Duma’s speakers; third, the peculiarities of communication of the multiethnic and multiconfessional deputy corps of the imperial parliament. The rise of public politics in the Duma and the formation of a new type of politicians heavily drew on the traditional and even archaic institutions, social personae, and norms of behavior. This mixture of new and old elements was captured in the manner and rhetoric of Duma speakers and the culture of parliamentary polemics.
Global Subjects of Poetry: Power and Discourse in Poetry
Authors: Li Xingbo
Published: June 2014

To argue for the utility of comparing poetic tropes across cultures, this essay takes up French and Chinese poems (by Baudelaire and Li Bai) using tropes of wine and inebriation. A critical analysis demonstrates how the base tropes are expressed in terms of their source cultures’ power relations.
Echoing Romance: James Cameron’s Avatar as Ecoromance
Authors: Collins Marsha S.
Published: June 2014

This essay examines Avatar’s echoing of longstanding romance conventions while creating ecocentric romance or ecoromance, providing insight into the ecological ideology that informs the movie, while suggesting how and why romance remains such an enduring and popular fictional form.