bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
GOVERNORS AS CHIEF ADMINISTRATORS
Authors: SIGELMAN LEE , DOMETRIUS NELSON C.
Published: August 2008

Although formal gubernatorial powers have often been employed as a surrogate measure of actual gubernatorial influence, the linkage is more complex than that. This article builds and tests the argument that formal gubernatorial powers are translated into influence largely through the mechanism of the governor's informal political resources. That is, formal powers do relatively little to bolster a governor's influence where informal resources are lacking, but a combination of formal powers and informal resources contributes greatly to gubernatorial influence. Tests of an interactive model of the governor's influence over state administrative agencies strongly support this interpretation.
WHY REDISTRIBUTION DOESN'T WORK
Authors: WEIHER GREGORY R.
Published: August 2008

In 1984, the Texas state legislature passed House Bill 72, which was meant, among other things, to make public school finance among school districts in the state more equitable. The legislation added a billion dollars to state educational funds and created redistributive mechanisms for allocating state aid. In spite of these significant efforts, finances among the districts are found not to have been substantially equalized. This article argues that the barrier to equalization lies in the division of educational funding between the state and the local districts, and the failure to dismantle the local reliance upon the property tax. Data are presented to demonstrate the tendency of wealthy school districts to increase local expenditures when confronted with redistributive programs at the state level. Further analysis indicates the persistence of local property wealth as the best single indicator of district expenditures.
IDEOLOGICAL POSITION AS A VARIABLE IN THE AUTHORING OF DISSENTING OPINIONS ON THE WARREN AND BURGER COURTS
Authors: BRENNER SAUL , SPAETH HAROLD J.
Published: August 2008

Investigation of dissenting opinions on the Warren and Burger courts in which all the justices in dissent joined the same dissenting opinion reveals that the justice in the extreme ideological position tends to write the dissenting opinion, but in the maximum losing coalitions the marginal justice (i.e., the justice ideologically closest to the majority) is equally likely to do so. These findings suggest that small group theory better explains dissenting opinion behavior than the theory of cognitive dissonance.
A CRITIQUE OF INTERPRETIVISM AND ITS CLAIMED INFLUENCE UPON JUDICIAL DECISION MAKING
Authors: REID TRACIEL V.
Published: August 2008

Interpretivism is a theory of judicial decision making that holds that modern constitutional adjudication should be grounded upon the values originally incorporated in the Constitution by its drafters. Interpretivists have claimed that the employment of their decision rule promotes judicial neutrality and restrains the Court from engaging in constitutional policymaking. This study empirically examines the interpretivists' approach in an area of law that is very conducive to the achievement of the interpretivists' objectives. Although a single study cannot prove or disprove major tenets of the interpretivist argument, this study's findings nevertheless question whether the claims of the interpretivists are realizable in the modern judicial process.
CONTOURS OF FRIENDSHIP AND RESPECT IN THE LEGISLATURE
Authors: CALDEIRA GREGORY A. , PATTERSON SAMUEL C.
Published: August 2008

Interpersonal relations—patterns of friendship and respect—exemplify the informal organization of legislative institutions and provide the basis for legislative action. Who are the representatives who garner friendship and respect in the legislature? How widely are friendship and respect allocated among legislators? What characteristics and attitudes compel nominations of a friend or respected colleague? We address these questions using data from personal interviews with 119 Iowa state legislators. Members were asked to nominate (1) their five closest friends in the legislature, and (2) five members they respected. A multivariate analysis of nominations of friends and respected colleagues yields their major correlates, and shows intriguing differences between the sources of friendship and respect.
SHARE THE WEALTH
Authors: WILCOX CLYDE
Published: August 2008

Although we now know a good deal about the contribution strategies of individuals, parties, and Political Action Committees (PACs), we know considerably less about contributions made by incumbent members of Congress to other candidates. Such contributions are some-times made through PACs established by the incumbent, but many more members contribute through their campaign committees. This article explores incumbents' contributions during the 1983-84 election cycle. Those contributors who give large amounts often do so for instrumental purposes—to further their election, power, or policy ends. The vast majority of contributors, however, seem to channel their surplus campaign funds to candidates in need—particularly those identified by their parties' campaign committees as likely to be involved in a close election.
MINORITY POPULATION PROPORTION AND BLACK AND HISPANIC CONGRESSIONAL SUCCESS IN THE 1970s AND 1980s
Authors: GROFMAN BERNARD , HANDLEY LISA
Published: August 2008

We look at the relationship between a congressional district's black and Hispanic population proportion and the likelihood of election of black or Hispanic candidates. We show that black and Hispanic gains appear to be due to an increase in the number of districts with substantial minority population, rather than to any change in the willingness of nonminority voters to support minority candidates. In contrast to earlier work we focus on the importance of the combined minority (black plus Hispanic) population as a determinant of minority electoral success.
Measuring the Return from Australian Tourism Marketing Expenditure
Authors: Kulendran Nada , Dwyer Larry
Published: August 2008

Tourism Australia, the primary agency responsible for marketing Australia as a destination internationally, spends around 32% of its total marketing expenditure in Asian markets. Asia contributes around 40% of the visitor arrivals to Australia. When Tourism Australia invests public money to promote Australia as a tourist destination, there is a need to estimate the return per dollar investment. This article estimated the return per dollar investment in Asia using a dynamic modeling approach and cost-effectiveness analysis. The study found that the return per dollar investment is 17:1 for Asia and 8:1, 36:1, 3:1, and 7:1 for Japan, New Zealand, the UK, and the United States respectively. The results have implications for targeting the highest yield markets to increase the economic returns to Australia from its destination marketing activity. It is argued that the cost-effectiveness approach is a useful tool for destination managers to ensure the effectiveness of their marketing expenditure.
Emancipation or accommodation?
Authors: Rostbøll Christian F.
Published: August 2008

The development of the theory of deliberative democracy has culminated in a synthesis between Rawlsian political liberalism and Habermasian critical theory. Taking the perspective of conceptions of freedom, this article argues that this synthesis is unfortunate and obscures some important differences between the two traditions. In particular, the idea of internal autonomy, which was an important, implicit idea in the ideology critique of the earlier Habermas, falls out of view. There is no room for this dimension of freedom in political liberalism and it has largely disappeared from the later Habermas. In so far as others have followed Rawls and Habermas, deliberative democratic theory has converged around a less critical and more accommodationist view of freedom. If we want to keep deliberative democracy as a critical theory of contemporary society, we should resist this convergence. Our starting point should not be `the fact of reasonable pluralism' but rather `the fact of unreflective acquiescence'. This article argues for incorporating internal autonomy in a complex theory of freedom to which deliberative democracy should be normatively committed.
Do our actions make any difference in wrong life?
Authors: Skirke Christian
Published: August 2008

Adorno's moral philosophy has often been accused of making aporetic prescriptions that are too taxing for moral agents. In this article, I defend his approach in terms of a theory of moral dilemmas. My guideline is Adorno's famous sentence that wrong life cannot be lived rightly. I argue that this claim is not distinctly prescriptive, as most of Adorno's critics believe, but is a claim about moral reality. Emphasizing realist aspects of his moral theory, I suggest that wrong life is neither inconceivable nor an amoral or skeptical trope. Instead, Adorno's sentence about wrong life can be interpreted as a claim about the salience of particular moral facts. This, I conclude, allows Adorno to envisage moral reasons that motivate moral conduct case by case, although they are blocked overall.
`“Prove me the bam!”: Victimization and agency in the lives of young women who commit violent offences' — Practitioner response 2
Authors: Petrillo Madeline
Published: August 2008

This article is a practitioner's response to Susan Batchelor's article `Prove me the bam!': Victimization and agency in the lives of young women who commit violent offences', published in Probation Journal (December, 2005). The article drew on research Susan Batchelor had undertaken at HMPYOI Cornton Vale in Scotland with 21 young women aged from 16 to 24 years-old who were imprisoned for violent offences. Susan Batchelor's findings challenge the notion that female violence is `abnormal' or `bizarre', suggesting instead that it is a rational response in lives characterized by multiple disadvantage.
Small Business Failure and Survey of the Literature
Authors: Berryman Joyce
Published: August 2008

Joyce Berryman is acting head of the Department of Commerce of the James Cook University of North Queensland, Australia. The failure of small businesses has serious implications for employment in many countries and much is said and written about small business failure and bankruptcy. Authors and speakers are usually interested therefore in suggesting means of avoiding such disasters. They are bad for the economy because they mean last jobs and a drop in the gross national product as well as promoting a lack of confidence in the small business sector; for the small businessman they may be degrading and disappointing in addition to the personal hardship involved. This survey of the literature on bankruptcy and failure has been undertaken to bring together what has been said so far.
Open communication and partner support in intercultural and interfaith romantic relationships: A relational maintenance approach
Authors: Reiter Michael J. , Gee Christina B.
Published: August 2008

Open communication regarding cultural and religious differences and similarities, partner support for culture and religion, and relationship distress were examined at baseline and one-year follow-up in 353 late adolescent and young adult college-students involved in romantic relationships. For intercultural relationships, at baseline, higher levels of open communication about culture were associated with lower levels of relationship distress. Longitudinally, open communication about culture was positively associated with satisfaction, but not with commitment or break-up. For interfaith unions, at baseline, higher levels of open communication about religion were associated with lower levels of relationship distress. Although involvement in an intercultural union predicted break-up at follow-up, involvement in an interfaith union did not predict break-up.
Taking the grand out of grandparent: Dialectical tensions in grandparent perceptions of surrogate parenting
Authors: Erbert Larry A. , Alemán Melissa W.
Published: August 2008

This interpretive study utilized a dialectical framework to explore themes that emerged in interviews with grandparents engaged in raising their grandchildren full-time (i.e. surrogate parents). Detailed interviews with 45 surrogate parents (ranging in age from 45 to 76 years old) were examined inductively and results revealed three primary contradictions: (i) connection versus separation, (ii) stability versus change, and (iii) protection versus expression. Multiple dialectical radiants are embedded within these three primary contradictions. Dialectical radiants for connection/separation included: responsibility-for versus freedom-from, desire versus obligation, blessing versus sacrifice, and safety versus threat. Dialectical radiants for stability/change included: health versus illness, and youthfulness versus aging. Dialectical radiants for protection/expression included: permissiveness versus discipline, and parent versus grandparent. A conceptual model visually demonstrates knots of contradictions for grandparent surrogate experiences.
Writing wrongs: Promoting forgiveness through expressive writing
Authors: Romero Catherine
Published: August 2008

Forgiveness involves forgoing destructive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and, instead, engaging in constructive responses following an interpersonal offense. The current pilot study compared two expressive writing tasks with a control writing task to determine whether writing about an interpersonal offense promotes forgiveness of the offender. Participants who empathized with the offender and identified benefits of forgiveness experienced decreases in avoidance and increases in perspective-taking. Participants who wrote about their thoughts and feelings or about daily events did not experience such forgiveness outcomes. The implications of expressive writing for healing damaged interpersonal relationships are discussed.
Benefits and pitfalls of pooling datasets from comparable observational studies: combining US and Dutch nursing home studies
Authors: van der Steen JT , Kruse RL , Szafara KL , Mehr DR , van der Wal G , Ribbe MW , D'Agostino RB
Published: August 2008

Different research groups sometimes carry out comparable studies. Combining the data can make it possible to address additional research questions, particularly for small observational studies such as those frequently seen in palliative care research. We present a systematic approach to pool individual subject data from observational studies that addresses differences in research design, illustrating the approach with two prospective observational studies on treatment and outcomes of lower respiratory tract infection in US and Dutch nursing home residents. Benefits of pooling individual subject data include enhanced statistical power, the ability to compare outcomes and validate models across sites or settings, and opportunities to develop new measures. In our pooled dataset, we were able to evaluate treatments and end-of-life decisions for comparable patients across settings, which suggested opportunities to improve care. In addition, greater variation in participants and treatments in the combined dataset allowed for subgroup analyses and interaction hypotheses, but required more complex analytic methods. Pitfalls included the large amount of time required for equating study procedures and variables and the need for additional funding.
Implementation and impact of the Gold Standards Framework in community palliative care: a qualitative study of three primary care trusts
Authors: Walshe C , Caress A , Chew-Graham C , Todd C
Published: August 2008

The Gold Standards Framework (GSF) has been widely adopted within UK general practices, yet there is little understanding of its impact on the provision of community palliative care services. This study presents data on the anticipation and adoption of the GSF within three Primary Care Trusts in North West England. Forty-seven interviews were conducted with generalist and specialist palliative and primary care professionals. Important aspects of the GSF identified were the patient register, communication and out-of-hours protocols. Positive benefits to professionals included improved communication between professionals and appropriate anticipatory prescribing. Negative aspects included increased nursing workload and the possibility of fewer or later visits for patients. Many respondents believed that the GSF needed local champions to be sustainable. Slow or incomplete adoption was reported. The GSF was recognised as important because it facilitated changes to previously difficult aspects of work between professionals, but few respondents reported direct benefits to patient care.
Non-pharmacological interventions for breathlessness management in patients with lung cancer: a systematic review
Authors: Zhao I , Yates P
Published: August 2008

The aim is to review the published scientific literature for studies evaluating non-pharmacological interventions for breathlessness management in patients with lung cancer. The following selection criteria were used to systematically search the literature: studies were to be published research or systematic reviews; they were to be published in English and from 1990 to 2007; the targeted populations were adult patients with dyspnoea/breathlessness associated with lung cancer; and the study reported on the outcomes from use of non-pharmacological strategies for breathlessness. This review retrieved five studies that met all inclusion criteria. All the studies reported the benefits of non-pharmacological interventions in improving breathlessness regardless of differences in clinical contexts, components of programmes and methods for delivery. Analysis of the available evidence suggests that tailored instructions delivered by nurses with sufficient training and supervision may have some benefits over other delivery approaches. Based on the results, non-pharmacological interventions are recommended as effective adjunctive strategies in managing breathlessness for patients with lung cancer. In order to refine such interventions, future research should seek to explore the core components of such approaches that are critical to achieving optimal outcomes, the contexts in which the interventions are most effective, and to evaluate the relative benefits of different methods for delivering such interventions.
The emancipation of economics from morality: Mandeville's Fable of the Bees
Authors: Dumont Louis
Published: August 2008

The following essay is part of a study in intellectual history bearing on one aspect of the configuration of ideas and values characteristic of modern civilisation or, as the author calls it, "modern ideology" *. This system of ideas and values has the category of "the economic" as one of its major categories, one of its basic dimensions or reference coordinates. Yet the economic category has not always been there, and it is possible to isolate some of the stages or changes by which it became what it is. A new category, if it is to attain a separate existence, must in particular be emancipated from the old categories which had hitherto dominated the ideological field and prevented its independent assertion. It must get disentangled or, as Karl Polanyi would have said, dis-embedded from the configuration that still ignored it.

In this case, emancipation was necessary in two directions, in relation to politics on the one hand, to morality on the other. Locke's Two Treatises of Govemment contains a choice expression of the first aspect, while the second can be documented from Mandeville's Fable.
Curaua/Glass Hybrid Composite: The Effect of Water Aging on the Mechanical Properties
Authors: Silva R.V. , Aquino E.M.F. , Rodrigues L.P.S. , Barros A.R.F.
Published: August 2008

A hybrid composite associating natural fibers (curaua) and synthetic fibers (E-glass) was developed and investigated. The hybrid is destined for engineering applications as an alternative material to glass fiber composites, mainly in high moisture environments. Thus, an investigation was conducted to evaluate the degradation of the mechanical properties due to water absorption. The hybrid composite is formed of an orthophthalic polyester resin reinforced by layers of glass mats and continuous curaua fibers. Absorption tests were carried out and obtained the composite saturation curve for both distilled water and sea water conditions. A non-hybrid composite (just with curaua fiber), was also evaluated for comparison. The mechanical properties were evaluated through tensile and three-point-bend tests. After the mechanical tests, a fracture characteristics analysis of the tested specimens was carried out.
Electrical and Mechanical Investigations on Polyvinyl Chloride Filled with HAF Black
Authors: El-Nashar D.E. , Eid M.A.M. , Abou Aiad T.H. , Abd-El-Messieh S.L.
Published: August 2008

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) was chosen to be loaded with various amounts of high abrasion furnace black (HAF). The mechanical as well as electrical properties of the prepared composites were investigated. The dielectric properties of these composites were investigated in the frequency range 102—10 5 Hz at a temperature range of 30—1208C. In addition to the conductivity term, the experimental data of the dielectric losses ε'' were analyzed using a computer program based on both Havriliak—Nagami and Fröhlich equations into two relaxation processes. The first relaxation process in the lower frequency range could be attributed to the Maxwell—Wagner effect. The second relaxation could be attributed to the combination of the large scale mobilization of the chains i.e., the glass—rubber relaxation process in addition to a contribution of the motion of the large aggregates caused by the movement of the main chain, which are expected to be formed by the addition of different ingredients to PVC such as a plasticizer.

The percolation threshold concentration, which is the concentration after which the conductivity increases many orders of magnitude with very little increase in the filler amount for PVC/HAF composites, depends upon the measuring temperature, whether it is below or above the glass transition of the polymer matrix.

Stress—strain plot, hardness, and other mechanical properties such as stress at yield, stress at rupture, strain at yield, strain at rupture, and Young's modulus were investigated at room temperature. This investigation led to the conclusion that all the mechanical properties are improved by increasing HAF content and reaches its optimum values at about 30 phr HAF loading. On the other hand, the addition of HAF black by concentration up to 40 phr increases the electrical conductivity to be 10-10 Sm-1 at 30°C and 10-9 Sm-1 at 120°C which highly recommends such composites to be used in antistatic applications as the suitable range of electrical conductivity for such application is 10-9—10-14 S m-1.
Tensile Creep and Deformation Modeling of Vinyl Ester Polymer and Its Nanocomposite
Authors: Plaseied A. , Fatemi A.
Published: August 2008

This article discusses tensile creep behavior of vinyl ester polymer and its nanocomposite with 0.5 wt% functionalized carbon nanofibers. It is shown that for a constant temperature the creep resistance decreases with increasing stress. At lower temperature, higher creep compliance was observed for vinyl ester as compared to nanocomposite, while at temperatures close to T g of vinyl ester creep compliance in nanocomposite was higher than that for vinyl ester. An analytical power-law relationship was used to predict the creep deformation behavior of both vinyl ester and its nanocomposite which showed good prediction of creep strain versus time, especially at lower temperatures and for lower applied stresses. A three-parameter Findley-type creep law for the compliance was also used. Good correlations between experimental data and the predictive model were obtained for both materials.
Relationship of Rheological Study with Morphological Characteristics of Multicomponent (Talc and Calcium Carbonate) Filled Polypropylene Hybrid Composites
Authors: Jikan S.S. , Samsudin M.S.F. , Ariff Z.M. , Ishak Z.A.M. , Ariffin A.
Published: August 2008

Polypropylene (PP) copolymer reinforced with talc, CaCO3, or multicomponent fillers (a combination of talc and CaCO3) were compounded in a Brabender Plasti-Corder® internal mixer. These compounds then experienced an extrusion process by means of a capillary rheometer. The rheological and morphological (SEM) properties of the extrudate were analyzed to investigate the effect of shear stress, filler type, and temperature. The rheological studies revealed that the incorporation of multicomponent fillers has increased the melt viscosity. However, different ratio of filler type demonstrates no significant effect. It is also shown that the system appears pseudoplastic over one range of shear rates but dilatant over another. The presence of filler seems to have a pronounced influence on dilatant flow in filled PP. Observation on SEM analysis at high shear stress showed that large CaCO3 agglomerates are seen to be randomly dispersed whereas talc particles are more uniformly distributed and oriented to flow direction, suggesting better mixing.
Measurement Invariance in Careers Research
Authors: Behrend Tara S. , Foster Thompson Lori , Meade Adam W. , Newton Dale A. , Grayson Martha S.
Published: August 2008

The current study demonstrates the use of item response theory (IRT) to conduct measurement invariance analyses in careers research. A self-report survey was used to assess the importance 1,363 fourth-year medical students placed on opportunities to provide comprehensive patient care when choosing a career specialty. IRT analyses supported measurement invariance across gender. Additional analyses indicated that compared with men, women placed significantly greater importance on opportunities to provide comprehensive patient care. This in turn predicted career choice, with women being more likely than men to pursue primary care specialties. This study extends the careers literature both methodologically and substantively. Methodologically, this study exemplifies how and why to use IRT to assess measurement invariance prior to comparing groups on career-related attitudes. Substantively, this study is the first to demonstrate that the importance placed on comprehensive patient care mediates the effect of gender on intentions to pursue primary care specialties.
Analysis of T-cell proliferation and cytokine secretion in the individuals exposed to arsenic
Authors: Biswas R , Ghosh P , Banerjee N , Das JK , Sau T , Banerjee A , Roy S , Ganguly S , Chatterjee M , Mukherjee A , Giri AK
Published: August 2008

Over six million people in nine districts of West Bengal, India are exposed to very high levels of arsenic primarily through their drinking water. More than 300,000 people showed arsenic-induced skin lesions in these districts. This is regarded as the greatest arsenic calamity in the world. Chronic arsenicosis causes varied dermatological signs ranging from pigmentation changes, hyperkeratosis to non-melanocytic cancer of skin, and also malignancies in different internal organs. Higher incidences of opportunistic infections are found in the arsenic-exposed individuals, indicating that their immune systems may be impaired somehow. We have thus investigated the effect of arsenic on T-cell proliferation and cytokine secretion in 20 individuals with arsenic-induced skin lesions and compared the results with 18 arsenic-unexposed individuals. A marked dose-dependent suppression of Concanavalin A (Con A) induced T-cell proliferation was observed in the arsenic-exposed individuals compared with the unexposed ( P < 0.001) individuals. This correlated with a significant decrease in the levels of secreted cytokines by the T cells (TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL2, IL10, IL5, and IL4) in the exposed individuals ( P < 0.001). Thus it can be inferred that arsenic exposure can cause immunosuppression in humans.
Fuzzy Holes and Intangible Time
Authors: O'Carroll Aileen
Published: August 2008

The knowledge economy is characterized by highly skilled, highly educated employees whose work is centred on the manipulation of information. This article looks at the work process of workers in the software sector, as their work is both central to the knowledge economy and shares many of the characteristics of other knowledge workers. It describes the temporal frameworks found, grounding them in the work process. It documents specific characteristics of work and work organization that give rise to a time experienced as both intangible and fuzzy. It argues that there is a deep irony at the centre of the knowledge economy. On one hand, speed is the key metaphor of the knowledge economy. Yet the use of metaphors of speed and efficiency bypass any appreciation of the qualitative nature of time found within these work processes. Knowledge production is based on creativity, communication and knowledge development, processes that move at their own pace. These processes sit uncomfortably within temporal frameworks, which are based on a predictable and quantifiable time.
Waiting and Rejection: An Organizational Perspective
Authors: Sellerberg Ann-Mari
Published: August 2008

Time spent waiting is frequently regarded as time wasted, and therefore as something to be avoided or at least minimized. In this article, however, waiting is viewed from an organizational perspective: delay and waiting are seen as integral to the strategic functioning of organizations, and to their handling of individual requests. Various kinds of waiting or intended organizational delays are described in terms of their contribution to `cooling out'. Waiting as cooling out means that waiting pacifies those frustrated (or possibly frustrated) by the organization. The analysis also addresses various manifestations of the social dialogue between the organization and the rejected, including those cases where waiting does not have a cooling out effect.
Why is the Rate of Cesarean Section in Urban China so High? Is the	Price Transparency Policy Working?
Authors: Hong Xie
Published: August 2008

The caesarean section (CS) rate and non-clinically-indicated CS (NCS) rate in urban China are extremely high. On the demand side the assumed reason is China's one-child policy. We also assume that the supply side induces the CS demand, thus resulting in a continued rise in delivery expenditure. Therefore, so-called ‘price transparency policy’ was adopted to control costs. This study aims to prove that demand and supply factors may cause the high NCS rate, thus affecting the consequences of this policy, and causing a waste of resources and increased delivery expenditure. We conducted a multinomial logistic regression analysis to identify factors related to the high NCS rate, ANOVA and ANCOVA to compare the resource waste among the different delivery modes or hospitals. It was confirmed that the high NCS rate (37.7 per cent) in urban China might be predicted based not only on the demand factors (region of residence, parity, maternal age and weight gain), but also supply factors (hospital dummy). The price transparency policy requiring providers to disclose hospital charges information has thus led to inaccurate average CS charges, which confuse consumers, thus contributing to the overuse of NCS. Our study indicates that this policy could not effectively control costs.
An Investigation of School Playground Safety Practices as Reported by School Nurses
Authors: Hudson Susan D. , Olsen Heather M. , Thompson Donna
Published: August 2008

The purpose of this study was to investigate school playground safety practices. The study used a purposeful sample of school nurses who attended a playground safety workshop at the 2006 National Association of School Nurses annual conference. Seventy-five questionnaires were distributed, and 64 useable questionnaires were returned. The responses indicated that little attention is being given to providing safe playground environments in schools as measured by best practices of supervision, age-appropriate design, fall surfacing, and equipment maintenance. Participants pointed to the need for better supervision and supervision training, careful selection of age-appropriate equipment, maintaining adequate fall surfaces under the equipment, and ensuring that equipment is properly maintained and repaired. The study also revealed that school nurses believe they could play a role in playground injury prevention through the collection and analysis of injury data, communication to administrators about the need for comprehensive planning of the play environment, and becoming active members of playground safety committees.
Pilot Testing Okay With Asthma™: An Online Asthma Intervention for School-Age Children
Authors: Wyatt Tami H. , Hauenstein Emily J.
Published: August 2008

Asthma is the leading cause of missed school days despite advancements in asthma treatment. This may be, in part, due to a lack of understanding about asthma. Okay With Asthma™, an online story with psychosocial management strategies for school-age children, was pilot tested to measure its effect on asthma knowledge and attitude. The online program delivers content about asthma through a digital story and story-writing program. Using a one-group pretest-post-test quasi-experimental design, 35 children with moderate to severe asthma completed a pretest measure of asthma knowledge and attitudes and then completed Okay With Asthma™. At 1 week and 2 weeks after the intervention, the children completed the measures again. There were significant improvements in asthma knowledge scores at the 1- and 2-week evaluations and significant improvements in attitude scores 2 weeks after the program. Okay With Asthma™ specifically targets school-age children and teaches them how to use school resources and peers while managing their asthma.
Recruiting Middle School Students Into Nursing
Authors: Matutina Robin E.
Published: August 2008

The purpose of this literature review is to illustrate the importance of initiating nursing recruitment during the middle school years. Data sources included citations from the years 1989 to 2006. The study focused on middle school students 9 to 13 years of age in Grades 6 to 8. One survey compared middle school students’ perceptions of an ideal career and a career in nursing. Other studies discussed interventions such as nursing camps, recruitment videos, presentations, and handouts. After the intervention, the studies found statistically significant increases in the desire of middle school students to consider or make nursing their career choice. One strategy for addressing future nursing shortages might be the implementation of recruitment efforts targeting middle school students.
Evaluation of Online Education About Diabetes Management in the School Setting
Authors: Bachman Jean A. , Hsueh Kuei-Hsiang
Published: August 2008

There are a variety of initiatives to provide education to improve the quality of care for children with diabetes in the school setting. This study piloted and evaluated an online continuing education program for school nurses about diabetes management for children in schools using current practice principles. The evaluation determined if objectives of the program were met, if participants believed the education provided would enhance their ability to manage children with diabetes, and participants’ opinions about the online delivery method. Nineteen participants were recruited from among school nurses unable to attend statewide face-to-face diabetes workshops. The majority reported that the objectives were met, and 91% reported the education would enhance their ability to manage students with diabetes. Whereas 33% preferred online continuing education, 17% preferred face-to-face education, and 50% were unsure. Because of the increasing prevalence of diabetes in children, it is important that school nurses have access to continuing education that provides current principles for diabetes management for children. The method of delivery should be determined by the learner’s learning style preferences.
Use of a Noncycloplegic Autorefractor to Perform Vision Screening in Preschools
Authors: Clarke Noreen , Shacks Janice , Kerr Amanda R. E. , Bottrell Christine L. , Poulsen Marie Kanne , Yin Larry
Published: August 2008

Early detection and treatment of vision disorders in children are important to avoid lifelong visual impairment; however, preschool vision-screening rates are low. Traditional methods of screening lack the precision of objective tests and are difficult to administer in preschoolers. This study adopted a method using school nurses to conduct vision screening in preschoolers with a portable autorefractor. In addition, the effectiveness of the school nurse in conducting follow-up was evaluated. In a sample of 600 children, more than 98% completed the screening, and 7% were referred for follow-up evaluation. Seventeen percent of parents had plans to follow-up after receiving a brochure indicating that their child would benefit from a comprehensive eye exam. However, after a conversation with the school nurse, 86% had plans to schedule an evaluation with an eye care professional. Of the 15 students with known follow-up, 10 received glasses. The described method is effective in identifying young children with potential vision problems and facilitating their correction after contact made by the school nurse.
Information system needs in health promotion: a case study of the Safe Community programme using requirements engineering methods
Authors: Timpka Toomas , Ölvander Christina , Hallberg Niklas
Published: August 2008

The international Safe Community programme was used as the setting for a case study to explore the need for information system support in health promotion programmes. The 14 Safe Communities active in Sweden during 2002 were invited to participate and 13 accepted. A questionnaire on computer usage and a critical incident technique instrument were distributed. Sharing of management information, creating social capital for safety promotion, and injury data recording were found to be key areas that need to be further supported by computer-based information systems. Most respondents reported having access to a personal computer workstation with standard office software. Interest in using more advanced computer applications was low, and there was considerable need for technical user support. Areas where information systems can be used to make health promotion practice more efficient were identified, and patterns of computers usage were described.
Democratic Norms and Party Candidate Selection
Authors: Cross William
Published: August 2008

This article argues that the relative significance of party candidate selection processes in influencing representational and policy outcomes varies across countries and parties. Five variables are identified that influence this relationship: the electoral system, the degree of inter-party general election competition, the openness of the system to the election of independent candidates, whether representational demands are accommodated within or among parties, and the role of elected representatives in determining policy outcomes. From this, a normative argument is made that the strength of the case for democratically organized candidate nomination contests varies depending on the relative importance of these contests in determining policy and representational outcomes.
The influence of household work and of having children on sickness absence among publicly employed women in Sweden
Authors: Voss Margaretha , Josephson Malin , Stark Stefan , Vaez Marjan , Alexanderson Kristina , Alfredsson Lars , Vingård Eva
Published: August 2008

Aim: To investigate whether family obligations influence the risk of sickness absence among female municipal employees in Sweden. Methods: A 1-year prospective cohort study of 1464 female municipal employees <50 years of age in Sweden in 2000 was conducted using questionnaire responses and absence data from the employers' personnel records. The relative risk of having children <16 years of age in the home, marital status, household work, financial situation, working hours and work—family conflicts for repeated sick-leave spells (≥4 spells) and long-term sickness absence (≥28 days) were calculated by applying Poisson regression models. Results: Women reporting financial strain or work—family conflicts were at elevated risk for long-term sickness absence. Having children was not a risk factor for repeated sick-leave spells or long-term sickness absence among married/cohabiting women. Single women with children had a two-fold greater risk of repeated sick-leave spells than single women without children. Conclusions: The findings suggest that the combination of gainful employment and children does not influence the risk of repeated sick-leave spells or long-term sickness absence among married/cohabiting publicly employed women. However, this was not true for single women with children, which indicates that their circumstances are particularly strained.
Health tests and health consultations reduced cardiovascular risk without psychological strain, increased healthcare utilization or increased costs
Authors: Lauritzen Torsten , Ager Jensen Morten Sig , Thomsen Janus Laust , Christensen BO , Engberg Marianne
Published: August 2008

Background: Few randomized controlled trials (RCT) have evaluated health tests and health consultations in primary care with a long follow-up period. The Ebeltoft Health Promotion Project (EHPP) evaluated health tests and health consultations over a period of 5 years in the frame of a health technology assessment. Objective: To review the results of EHPP. Design: RCT with a control group answering questionnaires and two intervention groups having questionnaires, a comprehensive health test with written advice followed by either a normal consultation on demand or a planned 45 minutes patient-centred consultation. Setting: Primary care. Participants: The target population was all 30—49 year old persons in the municipality of Ebeltoft, Denmark. Invitations were received by 2000 randomly selected persons. Intervention: A comprehensive biomedical health test including a cardiovascular risk score (CVRS) followed by written advice and health consultations. Main outcome measures: Biomedical measures, psychological measures, healthcare contacts, life years gained, direct and total health costs. Results: At baseline 75% participated. During the 5 years 85% participated at least once. Elevated CVRS was found in 19% in the control group compared to 10% in the intervention groups (p<0.01) after 5 years. There were no measurable long term psychological reactions. Numbers of contacts to the healthcare system were not increased. Significantly better life expectancy was found without extra direct and total costs. Conclusions: An offer of health tests and patient-centred health consultations to the middle-aged population can be cost-effective and may be considered in the fight against the increasing burden of lifestyle diseases.
Social inequality in fetal and perinatal mortality in the Nordic countries
Authors: Jørgensen Tina , Mortensen Laust H. , Nybo Andersen Anne-Marie
Published: August 2008

Aim: The aim of this study is to review the epidemiological literature from the past 27 years on social inequality in fetal and perinatal mortality in the Nordic countries in order to examine whether social inequalities in fetal and perinatal mortality exist, and whether there are differences between the countries. Methods: The databases MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched for Nordic epidemiological studies published between January 1980 and August 2007 about the association between social indicators and the outcomes spontaneous abortion, stillbirth or perinatal mortality. Thirty-five studies that fulfilled the inclusion criteria were identified for this review. Results: Social differences in stillbirth and perinatal mortality were found in all of the identified Finnish and Norwegian studies and in the majority of studies from Denmark, whereas in the Swedish studies the findings were less consistent. As only a small number of studies on spontaneous abortion were identified (n=3), no conclusions were drawn with regard to this outcome. Conclusions: There seems to be a reasonable body of evidence that social inequality in stillbirth and perinatal mortality exists in Norway, Finland and Denmark, whereas the conclusions regarding Sweden are more uncertain. A number of methodological problems complicate the comparison of the findings. Nordic collaborative analyses of social gradients in spontaneous abortion, stillbirth and perinatal mortality, which take these methodological concerns into account, are needed in order to draw inferences across countries.
Review: The role of the L-arginine-nitric oxide pathway in preeclampsia
Authors: López-Jaramillo Patricio , Arenas William D. , García Ronald G. , Rincon Melvin Y. , López Marcos
Published: August 2008

Preeclampsia (PE) is a major cause of maternal and perinatal mortality, especially in developing countries. Its etiology involves multiple factors, but no specific cause has been identified. Evidence suggests that clinical manifestations are caused by endothelial dysfunction. Nitric oxide (NO), which is synthesized from L-arginine in endothelial cells by the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), provides a tonic dilator tone and regulates the adhesion of white blood cells and platelet aggregation. Alterations in the L-arginine-NO pathway have been associated with the development of PE. Various studies, reporting decreased, elevated or unchanged levels of nitrite (NO2) and nitrate (NO3), two end products of NO metabolism, have been published. Our group contributed to those contradictory reports describing cases of PE with both elevated and decreased levels of NO2 and NO3. Apparently, diminished levels of NO could be related to deficiencies in the ingestion of dietary calcium associated to low levels of plasma ionic calcium, which is crucial to the eNOS' activity. Also, low levels of NO could be associated with the presence of eNOS polymorphisms or the presence of increased levels of ADMA, the endogenous inhibitor of NO. High levels of NO associated to low levels of cGMP suggest a decreased bioactivity of NO, which is probably related to an increased degradation of NO caused by a high production of superoxide in states of infection and inflammation. The present article analyses and reviews the reported paradoxical roles of the L-arginine-NO pathway in PE and gives a possible explanation for these results.
Review: Prehypertension: should we be treating with pharmacologic therapy?
Authors: Egan Brent M. , Nesbitt Shawna D. , Julius Stevo
Published: August 2008

Prehypertension, defined by Seventh Joint National Committee (JNC 7) as a blood pressure (BP) 120—139/80—89 mm Hg, was controversial. Approximately 31—37% of US adults are prehypertensive, and ∼12—14% have BP of 130—139/85—89 mm Hg or `Stage 2' prehypertension, is associated with ∼3-fold greater likelihood of developing hypertension and roughly twice the cardiovascular events than BP <120/80 mm Hg. Lifestyle change is the only intervention recommended for most prehypertensives. When fully implemented, lifestyle changes lower BP and prevent cardiovascular events, but evidence for community-wide effectiveness is limited. The Trial of Preventing Hypertension (TROPHY) documented that angiotensin receptor blockade safely lowers BP and prevents and/or delays hypertension in Stage 2 prehypertensives. Prehypertensives with diabetes or nephropathy are at high risk and should receive antihypertensive treatment according to JNC 7. Epidemiological data suggest that the number needed to treat to prevent a cardiovascular event in these at-risk Stage 2 prehypertensives is similar to Stage 1 hypertensives when both groups have one or more concomitant risk factors. Clinical trials are urgently needed to address this question. In the absence of clinical trials data, we believe it is prudent for the concerned clinician to consider initiating antihypertensive pharmacotherapy in selected Stage 2 prehypertensive patients at significant absolute risk for progression to hypertension and cardiovascular events.