bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Theogallin and l-theanine as active ingredients in decaffeinated green tea extract: II. Characterization in the freely moving rat by means of quantitative field potential analysis
Authors: Dimpfel Wilfried , Kler Adolf , Kriesl Erwin , Lehnfeld Romanus
Published: September 2007

The model Tele-Stereo-EEG (continuous recording of intracerebral field potentials in the freely moving rat to produce an electropharmacogram) has been used to see if l-theanine- and theogallin-enriched decaffeinated green tea extract would change electrical brain activity after oral administration, to provide proof of access of active components to the brain via the blood-brain barrier. Baseline recording (45 min) was followed by a 5-h recording session after oral ingestion of the extract or single components: l-theanine, theogallin and quinic acid, a suggested metabolite of theogallin. Power spectra from Fast Fourier Transformed (FFT) field potential changes were divided into six frequency bands (delta, theta, alpha1, alpha2, beta1 and beta2). No effects could be measured using a saline solution for control purposes. Oral administration of 75 mg kg−1 total extract led to power decreases mainly in delta and alpha2 frequencies during the first hour. This pattern has been observed in the presence of stimulatory synthetic compounds. Oral administration of 30 mg kg−1  l-theanine led to power decreases of nearly all frequencies, being more pronounced during the second and following hours in comparison with the first hour. Ingestion of 20 mg kg−1 theogallin also showed a power decreasing effect on cortical activity. Its possible metabolite quinic acid (10 mg kg−1, p.o.) also produced decreases in delta, alpha2 and beta1 frequencies. Measurement of motion resulted in an increase during the first hour in the presence of theogallin and l-theanine. A tendential decrease was observed in the presence of l-theanine during the last hour at its presumably highest plasma levels. The results with the administration of the total extract provided evidence for the maior involvement of l-theanine and theogallin (or its presumable metabolite quinic acid) in its action, since no other active compounds were present in the extract. These compounds could be classified by comparison with reference drugs using discriminant analysis as being antidepressive and cognition enhancing, respectively. The extract appeared among those drugs having stimulatory effects.
PG-liposomes: novel lipid vesicles for skin delivery of drugs
Authors: Elsayed Mustafa M A , Abdallah Ossama Y , Naggar Viviane F , Khalafallah Nawal M
Published: September 2007

A novel type of lipid vesicles, propylene glycol-embodying liposomes or PG-liposomes, composed of phospholipid, propylene glycol and water, is introduced. The new lipid vesicles were developed and investigated as carriers for skin delivery of the model drug, cinchocaine base. PG-liposomes showed high entrapment efficiency and were stable for at least one month of storage at 5 ± 1 °C. Preliminary in-vivo skin deposition studies, carried out using albino rabbit dorsal skin, showed that PG-liposomes were superior to traditional liposomes, deformable liposomes and ethosomes, suggesting that PG-liposomes, introduced in the current work, are promising carriers for skin delivery of drugs.
Algorithm for finding all k-nearest neighbours in three-dimensional scattered points and its application in reverse engineering
Authors: Li X , Cripps R J
Published: September 2007

A fast and exact algorithm for computing the k-nearest neighbours, or k-closest points in terms of Euclidean distance, for all data in three-dimensional point clouds is presented that avoids using complicated Voronoi diagrams or Dirichlet tessellations. Experimental evidence suggests that the algorithm has a timing of O(n) for most practical values of k under the condition: k < 0.05 n, where n is the number of three-dimensional points in the cloud. Case studies are presented to illustrate the robustness and efficiency of the method and a comparison is made to an existing exact method.
Synchronized tolerancing in growth design
Authors: Huang K Z , Wang Y D , Yang Z H , Zhang Y , Wang W G , Meng Q B , Sun X
Published: September 2007

Competition in the global economy is increasing the demand for designing products right the first time. Tolerancing is an essential part of the design process of a product, but it is traditionally performed after the product structure has been determined. Therefore, the original information about precision requirements may not be fully utilized in early decision making for selecting the best structure from all the potential alternatives. To establish a solid foundation for integrating tolerancing in the conceptual design phase, growth design methodology has been proposed, in which the functional surface concept is first introduced to unify abstract function with visual structure; and second the generalized positioning principle is utilized to establish a theoretical relation between the product structure and all other factors in design; and third a logical and operable approach to evolving product structures is developed. Based on growth design, tolerancing has been integrated seamlessly into a synchronized design process in which a series of structure alternatives for a product are generated step by step and tolerancing is performed for each step to evaluate each new alternative structure at different levels. In the present paper a framework is proposed first to illustrate the relationship between growth design and tolerancing. Then the key models and algorithms for synchronized tolerancing are described in detail including the tolerance adaptation process, the automatic formation of a tolerance chain, and the product tolerance optimization. Finally, a prototype tolerancing system has been implemented and applied to a dedicated fixture design to verify the validity of the approach in engineering design.
Development, evaluation, and selection of rapid tooling process chains for sand casting of functional prototypes
Authors: Dimitrov D , van Wijck W , de Beer N , Dietrich J
Published: September 2007

This paper discusses the results obtained from studies on different rapid tooling process chains for improved design and manufacture of foundry equipment for sand casting of prototypes in final material for functional and pre-production tests of vehicles, using the three-dimensional printing process as core technology. Subsequently, while considering aspects such as time, cost, quality (accuracy and surface roughness), and tool life, a framework for evaluation and selection of the most suitable process chain in accordance to specific requirements is presented. Apart from only using these process chains for prototype manufacturing, initial results from a study to apply one of these process chains in automated sand casting full production is also presented. This research builds on an in-depth characterization of the accuracy and repeatability of a three-dimensional printing process.
Bump steer effects in a 10 ton truck with a leaf-spring suspension
Authors: Hoyle J
Published: September 2007

A 10 t truck with a leaf-spring suspension and beam axles was known to have suffered an incident during normal road operation that was believed to have been related to the phenomenon of bump steer. Experimental investigations using a four-post rig established that the vehicle was particularly excited while traversing, at approximately 25 m/s, a sinusoidal undulating road profile that had a wavelength of approximately 12 m. Bump steer was evident under these conditions, and the excited frequency of approximately 2.4 Hz raised the possibility that driver reaction times (a lag of approximately 0.2 s) could have compounded the problem when trying to counter the effect of the bump steer.

A handling model of the vehicle has been used to investigate the bump steer effects. A three-degree-of-freedom handling model of the vehicle was created that included a non-linear tyre model, which was able to simulate the differing cornering stiffness effects created by varying tyre loads, friction limits, and slip angles. A driver model was created that made use of lateral displacement and intended vehicle-path return rate feedback loops (effectively proportional and differential feedback) but incorporated a neuromuscular lag element and steer rate and steer angle limiting functions.

Simulations of violent high-speed double-lane-change manoeuvres enabled the driver's return rate and lateral displacement feedback gains to be benchmarked for these conditions. Further simulations using these feedback gains showed that, when coupled with the bump steer of the vehicle at an excitation frequency of 2.4 Hz, a typical neuromuscular lag of 0.2 s created an approximately 150° out-of-phase response from the driver that resulted in an unstable oscillatory handling system. If the neuromuscular lag was reduced to near-zero, the system remained stable in spite of the high feedback gains. Alternatively, reducing the driver's feedback gains by 50 per cent also resulted in a stable system, in spite of the neuromuscular lag, thereby demonstrating that the correct response to the bump steer effects was not to respond to them. Actual vehicle trials conducted under controlled conditions at various road locations (including the incident location) and other test centres demonstrated that this was indeed the correct response should bump steer be encountered.
Driver cognitive distraction detection: Feature estimation and implementation
Authors: Kutila M H , Jokela M , Mäkinen T , Viitanen J , Markkula G , Victor T W
Published: September 2007

This article focuses on monitoring a driver's cognitive impairment due to talking to passengers or on a mobile phone, daydreaming, or just thinking about other than driving-related matters. This paper describes an investigation of cognitive distraction, firstly, giving an overall idea of its effects on the driver and, secondly, discussing the practical implementation of an algorithm for detection of cognitive distraction using a support vector machine (SVM) classifier. The evaluation data have been gathered by recruiting 12 professional drivers to drive for approximately 45 min in various environments and inducing cognitive tasks, i.e. arithmetic calculations. According to the prior knowledge and the experimental analysis, gaze, head and lane-keeping variances over a 15 s time window were selected indicative features. The SVM classifier's performance was optimized through exhaustive parameter tuning. The executed tests show that the cognitive workload can be detected with approximately 65-80 per cent confidence despite the fact that the test material represented medium-difficulty cognitive tasks (i.e. the induced workload was not very high). Thus, it could be assumed that a more challenging cognitive task would yield better detection results.
Rollover stability of a vehicle during critical driving manoeuvres
Authors: Jin Z L , Weng J S , Hu H Y
Published: September 2007

In this paper, a linear vehicle model with three degrees of freedom is established to study the stability of vehicle rollover due to critical driving manoeuvres. From the linear vehicle model, the stability conditions are determined on the basis of the Routh-Hurwitz criterion, and a so-called dynamic stability factor is defined to reveal the effects of system parameters on the stability of vehicle rollover. In order to demonstrate the theoretical results, two numerical examples are given for the rollover of a sport utility vehicle in cornering and lane-change manoeuvres at a high speed and large steering angle. The stability regions are shown with respect to the vehicle speed and the vehicle parameters, such as the longitudinal distance from the centre of gravity to the front axle, and the steering angle of the front wheel.
Investigation of air-fuel ratio control using ionic current signal
Authors: Wu X , Li K , Jiang D
Published: September 2007

The objective of this paper is to investigate the control of air-fuel ratio (AFR) using an ionic current signal. Experimental measurements have been carried out to study the characteristics of the ionic current signal near ignition poles in a constant-volume combustion bomb. The ionic signal is characterized by a front flame and post flame during combustion. The intensity of the ionic signal strongly depends on the AFR at the time of combustion. The maximum values in both the front flame and the post flame will occur at close to the stoichiometric value. Furthermore, minimum values of the durations from ignition to two peaks will also occur where the AFR is close to the stoichiometric value. From this observation of the ion signal characteristics, a feedback control of AFR in a closed loop is proposed and the algorithm is outlined for detecting whether the mixture is in the lean or the rich combustion condition. Then control logic is given based on the information on lean or rich combustion. A unique condition of combustion around stoichiometry is also discussed. It has been shown that the developed control algorithm covers the entire combustion region: lean, rich, and stoichiometric.
Driver tracking and posture detection using low-resolution infrared sensing
Authors: Amin I J , Taylor A J , Parkin R M
Published: September 2007

Intelligent sensors are playing an ever-increasing role in automotive safety. This paper describes the development of a low-resolution infrared (IR) imaging system for continuous tracking and identification of driver postures and movements. The resolution of the imager is unusually low at 16 − 16 pixels. An image processing technique has been developed using neural networks operating on a segmented thermographic image to categorize driver postures. The system is able reliably to identify 18 different driver positions, and results have been verified experimentally with 20 subjects driving in a car simulator. IR imaging offers several advantages over visual sensors; it will operate in any lighting conditions and is less intrusive in terms of the privacy of the occupants. Hardware costs for the low-resolution sensor are an order of magnitude lower than those of conventional IR imaging systems. The system has been shown to have the potential to play a significant role in future intelligent safety systems.
Preclinical assessment of the long-term endurance of cemented hip stems. Part 1: Effect of daily activities - a comparison of two load histories
Authors: Cristofolini L , Teutonico A Saponara , Savigni P , Erani P , Viceconti M
Published: September 2007

The loads during daily activities contribute to fixation failure of cemented hip stems. In-vitro preclinical testing so far has consisted of simulating one or two conditions. Only a small percentage of hip implants fail, with a higher failure rate in most active patients. The goal was to define a procedure to assess the long-term effect of the lifestyle of a reasonably active patient on implant micromotions. Thus, a cyclic load of constant amplitude is unsuitable. All activities inducing high loads were included, to replicate the most critical scenario in terms of fatigue. The following motor tasks were simulated: stair climbing and descending, car entry and exit, bathtub entry and exit, and stumbling. An in-vitro simulation running for 15 days was able to replicate the load peaks occurring in 24 years of patient activity. Inducible micromotion and permanent migration were monitored. The load history was successfully applied to two different designs with known clinical performance, yielding significantly different micromotions for the two types. Results from the present load history were compared against a simpler profile including only stair climbing. Results showed that the new load profile is more sensitive to differences and can more easily discriminate between different designs. Part 2 of this work describes a further validation against retrieved implants.
Normalization of load and clearance effects in ball-in-socket-like replacements
Authors: Ciavarella M , Strozzi A , Baldini A , Giacopini M
Published: September 2007

A normalizing loading parameter useful in summarising the mechanical response of plane pin-in-plate-like contacts is extended to axisymmetric ball-in-socket-like contacts. An example addressing a compliant layered artificial hip joint is presented, and the usefulness of the normalizing loading parameter is evidenced.
In-vitro study of medial strain distribution in the femur during impaction grafting
Authors: Mak S Y , Holsgrove T P , Miles A W
Published: September 2007

Impaction bone grafting (IBG) is widely used for revision hip surgery to compensate for bone stock loss. It is performed by impacting morsellized allograft into the femoral canal and acetabulum prior to cementing new total hip components. Per- and post-operative femoral fractures and post-operative implant subsidence are major complications in IBG. The aim of this study was to investigate the strain distribution on the medial side of the femur during impaction grafting and the subsequent stability of the stem under uniaxial cyclic loading. The Exeter IBG technique was used in conjunction with Howmedica X-change instrumentation. Sawbones® composite femora were used. An impactometer, which provides a known impaction energy and momentum, was used to standardize the impaction process. Three drop heights, 130, 260, and 390 mm, were used for proximal impaction. In-vitro medial hoop strains and the number of impacts were recorded. A drop height of 260 mm was found to provide sufficient energy for impaction without introducing excessive strains to achieve implant stability. Furthermore, a feasibility study was performed on the use of a proximal impaction cap (PIC) to restrain extrusion of the graft during impaction. Although no significant difference in impaction strains or stem stability in uniaxial cylic loading was found by using a PIC, it is postulated that the design of a proximal impactor could be improved to assist with proximal stem alignment and graft containment.
Design and development of a novel automatic valve system for long-term catheterized urinary incontinence patients
Authors: Lee S M , Short T D , Unsworth A
Published: September 2007

It has been estimated that over 3 million patients in the UK suffer from urinary incontinence, the result of which is often long-term catheterization. However, many catheters block prematurely through encrustation and their continuous drainage limits bladder rehabilitation. Although evidence shows that a catheter valve may overcome such weaknesses, only manual valves are currently available and many patients are not able to benefit from these owing to a lack of manual dexterity. A novel electronically controlled automatic valve system, the Shan-Lai (SL) valve system, has been designed and prototyped. The prototype is compact, reliable, and cost effective, and it has low power consumption. The mass of the overall packaged valve system is 34.2 g and it measures 4.5 cm × 4.5 cm × 1.2 cm. With an orifice of 3 mm diameter, the SL valve has achieved high flowrates with relatively low energy consumption. A flowrate-energy relationship (FER) has been introduced to assess the performance of a catheter valve, and the SL valve system prototype has achieved an FER of 0.66 m/s−1 mJ−1 while a commercially available electronic valve has an FER of 0.28 m/s−1 mJ-1. The valve demonstrated outstanding mechanical reliability after a series of performance tests and also indicated remarkable encrustation resistance in the vicinity of the valve during an in-vitro test.
A two-degree-of-freedom motor-powered gait orthosis for spinal cord injury patients
Authors: Ohta Y , Yano H , Suzuki R , Yoshida M , Kawashima N , Nakazawa K
Published: September 2007

A number of orthoses have been developed to restore stance and walking in paraplegic subjects. Compliance, however, has been limited, mainly owing to walking effort. Use of the forces produced by actuators is an effective way to solve the problem of the considerable effort required for orthotic gait, namely high muscular effort and high energy expenditure. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of assistance by external actuators on the orthotic gait of spinal cord injury (SCI) patients. Two kinds of linear actuator were developed by using direct current (d.c.) motors for assisting the knee and hip joint of a gait orthosis. They were mounted on the knee and hip joint of a commercial advanced reciprocating gait orthosis (ARGO), and a new two-degree-of-freedom externally powered gait orthosis was thus developed. The orthosis was assessed through inter-subject experiments on five male adult complete SCI patients. Owing to the short training period available for the assisted gait, simultaneous operation of both joint actuators was not conducted: either the knee actuation or the hip actuation was executed only. Thus, the knee actuator and the hip actuator were assessed with a T12 subject and with subjects for T5, T8, T11, and T12 respectively. The motions of the gaits, assisted by the linear actuators, were measured by a Vicon 370 system, and the general gait parameters and compensatory motions were evaluated. Results demonstrated that (a) all subjects could walk without falling, assisted either by the knee or the hip actuator; (b) both the knee and hip joint actuator increased the gait speed and the step length; (c) the knee flexion produced by the orthosis improved the dynamic cosmesis of walking; and (d) lateral compensatory motions as well as vertical ones tended to decrease when the hip joint was assisted, which could contribute to a reduction in walking effort.
Actuator fault-tolerance evaluation of linear constrained model predictive control using zonotope-based set computations
Authors: Ocampo-Martinez C , Guerra P , Puig V , Quevedo J
Published: September 2007

This paper presents a computational procedure to evaluate the fault tolerance of a linear-constrained model predictive control (LCMPC) scheme for a given actuator fault configuration (AFC). Faults in actuators cause changes in the constraints related to control signals (inputs), which in turn modify the set of MPC feasible solutions. This fact may result in an empty set of admissible solutions for a given control objective. Therefore, the admissibility of the control law facing actuator faults can be determined by knowing the set of feasible solutions. One of the aims of this paper is to provide methods to compute this set and to evaluate the admissibility of the control law for a given AFC, once the control objective and the admissibility criteria have been established. In particular, the admissible solution set for the predictive control problem, including the effect of faults (either through reconfiguration or accommodation), is determined using an algorithm that is implemented using set computations based on zonotopes. Finally, the proposed method is tested on a real application consisting of a part of the Barcelona sewer network.
A structural view of fault-tolerant estimation
Authors: Staroswiecki M
Published: September 2007

This paper presents a structural view of fault-tolerant estimation algorithms. Structural analysis makes it possible to identify the minimal submodels by which unknown variables can be estimated, both in healthy and in faulty conditions, and to establish a link with critical faults and reliability.
Intelligent work-situation fault diagnosis and fault-tolerant system for the shaft-furnace roasting process
Authors: Chai Tianyou , Wu Fenghua , Ding Jinliang , Su Chun-Yi
Published: September 2007

During roasting in a shaft furnace (used for the deoxidizing roasting of ore), work-situation faults (WSFs) arise as a result of variations in process conditions and off-spec operation. These work-situation faults can be potentially disastrous and can lead to a total collapse of the control system if they are not detected and diagnosed in time. Furthermore, by their very nature they have to be distinguished from the results addressed by existing methods of diagnosis and tolerance control. This paper presents an innovative work-situation fault diagnosis (WSFD) and fault-tolerance control (FTC) strategy for a control system where a combination of neural networks, expert system, and case-based reasoning is used. As such, a system is established that consists of a magnetic tube recovery rate (MTRR) prediction model, a work-situation fault diagnosis unit, and a fault-tolerance controller. The proposed system diagnoses imminent work-situation faults, and then the fault-tolerance controller adjusts the set-points of the control loops. The outputs of the lower-level control system track the modified set-points, which makes the process deviate gradually from work-situation faults with an acceptable product quality. The proposed system has been applied to the shaft-furnace roasting process in the largest minerals processing factory in China and has reduced the frequency of all work-situation faults by more than 50 per cent, with the ratio of furnace operation increased by 2.98 per cent. It has been proven to provide many benefits to the factory.
Active fault-tolerant control of a double inverted pendulum
Authors: Weng Z , Patton R. J. , Cui P
Published: September 2007

This paper proposes an active fault-tolerant control scheme based on a gain-scheduled H∞ design strategy. Under the assumption that the effects of faults on the system can be of affine parameter dependence, a reconfigurable robust H∞ controller is developed. The resulting controller is a function of the fault effect factors, which can be derived online from the residual vector of the fault detection and isolation (FDI) mechanism. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method, a non-linear double inverted pendulum system with a fault in the motor tachometer loop is considered. The adaptive fault-tolerant controller recovers well from the unstable system with loop failure.
Interactive enhanced particle swarm optimization: A multi-objective reliability application
Authors: Pandey M. K. , Tiwari M. K. , Zuo M. J.
Published: September 2007

In reliability optimization problems, it is desirable to address different conflicting objectives. This generally includes maximization of system reliability and minimization of cost, weight, and volume. The proposed algorithm of a metaheuristic nature is designed to address multi-objective problems. In the presented algorithm, interaction with a decision maker guides the search towards the preferred solution. A comparison between an existing solution and the newly generated solution substantiates the desirability or fitness of the latter. Further, the utility function expresses the preference information of the decision maker while searching for the best solution. During the development of the algorithm, a new variant of particle swarm optimization (PSO) is proposed and named as ‘enhanced particle swarm optimization’ (EPSO). EPSO considers the difference between the particle's best position and the global best position for efficient search and convergence. The developed algorithm is applied to the reliability optimization problem of a multistage mixed system with four different value functions that are used to simulate the designer's opinion in the solution evaluation process. Results indicate that the algorithm effectively captures the decision maker's preferences for different structures. Superior results in multi-objective reliability problem-solving prove the algorithm's superiority over other approaches.
Cementless total hip replacement after previous intertrochanteric valgus osteotomy for advanced osteoarthritis
Authors: Suzuki K. , Kawachi S. , Matsubara M. , Morita S. , Jinno T. , Shinomiya K.
Published: September 2007

We present a series of 30 uncemented total hip replacements performed between June 1985 and January 2002 with a mean follow-up of seven years (5 to 20) in 27 patients who had previously undergone a valgus intertrochanteric osteotomy. No further osteotomy was undertaken to enable hip replacement. We used a number of uncemented modular or monoblock femoral components, acetabular components and bearings. The patients were followed up clinically and radiologically. We report 100% survival of the femoral component. One acetabular component was revised at five years post-implantation for aseptic loosening. We noted cortical hypertrophy around the tip of the monoblock stems in six patients. We believe that modular femoral components should be used when undertaking total hip replacement in patients who have previously undergone valgus femoral osteotomy.
New Public Management and Housing Associations: from comfort to competition
Authors: Walker Richard
Published: September 2007

English

Substantial reform has taken place within the English housing association sector over recent years. Research attention has not focused on how these changes relate to the overall restructuring of the public sector and the emergence of the new public management. These concerns are addressed through the application of typologies of new public management, as developed by Ferlie et al (1996), to associations. The evaluation indicates that the unique nature of associations means that they have much in common with private sector-derived models of organisation and management. However, additional knowledge needs to be developed to understand comprehensively their role within public sector management debates.
Unity in Environmental Discourse? The role of decision makers, experts and citizens in developing Finnish environmental policy
Authors: Jokinen Pekka , Koskinen Keijo
Published: September 2007

English

This article deals with the construction of the content and goals of Finnish environmental policy. The basic issue is whether there are discourse and strategy coalitions of key players to be identified as well as interests with which the discourses and strategies coincide. In the study, 41 key players in the Finnish National Commission on Sustainable Development were interviewed. The main result is that environmental discourses show diversity. Two ideal types of basic environmental policy strategies, termed ‘ecological modernisation’ and ‘structural change’, were found. It is concluded that there is no easy starting point for unity in environmental policy making. However, additional research is needed to examine the relevant policy sectors from the broad viewpoint of social development and environmental politics.
The Politics of Evidence-Based Medicine in the United Kingdom
Authors: Harrison Stephen
Published: September 2007

English

Evidence-based medicine, the doctrine that professional clinical practice should be based on sound research evidence about the effectiveness of the procedures used, is now official policy for the National Health Service. Despite its obvious common-sense and political appeal, the policy seems to be based on a number of questionable assumptions about implementation, political popularity and scientific consensus, yet accords in general terms with contemporary developments in modes of controlling organisations.
Decentralisation and Land-Use Planning in France: a 15 year review
Authors: Booth Philip
Published: September 2007

English

In France, decentralisation of powers from central to local government has been one of the major reforms of the past 15 years. This article examines the way decentralisation has enabled French local authorities to define and implement policy and how far actors within the system have modified their behaviour as a result of the changes. It explores the commentaries on decentralisation in France, and looks at land-use planning, which was one of the major powers to be transferred to the communes, examining how communes have used the powers and how central government has responded. The article concludes that there have been significant gains in local autonomy but that central government has struggled to redefine its own role. It also identifies a series of problems that have yet to be resolved for decentralisation to be fully effective.
Instruments of Government? Voluntary sector boards in a changing public policy environment
Authors: Harris Margaret
Published: September 2007

English

This article explores how recent changes in public policies have been experienced by the governing boards of voluntary agencies. It looks at impacts on the way boards perform their main functions and examines how board members perceive changes in social welfare policy such as moves towards contracting, competition and community care. Public policy implementation processes are perceived as problematic when they threaten the essentially voluntary and independent nature of the board role. Thus over-zealous direction, control or monitoring of voluntary agencies’ boards may have the perverse effect of discouraging the impulse to be an ‘active citizen’.
Mental Health Policy and the Politics of Mental Health: a three tier analytical framework
Authors: Pilgrim David , Rogers Anne
Published: September 2007

English

Mental health policy and the politics of mental health are complex topics, studied by a wide range of academic disciplines using a variety of methodologies and styles of analysis. This article offers a broad unifying analytical framework which includes this range and variety while bringing some order into a field which can overwhelm individual scholars. The framework has three tiers: macro, meso and micro. These refer respectively to global and transhistorical factors; national and cultural factors; and local and personal factors. A case study is outlined (mental health, violence and coercion) to illustrate the utlilty of the framework. In conclusion, its advantages and limits are discussed in relation to interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity.
Making evidence fit for purpose in decision making: a case study of the hospital discharge of older people
Authors: Glasby Jon , Walshe Kieran , Harvey Gill
Published: September 2007

English

As a conclusion to this special edition, this article explores discussions at the final seminar in the series. Focusing on a case study topic (hospital discharge), participants were provided with six sources of evidence chosen to illustrate six very different approaches to generating valid knowledge. Participants then explored a series of questions about each (including reliability/validity, key limitations and contributions to new knowledge). Overall, none of the sources was felt to offer a definitive insight into the issue at stake. A key challenge, therefore, is to design deliberative processes to synthesise and integrate evidence of different types and from multiple sources.
Social Landscapes of the Inter‐Mountain West: A Comparison of ‘Old West’ and ‘New West’ Communities*
Authors: Winkler Richelle , Field Donald R. , Luloff A. E. , Krannich Richard S. , Williams Tracy
Published: September 2007

Abstract Rural communities have experienced dramatic demographic, social, and economic transformations over the past 30 years. Historically characterized by close links between natural resources and social, cultural, and economic structures, few of today's rural communities remain heavily dependent upon traditional extractive industries like ranching, forestry, and mining. New forms of development linked to natural and cultural amenities, including tourism and recreation, have evolved to sustain the link between community and resources. The Inter‐Mountain West region offers an excellent example of this distinction. Many of the region's rural communities have experienced substantial population growth resulting from the in‐migration of a new kind of rural resident. Their arrival, in a process some have associated with the emergence of a “New West,” has transformed rural places. However, amenity‐related social and economic structures have not occurred uniformly across space. This paper uses factor analysis and exploratory spatial data analysis to analyze demographic characteristics related to the “New West” phenomena in Inter‐Mountain West communities and the spatial patterns found in the degree of “New West‐ness” that each community exhibits.
The Changing Spatial Concentration of America's Rural Poor Population*
Authors: Lichter Daniel T. , Johnson Kenneth M.
Published: September 2007

Abstract This paper documents changing patterns of concentrated poverty in nonmetro areas. Data from the Decennial U.S. Census Summary Files show that poverty rates—both overall and for children—declined more rapidly in nonmetro than metro counties in the 1990s. The 1990s also brought large reductions in the number of high‐poverty nonmetro counties and declines in the share of rural people, including rural poor people, who were living in them. This suggests that America's rural pockets of poverty may be “drying up” and that spatial inequality in nonmetro America declined over the 1990s, at least at the county level. On a less optimistic note, concentrated poverty among rural minorities remains exceptionally high. Roughly one‐half of all rural blacks and one‐third of rural Hispanics live in poor counties. Poor minorities are even more highly concentrated in poor areas. Rural children—especially rural minority children—have poverty rates well above national and nonmetro rates, the concentration of rural minority children is often extreme (i.e., over 80% lived in high‐poverty counties), and the number of nonmetro counties with high levels of persistent child poverty remains high (over 600 counties). Rural poor children may be more disadvantaged than ever, especially if measured by their lack of access to opportunities and divergence with children living elsewhere. Patterns of poverty among rural children—who often grow up to be poor adults— suggest that recent declines in concentrated rural poverty may be short‐lived.
Toward Multifunctional Landscapes: Cross‐Sectional Analysis of Management Priorities in New York's Northern Forest*
Authors: Klein Jeffrey A. , Wolf Steven A.
Published: September 2007

AbstractGlobalization and shifting societal relations with nature generate change and conflicting politics in rural areas of industrialized nations. In this context,multifunctionalityhas emerged as an important policy logic to stabilize commodity production while encouraging amenity‐based development and the production of ecological services. We argue that the concept of multifunctionality, while originally derived from agricultural trade negotiations, is applicable to integrated rural development challenges in forested landscapes. To understand and realize a progressive form of multifunctionality, information is needed on local actors' land use priorities and the factors that shape their interests. Based on data from a 2004 mail survey (183 valid responses; 61% response rate) in two northern NY communities, one amenity‐oriented and the other timber‐dependent, we conducted an empirical analysis of actors' forest management priorities. Factor analysis allowed us to identify four distinct orientations to management: ecological orientation, recreation orientation, large‐scale timber orientation, and small‐scale industry orientation. GLM regression allows us to assess how economic context, professional roles, and personal lifestyle considerations affect individuals' adherence to these distinct orientations. The commonalities and differences we observe among sets of actors engaged in forest policy and management point to constraints to realization of multifunctionality and to opportunities to develop richer conceptual tools to probe contemporary transitions.
Munkahelyi pszichoszomatika
Authors: Jakab Ernő , Lázár Imre
Published: September 2007

A Semmelweis Egyetem Magatartás-tudományi Intézete által
szervezett országos reprezentatív népegészségügyi felmérések (Hungarostudy,1995, 2002) nyomán külön
kiképzett kérdezőbiztosok, 1995-ben 12.370 személyt, és 2002-ben 12.668
személyt kerestek fel lakásukon. A tanulmány e két felmérés alapján elemzi a 30–60
év közötti aktív munkavállalók mintáját a munkahelyistresszt meghatározó munkafeszültség
legfőbb dimenziói alapján. 1995-ben 1308 férfi és 1701 nő, 2002-ben 2355 aktív
munkavállaló férfi és 2175 nő vett részt ezekben a felmérésekben.A munkahelyi
feszültség modellünkben a munkahelyi bizonytalanság, a munkával való elégedetlenség,
a munkatársi támasz hiánya és a munkahelyi kontroll hiányából származtatható.
Az alkalmazott bio-pszicho-szocio-gazdasági szemlélet keretében lépésenkénti
kétváltozós logisztikus regresszió­analízis-modellezéssel vizsgáltuk a
munkahelyi stressz elemeinek együttes és kombinált hatásait a Beck-depresszió
skálaértékekkel, a betegség nélküli munkaképesség-csökkenéssel és a
betegállományban eltöltött napok számával összefüggésben. Modellszámításokat
végeztünk a munkahelyi stresszel kapcsolatbahozható
életminőség-kockázat nemzetgazdasági költségeivel kapcsolatban.1995-ben a krónikus
munkafeszültség a magyar aktív munkavállalók 17,05%-ára volt jellemző,
2002-ben ez az arány 25,47% volt. A magas munkafeszültséggel jellemzettférfiak
és nők körében 1995-ben és 2002-ben isszignifikánsan nagyobb mértékben volt
jelen a klinikai mértékű depresszív tünetegyüttes az alacsonyabb
munkafeszültséggel jellemezhető alkalmazottakkal való összevetésben. 2002-ben a
krónikusan fokozott munkafeszültség a férfiaknál négyszeresére, míg a nőknél kétszeresére
emelte a klinikai mértékű depresszió rizikóját. A magas munkafeszültség mindkét
nemnél szignifikáns mértékben növelte a betegség nélküli munkaképesség-csökkenés
esélyét. Míg a munkafeszültséggel jellemzett férfiak esetében a
betegállományban eltöltött napok számával nem találtunk szignifikáns összefüggést,
a nőknéligen. Férfiaknál a munkafeszültség elemeinek kombinált hatásai a munkahelyi kontrollhiánya, amunkahelyibizonytalanságés a munkával kapcsolatosel
Modelo experimental de indução de lesão oxidativa hepática em ratos por halotano
Authors: Brasil Luis Josino , Amaral José Luiz Gomes do , Zettler Claudio Galeano , Marroni Claudio Augusto , Vercelino Rafael , Marroni Norma
Published: September 2007

RACIONAL: O anestésico halotano pode ser metabolizado redutivamente a intermediários reativos que podem iniciar a lipoperoxidação acompanhada de injúria hepática. O tratamento prévio com hipóxia e fenobarbital em ratos aumenta o metabolismo do halotano e o estresse oxidativo e causa mudanças nas enzimas antioxidantes no fígado com dano hepático. MÉTODOS: Investigou-se o efeito do halotano na lipoperoxidação e histologia hepáticas após o aumento do metabolismo redutor do halotano induzido pela hipóxia e fenobarbital. Vinte e cinco ratos machos Wistar foram divididos em cinco grupos: Co (controle), HO14 (Halotano/Hipóxia), F (Fenobarbital), O14 (Hipóxia) e H (Halotano). Após 24 horas os ratos foram sacrificados, seus fígados foram retirados para determinar quimiluminescência, substâncias que reagem ao ácido tiobarbitúrico, enzimas antioxidantes, superóxido dismutase, catalase e amostras de sangue foram tomadas para determinar AST e a ALT. A avaliação histopatológica foi realizada pela técnica de hematoxilina-eosina. Os dados da avaliação histológica foram apresentados através de mediana e amplitude entre quartis. RESULTADOS E CONCLUSÕES: A exposição ao halotano/hipóxia causou lipoperoxidação hepática e mudanças significativas na atividade das enzimas antioxidantes. Além disso, provocou lesão histopatológica do fígado e aumento significativo dos níveis plasmáticos de AST e ALT.
Depressão na esclerose multipla forma remitente-recorrente
Authors: Mendes Maria Fernanda , Tilbery Charles Peter , Balsimelli Silvia , Moreira Marcos Aurélio , Barão-Cruz Ana Maria
Published: September 2007

A possibilidade de correlação entre depressão e esclerose múltipla (EM) é conhecida há muitos anos, porém os estudos de prevalência não são conclusivos. No nosso meio a prevalência deste sintoma na EM permanece desconhecida. O objetivo deste estudo é verificar a prevalência da depressão em pacientes com EM, estudando a sua correlação com a incapacidade funcional, o sexo, a idade e o tempo de doença. Foram avaliados 84 pacientes com EM remitente-recorrente (EMRR). A depressão foi avaliada através da Escala de Beck e da Escala para Ansiedade e Depressão (HAD), e a incapacidade funcional pela Escala de Incapacidade Funcional Expandida (EDSS). A depressão estava presente em 17,9% e a ansiedade em 34,5% dos pacientes com EMRR. Os maiores escores das escalas de depressão correlacionaram-se com maior incapacidade funcional (p=0,0002), porém não estão associados ao tempo de doença, ao sexo ou a idade dos pacientes. Nossos dados indicam que a depressão é frequente nos pacientes com EM e sugerem haver correlação entre a depressão e a incapacidade funcional.
Isolated oculomotor nerve palsy inspontaneous internal carotid artery dissection: case report
Authors: Campos Cynthia Resende , Massaro Ayrton Roberto , Scaff Milberto
Published: September 2007

Partial oculosympathetic palsy followed by ischemic manifestations in brain or retina are the main symptoms of extracranial internal carotid artery (ICA) dissection. Unusually, cranial nerves may be affected. Isolated oculomotor nerve palsy is found only rarely. CASE: We present a 50-year-old nondiabetic man who experienced acute onset of right occipital headache which spread to the right retro-orbital region. Five days later he noticed diplopia and right blurred vision sensation. Neurologic examination disclosed only impaired adduction and upward gaze of right eye, slight ipsilateral pupillary dilatation, without ptosis. Brain MRI was normal. Angiography showed right internal carotid artery dissection with forward occlusion to the base of the skull. Intravenous heparin followed by warfarin was prescribed. The headache and the oculomotor nerve deficit gradually resolved in the next three weeks. DISCUSSION: Isolated oculomotor nerve palsy is underrecognized as a clinical presentation of extracranial ICA dissection. If the angiographic evaluation is incomplete without careful study of extracranial arteries, misdiagnosis may lead to failure to initiate early treatment to prevent thromboembolic complications. For this reason we draw attention to the need for careful evaluation of cervical arteries in patients with oculomotor nerve palsy. Mechanical compression or stretching of the third nerve are possible mechanisms, but the direct impairment of the blood supply to the third nerve seems to be the most plausible explanation.
Giant intrthoracic meningoceles associated with cutaneous neurofibromatosis type I: case report
Authors: Andrade Guilherme Cabral de , Braga Otávio Piccirillo , Hisatugo Marcelo Ken-Iti , Paiva Neto Manuel Antônio de , Succi Ernesto , Braga Fernando Menezes
Published: September 2007

BACKGROUND: Intrathoracic meningocele is a rare pathology, almost always associated with neurofibromatosis type I and with a few cases related in the literature. In the majority of cases cysts are small or asymptomatic, and the surgery is indicated when big or symptomatic cysts are present. We report a case of giant intrathoracic cysts surgically extirpated through out thoracotomy. CASE: A 59-year-old male with familiar Von Recklinghausen's disease which developed thoracic radicular pain after a fall. On examination he presented some difficulty in walking fast and dyspneia on small efforts. The chest plain x-ray showed the presence of 3 huge left side intrathoracic cysts (10 to 15cm). The patient was submitted to a surgical treatment and complete extirpation of the cysts was performed through a left side thoracotomy. During the surgery a fourth smaller cyst was detected and also extirpated. Evolution was uneventful and the patient remains well in these last 12 years. This finding of intrathoracic cysts related to neurofibromatosis type I is rare and is probably unique in the literature the presence of 4 huge cysts in one side of the thorax.