bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Primary care of female adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus and disordered eating
Authors: McCarvill Rachael , Weaver Kathryn
Published: March 2014

Aim

To identify the role of the nurse practitioner in caring for female adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus at risk for disordered eating behaviour and to formulate clinical recommendations for nurse practitioners in the primary care setting.

Background

Transition into adulthood can be difficult for female adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus. Challenges associated with management of this illness may place adolescent females at an increased risk for disordered eating.

Design

Discussion paper.

Data Sources

Sourced literature from 1991–2013, located through CINAHL, Health Source, Proquest, PubMed, PsychInfo, Web of Science and Medline databases.

Implications for Nursing

Nurses involved in the primary care of female adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus need to be aware of the increased risk for disordered eating behaviours and develop the competencies to care for both the adolescent and her family to reduce the serious consequences of these behaviours.

Conclusion

Awareness and acquisition of the skills required to intervene will enable nurse practitioners to recognize clients at risk for disordered eating, gain appreciation of the motivation of female adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus towards disordered eating behaviours and give optimal opportunity for education, counselling and recovery. Future direction for research includes exploration of the experiences of adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus; early interventions in the primary care setting; effective educational, preventative or supportive services for adolescents with this illness and their families; and outcomes to emerging technologies for insulin therapy on disordered eating occurrence.
SELF‐MANAGEMENT PROGRAMMES IN STAGES 1–4 CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE: A LITERATURE REVIEW
Authors: Bonner Ann , Havas Kathryn , Douglas Clint , Thepha Thiwawan , Bennett Paul , Clark Robyn
Published: March 2014

Background

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a complex health problem, which requires individuals to invest considerable time and energy in managing their health and adhering to multifaceted treatment regimens.

Objectives

To review studies delivering self‐management interventions to people with CKD (Stages 1–4) and assess whether these interventions improve patient outcomes.

Design

Systematic review.

Methods

Nine electronic databases (MedLine, CINAHL, EMBASE, ProQuest Health & Medical Complete, ProQuest Nursing & Allied Health, The Cochrane Library, The Joanna Briggs Institute EBP Database, Web of Science and PsycINFO) were searched using relevant terms for papers published between January 2003 and February 2013.

Results

The search strategy identified 2,051 papers, of which 34 were retrieved in full with only 5 studies involving 274 patients meeting the inclusion criteria. Three studies were randomised controlled trials, a variety of methods were used to measure outcomes, and four studies included a nurse on the self‐management intervention team. There was little consistency in the delivery, intensity, duration and format of the self‐management programmes. There is some evidence that knowledge‐ and health‐related quality of life improved. Generally, small effects were observed for levels of adherence and progression of CKD according to physiologic measures.

Conclusion

The effectiveness of self‐management programmes in CKD (Stages 1–4) cannot be conclusively ascertained, and further research is required. It is desirable that individuals with CKD are supported to effectively self‐manage day‐to‐day aspects of their health.
How long should infants at risk of drug withdrawal be monitored after birth?
Authors: Smirk Cameron L , Bowman Ellen , Doyle Lex W , Kamlin Camille Omar Farouk
Published: March 2014

Aim

Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) is an increasingly common disorder diagnosed in infants exposed to various drugs, causing immense financial and social burden. Recommendations from various bodies are for babies to be monitored for 4 to 7 days following birth so that prompt treatment can commence should symptoms develop. We aimed to determine the best post‐natal observation period in babies at risk of NAS.

Methods

A retrospective review was undertaken of infants ≥35 weeks' gestation who received treatment for NAS in the period 2001–2010. During this time, the standard post‐natal observation period was a minimum of 7 days. Data including drug exposure, day of admission and day of treatment were collected.

Results

Two hundred and ten babies were included. Drug exposure was predominantly to opiates (99%); however, most infants (58%) were exposed to additional substances (benzodiazepines, cannabis or amphetamines). Ninety‐five per cent of infants were admitted by day 5 of life. Of the babies treated by day 7, 98.5% had been admitted to the nursery by day 5. Infants with polydrug exposure were admitted significantly earlier; however, time to treatment was not significantly different to those exposed to opiate replacement therapy alone.

Conclusions

In our hospital, babies treated for NAS often required admission before day 5. This has implications for hospital resource allocation, suggesting that routine post‐natal observation for NAS could be shortened to 5 days. Further research is needed to help identify neonates who require more careful post‐natal observation.
‘I feel like a salesperson’: the effect of multiple‐source care funding on the experiences and views of nursing home nurses in England
Authors: Thompson Juliana , Cook Glenda , Duschinsky Robbie
Published: March 2014

The difficulties faced in the recruitment and retention of nursing staff in nursing homes for older people are an international challenge. It is therefore essential that the causes of nurses’ reluctance to work in these settings are determined. This paper considers the influence that multiple‐source care funding issues have on nursing home nurses’ experiences and views regarding the practice and appeal of the role. The methodology for this study was hermeneutic phenomenology. Thirteen nurses from seven nursing homes in the North East of England were interviewed in a sequence of up to five interviews and data were analysed using a literary analysis method. Findings indicate that participants are uncomfortable with the business aspects that funding issues bring to their role. The primary difficulties faced are: tensions between care issues and funding issues; challenges associated with ‘selling beds’; and coping with self‐funding residents’ changing expectations of care. The findings of the study suggest that multiple‐source care funding systems that operate in nursing homes for older people pose challenges to nursing home nurses. Some of these challenges may impact on their recruitment and retention.
Identity Isomorphism: Role Schemas and White Masculinity Formation
Authors: Hughey Matthew W.
Published: March 2014

This article explores a counterintuitive intersection of class, gender, and race within two politically antagonistic white movements—white nationalists and white antiracists. Ethnographic field‐notes, in‐depth interviews, and content analysis provide comprehensive data and triangulation for how implicit perceptions of class and gender are intertwined with the social construction of an ideal white, male, middle‐class identity. While both organizations express antithetical political goals, they together reinforce broader discourses about whiteness and white supremacy. In so doing, these two organizations present an empirical and theoretical puzzle: How and why do two supposedly antithetical and divergent white male organizations simultaneously rationalize the inclusion and exclusion of women and the lower class from their ranks? Findings gesture toward tempering conceptual models of white male identity formation to further explore how cultural schemas are utilized toward the construction of both identity formation and interest protection.
Simulation of Full and Part-Load Performance Deterioration of Industrial Two-Shaft Gas Turbine
Authors: Mohammadi E. , Montazeri-Gh M.
Published: March 2014

In this paper, common faults in main components of an industrial two-shaft gas turbine are simulated, and the fault signatures are determined in both part and full-load conditions. As fouling and erosion are the most important and effective causes of performance deterioration in gas turbines (GTs), the effects of these faults on the performance of all three main components including compressor, gas generator turbine, and power turbine are studied and their effects on the overall efficiency of the whole system are analyzed. In this study, the faults simulation is performed by changing the health parameters (flow capacity and isentropic efficiency) of each GT components via modification of the compressor and turbines characteristic curves. The results obtained from the compressor fouling simulation are validated against the published experimental data; the validation results represent acceptable simulation accuracy in estimation of the measurement parameters deviation. Moreover, the fault signatures are determined in full-load conditions, and the effects of the examined faults on the main GT parameters are analyzed; in this way, the key measurement parameters in identification of these faults are introduced. Finally, in order to identify the fault signatures in part-load conditions, the fault implantation process is performed for each 10% reduction in gas turbine loads. Simulation results demonstrate that the fault signatures have different sensitivity to load variations, and thus, these are in general a function of the GT loading conditions.
Draft Genome Sequence of Campylobacter coli Strain IPSID-1 Isolated from a Patient with Immunoproliferative Small Intestinal Disease
Authors: Criscuolo Alexis , de la Blanchardière Arnaud , Coeuret Solène , Passet Virginie , Saguet-Rysanek Virginie , Vergnaud Michel , Verdon Renaud , Leclercq Alexandre , Lecuit Marc , Brisse Sylvain
Published: March 2014

The genome sequence and annotation of
Campylobacter coli
strain IPSID-1 are reported here. This bacterial isolate is the first to be cultured from a patient with immunoproliferative small intestinal disease (IPSID). The draft genome sequence is 1.683 Mb long, comprises 64 contigs, and has 31.26% G+C content.
An integrative ‘Omics’ solution to the detection of recombinant human erythropoietin and blood doping
Authors: Pitsiladis Yannis P , Durussel Jérôme , Rabin Olivier
Published: March 2014

Administration of recombinant human erythropoietin (rHumanEPO) improves sporting performance and hence is frequently subject to abuse by athletes, although rHumanEPO is prohibited by the WADA. Approaches to detect rHumanEPO doping have improved significantly in recent years but remain imperfect. A new transcriptomic-based longitudinal screening approach is being developed that has the potential to improve the analytical performance of current detection methods. In particular, studies are being funded by WADA to identify a ‘molecular signature’ of rHumanEPO doping and preliminary results are promising. In the first systematic study to be conducted, the expression of hundreds of genes were found to be altered by rHumanEPO with numerous gene transcripts being differentially expressed after the first injection and further transcripts profoundly upregulated during and subsequently downregulated up to 4 weeks postadministration of the drug; with the same transcriptomic pattern observed in all participants. The identification of a blood ‘molecular signature’ of rHumanEPO administration is the strongest evidence to date that gene biomarkers have the potential to substantially improve the analytical performance of current antidoping methods such as the Athlete Biological Passport for rHumanEPO detection. Given the early promise of transcriptomics, research using an ‘omics’-based approach involving genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics should be intensified in order to achieve improved detection of rHumanEPO and other doping substances and methods difficult to detect such a recombinant human growth hormone and blood transfusions.
`Dear Professor Dyson': Twenty years of correspondence between Freeman Dyson and undergraduate students
Authors: Neuenschwander Dwight E.
Published: March 2014

For twenty years the students in my "Science, Technology, and Society" course, where we use Disturbing the Universe as a textbook, have corresponded with Professor Dyson. That someone of Professor Dyson's standing consistently makes a priority of promptly answering the letters of undergraduate students from all academic majors, and does so with grace and kindness, insight and wisdom, offers a personal glimpse into his character and integrity. On behalf of my students, and as a way of publicly thanking Professor Dyson for participating in our course conversations, I am honored to share samples of our correspondence with him over the years, including student reflections on his involvement in their education.
MPS–FEM PARTITIONED COUPLING APPROACH FOR FLUID–STRUCTURE INTERACTION WITH FREE SURFACE FLOW
Authors: MITSUME N. , YOSHIMURA S. , MUROTANI K. , YAMADA T.
Published: March 2014

Fluid–structure interaction analysis involving free surface flow has been investigated using mesh-based methods or mesh-free particle methods. While mesh-based methods have several problems in dealing with the fragmentation of geometry and moving interfaces and with the instability of nonlinear advective terms, mesh-free particle methods can deal with free surface and moving boundary relatively easily. In structural analyses, the finite element method, which is a mesh-based method, has been investigated extensively and can accurately deal with not only elastic problems but also plastic and fracture problems. Thus, the present study proposes a partitioned coupling strategy for fluid–structure interaction problems involving free surfaces and moving boundaries that calculates the fluid domain using the moving particle simulation method and the structure domain using the finite element method. As the first step, we apply a conventional serial staggered algorithm as a weak coupling scheme. In addition, for the verification of the proposed method, the problem of a breaking dam on an elastic wall is calculated, and the results are compared with the results obtained by other methods.
Cytosolic H2O2 mediates hypertrophy, apoptosis, and decreased SERCA activity in mice with chronic hemodynamic overload
Authors: Qin Fuzhong , Siwik Deborah A. , Pimentel David R. , Morgan Robert J. , Biolo Andreia , Tu Vivian H. , Kang Y. James , Cohen Richard A. , Colucci Wilson S.
Published: March 2014

Oxidative stress in the myocardium plays an important role in the pathophysiology of hemodynamic overload. The mechanism by which reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the cardiac myocyte mediate myocardial failure in hemodynamic overload is not known. Accordingly, our goals were to test whether myocyte-specific overexpression of peroxisomal catalase (pCAT) that localizes in the sarcoplasm protects mice from hemodynamic overload-induced failure and prevents oxidation and inhibition of sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA), an important sarcoplasmic protein. Chronic hemodynamic overload was caused by ascending aortic constriction (AAC) for 12 wk in mice with myocyte-specific transgenic expression of pCAT. AAC caused left ventricular hypertrophy and failure associated with a generalized increase in myocardial oxidative stress and specific oxidative modifications of SERCA at cysteine 674 and tyrosine 294/5. pCAT overexpression ameliorated myocardial hypertrophy and apoptosis, decreased pathological remodeling, and prevented the progression to heart failure. Likewise, pCAT prevented oxidative modifications of SERCA and increased SERCA activity without changing SERCA expression. Thus cardiac myocyte-restricted expression of pCAT effectively ameliorated the structural and functional consequences of chronic hemodynamic overload and increased SERCA activity via a post-translational mechanism, most likely by decreasing inhibitory oxidative modifications. In pressure overload-induced heart failure cardiac myocyte cytosolic ROS play a pivotal role in mediating key pathophysiologic events including hypertrophy, apoptosis, and decreased SERCA activity.
Time courses of central hemodynamics during rapid changes in posture
Authors: Sundblad Patrik , Spaak Jonas , Kaijser Lennart
Published: March 2014

Changes in posture cause blood volume redistribution, affecting cardiac filling and stroke volume (SV). We hypothesized that the time courses of ventricular filling would differ between the right and left ventricle during a rapid (2 s) tilt and that changes in right ventricular filling pressure would be more swift because of the direct coupling to the systemic circulation. We further hypothesized that the transient imbalance between right and left ventricular filling pressure would influence left ventricular SV changes. Right atrial pressure (RAP), pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP), left ventricular stroke volume, heart rate, and arterial pressure were recorded beat-by-beat during rapid tilts from supine to upright positions and back again, during rest and dynamic 100-W leg exercise. RAP changes had a faster time course than PCWP during down-tilts, both during rest and exercise (1 ± 1 vs. 6 ± 2 s and 2 ± 2 vs. 6 ± 2 s, respectively; P < 0.05). This discrepancy caused a transient decrease in the end-diastolic pressure difference between the right and left ventricle. The decreased pressure difference in diastole impeded left ventricular filling because of ventricular interdependence, causing SV to fall transiently. The mechanisms of ventricular interdependence were also involved in reverse during up-tilt, where SV was maintained for 2–3 s despite falling PCWP. Furthermore, the decrease in RAP during up-tilt in the resting condition was biphasic with an initial fast and a second slower component, which might suggest the effect of venous valves. This was not seen during dynamic leg exercise where blood pooling is prevented by the venous muscle pump.
KLF5 Regulates the Integrity and Oncogenicity of Intestinal Stem Cells
Authors: Nakaya Takeo , Ogawa Seishi , Manabe Ichiro , Tanaka Masami , Sanada Masashi , Sato Toshiro , Taketo Makoto M. , Nakao Kazuki , Clevers Hans , Fukayama Masashi , Kuroda Masahiko , Nagai Ryozo
Published: March 2014

The intestinal epithelium maintains homeostasis by a self-renewal process involving resident stem cells, including Lgr5+ crypt-base columnar cells, but core mechanisms and their contributions to intestinal cancer are not fully defined. In this study, we examined a hypothesized role for KLF5, a zinc-finger transcription factor that is critical to maintain the integrity of embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells, in intestinal stem-cell integrity and cancer in the mouse. Klf5 was indispensable for the integrity and oncogenic transformation of intestinal stem cells. In mice, inducible deletion of Klf5 in Lgr5+ stem cells suppressed their proliferation and survival in a manner associated with nuclear localization of β-catenin (Catnb), generating abnormal apoptotic cells in intestinal crypts. Moreover, production of lethal adenomas and carcinomas by specific expression of an oncogenic mutant of β-catenin in Lgr5+ stem cells was suppressed completely by Klf5 deletion in the same cells. Given that activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway is the most frequently altered pathway in human colorectal cancer, our results argue that KLF5 acts as a fundamental core regulator of intestinal oncogenesis at the stem-cell level, and they suggest KLF5 targeting as a rational strategy to eradicate stem-like cells in colorectal cancer. Cancer Res; 74(10); 2882–91. ©2014 AACR.
Developing Precision Medicine in a Global World
Authors: Rubin Eric H. , Allen Jeffrey D. , Nowak Jan A. , Bates Susan E.
Published: March 2014

Advances in understanding the biology of cancer, as well as advances in diagnostic technologies, such as the advent of affordable high-resolution DNA sequencing, have had a major impact on the approach to identification of specific alterations in a given patient's cancer that could be used as a basis for treatment selection, and hence the development of companion diagnostics. Although there are now several examples of successful development of companion diagnostics that allow identification of patients who will achieve the greatest benefit from a new therapeutic, the path to coapproval of a diagnostic test along with a new therapeutic is complex and often inefficient. This review and the accompanying articles examine the current state of companion diagnostic development in the United States and Europe from academic, industry, regulatory, and economic perspectives.

See all articles in this CCR Focus section, “The Precision Medicine Conundrum: Approaches to Companion Diagnostic Co-development.”

Clin Cancer Res; 20(6); 1419–27. ©2014 AACR.
The Nation-State According to Whom?
Authors: Herr Pilar Maria
Published: March 2014

In the early nineteenth century Chilean elites centralized political power and forged a national state independent of Spain. The new government’s main goals were to expand Chile’s national territory as far south as Cape Horn, a region that included the frontier zone known as Araucanía (between the Bío-Bío and Toltén Rivers), and assimilate Araucanía’s inhabitants, the “barbaric” Mapuche Indians- several ethnic groups that shared a language and cultural traditions- into Chilean society. Some Mapuche groups such as the Trapatrapa Pehuenches and the Abajinos became ardent supporters of the state’s territorial ambitions. They allied with the Chilean government and fought against a common enemy that included a few remaining Spanish officers, soldiers, and other Mapuche groups such as the Arribanos and Pehuenches of Chillán. This article will analyze the Pehuenches of Chillán and the Arribanos. The Pehuenches of Chillán resisted the Chilean government’s efforts at territorial expansion on to their lands. The Arribanos initially resisted with the Pehuenches of Chillán, but in the mid-1820s switched sides and became a supporter of the Chilean state. This article will address why these two groups were divided and the actions each group undertook to achieve its desired outcome. Ultimately it took most of the nineteenth century for the Chilean state to acquire national territory that extended as far south as Cape Horn, and those that lost the most were the Mapuches.
Predicting Opinion Leaders in Twitter Activism Networks
Authors: Xu Weiai Wayne , Sang Yoonmo , Blasiola Stacy , Park Han Woo
Published: March 2014

This study employs content and network analysis techniques to explore the predictors of opinion leadership in a political activism network on Twitter. The results demonstrate the feasibility of using user-generated content to measure user characteristics. The characteristics were analyzed to predict users’ performance in the network. According to the results, Twitter users with higher connectivity and issue involvement are better at influencing information flow on Twitter. User connectivity was measured by betweenness centrality, and issue involvement was measured by a user’s geographic proximity to a given event and the contribution of engaging tweets. In addition, the results show that tweets by organizations had greater influence than those by individual users.
Predictive Factors for Pharyngocutaneous Fistulization After Total Laryngectomy
Authors: Timmermans Adriana J. , Lansaat Liset , Theunissen Eleonoor A. R. , Hamming-Vrieze Olga , Hilgers Frans J. M. , van den Brekel Michiel W. M.
Published: March 2014

Objectives:

Postoperative complications, especially pharyngocutaneous fistulization (PCF), are more frequent after total laryngectomy (TL) performed for salvage after (chemo)radiotherapy than after primary TL. The aim of this study was to identify the incidence of PCF, predictive factors for PCF, and the relationship of PCF to survival.

Methods:

We performed a retrospective chart review of 217 consecutive patients treated with TL between 2000 and 2010. Univariate and multivariable analysis with logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with PCF. We used a Kaplan-Meier survival analysis.

Results:

The overall incidence of PCF was 26.3% (57 of 217 cases). The incidence of PCF after primary TL was 17.1% (12 of 70), that after salvage TL was 25.5% (25 of 98), that after TLE for a second primary was 37.5% (9 of 24), and that after TL for a dysfunctional larynx was 44.0% (11 of 25). The predictive factors for PCF were hypopharynx cancer (odds ratio [OR], 3.67; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.74 to 7.71; P = .001), an albumin level of less than 40 g/L (OR, 2.20; 95% CI, 1.12 to 4.33; P = .022), previous chemoradiotherapy (OR, 3.38; 95% CI, 1.34 to 8.52; P = .010), more-extended pharyngeal resection ( P = .001), and pharynx reconstruction ( P = .002). The median duration of survival was 30 months (95% CI, 17.5 to 42.5); the 2-year overall survival rate was 54%. The median duration of survival of patients with PCF was 23 months (95% CI, 9.4 to 36.6), and that of those without PCF was 31 months (95% CI, 15.0 to 47.0; P = .421). The 2-year overall survival rate was 48% in patients with PCF and 57% in those without PCF ( P = .290).

Conclusions:

Incidence of PCF after TL is significantly higher in patients with hypopharynx cancer, previous chemoradiotherapy, a low albumin level, more-extended pharyngeal resection, or pharynx reconstruction. The occurrence of PCF does not influence the rate of survival.
Vestibular Neurolabyrinthitis
Authors: Magliulo Giuseppe , Gagliardi Silvia , Appiani Mario Ciniglio , Iannella Giannicola , Re Massimo
Published: March 2014

Objectives:

The aim of this study was to evaluate prospectively, in a group of patients affected by vestibular neurolabyrinthitis (VN), a diagnostic protocol including cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (C-VEMPs), ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (O-VEMPs), and the video head impulse test (vHIT).

Methods:

The diagnosis of VN was based on the patient’s clinical history, an absence of associated auditory or neurologic symptoms, and a neuro-otological examination with an evaluation of lateral semicircular canal function by use of the Fitzgerald-Hallpike caloric vestibular test and the ice test.

Results:

In our series, 55% of the cases were superior and inferior VN, 40% were superior VN, and 5% were inferior VN. These cases, however, comprised different degrees of vestibular involvement, as the individual vestibular end organs have different prognoses. Four patients had only deficits of the horizontal and superior semicircular canals or their ampullary nerves.

Conclusions:

The implementation of C-VEMPs, O-VEMPs, and the vHIT in a vestibular diagnostic protocol has made it possible to observe patients with ampullary VN in a way that has not been feasible with other types of vestibular examinations. The age of the patient seems to have some impact on recovery from VN. When recovery occurs in the utricular and saccular nerves first and in the ampullary nerves subsequently, it may be reasonable to expect a more favorable outcome.
High-Dose Sublesional Bevacizumab (Avastin) for Pediatric Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis
Authors: Sidell Douglas R. , Nassar Michel , Cotton Robin T. , Zeitels Steven M. , de Alarcon Alessandro
Published: March 2014

Objectives:

We review and report the use of high-dose bevacizumab for the treatment of recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) in pediatric patients.

Methods:

We included all patients with pediatric-onset RRP who underwent bevacizumab (25 mg/mL) injections by a single practitioner. A series of 5 consecutive subepithelial injections were administered at 4- to 6-week intervals with concomitant 532 nm KTP laser ablation. The lesions were staged according to the Derkay staging system. The outcomes included pretreatment and posttreatment Derkay scores, the time interval between procedures, and voice outcomes. The demographic data extracted included sex, age at diagnosis, and current age.

Results:

Nine patients were included in this study, with 1 patient lost to follow-up; their median age was 8 years (range, 3 to 21 years). The mean bevacizumab dose was 14.25 mg (range, 5 to 45 mg). There was a median Derkay score of 11.5 (range, 4 to 23) at the time of diagnosis and a median 58% improvement following therapy. All patients demonstrated an increased time interval between injections, for a median improvement of 2.05× (range, 1.6× to 3.25×).

Conclusions:

Evidence exists in support of vascular endothelial growth factor as an important factor in the development of RRP. Although some variability in response is demonstrated by this study, high-dose bevacizumab appears to yield promising results for pediatric patients with RRP.
L’estraniamento dell’artista: Rilettura della Vita nuova di Dante e di A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man di James Joyce attraverso la teoria della abjection di Julia Kristeva
Authors: Vedovi Lucia
Published: March 2014

L’influsso dantesco sull’opera letteraria di James Joyce è stato ampliamente evidenziato da numerosi studi critici degli ultimi decenni. In particolar modo, gli approfondimenti di Howard Helsinger, Joseph Campbell e Mary T Reynolds mostrano una costante affinità sia strutturale sia tematica nell’orbita compositiva dell’ opus letterario dei due scrittori. Eppure, ritengo che non sia ancora stata messa in luce una caratteristica comune fondamentale per la piena comprensione dell’evoluzione della poetica di Dante e di Joyce: il passaggio dei protagonisti delle rispettive opere giovanili, la Vita nuova (1295) e A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1916), attraverso una cruciale fase di “estraniamento”. Il mio saggio si ripropone di colmare questa lacuna analizzando l’estraniamento e l’ineffabilità – i tratti principali che legano le vicissitudini dei protagonisti delle opere in questione e dei loro rispettivi autori – attraverso l’artificio retorico che ho deciso di chiamare “ abjective correlative”, coniugando le istanze moderniste esposte da TS Eliot nella raccolta di saggi The Sacred Wood (1920) con la teoria della abjection postulata da Julia Kristeva in Powers of Horror: An Essay on Abjection (1982). Inoltre, nella seconda parte del saggio intendo indagare se e in quali termini le suddette opere possano essere ascritte entro il genere autobiografico, avvalendomi degli studi critici di Sidonie Smith e Julia Watson del 2010, oltre alle conclusioni di Michael Ryan nel saggio “Self-De(con)struction” del 1976.
A New Synoptic Problem: Mark Goodacre and Simon Gathercole on Thomas
Authors: Kloppenborg John S.
Published: March 2014

Recent analyses of the Gospel of Thomas by Mark Goodacre and Simon Gathercole make only a partial and, in several instances, unconvincing case for Thomas’s knowledge of the Synoptic Gospels. Other neglected data suggests that some portions of Thomas are substantially autonomous. This calls for a more complex understanding of the composition of Thomas, one that recognizes its construction as a ‘school text’ or ‘anthology’, drawing on multiple and parallel streams of the Jesus tradition.
Thomas Revisited: A Rejoinder to Denzey Lewis, Kloppenborg and Patterson
Authors: Gathercole Simon
Published: March 2014

This article makes some observations on the Gospel of Thomas in connection with the responses to Goodacre’s Thomas and the Gospels and Gathercole’s Composition of the Gospel of Thomas. It notes that the order of Thomas’s sayings and the genre of Thomas are irrelevant to the question of dependence or independence. More important to the question is the unity of Thomas, which is stronger than is often thought, though Thomas clearly is inﬂuenced by a number of (known and unknown) sources. The means of the inﬂuence of the Synoptic Gospels remains unknown. These arguments are strengthened by attention to aspects of Gos. Thom. 33 and Gos. Thom. 65–66. Overall, there are no obstacles to concluding that Thomas was inﬂuenced by the Synoptic Gospels.
Did Thomas Know the Synoptic Gospels? A Response to Denzey Lewis, Kloppenborg and Patterson
Authors: Goodacre Mark
Published: March 2014

Nicola Denzey Lewis, Stephen Patterson and John Kloppenborg have written appreciative but critical reviews of the books by Simon Gathercole and Mark Goodacre. This response focuses on several key elements in their critiques: Thomas’s role in second- and fourth-century Christianity; the difference between ‘direct links’ and ‘diagnostic shards’; the analogy of ‘the plagiarist’s charter’; the categories ‘secondary orality’ and ‘scribal culture’; the role played by oral tradition; the argument from Thomas’s genre; the example of the Rich Fool; modelling Christian origins; and questioning the notion of a ‘new Synoptic Problem’.
A two-parameter approach to assess effects of constraint in cracks located at geometrical discontinuities
Authors: Donato Guilherme Victor P , Rebello João Marcos A , Ruggieri Cláudio
Published: March 2014

This work provides an exploratory investigation into the applicability of a two-parameter fracture mechanics approach based on the J-Q methodology to characterize fracture behavior in cracks located at geometrical discontinuities of pressure vessels submitted to pressurization and depressurization cycles. Numerical models in plane-strain condition were employed to characterize crack driving forces and constraint changes in a flawed structure subjected to shakedown. The material exhibits elastic–plastic behavior and nonlinear kinematic hardening following the Chaboche model. The results indicate that the application of cycles of loading exceeding elastic limits, but still below the allowable stress for design of pressure vessels, increases the crack driving force and decreases the constraint level. It is possible to conclude that the methodology based on J-Q is highly effective to characterize the fracture conditions in geometrical discontinuities of pressure vessels. A lower probability of unstable fracture may be assumed for ductile and high-toughness materials after few cycles of pressurization and depressurization are applied. However, due to the increase in the driving force, the crack may be more susceptible to a subcritical tearing. Assuming that the material toughness is high enough to avoid any ductile tearing during pressurization and depressurization cycles, the observed phenomena close to the crack tip may be compared to instability of strains when shakedown is not guaranteed.
Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Preventive Care Practice Among U.S. Nursing Home Residents
Authors: Luo Huabin , Zhang Xinzhi , Cook Benjamin , Wu Bei , Wilson M. Roy
Published: March 2014

Objective: To assess racial/ethnic disparities in preventive care practices among U.S. nursing home residents. Method: To implement the Institute of Medicine definition of health care disparity, we used the rank-and-replace adjustment method to assess the disparity in receipt of eight preventive care services among residents and evaluate trends in disparities. The sampling design (stratification and clustering) was accounted for using Stata 11. Results: The 2004 National Nursing Home Surveys data show White residents were more likely to have pain management, scheduled toilet plan/bladder retraining, influenza vaccination, and pneumococcal vaccination than Black residents. White residents were also more likely to have scheduled toilet plan/bladder retraining than residents of Other race/ethnicity. Significant Black–White disparities in receipt of influenza vaccination and pneumococcal vaccination were found. Time trend analysis showed that disparities were neither exacerbated nor reduced. Conclusion: Persistent racial/ethnic disparities in preventive care among nursing home residents exist. We urge the development and implementation of targeted interventions to improve the quality of preventive care in nursing homes.
Case study: Feature-based analysis of electric arc damage to railway signal cables
Authors: Yang Shiwu , Chen Lei , Roberts Clive , Wang Xinghui
Published: March 2014

Signal cables on Chinese heavy haul railways are often observed to have been burnt and damaged; this can cause the failure of signalling systems and can lead to accidents. In this paper, a theoretical analysis and laboratory-based test bench experiments are presented to investigate the cause and mechanism of this burning phenomenon. First, a laboratory simulation test bench is designed, to test actual cables under man-made conditions and intermittent conduction between the iron trough and. steel armour The phenomenon reproduced in the test shows good consistency with field observations and data on voltage and current levels is recorded for testing validation. A quantitative analysis of this phenomenon is carried out using Cassie and Mayr arc models on a high-current area and a zero-point-crossing area, respectively, with a comparison of the calculated and measured data being subsequently performed. Based on the characteristics of the test results, it is verified that a possible cause is an electric arc. Finally, solutions to mitigate the phenomenon are proposed, based on the analysis of the mechanism of the creation of the electric arc and how it damages the signal cables.
Prison libraries in Turkey: The results of a national survey
Authors: Dilek-Kayaoglu Hülya , Demir Güler
Published: March 2014

The purpose of this study is two-fold: first, to examine the historical development of prison libraries in Turkey in the context of relevant legislation; and second, to determine the current state of prison library services in Turkey on the basis of the results of a survey which was conducted throughout the country between January and April 2011. There are regulations, without the force of law, which provide for the establishment, management, and control of libraries in correctional facilities and there is a uniform organizational structure countrywide. However, the 2011 survey showed that, in practice, prison libraries are unsuccessful in providing a professional service.
Modelling public library value using the contingent valuation method: The case of the Municipal Library of Prague
Authors: Hájek Petr , Stejskal Jan
Published: March 2014

Traditional contingent valuation methods to estimate public library value include ‘willingness to pay’ and ‘willingness to accept compensation’. Elicitation design accounts for the large part of the willingness to accept compensation/willingness to pay disparity. Payment mechanism is an important issue in the process of the elicitation design. Various payment mechanisms are employed in this study. Our findings suggest that the willingness of people to decide about the allocation of a certain amount of their taxes (tax decrease or increase) represents a compromise between the increasingly discussed out-of-pocket willingness to pay and in-pocket willingness to accept compensation approaches. The main determinants of public library value (in the case of the Municipal Library of Prague) include available income of the households, frequency of use of the services, and alternative costs. Furthermore, the effects of both the use and importance of services on the public library value is investigated. The importance of loan services is the major determinant of the value.
Overcoming time and ethical constraints in the qualitative data collection process: A case of information literacy research
Authors: Yu Halida , Abdullah Abrizah , Saat Rohaida Mohd
Published: March 2014

While a simultaneous data collection process is generally not recommended in qualitative research, this technique becomes necessary under certain circumstances where conducting one-site-at-a-time fieldwork is not possible. This article discusses the design of an information literacy case study that is driven by time and ethical constraints, and the strategies employed to overcome them. The constraints, (a) a brief three-month school project under study; and (b) restricted access to the respondents, have greatly influenced and shaped the design of this qualitative study. The theory applied in the study also has its impact in the research design. We argue that with meticulous planning, brief phenomenon and other challenges could still be investigated qualitatively. The study employed simultaneous data collection activities, carried out in three stages over an 18-month timespan to overcome the two constraints. This is done by carefully crafting the research protocol: firstly, by adhering to the Gorman and Clayton’s research plan circle framework; secondly, by constructing the multi-stage, simultaneous data collection protocol that addresses the unique challenges in the context of the study; and finally, by operationalizing the research plan.
Satisfaction Level and Perception of Quality in Cancer Care
Authors: Sharma Kuldeep , Kataria Tejinder , Bisht Shyam Singh , Goyal Shikha , Gupta Deepak
Published: March 2014

Consumer’s perception of health care quality and his satisfaction is being identified as an important issue in health care industry. Studies addressing patients’ perceptions of quality are available but there is paucity of data regarding the perception of health care providers (service-providers) towards their own services. This study was undertaken to compare the satisfaction level between the patients and health care providers from a radiation oncology department.

A common 16-item questionnaire was served to 40 patients and 40 staff members. The responses were statistically evaluated to assess the satisfaction level among the two groups and the scores were compared to assess the agreement between two groups. Overall, satisfaction level of both groups regarding quality of services ranged from ‘good’ to ‘excellent’. A high level of agreement was observed between the two groups. The physician’s ability to give explanation to patients, helping attitude of the staff and the staff’s concern for patient safety were the most satisfying features of the department while inconvenience during scheduling of appointments, billing and registration process, status of the changing rooms and inter-department coordination were the least satisfying features.

A high level of satisfaction may be achieved from the consumers if service providers are trained to assess the needs and expectations of consumers and to critically evaluate themselves. The service-providers’ perception regarding their own services may serve as a preliminary indicator of overall quality. Future studies in different settings with more number of patients may further explore our results.
Heterogeneity in Private Sector Health Care and its Implications on Urban Poor
Authors: George Mathew
Published: March 2014

Private sector health care attains more attention in the current context due to its changing nature and characteristics. One such characteristic is the heterogeneity in terms of care prevalent within the private sector. Heterogeneity within private sector has been a challenge not only in terms of its understanding but also the way it interacts with the policies on the regulation of the health services system. The present study examines the nature of this heterogeneity based on the care rendered for an acute illness, namely, fever. The study was carried out in an urban setting and the severity of illness examined using duration of illness as a proxy. The results reveal that the cost of treatment in secondary level hospitals is higher than those at the primary level hospitals irrespective of the severity. The higher cost is contributed not only by the quantum of investigations and procedures, but also due to higher cost per procedure. It was found that the poor utilize more services at the primary level, whereas the secondary level hospital was mostly utilized by the better off. On the contrary, the policies of the government have been beneficial mostly for the secondary level hospitals.
Development of Primary Health Care Systems and MCH Services in Karnataka
Authors: Bhat T. N.
Published: March 2014

The present study examined the performance of MCH programmes relative to the development of primary health care systems in Karnataka state. The study focused its analysis on the institutional development of primary health care systems, namely, Sub-Centres (SCs), Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and Community Health Centres (CHCs) in terms of expansion and populations served by these facilities during the past three decades consequent to adoption of ‘Health for All by 2000’ strategy, and performance of MCH services in the past 20 years with respect to key components.

The study finds that the primary health care systems in Karnataka are not only intensively developed in comparison to the country as a whole but also on similar levels with other South Indian states. The health facilities in Malnad and coastal districts are more evenly and intensively developed than in other regions. The facilities in many taluks of Hyderabad Karnataka are burdened with much higher population coverage than the specified population norms, particularly with respect to SCs and PHCs.

Karnataka is far behind the goals set by the NPP of 2000 in the performance of MCH indicators as compared to Kerala and Tamil Nadu states. The population parameters specified by the NPP-2000 for the creation of SCs and PHCs were almost achieved in the state within a decade of expansion drive, that is, during 1990–91. The overall progress of MCH performance in Karnataka is, however not in tandem with the extent of expansion in health facilities. The process of progress in MCH programmes in the state appears to be staggered by low and sluggish performances in Mumbai and Hyderabad Karnataka districts. More health facilities, specifically, SCs and PHCs may be created in Hyderabad and Mumbai Karnataka districts.
Health Communication Campaigns in Developing Countries
Authors: Sood Suruchi , Shefner-Rogers Corrinne , Skinner Joanna
Published: March 2014

Despite a lack of scholarly consensus on the effectiveness of health communication campaigns, there is general agreement that communication interventions are necessary to bring about and maintain large-scale behaviour and social change. Designing, implementing and evaluating health communication campaigns is a complex task with myriad challenges, multiplied manifold in developing country settings. The purpose of this article is to examine key elements of health communication campaigns in developing countries. A review of published literature revealed 43 articles and five books with chapters discussing developing country campaigns. The project locations indicated a wide geographical dispersion. The campaigns reviewed ranged from multinational initiatives to programmes confined to specific cities or villages. The health issues tackled in the manuscripts were reflective of the health goals articulated in the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. A relatively small proportion of the reviewed literature discussed the use of theory as a framework or foundation for the intervention(s); individual-level behaviour change theories were the most commonly used. The selected campaigns utilized a range of mass media, community mobilization, and interpersonal communication strategies, and often employed multiple strategies and communication channels. A set of recommendations is presented to further our understanding of communication campaigns in developing country settings.