bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Selective Regions of the Visuomotor System Are Related to Gain-Induced Changes in Force Error
Authors: Coombes Stephen A. , Corcos Daniel M. , Sprute Lisa , Vaillancourt David E.
Published: February 2010

When humans perform movements and receive on-line visual feedback about their performance, the spatial qualities of the visual information alter performance. The spatial qualities of visual information can be altered via the manipulation of visual gain and changes in visual gain lead to changes in force error. The current study used functional magnetic resonance imaging during a steady-state precision grip force task to examine how cortical and subcortical brain activity can change with visual gain induced changes in force error. Small increases in visual gain <1° were associated with a substantial reduction in force error and a small increase in the spatial amplitude of visual feedback. These behavioral effects corresponded with an increase in activation bilaterally in V3 and V5 and in left primary motor cortex and left ventral premotor cortex. Large increases in visual gain >1° were associated with a small change in force error and a large change in the spatial amplitude of visual feedback. These behavioral effects corresponded with increased activity bilaterally in dorsal and ventral premotor areas and right inferior parietal lobule. Finally, activity in the left and right lobule VI of the cerebellum and left and right putamen did not change with increases in visual gain. Together, these findings demonstrate that the visuomotor system does not respond uniformly to changes in the gain of visual feedback. Instead, specific regions of the visuomotor system selectively change in activity related to large changes in force error and large changes in the spatial amplitude of visual feedback.
Cholinergic Modulation of Fast Inhibitory and Excitatory Transmission to Pedunculopontine Thalamic Projecting Neurons
Authors: Ye Meijun , Hayar Abdallah , Strotman Beau , Garcia-Rill Edgar
Published: February 2010

The pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN) is part of the cholinergic arm of the reticular activating system, which is mostly active during waking and rapid-eye movement sleep. The PPN projects to the thalamus and receives cholinergic inputs from the laterodorsal tegmental nucleus and contralateral PPN. We employed retrograde labeling and whole cell recordings to determine the modulation of GABAergic, glycinergic, and glutamatergic transmission to PPN thalamic projecting neurons, and their postsynaptic responses to the nonspecific cholinergic agonist carbachol. M2 and M4 muscarinic receptor-modulated inhibitory postsynaptic responses were observed in 73% of PPN output neurons; in 12.9%, M1 and nicotinic receptor-mediated excitation was detected; and muscarinic and nicotinic-modulated fast inhibitory followed by slow excitatory biphasic responses were evident in 6.7% of cells. A significant increase in the frequency of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) and inhibitory postsynaptic currents during carbachol application was observed in 66.2% and 65.2% of efferent neurons, respectively. This effect was blocked by a M1 antagonist or nonselective muscarinic blocker, indicating that glutamatergic, GABAergic, and/or glycinergic neurons projecting to PPN output neurons are excited through muscarinic receptors. Decreases in the frequency of miniature EPSCs, and amplitude of electrical stimulation-evoked EPSCs, were blocked by a M2 antagonist, suggesting the presence of M2Rs at terminals of presynaptic glutamatergic neurons. Carbachol-induced multiple types of postsynaptic responses, enhancing both inhibitory and excitatory fast transmission to PPN thalamic projecting neurons through muscarinic receptors. These results provide possible implications for the generation of different frequency oscillations in PPN thalamic projecting neurons during distinct sleep-wake states.
ABC/XYZ Estimates Intracerebral Hemorrhage Volume as a Percent of Total Brain Volume in Children
Authors: Beslow Lauren A. , Ichord Rebecca N. , Kasner Scott E. , Mullen Michael T. , Licht Daniel J. , Smith Sabrina E. , Storm Phillip B. , Jordan Lori C. , Messé Steven R.
Published: February 2010

Background and Purpose—

Intracerebral hemorrhage volume (ICHV) as a percentage of total brain volume (TBV) is a strong predictor of outcome in childhood intracerebral hemorrhage with ICHV/TBV >2% associated with functional impairment. We aimed to determine whether easily performed approximations of intracerebral hemorrhage and brain volume can accurately and reliably stratify intracerebral hemorrhage by size.

Methods—

CT scans of 18 children with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage were independently reviewed by 4 neurologists. ICHV as a proportion of TBV was estimated as ABC/XYZ expressed as a percentage: A= largest axial hemorrhage diameter; B=largest axial diameter perpendicular to A on the same slice; and C=hemorrhage vertical diameter. Similarly, X=largest midline axial diameter of supratentorial brain; Y=largest axial diameter perpendicular to X; and Z=brain vertical diameter. Interrater reliability was measured with intraclass correlation coefficients. ICHV and TBV were measured using computer-assisted manual segmentation tracings to establish criterion validity. Each intracerebral hemorrhage was classified as small (≤2% TBV) or large (>2% TBV).

Results—

Estimates of ICHV, TBV, and ICHV/TBV using the ABC/XYZ method had outstanding interrater reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient, 0.95 to 0.99). These estimates were highly correlated with volumetric measures (
R
2
=0.77 to 0.96). Sensitivity of the ABC/XYZ method for identifying an ICHV >2% TBV was 100% (95% CI, 89% to 100%). Specificity was 95% (95% CI, 83% to 99%).

Conclusions—

The ABC/XYZ method accurately and reliably estimates ICHV and TBV in children. These values can be used to approximate quickly and easily ICHV as a percentage of TBV, which has important prognostic implications.
Mechanical, Thermal, and Morphological Properties of Polylactic Acid/Linear Low Density Polyethylene Blends
Authors: Balakrishnan Harintharavimal , Hassan Azman , Wahit Mat Uzir
Published: February 2010

Melt blending of polylactic acid (PLA) and linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) was performed to investigate the effects of LLDPE loadings on the morphology, mechanical and thermal properties of PLA/LLDPE blends. LLDPE was blended with PLA from 5—15 wt% and prepared by counterrotating twin-screw extruder followed by injection molding into test samples. The mechanical properties of the blends were assessed through tensile, flexural and impact testings while thermal properties were analyzed using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis. Scanning electron microscope was used to study the dispersion and particle size of LLDPE in PLA matrix. The impact strength of PLA improved by 53% with addition of 10 wt% LLDPE. However, the tensile modulus and strength, and elongation at break of PLA/LLDPE blends decreased with increasing weight ratio of LLDPE. Similarly, flexural modulus and strength also dropped with addition of LLDPE. DSC results showed that glass transition temperature (Tg) and crystallinity (X c) of PLA increased with blending of LLDPE. The LLDPE particles size was seen to increase with increasing loadings of LLDPE which explains the unexpected decrease of impact strength after 10 wt%.
Feature subset selection based on co-evolution for pedestrian detection
Authors: Cao X.B. , Xu Y.W. , Wei C.X. , Guo Y.P.
Published: February 2010

An appropriate subset of features is needed for a classification-based pedestrian detection system since its performance is greatly affected by the features adopted. Moreover, the combination of different types of features (eg, grey-scale, colour) could improve the detection accuracy, so it is helpful to obtain a feature subset and the proportion of each type simultaneously for the classifier. However, because a larger number and various types of features are generally extracted to represent pedestrians better, it is difficult to achieve this. This paper proposed a co-evolutionary method to solve this problem. In the feature subset selection method, each sub-population mapped to one type of pedestrian feature, and then all sub-populations evolved co-operatively to obtain an optimal feature subset. Moreover, a strategy was specially designed to adjust the sub-population size adaptively in order to improve the optimizing performance. The proposed method has been tested on pedestrian detection applications and the experimental results illustrate its better performance compared with other methods such as genetic algorithm and AdaBoost.
Iterative learning control applied to a gantry robot and conveyor system
Authors: Freeman C.T. , Lewin P.L. , Rogers E. , Ratcliffe J.D.
Published: February 2010

Synchronization is routinely required to coordinate the actions of the various sub-systems involved in process applications. This is commonly achieved through direct mechanical coupling, involving gears, drive belts and cams. Apart from the additional cost incurred, these components are subject to wear, constrain the layout of the plant and may have limited accuracy. It is shown in this paper that a mechanical linkage between two sub-systems may be replaced by instead implementing a control scheme comprising an iterative learning controller together with a supervisory control loop. To illustrate the approach, two types of iterative learning controller are first implemented on a gantry robot test facility to confirm the high levels of tracking accuracy that may be achieved. The supervisory control loop is then added to synchronize the ‘pick and place’ action of the robot with a conveyor system moving at constant velocity. Experimental results are provided to confirm both the accurate tracking performance produced by the iterative learning controller, and the high level of synchronization achieved by the overall scheme.
Angle measurements for mobile robots with filtering of short-term noise in MEMS gyroscopes
Authors: Sung Kyung Hong  , Moon Seungbin , Ryuh Young-sun
Published: February 2010

This paper presents a simple, yet very effective filtering method to suppress short-term broadband noise in micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) gyros for yaw angle measurement with minimized drift. This method is suitable for autonomous indoor mobile robots that use two low-cost sensors: an inertial one, which uses a gyroscope, and an odometric one, which uses encoders mounted on the vehicle’s wheels. The main idea of the proposed approach is consists of two phases: (1) a threshold filter for translational motions, and (2) a moving average filter for rotational motions to reject the broadband noise component that affects short-term performance. Experimental results with the proposed phased method applied to an Epson XV3500 MEMS gyro demonstrate that it effectively suppresses short-term broadband noise and yields accurate yaw angle with minimized drift.
A robust adaptive horizon recognizing algorithm based on projection
Authors: Hai Zhang  , Peng Yin  , Xiaoou Zhang  , Xiaorong Shen
Published: February 2010

The main contribution of this paper arises from developing a modified adaptive horizon recognizing algorithm. The existing projection algorithm can only deal with those horizons whose projections are the global extrema. Based on the analysis of the projection peaks, new information was found to determine the horizon and three important indicators were extracted. An adaptive algorithm was proposed to recognize the horizon by utilizing these indicators properly. With the new criteria, more than 95% of the original algorithm failures can be overcome, and they are more robust when dealing with noise-polluted images. A speeded-up method was also derived. Verified with real MAV videos, this global searching algorithm satisfies real-time requirements, and the horizon recognizing correctness ratio is more than 99.9%.
GPS signal enhancement and attitude determination for a mini and low-cost unmanned aerial vehicle
Authors: Ben Yun  , Guowei Cai  , Chen Ben M. , Kemao Peng  , Kai Yew Lum
Published: February 2010

We present in this paper an integration scheme of a low-cost inertial attitude and position reference system for a mini unmanned helicopter by utilizing the robust and H∞ filtering technique. The result has been successfully implemented and tested on our mini-scale unmanned helicopter. Simulation and flight experiment results show that the proposed technique is very effective in real-time and suitable for control, stabilization and navigation for mini-scale unmanned air vehicles.
Supporting Diabetes Self-Care in Underserved Populations
Authors: Ruggiero Laurie , Moadsiri Ada , Butler Paula , Oros Susan M. , Berbaum Michael L. , Whitman Steven , Cintron Daisy
Published: February 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of an innovative intervention that utilized a certified medical assistant with specific diabetes training to work with a multidisciplinary diabetes care team to help provide basic diabetes education and self-care support in low-income minority populations with type 2 diabetes.

Methods

Enrolled participants were randomized to either the medical assistant coaching (MAC) group (N = 25) or the treatment as usual (TAU) group (N = 25). Deidentified data was obtained on a matched no contact control (NCC) group (N = 50).

Results

Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) comparisons revealed no significant differences between the 3 groups on A1C, but a trend was observed. A1Cs decreased across time for the MAC group, while increasing for the TAU and NCC groups. ANCOVA comparisons also indicated that the MAC group experienced significantly greater increases in perceived empowerment and a larger, although non-significant, reduction in perceived diabetes related problems than the TAU group.

Conclusions

This randomized controlled pilot study suggests that the inclusion of a medical assistant self-care coach as part of the diabetes care team holds promise in improving outcomes and should be further examined in a large-scale study.
A Plant-Based Diet for Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Trapp Caroline , Barnard Neal , Katcher Heather
Published: February 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this review is to provide educators with the knowledge and tools to utilize plant-based nutrition education as an intervention for type 2 diabetes. Scientific support for the efficacy, acceptability, and nutritional adequacy of a plant-based diet for people with type 2 diabetes is presented, and practical considerations such as medication adjustment and risk of hypoglycemia are reviewed.

Conclusions

Plant-based meal planning is an acceptable and effective strategy that educators can use to improve diabetes management and reduce risk of complications. Studies show that dietary changes that are effective for reducing cardiac risk may also be helpful for management of type 2 diabetes. A low-fat, plant-based diet reduces body weight and improves glycemic control, and has been shown to be remarkably well accepted by patients.
Perceived Risk of Amputation, Emotions, and Foot Self-care Among Adults With Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Scollan-Koliopoulos Melissa , Walker Elizabeth A. , Bleich David
Published: February 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of having a family member who experienced an amputation on one’s own perceived risk and fear of experiencing a diabetes-related amputation.

Methods

This was a descriptive cross-sectional study using paper-and-pencil surveys by mail. Adults with type 2 diabetes and a family history of diabetes attending a self-management education program in the Metropolitan New York/ New Jersey area were recruited. Measures were completed about risk perception and fear of amputation, emotional representations of diabetes from the Illness Perception Questionnaire, and the foot self-care behavior component of the Summary of Diabetes Self-care Activities Survey. The authors estimated the variability in foot self-care that was accounted for by risk perception and fearful memories.

Results

In those who remembered a family member needing an amputation, high perceived risk and fear was associated with less routine foot self-care. For those without family history of amputation, fear was positively associated with foot self-care.

Conclusions

Motivation for foot self-care behavior may be driven by risk perception and emotional responses. The ways in which risk perception and fear influence motivation for preventive foot self-care behavior are influenced by whether one’s family member was affected by an amputation. Probing about the influence of the patient’s legacy of diabetes may be helpful when customizing education plans.
Risk Factors for Overall Recidivism and Severity of Recidivism in Serious Juvenile Offenders
Authors: Mulder Eva , Brand Eddy , Bullens Ruud , van Marle Hjalmar
Published: February 2010

This study was aimed at finding risk factors that predict both overall recidivism and severity of recidivism in serious juvenile offenders. Seventy static and dynamic risk factors associated with family characteristics, peers, psychopathology, substance abuse, psychological factors, and behavior during treatment were assessed with the Juvenile Forensic Profile in a sample of 728 juvenile offenders. Official reconviction data were used to register recidivism with a minimum time at risk of 2 years. Severity of offending was categorized according to the maximum sentence for the offense committed combined with expert opinion. Several risk factors for recidivism were found: past criminal behavior (number of past offenses, young age at first offense, unknown victim of past offenses), conduct disorder, family risk factors (poor parenting skills, criminal behavior in the family, a history of physical and emotional abuse), involvement with criminal peers, and lack of treatment adherence (aggression during treatment, lack of coping strategies). Having an unknown victim in past offenses, criminal behavior in the family, lack of treatment adherence, and lack of positive coping strategies were predictive of serious (violent) recidivism. The results are discussed in terms of their use for risk assessment and in improving treatment effect. Targeting poor parenting skills, involvement in criminal environment, lack of treatment adherence, and problematic coping strategies should reduce the severity of recidivism.
Factors Associated With Recidivism Among Offenders With Mental Illness
Authors: Castillo Eladio D. , Fiftal Alarid Leanne
Published: February 2010

This study examined factors that explained or predicted recidivism of offenders who were mentally impaired and were under various correctional interventions. Offenders in a residential treatment program and specialized probation group, specialized probation alone, and mentally ill offenders who had served time in jail were examined. In comparison to the other two groups, the residential treatment offenders had a more extensive criminal history and were thus more likely to fail on supervision as well as to recidivate after supervision ended. Offenders with an alcohol problem were more likely to recidivate earlier and be rearrested for a violent offense than offenders without an alcohol problem.
How Can Meta-Analyses Guide Practice? A Review of the Learning Disability Research Base
Authors: Therrien William J. , Zaman Maliha , Banda Devender R.
Published: February 2010

Meta-analysis is considered an acceptable method to evaluate research studies for evidence-based practices. The purpose of this review is to examine the applicability of using meta-analyses in the learning disability field to guide classroom practice. The authors evaluated 15 learning disability meta-analyses in three domains: large-scale analyses, academic, and social. Results indicate that although meta-analyses provide strong support for general components of effective instruction, they are unable to provide definitive answers for practitioners looking for concrete suggestions of what evidence-based practices to implement in their classrooms.
Is a Three-Tier Reading Intervention Model Associated With Reduced Placement in Special Education?
Authors: Wanzek Jeanne , Vaughn Sharon
Published: February 2010

Patterns of identification for special education services across three cohorts of students in kindergarten through third grade before and after implementation of a schoolwide, three-tier reading prevention model in one large school district are reported. The first cohort of students represents a historical control group that did not participate in the three-tier prevention model. The second and third cohorts of students represent successive cohorts of students who participated in the three-tier model from kindergarten to third grade. The data indicate a trend in the direction of a decreased percentage of students identified for special education through each cohort of students; however, there were no statistically significant differences in the overall percentages of students identified for special education across cohorts. Practical implications and further research are discussed.
Effects of Implementing the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) With Adults With Developmental Disabilities and Severe Communication Deficits
Authors: Conklin Carl G. , Mayer G. Roy
Published: February 2010

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) training, using a multiple baseline design on the independent initiations of three adults with developmental disabilities and severe communication deficits. All participants increased their independent initiations, although at different levels of quality and quantity throughout PECS training. Results demonstrate a functional relationship between the teaching of PECS and the increase of independent initiations, and these independent initiations continued to improve after initial training. In addition, problem behaviors (off-task and tantrum behaviors) were monitored to assess the collateral effects of PECS training. Results of data collection on untreated problem behaviors showed marked decreases, especially in the last half of PECS training, and remained below baseline levels during follow-up. The results of this study suggest that participants taught via PECS increased their initiation of requests, thereby increasing their independence and choice making, which also appears to have collateral effects on problem behaviors. This study extends the literature on PECS training with adults with developmental disabilities and severe communication deficits by demonstrating that at least one of the participants learned all six phases. This study also demonstrates collateral changes in untreated problem behaviors in this adult population.
Examining Effects of Writing Interventions
Authors: Taft Raol J. , Mason Linda H.
Published: February 2010

Writing is an important foundational skill, critical for success in school. Unfortunately, many students, including students with disabilities, have difficulties with written language production. These students lack knowledge of writing processes and employ deficient strategies for organization, planning, goal implementation, and self-regulation. The majority of research for students with disabilities has focused on students with learning disabilities (LD). Less is known about writing instruction with students with primary disabilities other than LD. The purpose of this review, therefore, is to investigate writing interventions for students diagnosed with primary disabilities other than LD and to ascertain if interventions benefit these specific student populations. Of 15 studies, 13 used self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) instruction and 2 studies blended SRSD components within other intervention packages. Results indicate that SRSD has promise for students with primary disabilities other than LD. Implications for research and practice are noted.
Optimistic Expectancies and Cell-Mediated Immunity
Authors: Segerstrom Suzanne C. , Sephton Sandra E.
Published: February 2010

Optimistic expectancies affect many psychosocial outcomes and may also predict immune system changes and health, but the nature and mechanisms of any such physiological effects have not been identified. The present study related law-school expectancies to cell-mediated immunity (CMI), examining the within- and between-person components of this relationship and affective mediators. First-year law students ( N = 124) completed questionnaire measures of expectancies and affect and received delayed-type hypersensitivity skin tests at five time points. A positive relationship between optimistic expectancies and CMI occurred: Changes in optimism correlated with changes in CMI. Likewise, changes in optimism predicted changes in positive and, to a lesser degree, negative affect, but the relationship between optimism and immunity was partially accounted for only by positive affect. This dynamic relationship between expectancies and immunity has positive implications for psychological interventions to improve health, particularly those that increase positive affect.
Hydrogen peroxide treatment effects on the particle size distribution of alluvial and marsh sediments
Authors: Gray Andrew B. , Pasternack Gregory B. , Watson Elizabeth B.
Published: February 2010

Pretreatment of sediment with hydrogen peroxide to remove organic constituents and aid deflocculation is a common component of particle size analyses of terrestrial and marine sediments. This study quantitatively determined the effect of a range of treatment levels on particle size distribution among four sediment types representing a range of mineral/organic particle size distributions, organic content and particle characterisation (charcoal or detrital plant material). The hypothesis was that complete removal of organic particles would lead to improved repeatability of results for a given sample and treatment level. Repeatability was assessed with a coefficient of variance calculation and a comparison of particle size distribution patterns within and across treatments. The effect of treatment levels on commonly used distribution descriptors (e.g. texture ratios and measures of central tendency) were then examined for each sample. Samples characterised primarily by detrital material responded most readily to treatment, whereas charcoal-dominated samples required higher levels of treatment to achieve increased repeatability and disappearance of large organic particles. Certain distribution descriptors, such as modal analysis, were found to be more resilient to organic particle presence, although amplitude of the organic distribution and the degree of overlap with the inorganic signal in some cases obscured even this metric. Thus, final treatment recommendations are based on sample characteristics and the types of distribution descriptors used in a study.
Lacustrine evidence of early-Holocene environmental change in northern Iceland: a multiproxy palaeoecology and stable isotope study
Authors: Langdon P.G. , Leng M.J. , Holmes N. , Caseldine C.J.
Published: February 2010

Early-Holocene warming in Iceland caused rapid glacial ice melt which led to exposed landscapes on which soils developed and floras quickly established. Our chironomid-based records from northern Iceland suggest temperatures were up to 2—2.5°C warmer than present throughout the first two millennia post deglaciation (~10 500 to 8500 cal. BP) while sedimentary and isotopic data indicate the development of soils within the local environment throughout this period before catchment conditions started to stabilise around 8400 cal. BP. The warming trend over this period was not uniform however, but punctuated by a series of relatively short-lived climatic events. Specifically inwash events are suggested by the δ13Corganic, %TOC and C/N data around 9600 cal. BP and 8250 cal. BP and are seen at two independent sites. There is also evidence from the δ18Ocarbonate and δ13Ccarbonate records which suggests that progressive evaporation of the study lakes occurred from ~8200 cal. BP, the timing of which accords well with other isotopic records of drier conditions from around the North Atlantic.
Estimating the personal cure rate of cancer patients using population-based grouped cancer survival data
Authors: Binbing Yu  , Tiwari Ram C , Feuer Eric J
Published: February 2010

Cancer patients are subject to multiple competing risks of death and may die from causes other than the cancer diagnosed. The probability of not dying from the cancer diagnosed, which is one of the patients’ main concerns, is sometimes called the ‘personal cure’ rate. Two approaches of modelling competing-risk survival data, namely the cause-specific hazards approach and the mixture model approach, have been used to model competing-risk survival data. In this article, we first show the connection and differences between crude cause-specific survival in the presence of other causes and net survival in the absence of other causes. The mixture survival model is extended to population-based grouped survival data to estimate the personal cure rate. Using the colorectal cancer survival data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Programme, we estimate the probabilities of dying from colorectal cancer, heart disease, and other causes by age at diagnosis, race and American Joint Committee on Cancer stage.
Bayesian credible intervals for binomial proportions in a single patient trial
Authors: Oleson Jacob J
Published: February 2010

Practitioners are often asking if the treatment successfully improved performance. Many times this question is directed towards the outcome of a single individual. In this article, we develop a method to assess the improvement of a single individual who is administered a test of percent correct at pre-treatment and post-treatment. A Bayesian approach is taken where the number correct is modelled as a binomial random variable and the percent correct is set to a beta prior distribution. The first model assumes percent correct at pre-test is equal to the percent correct at post-test and the posterior predictive distribution is used to evaluate the change in the number correct. We subsequently model the proportions correct at pre-test and post-test as unequal. The second model then assumes independent proportions and the third assumes correlated beta distributions for the two proportions. 95% credible intervals are calculated for the various methods for number of correct at post-test given a particular level at pre-test. An example using data from a cochlear implant clinical trial is presented where clinicians recorded percent correct in a consonant-nucleus-consonant test.
Truth-telling in cancer: Examining the cultural incompatibility argument in Turkey
Authors: Guven Tolga
Published: February 2010

This article aims to examine critically the ‘cultural incompatibility’ argument, which asserts that disclosure of cancer-related information to patients is incompatible with Turkey’s cultural context. For this purpose, a brief overview of the approach to truth-telling in Turkey will first be provided, followed by the claims of two different Turkish authors on the issue and a critical analysis of their approach. It will be contended that this argument has actually been formulated with paternalistic concerns and it may be playing an important role in shaping the approach of Turkish health care professionals to the issue. The article will then examine, in the light of study findings and case reports from Turkey, the concept of patient autonomy as it applies to truth-telling issues. It will be concluded that truth-telling can be compatible with Turkey’s cultural context, provided that health care professionals place more emphasis on good communication with their patients.
Development and testing of an instrument to measure protective nursing advocacy
Authors: Hanks Robert G
Published: February 2010

Patient advocacy is an important aspect of nursing care, yet there are few instruments to measure this essential function. This study was conducted to develop, determine the psychometric properties, and support validity of the Protective Nursing Advocacy Scale (PNAS), which measures nursing advocacy beliefs and actions from a protective perspective. The study used a descriptive correlational design with a systematically selected sample of 419 medical-surgical registered nurses. Analysis of the 43-item instrument was conducted using principal components analysis with promax rotation, which resulted in the items loading onto four components. The four subscales have sufficient internal consistency, as did the overall PNAS. Satisfactory evidence of construct, content, and convergent validity were determined. Implications for nursing practice include using the PNAS in conjunction with an educational program to enhance advocacy skills, which may help to improve patient outcomes.
Patients’ privacy and satisfaction in the emergency department: A descriptive analytical study
Authors: Nayeri Nahid Dehghan , Aghajani Mohammad
Published: February 2010

Respecting privacy and patients’ satisfaction are amongst the main indicators of quality of care and one of the basic goals of health services. This study, carried out in 2007, aimed to investigate the extent to which patient privacy is observed and its correlation with patient satisfaction in three emergency departments of Tehran University of Medical Science, Iran. Questionnaire data were collected from a convenience sample of 360 patients admitted to emergency departments and analysed using SPSS software. The results indicated that, according to 50.6% of the patients, the extent to which their privacy was respected was described as either ‘weak’ or ‘average’. Spearman’s coefficient indicated a significant correlation between respecting privacy and the patients’ satisfaction about the various aspects of privacy studied. Considering the levels of privacy observed together with the patients’ degree of satisfaction, it is imperative that clinical professionals address both aspects from conceptual and practical viewpoints.
Informed consent practices of Chinese nurse researchers
Authors: Olsen Douglas P , Honghong Wang  , Pang Samantha
Published: February 2010

Nursing research in China is at an early stage of development and little is known about the practices of Chinese nurse researchers. This interview study carried out at a university in central China explores the informed consent practices of Chinese nurse researchers and the cultural considerations of using a western technique. Nine semistructured interviews were conducted in English with assistance and simultaneous translation from a Chinese nurse with research experience. The interviews were analyzed by one western and two Chinese researchers and major themes were identified. All participants endorsed informed consent as ethically required. Differences were noted between some of the informed consent practices typically recommended in the USA and those identified in this study, such as: recruitment using local and government officials, recruiting directly from medical records without special permission, family consultation in consent and consent control, and not revealing randomization to intervention groups receiving different treatments.
Releasing From the Oppression: Caregiving for the Elderly Parents of Japanese Working Women
Authors: Hashizume Yumi
Published: February 2010

Caregiving in Japan is defined as predominately a woman’s responsibility. However, caregiving has been largely understudied as a lived experience or within a cultural frame of reference. In an estimated 50% of Japanese households, women are currently caregivers of one or more family members. However, the relative absence of information on their experiences has held back the development of programs and services to support their caregiving. In this article, I present results of a grounded-theory study that explored the experiences of Japanese working women caregivers as they cared for the elderly family member in their home. I interviewed 11 women caregivers including 6 daughters and 5 daughters-in-law. I generated a substantive grounded theory, resulting in the identification of the core concept of “releasing self,” which included three dimensions: laughing away, self-belief, and losing enthusiasm for the elderly and elderly care.
Social Origin of Contraceptive Counseling Practices by Male Doctors in Mexico
Authors: Erviti Joaquina , Sosa Sánchez Itzel A. , Castro Roberto
Published: February 2010

Contraceptive counseling by physicians plays a decisive role in the contraceptive choices of their patients. We studied male physicians’ contraceptive counseling and preferences in Mexico from a gender perspective. Specifically, through in-depth interviews with 31 male physicians working for public health institutions in Mexico, we examined reproductive health providers’ contraceptive practices and perceptions about men’s roles and responsibilities in reproduction. Through an interpretative analysis we identified the social processes involved in shaping contraceptive preferences. Of special importance are institutional and professional factors—related to prestige and economic concerns—framed by gender determinants which hinder the incorporation of practices that might contribute to gender equality in reproductive health. Thus, female contraceptive methods are preferred by physicians, and use of male contraceptive methods, especially vasectomy, is discouraged by them.
Menopause Narratives: The Interplay of Women’s Embodied Experiences With Biomedical Discourses
Authors: Hyde Abbey , Nee Jean , Howlett Etaoine , Drennan Jonathan , Butler Michelle
Published: February 2010

Conventional approaches to menopause tend to contrast the biomedical position on menopause with women’s actual experiences of it. Rather than focusing primarily on the tensions between these perspectives (biomedical vs. lay), our emphasis here is on the impact of biomedicine in shaping participants’ perceptions of their status as menopausal. Based on interview data gathered from 39 women in Ireland, we argue that the cultural authority of biomedicine shaped participants’ experiences of the body and how they constituted their health identity. We assert that, ironically, this was particularly the case among those who most strongly contested biomedical definitions of their situation. In addition, biomedical practitioners’ definitions had a strong normalizing power in how the body was experienced. We conclude by noting that our analysis problematizes the notion of privileging “women’s experiences” as advocated by some feminist perspectives. The heavy influence of biomedical discourses in shaping participants’ embodied experiences demonstrates the pervasive impact of prevailing discourses on women’s experiences.
Options for Improving Transportation Project Scoping
Authors: Miller John S. , Lantz Kenneth E.
Published: February 2010

Scoping is a process that develops the budget, schedule, and explicit rationale for a transportation infrastructure project. Detailed interviews with Virginia scoping professionals provide a unique occasion to investigate challenges and potential improvements in this field. Problems include lack of a clear purpose statement from the planning process; incongruence between planning cost estimates and scoping estimates; scoping of projects not having full construction funding; insufficient participation from outside agencies; and insufficient documentation of follow-up commitments fulfilled after the scope is established. Solutions focused on process rather than technology and include distinguishing the prescoping meeting (where questions are raised) from the scoping meeting (where questions are answered), providing an accounting mechanism allowing some scoping to be performed prior to programming, and strengthening the link between scoping and planning. This article further suggests that scoping substantially influences a project’s achievement of desired transportation outcomes.
Bargaining in institutionalized settings: The case of Turkish reforms
Authors: Sarigil Zeki
Published: February 2010

By analyzing the case of a bargaining situation in an institutionalized setting, which derives from Turkey’s reform process in a sensitive issue area ( civil—military relations), this study assesses the explanatory power of competing models of bargaining: rational, normative, and discursive/argumentative .The bargaining outcome in this case was puzzling because despite the existence of a strongly pro-status quo veto player (i.e. the military), the bargaining processes led to a new status quo.This study shows that the veto player simply failed to prevent a shift to a new status quo because such an action would do substantial damage to the military’s ideational concerns (normative entrapment). The rational model remains under-socialized, while the discursive model is over-socialized in analyzing this bargaining situation. Although the normative model sheds more light on this puzzling outcome, a synthesis between normative and rational models would provide us with much better insight.
National ideology and IR theory: Three incarnations of the ‘Russian idea’
Authors: Tsygankov Andrei P. , Tsygankov Pavel A.
Published: February 2010

In an attempt to broaden our perspective on IR theory formation, this article seeks to highlight the significance of ideology. Consistent with the recently revived sociology of knowledge tradition in international studies, we view IR scholarship as grounded in certain social and ideological conditions. Although some scholars have studied the political, ideological, and epistemological biases of Western, particularly American, civilization, in order to achieve a better understanding of global patterns of knowledge formation it is important to look at cases beyond the West. We therefore look at the formation of IR knowledge in Russia, and we argue that the development of a Russian theory of international relations responds to the old debate on the ‘Russian idea,’ and three distinct ideological traditions that had been introduced to the national discourse in the mid-19th century. Focusing on theories and concepts of the international system, regional order, and foreign policy, as developed by Russian scholars, we attempt to demonstrate how they are shaped by ideological and therefore pre-theoretical assumptions about social reality.
Security governance in transition
Authors: Ellison Graham , O'Rawe Mary
Published: February 2010

The article suggests that while the report of the Independent Commission on Policing (ICP) provides a police reform blueprint for Northern Ireland and elsewhere, it can also be seen as an attempt to engage more elliptically with contemporary debates in security governance vis-a-vis the increasingly fragmented nature of late-modern policing and the role of the state. A decade into the reform process in Northern Ireland and in spite of the networked approach postulated by the ICP, the public police continue to enjoy a pre-eminent place and little evidence exists of any significant weakening of state steering and rowing of security. The discussion proposes a tentative typology explaining the continued colonization of security spaces by the State using constituent attendant processes of compartmentalizing, crowding out and corralling.
Evaluation of Feasibility of Ankle Pressure and Foot Oxymetry Values for the Detection of Critical Limb Ischemia in Diabetic Patients
Authors: Ezio Faglia , Giacomo Clerici , Maurizio Caminiti , Antonella Quarantiello , Vincenzo Curci , Francesco Somalvico
Published: February 2010

A total of 261 diabetic patients were admitted because of rest pain and/or foot ulcer in 1 limb. Ankle pressure (AP) and transcutaneous oxygen tension (TcPO2) were measured, and digital subtraction arteriography was performed. Transcutaneous oxygen tension was <30 mm Hg in 213 patients and ≥30<50 mm Hg in 48 patients. Ankle pressure could not be measured in 109 patients. In 50 patients, AP was <70 mm Hg and in 102 patients, it was ≥70 mm Hg. Arteriography showed evidence of stenoses >50% of vessel lumen diameter in all patients. Major amputation was performed in 16 patients; AP was <70 mm Hg in 4 patients and ≥70 mm Hg in 6. It was not practicable in the remaining 6 patients. Transcutaneous oxygen tension was <30 mm Hg in 15 patients and ≥30 mm Hg in 1 patient. For diagnosis of critical limb ischemia (CLI) in diabetic patients presenting with rest pain or foot ulcer, measurement of TcPO 2 is essential not only when AP is not measurable but also when this value is ≥70 mm Hg.
Endovascular Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair (EVAR) Procedures: Counterbalancing the Benefits With the Costs
Authors: Paraskevas Kosmas I. , Bessias Nikolaos , Giannoukas Athanasios D. , Mikhailidis Dimitri P.
Published: February 2010

Endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair (EVAR) is associated with lower 30-day mortality rates compared with open repair. Despite that, there are no significant differences in mortality rates between the two procedures at 2 years. On the other hand, EVAR is associated with considerably higher costs compared with open repair. The lack of significant long-term differences between the two procedures together with the substantially higher cost of EVAR may question the appropriateness of EVAR as an alternative to open surgical repair in patients fit for surgery. With several thousands of AAA procedures performed worldwide, the employment of EVAR for the management of all AAAs irrespective of the patient’s surgical risk may hold implications for several national health economies. The lower perioperative mortality and morbidity rates associated with EVAR should thus be counterbalanced against the considerable costs of these procedures.
Success or Chaos?
Authors: Garyantes Dianne M. , Murphy Priscilla J.
Published: February 2010

/ This study used computer-assisted textual analysis of frames as ideological cues in news coverage of the Iraqi 2005 elections by CNN.com and Aljazeera.net. CNN’s reporting revealed an ideology of a cultural conquest, framing the elections with sentimental patriotism toward western-style democracy. Al Jazeera’s texts revealed distrust and suspicion toward the US, framing the elections with skepticism, a lack of legitimacy and chaos. Despite claims of journalistic objectivity, the analysis found a divisive ideology expressed by both news organizations. The study bears out the importance of ‘global objectivity’ to provide critical, cross-cultural perspectives in an age of expanding media globalization.
Obstetric Brachial Plexus Palsy in Newborn Babies of Diabetic and Non-Diabetic Mothers
Authors: Al-Qattan M.M. , El-Sayed A.A.F. , Al-Zahrani A.Y. , Al-Mutairi S.A. , Al-Harbi M.S. , Al-Mutairi A.M. , Al-Kahtani F.S.
Published: February 2010

Compared to non-diabetic mothers, diabetic mothers are known to deliver larger babies who are at higher risk for shoulder dystocia and obstetric brachial plexus palsy. The intrapartum forces applied during delivery of larger babies are expected to be higher. Hence, the chances of these babies for good spontaneous recovery are expected to be lower; and this is a generally believed hypothesis. The objective of this retrospective study was to compare obstetric brachial plexus palsy in newborn babies of diabetic and non-diabetic mothers. There were a total of 655 cases of obstetric palsy: 253 cases with diabetic mothers and 402 with non-diabetic mothers. The former were more likely to develop total palsy while the latter were more likely to develop extended Erb’s palsy. Newborn babies of diabetic mothers had significantly larger birth weights than those of non-diabetic mothers regardless of the type of palsy. The rate of good spontaneous recovery of the motor power of the limb in the two groups was not significantly different except in total palsy cases for shoulder external rotation and elbow flexion where the recovery was significantly better in the diabetic group. It was concluded that the generally believed hypothesis is not correct if one compares the outcome in the diabetic and non-diabetic groups for each type of palsy.