bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Marketing Social Marketing: Getting Inside Those “Big Dogs’ Heads” and Other Challenges
Authors: Marshall Robert J. , Bryant Carol , Keller Heidi , Fridinger Frederick
Published: April 2006

Social marketing provides a powerful process for planning and implementing public health programs. Although often applied to the promotion of healthier lifestyles, social marketing can also be used to promote utilization of direct services or policy changes. Despite growing popularity among public health professionals, resistance by senior management, community advocates, policy makers, and others can create barriers to the use of the social marketing model. This article draws on the authors’ observations, practice experiences, extensive training interactions, and qualitative studies with public health practitioners across the nation. It examines some of the key reasons that public health practitioners encounter resistance to using social marketing and discusses how a logic model can be used to market social marketing in organizations and communities.
Cookin’ Up Health: Developing a Nutrition Intervention for a Rural Appalachian Population
Authors: Tessaro Irene , Rye Sheila , Parker Lindsey , Trangsrud Kristin , Mangone Carol , McCrone Susan , Leslie Nan
Published: April 2006

Cookin’ Up Health is a culturally targeted and individualized tailored nutrition intervention using a computerbased interactive format. Using a cooking show theme, the program demonstrates step-by-step meal preparation emphasizing healthy selection and portion control. Focus groups were conducted with women in two rural counties in West Virginia to guide the development of the intervention. Women felt more susceptible to heart disease because the changing role of women creates more stress and less time; weight loss was a greater motivator for dietary change than was preventing heart disease; social support is a barrier and facilitator for dietary change; cultural heritage and the way women were raised were major barriers to making health changes as adults; convenience and the cost of eating healthier were major factors when trying to make changes in diet; and women did not feel confident in their ability to maintain dietary changes.
A Blueprint for Assessing Public Support of Citywide Smoke-Free Legislation
Authors: Hill Teresa D. , Wise Gregory R. , Wilson Teri N. , Berkel Hans J.
Published: April 2006

The tracking of public opinion can be a critical component of antitobacco campaigns, such as efforts to enact citywide Clean Indoor Air legislation. Grassroots tobacco control coalitions that work locally to promote smoke-free environments typically encompass individuals from a wide range of public health fields. Although knowledgeable, volunteer groups lack the financial resources to evaluate the impact of local efforts or determine their community's level of support for potential legislation. The steps taken by a grassroots organization to conduct a public opinion survey are outlined, including methodological, analytical issues, and resource requirements. A valid survey can be completed in 4 months with minimal financial resources. Individuals willing to voluntarily administer and analyze a survey can be identified at the local level. Results of a tobaccorelated public opinion survey can be instrumental in the promotion of smoke-free environments and an effective tool in attracting media coverage.
Application of Qualitative Methods in Program Planning for Health Promotion Interventions
Authors: Farquhar Stephanie Ann , Parker Edith A. , Schulz Amy J. , Israel Barbara A.
Published: April 2006

The use of qualitative methods can provide an in-depth understanding of the issues and barriers related to community health and can help to inform the planning of health promotion programs and interventions. Although there are many examples in the literature that describe the application of quantitative data to program planning, few articles explicitly describe the application of qualitative data, such as data gathered using focus groups, in-depth interviews, and windshield tours, in program planning. Using the East Side Village Health Worker Partnership in Detroit, Michigan, as a case study example, this article explains the methods of incorporating qualitative data into each stage of program planning and development, including community assessment, development of goals and objectives, implementation of activities, and program evaluation.
Effort in Phone Survey Response Rates: The Effects of Vendor and Client-Controlled Factors
Authors: McCarty Christopher , House Mark , Harman Jeffrey , Richards Scott
Published: April 2006

This article presents a model using data from 205 telephone surveys conducted in the same survey lab over a three-year period. The model demonstrates that while response rates are partly a function of variables reflecting effort, they are also affected by contextual variables often not under the survey vendor's control. Significant factors that affected response rates included the salience of the survey to the population, the survey length, the type of sample (listed vs random-digit dialing), minutes per piece of sample (effort), and the amount of time the survey was in the field. A ten-minute increase in survey length results in a 7% decrease in the response rate. An increase of one day in the field per one hundred cases (fielding time) results in a 7% increase in the response rate. An increase of one interviewer minute devoted to each piece of sample released results in a 2.2% increase in overall response rates and a 3.4% increase in random-digit dialing response rates.
An Investigation of the Effect of Lotteries on Web Survey Response Rates
Authors: Heerwegh Dirk
Published: April 2006

Inspired by the positive effects of incentives on mail survey response rates, researchers have started using incentives to increase response rates to Web surveys. The established best practice of presending cash incentives is difficult to implement in Web surveys, and studies suggest that its presumed effects might not be witnessed in Web surveys. In contrast, several studies have found that lotteries can significantly increase Web survey response rates. Some authors have argued that this could reflect the fact that Internet users have come to expect Web surveys to be associated with lotteries. An experimental study among university students found that the lottery influences the Web survey response rates, but there are indications that different subgroups might be more influenced by this incentive than others. The observed differences are interpreted along the lines of possible differences in the degree to which different respondent groups expect incentives in return for their participation.
Child Survival in Affluence and Poverty: Ethics and Fieldwork Experiences from Iceland and Guinea-Bissau
Authors: Einarsdóttir Jónína
Published: April 2006

In this article, the author discusses ethical approaches in qualitative research with reference to anthropological fieldwork on abnormal birth and child survival in Guinea-Bissau and Iceland. These two countries represent extremes in terms of access to advanced health care services and rates of child mortality. The author focuses on ethical dilemmas encountered in these two field settings as well as considerations related to presentation of findings. Despite differences in the separation between fieldwork and family life and whether the infants' chances of survival may be dependent on the researcher's involvement, similarities in fieldwork experience are remarkable.
Communication Problems Between Researchers and Informants With Speech Difficulties: Methodological and Analytic Issues
Authors: Low Jacqueline
Published: April 2006

Using data collected in a study of how people living with Parkinson's disease assess the efficacy of the alternative and complementary therapies they use, the author addresses the impact on qualitative data collection and analysis of communication problems between researchers and informants who experience speech difficulty. There is little literature that deals with these issues. In what little does, the emphasis is most often on the “problem” informants who experience speech difficulty present for communication, rather than seeing communication problems as a product of interviewer/informant interaction in which the researcher also plays a role in hindering communication. In this article, the author argues that a focus on the linguistic inability of informants, however unwitting, constructs the person who experiences difficulty speaking as problematic and the researcher as the “expert” who solves the communication problem the informant presents.
The Body, TV Talk, and Emotion: Methodological Reflections
Authors: Kim Youna
Published: April 2006

Drawing on the author's fieldwork on women, television, and everyday life in South Korea, this article discusses three key issues in the research process to add insights into Western media studies on how women interact with popular culture. Central to the discussion is, first, a normative ideal of the female body as a condition for being there in the field; second, women's TV talk as a form of reflexivity; and third, outpouring emotions as an effect of the research interview. The article suggests that methodological reflections on the body, TV talk, and emotion could combine to yield a better understanding of the process by which we come to theorize the relationship between women, television, and everyday life.
Critical Surveillance Literacy
Authors: Lewis Tyson
Published: April 2006

In this article, the author provides a theoretical framework for analyzing the complex and contradictory matrix of surveillance technologies being deployed in U.S. schools. Through a review of the extensive literature on surveillance, the author charts the modalities of disciplinary and sovereign power as they relate to the overall social relations of late capitalism. In conclusion, the article offers a tentative reconstructive vision for schools both inside and outside the classroom.
Body weight and comorbidity predict mortality in COPD patients treated with oxygen therapy
Authors: Marti S. , Muñoz X. , Rios J. , Morell F. , Ferrer J.
Published: April 2006

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between clinical variables and all-cause and respiratory mortality in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) undergoing long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT).

The authors retrospectively studied a historic cohort of 128 patients with COPD (126 males, mean age±sd68.9±9.7 yrs, body mass index (BMI) 25.1±4.5 kg·m−2, and forced expiratory volume in one second 25.4±8.8% predicted), who were being treated with long-term oxygen therapy in a tertiary teaching hospital between 1992 and 1999. Comorbidity, assessed with the Charlson Index, was present in 38% of the patients. Vital status and cause of death were assessed through the population death registry.

A total of 78 patients (61%) had died by the end of follow-up. Three-year survival was 55%. Death was due to respiratory causes in 77% of cases. On Cox analysis, BMI <25 kg·m−2, comorbid conditions, age ≥70 yrs and cor pulmonale were associated with all-cause mortality. The BMI and comorbidity were the only significant predictive factors when the analysis was restricted to respiratory mortality.

In conclusion, body mass index <25 kg·m−2and comorbidity were predictors of all-cause and respiratory mortality in a cohort of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients treated with long-term oxygen therapy. These factors should be taken into account when considering the management and prognosis of these patients.
Short-burst oxygen therapy for COPD patients: a 6-month randomised, controlled study
Authors: Eaton T. , Fergusson W. , Kolbe J. , Lewis C. A. , West T.
Published: April 2006

Short-burst oxygen therapy (SBOT) remains widely advocated for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), despite a lack of supporting evidence. The aim of this randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group study was to determine whether SBOT improves health-related quality of life (HRQL) or reduces acute healthcare utilisation in patients discharged following an acute exacerbation of COPD.

Consecutive patients were screened; 78 of 331 were eligible for randomisation to cylinder oxygen, cylinder air or usual care following discharge. Patients were elderly with high acute healthcare utilisation, forced expiratory volume in one second of <1 L and had dyspnoea limiting daily activity but were not hypoxaemic at rest. Over the 6-month study period, there were no significant differences between patient groups in HRQL (Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire (CRQ), 36-item Short-Form Health Survey, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) except for CRQ emotion domain. There were no significant differences in acute healthcare utilisation. Time to readmission was greatest in the usual care group. Cylinder use was high initially, but rapidly fell to very low levels within weeks in both cylinder oxygen and air groups.

In conclusion, the availability of short-burst oxygen therapy for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients discharged from hospital following an acute exacerbation did not improve health-related quality of life or reduce acute healthcare utilisation. These results provide no support for the widespread use of short-burst oxygen therapy.
Tuberculosis screening in migrants in selected European countries shows wide disparities
Authors: Coker R. , Bell A. , Pitman R. , Zellweger J-P. , Heldal E. , Hayward A. , Skulberg A. , Bothamley G. , Whitfield R. , de Vries G. , Watson J. M.
Published: April 2006

Well-established tuberculosis screening units in Western Europe were selectively sampled. Three screening units in Norway, two in the UK, one in the Netherlands and one in Switzerland were evaluated. The aim of this study was to describe a range of service models used at a number of individual tuberculosis units for the screening of new entrants into Europe.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with clinicians, nurses and administrators from a selected sample of European tuberculosis screening units. An outline of key themes to be addressed was forwarded to units ahead of scheduled interviews. Themes included the history of the unit, structure, processes and outputs involved in screening new entrants for tuberculosis.

Considerable variation in screening services exists in the approaches studied. Units are sited in transit camps or as units within hospital facilities. Staff capacity and administration varies from one clinic per week with few dedicated staff to fully dedicated units. Only one site recorded symptoms; tuberculin testing was universal in children, but varied in adults; chest radiograph screening was universal except at one site where a positive tuberculin skin test or symptoms were required in those <35 yrs of age before ordering a radiograph. Few output data are routinely and systematically collected, which hinders comparison and determination of effectiveness and efficiency.

Service models for screening new immigrants for tuberculosis appear to vary in Western Europe. The systematic collection of data would make international comparisons between units easier and help draw conclusions that might usefully inform service development.
Strapping the hemiplegic shoulder prevents development of pain during rehabilitation: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Griffin Amy , Bernhardt Julie
Published: April 2006

Objective: To determine whether strapping (therapeutic or placebo) the ‘at risk’ shoulder prevented or delayed development of hemiplegic shoulder pain better than standard care.

Design: Randomized controlled trial.

Setting: Three inpatient rehabilitation hospitals, Melbourne, Australia.

Patients: Thirty-three patients ‘at risk’ of developing hemiplegic shoulder pain were randomized, one withdrew. Patients at risk were considered to be those with low or no muscle function around the shoulder (Motor Assessment Scale, upper arm score B<3).

Interventions: Standard care for control group. Therapeutic strapping or placebo strapping with lightweight adhesive tape. All strapping was maintained over four weeks.

Main outcome measures: The primary outcome was number of pain-free days measured on Ritchie Articular Index. Secondary outcome measures included range of movement, function (Motor Assessment Scale, upper arm component) and affected arm muscle tone (Modified Ashworth Scale).

Results: Only one patient in the therapeutic strapping group developed pain. One-way ANOVA revealed that mean number of pain-free days over the 28-day period was significantly different (P=0.02), with the difference between the therapeutic strapping and the control group. Patients in the therapeutic strapping group had a mean of 26.2 pain-free days, while those in the placebo group and control group had a mean of 19.1 and 15.9 pain-free days respectively. Range of movement and function improved between admission and discharge but were not significantly different between groups.

Conclusions: Therapeutic strapping limited development of hemiplegic shoulder pain during rehabilitation in at risk stroke patients. Placebo strapping has an effect, with a larger study (n=30 per group) needed to detect whether there are differences between therapeutic and placebo strapping.
The effect of a task-oriented intervention on arm function in people with stroke: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Higgins Johanne , Salbach Nancy M , Wood-Dauphinee Sharon , Richards Carol L , Côté Robert , Mayo Nancy E
Published: April 2006

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of a task-oriented intervention in enhancing arm function in people with stroke.

Design: Two-centre, observer-blinded, stratified, block-randomized controlled trial.

Setting: General community.

Patients: Ninety-one individuals within one year of a first or recurrent stroke consented to participate between May 2000 and February 2003.

Interventions: The experimental intervention involved practice of functional, unilateral and bilateral tasks that were designed to improve gross and fine manual dexterity whereas the control intervention was composed of walking tasks. Members in both groups participated in three sessions a week for six weeks.

Main outcome measure(s): The primary test of arm function was the Box and Block Test. Secondary tests included the Nine-Hole Peg Test, maximal grip strength, the Test d'Evaluation des Membres supé rieurs des Personnes Agées (TEMPA) and the Stroke Rehabilitation Assessment of Movement.

Results: Results are for the more affected arm. Baseline performance on the Box and Block Test was an average of 26 blocks (standard deviation (SD=16) in the experimental group (n=47) and 26 blocks (Sd=18) in the control group (n=44). These values represent approximately 40% of age-predicted values. Values for the postintervention evaluation were an average of 28 (SD=17) and 28 (SD=19) blocks for the experimental and control group respectively. No meaningful change on other measures of arm function was observed.

Conclusions: A task-oriented intervention did not improve voluntary movement or manual dexterity of the affected arm in people with chronic stroke.
Nutritional supplementation and resistance training in nutritionally at risk older adults following lower limb fracture: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Miller Michelle D , Crotty Maria , Whitehead Craig , Bannerman Elaine , Daniels Lynne A
Published: April 2006

Objective: To describe the independent and combined effects of oral nutrition supplementation and resistance training on health outcomes in nutritionally at risk older adults following lower limb fracture.

Design: Randomized controlled trial with 12-week masked outcome assessment.

Setting: Teaching hospital.

Participants: One hundred nutritionally at risk older adults hospitalized following a fall-related lower limb fracture.

Intervention: Commenced seven days after injury. Consisted of daily multinutrient energy-dense oral supplement (6.3 kJ/mL) individually prescribed for six weeks (n =25), tri-weekly resistance training for 12 weeks (n =25), combined treatment (n =24) or attention control plus usual care and general nutrition and exercise advice (n =26).

Measurements: Weight change, quadriceps strength, gait speed, quality of life and health care utilization at completion of the 12-week intervention.

Results: At 12 weeks, all groups lost weight: nutrition -6.2% (-8.4, -4.0); resistance training -6.3% (-8.3, -4.3); nutrition and resistance training -4.7% (-7.4, -2.0); attention control -5.2% (-9.0, -1.5). Those receiving resistance training alone lost more weight than those receiving the combined treatment (P = 0.029). Significant weight loss was prevented if supplement was consumed for at least 35 days. Groups were no different at 12 weeks for any other outcome.

Conclusion: Frail, undernourished older adults with a fall-related lower limb fracture experience clinically significant weight loss that is unable to be reversed with oral nutritional supplements. Those receiving a programme of resistance training without concurrent nutrition support are at increased risk of weight loss compared with those who receive a combined nutrition and resistance training intervention. In this high-risk patient group it is possible to prevent further decline in nutritional status using oral nutritional supplements if strategies are implemented to ensure prescription is adequate to meet energy requirements and levels of adherence are high.
A programme of static positional stretches does not reduce hemiplegic shoulder pain or maintain shoulder range of motion -a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Gustafsson Louise , McKenna Kryss
Published: April 2006

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a programme of static positional stretches and positioning of the stroke-affected shoulder for maintaining shoulder external rotation and decreasing hemiplegic shoulder pain.

Design: Randomized controlled trial with pretest and posttest design.

Setting: Inpatient rehabilitation unit.

Subjects: Thirty-two participants (17 treatment, 15 comparison) with a first time stroke who were admitted for rehabilitation.

Interventions: Treatment participants completed a programme of static positional stretches of the stroke-affected shoulder twice daily and positioned the stroke affected upper limb in an armrest support at all other times when seated.

Main measures: The main outcome measures were pain-free range of motion into external rotation, pain in the stroke-affected shoulder at rest and with movement, motor recovery and functional independence.

Results: All participants demonstrated a significant loss of external rotation (P=0.005) with no significant group differences. All participants demonstrated a significant improvement in motor recovery (P<0.01) and functional independence (P<0.01) with no significant group differences. There were no significant effects for pain. The comparison group recorded a decrease in mean pain reported with movement from admission to discharge, and the treatment group recorded an increase.

Conclusions: Participation in the management programme did not result in improved outcomes. The results of this study do not support the application of the programme of static positional stretches to maintain range of motion in the shoulder. The effect of increasing pain for the treatment group requires further investigation.
Determinants of physical health in frail older people: the importance of self-efficacy
Authors: Stretton Caroline M , Latham Nancy K , Carter Kristie N , Lee Arier C , Anderson Craig S
Published: April 2006

Objective: There is continued uncertainty regarding the strength of association between performance-based and self-report measures of physical functioning, and of their relationship to self-efficacy and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This study assessed the inter-relationships between such measures, and the predictors of ‘physical’ aspects of HRQoL in frail older patients.

Design: We used statistical models to determine the predictors of ‘physical’ HRQoL, according to the physical component summary score and the physical functioning domain of the 36-item short form (SF-36) questionnaire.

Setting: Patients were recruited from hospitals in Australia and New Zealand and followed up in their homes.

Subjects: Two hundred and forty-three frail older patients.

Main measures: Physical functioning was assessed using three performance-based measures (Timed Up and Go Test, gait speed and the Berg Balance Scale) and five self-report measures, including the modified falls self-efficacy scale, at three and six months after registration.

Results: A moderate association (r=0.48=0.55) was found between each of the performance-based and self-report measures, including the SF-36 physical component summary score. Multiple linear regression analyses showed that the performance-based measures and falls self-efficacy predicted 33% of the SF-36 physical component summary score. Falls self-efficacy was the single highest predictor of both the SF-36 physical component summary score and SF-36 physical functioning domain. A curvilinear relationship was found between the SF-36 physical functioning domain and two variables: falls self-efficacy and the Berg Balance Scale.

Conclusions: Although performance-based and self-report measures provide complementary but distinct measures of physical function, psychosocial factors such as self-efficacy have a strong influence on the HRQoL of frail older people.
Validation of self-reported fall events in intervention studies
Authors: Mackenzie Lynette , Byles Julie , D'Este Catherine
Published: April 2006

Objective: To determine if self-reported data recalling at least one fall over a sixmonth recall period could be used as a reliable measure of falls by comparing retrospective self-report with a ‘gold standard' method of reporting these events using a prospective calendar-reported method.

Design: Prospective study.

Setting: Community-dwelling older people living in New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland in Australia.

Subjects: A stratified sample of 264 randomly selected participants from a concurrent randomized controlled trial (RCT) of preventive health assessment for people over the age of 70 years.

Interventions: Intervention and control group participants in the RCT kept a calendar of fall events for a six-month validation substudy. At the end of six months, participants were asked to retrospectively report their falls over the six-month period.

Main results: Results indicated that percentage agreement between retrospective self-report and the calendar report of falls was 84%, however, sensitivity was 56% (95% confidence interval (CI) 44.1−67.5). Ten participants (4%) gave false positive self-reports of falls, and 33 (13%) participants gave false negative self-reports of falls. Therefore, retrospective self-reported fall rates were likely to involve under-reporting of falls. Significant differences were found in the sensitivity of retrospectively selfreported falls reported by the intervention group participants (sensitivity=71%; 95% CI 56.6−85.5) compared with the control group (sensitivity=40.5%; 95% CI 24.7−56.4, P =0.008). Validity of self-reported injuries as a result of a fall was less accurate (71% agreement; sensitivity 24% (95% CI 16.0−33.6).

Conclusions: As recall of falls was more accurate in the intervention group than in the control group, it could appear that the intervention had the effect of increasing falls compared to the control group. Using these results, a method was devised to weight self-reported retrospective data to compensate for the poorer recall demonstrated in the control group, so that a more accurate estimate of falls could be derived from the self-reported data.
Statistical methods for analysing Barthel scores in trials of poststroke interventions: a review and computer simulations
Authors: Song Fujian , Jerosch-Herold Christina , Holland Richard , Drachler Maria de Lourdes , Mares Kath , Harvey Ian
Published: April 2006

Background and purpose: Arguments persist as to whether parametric or nonparametric methods should be used to analyse ordinal data in trials. This paper aims to assess methods used for presenting and analysing an ordinal scale, the Barthel Index, in trials of poststroke interventions.

Methods: All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of poststroke interventions published from 1995 to 2004 in two journals (Strokeand Clinical Rehabilitation) were scrutinized for methods used to present and analyse Barthel scores. Computer simulations were used to compare the type I errors and the statistical power of different statistical methods under a range of assumed circumstances.

Results: One hundred and fifty-six RCTs were identified within the two journals. The central tendency of Barthel scores was measured by the median in 47 trials and by the mean in 35 trials. Non-parametric analyses of Barthel scores were conducted in 47 trials and parametric methods used in 18 trials. The results of computer simulations demonstrate that the t-test has a similar type I error rate and statistical power when compared with the rank sum test. However, when a zero final Barthel score is assigned to patients who have died, the statistical power of the t-test is much reduced. The possible maximal statistical power of dichotomization and ordinal regression is usually much lower than that of the rank sum test.

Conclusions: To facilitate comparison and meta-analysis, we recommend that mean values (with standard deviations or standard errors) of Barthel scores should be routinely reported in trials of poststroke interventions. The rank sum test appears the most powerful inferential technique for detecting differences in Barthel scores.
A new clinical test of dynamic standing balance in the frontal plane: the side-step test
Authors: Fujisawa Hiroyuki , Takeda Ryoko
Published: April 2006

Objective: To confirm retest reliability for the side-step test and to investigate the validity of the side-step test by correlating performance on this test with that on other commonly used measures of balance and mobility.

Setting: Katta Public Hospital, Miyagi, Japan.

Design: Cross-sectional study. Intraclass correlation coefficient was examined by calculating the intra-rater reliability of the side-step test. Moreover, the validity of the test was examined by correlating maximum side-step length with gait parameters.

Subjects: This study recruited 28 hemiplegic subjects (17 with left-sided hemiplegia and 11 with right-sided hemiplegia).

Measures: We measured balance ability and walking ability as follows: dynamic balance ability was assessed from maximum side-step length from the side-step test, static balance ability from one-footed standing duration, and walking ability from maximum walking speed, stride length and cadence. Balance ability was measured on both the affected and unaffected side. Maximum side-step length was standardized in terms of lower extremity length.

Results: Intraclass correlation coefficient of maximum side-step length was 0.97 bilaterally. There was a high linear correlation between maximum side-step length and both maximum walking speed and stride length; Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficient ranged from 0.84 to 0.89. One-footed standing duration was significantly correlated with maximum side-step length, maximum walking speed and stride length, and these relationships were non-linear.

Conclusion: The reliability and validity of the side-step test was confirmed.
Immediate effects of an individually designed functional ankle-foot orthosis on stance and gait in hemiparetic patients
Authors: Pohl Marcus , Mehrholz Jan
Published: April 2006

Objective: To evaluate the immediate effects of individually designed functional in-shoe ankle-foot orthoses (AFO) made of soft and hard cast on balance, standing, and gait parameters in hemiparetic patients.

Design: Crossover design with randomized order of the intervention.

Setting: A rehabilitation centre for adults with neurological disorders.

Subjects: Twenty-eight patients with hemiparesis due to stroke or traumatic brain injury.

Measures: Postural sway, standing and gait parameters based on ground reaction forces in two conditions: Patients were randomly assigned to varying sequences of wearing AFO in footwear or wearing footwear alone.

Results: AFO significantly improved weight-bearing on the affected leg (affected/ unaffected side symmetry: 2.259 ± 1.5 with AFO versus 3.49 ± 2.5 without AFO, P B ± 0.05) and postural sway in stance (12.5 mm9 ± 5.2 with AFO versus 15.7 mm9 ± 6.7 without AFO, P < ± 0.05), double stance duration (21.19 ± 14.4% of gait cycle with AFO versus 25.99 ± 21.6% of gait cycle without AFO, P < ± 0.05), and symmetry ratios of gait parameters such as stance duration (2.09 ± 1.5 s with AFO versus 3.39 ± 3.6 s without AFO, P < ± 0.05) and deceleration forces (1.69 ± 0.5 with AFO versus 1.99 ± 0.6 without AFO, P < ± 0.05) during gait. No significant differences were observed in all other symmetry ratios of gait parameters.

Conclusion: An individually designed functional in-shoe AFO can improve stance and gait parameters, even in a single use, in patients with hemiparesis.
The lines that continue to separate us: borders in our `borderless' world
Authors: Newman David
Published: April 2006

The study of borders has undergone a renaissance during the past decade. This is reflected in an impressive list of conferences, workshops and scholarly publications. This renaissance has been partly due to the emergence of a counternarrative to the borderless and deterritorialized world discourse which has accompanied much of globalization theory. The study of borders has moved beyond the limited confines of the political geography discourse, crossing its own disciplinary boundaries, to include sociologists, political scientists, historians, international lawyers and scholars of international relations. But this meeting of disciplines has not yet been successful in creating a common language or glossary of terms which is relevant to all scholars of borders. Central to the contemporary study of borders are notions such as `borders are institutions', the process of `bordering' as a dynamic in its own right, and the border terminologies which focus on the binary distinctions between the `us' and `them', the `included' and the `excluded'. Borders should be studied not only from a top-down perspective, but also from the bottom up, with a focus on the individual border narratives and experiences, reflecting the ways in which borders impact upon the daily life practices of people living in and around the borderland and transboundary transition zones. In positing an agenda for the next generation of border-related research, borders should be seen for their potential to constitute bridges and points of contact, as much as they have traditionally constituted barriers to movement and communication.
Trading routes, bypasses, and risky intersections: mapping the travels of `networks' between economic sociology and economic geography
Authors: Grabher Gernot
Published: April 2006

In economic geography the notion of the network has come to play a critical role in a range of debates. Yet networks are rarely construed in an explicit fashion. They are, rather, assumed as some sort of more enduring social relations. This paper seeks to foreground these implicit assumptions - and their limitations - by tracing the selective engagement of economic geography with network approaches in economic sociology. The perception of networks in economic geography is mainly informed by the network governance approach that is founded on Mark Granovetter's notion of embeddedness. By embracing the network governance approach, economic geography bypassed the older tradition of the social network approach. Economic geography thus discarded not only the concerns for network position and structure but also more calculative and strategic perceptions of networks prevailing in Ron Burt's work. Beyond these two dominant traditions, economic geography has, more recently, started to tinker with the poststructuralist metaphor of the rhizome of actor-network theory while it took no notice of Harrison White's notions of publics and polymorphous network domains.
Beyond household economies: articulations and spaces of economic practice in postsocialism
Authors: Smith Adrian , Stenning Alison
Published: April 2006

While there has already been an engaged critique of the `transition to capitalism', less work has explored the limits of the dominant capitalocentric accounts of postsocialism. In this paper, we argue that capitalist development in postsocialist societies should be seen as one part of a diverse economy, constituted by a host of economic practices articulated with one another in dynamic and complex ways and in multiple sites and spaces. To make this argument, we develop three interlinked points. First, we suggest that many of the prevailing conceptualizations of diverse economic practices in postsocialism fail to address adequately the multiple geographies within which such practices are constituted, enabled and constrained. Second, we argue that in much of the literature only limited attention has been paid to the articulation of capitalist and non-capitalist economies and to the mutually constitutive sets of social relations that underpin the diverse economies of postsocialism. Lastly, we focus on the political and moral economy of postsocialism's diverse economies and ask how these practices should be valued. We conclude by arguing that central to any understanding of the diverse economies of postsocialism must be a recognition of the power relations which shape and are shaped by the articulations and geographies of economic practices. This recognition, we argue, enables the possibility of reassessing the place, politics and value of such practices.
Deep-water renewal in the Skagerrak during the last 1200 years triggered by the North Atlantic Oscillation: evidence from benthic foraminiferal δ8O
Authors: Brutckner Sylvia , Mackensen Andreas
Published: April 2006

Benthic foraminiferal tests of a sediment core from southwestern Skagerrak (northeastern North Sea, 420 m water depth) were investigated for their ratio of stable oxygen isotopes. During modern times sudden drops in temperature and salinity of Skagerrak deep waters point to advection-induced cascades of colder and denser central North Sea waters entering the Skagerrak. These temperature drops, which are recorded in benthic foraminiferal tests via the stable oxygen isotopic composition, were used to reconstruct deep-water renewal in the Skagerrak. In a second step we will show that, at least during the last 1200 years, Skagerrak deep-water renewal is triggered by the negative phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). The NAO exerts a strong influence on the climate of northwestern Europe. It is currently under debate if the long-term variability of the NAO is capable of influencing Northern Hemisphere climate on long timescales. The data presented here cannot reinforce these speculations. Our data show that most of the ‘Little Ice Age’ was dominated by comparably warm deep-water temperatures. However, we did find extraordinary strong temperature differences between central North Sea waters and North Atlantic water masses during this time interval.
Winter and summer climate patterns in the European-Middle East during recent centuries as documented in a northern Red Sea coral record
Authors: Rimbu Norel , Felis Thomas , Lohmann Gerrit , Päatzold Jürgen
Published: April 2006

The Ras Umm Sidd coral 6180 record from the northern Red Sea is the northernmost centuries long coral time series that is currently available in seasonal resolution (AD 1750-1995). Here we investigate climate patterns associated with the coral 6180 time series separately for boreal winter and summer, using instrumental and reconstructed climate fields for the European-Middle East region. The winter coral 6180 record is associated with dominant modes of sea-level pressure, temperature and precipitation variability in the European-Middle East region, which reflect the Arctic Oscillation/North Atlantic Oscillation (AO/ NAO) phenomenon. The summer coral 6180 record is associated with an atmospheric pattern having its main centre of action over southwestern Scandinavia/northern Great Britain. The connection between these large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns and the coral time series was stable during the past 250 years. During winter, eastern Mediterranean/Middle East climate, as reflected in the coral 6180 record, is strongly controlled by the AO/NAO. In contrast, large-scale atmospheric circulation processes over the European-Middle East region are relatively less important for northern Red Sea climate during summer. The results suggest a high potential for seasonally resolved proxy records derived from fossil corals of the northern Red Sea to provide information on winter and summer climate patterns of the Middle East European region for time intervals of the Holocene epoch or the last interglacial period.
Ecology of testate amoebae (Protista) in south-central Alaska peatlands: building transfer-function models for palaeoenvironmental studies
Authors: Payne Richard J. , Kishaba Keiko , Blackford Jeff J. , Mitchell Edward A.D.
Published: April 2006

Testate amoebae are valuable indicators of peatland hydrology and have been used in many palaeoclimatic studies in peatlands. Because the species' ecological optima may vary around the globe, the development of transfer function models is an essential prerequisite for regional palaeoclimatic studies using testate amoebae. We investigated testate amoebae ecology in nine peatlands covering a 250-km north-south transect in south-central Alaska. Redundancy analysis and Mantel tests were used to establish the relationship between the measured environmental variables (water-table depth and pH) and testate amoebae communities. Transfer-function models were developed using weighted averaging, weighted average partial least squares and maximum likelihood techniques. Model prediction error was initially 15.8 cm for water-table depth and 0.3 for pH but this was reduced to 9.7 cm and 0.2 by selective data exclusion. The relatively poor model performance compared with previous studies may be explained by the limitations of one-off water-table measurements, the very large environmental gradients covered and by recent climatic change in the study area. The environmental preferences of testate amoebae species agree well with previous studies in other regions. This study supports the use of testate amoebae in palaeoclimate studies and provides the first testate amoebae transfer function from Alaska.
A chronostratigraphy of mid and late-Holocene slope evolution: Creagan a' Chaorainn, Northern Highlands, Scotland
Authors: Reid E. , Thomas M. F.
Published: April 2006

Unusual exposure of the drift stratigraphy of a typical, vegetated hillslope in the Northern Highlands of Scotland has allowed reconstruction of its Holocene history. Graphic logging of palaeogully fill, sediment analysis, radiocarbon dating and microscopic investigation of horizon boundaries, link periodic slope instability to changes in hydrology and vegetation cover. The oldest preserved organic matter dates from about 7.5 cal. ka BP. Several millennia of subsequent stability were followed, at about 4.3 cal. ka BP, by destabilization whose magnitude and frequency markedly increased after about 2.7 cal. ka BP. Precipitation-driven weathering and erosion offer the best explanation for late-Holocene slope rejuvenation at this site, with change effected through long-lasting shifts in system equilibria as well as high magnitude inputs. Anthropogenic impacts on slope stability are apparently restricted to the last few hundred years. The timing and episodicity of slope evolution suggests climate forcing. Results raise the question of whether the extent of past and potential climate-driven Holocene slope evolution in non-glaciated uplands have been underestimated.
Primary antiphospholipid syndrome associated with small aorta syndrome: a case report
Authors: Ingegnoli F , Soldi A , Meani L , Zeni S , Fantini F
Published: April 2006

It has been widely accepted that the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an autoimmune hypercoagulability syndrome in which a variety of venous and arterial thrombotic events may occur. Peripheral obliterating arterial disease characterized by aortoiliac steno-occlusion occurring in young women, is reported in the literature under the name of Small Aorta Syndrome (SAS). Although it remains unclear whether SAS represents a separate entity, the small size of the distal aorta increases the risk for aortoiliac occlusive disease. A 41-year old white woman was admitted with acute digital ischemia of the left foot. She had positive lupus anticoagulant and IgG anti-cardiolipin antibodies (61 UI/mL), but antinuclear antibodies and anti-ds-DNA antibodies were negative. She previously had two deep venous thromboses of the legs and, despite the oral anticoagulant therapy, pulmonary embolism occurred. Shortly thereafter, abdominal angio-magnetic resonance imaging suggested that the infra-renal aorta was narrowed more than 50%, without thrombotic occlusion of the terminal aorta and common iliac arteries. These findings were compatible with the features of SAS. There were no atherosclerotic changes in the artery wall and no other prediposing risk factors such as smoking, oral contraceptive or hyperlipidemia. After adequate anticoagulation and intravenous prostacyclin treatment the patient’s symptoms and the ischemic lesions improved markedly. To our knowledge this is the first report of the association of SAS and primary APS. The occurrence of SAS in patients with APS may dramatically increase the risk of trombothic events.
Autologous blood stem cell transplantation in refractory systemic lupus erythematodes with recurrent longitudinal myelitis and cerebral infarction
Authors: Lehnhardt F-G , Scheid C , Holtik U , Burghaus L , Neveling M , Impekoven P , Rüger A , Hallek M , Jacobs A H , Rubbert A
Published: April 2006

Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (ASCT) has the potential to eliminate autoreactive lymphocytes and may represent a therapeutic option for patients with refractory autoimmune diseases. We describe a 19-year old woman with neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematodes (NPSLE) presenting with acute longitudinal myelitis and aseptic meningitis. Despite therapy with methylprednisolone and cyclophosphamide (CYC), recurrence of longitudinal myelitis and a disabling stroke-like relapse occurred. Hematopoietic stem cells were mobilized by CYC at 2 g/m2 and G-CSF. The patient was conditioned by CYC at 200 mg/kg and anti-thymocyte globulin and 3.6 = 106 CD34+ cells/kg were infused. Hematopoietic regeneration was observed on day 12 after ASCT. Currently, 18 months after ASCT, the patient is in clinical remission with no evidence for residual serological or neuroradiological activity of SLE. Although a longer follow-up will be needed to reliably assess the efficacy of ASCT in this patient, the present case demonstrates that ASCT may represent a therapeutic option for patients with severe NPSLE.
Epilepsy as part of systemic lupus erythematosus and systemic antiphospholipid syndrome (Hughes syndrome)
Authors: Cimaz R , Meroni P L , Shoenfeld Y
Published: April 2006

The antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is defined by the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL), demonstrated by ELISAs for antibodies against phospholipids and associated phospholipid-binding cofactor proteins and/or a circulating lupus anticoagulant (LA) together with diverse systemic clinical manifestations such as thrombosis, and recurrent spontaneous abortions. According to the criteria set out in Sydney1 the only neurological manifestations that can be suitable as APS classification criteria are ischemic events (stroke and transient ischemic attacks). However, other neurological manifestations, including seizures in particular, have been repeatedly reported in APS patients.2

The present review will summarize recent research on the association of aPL, as well as other autoantibodies, with seizure disorders, with or without concomitant SLE.