bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Teleoncology for Indigenous patients: The responses of patients and health workers
Authors: Mooi Jennifer K. , Whop Lisa J. , Valery Patricia C. , Sabesan Sabe S. 
Published: September 2012

AbstractProblem:  Townsville Cancer Centre provides video‐consultation (VC) services to patients in rural/remote regions of North Queensland in order to improve access to specialist cancer care. The experience and responses of indigenous patients using this service have not been studied. Our objective is to assess the level of satisfaction and the responses of Indigenous patients, their families and health workers (HWs) to VC and such teleoncology service.Design:  Descriptive study, using semistructured interviews.Setting:  Tertiary referral centre (Townsville Cancer Centre) and various rural and remote towns in Queensland.Key measures for improvement:  Satisfaction levels of Indigenous patients, their family members and Indigenous HWs with various aspects of the teleoncology service.Lessons learnt:  Our evaluation suggests that teleoncology is an acceptable model of care for Indigenous patients, with high levels of satisfaction expressed from patients, families and HWs. Health professionals involved with providing this service need to be adaptive to the needs of individual patients and local communities in order to provide culturally appropriate care. Formal skills training for staff, effective communication between specialist and local HWs, and informed consent procedures are essential to maintain safety of practices. Strategies for change are:
Mandatory informed consent procedure for all patients offered with VC.
Formalised competency training for staff in skills essential to maintain safe practices in teleoncology.
Clear clinical documentation to facilitate improved communication in patient management between medical staff at main centre and distant sites.
Further efforts in promotion, education and support for staff to participate in telemedicine.
Lipids in Australian children: Cause for concern? 2005–2007 Busselton Health Study
Authors: Bell Lana , Davis Elizabeth , Knuiman Matthew , Divitini Mark , Beilby John , Hunter Michael , Hung Joseph 
Published: September 2012

Aim:  To report the current lipid status of Australian school children from a population‐based sample and compare this to international and Australian data.Methods:  A cross section of school children aged 6 to 16.9 years in Busselton, Western Australia (WA) between 2005 and 2007 had fasting lipids tested. The first analysis compares the Busselton sample to data recommended by the American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) 2008. The second analysis compares the Busselton sample to data from the Schools Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey (SPANS) study, New South Wales (NSW), Australia, 2004 and the 1985 Australian Health and Fitness Survey (AHFS). The third analysis applies laboratory‐reported cut‐points in WA to report percentages over ‘healthy desirable norms’.Results:  Analysis 1: higher levels of total cholesterol and triglycerides in Busselton children compared to AAP data source. Boys had higher low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) levels. Analysis 2: comparable rates of dyslipidaemia to SPANS 2004 but lower rates compared to the AHFS, 1985. Analysis 3: total and LDL‐cholesterol above recommended range in 32.7% and 19.4% of boys and 38.2% and 24.6% of girls.Conclusion:  In a large population‐based sample of Australian school children, we found a higher frequency of abnormal lipid profiles when compared to American data. In addition, many children have levels outside reported healthy norms for Australian children. Research tracking lipid profiles of Australian children into adulthood is needed to understand the association of these levels with future cardiovascular risk.
Self‐esteem in 6‐ to 16‐year‐olds with monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis
Authors: Kanaheswari Yoganathan , Poulsaeman Veronica , Chandran Vijayalakshmi 
Published: September 2012

Aim:  Childhood nocturnal enuresis (NE) and incontinence has been shown to be associated with increased behavioural problems and reduced self‐esteem (SE) in Western populations. The impact on Asian children, however, is not known. This study investigates the relationship between SE and monosymptomatic NE in Malaysian children aged 6 to 16 years.Method:  Children with wetting frequency of at least 4 out of 14 nights were recruited with controls matched for age, gender and race. SE scores were obtained using the ‘I Think I Am’ questionnaire for five domains: body image, talents and skills, psychological well‐being, relationship with family and relationship with others.Results:  A total of 126 children were recruited; 22 enuretics aged 6–9 years and their matched controls (Group1) and 41 enuretics aged 10–16 years and their matched controls (Group 2). SE scores were similar between the enuretic and controls in Group 1, whereas in Group 2, enuretics had significantly lower scores (P < 0.05) in ‘body image’, ‘relationship with others’ and total SE scores. This difference was more pronounced among girls, adolescents and those who wet more than 10/14 nights.Conclusion:  The SE of Malaysian children with monosymptomatic NE aged 10 years and above is significantly lower than their peers. This effect is seen particularly among girls, adolescents and those with frequent wetting. In the light of these findings, the ‘wait and see’ approach by the Malaysian medical profession is no longer appropriate. Treatment should begin before the age of 10 years.
Patterns of Lake Balkhash water level changes and their climatic correlates during 1992–2010 period
Authors: Propastin Pavel 
Published: September 2012

AbstractThe variation in Lake Balkhash water levels during the period from 1992 to 2010 and their relationship with climate dynamics were investigated in this study, using satellite altimetry data and meteorological records from climate stations located in the lake catchment basin. The altimetry‐derived water level demonstrated a general water level increase, reaching a mean value of 8.1 cm year−1 in July 2005, with a maximum value of 342.52 m. The increased Lake Balkhash water level was accompanied by an overall upward trend in precipitation and temperature in the catchment basin during the study period. A strong increase in the winter and spring temperature was the main contributor to the general upward temperature trend, whereas a significant change of summer and autumn precipitation was the major contributor to the annual precipitation trend. Neither precipitation nor temperature increased uniformly across the entire lake drainage basin. The study results identified the most pronounced climate change occurring in the mountainous part (>2000 m above sea level) of the basin, in the upper reaches of the Ili river, which is the main water inflow to the lake. Statistical analysis indicated the Lake Balkhash water level is strongly correlated with both precipitation and temperature. The correlations were investigated for three altitudinal strata (<1000 m, 1000–2000 m, >2000 m) corresponding to the lower, middle and upper reaches of the Ili river. The best correlations were obtained for the upper reaches of the Ili river, indicating a changing snow cover and glacier equilibrium are the main factors controlling the water level trends in Lake Balkhash.
The influences of typhoon‐induced mixing in a shallow lake
Authors: Kimura Nobuaki , Liu Wen‐Cheng , Chiu Chih‐Yu , Kratz Tim 
Published: September 2012

AbstractVertical mixing affects the vertical transport of biochemical materials and modifies the characteristics of basin‐scale internal waves in subtropical, subalpine Yang Yuan Lake (YYL), in the north central region of Taiwan. Vertical mixing in YYL is generally caused by typhoons (strong winds and heavy rainfalls) during the spring, summer and early fall, or by cooling of the water column during late fall and winter. Vertical mixing caused by typhoons significantly affects internal thermal dynamics and biochemical processes, with basin‐scale internal waves enhanced before complete mixing occurs, and temporal variations of water temperature dramatically changing after typhoon events. This study quantitatively determines when the complete mixing (defined as homogenous temperature in a water column) occurs on the basis of the balance between kinetic energy and potential energy and also shows what meteorological conditions contribute to the vertical mixing. Data on water column thermal profiles and meteorological variables were collected by a wireless, instrumented buoy in the deepest location of YYL and from a nearby meteorological station, from spring 2004 to summer 2006. This study also investigated how a physical process (internal waves) is affected by the mixing associated with typhoons. Signal processing and a two‐layer model of the water column are used to understand the characteristics of basin‐scale internal waves.
A comparison of student motivation in selecting bachelors of nursing or paediatric nursing at an Italian university
Authors: Zampieron A. , Buja A. , Dorigo M. , Bonso O. , Corso M. 
Published: September 2012

ZAMPIERON A., BUJA A., DORIGO M., BONSO O. & CORSO M. (2012) A comparison of student motivation in selecting bachelors of nursing or paediatric nursing at an Italian university. International Nursing ReviewAim:  To investigate students' reasons for choosing general or paediatric nursing, and to compare motivation factors and personal characteristics between the two professions.Background:  In Italy, nursing students can choose between two distinct career paths: general and paediatric nursing. However, it is unclear what factors motivate a student to choose between these two pathways.Methods:  A cross‐sectional approach was used to compare a sample of general and paediatric nursing students enrolled in a university in northeast Italy. We administered a questionnaire that covered socio‐demographic characteristics and included an instrument of motivation developed by Zysberg & Berry to 224 students enrolled in the 3‐year classes.Results:  We analysed 215 questionnaires (96%). Paediatric nurses were generally younger, had attended a college preparatory high school and had previously failed another university programme. Many students, in both groups, had a relative who was a nurse, or had cared for a sick friend or family member. Students did not vary significantly in how they evaluated items included in the questionnaire.Conclusion:  A career in nursing should be advised for students who are motivated to help other people. Paediatric nursing was identified as an acceptable career choice by students of college preparatory high schools or by students who had initially enrolled in a different university programme. General nursing was a satisfactory choice by students with previous work experience.
Content‐Aware Automatic Photo Enhancement
Authors: Kaufman Liad , Lischinski Dani , Werman Michael 
Published: September 2012

AbstractAutomatic photo enhancement is one of the long‐standing goals in image processing and computational photography. While a variety of methods have been proposed for manipulating tone and colour, most automatic methods used in practice, operate on the entire image without attempting to take the content of the image into account. In this paper, we present a new framework for automatic photo enhancement that attempts to take local and global image semantics into account. Specifically, our content‐aware scheme attempts to detect and enhance the appearance of human faces, blue skies with or without clouds and underexposed salient regions. A user study was conducted that demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed approach compared to existing auto‐enhancement tools.
Language choice and addressivity strategies in Thai‐English social network interactions
Authors: Seargeant Philip , Tagg Caroline , Ngampramuan Wipapan 
Published: September 2012

This article analyses the language choices used by a community of native Thai speakers in online communicative encounters. Using data drawn from exchanges from a social network site, the article examines the mixed linguistic repertoires evident in these interactions, along with the motivations (both situational and pragmatic) that influence choice of code, script and register, particularly as these are related to issues of addressivity. The data exhibits a great complexity of code‐switching into English, despite the speech community being one for which, according to the participants, Thai would be the default choice in face‐to‐face encounters. In its examination of this data the article has a dual purpose: firstly to provide a descriptive account of this aspect of the use of English online; and secondly to offer an analysis of the strategies of language choice in this particular type of online discourse.บทความนี้ วิเคราะห์การเลือกใช้ภาษาของชุมชนออนไลน์ สำหรับผู้ใช้ภาษาไทยเป็นภาษาแม่ โดยใช้ข้อมูลในการปฏิสัมพันธ์ ของผู้ใช้เว็บไซต์เครือข่ายสังคมออนไลน์ บทความนี้ เน้นการวิเคราะห์รูปแบบการผสมผสานภาษาเชิงภาษาศาสตร์ ในการปฏิสัมพันธ์ รวมไปถึงแรงจูงใจของผู้ใช้ทั้งในรูปแบบสถานการณ์ (situational) และวัจนปฏิบัติศาสตร์ (pragmatic) หรือการใช้ถ้อยความเพื่อสื่อความหมายในการสื่อสาร ซึ่งมีผลต่อการเลือกใช้รหัสภาษา, สคริปต์ และทำเนียบภาษา (register) ซึ่งโดยเฉพาะอย่างยิ่งมีความสอดคล้องกับหัวข้อต่าง ๆ ในการเข้าถึงผู้รับสาร (addressivity)ข้อมูลที่ใช้ในบทความแสดงให้เห็นถึงความซับซ้อนอย่างมากในการผสมผสานของภาษา รวมไปถึงรูปแบบการใช้ภาษาอังกฤษที่แตกต่างกันออกไปอย่างมากมาย แม้ว่าในชุมชนภาษาพูดจะใช้ภาษาหลักเพียงภาษาเดียวคือภาษาไทยข้อมูลจากผู้เข้าร่วมการวิจัยทำให้ทราบว่าการสื่อสารแบบเผชิญหน้านั้น ผู้เข้าร่วมวิจัยจะเลือกใช้ภาษาไทยเป็นหลักบทความนี้ มีวัตถุประสงค์หลักสองประการ ได้แก่ ประการแรก เพื่อนำเสนอข้อมูลเชิงบรรยายในมุมมองของการใช้ภาษาอังกฤษในระดับโลกซึ่งมีรูปแบบการใช้ที่ผสมผสาน และประการที่สอง เพื่อเสนอการวิเคราะห์เชิงยุทธศาสตร์ของการเลือกใช้ภาษาในรูปแบบเฉพาะของสัมพันธสารออนไลน์ (online discourse) [Thai]
Network Effects and Infrastructure Productivity in Developing Countries*
Authors: Candelon Bertrand , Colletaz Gilbert , Hurlin Christophe 
Published: September 2012

AbstractThis study proposes to investigate the threshold effects in the productivity of infrastructure investment in developing countries. It concludes to their presence in the relationship between output and private and public inputs as well as network effects in the productivity of infrastructure. When the available stock of infrastructure is low, investment has the same productivity as non‐infrastructure investment. On the contrary, when a minimum network is available, the marginal productivity of infrastructure investment is greater than the productivity of other investments. Finally, when the main network is achieved, its marginal productivity becomes similar to the productivity of other investment.
The Objectivity of Wellbeing
Authors: Ferkany Matt 
Published: September 2012

AbstractSubjective theories of wellbeing place authority concerning what benefits a person with that person herself, or limit wellbeing to psychological states. But how well off we are seems to depend on two different concerns, how well we are doing and how well things are going for us. I argue that two powerful subjective theories fail to adequately account for this and that principled arguments favoring subjectivism are unsound and poorly motivated. In the absence of more compelling evidence that how things go for us cannot directly constitute our wellbeing, I conclude that wellbeing is objective.
Meeting complex needs: young people with HIV in London
Authors: Hughes A , Hope RL , Nwokolo N , Ward B , Jones R , Von Schweitzer M , Boag F 
Published: September 2012

ObjectivesThe aim of the study was to examine the service use and characteristics of young people diagnosed with HIV infection aged under 25 years in order to design appropriate services.MethodsA retrospective review of medical records of all individuals diagnosed as HIV positive aged under 25 years at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London, UK was carried out. The Health Protection Agency traced all individuals who had been lost to follow‐up. We collected demographic, clinical, social and behavioural data.ResultsOf the 100 individuals diagnosed as HIV positive aged <25 years, 91% acquired HIV sexually; the median age at diagnosis was 21 years. Fifty‐nine per cent were born outside the UK. Of 91 individuals diagnosed in the UK, 20% were diagnosed outside genitourinary medicine. Almost half had tested HIV negative a median of 13 months previously. At HIV diagnosis, 26% had a concurrent sexually transmitted infection; thereafter 34% had a documented risk of HIV transmission. The prevalence of psychiatric comorbidity was high (23%). Cervical screening rates were low; of nine women screened, five required treatment for cervical or vulval neoplasia. One fifth of the cohort were lost to follow‐up a median 6 months from diagnosis.ConclusionsYoung people with sexually acquired HIV infection have complex medical and psychosocial needs and many disengage from health services. Current services are not meeting the needs of these young people. Specialist young people's clinics may improve standards of care for this vulnerable group.
Anatomical expression patterns of delta‐protocadherins in developing chicken cochlea
Authors: Lin Juntang , Yan Xin , Wang Congrui , Guo Zhikun , Rolfs Arndt , Luo Jiankai 
Published: September 2012

AbstractThe delta‐protocadherin (δ‐Pcdh) family of transmembrane proteins belongs to the cadherin superfamily, which is involved in embryogenesis mediated by a homophilic binding during the embryonic development. In the present study, expression patterns of eight members of the δ‐Pcdh family were investigated in the developing chicken cochlea by in situ hybridization. Our results provide a dynamical profile to show that the δ‐Pcdhs are expressed spatially and temporally in the developing chicken cochleae. The earliest onset of the δ‐Pcdh expression begins in the otic vesicle from embryonic incubation day (E) 3. From E11 onwards, the individual δ‐Pcdh is expressed in different cell types of the cochlea. Protocadherin‐1 (Pcdh1) is mainly expressed by spindle‐shaped cells and acoustic ganglion cells; Pcdh7 and Pcdh17 are strongly expressed by supporting cells, cuboidal cells, hyaline cells and acoustic ganglion cells, and Pcdh9 is prominently expressed by homogene cells and acoustic ganglion cells; Pcdh8 was found to be transcribed in hair cells, spindle‐shaped cells and acoustic ganglion cells; Pcdh10 mRNA is restricted to spindle‐shaped cells and acoustic ganglion cells at later stages. mRNAs of Pcdh1, Pcdh18 and Pcdh19 are also expressed in blood vessels of the cochlea. The expression of the different δ‐Pcdhs suggests a functional role for them during cochlear development.
Impact of Three Years Training on Operations Capacities of Research Ethics Committees in Nigeria
Authors: Folayan Morenike Oluwatoyin , Adaranijo Aisha , Durueke Florita , Ajuwon Ademola , Adejumo Adebayo , Ezechi Oliver , Oyedeji Kola , Akanni Olayide 
Published: September 2012

AbstractThis paper describes a three‐year project designed to build the capacity of members of research ethics committes to perform their roles and responsibilities efficiently and effectively. The project participants were made up of a cross‐section of the membership of 13 Research Ethics Committees (RECs) functioning in Nigeria. They received training to develop their capacity to evaluate research protocols, monitor trial implementation, provide constructive input to trial staff, and assess the trial's success in promoting community engagement in the research.Following the training, technical assistance was provided to participants on an ongoing basis and the project's impacts were assessed quantitatively and qualitatively. Results indicate that sustained investment in capacity building efforts (including training, ongoing technical assistance, and the provision of multiple tools) improved the participants’ knowledge of both the ethical principles relevant to biomedical research and how effective REC should function. Such investment was also shown to have a positive impact on the knowledge levels of other RECs members (those who did not receive training) and the overall operations of the RECs to which the participants belonged. Building the capacity of REC members to fulfill their roles effectively requires sustained effort and investment and pays off by enabling RECs to fulfill their essential mission of ensuring that trials are conducted safely and ethically.
Comparison of optometrist glaucoma referrals against published guidelines
Authors: Khan Sheema , Clarke Jonathan , Kotecha Aachal 
Published: September 2012

AbstractPurposeTo examine if community optometrists follow published guidelines for referral of patients with suspect glaucoma to the hospital eye service.MethodsA retrospective audit of new optometrist‐initiated referrals to the Glaucoma Service at Moorfields Eye Hospital, London was performed. Clinical data from referral letters recorded included evidence of intraocular pressure (IOP) measurement and tonometer used. Referral letter information was compared to 2009 guidelines published jointly by the College of Optometrists and Royal College of Ophthalmologists on referring glaucoma suspect patients.ResultsA total of 289 new patients were seen in the Glaucoma Service over a 6 week period from 4th January 2011; a 100% hospital record retrieval rate was obtained. Of these, 114 (39%) were optometrists initiated referrals. Optometrist letters were available for 105 patients. IOP measurements were recorded in 102 (97%); most practitioners used non‐contact tonometry (NCT; n = 69; 68%). Practitioners recorded <4 NCT readings per eye (4 readings: n = 3, 4%; 3 readings: n = 42, 61%; 2 readings: n = 6, 9%; 1 reading: n = 18, 26%). Seventy‐seven patients (73%) reported with raised IOP as the main referral reason; of these, 33 (43%) were referred with raised IOP in isolation. NCT was the instrument used in the majority of these raised IOP cases (n = 56; 73%). In cases where raised IOP in isolation was the referral reason, 24 (73%) were recorded using NCT; 10 (30%) provided repeat IOP measurement data in the letter. One hundred and two (97%) referred patients attended the hospital appointment. Thirty (29%) were deemed not to have glaucoma, with the remainder diagnosed with ocular hypertension (n = 25; 25%), glaucoma suspect/glaucoma (n = 35, 34%) or narrow angles requiring intervention (n = 12, 12%). Thirty of the 33 patients referred with raised IOP in isolation attended their hospital visit. Ten (33%) of these patients were subsequently discharged. Six (20%) patients had IOP within normal limits when measured with applanation tonometry; all of these patients were kept within the service.ConclusionsCommunity optometrists using NCT for measurement should be reminded of the guidelines on number of readings to take and also the value of repeating NCT measures when appropriate. This may help to increase the accuracy of glaucoma suspect referrals to hospital eye service.