bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Oceanic islands as model systems for ecological studies
Authors: Vitousek Peter M. 
Published: March 2003

AimThe purposes of this paper are to suggest that a greater use of model systems would advance our understanding of ecology, and to illustrate that oceanic islands are valuable model systems for ecosystem studies in particular.LocationThe illustrations discussed herein result from studies in the Hawaiian Islands.MethodsSequences of sites that are similar in most respects but differ widely in temperature, precipitation or substrate age have been developed and analysed in the Hawaiian Islands. Process studies, experiments and models arrayed on these gradients are used to determine fundamental controls over ecosystem processes, with a precision that cannot be duplicated in continental ecosystems.ResultsIncreasing temperatures enhance rates of decomposition to a greater extent than plant production, in soil organic matter as well as litter. Ecosystem‐level losses of N by fractionating pathways are greater in drier sites. Sea spray and long‐distance dust transport play increasing roles in the nutrient economy of ecosystems as soils become progressively older.Main conclusionsAll of the results describe processes that occur in continental as well as island ecosystems, but a number of features of islands make the processes more amenable to analysis on islands.
Complex histories of speciation and dispersal in communities: a re‐analysis of some Australian bird data using BPA
Authors: McLennan Deborah A. , Brooks Daniel R. 
Published: March 2003

AimDemonstrate the utility of Brooks Parsimony Analysis (BPA) in showing that communities of species characterizing areas of endemism may have complex histories rather than simple histories of vicariance, and that the non‐vicariant influences can be discovered.LocationAustralia.MethodsPrimary and secondary BPA of eight clades of Australian birds inhabiting ten areas of endemism.ResultsWhile supporting previous general conclusions that the evolution of those members of the Australian avifauna has been influenced by two different vicariant elements, BPA also discovered substantial non‐vicariant elements, including one non‐response to a vicariance event, five instances of peripheral isolates speciation, four episodes of extinction, seven cases of post‐speciation dispersal and three lineage duplications, which could represent ancient episodes of sympatric speciation. The result of including all evolutionary events in the analysis is that seven of the ten areas have reticulate histories.Main conclusionsAreas of endemism are not necessarily the result of simple histories of vicariance. They may also be evolutionary hot spots, places where multiple evolutionary events have occurred over a significant period of time. This produces communities heavily influenced by a variety of evolutionary processes affecting the same areas at different times.
Variation in spectral reflectance among populations of Dendrobates pumilio, the strawberry poison frog, in the Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama
Authors: Summers Kyle , Cronin Thomas W. , Kennedy Timothy 
Published: March 2003

AbstractAim  The goal of this study was to quantify levels of variation in spectral reflectance within and among populations of Dendrobates pumilio, the strawberry poison frog from the Bocas del Toro Archipelago.Location  This study was carried out in the Bocas del Toro Archipelago, in the Republic of Panama, Central America.Methods  Spectral reflectance was measured for samples of individuals from fifteen distinct island and mainland populations, using an Ocean Optics 2000 spectrometer and a BiLink portable computer.Results  Our results provide quantitative evidence for extreme polymorphism among populations, and more limited levels of polymorphism within some populations. No obvious signs of sexual dimorphism were found. All the colour morphs appear to have relatively little reflectance in the ultraviolet part of the spectrum. There is some evidence for clinal variation in colour and pattern across some mainland populations. There is also at least one area where distinctly different morphs occur in sympatry, suggesting the possibility of incipient reproductive isolation. We argue that variation in coloration may have been enhanced by sexual selection.
Multisensory environments: are they therapeutic? A single‐subject evaluation of the clinical effectiveness of a multisensory environment
Authors: SLEVIN EAMONN , McCLELLAND ANN 
Published: March 2003

• This article reviews the current literature on multisensory therapy.• Utilizing a single‐subject quasi‐experimental design, the therapeutic clinical effectiveness of multisensory therapy in promoting relaxation in a young man with learning disabilities is evaluated.• Findings support the hypothesis that multisensory therapy can promote relaxation.• It is concluded that multisensory environments are therapeutic, in that they can promote relaxation, and they may also have a place in the care of people with learning disabilities who display challenging behaviours.
Pressure sore prevalence: a national survey
Authors: THORODDSEN ÁSTA 
Published: March 2003

• A cross‐sectional nation‐wide sample was used to determine the point prevalence and grading of pressure sores in patients in all hospitals in Iceland (22 hospitals).• The pressure sore prevalence was 8.9% (n = 57 patients), 7.12% for women (n = 26) and 11.2% for men (n = 31); the mean age for both sexes with pressure sores was 78.4 years.• Grade I sores were most frequently identified and Grade IV the least. Eighty‐five per cent of pressure sores were located below the waist.• `No dressings' and occlusive dressings were the treatment of choice for pressure sores.• Results from this study are important for international comparisons.
Pain in older adults living in sheltered accommodation – agreement between assessments by older adults and staff
Authors: BLOMQVIST KERSTIN , HALLBERG INGALILL R. 
Published: March 2003

• This study aimed to investigate the presence of pain, pain duration, localization(s), intensity, type and pharmacological treatment among older adults living in sheltered accommodation or receiving rehabilitation, as well as the agreement between pain assessments performed by staff and the older adults.• Twenty‐nine randomly selected older adults (65+ years) and the staff who looked after them participated in a structured interview based on standardized measures for pain assessment and physical, intellectual and communicative functions.• Pain was found to be common, with a majority of participants experiencing it every day or all of the time. Nine out of 22 of the older adults in pain had no pain relief drugs at all. Agreement between assessments by the older adults and the staff was no higher than moderate and in general pain levels were underestimated.• The findings indicate that older adults were at risk of undetected and untreated pain and the risk was even higher for those with speech difficulties. The provision of good nursing care for older adults in sheltered accommodation requires systematic routines for frequent pain assessments.
Intensive Care Unit psychosis, the therapeutic nurse–patient relationship and the influence of the intensive care setting: analyses of interrelating factors
Authors: DYSON MARTYN 
Published: March 2003

• It has been estimated that between 12.5% and 38% of conscious patients admitted to critical care settings experience Intensive Care Unit psychosis, a condition which seems to resolve upon transfer to the ward.• This phenomenon was traditionally recognized when the patient outwardly exhibited abnormal behaviours and signs in the form of confusion, delirium, anxiety, depression, delusions and audiovisual hallucinations, yet it has been argued that due to the illness of the patient and their suppressed ability to communicate, such overt displays of unusual behaviour are the tip of the iceberg.• In recognizing this phenomenon, it is felt that a relationship exists between Intensive Care Unit Psychosis, the therapeutic nurse–patient relationship, and the environment in which nurses' interactions with their clients occur.• This paper will explore the interaction between these three elements while considering the implications for contemporary nursing practice.
The sleep of older people in hospital and nursing homes
Authors: ERSSER STEVEN , WILES ANNE , TAYLOR HEIDI , WADE SIAN , WALSH ROSEMARY , BENTLEY THERESA 
Published: March 2003

• Disturbed sleep can affect personal wellbeing and impede the rehabilitation and recovery of older people from illness.• This paper reports the findings of a pilot study which included examination of sleep quality and sleep patterns of older people in community hospital and nursing home settings.• A marked proportion of older people reported sleeping well in nursing care settings, and those in nursing homes slept better than those in the community hospital.• The main causes of sleep disturbance in both settings were: needing to go to the toilet, noise, pain, and discomfort; a similar pattern was seen across the different settings.• No discernible difference was found in quality of sleep and whether patients felt rested or not between those patients on hypnotic medication and those who were not.• The implications of the findings for practice and future research are discussed.
Recognition of depression by staff in nursing and residential homes
Authors: Bagley Heather , Cordingley Lis , Burns Alistair , Mozley Caroline Godlove , Sutcliffe Caroline , Challis David , Huxley Peter 
Published: March 2003

• Newly admitted residents in long‐term care facilities are particularly vulnerable to depression and the early recognition and treatment of depression is therefore crucial around the time of admission to a home.• Staff from 30 nursing and residential homes were asked to assess newly admitted residents for depression using HoNOS 65+ and their responses were compared with residents’ scores on the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS‐15).• The findings indicated low levels of recognition by staff, with rates ranging from 15% to 27% of those identified as depressed, depending on the definition of depression used.• There was no statistically significant difference in the rate of recognition between nursing staff and other care staff.• A staff survey conducted in the 30 study homes indicated that fewer than 2% had received specific in‐service training on depression in older people.• The findings suggest that more needs to be done to raise staff awareness of depression in residents of nursing and residential homes, particularly in newly admitted residents.
Student nurses’ perception of independence of supervision during clinical nursing practice
Authors: Löfmark Anna , Carlsson Marianne , Wikblad Karin 
Published: March 2003

•  The purposes of this longitudinal study were to examine Swedish student nurses’ perceptions of independence and to explore to what extent the students had had opportunities to practise different tasks during clinical practice.•  Data were collected on weekly self‐assessment forms during the first and final clinical courses of a 3‐year nursing programme for 60 and the remaining 48 students, respectively.•  The majority of the students rated themselves as being independent of supervision to a great extent both at the beginning and throughout the clinical courses. Some students reported no or few opportunities to practise certain tasks during both courses.•  Factors that may have influenced the students’ perception of independence are discussed, such as preparation before the clinical courses and the importance students gave to certain tasks.•  Clinical practice should be carefully planned and individualized to facilitate students’ opportunities to practise different tasks.
Intensive care nurses’ experiences of caring for brain dead organ donor patients
Authors: Pearson Alan , Robertson‐Malt Susie , Walsh Ken , Fitzgerald Mary 
Published: March 2003

•  This study was designed to identify the feelings and experiences of critical care nurses who have been involved in nursing brain dead patients prior to organ donation.•  The purpose of the study was to generate knowledge which informs the discipline of nursing.•  A number of themes relating to nurses’ experiences of caring for brain dead organ donor patients were uncovered in this interpretative study.•  Overall, caring for patients who are diagnosed as brain dead is a challenging experience for nurses and they are intensely involved in a search for meaning in each event.•  The interpretative analysis in this study has revealed a range of meanings articulated by the nurses involved. However, the primary focus of care – as identified by the participating nurses – was the donor family.
Developing a unified language for children’s nurses, children and their families in the United Kingdom
Authors: Lyte Geraldine , Jones Kathryn 
Published: March 2003

•  This paper presents a taxonomy of Infant, Child and Adolescent (ICA) nursing diagnoses and clinical outcomes that has been developed with the co‐operation of nurses caring for children in the United Kingdom.•  Three focus group interviews were conducted in one acute care NHS trust in London (referred to as the host trust in this paper) in 1998/99, in which participants were asked to consider nursing and family factors relevant for identifying and providing care.•  A total of 28 ICA diagnoses, including definitions, defining characteristics and outcomes, were identified for clinical testing and included in the ICA taxonomy.•  The ICA diagnostic labels and outcomes for care were further tested for their relevance for clinical practice in a Delphi Survey carried out in 1999 and their use in clinical practice began in 1999.•  This research augments the findings from an initial Delphi survey carried out in 1993 and case study research in 1996.•  The previous research initiated the development of a unified language for children’s nurses, children and their families, to aid communication and decision‐making.•  Implications of this and future research for clinical practice, nationally and internationally, are also discussed.
Elders’ needs and experiences of receiving formal and informal care for their activities of daily living
Authors: Roe Brenda , Whattam Maxine , Young Heather , Dimond Margaret 
Published: March 2003

• Older people living in the community or institutional settings are more likely to require help with their activities of daily living, with women more likely than men to need some help.• The interviews in this qualitative study were conducted with a convenience and purposive sample of 20 elders living in Southeast Washington, USA, at home or in institutional settings, receiving informal or formal health care.• Findings related to personal and instrumental activities of daily living are reported and include elders’ experiences and views relating to the help and assistance they receive.• The majority of elders needed help with their instrumental activities of daily living, provided by informal networks, whether living at home or in institutional settings. This help constituted social care. Formal health care with personal activities of daily living was required only by a minority of elders and constituted those with the greatest disability and dependency.
Complications associated with enteral nutrition by nasogastric tube in an internal medicine unit
Authors: Pancorbo‐Hidalgo Pedro L. , García‐Fernandez Francisco P. , Ramírez‐Pérez Carmen 
Published: March 2003

• Enteral nutrition through a nasogastric tube is a technique often used with hospitalized patients when they present problems with oral nutrition.• Patients receiving enteral nutrition show several kinds of complications such as diarrhoea, vomiting, constipation, lung aspiration, tube dislodgement, tube clogging, hyperglycaemia and electrolytic alterations.• We present a prospective and observational study carried out in an Internal Medicine Unit with 64 patients who were fed by a nasogastric tube. From the results it can be seen that older people represented a majority (the average age was 76.2 years), and difficulty in swallowing was the main reason for beginning enteral nutrition.• The complications which appeared were: tube dislodgement (48.5%); electrolytic alterations (45.5%); hyperglycaemia (34.5%); diarrhoea (32.8%); constipation (29.7%); vomiting (20.4%); tube clogging (12.5%); and lung aspiration (3.1%). We discuss the possible relationship between the different factors associated with the enteral nutrition procedure and the occurrence of these complications.• Finally, some nursing interventions are suggested, such as: checking the gastric residue periodically; attempting to place the tube in the duodenum in unconscious patients; and the use of protective mittens in disturbed patients.
Cross‐boundary working: a macro‐political analysis of the impact on professional roles
Authors: MASTERSON ABIGAIL 
Published: March 2003

• This paper reviews the policy developments impacting on professional roles and boundaries in health and social care.• A macro‐political analysis is used to offer a challenging critique to many of the assumptions associated with cross‐boundary working.• It explores issues such as: whether or not new nursing roles are truly being developed to meet need; the myths and realities of interprofessional working; how competence can be assured; the need for new forms of professional regulation; the implications for professional education of initiatives such as national occupational standards and shared learning; planning the future health care workforce; and the need for rigorous and robust evaluation of service and role developments.• Through this exploration the likely consequences of political and professional initiatives for both cross‐boundary working and the profession of nursing itself are illuminated.
Older people seeking solutions to constipation: the laxative mire
Authors: ANNELLS MERILYN , KOCH TINA 
Published: March 2003

• This article reports an extensive descriptive survey of 90 older people (65+ years) living in the community who sought through in‐depth, semistructured interviews to explore their experiences and responses to constipation.• The composite story of these older people is that seeking a solution to constipation may be fraught with great difficulty. Most commonly tried are laxatives, yet laxative use can be like a mire. The older people tend to be uncertain of which way to turn to avoid getting stuck in a murky conglomeration of laxative options.• The imperative for self‐management of constipation is strong amongst most of the older people and the process in which they engage when seeking for a solution is discussed. There is an evident frustrating lack of readily identifiable and accessible services and information that could help them navigate successfully through or around this mire. `Through the mire' would be the appropriate use of suitable laxatives with minimal side‐effects. `Around the mire' would be the gaining of useful solutions other than laxative use. Solutions may be strategies to prevent constipation or to treat constipation.• The needs of these older people seeking solutions to constipation are grouped into two main categories: provision of accessible, empathetic and useful advice about affordable solution choices, and accessibility to solutions, including laxatives, where evidence‐based knowledge informs selection or prescription of the solution. Eight major recommendations, including research suggestions, are offered for consideration.
The end of software training ?
Authors: Van Merrienboer J.J.G. 
Published: March 2003

Abstract  The contributions to this Special Issue are discussed within an Instructional Design framework. A distinction is made between contributions concerned with task and content analysis, design and selection of instructional methods, and instructional message design. Three major trends indicate a shift in focus:• from narrow learning tasks for operating the software per se to rich learning tasks for using the software in the context of meaningful task performance;• from methods that stress procedural descriptions and related exercises to methods that stress guided exploration and scaffolding and so aim at deep system understanding, and• from low‐load presentation formats to formats that also evoke active processing and elaboration of presented information.These trends indicate the end of software training. It has grown up and is no longer fundamentally different from regular professional skills training.
Range size, dispersal and niche breadth in the herbaceous flora of central England
Authors: Thompson Ken , Gaston Kevin J. , Band Stuart R. 
Published: March 2003

1It has been suggested that rare species differ from related common species in a variety of traits, including (among others) niche breadth and dispersal ability. We set out to test these ideas in the flora of central England.2We used two measures of range: number of hectads in Britain (national range) and number of 1 km2in a 3000‐km2area of central England (local range). In each case we regressed phylogenetically independent contrasts in geographical range against contrasts in range of germination temperature (one aspect of fundamental niche breadth), terminal velocity of dispersule (a measure of wind dispersal capacity), seed weight and specialism index (a measure of the diversity of habitats exploited in central England). Seed weights and germination temperature were known for 263 species, specialism index for 261 and terminal velocity for 178.3Specialism index explained by far the largest part of the variance in local and national range. Seed weight, terminal velocity and germination temperature each explained only 2–4% of the variation in local range, and none of the variation in national range.4Most previous attempts to relate niche breadth and dispersal ability to range have concerned animals. There is little convincing published evidence for plants, and in the British herbaceous seed plants studied here the best predictor of range was diversity of habitats exploited. This pattern was independent of phylogeny.