Out

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Distribution within Medical Sciences

Kinds of Out

  • carried out


  • Selected Abstracts


    Effects of neonatal novelty exposure on sexual behavior, fear, and stress-response in adult rats

    DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOBIOLOGY, Issue 3 2007
    Fernando Benetti
    Abstract Environmental stimuli in early life may result in permanent behavioral and physiological changes. Present study evaluated the effects of exposing pups to a novel environment on behaviors (open-field test and sexual behavior) and prolactin stress-responses in adult male rats. Half of a litter was daily removed outside (OUT) from the nest and stimulated by handling for 3 min, while the other half remained inside (IN) the nest and was also handled for the same period during the first 10 days postpartum. Maternal behavior after all the pups were returned to the nest was not different between IN and OUT littermates. In adulthood, OUT males showed increased general and central locomotion activity in the open-field test, reduced sexual behavior, and attenuated prolactin secretion in response to restraint stress compared with the IN littermates. The repeated exposition of rat pups to a novel environment is a causal factor for the long-lasting behavioral and endocrine changes. The premature exposition of the pup to unfamiliar environments decreases fear and stress-response, and also reduces sexual behavior. We suggest that the absence of the odor of the mother may be crucial to explain the effects detected in adulthood. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 49: 258,264, 2007. [source]


    s -CARBOXYMETHYLCYSTEINE INHIBITS CARBACHOL-INDUCED CONSTRICTION OF EPITHELIUM-DENUDED RAT AND HUMAN AIRWAY PREPARATIONS

    CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL PHARMACOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 5-6 2008
    Dragan Pavlovic
    SUMMARY 1The effects of s-carboxymethyl-l-cysteine (S-CMC), either administered orally to rats or incubated with tissue preparations from rats and humans, on isometric contractions of tracheal smooth muscle were investigated in the present study using an improved in vitro model of tracheal tube or ring preparations. The involvement of the tracheal epithelium in the observed effects was also investigated. 2The experimental model permitted selective perfusion of the airway tube, luminal-IN or serosal,OUT, and measurement of airway smooth muscle contraction or relaxation in preparations with (+) or without (,) epithelium (Ep), excluding direct effects of airway mucus. 3We found that oral pretreatment of rats with S-CMC (mixed with water; 200 mg/kg per day for 2 weeks), but not short pre-incubation of preparations in vitro (10,3 mol/L S-CMC for 1 h), diminished the sensitivity of ,Ep preparations to carbachol compared with controls (EC50 (,log10 mol/L) values: 5.5 ± 0.1 vs 5.8 ± 0.1, respectively, for IN perfusion (P < 0.005); 5.6 ± 0.1 vs 5.9 ± 0.1, respectively, for OUT perfusion (P < 0.005)), whereas the sensitivity of preparations to aminophylline was not affected. Normal sensitivity to carbachol stimulation was re-established if preparations were pre-incubated with capsaicin. 4It was also found that longer pre-incubation (4 h) of ring-preparations of human bronchus with S-CMC (10,5 mol/L) in vitro resulted in a diminished response to carbachol stimulation. 5In conclusion, S-CMC had small inhibitory effects on the sensitivity of rat and human airway smooth muscle to carbachol, particularly in endothelium-denuded preparations. Whether the epithelium was responding to S-CMC by producing some contracting factor(s) requires further investigation. [source]


    Going Public: Teaching Students to Speak Out in Public Contexts

    ENGLISH IN EDUCATION, Issue 2 2000
    Judith Baxter
    Abstract Many students find speaking in large group, whole class or ,public' contexts intimidating. Over the last 30 years, a model of collaborative talk in small groups has been favoured within English teaching in British education but, with the new generation of GCSE syllabuses, students are required to speak effectively to larger audiences. This article explores what constitutes an effective ,public' speaker at GCSE level, and suggests various teaching strategies as starting points. [source]


    Attributions and Emotional Reactions to the Identity Disclosure ("Coming Out") of a Homosexual Child,

    FAMILY PROCESS, Issue 2 2001
    Jorge C. Armesto Ed.M.
    This study examined factors that contribute to parental rejection of gay and lesbian youth. College students (N = 356) were asked to imagine being the parent of an adolescent son who recently disclosed that he was gay. Consistent with study hypotheses and based on attribution and moral affect theory, results of regression analyses indicated that greater perceptions of control over homosexuality, higher proneness to experience shame, and lower proneness to experience guilt were associated with increasing negative reactions toward an imagined homosexual child. Also in line with study hypotheses, greater willingness to offer help to the hypothetical child was predicted by lower perceptions of control over homosexuality, less intensely unfavorable emotional reactions, less proneness to experience guilt, and greater reported likelihood of experiencing affection toward him. Theoretical and clinical implications of this research are discussed. [source]


    Moving from Private to Public Ownership: Selling Out to Public Firms versus Initial Public Offerings

    FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2008
    Annette B. Poulsen
    We study two alternative means to move assets from private to public ownership: through the acquisition of private companies by firms that are public (sellouts) or through initial public share offerings (IPOs). We consider firm-specific characteristics for 1,074 IPO and 735 sellout firms to identify differences in growth, capital constraints, and asymmetric information between the two types of transactions. Our results suggest that firms move to public ownership through an IPO when they have greater growth opportunities and face more capital constraints. We provide a better understanding of the firm-specific characteristics that lead firms to go public. [source]


    Reevaluating the Relationship Between In-, Out-, and Net Migration for Nonmetropolitan Counties: An Update on Beale's U-Shaped Curve

    GEOGRAPHICAL ANALYSIS, Issue 3 2001
    Alexander C. Vias
    The relationship of gross migration to net migration is continuously undergoing reevaluation in the literature. However, one major finding by Beale (1969) that produced the famous u-shaped curve has received little attention, a surprising situation considering the significant changes that have taken place in rural America since 1969. In this paper I use gross migration data from IRS returns for 1995,1998, and differentiate the rates using a number of classification schemes developed by the USDA and the Census Bureau. The results show that rural America is a diverse place, and that migration rates vary tremendously depending on the geographic, economic, and social characteristics of the county. Furthermore, the relationship between gross and net migration varies much more than previously suggested, especially in negative net migration counties, a finding with implications for migration theory and public policy. [source]


    Migraine in Adolescents: Validation of a Screening Questionnaire

    HEADACHE, Issue 2 2009
    Luca Valentinis MD
    Background., Few studies in adolescents deal with the level of agreement between questionnaire and interview information in relation to headache symptoms. Objective., To evaluate the validity of a self-administered questionnaire on headache for use in epidemiological studies of Italian high school students. Methods., The questionnaire incorporated all items required for diagnosing migraine according to the criteria from the 2004 International Classification of Headache Disorders. The migraine diagnoses obtained from questionnaires were validated against the gold standard diagnoses by a headache specialist. Results., Out of 104 students answering the questionnaires, 93 (89.4%) participated in extensive semi-structured interviews by a neurologist. The chance-corrected agreement rate (kappa) was 0.66, which is considered good. The questionnaire-based migraine diagnosis had a sensitivity of 67.3%, specificity of 100%, positive predictive value of 100%, and negative predictive value of 73.3%. Conclusions., The results indicate that our self-administered questionnaire may be an acceptable instrument in determining the prevalence of migraine sufferers in the northeast Italy adolescent population, useful in identifying subjects with "definite" migraine. [source]


    The Concept that Came Out of the Cold: the Progressive Historicization of Generic Fascism and its New Relevance to Teaching Twentieth-century History

    HISTORY COMPASS (ELECTRONIC), Issue 1 2003
    Roger Griffin
    This article first surveys the confusion that prevailed in fascist studies for decades, and which makes it quite understandable if the term ,fascism' has been generally avoided both by historians and by lecturers and others teaching inter-war European history to students in non-specialist ,survey' courses. It then outlines the main features of the ,new consensus' that is emerging among scholars on the heuristic value of seeing fascism as a form of revolutionary ideology, bent on purging society of decadence and inaugurating the rebirth of the nation. Next, it focuses on how this approach enables Fascism and Nazism to be located within the supranational forces shaping modern history, and on the light it throws on their profound relationship to totalitarianism, political religion and modernity. It closes with brief examples of how this approach can be applied to structuring answers to essays and exam questions on inter-war Europe, and welcomes the prospect opened up by the new consensus for greater collaboration between specialists in fascist studies, empirical historians, university lecturers, textbook writers and students , and even, one day, students in secondary education, and their teachers and examiners , in this fascinating, and rapidly evolving, field of teaching and research. [source]


    ECONOMIC TRENDS: GUINEA: Climbing Out of Donor Funding Gap

    AFRICA RESEARCH BULLETIN: ECONOMIC, FINANCIAL AND TECHNICAL SERIES, Issue 7 2010
    Article first published online: 1 SEP 2010
    No abstract is available for this article. [source]


    Taking the Sincerity Out of Saying Sorry: Restorative Justice as Ritual

    JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHILOSOPHY, Issue 2 2006
    CHRISTOPHER BENNETT
    abstract In this paper I take seriously von Hirsch's view that sanctions imposed on offenders need to be compatible with their dignity, and argue that some versions of restorative justice , notably that defended by Braithwaite , can put offenders in the humiliating position of having to make apologies that they do not believe in in order to avoid further bad consequences. Drawing on recent work by Duff I argue that this problem can be avoided by conceiving of restorative justice as an apologetic ritual. This view gives some ground to von Hirsch but presents a view of criminal justice that is distinctively restorative. I conclude by drawing out the differences between my account and that of Duff. [source]


    Atrophy and anarchy: third national survey of nursing skill-mix and advanced nursing practice in ophthalmology

    JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 12 2006
    Dip Nursing, Wladyslawa J. Czuber-Dochan MSc
    Aims and objectives., The aims of the study were to investigate the advanced nursing practice and the skill-mix of nurses working in ophthalmology. Background., The expansion of new nursing roles in the United Kingdom in the past decade is set against the background of a nursing shortage. The plan to modernize the National Health Service and improve the efficiency and delivery of healthcare services as well as to reduce junior doctors' hours contributes towards a profusion of new and more specialized and advanced nursing roles in various areas of nursing including ophthalmology. Design., A self-reporting quantitative questionnaire was employed. The study used comparative and descriptive statistical tests. Method., The questionnaires were distributed to all ophthalmic hospitals and units in the United Kingdom. Hospital and unit managers were responsible for completing the questionnaires. Results., Out of a total 181 questionnaires 117 were returned. There is a downward trend in the total number of nurses working in ophthalmology. The results demonstrate more nurses working at an advanced level. However, there is a general confusion regarding role interpretation at the advanced level of practice, evident through the wide range of job titles being used. There was inconsistency in the qualifications expected of these nurses. Conclusion., Whilst there are more nurses working at an advanced level this is set against an ageing workforce and an overall decline in the number of nurses in ophthalmology. There is inconsistency in job titles, grades, roles and qualifications for nurses who work at an advanced or higher level of practice. The Agenda for Change with its new structure for grading jobs in the United Kingdom may offer protection and consistency in job titles, pay and qualifications for National Health Service nurse specialists. The Nursing and Midwifery Council needs to provide clear guidelines to the practitioners on educational and professional requirements, to protect patients and nurses. Relevance to clinical practice., The findings indicate that there is a need for better regulations for nurses working at advanced nursing practice. [source]


    Young adults' ideas of cure prior to psychoanalytic psychotherapy

    JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 3 2007
    Björn Philips
    The study aims to explore systematically the ideas of cure among young adults prior to psychoanalytic psychotherapy. Forty-six individuals aged 18 to 25 years who applied for psychotherapy underwent the Private Theories Interview (PTI). Twenty distinct categories of ideas of cure were identified. Based on these categories, a theoretical model was constructed with the dimensions, Approaching,Distancing and Doing,Receiving. Individuals were classified into types using "ideal type analysis." Seven ideal types were formed: Processing and Understanding, Mastering Through Own Will and Action, Talking, Discordant Ideas, Incoherent Ideas, Getting It Out, and Avoiding or Placing the Solution onto Others. New hypotheses emerged concerning ideas of cure as an important factor for psychotherapy matching, thus potentially predicting premature termination, alliance, and outcome. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol 63: 213,232, 2007. [source]


    The Health of Women: A Call to Move APN Practice Out of the Exam Room and Into the Community

    JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF NURSE PRACTITIONERS, Issue 8 2001
    CFNP, Patricia J. Kelly PhD
    No abstract is available for this article. [source]


    Data-Driven Learning: Taking the Computer Out of the Equation

    LANGUAGE LEARNING, Issue 3 2010
    Alex Boulton
    Despite considerable research interest, data-driven learning (DDL) has not become part of mainstream teaching practice. It may be that technical aspects are too daunting for teachers and students, but there seems to be no reason why DDL in its early stages should not eliminate the computer from the equation by using prepared materials on paper,considerably easier for the novice learner to handle. This article reports on an experiment to see how lower level learners cope with such paper-based corpus materials and a DDL approach compared to more traditional teaching materials and practices. Pretests and posttests show that both are effective compared to control items, with the DDL items showing the greatest improvement, and questionnaire responses are more favorable to the DDL activities. The results are argued to show that printed materials can counter a number of potential barriers and may thus enable DDL to reach a wider audience. [source]


    Pretreatment Psychosocial Variables as Predictors of Outcomes Following Lumbar Surgery and Spinal Cord Stimulation: A Systematic Review and Literature Synthesis

    PAIN MEDICINE, Issue 4 2009
    James Celestin MD
    ABSTRACT Background., In the multimodal treatment approach to chronic back pain, interventional back procedures are often reserved for those who do not improve after more conservative management. Psychological screening prior to lumbar surgery or spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has been widely recommended to help identify suitable candidates and to predict possible complications or poor outcome from treatment. However, it remains unclear which, if any, variables are most predictive of pain-related treatment outcomes. Objective., The intent of this article is to perform a systematic review to examine the relationship between presurgical predictor variables and treatment outcomes, to review the existing evidence for the benefit of psychological screening prior to lumbar surgery or SCS, and to make treatment recommendations for the use of psychological screening. Results., Out of 753 study titles, 25 studies were identified, of which none were randomized controlled trials and only four SCS studies met inclusion criteria. The methodological quality of the studies varied and some important shortcomings were identified. A positive relationship was found between one or more psychological factors and poor treatment outcome in 92.0% of the studies reviewed. In particular, presurgical somatization, depression, anxiety, and poor coping were most useful in helping to predict poor response (i.e., less treatment-related benefit) to lumbar surgery and SCS. Older age and longer pain duration were also predictive of poorer outcome in some studies, while pretreatment physical findings, activity interference, and presurgical pain intensity were minimally predictive. Conclusions., At present, while there is insufficient empirical evidence that psychological screening before surgery or device implantation helps to improve treatment outcomes, the current literature suggests that psychological factors such as somatization, depression, anxiety, and poor coping, are important predictors of poor outcome. More research is needed to show if early identification and treatment of these factors through psychological screening will enhance treatment outcome. [source]


    Recovery From Depression Among Clients Transitioning Out of Poverty

    AMERICAN JOURNAL OF ORTHOPSYCHIATRY, Issue 1 2010
    Alisha Ali
    The objective of this study was to investigate whether a program designed to change the economic conditions of clients' lives could also have an impact on reducing their level of depression. The study focused on a sample of men and women attending a program designed to transition clients out of poverty through microlending and peer support. Results revealed that 40.5% of participants who met diagnostic criteria for major depression before beginning the program were no longer clinically depressed after participating in the program for 6 months. The results also revealed that the clients who reported that they felt a strong sense of interpersonal connection within the program were the most likely to recover from depression. [source]


    Th e Decision to Contract Out: A Study of Contracting for E-Government Services in State Governments

    PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REVIEW, Issue 3 2007
    Anna Ya Ni
    Government contracting, especially for information technology products and services, has accelerated in recent years in the United States. Drawing on the insights of privatization studies, the authors examine the economic and political rationales underpinning government decisions to contract out e-government services. This article tests the extent to which economic and political rationality influence governments' contracting decisions using data from multiple sources: a survey conducted by National Association of State Chief Information Officers, a survey by the National Association of State Procurement Officers, the Council of State Legislatures, and macro-level state data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Important factors affecting the state-level contracting decision are population size, market size, the competitiveness of the bidding process, the professional management of contracts, the partisan composition of legislatures, and political competition. Political rationales appear to play a major role in state contracting decisions. Some arguments associated with markets and economic rationality are clearly politically motivated. [source]


    The Ethical Health Lamer: Watch Out for Whistleblowers

    THE JOURNAL OF LAW, MEDICINE & ETHICS, Issue 1 2005
    Leslie Griffin
    No abstract is available for this article. [source]


    Pilot Study of Sexual Dysfunction Following Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Surgery

    THE JOURNAL OF SEXUAL MEDICINE, Issue 4ii 2007
    MRCSI, Vincent Koo MBBCh
    ABSTRACT Introduction., The complication of sexual dysfunction as a quality of life (QoL) component after abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) surgery in men is poorly studied. Aims., To investigate the prevalence of sexual dysfunction and to highlight the importance of discussing this issue with patients undergoing AAA repair. Main Outcome Measures., The self-reported sexual dysfunction prevalence pre- and postoperatively, the effects on sexual QoL, and the postoperative Sexual Health Inventory for Men (SHIM) scores. Methods., Between April 1999 and July 2002, a questionnaire-based study, including the SHIM, was conducted on male patients 1,2 years after their elective open (EO) and rupture open (RO) or endovascular repair (EVAR) AAA repair. Demographics, risk factors for sexual dysfunction, sexual history, and postoperative sexual QoL data were obtained. Results., Out of 142 alive male patients surveyed, 56 (40%) patients responded (26 EO, 21 EVAR, and 9 RO repair). The mean age was 69, 73, and 70 years, respectively, and 65%, 66%, and 66%, respectively, admitted to be sexually active postoperatively. The self-reported sexual dysfunction prevalence preoperatively was 27% (EO), 63% (EVAR), and 45% (RO); and postoperatively was 58%, 76%, and 67%, respectively. Detection using SHIM was higher at 70%, 95%, and 78%, respectively. There was a significantly greater increase in the postoperative prevalence of sexual dysfunction in the EO group than in the EVAR group (P < 0.05, ,2). The sexual QoL was worsened postoperatively in all groups: 53% (EO), 75% (EVAR), and 50% (RO); but only one-third of EO and EVAR patients, and none in RO patients, would seek treatment for their sexual dysfunction. Conclusion., There was a negative impact on the sexual QoL in all groups after surgery, and a significantly higher proportion of patients experienced deterioration in sexual QoL following EO surgical repair. Our results demonstrate the need for a prospective study. Koo V, Lau L, McKinley A, Blair P, and Hood J. Pilot study of sexual dysfunction following abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery. J Sex Med 2007;4:1147,1152. [source]


    Opening up Public Services to Competition by Putting Them Out to Tender: An Evaluation

    ANNALS OF PUBLIC AND COOPERATIVE ECONOMICS, Issue 1 2003
    P. Bance
    This article examines the effects of systematizing tendering procedures when awarding public service concessions. The opening up of the water supply industry to competition is used by way of illustration. Results show that arguments in favour of systematization are not robust when focusing solely on the expected benefits of the liberalization process. The peculiarities of the contract relationship in the delegation of public services, the mobilization of specific assets, and the long duration and incompleteness of the contracts invalidate this type of argument and expose public authorities to the opportunism of operators. The efficiency of awarding public services concessions relies on cost,benefit analysis, taking into account sectoral aspects as well as specificities of the contracting organizations and structures. The public service culture of these organizations is in this respect a key factor in the choice of efficient organizations since it conditions their ability to internalize the mission of fulfilling the public interest. [source]


    China's Oil Strategy: "Going Out" to Iran

    ASIAN POLITICS AND POLICY, Issue 1 2010
    Wen-Sheng Chen
    China's rapid development has drawn worldwide attention and has been referred to as a "peaceful rise" in recent years. The country's booming economy feeds Beijing's insatiable thirst for sufficient, stable, and secure energy sources. This article argues that Iran's plentiful oil reserves and its capacity to produce and export vast quantities of oil make Tehran a natural partner as China pursues its goal of rising to global-power status. Furthermore, Iran's location on the "Energy Silk Road" to China is potentially of great significance for Beijing as it seeks to break out of the "Malacca predicament." This article suggests that China sees an important role for Iran in securing its oil supply and pursuing a "westward oil strategy." The article also demonstrates that China's energy ties with Iran are constrained and conditioned by Sino-U.S. cooperation and competition and by the Middle Eastern power structure. [source]


    Evaluation of cost of treatment of drug-related events in a tertiary care public sector hospital in Northern India: a prospective study

    BRITISH JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY, Issue 3 2009
    Smita Pattanaik
    WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS SUBJECT , Drug related events include ADRs, events due to patient or physician noncompliance, drug overdosage and drug interactions. , Economic burden of management of drug related events are substantial and include both direct and indirect costs. , Some data regarding cost of treatment of ADR exist from south and western India. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS , An approximate cost of management of drug related events presenting to the emergency medical department in a tertiary care hospital over a period of 4 months. , Compares the cost incurred in a public sector hospital to the projected cost of management of same events in a private sector hospital. , Gives a rough estimate of economic burden on the health care system due to adverse drug events. AIMS Drug related events (DREs) contribute significantly to hospital admissions. These are largely preventable events and require optimum use of the therapeutic agents. The study was conducted to analyze the cost of treatment of DREs. PATIENTS & METHODS All visits to medical emergency department of a tertiary care public sector hospital in northern India were recorded in a prospective, non-interventional manner over a period of 4 months. DREs were recognized and were followed up till their stay in the hospital. Data about the cost generating components of direct and indirect costs of treatment of DREs were collected. The projected cost of treatment of the same DREs in a private sector hospital was estimated and compared. RESULTS Out of 1833 admissions, 92(5.01%) were due to DREs. Maximum cases were due to non compliance (66%) followed by ADR (28%) and drug overdose(6%). The common DREs leading to ED visits were cerebrovascular accident(19.44%), followed by accelerated hypertension(18.36%) and diabetic ketoacidosis(14.04%). Total cost of management of all the 92 DREs in our hospital was calculated to be INR17,37,339(,30,215). The direct cost was INR1,72,961(,3008) and the approximate indirect cost was INR15,64, 378(,27, 206). The projected cost of management of all the 92 DREs was estimated to be INR63,63,872(,1,01, 676) in a private sector hospital. CONCLUSION The study shows that ADEs leading to emergency department visits and hospitalizations constitute a significant economic burden. Training of the patients and the prescribers may lessen the economic burden on the patient as well as the health care system. [source]


    Prediction of Droplet Velocities and Rain Out in Horizontal Isothermal Free Jet Flows of Air and Viscous Liquid in Stagnant Ambient Air

    CHEMICAL ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY (CET), Issue 11 2007
    S. Al Rabadi
    Abstract Two-dimensional phase Doppler anemometer measurements of droplet size and velocity conducted under several nozzle conditions and a systematic variation of the air mass flow quality and liquid phase viscosity show that the air entrainment process is enhanced when keeping all test conditions constant except for increasing the Newtonian liquid viscosity above of that of water. A two-zone entrainment model based on a variable two-phase entrainment coefficient is proposed with the normalized axial distance allowing for a change in the jet angle. Thus, the jet perimeter is lower and the breakup length is longer in the case of air/relatively higher viscosity liquid phase. It provides the most accurate reproduction of the experimental droplet velocity in comparison with that of other models in the literature and, hence, is recommended for the prediction of the droplet velocity in the case of two-phase air/liquid phase free jet flow in stagnant ambient air. A model for predicting the droplet rain out, considering the droplet trajectories in the free jet flow, allows also for an adequate reproduction of the experimental data. [source]


    Policy Drivers in UK Higher Education in Historical Perspective: ,Inside Out', ,Outside In' and the Contribution of Research

    HIGHER EDUCATION QUARTERLY, Issue 2 2006
    Michael Shattock
    Where have been the main policy drivers for the development of British higher education over the last 50 years? This article argues that while higher education policy was once driven from the inside outwards, from the late 1970s it has been driven exclusively from the outside inwards. Policy decisions under either regime were rarely driven by research findings especially from within the higher education community. The current imbalance between ,inside-out' and ,outside-in' policy formation is paradoxically most apparent when the higher education system has a more widely diversified funding base than at any time since the 1930s. The key policy challenge is now not what new policies are needed but what new framework should be developed for policy making. [source]


    Direct Synthesis of Zr-Containing Hybrid Periodic Mesoporous Organosilicas with Tunable Zirconium Content

    EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF INORGANIC CHEMISTRY, Issue 35 2007
    Shang-Ru Zhai
    Abstract Highly ordered Zr-containing periodic mesoporous organosilicas (ZrPMO) with different Zr/Si ratios were successfully synthesized, for the first time, by employing a ZrOCl2/NaCl combination as the promoting agent and by simply adjusting the molar ratio of the zirconium species to the organosilica precursor; no addition of mineral acids was necessary. The effect of preparation parameters on the structural and textural properties were carefully investigated by using different ratios of NaCl/Si and Zr/Si. It was found that both salts are essential for this system and highly ordered ZrPMOs can be prepared within fairly wide Si/Zr ratios (5,100) while keeping the NaCl/Si ratio constant. To prove the effectiveness of this synthetic pathway with a higher Zr incorporation, ZrPMO materials were also synthesized under strongly acidic conditions for the purpose of comparison. The synthesized ZrPMO materials were thoroughly characterized by ICP-AES, SAXS, N2 sorption, TEM, SEM, 13C CP/29Si MAS NMR spectroscopy, XPS, and TGA. Elemental analyses show that the amount of Zr incorporated into ZrPMO, which was synthesized under mild conditions, is greater than that obtained in a strongly acidic environment, and the Zr content, with a Si/Zr ratio up to 12, is close to that in the initial gel composition. A plausible assembly mechanism based on the synergistic effect of both "nonhydrolyzable" (NaCl) and "hydrolyzable" (ZrOCl2) inorganic salts was discussed in detail, where the "salting out" effect and self-generated acidity from both inorganic salts, respectively, are believed to be key factors for the formation of ordered SBA-15-type ZrPMO materials under the synthetic conditions.(© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2007) [source]


    Negotiated Nonmonogamy and Male Couples

    FAMILY PROCESS, Issue 4 2006
    MICHAEL SHERNOFF LCSW
    One issue that has the potential to confound family or couples therapists working with male couples is the issue of nonmonogamy. For many therapists, sexual nonexclusivity challenges fundamental clinical assumptions that "affairs," or extra-relationship sex or romantic involvements, are symptoms of troubled relationships and are always a form of "sexual acting out." This article explores the issue of sexual exclusivity and nonexclusivity within male couples. In order to achieve both clinical and cultural competency in work with male couples, therapists need to challenge their cultural biases regarding monogamy. [source]


    A field investigation of manual forces associated with trigger and push to start electric screwdrivers

    HUMAN FACTORS AND ERGONOMICS IN MANUFACTURING & SERVICE INDUSTRIES, Issue 4 2007
    Brian D. Lowe
    This study investigated manual forces associated with trigger start (TS) and push to start (PTS) activation in-line electric screwdriver designs. The vertically directed axial screwdriver force transmitted with the driver to the fastener and the grip/finger forces on the driver handle were measured from 13 employees in an electronics assembly manufacturing facility. The PTS driver was associated with significantly ( p < .01) higher axial force than the TS driver at two of the four workstations, where the difference was as high as a 184% increase (36.5 vs. 103.8 N). Total finger force on the screwdriver handle was also higher for the PTS screwdriver ( p < .01). The PTS screwdriver may reduce instances of fastener head damage ("cam out") by requiring a minimum level of axial force to ensure better contact between the screwdriver bit and the fastener. However, this appears to come at the expense of greater manual forces exerted by the operator. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Hum Factors Man 17: 367,382, 2007. [source]


    GLB Adolescent's "Coming out"

    JOURNAL OF CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRIC NURSING, Issue 1 2010
    Bettina H. Riley BSN
    TOPIC:, A greater number of gay males, lesbians, and bisexual females or males (GLB) are "coming out" during adolescence. Discussion includes nursing implications. PURPOSE:, The purpose of this paper is to review the process of GLB disclosure, highlight the trend toward earlier outing, and discuss its implications for nursing practice. SOURCES:, Sources include scholarly published literature, professional organization documents, and GLB advocacy publications. CONCLUSIONS:, Nurses need to update their knowledge of coming-out issues, as well as nondisclosing sexual behavior, to assess youth and family needs and direct care appropriately. [source]


    Medial collateral ligament autografts have increased creep response for at least two years and early immobilization makes this worse

    JOURNAL OF ORTHOPAEDIC RESEARCH, Issue 2 2002
    G. M. Thornton
    Recent evidence has shown that 10,40% of knee joints reconstructed with soft-tissue autografts have a recurrence of abnormal joint laxity over time. One possible explanation is the "stretching out" (or unrecovered creep) of the graft tissue. To test in vitro creep and creep recovery of fresh anatomic ligament autografts in an extra-articular environment, 16 rabbits underwent an orthotopic medial collateral ligament (MCL) autograft procedure to one hindlimb. Three subgroups of animals had either unrestricted cage activity for 1 year (n = 5) or 2 years (n = 5) or pin-immobilization for the first 6 weeks followed by cage activity for the remainder of 1 year (n = 6). Following laxity measurements, to test their creep response, isolated MCL grafts were cyclically and then statically creep tested in vitro at 4.1 MPa, allowed to recover at zero load for 20 min, and finally elongated to failure. Due to differences in cross-sectional area between the grafts and normal MCLs, two normal control groups were tested: stress-matched tested at 4.1 MPa (16.2 N; n = 7) and force-matched tested at 29.1 N (7.1 MPa; n = 6). Ligament grafts had normal laxity but significantly increased creep and decreased creep recovery compared to normal MCLs after 1 and 2 years of healing (p < 0.0004). Graft failure stress was also significantly less than normal (p < 0.0001). Immobilized grafts had significantly greater creep compared to non-immobilized grafts at 1 year of healing (p < 0.05). These results support previous observations concerning material inferiority of fresh anatomic rabbit MCL autografts, but add the concept that such grafts also have increased potential to creep with either slower or incomplete recovery when subjected to low stresses in vitro. Joint and ligament laxities in situ were normal in this model, however, suggesting either that in vivo MCL graft stresses are lower than those used here in vitro or that these tissues have other mechanisms by which they can recover their functional length in vivo. © 2002 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. [source]


    Highly selective artificial gel antibodies for detection and quantification of biomarkers in clinical samples.

    JOURNAL OF SEPARATION SCIENCE, JSS, Issue 22 2008

    Abstract High selectivity of a biomarker is a basic requirement when it is used for diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of a disease. The artificial gel antibodies, which we synthesise by a molecular imprinting method, have this property not only for proteins, but also for bioparticles, such as viruses and bacteria. However, diagnosis of a disease requires not only that the biomarker can be "fished out" from a body fluid with high selectivity, but also that its concentration in the sample can rapidly be determined and preferably by a simple technique. This paper deals primarily with the development of a spectrophotometric method, which is so simple and fast that it can be used with advantage in a Doctor's Office. The development of this method was not straight-forward. However, by modifications of the performance of these measurements we can now design standard curves in the form of a straight line, when we plot the true (not the recorded "apparent" absorption) against known protein concentrations. In an additional publication (see the following paper in this issue of JSS) we show an application of such a plot: determination of the concentration of albumin in serum and cerebrospinal fluid from patients with neurological disorders to investigate whether albumin is a biomarker for these diseases. [source]