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Practical Relevance (practical + relevance)
Selected AbstractsAllocating treatment options to patient profiles: clinical art or science?ADDICTION, Issue 5 2006Gerhard Bühringer ABSTRACT Background For many researchers, the disappointing results of Project MATCH were the death blow for any further activities in the field of patient,treatment interactions. On the other hand, we have an increased knowledge of patient heterogeneity and a greater variety of treatment options than before, and allocation guidelines for an ongoing process of patient-placement decisions are of high practical relevance. Aims To analyse deficits in the current research and to provide suggestions for future action. Findings It is argued that (1) certain major design aspects of Project MATCH and other research studies,such as stringent patient exclusion criteria and low treatment ,dosage',minimize the chances of detecting possible patient,treatment interactions and (2) Project MATCH obscures our view of previous treatment-allocation research findings., Conclusions Several research strategies and specific research topics are suggested for (1) improving the theoretical and methodological basis for detecting possible patient,treatment interactions and (2) stimulating research on major treatment decision needs, such as site, setting, time in treatment (extensiveness and intensity), service components and specific treatment modules. More international research cooperation is needed to clarify the inconsistent findings. [source] The clinical impact of pharmacogenetics on the treatment of epilepsyEPILEPSIA, Issue 1 2009Wolfgang Löscher Summary Drug treatment of epilepsy is characterized by unpredictability of efficacy, adverse drug reactions, and optimal doses in individual patients, which, at least in part, is a consequence of genetic variation. Since genetic variability in drug metabolism was reported to affect the treatment with phenytoin more than 25 years ago, the ultimate goal of pharmacogenetics is to use the genetic makeup of an individual to predict drug response and efficacy, as well as potential adverse drug events. However, determining the practical relevance of pharmacogenetic variants remains difficult, in part because of problems with study design and replication. This article reviews the published work with particular emphasis on pharmacogenetic alterations that may affect efficacy, tolerability, and safety of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), including variation in genes encoding drug target (SCN1A), drug transport (ABCB1), drug metabolizing (CYP2C9, CYP2C19), and human leucocyte antigen (HLA) proteins. Although the current studies associating particular genes and their variants with seizure control or adverse events have inherent weaknesses and have not provided unifying conclusions, several results, for example that Asian patients with a particular HLA allele, HLA-B*1502, are at a higher risk for Stevens-Johnson syndrome when using carbamazepine, are helpful to increase our knowledge how genetic variation affects the treatment of epilepsy. Although genetic testing raises ethical and social issues, a better understanding of the genetic influences on epilepsy outcome is key to developing the much needed new therapeutic strategies for individuals with epilepsy. [source] Family-based association test for time-to-onset data with time-dependent differences between the hazard functionsGENETIC EPIDEMIOLOGY, Issue 2 2006Hongyu Jiang Abstract In genetic association studies, the differences between the hazard functions for the individual genotypes are often time-dependent. We address the non-proportional hazards data by using the weighted logrank approach by Fleming and Harrington [1981]:Commun Stat-Theor M 10:763,794. We introduce a weighted FBAT-Logrank whose weights are based on a non-parametric estimator for the genetic marker distribution function under the alternative hypothesis. We show that the computation of the marker distribution under the alternative does not bias the significance level of any subsequently computed FBAT-statistic. Hence, we use the estimated marker distribution to select the Fleming-Harrington weights so that the power of the weighted FBAT-Logrank test is maximized. In simulation studies and applications to an asthma study, we illustrate the practical relevance of the new methodology. In addition to power increases of 100% over the original FBAT-Logrank test, we also gain insight into the age at which a genotype exerts the greatest influence on disease risk. Genet. Epidemiol. 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Antecedents and outcomes of workplace incivility: Implications for human resource development research and practiceHUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT QUARTERLY, Issue 3 2009Thomas G. Reio Jr. This cross-sectional, correlational study (N = 402) examined the relationships among select demographics, workplace adaptation, employee affect, and incivility and physical health and job satisfaction. The paper-and-pencil survey battery consisted of nine scales. The hypotheses were tested through correlational, factor analytic, and hierarchical regression analytic procedures. Younger males engaged more frequently in uncivil behavior. After statistically controlling for the demographic variables, high negative affect and low degree of establishing relationships with coworkers and supervisors (adaptation) predicted more incivility. For the physical health model, establishing relationships with coworkers and positive affect positively contributed to perceived physical health, while organizational incivility negatively contributed to the dependent variable. As for the job satisfaction model, establishing relationships with coworkers and supervisors and positive affect positively predicted satisfaction, whereas negative affect and incivility made negative contributions to the regression equation. In all cases, the magnitude of effect ranged from medium to large, supporting the theoretical, empirical, and practical relevance of understanding the detrimental effects of uncivil behaviors on organizational outcomes. HRD researchers and professionals are highlighted as possible means for reducing uncivil workplace behaviors and improving organizational performance. [source] Country-of-origin, localization, or dominance effect?HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, Issue 4 2007An empirical investigation of HRM practices in foreign subsidiaries This article contributes to two recurring and very central debates in the international management literature: the convergence vs. divergence debate and the standardization vs. localization debate. Using a large-scale sample of multinationals headquartered in the United States, Japan, and Germany, as well as subsidiaries of multinationals from these three countries in the two other respective countries, we test the extent to which HRM practices in subsidiaries are characterized by country-of-origin, localization, and dominance effects. Our results show that overall the dominance effect is most important (i.e., subsidiary practices appear to converge to the dominant U.S. practices). Hence, our results lead to the rather surprising conclusion for what might be considered to be the most localized of functions,HRM,that convergence to a worldwide best practices model is clearly present. The lack of country-of-origin effects for Japanese and German multinationals leads us to a conclusion that is of significant theoretical as well as practical relevance. Multinationals might limit the export of country-of-origin practices to their core competences and converge to best practices in other areas. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Classification of synchronous oceanic and atmospheric El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events for palaeoclimate reconstructionINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLIMATOLOGY, Issue 12 2005Joëlle L. Gergis Abstract Since the mid-1970s, ENSO has changed in character to a predominance of El Niño conditions, the extreme phase of which appears coincidental with increases in global temperature records. Instrumental time series (<150 years) are too short to adequately address the significance of late twentieth-century ENSO variability, thus, multi-century palaeoclimate reconstructions derived from long proxy records are sought. Despite the global influence exerted by ENSO on society, limited consensus exists within the scientific community as to which index best defines the timing, duration and strength of events. Here we address issues associated with the complexity of ENSO characterisation by comparing the ,event capture' ability of two currently used indices of ENSO. It is suggested that the use of a sole ENSO index is undesirable as a given index is only indicative of one physical aspect of the phenomenon, and as such is unlikely to be representative of the wider interactions experienced in the coupled ocean-atmospheric system. In an attempt to describe more of the nature and evolution of ENSO events, the Coupled ENSO Index (CEI) classification scheme was devised to identify synchronous oceanic (Niño 3.4 SST) and atmospheric (Southern Oscillation Index) anomalies associated with ENSO for the instrumental period (1871,2003). The CEI is of practical relevance to the ENSO community as it provides an amplitude preserving instrumental baseline for the calibration of proxy records to reconstruct both components of the ENSO system. Analysis of the nature of instrumental ENSO events from the CEI suggests that the frequency and intensity of post-1970 ENSO events (when 50% of all extreme events identified occur) appears the most anomalous in the context of at least the past century. It is hoped that the CEI will facilitate palaeo-ENSO research to systematically resolve the long-term context of past ENSO behaviour to assess whether the apparently anomalous nature of late twentieth-century variability is unprecedented within existing palaeoclimate archives. Copyright © 2005 Royal Meteorological Society. [source] Evaluation of a clinical examination skills training course in an undergraduate pharmacy programmeINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACY PRACTICE, Issue 4 2008Dr. Andy Wearn senior lecturer, director Objective To introduce and evaluate a short clinical examination skills course in a BPharm programme. The study objectives were to assess needs, explore attitudes, record perceived competence requirements and assess the value of physical examination skills learning. Setting BPharm programme in Auckland, New Zealand. Participants were students enrolled in years 3 and 4 of the programme (2003). Method The design was a longitudinal, dual cohort, educational intervention evaluation using a self-completed questionnaire. An examination skills component was added to the fourth year of the pharmacy programme. Year 3 and 4 students were recruited, and completed the questionnaire at two points. Year 3 students were sampled one year before and soon after the skills sessions. Year 4 students were sampled after the sessions and 18 months later (once registered). The questionnaire sought their attitudes towards clinical skills training and practical relevance for future practice, and evaluated their learning experience. Key findings Response rates at the four points were 42,67%. Year 3 students identified a similar set of appropriate skills to those actually taught in year 4. Overall, attitudes to introducing examination skills learning were positive at all points. At follow-up, both cohorts agreed more strongly that examination skills training should be core (significantly for registered pharmacists versus year 3, P < 0.006). Measuring manual blood pressure was deemed the most difficult skill. All taught skills were used in practice except for respiratory rate; most used were body mass index (BMI), temperature and peak flow measurement. Conclusions There was a close correlation between what was offered in the course, what students felt they needed to learn and what was relevant in practice. Once registered, pharmacists were aware of their limitations and level of competence in relation to clinical skills. The small changes in attitudinal scores appear to reflect maturity and experience. The study design allowed us to adapt the educational component to student need. Health professional educators need to be aware of and respond to changes in professional scopes of practice. [source] The World Bank's New Social Policies: PensionsINTERNATIONAL SOCIAL SCIENCE JOURNAL, Issue 170 2001François-Xavier Merrien Over the last 15 years, the world has become the scene of struggles between major inter-national stakeholders regarding the policies required for economic prosperity and social development. The World Bank plays a dominant role here. In this article, the author highlights the epistemic revolution the policy field has undergone under the aegis of the Bank. He analyses the basic aspects of the new orthodoxy regarding pensions and the effects on the policies of the governments concerned. He concludes with an examination of the theoretical and practical relevance of the recommendations and asks to what extent the Bank is able to learn from its own mistakes. [source] Weak inhibitors protect cholinesterases from strong inhibitors (paraoxon): in vitro effect of tiaprideJOURNAL OF APPLIED TOXICOLOGY, Issue 6 2005G. A. Petroianu Abstract Weak and reversible inhibitors of cholinesterases, when administered before potent organophosphorus inhibitors (pretreatment), have the ability, to a certain extent, to protect enzymes from inhibition. Such a protective effect was demonstrated in vitro for metoclopramide and ranitidine. The putative mode of protective action of these substances is, when administered in excess, competition for the active site of the enzyme with the more potent organophosphate. The present paper presents results using another benzamide with weak cholinesterase inhibitory properties: tiapride (TIA). The purpose of the study was to quantify in vitro the extent that TIA conferred protection, using paraoxon (POX) as an inhibitor, and to compare the results with existing data obtained using TIA as a protective agent against dichlorvos (DDVP). POX is a highly toxic non-neuropathic organophosphate. While the use of parathion (the inactive prodrug which is metabolically converted to POX) has been restricted in most countries, the organophosphate is still responsible for a large number of accidental or suicidal exposures. DDVP is a moderately toxic, non-neuropathic organophosphate. Red blood cell (RBC) acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activities in whole blood and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) activities in human plasma were measured photometrically in the presence of different POX and TIA concentrations and the IC50 was calculated. Determinations were repeated in the presence of increasing TIA concentrations. The IC50 of POX increases with the TIA concentration in a linear manner. The protective effect of tiapride on cholinesterase could be of practical relevance in the pretreatment of organophosphate poisoning. It is concluded that in vivo testing of TIA as an organophosphate protective agent is warranted. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Pralidoxime and l -lactate effects in vitro on the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase by paraoxon: pralidoxime does not confer superior protectionJOURNAL OF APPLIED TOXICOLOGY, Issue 1 2001Georg Petroianu Abstract Intoxication with the organophosphorus compound paraoxon (POX), an inhibitor of serine hydrolases, is frequent. Although oximes are the only enzyme reactivators presently available, clinical experience with their use was rather disappointing. Recent work has shown that under certain conditions l -lactate is also able to reduce in vitro the POX inhibition of butyrylcholine- and acetylcholineesterase (BChE and AChE). To assess the practical relevance, if any, of these findings, the protective effects of pralidoxime (PRX) and those of lactate had to be compared in the same in vitro model. Effects of PRX on the inhibition of AChE by POX were assessed in vitro in plasma of 12 (six male and six female) healthy human volunteers. The determinations were repeated using different oxime and different POX concentrations. The AChE activity determinations were performed using the following sampler: sample BL,baseline (or untreated plasma); sample a,after addition of POX to plasma (pl + POX); sample b,after POX and plasma were incubated and then oxime was added (pl + POX/PRX); sample c,after addition of oxime to plasma (pl + PRX); sample d,after oxime and plasma were incubated and then POX was added (pl + PRX/POX); sample e,after oxime and POX were incubated and then added to plasma (PRX + POX/pl). Results were corrected for spurious enzyme ,pseudo-activity' due to interaction between PRX and substrate (acetylthiocholine) in the absence of enzyme. In the micro- and millimolar ranges, PRX is able to protect in vitro AChE from inhibition by POX when added to human plasma prior to POX or when incubated with POX prior to addition to plasma. Adding PRX to plasma after POX has no protective effect. The PRX results were compared statistically with historical lactate data (obtained under identical conditions) using the Wilcoxon matched pairs test, with significance assumed for p = 0.01. No difference between PRX and lactate's protective effect on the AChE inhibition by POX was found in the in vitro model used. We therefore conclude that in vivo testing of lactate as a POX protective agent is warranted. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Autopoietic Law and the ,Epistemic Trap': A Case Study of Adoption and ContactJOURNAL OF LAW AND SOCIETY, Issue 3 2004Carole Smith This paper examines autopoietic theory with reference to functionally differentiated social sub-systems, particularly law, science, and politics. It sets out to ,test' the practical relevance of autopoietic theory in relation to ongoing debates about post-adoption contact and personal identity issues. Law has resisted social scientific pressure to regulate post-adoption contact in the context of a social policy approach, which emphasizes the relationship between identity development and genealogical continuity. I argue that law's response to this pressure relates to the particular nature of adoption as this is expressed through legislation and case law. Law's refusal to intervene in post-adoption contact reflects its self-referential operations and its attempts to avoid epistemic entrapment by a social scientific discourse. Applying autopoietic theory to law's practical operations in adoption clarifies its explanatory value, provides a conceptual framework for understanding the relationship between law, politics, and social science and indicates areas that require theoretical refinement. [source] Disc degeneration and bone density in monozygotic twins discordant for insulin-dependent diabetes mellitusJOURNAL OF ORTHOPAEDIC RESEARCH, Issue 5 2000T. Videman The effects of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus on bone density and connective tissue degeneration have theoretical interest and practical relevance. Several experimental studies in animals have demonstrated the harmful effects of insulin deficiency on connective tissues. However, clinical studies in humans have produced somewhat contradictory results, most likely due to difficulties controlling for general degeneration and factors associated with diabetes. In nine pairs of monozygotic twins discordant for insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, we compared femoral and lumbar bone mineral density (assessed by dualenergy x-ray absorptiometry) and spinal degeneration (assessed by magnetic resonance imaging). The bone densities were, on average, 0.1,0.3% lower (p = 0.87,0.96) in diabetic patients. However, after controlling for smoking, we found that the bone density in the femoral neck was 2.5% (0.025 g/cm2) lower in diabetic individuals than in their twins (p = 0.09). The five magnetic resonance imaging parameters used to evaluate discdegeneration did not differ between diabetic patients and their twins. In conclusion, our results provide no evidence that insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus has any major effect on bone density or disc degeneration. [source] Transversal traits in science education research relevant for teaching and research: A meta-interpretative studyJOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING, Issue 5 2008J. Bernardino Lopes Abstract This study is a meta-interpretative analysis that focuses on research conducted and published by other researchers. Concepts central to this study include global practical relevance, curriculum design, and formative situation. We analyzed 35 studies selected from 374 published studies in the years 2000 and 2001 in three journals referenced in the International Scientific Index. Using a replicable methodology developed specifically for this research, we found evidence of s clusters of variables that suggest the existence of transversal traits in the 35 science education research studies. These results form a reference framework of theoretical and practical knowledge relevant for research and practice pertaining to teaching and learning science. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 45: 574,599, 2008 [source] Information About Multiple Risks: The Case of Building and Content InsuranceJOURNAL OF RISK AND INSURANCE, Issue 4 2002Dario Bonato Insurers traditionally use risk-specific characteristics of insureds to classify them according to risk. In this article, the practical relevance of information about multiple risks is demonstrated for the case of content insurance of a Swiss company. Two types of such information prove important: information about "spillover moral hazard" caused by mandated prevention affecting preventive effort in an unregulated line, and information about "common impulses" reflected in the loss experience of related lines. Both contribute to an improved prediction of loss probability. [source] Coating selection and tribological testing for engineering equipment applicationsLUBRICATION SCIENCE, Issue 2 2008S.E. Franklin This paper considers the process of selecting and testing coatings for parts in professional engineering equipment applications in relation to the needs of design engineers in industry and the practical issues encountered. A methodology for pre-selection of potential coating solutions is discussed and consideration is given to the practical implementation of testing strategies in order to obtain results that are pertinent to the application. Two example case studies are described and the results are discussed in terms of their practical relevance and use. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Permanent-transitory Decomposition in Var Models With Cointegration and Common CyclesOXFORD BULLETIN OF ECONOMICS & STATISTICS, Issue 4 2000Alain Hecq In this paper we derive permanent-transitory decompositions of non-stationary multiple times series generated by (r)nite order Gaussian VAR(p) models with both cointegration and serial correlation common features. We extend existing analyses to the two classes of reduced rank structures discussed in Hecq, Palm and Urbain (1998). Using the corresponding state space representation of cointegrated VAR models in vector error correction form we show how decomposition can be obtained even in the case where the number of common feature and cointegration vectors are not equal to the number of variables. As empirical analysis of US business fluctuations shows the practical relevance of the approach we propose. [source] Reactive blending of functionalized acrylic rubbers and epoxy resinsPOLYMER ENGINEERING & SCIENCE, Issue 9 2001C. Dispenza A high molecular weight acrylonitrile/butadiene/methacrylic acid (Nipol 1472) rubber is chosen to control processability and mechanical properties of a TGDDM (tetra glycidyl diphenyl methane) based epoxy resin formulation for aerospace composite applications. The physical blend of rubber and epoxy resin, achieved by dissolution of all the components in a common solvent, forms a heterogeneous system after solvent removal and presents coarse phase separation during cure that impairs any practical relevance of this material. A marked improvement of rubberepoxy miscibility is achieved by reactive blending (,pre-reaction') the epoxy oligomer with the functional groups present in the rubber. The epoxy-rubber ,adduct' so obtained appears as a homogeneous system at room temperature and also after compounding with the curing agent. Depending on the nature and extent of interactions developed between the rubber and the epoxy resin during ,pre-reaction,' materials with different resin flow characteristics, distinctive morphologies and mechanical properties after curing were obtained. The effect of ,pre-reaction' on the resin cure reaction kinetics has been also investigated. [source] Share Capital and Creditor Protection: Efficient Rules for a Modern Company LawTHE MODERN LAW REVIEW, Issue 3 2000John Armour This article examines the case for rules of company law which regulate the raising and maintenance of share capital by companies. The enquiry has practical relevance because the content of company law is currently under review, and the rules relating to share capital have been singled out for particular attention. The existing rules, which apply generally, are commonly rationalised as a means of protecting corporate creditors. The analysis considers whether such rules can be understood as responses to failures in the markets for corporate credit. It suggests that whilst the current rules are unlikely, on the whole, to be justified in terms of efficiency, a case may be made for a framework within which companies may ,opt in' to customised restrictions on dealings in their share capital. [source] Producing Spaces for Academic Discourse: The Impact of Research Assessment Exercises and Journal Quality RankingsAUSTRALIAN ACCOUNTING REVIEW, Issue 1 2010Deryl Northcott This study examines the impact of national research assessment exercises (NRAEs) and associated journal quality rankings on the development, scope and sustainability of the academic journals in which accounting research is disseminated. The reported exploratory study focused on the United Kingdom (UK), Australia and New Zealand as three countries in which NRAEs are well developed or imminent. Data were collected via a survey of authors, interviews with journal editors, and feedback from publishers responsible for producing academic accounting journals. The findings suggest that, despite cynicism around the reliability of published journal quality rankings, the entrenchment of NRAE ,rules' and journal quality perceptions has changed authors' submission choices and left lower ranked journals struggling with a diminished quantity and quality of submissions. A clear perception is that NRAEs have done little to improve the overall quality of the accounting literature, but are impeding the diversity, originality and practical relevance of accounting research. Although strategies are suggested for meeting these challenges, they require strategic partnerships with publishers to enhance the profile and distribution of emerging journals, and depend on the willingness of accounting researchers to form supportive communities around journals that facilitate their research interests. The alternative may be a withering of the spaces for academic discourse, a stifling of innovation and a further entrenchment of current perceptions of what counts as ,quality' research. [source] Effects of timing and rate of N supply on leaf nitrogen status, grape yield and juice composition from Shiraz grapevines grafted to one of three different rootstocksAUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF GRAPE AND WINE RESEARCH, Issue 1 2007B.P. HOLZAPFEL Abstract Yeast cells have a minimum N requirement to ferment a must through to dryness, so that grape N content (hence must N) becomes critical in meeting that prerequisite. Viticultural practices aimed at meeting that N requirement are of special relevance because interactions between rootstock and vineyard nitrogen supply strongly influence scion mineral nutrient status as well as shoot vigour, and via those processes, fruit composition. Such outcomes were investigated in a field trial involving Shiraz on three rootstocks viz. Teleki 5C, Schwarzmann and Ramsey. Five N supply regimes, varying from 0 to 80 kg/(haseason), were imposed through a drip-irrigation system during two periods (either flowering to veraison, or post-harvest to leaf-fall, or both) over three successive growing seasons. Post-harvest N supply increased scion leaf N and nitrate N concentrations at flowering for vines on Teleki 5C and Schwarzmann. By veraison, N recently applied in the flowering to veraison period elevated these indicators of N status in all vines on all rootstocks. Grape yields from vines on Teleki 5C and Schwarzmann were elevated by N supply after harvest, whereas juice soluble solids levels were lowered. Free amino acids in Shiraz juice were dominated by non-assimilable N, amounting to about 50% or more of the total free amino-N in the juice. Increasing N supply increased free amino acid concentrations in the juice of berries from vines on all rootstocks, but only vines on Schwarzmann derived any benefit from N supplied after harvest. The highest concentrations of free amino acids were measured in the berries from vines on Schwarzmann receiving 80 kg N/(ha.season). Of immediate practical relevance for N management of Shiraz grapevines on either Teleki 5C or Ramsey rootstocks, the minimum value for assimilable free amino-N concentration required to ferment a must through to dryness was not achieved if vineyard N application was limited to the post-harvest period. [source] Erprobt, bewährt und demontiert , Vom Verschwinden gewohnter StrukturenBAUTECHNIK, Issue 4 2006Beratender Ingenieur VBI, Prüfingenieur für Baustatik VPI, Sachverständiger nach WHG-VAwS Josef Steiner Dipl.-Ing. In der Bundesrepublik wurde in den zurückliegenden Jahren viel von dem, was über lange Zeit bewährt war, verändert, meistens ohne Not. Vorgeschoben hat man Zwänge von außen, oft wurden Empfehlungen, dem Hang zum vorauseilenden Gehorsam folgend, übererfüllt. Dies gilt insbesondere für das Abfassen neuer Gesetze. Leider zeigt sich als Ergebnis dieser Veränderungen ein Trend zum Mittelmaß auf vielen Gebieten; die mit dem Bauen befaßten Planer und die gesamte Baubranche bekommen die Folgen, z. B. durch praxisferne und unpraktikable Normen, zu spüren. Andererseits übt sich der Gesetzgeber in Deregulierungsmaßnahmen an der falschen Stelle und fördert z. B. durch den zunehmenden Verzicht auf die notwendigen präventiven Kontrollen ein Absinken des Sicherheitsniveaus unserer Bauten. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) Tested , accepted , destroyed: About disappearing of used principles. In Germany in the past years much of what was proven over long time, changed, mostly without necessity , allegedly because of outside obligations, often recommendations became "over-fulfilled". This applies in particular to the draft of new laws. Unfortunately a trend shows up to mediocre results of these changes in many areas; the planners concerned with building and the entire construction industry get the consequences, e.g. by standards, lacking in practical relevance. On the other hand the legislator practices in deregulation measures in the wrong position and promotes e.g. by the increasing renouncement of necessary preventive controls a dropping of the safety level of our buildings. [source] Child health services in transition: II.ACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 3 2005Mothers' perceptions of 18-month-old children in the light of socio-economic status, some subjective factors Abstract Aim: To analyse mothers' self-assessed quality of interaction with their children and their opinions about child difficulty with respect to socio-economic status and subjective factors: postnatal depression, social isolation, sense of coherence and locus of control. Methods and material: A comprehensive questionnaire was completed by 1039 mothers of 18-mo-old children participating in the baseline measurements of a Swedish multicentre study developing and testing a new psychosocial model for the child health services. Results: All subjective factors, including the number of factors, showed significant associations with perceived interaction and difficultness. Effect sizes of subjective factors ranged from about 0.3 to 1 SD for interaction, and from about 0.2 to 0.8 SD for difficultness. As for difficultness, effect sizes were larger for boys. There were no associations between high socio-economic status and high-quality interaction or low child difficultness: the few significant differences in fact favoured low-status children. Conclusion : The results provided some contradictory findings to the well-known association between high socio-economic status and favourable outcome. This result is of practical relevance for interventions: supportive programmes cannot be limited to areas and families of low socio-economic status. Positive effects may ensue if subjective factors like those studied here can be promoted among parents and children through the child health services. [source] Ethical Challenges in Practice-Based Mental Health Services Research: Examples From Research With Children and FamiliesCLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY: SCIENCE AND PRACTICE, Issue 2 2008Ann F. Garland Researchers have been encouraged to improve the practical relevance and utility of their work by conducting research based on "real-world" service settings and collaborating with other stakeholders, such as service providers and consumers. Practice-based research presents multiple ethical challenges, not well addressed in the literature. We discuss ethical challenges in three general categories, derived from our experience in practice-based research on child and family services: (a) multiple roles and potentially competing demands of research and clinical care, (b) multiple potential uses of research data, and (c) policy and fiscal challenges. Suggested directions for future work are also proposed. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||