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Issues Relevant (issues + relevant)
Selected AbstractsLegal Issues Relevant to Non-heart beating Organ DonationNURSING IN CRITICAL CARE, Issue 1 2010Catherine Plowright No abstract is available for this article. [source] Full f particle simulation method for solution of transient edge phenomenaCONTRIBUTIONS TO PLASMA PHYSICS, Issue 1-3 2004J. A. Heikkinen An electrostatic gyrokinetic guiding-centre particle code is described where electrons and ions are simultaneously followed in the edge region. Full f technique is used for particle sampling and loading to allow efficient treatment of strong time variation in the collisional edge bulk plasma. Both the gyrokinetic ion polarization term and the implicit electron term in the quasi-neutrality condition are determined based on the full-f sampling for both electrons and ions. Issues relevant for the SOL modeling like recycling, heat source, and boundary conditions for plasma/wall interaction are discussed. (© 2004 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] Response simulation and seismic assessment of highway overcrossingsEARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS, Issue 9 2010Anastasios Kotsoglou Abstract Interaction of bridge structures with the adjacent embankment fills and pile foundations is generally responsible for response modification of the system to strong ground excitations, to a degree that depends on soil compliance, support conditions, and soil mass mobilized in dynamic response. This paper presents a general modeling and assessment procedure specifically targeted for simulation of the dynamic response of short bridges such as highway overcrossings, where the embankment soil,structure interaction is the most prevalent. From previous studies it has been shown that in this type of interaction, seismic displacement demands are magnified in the critical bridge components such as the central piers. This issue is of particular relevance not only in new design but also in the assessment of the existing infrastructure. Among a wide range of issues relevant to soil,structure interaction, typical highway overcrossings that have flexible abutments supported on earth embankments were investigated extensively in the paper. Simulation procedures are proposed for consideration of bridge-embankment interaction effects in practical analysis of these structures for estimation of their seismic performance. Results are extrapolated after extensive parametric studies and are used to extract ready-to-use, general, and parameterized capacity curves for a wide range of possible material properties and geometric characteristics of the bridge-embankment assembly. Using two instrumented highway overpasses as benchmark examples, the capacity curves estimated using the proposed practical procedures are correlated successfully with the results of explicit incremental dynamic analysis, verifying the applicability of the simple tools developed herein, in seismic assessment of existing short bridges. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Tracking ,Same,Sex Love' from Antiquity to the Present in South AsiaGENDER & HISTORY, Issue 1 2002Rosemary Marangoly George This essay focuses on the anthology Same,Sex Love in India: Readings from Literature and History (2000), edited by Ruth Vanita and Saleem Kidwai. Unlike many other recently published, celebratory ,gay anthologies', this book contributes to ongoing scholarly work on specific same,sex erotic practices and relations in historical and cultural context. We examine issues relevant to this anthology and other such projects: the use of ,love' and ,same,sex' as (stable) signifiers over centuries; the validity of interpreting social reality through literary texts from the period; the difficulties of locating ,love' in severely hierarchical, even slave,owning, societies; and the implications of using such anthologies in the classroom. [source] How socially responsible engagement can change your business model: The radical experience of Armor LuxGLOBAL BUSINESS AND ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE, Issue 1 2008Virginie Vial Despite a growing consensus on corporate social responsibility (CSR) issues relevant to companies, there is no one-size-fits-all way to structure and organize CSR. The lack of clarity and transparency in the structure leads stakeholders, rightly or wrongly, to accuse companies of "greenwashing strategies." The author analyzes the case of a small French textile company that has radically turned its business model toward CSR in order to survive. It provides a good example of real social engagement and how it transforms the business model. It also raises the question of whether sustainable development issues, scarcity of resources, and deindustrialization of developed countries will move other manufacturers to consider services and intangible assets as part of their business model. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Novel ecosystems: theoretical and management aspects of the new ecological world orderGLOBAL ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2006Richard J. Hobbs ABSTRACT We explore the issues relevant to those types of ecosystems containing new combinations of species that arise through human action, environmental change, and the impacts of the deliberate and inadvertent introduction of species from other regions. Novel ecosystems (also termed ,emerging ecosystems') result when species occur in combinations and relative abundances that have not occurred previously within a given biome. Key characteristics are novelty, in the form of new species combinations and the potential for changes in ecosystem functioning, and human agency, in that these ecosystems are the result of deliberate or inadvertent human action. As more of the Earth becomes transformed by human actions, novel ecosystems increase in importance, but are relatively little studied. Either the degradation or invasion of native or ,wild' ecosystems or the abandonment of intensively managed systems can result in the formation of these novel systems. Important considerations are whether these new systems are persistent and what values they may have. It is likely that it may be very difficult or costly to return such systems to their previous state, and hence consideration needs to be given to developing appropriate management goals and approaches. [source] Patient and clinician collaboration in the design of a national randomized breast cancer trialHEALTH EXPECTATIONS, Issue 1 2004Jo Marsden MD FRCS (Gen Surgery) Abstract Objective, To show breast cancer patient involvement in the design of a national randomized trial of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in symptomatic patients will increase accrual. Setting and participants, Three stakeholder groups [(1) researchers from the Lynda Jackson Macmillan Centre, (2) the Consumers' Advisory Group for Clinical Trials (CAG-CT), (3) clinicians responsible for a pilot randomized HRT study in breast cancer patients] developed this collaborative study. Methods, (1) Nine focus group discussions were conducted to identify issues relevant to breast cancer patients about HRT and a national trial: six involved women from breast cancer support groups nationwide and three patients who had previously participated in the pilot randomized HRT study. (2) Recommendations from the focus groups (analysed by Grounded Theory) were debated by the research stakeholders and focus group representatives at a 1-day meeting and consensus reached (using a voting system) on mutual priorities for incorporation into the design of a national HRT trial. (3) Representatives from the CAG-CT and focus groups participated in subsequent national HRT steering committee meetings to ensure that these priorities were accounted for and the resulting trial design summary was circulated to the CAG-CT and all focus group representatives for comment. Results, Focus groups demonstrated that the complexity of factors relating to trial participation was not just restricted to the research topic in question. Patient,clinician interaction provided a platform for negotiating potential conflicts over trial design and outcomes. Patient feedback suggested that mutually agreed priorities were accounted for in the trial design. Interpretation, Clinical research planning should involve all research stakeholders at the outset. Quantifying the impact of patient involvement in terms of trial accrual may be too simple given the complexity of their motivations for participating in trials. [source] Do bacteria need to be regulated?JOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 3 2006P. Silley Abstract Additives for use in animal nutrition are regulated under Regulation (EC) No. 1831/2003. The scope of this paper addresses the specific microbiological issues relevant to a microbial feed additive, containing a Bacillus spp. and uses as an example a product with the trade name, Calsporin®. Bacillus subtilis C-3102 is the active ingredient in Calsporin® and is added to animal feed to favourably affect animal production and performance (growth and feed efficiency), by modulating the gastrointestinal flora. It is not the purpose of this review to present the raw data for Calsporin® but rather to use Calsporin® as an example of the type of data required by the European regulatory authorities. At the time of preparation of this manuscript Calsporin® has yet to be reviewed by the authorities. The regulatory system under the auspices of the EFSA FEEDAP Panel is clearly attempting to move in line with development of scientific opinion and is to be applauded for such efforts. Bacteria do need to be regulated, and the regulations clearly provide adequate and appropriate protection to human health and to environmental considerations. [source] Behavioral and Biological Indicators of Impulsivity in the Development of Alcohol Use, Problems, and DisordersALCOHOLISM, Issue 8 2010C.W. Lejuez Alcohol use disorders (AUDs) are a devastating public health problem. The construct of impulsivity is biologically based and heritable, and its various dimensions are relevant for understanding alcohol use. The goal of the current manuscript is to review recent behavioral and biological research examining various dimensions of impulsivity and their relation to AUDs from risk for initial use through dependence and relapse. Moreover, we also highlight key psychological variables including affective processes as they relate to current use and early indications of alcohol problems, as well as psychopathology, violence, and aggression in relation to AUDs. Each section includes a critical summary and we conclude the review with future directions focused on issues relevant to measurement, causality, and intervention. Throughout the review, we attempt to be as specific as possible about the dimensions of impulsivity being referenced, while attempting to draw parallels and highlighting differences as the existing literature allows. [source] Metacognition, Theory of Mind, and Self-Control: The Relevance of High-Level Cognitive Processes in Development, Neuroscience, and EducationMIND, BRAIN, AND EDUCATION, Issue 3 2008Beate Sodian ABSTRACT, The cognitive control of behavior is critical for success in school. The emergence of self-control in development has been linked to the ability to represent one's own and others' mental states (theory of mind and metacognition). Despite rapid progress in exploring the neural correlates of both mind reading and executive function in recent years, to date, the implications of these high-level cognitive processes for issues relevant to education have hardly been addressed. The present special issue brings together developmental perspectives on the relation of self-control, theory of mind, and metacognition; theoretical and empirical contributions on the implications of theory of mind and self-control for teaching and learning; and brief reviews of the state of the art in cognitive neuroscience on these high-level cognitive processes in adolescents and adults. [source] Pre-ICD Illness Beliefs Affect Postimplant Perceptions of Control and Patient Quality of LifePACING AND CLINICAL ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 3 2010CLAIRE N. HALLAS Ph.D. Background: The implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) is a device used in the treatment of ventricular arrhythmias and the prevention of sudden cardiac death. However, the ICD has been associated with negative psychological outcomes such as anxiety, depression, panic, and poor quality of life (QoL). Recent studies suggest that the preimplantation psychology of patients, combined with their postimplantation perceptions about their cardiac condition, are greater contributory factors than their medical status to a poor outcome. Method: Our study employed an interview-based qualitative grounded theory methodology to explore whether medical history hetereogeneity and illness beliefs impact on the QoL of 13 ICD patients. Results: Perceived control emerged as the core category related to QoL with three subsystem themes related to control: (1) illness beliefs, attributions, and appraisals; (2) coping resources and strategies; and (3) the social world. Patients at risk for the poorest adaptation were younger (<45), unemployed, and with an acute onset cardiac history. These patients interpreted their illness as severe, utilized emotion-focused coping (e.g., avoidance of situations), and believed themselves to be socially excluded. Adjusted patients used proactive problem-focused coping (e.g., normalizing) and minimized consequences of the device. Conclusions: The data developed a theoretical model of QoL, which identified perceived control, illness beliefs, and coping impacting on adjustment. From our study, we have a wider understanding of the combination psychological issues relevant to ICD patients and are able to treat those at risk with interventions to promote adjustment in the context of a society that values health and well-being. (PACE 2010; 33:256,265) [source] Expansion of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cellsAMERICAN JOURNAL OF HEMATOLOGY, Issue 12 2008Wu Hai-Jiang Hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) transplantation is hampered by the low number of stem cells per sample. To tackle this obstacle, several protocols for expansion of HSPCs in vitro are currently in development, such as the use of cytokine cocktails, coculture with mesenchymal stem cells as feeder cells, and cell culture in bioreactors. With the progress in the understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms regulating HSPCs maintenance and expansion, more recent approaches have involved transcription regulation, cell cycle regulation, telomerase regulation, and chromatin-modifying agents. The potential clinical application and safety issues relevant to the expanded HSPCs are also discussed in this review. Am. J. Hematol., 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Consumer persuasion: Indirect change and implicit balancePSYCHOLOGY & MARKETING, Issue 10 2010Javier Horcajo The present research examines two main issues relevant to consumer persuasion: (1) whether automatic evaluations can change (both directly and indirectly) in response to verbal ads that engage deliberative information processing activity, and (2) whether such messages can result in spreading activation of implicit change that is consistent with balance principles. The first study showed that automatic evaluations of vegetables were more favorable after people read a health ad than a control message. The results of Study 2 showed that automatic associations toward Heineken (a brand associated with the color green) were also more favorable as a result of processing a message advocating the color green than a neutral control message. Consistent with the idea that automatic changes can be consequential not only for brands but also for consumer identity, participants of Study 3 showed more automatic self,vegetable associations after thinking about the benefits (rather than the negative consequences) of consuming vegetables. A final study revealed that false feedback increasing (vs. decreasing) self,product identity led to more favorable automatic attitudes toward the product, but only for those with relatively high scores on the implicit measure of self-esteem. Taken together, this series of studies suggests that automatic changes that result from consumer persuasion are consequential in terms of spreading activation and that they seem to respond to balance principles. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] The difficulty with experience: Does practice increase susceptibility to premature closure?THE JOURNAL OF CONTINUING EDUCATION IN THE HEALTH PROFESSIONS, Issue 3 2006Kevin W. Eva PhD Abstract Introduction: A recent review of the physician performance literature concluded that the risk of prematurely closing one's diagnostic search increases with years of experience. To minimize confounding variables and gain insight into cognitive issues relevant to continuing education, the current study was performed to test this conclusion. Methods: Physician participants were shown a series of case histories and asked to judge the probability of a pair of diagnoses. The order in which features were presented was manipulated across participants and the probabilities compared to determine the impact of information order. Two groups of participants were recruited, 1 older than and 1 younger than 60 years. Results: The probability assigned to a diagnosis tended to be greater when features consistent with that diagnosis preceded those consistent with an alternative than when the same features followed those consistent with the alternative. Older participants revealed a greater primacy effect than less experienced participants across 4 experimental conditions. Discussion: Physicians with greater experience appear to weigh their first impressions more heavily than those with less experience. Educators should design instructional activities that account for experience-specific cognitive tendencies. [source] Emergency Medicine and Political InfluenceACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 10 2009Robin R. Hemphill MD Abstract The 2008 election brought sweeping political change to Washington, DC. For a variety of reasons, there is also substantial political momentum for reform of our health care system. At the 2008 Association of American Medical Colleges meeting in San Antonio, Texas, the Association of Academic Chairs of Emergency Medicine, meeting in conjunction with the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, chose to examine the topic of "advocacy and political influence." This article summarizes comments made at the meeting and develops the argument that expertise in health policy and political advocacy are valuable skills that should be considered legitimate components of scholarly activity in academic emergency medicine. Strategies for effective advocacy of issues relevant to emergency medicine and emergency patient care are also discussed. [source] ANCA-small vessel vasculitides: what have we (not yet) learned from animal models?APMIS, Issue 2009BETTY S. VAN DER VEEN Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies (ANCA) with a specificity for myeloperoxidase or proteinase 3 are closely associated with small vessel vasculitides (SVV). In vitro, ANCA activate primed neutrophils to release toxic substances that destroy endothelial cells, suggesting a pathogenic role for these autoantibodies in disease development. However, to study the complex interplay between ANCA, neutrophils, and the local environment in vivo, animal models are required. Here, we will review the animal models developed for ANCA-SVV and discuss how these models have been applied to study ANCA-SVV pathogenesis. In addition, some directions for future research pertaining to unresolved issues relevant for the pathogenesis and immunogenesis of ANCA-SVV are proposed. [source] Science and its application in assessing the welfare of laying hens in the egg industryAUSTRALIAN VETERINARY JOURNAL, Issue 10 2003JL BARNETT Objective To provide a rational framework for the scientific assessment of welfare and to use this framework to assess the welfare implications of issues relevant to the Australian egg industry. Procedure A well-accepted approach to the assessment of animal welfare, based on assessing how well the animal is adapting, is described. This approach is used to consider the welfare implications of issues such as space, perches, nest boxes, dust baths, abrasive strips and non-cage housing systems. Conclusions The role of science in the welfare debate is to provide biological facts and thus it is important to separate welfare and ethics. The welfare of an animal in response to a housing system or husbandry procedure can be assessed by evaluating how much has to be done by the animal in order to cope and the extent to which the coping attempts are succeeding. Using this approach there is evidence for improved welfare from increasing space in cages, based on reduced aggression, corticosterone concentrations and mortalities and increased production, and for incorporating perches, based on the reduction in injuries at depopulation. Similar evidence for the inclusion of dust baths and nest boxes is lacking. The data on abrasive strips are equivocal with recommendations from overseas for their inclusion, whereas some local data have shown an increase in mortality can occur. Similarly, the data on non-cage systems are equivocal. The data on bone strength suggest improved fitness in non-cage systems, the data on stress suggest fitness may be better, similar or worse in non-cage systems, and the limited data on immunology suggest fitness may be worse in non-cage systems than in conventional cages. [source] Legal issues in maximum security institutions for people with mental illness: liberty, security, and administrative discretionBEHAVIORAL SCIENCES & THE LAW, Issue 5 2002John Petrila J.D., LL.M. This article explores four legal issues relevant to the provision of care in secure hospitals. These include the current status of right to treatment litigation; the potential impact of the Americans with Disabilities Act; new developments in laws governing restraint and seclusion; and the need for uniform institutional policies on risk assessment. These issues illustrate the potential conflicts between individual autonomy and institutional control that have been at the heart of mental health law for three decades. The article suggests that because of the diminishing oversight provided by the federal judiciary, institutional custodians have a particular obligation to ensure that individual rights are not overwhelmed by concerns with security. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Toward an Understanding of Polyglutamine NeurodegenerationBRAIN PATHOLOGY, Issue 2 2000Henry L. Paulson Polyglutamine expansion is now recognized to be a major cause of inherited human neurodegenerative disease. The polyglutamine expansion diseases identified so far are slowly progressive disorders in which distinct yet overlapping brain regions are selectively vulnerable to degeneration. Despite their clinical differences these diseases likely share a common pathogenic mechanism, occurring at the protein level and centered on an abnormal conformation of expanded polyglutamine in the respective disease proteins. Recently there has been remarkable progress in our understanding of polyglutamine disease, but still there are many unanswered questions. In this review, I first outline some of the shared features of polyglutamine diseases and then discuss several issues relevant to an understanding of pathogenesis, paying particular attention to possible mechanisms of neurotoxicity. [source] Context and its significance in identifying ,what works' in child protectionCHILD ABUSE REVIEW, Issue 3 2005Adrian Barton Abstract The repetitive nature of the underlying problems with child protection systems identified by many inquiries into child deaths suggests that the ability to transpose successful strategies from one area to another may be contingent on more than a ,technical' approach to best practice. Current policy responses to failing child protection systems are arguably based on an assumption that practices that work in one area may be applied in other areas without reference to the existing base for practice. Drawing on our own experiences in the field, we attempt to explore some methodological issues relevant to the evaluation of service provision and the dissemination of effective practice in interagency working. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Child protection in the community: a community development approachCHILD ABUSE REVIEW, Issue 6 2004Sarah Wright Abstract This article describes the development of a community work project which aims to address issues relating to the safety of children within their communities. The project's work is underpinned by an ecological theory of child abuse and embraces a community development approach. The approach aims to engage local communities in de,ning issues relevant to them and in identifying strategies for addressing these issues. The project has engaged in a mixture of direct service delivery, in,uencing and networking activities and ,community capacity building' activities. As the project has developed, the remit of its work has become increasingly de,ned by local people. Market research was undertaken to promote an understanding of the things that children and parents felt affected children's safety locally. A community conference was organized to promote awareness about the issues that were identi,ed and to engage local policy-makers and professionals in discussing potential solutions with community members. A youth forum has been established to enable young people to in,uence local decision-making about issues that affect their safety and well-being within the community. The community development approach is seen as being effective in helping young people to in,uence their environment and in reducing vulnerability through promoting self-esteem. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Microbial natural products as a source of antifungalsCLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTION, Issue 1 2003M. F. Vicente The vast number and variety of chemotherapeutic agents isolated from microbial natural products and used to treat bacterial infections have greatly contributed to the improvement of human health during the past century. However, only a limited number of antifungal agents (polyenes and azoles, plus the recently introduced caspofungin acetate) are currently available for the treatment of life-threatening fungal infections. Furthermore, the prevalence of systemic fungal infections has increased significantly during the past decade. For this reason, the development of new antifungal agents, preferably with novel mechanisms of action, is an urgent medical need. A selection of antifungal agents in early stages of development, produced by micro-organisms, is summarized in this review. The compounds are classified according to their mechanisms of action, covering inhibitors of the synthesis of cell wall components (glucan, chitin and mannoproteins), of sphingolipid synthesis (serine palmitoyltransferase, ceramide synthase, inositol phosphoceramide synthase and fatty acid elongation) and of protein synthesis (sordarins). In addition, some considerations related to the chemotaxonomy of the producing organisms and some issues relevant to antifungal drug discovery are also discussed. [source] Life Stress as a Risk Factor for Postpartum Depression: Current Research and Methodological IssuesCLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY: SCIENCE AND PRACTICE, Issue 1 2000Joel D. Swendsen There is compelling evidence to suggest that acute adverse life events and certain stressors specific to motherhood increase the risk of maternity blues and diagnoses of postpartum depression. Other psychosocial factors that are likely to explain vulnerability to postpartum depression include previous history of depression and the stress-moderating effects of social support and coping responses. This article reviews the emerging empirical literature on stress and postpartum depression and presents a discussion of methodological issues relevant to advancing this area of research. Multivariate models that examine the interplay of these variables are now required to further our understanding of these syndromes. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||