This article reviews research in the fields of psychology, literature, communication, human–computer interaction, public health, and consumer behavior on narrative and its potential relationships with videogames and story immersion. It also reviews a narrative's role in complementing behavioral chan...

This essay reviews some of the issues associated with the challenge of integrating the concepts of medical professionalism into the socialization and identity formation of the undergraduate medical student. A narrative-based approach to the integration of professionalism in medical education proposed by Coulehan (Acad Med 80(10):892-898, 2005) offers an appealing method to accomplish the task in a less didactic format and in a way that promotes more personal growth. In this essay, I review how the Osler Student Societies of the University of Texas Medical Branch developed and how they offer a convenient vehicle to carry out this narrative-based approach to professionalism. Through mentor-modeled professional behavior, opportunities for student self-reflection, the development of narrative skills through reflection on great literature, and opportunities for community service, the Osler Student Societies provide a ready-made narrative-based approach to medical professionalism education. PMID:23117347

As online and blended learning has become common place educational strategy in higher education, educators need to reconceptualise fundamental issues of teaching, learning and assessment in non traditional spaces. These issues include concepts such as validity and reliability of assessment in online environments in relation to serving the intended purposes, as well as understanding how formative assessment functions within online and blended learning. This article provides a systematic qualitative review of the research literature on online formative assessment in higher education. As an integrative narrative review, the method applied in this review entailed systematic searching, reviewing, and writing this review of the literature to bring together key themes and findings of research in ...

Books reviewed in this issue. Medieval Literature and Culture Besch, Werner, and Thomas Klein, eds. Der Schreiber als Dolmetsch: Sprachliche Umsetzungstechniken beim binnensprachlichen Texttransfer in Mittelalter und Frher Neuzeit. Hughes, Timothy Jolyon. Wolfram von Eschenbach's Criticism of Minnedienst in his Narrative Works. 18th and 19th Century Literature and Culture Amrein, Ursula, and Regina Dieterle, eds. Gottfried Keller: Vom Realismus zur Moderne. Baker, Geoffrey. Realism's Empire: Empiricism and Enchantment in the Nineteenth-Century Novel. Davies, Steffan. The Wallenstein Figure in German Literature and Historiography 1790-1920. Dunker, Axel. Kontrapunktische Lektren. Koloniale Strukturen in der deutschsprachigen Literatur des 19. Jahrhunderts. Pailer, Gaby. Charlotte Schiller: ...

Objectives: To review the evidence on public involvement in the systematic review process in health and social care; to examine the different methods, levels and stages of involving the public; to synthesise the contributions of the public, as well as the identified tensions, facilitating strategies and recommendations for good practice. Method: Systematic literature search and narrative review. Findings: Seven case examples were found covering the following review topics: patients' perspectives on electro-convulsive therapy; user involvement in nursing, midwifery and health visiting research; treatments for degenerative ataxias; teaching, learning and assessment of law in social work education; HIV health promotion for men who have sex with men; the conceptualisation, measurement, impact ...

Background: Medical students and doctors experience several types of professional distress. Their causes ("?stressors"?) are commonly classified as exogenous (adapting to medical school or clinical practice) and endogenous (due to personality traits). Attempts to reduce distress have consisted of providing students with support and counseling, and improving doctors'? management of work time and workload. Aim: To review the common professional stressors, suggest additional ones, and propose ways to reduce their impact. Method: Narrative review of the literature. Results and conclusion: We suggest adding two professional stressors to those already described in the literature. First, the incongruity between students'? expectations and the realities of medical training and practice. Second, th...

Narrative inquiry is increasingly being used across disciplines in the human sciences to investigate a multitude of questions. In this review, RIESSMAN's book on narrative methods is discussed. The review focuses on how she situates narrative tradition within the broader landscape of qualitative res...

Introduction: Pregnancy is a key time to leverage receptivity to smoking reduction or cessation in both pregnant women and their partners. A partner's smoking status and support for the pregnant/postpartum woman's efforts to reduce or quit smoking may impact her smoking behavior. Methods: A systematic literature review of interventions to enhance partner support for pregnant/postpartum women's smoking reduction or cessation and cessation treatments for the partners themselves identified 855 unique references, which were examined for relevance, yielding 9 intervention studies. Results: This narrative review analyzed a range of interventions including mass media campaigns, ultrasound scans, video, self-help manuals, counselling, and nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs) aimed at pregnant wom...

One of the most commonly reported and successful behavioral interventions for tic disorders is habit reversal (HR). Several narrative literature reviews have adequately summarized the outcomes of these studies. The purpose of this article was to review studies that used HR to treat tics in terms of their methodological characteristics and rigor. Guidelines developed by the Task Force on Promotion and Dissemination of Psychological Procedures were used to evaluate the state of the literature. From an initial database that included 29 studies, 12 were included in the final analysis. Results indicate that although research has been conducted in this area for almost three decades, the majority of studies contain considerable methodological shortcomings. Based on the Task Force guidelines, the existing literature on the use of HR to treat tics can currently be classified as "probably efficacious," and it almost meets the criteria for the "well-established" classification. Directions for future research are discussed.

Summary Hypertonic saline has been in clinical use for many decades. Its osmotic and volume-expanding properties make it theoretically useful for a number of indications in critical care. This literature review evaluates the use of hypertonic saline in critical care. The putative mechanism of action is presented, followed by a narrative review of its clinical usefulness in critical care. The review was conducted using the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network method for the review of cohort studies, randomised-controlled trials and meta-analyses. The review focuses specifically on blood pressure restoration and outcome benefit in both haemorrhagic and non-haemorrhagic shock, and the management of raised intracranial pressure. Issues of clinical improvement and outcome benefit are add...

BackgroundCritical limb ischemia (CLI) represents the extreme of the peripheral arterial occlusive disease spectrum and is associated with high mortality. Limb salvage often requires infrapopliteal revascularization by either angioplasty or bypass surgery. The past decade has witnessed a paradigm shift in CLI management toward endovascular treatment. This narrative review describes the clinical outcome, treatment strategy, and limitations of both modalities. MethodA literature search was performed of the PubMed and Cochrane databases. All articles, published until September 2011, describing treatment by infrapopliteal arterial revascularization were included. ResultsAngioplasty and bypass surgery are both related to a limb salvage rate of approximately 80% at 3-year follow-up. Patency rate...

BackgroundPosterior cruciate ligament injuries are increasingly recognized, the result of various sports activities, and while most athletes return to sports the development degenerative joint changes is common. ObjectiveTo provide a synopsis of the current best evidence regarding the recognition and treatment of posterior cruciate ligament injuries. DesignStructured narrative review. MethodsKeyword search of Medline, CINAHL, and PEDro databases for studies published in English from January 1975 to July 2011. Additionally, the reference lists from articles obtained were manually searched for relevant literature. SummaryThe manuscript provides an overview of posterior cruciate ligament injury, discusses diagnostic methods to include radiographic examination techniques, and presents informat...

Purpose: To summarize the potential origins of fatigue poststroke from a neuromuscular perspective, including stroke-induced alterations at the cortical, spinal and muscle levels. Method: Perspective based on narrative literature review. Results: Fatigue is a highly prevalent, but poorly understood symptom poststroke. Neuromuscular fatigue has central and peripheral origins. Individuals with stroke experienced greater central fatigue and less peripheral fatigue during voluntary contractions of the paretic leg in comparison to healthy participants. Neuromuscular adaptations to stroke create an increased susceptibility to central fatigue, which may be a contributing factor to the increased perception of tiredness during performance of activities of daily living. Future studies should investi...

This survey research compares the structure and practices of 7 community studio art programs for artists with disabilities in Europe to 8 studio art therapy programs in the United States. Art therapy and disability arts literature was reviewed to establish a theoretical context for this project. A survey research method was used, with statistical and narrative analysis to interpret the data. In general, more similarities than differences were found between the two samples. The theoretical and philosophical implications of these comparisons are discussed with respect to expanding models of art therapy practice. (Contains 2 tables.)

Melanoma has continued to rise in incidence despite public efforts to promote sun protection behaviors. Because sunscreen use does not completely prevent skin cancer induced by ultraviolet radiation, additional chemopreventive methods for protecting against and reversing the effects of ultraviolet photodamage need evaluation. Recent years have brought increased interest in dietary factors, such as natural botanicals and vitamins, for the prevention of melanoma. This contribution provides a narrative review of the relevant, nutrition-related literature found by searching the keywords ''melanoma chemoprevention,'' ''nutrition and melanoma,'' ''dietary botanicals and melanoma prevention,'' ''green tea and melanoma,'' ''vitamin D and melanoma,'' and ''vitamin E and melanoma'' in the PubMed dat...

Objective: The aim of this narrative review is to update the current knowledge on the treatment of recurrent cervical cancer based on a literature review. Material and methods: A web based search in Medline and CancerLit databases has been carried out on recurrent cervical cancer management and treatment. All relevant information has been collected and analyzed, prioritizing randomized clinical trials. Results: Cervical cancer still represents a significant problem for public health with an annual incidence of about half a million new cases worldwide. Percentages of pelvic recurrences fluctuate from 10% to 74% depending on different risk factors. Accordingly to the literature, it is suggested that chemoradiation treatment (containing cisplatin and/or taxanes) could represent the treatment ...

Narrative communication is an emerging form of persuasive communication used in health education to solicit actual patient stories. Eliciting a narrative is an open-ended process and may or may not map to desired intervention objectives or underlying behavioral constructs. In addition, incorporating actual, unscripted narratives into multimedia interventions is challenging. The authors evaluated a protocol of editing narratives for a multimedia intervention to promote smoking cessation in the African American community that maintains fidelity to the original message and was related to behavioral constructs from social cognitive theory. The authors used four steps: (a) narrative collection (videotaping), (b) narrative review (rating of content), (c) narrative editing (documentary style), and (d) pilot testing (usability and assessment of transportation). The authors videotaped 50 personal smoking cessation narratives. After coding for presence of theoretical constructs, perceived risks of smoking (present in 53% of narratives) was the most common related behavioral construct. Four narratives were chosen for inclusion in the DVD. Pilot testing showed viewers reported high level of transportation into the narrative. The authors found that some behavioral constructs were rare and difficult to solicit in this population but that the final product was engaging to the viewers. Lessons learned may be useful for other video-based behavioral interventions that incorporate personal narratives. PMID:21541875

Abstract Aim- To establish the best available evidence regarding the factors affecting effective communication between registered nurses and inpatient cancer adults. Method- Electronic databases (CINAHL, Ovid, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus and Wiley InterScience) were searched using a three-step search strategy to identify the relevant quantitative and qualitative studies published in English. The grey literature was not included in the review. The identified studies were evaluated using the guidelines from the Joanna Briggs Institute System for the Unified Management, Assessment and Review of Information. A total of three studies were included in the quantitative component of the review, and the data were presented in a narrative summary. Five studies were included in the qualitative comp...

This theoretical paper attempts to make the case for the use of narrative (i.e., fictional written text) in science education as a way of making science meaningful, relevant and accessible to the public. Grounded in literature pointing to the value of narrative in supporting learning and the need t...

Abstract in portuguese Esse artigo busca re-visitar uma trajetória de estudo da obra Memórias do cárcere, de Graciliano Ramos (1892-1953). Pretende-se enfocar as relações entre a literatura (palavra, linguagem e discurso) e o corpo por meio da narrativa de memórias da cadeia. Esses quatro termos se entrelaçam para tentar, com a ajuda de Graciliano Ramos, fazer-nos refletir sobre o que pode o corpo na escrita. Abstract in english This article aims to review the complete study of a Graciliano Ramos' (1892-1953) book titled Memórias do cárcere. Its purpose is to focus the relation between literature (word, language and speech) and the body through a memory narrative of the prison. These four terms will be interlinked to try to, by Graciliano Ramos literary opus, reflect about what can a body do in literature.

The present theoretical paper presents a case for the use of narrative (i.e., fictional written text) in science education as a way of making science meaningful, relevant, and accessible to the public. Grounded in literature pointing to the value of narrative in supporting learning and the need to explore new modes of communicating science, this paper explores the potential of narrative in science education. More specifically, in this paper we explore the question: "What is narrative and why might it be of value to science education?" In answering this question we propose a view of narrative and its necessary components, which permits narrative a role in science education, and is, in fact, the main contribution of this paper. Also, a range of examples of narrative text are offered in the paper to make the case for a representation of fictional narrative in science. In order to address questions connected with the use of narrative in science education, a research agenda based on perspectives of narrative implications for learning is framed. (Contains 2 tables and 1 note.)

Leadership has been consistently implied in fostering clinical learning. However there is a lack of clarity about the form leadership should take. Limited quantitative research indicated a narrative approach to review literature from a broad perspective. A framework to guide the synthesis was developed to ensure a rigorous review process. Preliminary reading and review of papers using search terms nursing and leadership and clinical learning and learning culture narrowed the inclusion criteria to 245 papers published between 2000 and 2010. Given the diversity of the papers' focus, aim and context, a refined screening process justified the inclusion of twenty-six papers in the review. A critical appraisal of these peer-reviewed quantitative, qualitative and commentary papers identified factors/elements integral to effective leadership. Across the literature leadership was discussed in relation to two broad themes: influence of leadership on organisational learning and development and; influence of leadership on undergraduate clinical education. The factors central to leadership emerged as transformative principles, the role of the nurse unit/ward manager, collaboration and relationship building and role-modelling. The review has raised some suggestions for future research aimed at examining the impact of a leadership capacity building intervention that supports clinical learning. PMID:21255881

ObjectivesGeneric health status measures such as the short form health survey (SF-36) and EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D) are increasingly being used to inform health policy. They are claimed to be applicable across disease areas and have started to be used within mental health research. This review aims to assess the construct validity and responsiveness of four generic health status measures in schizophrenia, including the preference-based SF-6D and EQ-5D. MethodA systematic review of the literature was undertaken. Ten databases were searched from inception to August 2009 and reference lists scrutinized to identify relevant studies. Studies were appraised and data extracted. A narrative synthesis was performed of the evidence on construct validity including known groups validity (detecting a differen...

Purpose As the incidence of deformational plagiocephaly (DP) has risen, so has the demand on clinicians to make appropriate treatment recommendations. While knowledge of risk factors and natural history continue to evolve, there is uncertainty and controversy regarding intervention approaches. The purpose of this report is to review current treatment approaches for DP, in particular the use of orthotic helmets. Methods A narrative literature review was conducted to summarize current evidence supporting preventative measures and re-positional and orthotic interventions. Results When started early at under 2?months of age, positional efforts and ?tummy time? can be effective in preventing and improving DP, but these strategies need to be better promoted to caregivers. The timing, severity an...

Purpose Intraoperative cell salvage (ICS) is used as an alternative to allogeneic blood transfusion in an attempt to avoid or minimize the risks associated with allogeneic blood. Intraoperative cell salvage is generally avoided in surgeries where malignancy is confirmed or suspected due to concern for potential metastasis or cancer recurrence. The application of post-processing methods for ICS is hypothesized to eliminate this potential risk. The purpose of this narrative review is to examine the in vitro experimental evidence as it pertains to the removal of tumour cells from ICS blood and to review the clinical studies where ICS blood has been used in patients with malignancy. Source A search of the English literature for relevant articles published from 1973 to 2012 was undertaken using...

BACKGROUND: The increasing complexity of medical and surgical care often demands comprehensive preoperative work-ups by medical consultants and detailed management recommendations to optimize the patient's medical ailments before surgery. This article aims to review the available evidence and discuss elements of the preoperative medical consultation that are of particular relevance to surgeons. METHODS: The authors performed a comprehensive review of the available medical literature and guidelines pertaining to preoperative medical management and present a narrative summary of their findings. RESULTS: Although many preoperative recommendations are based on expert opinion and consensus, a growing number of studies and clinical practice guidelines provides direction as to what is the best management of patients with medical problems before surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Collaborative efforts and adequate communication between the medical and surgical teams are necessary to ensure appropriate patient management before surgery. Although higher-risk patients may require thorough preoperative evaluations, extensive routine investigations may not always be necessary. PMID:22771448

OBJECTIVE: Recent reviews on music therapy for people with dementia have been limited to attempting to evaluate whether it is effective, but there is a need for a critical assessment of the literature to provide insight into the possible mechanisms of actions of music therapy. This systematic review uses a narrative synthesis format to determine evidence for effectiveness and provide insight into a model of action. METHOD: The narrative synthesis framework consists of four elements: (i) theory development; (ii) preliminary synthesis of findings; (iii) exploration of relationships between studies; and (iv) assessment of the robustness of the synthesis. RESULTS: Electronic and hand searches identified 263 potentially relevant studies. Eighteen studies met the full inclusion criteria. Three distinctive strands of investigations emerged: eight studies explored behavioural and psychological aspects, five studies investigated hormonal and physiological changes, and five studies focused on social and relational aspects of music therapy. The musical interventions in the studies were diverse, but singing featured as an important medium for change. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence for short-term improvement in mood and reduction in behavioural disturbance was consistent, but there were no high-quality longitudinal studies that demonstrated long-term benefits of music therapy. Future music therapy studies need to define a theoretical model, include better-focused outcome measures, and discuss how the findings may improve the well-being of people with dementia. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. PMID:23080214

As online and blended learning has become common place educational strategy in higher education, educators need to reconceptualise fundamental issues of teaching, learning and assessment in non traditional spaces. These issues include concepts such as validity and reliability of assessment in online environments in relation to serving the intended purposes, as well as understanding how formative assessment functions within online and blended learning. This article provides a systematic qualitative review of the research literature on online formative assessment in higher education. As an integrative narrative review, the method applied in this review entailed systematic searching, reviewing, and writing this review of the literature to bring together key themes and findings of research in this field. The authors applied qualitative thematic criteria in selecting and reviewing the available literature from which they focused on identifying and analyzing the core themes that are central to the concept of formative assessment with a key focus on application of formative assessment within blended and online contexts. Various techniques were identified for formative assessment by the individual, peers and the teacher, many of which were linked with online tools such as self-test quiz tools, discussion forums and e-portfolios. The benefits identified include improvement of learner engagement and centrality in the process as key actors, including the development of a learning community. The key findings are that effective online formative assessment can foster a learner and assessment centered focus through formative feedback and enhanced learner engagement with valuable learning experiences. Ongoing authentic assessment activities and interactive formative feedback were identified as important characteristics that can address threats to validity and reliability within the context of online formative assessment. (Contains 1 table.)

Objective: In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, criminological efforts to prevent or reduce crime were centered on addressing presumed biological causes of crime. Most of these strategies involved calls for eugenics-proposals that today are considered unethical and morally reprehensible. Biologically-oriented criminology and crime control policies have re-emerged with new sophistication and attention to the importance of social context. Additionally, developmental crime prevention, with a special focus on biological/physiological risk factors in the early life course, has become influential in criminology. This paper examines the relevance of biology to modern day crime prevention. Materials and methods: Narrative review of the theoretical and empirical literature of biology and deve...

Objective: Crime prevention has entered a new, more robust phase of research activity and holds greater relevance to policy and practice today than ever before. It stands as an important component of an overall strategy to reduce crime. This paper sets out a modest proposal for a new crime policy to help build a safer, more sustainable society. Materials and methods: Narrative meta-review of the crime prevention literature. Results: The central features include: ensuring that the highest quality scientific research is at center stage in the policy-making process; overcoming the ''short-termism'' politics of the day; and striking a greater balance between crime prevention and crime control. Both simulation studies and experiences in Washington State show that early prevention can reduce cri...

In order to explore one aspect of the engaging nature of computer games, this study will propose a method that aims at classifying the experience of engagement in video games. Inspired by a literature review, we will focus on the fundamental causes of engagement that motivate a player so much that he or she wants to continue playing. By organizing this willingness to continue playing into six broad types of causes of engagement—intellectual, physical, sensory, social, narrative, and emotional—we describe a typology of player engagement and a method that is intended to map players’ experience of engagement while playing video games. The engagement mapping method is inspired by card sorting found from a perspective of usability testing, and in order to exemplify the use of the method, occurrences of the six types of engagement were investigated during gameplay in Angry Birds and Wii Sports.

ObjectivesTo provide an overview of key issues and resources useful for oncology professionals to support the social well-being of patients and their families. A caregiver narrative highlights examples of the importance of addressing the social impact of illness. Data SourcesReview of the literature and Web sites related to social well-being of oncology patients and families. ConclusionCulture influences social well-being and impacts caregiving across the life span. Coping with cancer creates a myriad of social implications with potentially significant impacts on communication; sexuality, intimacy and sexual expression; education, finances, work, and leisure. Implications for Nursing PracticeNurses spend the greatest amount of time with patients and their families and therefore have an esp...

A review of the stakeholder literature reveals that the concept of ?normative core? can be applied in three main ways: philosophical justification of stakeholder theory, theoretical governing principles of a firm, and managerial beliefs/values influencing the underlying narrative of business. When considering the case of Wall Street, we argue that the managerial application of normative core reveals the imbedded nature of the fact/value dichotomy. Problems arise when the work of the fact/value dichotomy contributes to a closed-core institution. We make the distinction between open- and closed-core institutions to show how in the case of the closed-core, ethical decision-making is viewed by the institution as a separate domain from the core business of the institution. The resulting blind s...

This second phase of a comprehensive meta-review of educational ICT research and practice addresses global developments reflected in the research and development literature appearing since 2006. Completed in April 2009, the Phase One (P1) report comprised a synopsis of research related to GeSci's five thematic inquiry priorities. Preliminary findings identified in the initial P1 report were presented by Dr. Patti Swarts, Manager of the GeSci Africa Regional Programme, in the GeSci-facilitated North-South Research Partnerships in ICT Education workshop conducted in the Irish Aid Centre, Dublin, on 21 April 2009. This Phase Two (P2) narrative builds upon the P1 report and responds to several refined GeSci declarations of purpose and mission. (Contains 1 table.)

This article reviews the literature on the Sacheverell affair as it stood when it was delivered as a paper to the symposium held in March 2010 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of his impeachment. The basic narrative and prevalent interpretation of its significance were established by the late Geoffrey Holmes in his monograph The Trial of Doctor Sacheverell published in 1973. Holmes placed it in the context of a crisis in Church and state brought about by the Glorious Revolution and its aftermath. This led to the formation of the party conflict between high church tories and low church whigs. When the whigs, led by the junto, came to power between 1708 and 1710, their ascendancy provoked a reaction from tories claiming that the established Church was in danger. It was in this context th...

Abstract What is contemplative pedagogy and how is it practiced in Religious Studies classrooms? Contemplative pedagogy cultivates inner awareness through first-person investigations, often called -contemplative practices.- Contemplative teaching practices range widely: silent sitting meditation, compassion practices, walking meditation, deep listening, mindfulness, yoga, calligraphy, chant, guided meditations, nature observation, self-inquiry, and many others. Since narrative is a mode of instruction prevalent in contemplative literature, the article includes first-hand reflections from students and a narrative account of how an initially skeptical professor came to incorporate contemplative teaching methods into her courses. It expands from the personal narratives to highlight the work o...

This literature review of dance and sexual expression considers dance and religion, dance and sexuality as a source of power, manifestations of sexuality in Western theater art and social dance, plus ritual and non-Western social dance. Expressions of gender, sexual orientation, asexuality, ambiguity, and adult entertainment exotic dance are presented. Prominent concerns in the literature are the awareness, closeting, and denial of sexuality in dance; conflation of sexual expression and promiscuity of gender and sexuality, of nudity and sexuality, and of dancer intention and observer interpretation; and inspiration for infusing sexuality into dance. Numerous disciplines (American studies, anthropology, art history, comparative literature, criminology, cultural studies, communication, dance, drama, English, history, history of consciousness, journalism, law, performance studies, philosophy, planning, retail geography, psychology, social work, sociology, and theater arts) have explored dance and sexual expression, drawing upon the following concepts, which are not mutually exclusive: critical cultural theory, feminism, colonialism, Orientalism, postmodernism, poststructuralism, queer theory, and semiotics. Methods of inquiry include movement analysis, historical investigation, anthropological fieldwork, autoethnography, focus groups, surveys, and self-reflection or autobiographical narrative. Directions for future exploration are addressed. PMID:20358462

OBJECTIVES: To review the literature on the prevalence, clinical manifestations, pathogenesis, treatment, and implications of nodding syndrome (NS). METHODS: This is a narrative review. RESULTS: NS is a mysterious tropical disorder that is emerging in South Sudan, southern Tanzania, and northern Uganda. Over the past decade, thousands of children have become affected, but the prevalence is unknown. NS is characterized by an occasional nodding of the head, which is considered as a form of epilepsy. After symptoms appear, the patient's health rapidly deteriorates. Seizures, stunted growth, and mental retardation may appear. In endemic areas, NS is increasingly becoming a public health problem with high morbidity and mortality, and severe social, psychological, and economic implications. However, the pathogenesis is unknown. Evidence suggests a role for Onchocerca volvulus, the parasitic filarial worm responsible for river blindness, which is highly endemic in these areas. There is no cure for NS, and treatment is symptomatic with common anticonvulsants to improve the quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: NS seems to be a rapidly growing problem in several eastern African countries. Although it is starting to receive more and more attention in the scientific literature, little is known about NS. A better understanding of the pathogenesis may lead to prevention and treatment opportunities. PMID:23137614

Background In the United States, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) protects the confidentiality of patient data and requires the informed consent of the patient and approval of the Internal Review Board to use data for research purposes, but these requirements can be waived if data is de-identified. For clinical data to be considered de-identified, the HIPAA "Safe Harbor" technique requires 18 data elements (called PHI: Protected Health Information) to be removed. The de-identification of narrative text documents is often realized manually, and requires significant resources. Well aware of these issues, several authors have investigated automated de-identification of narrative text documents from the electronic health record, and a review of recent research in this domain is presented here. Methods This review focuses on recently published research (after 1995), and includes relevant publications from bibliographic queries in PubMed, conference proceedings, the ACM Digital Library, and interesting publications referenced in already included papers. Results The literature search returned more than 200 publications. The majority focused only on structured data de-identification instead of narrative text, on image de-identification, or described manual de-identification, and were therefore excluded. Finally, 18 publications describing automated text de-identification were selected for detailed analysis of the architecture and methods used, the types of PHI detected and removed, the external resources used, and the types of clinical documents targeted. All text de-identification systems aimed to identify and remove person names, and many included other types of PHI. Most systems used only one or two specific clinical document types, and were mostly based on two different groups of methodologies: pattern matching and machine learning. Many systems combined both approaches for different types of PHI, but the majority relied only on pattern matching, rules, and dictionaries. Conclusions In general, methods based on dictionaries performed better with PHI that is rarely mentioned in clinical text, but are more difficult to generalize. Methods based on machine learning tend to perform better, especially with PHI that is not mentioned in the dictionaries used. Finally, the issues of anonymization, sufficient performance, and "over-scrubbing" are discussed in this publication.

Background: Expeditionary Learning Schools opens and transforms K-12 schools. Through engaging, long-term interdisciplinary projects designed to achieve academic standards and an emphasis on a healthy school culture, Expeditionary Learning aims to develop students who are not only high-achieving but also highly motivated to do challenging activities and deeply engaged in work that matters. Equally important are character expectations such as cooperation and good citizenship. Recognizing that the student outcomes they are trying to achieve go beyond state test scores, Expeditionary Learning worked with McREL to propose an updated model of student outcomes. It focuses on three primary areas: motivation, character, and engagement. Purpose: The purpose of this report is to present a theory of action regarding how non-academic student outcomes, such as motivation and character (prosocial orientation), foster engagement in learning, leading to student academic success, and to support that theory of action with a narrative literature synthesis. Research Design: Narrative Synthesis. Data Collection and Analysis: The researchers began the literature review with seminal works in each topic area, when appropriate, then supplemented those with articles from the research literature found by searching relevant databases. The databases searched and keywords used are described in each individual section. In general, the literature review focused on studies using K-12 students. The authors focused on defining the constructs and their components as precisely as possible, including their relationships to other constructs. Then they addressed, to the extent feasible given the extant literature, links among the constructs and the classroom environment, student age, and engagement/achievement. Findings: The constructs highlighted in this theory of action are intended to capture the goals beyond academic achievement that Expeditionary Learning has for students. In an Expeditionary Learning school, students are expected to exhibit prosocial character traits that foster a healthy learning environment for everyone. The learning expeditions are intended, in part, to involve them intensely in an intrinsically motivating and mastery-oriented experience that will support their self-efficacy. Together, the emphasis on character and motivation creates an atmosphere that encourages engagement through effort, persistence, civic engagement, and identification with school. Engagement then leads to student academic success. Conclusion: The reviewed literature pertaining to the Expeditionary Learning theory of action model clearly highlights the importance of attending to the "whole" child. Children do not develop in particular domains independently; rather, development in the social/emotional/motivational domains and development in the academic domains are inextricably connected. Efforts to improve development in one domain will be more successful if attention is given to development in others. Through the various feedback loops represented in the model, the intense focus of Expeditionary Learning schools on multiple aspects of development will likely have strong and lasting impacts on the future academic and life success of the students. Citation: Beesley, A. D., Clark, T. F., Barker, J., Germeroth, R. C., & Apthorp, H. S. (2010). Expeditionary Learning Schools: Theory of action and literature review of motivation, character, and engagement. Denver, CO: Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning. (Contains 1 table, 1 figure, and 4 footnotes.)

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder with multiple genetic and environmental risk factors. The interplay between genetic and environmental factors has become the subject of intensified research in the last several years. Vitamin D deficiency has recently been proposed as a possible environmental risk factor for ASD. Objective: The aim of the current paper is to systematically review the research regarding the possible connection between ASD and vitamin D, and to provide a narrative review of the literature regarding the role of vitamin D in various biological processes in order to generate hypotheses for future research. Results: Systematic data obtained by different research groups provide some, albeit very limited, support for the possible role of vitamin D deficiency in the pathogenesis of ASD. There are two main areas of involvement of vitamin D in the human body that could potentially have direct impact on the development of ASD: (1) the brain (its homeostasis, immune system and neurodevelopment) and (2) gene regulation. Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency--either during pregnancy or early childhood--may be an environmental trigger for ASD in individuals genetically predisposed for the broad phenotype of autism. On the basis of the results of the present review, we argue for the recognition of this possibly important role of vitamin D in ASD, and for urgent research in the field. (Contains 3 tables.)

Abstract Aim.- To report a review and narrative synthesis conducted to analyse and evaluate nurses- preparedness to respond to a bioterrorist event. Background.- The anthrax attack on the USA in 2001 resulted in the development of global response strategies for future bioterrorist events. However, despite these actions, it remains unclear whether nurses are prepared to respond to such events. Data sources.- A search for relevant research articles was conducted using the MEDLINE, CINAHL, BNI, and EMBASE databases to locate articles published in the period 1996-March 2010. Design.- Narrative Synthesis Review methods.- A narrative synthesis of qualitative and quantitative studies was undertaken and the articles reviewed using Greenhalgh-s critical appraisal criteria. The review was conducted ...

Contraception is a significant concern for Canadian women of child-bearing age, their partners and their health care providers. In this narrative review we provide information on current trends and recent changes in Canadians' choices of contraceptive methods. We review the characteristics of contra...

Introduction The importance of gender in understanding health practices and illness experiences is increasingly recognized, and key to this work is a better understanding of the application of gender relations. The influence of masculinities and femininities, and the interplay within and between them manifests within relations and interactions among couples, family members and peers to influence health behaviours and outcomes. Methods To explore how conceptualizations of gender relations have been integrated in health research a scoping review of the existing literature was conducted. The key terms gender relations, gender interactions, relations gender, partner communication, femininities and masculinities were used to search online databases. Results Through analysis of this literature we identified two main ways gender relations were integrated in health research: a) as emergent findings; and b) as a basis for research design. In the latter, gender relations are included in conceptual frameworks, guide data collection and are used to direct data analysis. Conclusions Current uses of gender relations are typically positioned within intimate heterosexual couples whereby single narratives (i.e., either men or women) are used to explore the influence and/or impact of intimate partner gender relations on health and illness issues. Recommendations for advancing gender relations and health research are discussed. This research has the potential to reduce gender inequities in health. PMID:21947817

This paper comprises the first comparative linguistic analysis of Hasidic and Maskilic Hebrew narrative literature composed in the second half of the nineteenth century in Eastern Europe. Its main contention is that the Hasidic and Maskilic corpora have a high degree of morphological and syntactic c...

Abstract An essay interweaving the existing historical literature pertaining to American masculinity in the aftermath of the American Revolution up until the Civil War. Addresses not only issues of Masculinity, but also Race, Gender, Class, and Empire in addition to the general American historical narrative.

Depression is highly prevalent in patients receiving palliative care; however, detection rates are low, with many patients who suffer with depression continuing to go undetected and untreated. A number of factors unique to this setting, as well as issues relating to staff knowledge and self-efficacy working with depression, may impede the detection of patients who are depressed by professional health care staff. Although programmes aimed to train nurses and other allied health staff in depression may be an effective way to improve detection rates, there have been few studies investigating the efficacy of these interventions. This article draws upon recent literature to provide a narrative review of barriers to detection and factors relating to professional palliative care staffs' ability to provide pathways to care for patients who suffer with depression in this setting. Previously evaluated training programmes are reviewed and the argument is made that further development and empirical evaluation of depression training interventions for staff in this setting will provide services with evidence-based methods of training nurses and other professional care staff and improve the pathways to care for patients who suffer with depression. PMID:21862185

Protocol narrations are widely used in security as semi-formal notations to specify conversations between roles. We define a translation from a protocol narration to the sequences of operations to be performed by each role. Unlike previous works, we reduce this compilation process to well-known decision problems in formal protocol analysis. This allows one to define a natural notion of prudent translation and to reuse many known results from the literature in order to cover more crypto-primitives. In particular this work is the first one to show how to compile protocols parameterised by the properties of the available operations.

Abstract in portuguese Revisar e sintetizar as evidências científicas disponíveis sobre a relação entre o consumo alimentar e dislipidemia em pacientes infectados pelo HIV em terapia antirretroviral combinada de alta atividade (TARV). Desenvolveu-se uma revisão sistemática de literatura. Foram pesquisados estudos originais e duas categorias de exposição dietética foram revisadas: consumo de energia e nutriente ou consumo de uma dieta teste. Foi feita síntese narrativa dos estudos sel (more) ecionados. Os achados foram sintetizados segundo a categoria de desfecho metabólico (efeito sobre colesterol total e LDL-c, efeito sobre HDL-c e efeito sobre triglicérides). Vinte estudos originais foram incluídos na revisão, sendo 13 ensaios clínicos e 7 estudos epidemiológicos observacionais. A suplementação com ácido graxo ?-3 resultou em significativa redução nos níveis séricos de triglicérides. Observou-se evidência insuficiente acerca da efetividade de intervenções dietéticas na prevenção e controle das dislipidemias em pacientes infectados pelo HIV em uso de TARV. Abstract in english To review and synthesize the available scientific evidence on the relationship between dietary intake and dyslipidemias in HIV-infected patients in combination antiretroviral therapy (ART). A systematic review of literature was carried out. Original and published studies were investigated and two categories of dietary exposure were considered: energy and nutrient intake, and consumption of a test diet. A narrative review of included studies was conducted. The findings wer (more) e summarized according to category of metabolic outcomes (effect on total cholesterol and LDL-c, effect on HDL-c and effect on triglycerides). Twenty original studies were included in this review, being 13 clinical trials and 7 observational studies. ?-3 fatty acid supplementation led to a significant decrease in triglycerides. There was very little evidence on the effectiveness of dietary interventions for the prevention and control of dyslipidemias in HIV-infected patients receiving ART.

This paper explores the personal narratives of 12 women members of the Heiveld, a rooibos producer cooperative in the Northern Cape province of South Africa. It contributes to the emerging literature in geography and allied disciplines on so-called 'alternative economies', the aims of which often include the conceptual re-location of agency from the capitalist system to the realm of the human. This work suggests that human development - both individual and collective - is central to the success and indeed the alterity of alternative economies. The Heiveld members' narratives support these ideas, in particular through their accounts of the importance of autonomous work and the significance of learning from and with others. We argue, however, that these narratives also foreground a theme tha...

Continuity and change enclose a problem field that is fundamental to the interpretation of historical material. On the one hand the notions that are necessary to perceive the historical account as a narrative: continuity, tradition, constancy, consistency, identity; on the other those that provide an impetus or drive to that account: change, innovation, rupture, or discontinuity. Resonances: Historical Essays on Continuity and Change explores the historiographical question of the modes of interrelation between these motifs in historical narratives. The essays in the collection attempt to realize theoretical consciousness through historical narrative ‘in practice’, by discussing selected historical topics from Western cultural history, within the disciplines of history, literature, visual arts, musicology, archaeology, philosophy, and theology. The title Resonances indicates the overall perspective of the book: how connotations of past meanings may resonate through time, in new contexts, assuming new meanings without surrendering the old.

Much ink has been spilled over how Lu Xun?s (1881?1936) political views inform his creative writing and how politics and literature are mutually implicated, but the aesthetics of his tragic narratives remains marginal in literary studies. Often lauded as the father of modern Chinese literature, Lu Xun has not only made major contributions to the formation of literary realism but also put his unique vision of tragedy into practice. At the core of his tragic poems and narratives lie the tropes of solitude. The tragic is characterized, not by tragic incident, but by void thereof, by a state of speech-less solitude and nothingness (xuwu). The aesthetic implications of such a tragic vision are twofold. The creation and consumption of literature in China during the first half of the twentieth ce...

Abstract in portuguese OBJETIVO: Sintetizar os principais resultados das pesquisas sobre resumos estruturados.. MÉTODOS: Uma revisão narrativa de todos os estudos, considerados relevantes pelo autor, foi realizada. RESULTADOS: Os autores e os leitores julgaram que os resumos estruturados são mais úteis que os tradicionais. Em 1987, o Ad Hoc Working Group for Critical Appraisal of the Medical Literature propôs diretrizes para a elaboração de resumos informativos com sete seções. Haynes (more) e col., em 1990, reestudaram os resumos estruturados para a pesquisa clínica e para os artigos de revisão e propuseram novas diretrizes. Atualmente, a maioria dos resumos é informativa e a estrutura mais utilizada é aquela do formato IMRAD (Introdução, Métodos, Resultados e Discussão) CONCLUSÃO: Há muita variação nos formatos dos resumos estruturados solicitados pelo vários periódicos. Contudo, mesmo nos anos mais recentes, nem todos os resumos dos artigos originais são estruturados. Necessita-se de mais pesquisas relacionadas à qualidade e à utilidade dos resumos estruturados. Abstract in english PURPOSE: To summarize the main findings from research on structured abstracts. METHODS: A narrative review of all the relevant papers known to the author was conducted. RESULTS: Authors and readers judged the structured abstracts to be more useful than traditional ones. In 1987 the Ad Hoc Working Group for Critical Appraisal of the Medical Literature proposed guidelines for informative seven-headings abstracts. In 1990 Haynes et al. reconsidered the structured abstract of (more) clinical research and review articles and proposed revised guidelines. Nowadays, most abstracts are informative, and the most commonly used structure is IMRAD (Introduction, Methods, Results And Discussion) format. CONCLUSIONS: There are many variations in the structured-abstract formats prescribed by different journals. But even in recent years, not all abstracts of original articles are structured. More research is needed on a number of questions related to the quality and utility of structured abstracts.

OBJECTIVE: Supervision is a basic part of training and ongoing education in cognitive behavioural therapy. Self-reflection is an important part of supervision. The conscious understanding of one's own emotions, feelings, thoughts, and attitudes at the time of their occurrence, and the ability to continuously follow and recognize them are among the most important abilities of both therapists and supervisors. The objective of this article is to review aspects related to supervision in cognitive behavioural therapy and self-reflection in the literature. METHODS: This is a narrative review. A literature review was performed using the PubMed, SciVerse Scopus, and Web of Science databases; additional references were found through bibliography reviews of relevant articles published prior to July 2011. The databases were searched for articles containing the following keywords: cognitive behavioural therapy, self-reflection, therapeutic relationship, training, supervision, transference, and countertransference. The review also includes information from monographs referred to by other reviews. RESULTS: We discuss conceptual aspects related to supervision and the role of self-reflection. Self-reflection in therapy is a continuous process which is essential for the establishment of a therapeutic relationship, the professional growth of the therapist, and the ongoing development of therapeutic skills. Recognizing one's own emotions is a basic skill from which other skills necessary for both therapy and emotional self-control stem. Therapists who are skilled in understanding their inner emotions during their encounters with clients are better at making decisions, distinguishing their needs from their clients' needs, understanding transference and countertransference, and considering an optimal response at any time during a session. They know how to handle their feelings so that these correspond with the situation and their response is in the client's best interest. The ability to self-reflect increases the ability to perceive other people's inner emotions, kindles altruism, and increases attunement to subtle signals indicating what others need or want. Self-reflection may be practised by the therapists themselves using traditional cognitive behavioural therapy techniques, or it may be learned in the course of supervision. If therapists are unable to recognize their own thoughts and feelings, or the effects of their attitudes in a therapeutic situation, then they are helpless against these thoughts and feelings, which may control the therapist's behaviour to the disadvantage of the client and therapist alike. CONCLUSION: Training and supervision focused on self-reflection are beneficial to both supervisees and their clients. The more experienced the supervisor is, the more self-reflection used in therapy and supervision. PMID:23073517

The literature in 1985 mostly emphasized the ultimate disposal of sludges. There was less work being done on process treatment. This review covers both the 1985 literature, and some of 1984's literature that was not covered last year.

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...intolerance are caused by intestinal bacteria's fermentation of undigested lactose...reviewing the available published literature in advance of the conference, including a systematic literature review commissioned through the Agency...

This Review presents a narrative outlining what happened over recent decades to bring Ireland to where it is today, where exactly Ireland finds itself now, where Ireland should go into the future and what it needs to do to get there. It goes on to address key policy areas, present a detailed analysi...

Prospective memory (ProM) refers to our ability to become aware of a previously formed plan at the right time and place. After two decades of research on prospective memory and aging, narrative reviews and summaries have arrived at widely different conclusions. One view is that prospective memory sh...

Abstract in portuguese OBJETIVOS: O objetivo do artigo é discutir os fundamentos para a intervenção precoce no transtorno bipolar. MÉTODO: Revisão narrativa. RESULTADOS: Frequentemente existe um atraso significativo com relação ao momento em que o transtorno bipolar é detectado e o início do tratamento. Evidências crescentes oriundas de estudos pré-clínicos e clínicos apontam para a clara necessidade de melhorar a detecção e o tratamento precoces no transtorno bipolar. Esforços (more) também tem sido direcionados para a identificação de indivíduos em alto risco. Espera-se que a identificação do pródromo do transtorno bipolar permita a instauração de medidas preventivas. CONCLUSÕES: Existem bases claras para o investimento na melhora da detecção e tratamento precoces do transtorno bipolar. Abstract in english OBJECTIVES: The objective of this article is to discuss the rationale/background for early intervention in bipolar disorder. METHOD: Narrative review. RESULTS: There are often significant delays before the diagnosis of bipolar disorder is made and effective management initiated. Growing evidence from both preclinical and clinical literature points to a clear need for improved early identification and early intervention in bipolar disorder. Increasing efforts are being app (more) lied to the identification of those at high risk of onset of bipolar disorder. It is hoped that identification of an early prodrome of illness will allow preventative measures to be taken. CONCLUSIONS: There is a clear rationale for improved early identification and early intervention in bipolar disorder.

The objective of this narrative review of the literature is to draw attention to four undesirable features of the medical learning environment (MLE). First, students' fears of personal inadequacy and making errors are enhanced rather than alleviated by the hidden curriculum of the clinical teaching setting; second, the MLE projects a denial of uncertainty, although to a lesser degree than in the past; third, many students feel publicly belittled and subject to other forms of abuse; and fourth, the MLE fails in overcoming students' prejudice against mental illness and reluctance to seek help when emotionally distressed. The variability of students' appreciation of the MLE across medical schools, as well as across clinical departments within medical schools, suggests that the unwanted aspects of the MLE are modifiable. Indeed, there have been calls to promote a "nurturing" MLE, in which medical students are treated as junior colleagues. It stands to reason that faculty cannot humiliate medical students and still expect them to respect patients, just as it is impossible to ignore students' distress, and still teach them to empathize with patients. Hopefully, an egalitarian attitude to students will make them also realize that they are not alone in their fears, and that their instructors share their doubts. Therefore, a major challenge of contemporary medical education is to advance a clinical MLE, where errors and uncertainties are acknowledged rather than denied, and trainees are trusted and supported, rather than judged and, occasionally, derided. PMID:22760724

Our paper provides an overview of current stigma discourse, the origins and nature of the stigma associated with mental illnesses, stigmatization by health providers, and approaches to stigma reduction. This is a narrative review focusing on seminal works from the social and psychological literature, with selected qualitative and quantitative studies and international policy documents to highlight key points. Stigma discourse has increasingly moved toward a human rights model that views stigma as a form of social oppression resulting from a complex sociopolitical process that exploits and entrenches the power imbalance between people who stigmatize and those who are stigmatized. People who have a mental illness have identified mental health and health providers as key contributors to the stigmatization process and worthy targets of antistigma interventions. Six approaches to stigma reduction are described: education, protest, contact-based education, legislative reform, advocacy, and stigma self-management. Stigma denigrates the value of people who have a mental illness and the social and professional support systems designed to support them. It creates inequities in funding and service delivery that undermine recovery and full social participation. Mental health professionals have often been identified as part of the problem, but they can redress this situation by becoming important partners in antistigma work. PMID:22854027

Abstract in portuguese OBJETIVO: Realizar um estudo teórico sobre comparações de aspectos cognitivos e metodológicos envolvidos no desempenho das Torres de Hanói e de Londres em indivíduos normais. MÉTODO: Revisão narrativa da literatura. RESULTADOS: O desempenho nesses instrumentos não compartilha a variância esperada em virtude das similaridades aparentes em sua estrutura e demanda de solução. Verificaram-se correlações significativas, porém moderadas, entre o desempenho das du (more) as torres, refletindo em média 75% da variância não compartilhada. CONCLUSÕES: Ambas as torres recrutam diferentes processos executivos para solução da tarefa e não podem ser utilizadas como instrumentos permutáveis. Abstract in english OBJECTIVE: To produce theoretical study about comparisons of cognitive and methodological aspects involved in the performance of Towers of Hanoi and London in normal individuals. METHOD: Narrative review of the literature. RESULTS: The performances in these instruments do not share the expected variance due to the apparent similarities in your structure and solution demand. Correlations significant, however moderate, among the two towers performance, were found reflecting (more) the average of 75% of the nonshared variance. CONCLUSIONS: Both towers recruit different executive processes for task solution and cannot be used as exchangeable instruments.

This article explores how media, communication practices and popular culture have been strategic instruments, social processes and symbolic resources in young people’s articulation of social change. It frames the analysis in the cross-section of two research strands: firstly, that of research on communication for development and social change. The focus of such research is on the development challenges in our society and how media and communication can serve strategic objectives to inform, empower or mobilize particular groups in society. The second strand is youth-specific media and communication research which explores how young people negotiate meaning; navigate socially and culturally in everyday life, and how they narrate their experiences. Based on brief literature reviews from these two strands of research, this article explores how young people today use the media and popular culture to relate to the surrounding society, and to respond to injustice, inequality and insecurity. The cases used to inform the discussions are drawn from my current research in Tanzania; youth using ‘bongo flava’ music and youth engaging with the print magazines, tv talk show and radio drama produced by the local NGO Femina HIP. Keywords: Youth, communication, citizen media, globalization

Purpose: Supervisors play a key role in the development of postgraduate medical trainees both in the oversight of their day-to-day clinical practice but also in the support of their learning experiences. In the UK, there has been a clear distinction made between these two activities. In this article, we report on the development of a web-based multisource feedback (MSF) tool for educational supervisors in the London Deanery, an organisation responsible for 20% of the UK's doctors and dentists in training. Methods: A narrative review of the literature generated a question framework for a series of focus groups. Data were analysed using an interpretative thematic approach and the resulting instrument piloted online. Instrument performance was analysed using a variety of tools including factor analysis, generalisability theory and analysis of performance in the first year of implementation. Results: Two factors were initially identified. Three questions performed inadequately and were subsequently discarded. Educational supervisors scored well, generally rating themselves lower than they were by their trainees. The instrument was launched in July 2010, requiring five respondents to generate a summated report, with further validity evidence collated over the first year if implementation. Conclusions: Arising out of a robust development process, the London Deanery MSF instrument for educational supervisors is a tool that demonstrates considerable evidence of validity and can provide supervisors with useful evidence of their effectiveness. PMID:23102057

Summary Objectives To (a) summarise opinion about what supervision of primary health care is by those advocating it; (b) compare these features with reports describing supervision in practice; and (c) to appraise the evidence of the effects of sector performance. Methods Systematic review. Reports were classified into three groups and summarised using appropriate methods: policy and opinion papers (narrative summary), descriptive studies (systematically summarised) and experimental or quasi-experimental studies (design and outcomes systematically summarised). Data presented as narrative summaries and tables. Results 74 reports were included. In eight policy and opinion papers, supervision was conceptualised as the link between the district and the peripheral health staff; it is important i...

Clients diagnosed with bipolar disorder often suffer from mood instability, and research suggests that these clients need both counseling services and pharmacotherapy. Narrative therapy is a social constructionist approach grounded on the premise that there is no single "truth"; individuals may create new meanings and retell their stories to overcome the discourses that have oppressed them. This manuscript (a) reviews bipolar disorder and the traditional therapeutic approaches employed to treat the disorder, (b) introduces the theoretical constructs of therapy, and (c) presents a case illustration of the application of narrative therapy with a client diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Nonadherence to mental health treatment incurs clinical and economic burdens. The clinician-patient relationship presents a point of intervention. This alliance is negotiated through clinical communication. However, recent medical reviews of communication and adherence exclude studies of psychiatric patients. The following review examines the impact of clinician-patient alliance and communication on adherence in mental health and the specific mechanisms that result in patient engagement. METHODS: In December 2010, a systematic search was conducted in Pubmed, PsychInfo, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase and Cinahl and yielded 6672 titles. A secondary hand search was performed in relevant journals, grey literature and reference. RESULTS: 23 studies met the inclusion criteria for the review. The methodological quality overall was moderate. 17 studies reported positive associations with adherence, only four of which employed intervention designs. 10 studies examined the association between clinician-patient alliance and adherence. Subjective ratings of clinical communication styles and messages were assessed in 12 studies. 1 study examined the association between objectively rated communication and adherence. Meta-analysis was not possible due to heterogeneity of methods. Findings were presented as a narrative synthesis. CONCLUSIONS: Clinician-patient alliance and communication are associated with more favourable patient adherence. Further research of observer rated communication would better facilitate the application of findings in clinical practice. Establishing agreement on the tasks of treatment, utilising collaborative styles of communication and discussion of treatment specifics may be important for clinicians in promoting cooperation with regimens. These findings align with those in health communication. However, the benefits of shared decision making for adherence in mental health are less conclusive than in general medicine. PMID:22828119

The aim of this literature review was to explore the methods and tools used in postoperative pediatric pain assessment. The purpose of this literature review was to conduct a comprehensive description of pain assessment in pediatric patients in surgical settings. The literature review is based on ...

Our memories determine who we are, and manipulating these memories affects the very core of our identity. Key events in the Space age are especially memorable--this is why it is called "the Space age" in the first place. The triumphs of Gagarin's first flight and Armstrong's first step, and the tragedies of Apollo 1, Gagarin's death, Challenger, and Columbia are among recent generations' most vivid and emotional memories. The Soviet master narrative of space exploration mirrored essential features of the American story of national exceptionalism, technological progress, and continuous success. This paper reviews the creation of the Soviet official history of the space exploration, the "counter narratives" from the people involved in the space program that were concealed from the average Soviet citizen, and the end of the Soviet Union and the collapse of the public narrative that the Soviets had promulgated.

As various agencies increasingly advocate interprofessional care (IPC), it is paramount that the educational implications of this approach are considered. Interprofessional learning (IPL) is necessary for IPC and this paper argues that an emerging educational model, narrative-based virtual communities (VCs), meets this goal. We therefore argue for the fusion of narrative pedagogy with the VC approach to further the IPL agenda. Using stories to teach is not new. Technological innovations now make the possibility of using narrative, a way to enable students to experience greater reality in complex situations. Recently, two multimedia VCs have been developed. Here, we review the use of "The Neighborhood" and "Stilwell", as IPL tools. Early evaluation of these communities has been very positiv...

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the frequency of adverse drug events can be extracted by analyzing narrative nursing statements documented in standardized terminology-based electronic nursing records. For this study, we reviewed the narrative nursing documentations of 487 admissions of 355 cancer patients who were treated with cisplatin at a tertiary-care hospital in Korea. Narrative nursing statements with the terms "adverse drug reaction," "allergy," "hypersensitivity," and other adverse drug events listed in the safety information were analyzed. In addition, nausea, one of the most frequent adverse drug events, was further examined. Narrative statements documenting the presence or absence of an "adverse drug reaction," "allergy," and "hypersensitivity" were found in 162 admissions (33.3%). The presence or absence of adverse drug events due to cisplatin was documented in 476 admissions (97.7%). At least one adverse drug event was noted in 258 admissions (53.0%). The presence of nausea was documented in 214 admissions (43.9%), and the mean duration of nausea was 5.2 days. The results of this study suggest that adverse drug events can be monitored using narrative nursing statements documented in standardized terminology-based electronic nursing records. PMID:23114393

Several recent reviews of podoconiosis already exist in journals and on public access websites. After briefly covering the historical and epidemiological background, this narrative review will therefore attempt explicitly to link podoconiosis with lymphology, examining gaps in what is known of pathogenesis and identifying the areas of research in which input from lymphologists is most required. Finally, prevention and treatment will be described and the need for operational research to optimize community-based interventions outlined. PMID:21446572

Abstract in portuguese Este artigo pretende apresentar, por meio da narrativa de encontros singulares com obras da literatura e das artes plásticas, uma reflexão sobre as experiências estética e psicanalítica, ambas compreendidas como relações de reflexibilidade, transitividade e cumplicidade. Abstract in english This article aims to present, through the narrative of unique encounters with literature and visual arts works, a reflection on the aesthetic and psychoanalytical experiences, both understood as relations of reflexivity, transitivity, and complicity.

Abstract in spanish Introducción: El trastorno de personalidad limítrofe es uno de los trastornos de personalidad más frecuentes en poblaciones clínicas; sin embargo, aunque en la actualidad se dispone de una serie de abordajes tanto farmacológicos como psicoterapéuticos, la adherencia a los tratamientos no es adecuada. Tratando de mejorar dicha adherencia, Marsha Linehan y su equipo de colaboradores diseñaron la terapia conductual dialéctica como una modificación de la terapia cogn (more) itiva comportamental estándar. Objetivo: Revisar las bases teóricas y los principios fundamentales de la terapia conductual dialéctica, así como la evidencia clínica disponible sobre su efectividad para el tratamiento de los pacientes con trastorno de personalidad limítrofe. Método: Revisión narrativa de la literatura. Desarrollo y conclusiones: La terapia conductual dialéctica fue el primer tratamiento psicoterapéutico para pacientes con trastorno de personalidad limítrofe que demostró efectividad en ensayos clínicos controlados, especialmente en el manejo de las conductas autolesivas y en la adherencia al tratamiento. Abstract in english Introduction: Borderline personality disorder is one of the most frequent personality disorders in clinical populations. However, although currently a series of both pharmacological and psychotherapeutic approaches is available, treatment compliance is inadequate. Trying to improve compliance Marsha Linehan and her collaborators designed a dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) as a modification of the standard cognitive behavioral therapy. Objective: To review the theoreti (more) cal bases and fundamental principles of DBT, as well as the clinical evidence available on its efficacy in the treatment of patients with borderline personality disorder. Method: Narrative review of literature. Development and conclusions: DBT was the first psychotherapeutic treatment for patients with borderline personality disorder that showed its efficacy in controlled clinical trials, especially regarding the management of self-injury behaviors and treatment compliance.

Background. The feasibility as well as the suitability of several therapies for medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) in primary care applied by the family physician (FP) appeared to be low. FPs need effective and acceptable strategies to manage these functionally impaired patients. Objective. To review important and effective elements in the treatment of patients with MUS in primary care according to experts in MUS research. Methods. We performed a systematic search of narrative reviews and scientific editorials in Medline and PsycINFO and triangulated our findings by conducting a focus group with MUS experts. Results. We included 7 scientific editorials and 23 narrative reviews. According to MUS experts, the most important elements in the treatment of MUS are creating a safe therapeutic e...

Discusses the recent interest in using narrative in research, examining the scope of the concept of narrative, the generic categories of narrative and discourse, difficulties defining narrative, persistent fallacies in narratological analysis, narrative as discursive reality, the problem of efficacy in narrative conventions and human action, and value of the narratological approach to social understanding. (SM)

Purpose: To review the pathogenesis, clinical presentation, diagnostic assessment and treatment regimens of steroid-induced bone loss. Data sources: An English-language literature search (MEDLINE 1966- 1999) and bibliographic reviews of textbooks and review articles. Study selection: Cross-sectional...

Aim.? To report a review and narrative synthesis conducted to analyse and evaluate nurses' preparedness to respond to a bioterrorist event. Background.? The anthrax attack on the USA in 2001 resulted in the development of global response strategies for future bioterrorist events. However, despite these actions, it remains unclear whether nurses are prepared to respond to such events. Data sources.? A search for relevant research articles was conducted using the MEDLINE, CINAHL, BNI, and EMBASE databases to locate articles published in the period 1996-March 2010. Design.? Narrative Synthesis Review methods.? A narrative synthesis of qualitative and quantitative studies was undertaken and the articles reviewed using Greenhalgh's critical appraisal criteria. The review was conducted with inclusion and exclusion criteria applied to ensure the studies examined focussed on the hospital nurse's role in responding to a bioterrorist event. Results.? Seven original research studies were included in the review. Four themes were identified as affecting nurses' preparedness for a bioterrorist attack. These were perceptions of bioterrorism, the role of formal knowledge, the role of institutional plans and policies, and personal factors. The overarching theme centred on nurses' willingness to respond to a bioterrorist event. It was clear that, although nurses were willing to respond to a bioterrorist attack, they felt unprepared to do so. Conclusions.? Existing nurse education in areas such as infection control can incorporate bioterrorism training to improve preparedness, yet nurses must also prepare themselves personally for a bioterrorist attack. PMID:22708982

Background Research examining sedentary behaviour as a potentially independent risk factor for chronic disease morbidity and mortality has expanded rapidly in recent years. Methods We present a narrative overview of the sedentary behaviour measurement literature. Subjective and objective methods of measuring sedentary behaviour suitable for use in population-based research with children and adults are examined. The validity and reliability of each method is considered, gaps in the literature specific to each method identified and potential future directions discussed. Results To date, subjective approaches to sedentary behaviour measurement, e.g. questionnaires, have focused predominantly on TV viewing or other screen-based behaviours. Typically, such measures demonstrate moderate reliabil...

Aims and objectives.- The aim of this integrative literature review was to describe registered nurses- medication competence. The objectives of the literature review were to chart the need for future studies and use the results for instrument development. Background.- Nurses play a vital role in different phases of a patient-s medication process and thus need adequate competence to fulfil their role. Research on nurses- level of medication competence in different competency areas has been published. However, previous studies have lacked a comprehensive or integrated definition or description of medication competence in nursing. Design.- Integrative literature review. Methods.- The integrative literature review followed five stages: (1) problem identification, (2) literature search, (3) dat...

Abstract in portuguese Este trabalho objetiva contribuir para a discussão acerca das características narrativas do discurso clínico. Para tanto parte de uma revisão bibliográfica e da análise semiótica de prontuários do Centro de Genética Médica José Carlos Cabral de Almeida, do Departamento de Genética, do Instituto Fernandes Figueira, unidade materno-infantil da Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Todos os prontuários utilizados são referentes a portadores da síndrome de Down atendidos no (more) Ambulatório Especializado de Síndrome de Down da referida unidade. O artigo aborda: a questão da possível oposição entre narrativa e ciência; a apresentação dos principais autores e de seus trabalhos que versam sobre narrativa e conhecimento médico; a exemplificação da epistemologia narrativa embutida no discurso médico, via a apresentação de um prontuário, assim como de um heredograma. A conclusão enfatiza a importância da narrativa para o processo de diagnose e tratamento, assim como a construção de um enredo por parte do médico onde se fazem presentes complexas interações biológicas, culturais e sociais. Abstract in english This study aims to discuss the narrative epistemology contained in the medical practice. It was based upon a bibliographic review and a semiotic analysis of medical charts belonging to The Medical Genetic Center José Carlos Cabral de Almeida/Genetic Department/Fernandes Figueira Institute, a maternal-infant care unity of The Oswaldo Cruz Foundation. All the analysed charts referred to children diagnosed with Down syndrome that are being or were attended in the Down's Syn (more) drome Outpatient of the above cited unity. The article appraises: the question concerning the possible opposition between narrative and science; a review of multiple authors and their works about narrative and medical knowledge; the narrative epistemology contained in the clinical discourse, using as example of such assumption one chart and one pedigree. The conclusion highlights how narrative is important to the process of diagnosis and treatment, and affirms the construction of a plot, by the physician, where biological, social and cultural interactions make themselves present.

ACCESSIBLE SUMMARY: •? This paper reports on a Writing for Recovery practice development project which is part of broader, ongoing narrative research. •? Its aim is to help mental health users, carers and survivors develop skills in creative writing to engage in the process of narrative re-storying in line with preferred identity. •? A selective overview of broad and focal background literature relevant to the project positions it within a values-based mental health nursing practice. •? The specific plan for running the project is briefly summarized, covering actual and anticipated ethical issues. •? The paper ends with a discussion of dissemination aims. ABSTRACT: This paper is the second part of a two-article practice development report. It builds on the first part by introducing and discussing a Writing for Recovery practice development project, conducted at two UK sites. The paper begins by briefly describing the project within the context of helping mental health users, carers and survivors develop skills in creative writing in order to engage in the process of narrative re-storying in line with preferred identity. A selective overview of broad and focal background literature relevant to the project is then provided in order to position it within a values-based mental health nursing practice. Following this, the specific plan for running the project is briefly summarized, covering actual and anticipated ethical issues. The paper ends with a discussion of dissemination aims. PMID:22591229

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to explore issues in management of work-related stress in elderly care. The study used qualitative systematic literature review research design. The literature review was carried out by a review of 15 articles from nursing journals. The Demand-Induced Strain...

This paper aims at reviewing the literature on international trade and sustainability. In the neoclassical sense sustainability is interpreted as the imperative to maintain constant consumption over time. The literature provides several indicators to assess sustainability empirically. Theoretical an...

Today the multidimensional global shortage of nurses is negatively impacting the work environment of hospital nurses and causing, in a cyclical fashion, decreasing work satisfaction, increasing nurse turnover, and decreasing patient outcomes. While strategies aimed at causation of the nursing shortage must be addressed, to support nursing until resolution occurs, it is essential to focus on strategies aimed at retaining nurses within this challenging health care environment. Using qualitative research, narrative inquiry and personal narratives, this study documents the stories of six exemplary hospital nurses who not only have stayed and survived in this hostile and challenging environment of hospital nursing, but continue to grow professionally and provide exceptional nursing care; their story is a story of career satisfaction and career success. Using narrative analysis, these stories were co-constructed with the researcher and the exceptional hospital nurses from data obtained through two interactive narrative sessions. An in depth three dimensional analysis of both the individual and collective narratives was completed. The findings of this study revealed numerous exceptional nurse characteristics and traits which not only appear within, but transcend the individual nurse narratives. First and foremost, this study indicated that the concept of caring permeated all aspects of their personal and professional being. They not only cared for their patients but these exceptional nurses cared deeply for and respected their peers, their families, their profession and themselves. Life-long learning took precedence in their nursing career, and though they believed in formal education, few pursued advanced credentials. They unanimously believed the greatest educational emphasis in nursing should be on experiential learning. Along with exemplary and positive attitudes, the exceptional nurses in this study were extremely pragmatic, value-driven individuals and employed a solutions-focused approach to problem solving. Nursing was viewed by these nurses as a profession of rewards and they celebrated these rewards continually. When compared to the extant literature on the concept of resiliency, the exceptional hospital nurses in this study displayed many of the traits of resilient individuals. Implications for adult and narrative learning are explored within this research study and, based on the findings of this study, implications for nursing education, nursing practice and future nursing research are presented. Since few studies have been completed which identify the characteristics and traits of exemplary and/or resilient hospital nurses, this study serves to add to the body of knowledge on hospital nurse exceptionality, nurse retention and nurse resiliency. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.

Academic discussion on economic growth and the environment has made a comeback under the auspices of the degrowth debate. To date, however, literature on the topic has been mainly theoretical and empirical studies of actual policy discussions have received less attention. This article contributes to the debate with a narrative policy analysis of interviews with members of Finland's Committee on sustainable consumption and production. Narrative policy analysis is suitable for complex policy cases. By tracing and comparing the different stories, non-stories and counterstories in the debate, the analysis clarifies the issue and paves the way for solutions. We found that it is common even among business and ministry representatives to criticize the current growth-bound economic system. From th...

This essay introduces the five subsequent articles, all of which focus on one or more literary characters from South Asian religious narratives. Covering examples from source texts found in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, this essay will introduce the main characters discussed in the subsequent articles, examine some general features pertaining to the "character" of literary characters in South Asian religious narratives, identify some of the scholarly trends and issues in examining character in South Asian religious literature, and highlight our particular contributions to this endeavor. For specialists in South Asian religious traditions, we hope this collection of papers can help open up some new avenues of research; for those readers who focus on other traditions, we hope these papers...

It is well documented in the literature that breastfeeding is more beneficial for infants and mothers than is formula feeding. Yet, African-American women are least likely to initiate and continue breastfeeding compared to other ethnic groups. Few studies have examined African-American women's infant feeding choices from the women's perspectives. Therefore, the purpose of this exploratory study was to examine African-American women's infant feeding choices with individual narrative interviews at 3 weeks postpartum. Five African-American women participated. After coding and analyzing the narrative interviews, three major themes with sub-themes emerged that identified influencing factors on participants' choices and their opinions about other women who chose formula. The women willingly shared their rationales for their infant feeding methods. In an effort to develop and implement culturally appropriate interventions and to increase breastfeeding rates in this population, further exploration of infant feeding choices from the women's perspectives is needed. PMID:20364724

Summary Our objective was to assess the effectiveness, safety and efficiency of a protocol combining fetal fibronectin diagnostic testing and atosiban tocolysis for the management of pre-term labour, using a combination of narrative review and economic modelling. We compared the proposed protocol to alternatives using nifedipine with or without fetal fibronectin. We have found that the proposed protocol may be safer and more acceptable by women than the alternatives, and its use can result in significant cost-savings.

Present article narrates the experience of trainees of the ethics of biomedical and psychosocial research program of the Interdisciplinary Center for studies on bioethics (CIEB) of the University of Chile on the topic of research integrity in Latin America. The following problems are covered: integrity of publications, reporting of scientific research misconduct, definitions of research integrity, scientific ethical review committees functioning, international multi-centric clinical trials monitoring and norms for scientific integrity and ethical oversight. PMID:18855732

Robust ways to meet objectives of environmental conservation and social and economic development remain elusive. This struggle may in part be related to insufficient understanding of the feedbacks between conservation initiatives and social-ecological systems, specifically, the ways in which conservation initiatives result in social changes that have secondary effects on the environments targeted by conservation. To explore this idea, we sampled peer-reviewed articles addressing the social and environmental dimensions of conservation and coded each paper according to its research focus and characterization of these feedbacks. The majority of articles in our sample focused either on the effect of conservation initiatives on people (e.g., relocation, employment) or the effect of people on the environment (e.g., fragmentation, conservation efficacy of traditional management systems). Few studies in our sample empirically addressed both the social dynamics resulting from conservation initiatives and subsequent environmental effects. In many cases, one was measured and the other was discussed anecdotally. Among the studies that describe feedbacks between social and environmental variables, there was more evidence of positive (amplifying) feedbacks between social and environmental outcomes (i.e., undesirable social outcomes yielded undesirable environmental effects and desirable social outcomes yielded desirable environmental effects). The major themes within the sampled literature include conflict between humans and wild animals, social movements, adaptive comanagement, loss of traditional management systems, traditional ecological knowledge, human displacement and risks to livelihoods, and conservation and development. The narratives associated with each theme can serve as hypotheses for facilitating further discussion about conservation issues and for catalyzing future studies of the feedbacks between conservation and social-ecological systems. PMID:22443128

Purpose: Efforts to create a scientific base for the health-promoting school approach have so far not articulated a clear "Science of Delivery". There is thus a need for systematic identification of clearly operationalised implementation components. To address a next step in the refinement of the health-promoting schools' work, this paper sets out to delineate implementation components of health-promoting schools and to identify their mechanisms. Design/methodology/approach: The implementation components were identified through a narrative synthesis of documents describing implementation of health-promoting school approaches. Studies were included if they were published between 1995 and June 2010 and could be identified in publicly accessible peer-reviewed articles and grey literature, published in English. Eight sources were extracted, representing reports from all continents with the exception of Africa. Findings: Eight components were identified: preparing and planning for school development; policy and institutional anchoring; professional development and learning; leadership and management practices; relational and organisational support context; student participation; partnerships and networking; and sustainability. Practical implications: The components provide a practical tool/guide for schools to use in the implementation of health-promoting schools. In a parallel paper theoretically and empirically based practice guidelines for the actual implementation of the components are articulated ("Filling the black box of implementation for health-promoting schools", this issue). Originality/value: The identification of specified theory-driven implementation components for health-promoting schools aims will help practitioners to understand the function of each component, so they can execute them with fidelity and thus contribute to rigorous implementation of the health-promoting school initiative. (Contains 2 tables.)

Objectives: Spinal pain is a significant occupational health issue. Whilst neck pain and low back pain have received considerable attention, thoracic spinal pain (TSP) has not. The objective of this study was to systematically identify and report the evidence describing the prevalence and correlates of TSP within occupational groups. Methods: This literature review systematically searched for reports of TSP prevalence and associated factors for TSP in working adult cohorts using nine electronic databases. Studies were evaluated for level of evidence and epidemiologic data were narratively synthesised. Results: 52 studies were identified describing 65 cohorts covering manual labourers, office workers, health professionals, manufacturing and industrial workers, drivers, military personnel and performing artists. Prevalence varied with occupational group and time period. One year prevalence of TSP ranged from 3.0-55.0%, with most occupational groups having medians around 30%. Significant odds ratios for individual (concurrent musculoskeletal disorders, exercising, pre-menstrual tension and female gender), general work-related (high work load, high work intensity, perceiving ergonomic problems in the workplace, working in some specialised areas, performing boring/tedious work tasks, certain year levels of study, employment duration, driving specialised vehicles, and a high number of flying hours), physical work-related (manual physiotherapy tasks, climbing stairs and high physical stress) and psychosocial work-related (perceived risk of injury and high mental pressure) factors were reported. Conclusions: The high median prevalence rates suggest TSP may be a significant occupational health problem. The multiple domains of associated factors point to the need for prospective research encompassing these domains to inform targeted occupational interventions.   

Brown and Kimbrough (Review of Accounting Studies, 2011, this issue) examine the effect of intangible assets on the ?uniqueness? of a firm?s earnings. The paper represents an important link between the strategy literature on firm organization and the accounting literature on the drivers of firm performance. This discussion reviews the relevant strategy literature and its link to the accounting literature, discusses various aspects of Brown and Kimbrough, and explores implications of Brown and Kimbrough?s findings.

We report a case of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) with advanced and unusual skeletal manifestations - a rare occurrence in developed countries nowadays. The literature is briefly reviewed. (orig.)

... The Implications of Information Technology for Scientific Journal Publishing: A Literature Review ... Hypertext Format The Implications of Information Technology for Scientific Journal Publishing: A ...

Book review: Harmon, Joseph E. and Gross, Alan G. (editors and commentators): The Scientific Literature: A Guided Tour. (Chicago: Chicago University Press, 2007), 312pp, ISBN:9780226316567 (paperback)

Purpose - This paper aims to review the literature dealing with e-books to identify trends. Design/methodology/approach - The review is based on the literature published during January to December 2010. For this purpose, literature on e-books was searched and retrieved from LISA, LISTA, Emerald, Science Direct and J-store. E-books, electronic books, digital books, e-book reader, were the keywords used for searching the literature in these databases. The literature is analyzed and reviewed under various broad categories. Most of the literature reviewed is in English. Non-English literature reported in the LISA is also considered. Findings - In spite of the unconcluded debate of print versus electronic, popularity of e-books is increasing and thereby the e-book market is growing at a very fa...

This presentation reviews the literature regarding the current surgical treatment of perforated ulcers, describes the surgical techniques for laparoscopic repair, and reviews the clinical algorithm used by laparoscopic surgeons at Duke University Medical Center.

The authors review and compare posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) with transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF). A review of the literature is performed wherein the history, indications for surgery, surgical procedures with their respective biomechanical advantages, potential complication...

A literature review dealing with the occurrences, extent, and sampling of groundwater pollution is presented. Groundwater sampling procedures for various contaminants, and geophysical methods designed to investigate groundwater pollution are reviewed. (KRM)

... Workshop & Seminar Practice Management Seminars eLearning and Podcasts Access your CMEs Online WELCOME to Scientific Literature Review MONTHLY… Read the latest compilation of quality research from world-renowned medical journals selected and reviewed by podiatric residents from across ...

Purpose: The criminal career paradigm is a major research focus in criminology, and the current state-of-the-art review explicates research published between 2000 and 2011. Materials and methods: Keyword searches of Science Direct, Scopus, and the National Criminal Justice Research Service produced 364 studies on criminal careers. Results: A narrative meta-review summarizes essential findings on the parameters of the criminal career, investigates emerging theoretical and disciplinary extensions that utilize the criminal career framework, and identifies 16 pressing research gaps. Conclusions: Although the study of criminal careers has been a dominant research area in criminology, its presence is likely to expand as research becomes more interdisciplinary and a longitudinal, biosocial perspe...

Abstract The objective of the study is to review the evidence on the consequences associated with the introduction of national performance measurement systems in the National Health Service (NHS), with the aim of informing the development of similar national performance measurement programmes proposed for Australia. Narrative review of the published evidence on the unintended and adverse consequences of performance measurement systems in the NHS is the data source. We identified 20 different dysfunctional consequences of national performance measurement systems in the NHS in four headings. These are poor measurement (measurement fixation, tunnel vision, myopia, ossification, anachronism and quantification privileging), misplaced incentives and sanctions (complacency, silo-creation, overcom...

Summary Background:- Lectures can vary from being entirely teacher-centred through to those that value learner-teacher and learner-learner interaction. Advocates of the exclusively didactic (teacher-centred) lecture aim to maximise the amount of lecture time available to their delivery of content, and regard other activities as -lost- lecture time. Educational research has, however, identified the potential benefit of interactivity that promotes mentally active learning and improved learning outcomes. This article reviews the notion of -active learning-, outlines how active learning is promoted by interactivity and concludes with strategies for including interactivity within lectures. Method:- Narrative review and discussion. Results:- The article begins with a summary of the purposes of l...

Abstract in spanish La filosofía de la historia arribó en la segunda mitad del siglo XX al reconocimiento del carácter irreductiblemente narrativo de la historia. Esto subrayó las diferencias de la historia con la ciencia y puso en primer plano sus afinidades con la literatura. En este artículo se propone un criterio para distinguir historia y literatura sin desmedro del carácter narrativo de la primera y reconociendo que ambas están hondamente ancladas en las estructuras de la concie (more) ncia del tiempo. El desarrollo del texto tiene tres partes. En la primera, se reconstruye la argumentación de Danto en favor de la narratividad de la historia; en la segunda, se critica la posición de White en torno al problema de las fronteras entre historia y literatura; en la parte final, con ayuda de Gadamer y Koselleck, se muestra cómo la reconstrucción de hechos históricos y la exploración literaria de la condición humana son dos modalidades de una tarea más amplia relacionada con el estudio de las estructuras de la temporalidad. Abstract in english In the second half of the twentieth century, the philosophy of history came to recognize the irreducibly narrative character of history. This underlined the differences between history and science and highlighted its affinities with literature. This article suggests some criteria by which history can be distinguished from literature without undermining the narrative character of the former and recognizing that both are deeply anchored in the structures of the consciousnes (more) s of time. The text has three parts. The frst reconstructs Danto?s argument in favor of the narrative character of history. The second critiques White?s position regarding the problematic border between history and literature. With the assistance of Gadamer and Koselleck, the final section shows how the reconstruction of historical facts and the literary exploration of the human condition are two modalities of a wider task related to the study of the structures of temporality.

...year must include a program narrative and categorical budget and...considered part of the 12-page narrative). e. Provide budgetary...in the subjects of math and science in order to pursue training...Applications must include a narrative, budget, and budget...

...Master's Degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering...Limit: The application narrative is where you, the applicant...text in the application narrative, including titles...section, including the narrative budget justification...Master's Degrees in Science, Technology,...

Abstract in portuguese O estudo objetivou analisar a literatura publicada a respeito dos aspectos da biossegurança relacionados ao uso do jaleco pelos profissionais da saúde. Trata-se de uma revisão narrativa da literatura publicada no período de 1991 a 2008. Utilizou-se as bases de dados MEDLINE, LILACS e SciELO, sendo selecionados 22 artigos que foram agrupados para análise considerando os enfoques priorizados em: infecções cruzadas causadas por jalecos; jalecos contaminados; flora bac (more) teriana em jalecos dos profissionais de saúde. O jaleco foi abordado como fonte de contaminação e como equipamento de proteção individual na prevenção das infecções. Portanto, são necessárias campanhas educativas no sentido de orientar os profissionais de saúde sobre o uso de jaleco. Abstract in spanish El objetivo del estudio fue analizar la literatura publicada sobre los aspectos de bioseguridad relacionados al uso del jaleco por profesionales del área de la salud. Se trata de una revisión narrativa de la literatura publicada en el período de 1991 a 2008. Se utilizaron las bases de datos MEDLINE, LILACS y SciELO, siendo seleccionados 22 artículos que fueron agrupados para su análisis considerando los enfoques cuyo énfasis es dado en: infecciones cruzadas causadas (more) por los jalecos; jalecos contaminados; flora bacteriana presente en los uniformes de los profesionales de salud. El jaleco fue considerado como fuente de contaminación y como equipo de protección individual en la prevención de las infecciones. Por lo tanto, son necesarias campañas educativas en el sentido de orientar los profesionales de salud sobre el uso del jaleco. Abstract in english This study aimed to analyze the literature published in regards to biosecurity aspects of the use of laboratory coats by health professionals. This is a narrative review of the literature published from 1991 to 2008. MEDLINE, LILACS, and SciELO were the databases used. Twenty-two articles were selected and were grouped for analysis with emphasis given to: cross infections caused by lab coats; contaminated lab coats; bacterial flora on health professionals' lab coats. The (more) lab coat was found to be a source of contamination and to be equipment for individual protection in infectious disease. Therefore educational campaigns are necessary in order to orientate health professionals about the use of lab coats.

In order to understand better the role of affect in learning about socio-scientific issues (SSI), this study investigated Year 12 students? emotional arousal as they participated in an online writing-to-learn science project about the socio-scientific issue of biosecurity. Students wrote a series of hybridised scientific narratives, or BioStories, that integrate scientific information about biosecurity with narrative storylines, and uploaded these to a dedicated website. Throughout their participation in the project, students recorded their emotional responses to the various activities (N?=?50). Four case students were also video recorded during selected science lessons as they researched, composed and uploaded their BioStories for peer review. Analysis of these data, as well as interview ...

Inquiry-based instruction is driven by active participation by the learner. Through the learning process, critical thinking skills are practiced. While inquiry methods are often discussed in the realm of science education, the methods are not subject specific. In fact, the Kentucky Program of Studies calls for the incorporation of inquiry strategies into all areas of the curriculum. This call for more inquiry-based education occurs in the midst of a national testing debate in which accountability is tied to student test scores. This study takes a narrative approach to explore teachers' experiences with using inquiry methods. Interviews were conducted with teachers who, at least 1 year prior to participating in this study, had attended a weeklong intensive professional development workshop on using inquiry methods for instruction. A method is described for analyzing interview data direct in its digital audio form---without transcription. Eight teachers' experiences are presented here in the narrative form and their narratives are compared for an overall analysis. Themes of conflict previously reported in the literature are explored in participants' stories. This research concludes with a discussion of the results, a reflection on the method, and suggestions for the future based on teachers' experiences with using inquiry-based learning strategies.

A joint publication of the New York and New Jersey State Councils for the Social Studies, "Social Science Docket" presents K-12 teachers with resources covering the social science disciplines, including history, economics, political science, sociology, geography, anthropology, and psychology. Each issue includes theme-related and non-themed articles; lesson plans; learning activities; book, movie, and museum reviews; and organization, Web site, and print listings. Regular features include teaching with historic places, document-based instruction, local history, using oral history, and addressing controversial issues. Contents of Volume 1 Number 1 include: "Shared History--The Separation of New Jersey and New York"; "Social Studies Standards"; "The Meaning of Freedom in the Modern World" (A. Singer); "Special Section: Great Irish Famine Curriculum" ("Addressing Controversial Historical Issues through the Study of the Great Irish Famine" (M. Murphy, M. McC. Miletta, A. Singer); "Visiting Ireland Today" (J. Y. Singer, A. Singer); "Great Irish Famine Museum" (R. Gaglione, L. Costello); "Traditional Irish Crafts"; "Malthus, Classical Political Economy, and the Causes of the Great Famine" (L. Frohman); "Check It Out--Building with Books" (C. A. Dircks); "Irish Immigrants in Paterson, New Jersey during the Jacksonian Era" (H. Harris); "Local History: The Civil Rights Movement on Long Island" (S. Cornelius); "The Battle Over School Integration on Long Island, N.Y." (J. K. Loftus); "What Happens to a Dream Deferred" (D. G. Mitchell); "Teaching with Oral History: Dr. Eugene Reed and the Battle for Civil Rights on Long Island" (C. Grant, J. Syffrard); "The Character of the Electoral College: A View from New York State" (G. Bugh); "Selecting the President" (H. Dircks); "Current Events from the Past" (L. Lupinski-Huvane); "The Warts Are Missing at Most Historic Sites" (A. S. Libresco); "A Science Teacher Looks at Social Studies" (S. M. Hines); "Human Rights Education: Human Rights on the World Wide Web" (D. Banks); and "Teaching Children about Human Rights Using the Work of Eve Bunting" (J. Singer). Contents of Volume 1 Number 2, a Slavery and the Northern States-themed issue, are: "Editorial and Classroom Activity: Teaching about Slavery in the Americas" (A. Singer); "Teachers Respond to Teaching about Slavery in the Americas"; "Teaching about Slavery: A Pedagogical Paradox" (J. J. McNamara); "Slavery and the Northern States: Complicity and Resistance" (A. Singer); "The Freedom Quest in New York State"; "Abolitionists among New York's 'Founding Fathers'" (K. Brady); "Classroom Activity: New Yorkers Battle Against Slavery"; "The History of Slavery in New Jersey" (G. R. Wright); "Fighting for Freedom" (N. Shakir); "Teaching Ideas" (N. Shakir); "John Woolman: New Jersey's Eighteenth Century Quaker Abolitionist" (C. F. Howlett); "Underground Railroad Sites in New York and New Jersey" (L. Peterson; J. Pesato); "The Underground Railroad and Abolitionism in Central New York" (J. Wellman); "Classroom Activity: "Runaway Slave Advertisements from around the Region"; "Classroom Activity: Documenting Complicity with Slavery"; "Classroom Activity: Debating Resistance to Slavery"; "Using History-Mysteries with Elementary Students: Or, How You can Stop Worrying and Learn To Love the Test" (A. S. Libresco); "African American Lives in Early New Jersey: Excerpts from the Narratives of Abraham Johnstone, William Boen, and Samuel Ringgold Ward"; "African American Lives in Early New York State: Excerpts from the Narratives of Venture Smith, Sojourner Truth, William Brown, and Reverend Thomas James"; "A Scientist Looks at Social Studies: What Is Race?" (S. M. Hines); "Slavery on the World Wide Web" (R. Edwards, V. K. Campbell, C. Cronin); "Viewing History? Film and Historical Memory" (C. Vitiere); "Perspective and Engagement: Slavery and Reconstruction in Literature for Middle and High School Students" (S. Smith); "Teaching Young Children about Slavery" (J. Y. Singer); "Book Reviews: Freedom Crossing and Where I'm Bound" (R. Gaglione, D. Golden); and "Co

Anthropologists have long recognised the intersections between factual and fictional representations of other cultures, and have actively engaged in producing imaginative cultural translations alongside ethnographic accounts. This resulting 'blurring of genres' has also been investigated by anthropologists, but often at the expense of the imagined subject and the social, political, and cultural forces at work in the literary versions. Hilda Kuper's literary expression attests to how an anthropologist can negotiate the boundaries of science and art to produce a literature of protest that acknowledges the larger project of writing back to empire, engages with South African apartheid, and intervenes in the representation of Swaziland by earlier colonial and travel narratives by producing alte...

Most of the literature on paediatric oncology treatment has provided descriptions of children's everyday lives that are circumscribed to periods of hospitalisation. In this paper, I argue that the political and economic context where children receive oncology treatment as well as the particular trajectories of their families influence their experiences. The narratives from children receiving treatment in three public hospitals in Buenos Aires, Argentina, were collected. Their stories indicate that issues such as the interruption of school, the separation of family members, the expenses incurred during treatment, and barriers to care influence the everyday lives of children and should be included in paediatric oncology research. (Contains 1 table and 2 figures.)

This paper examines how visual narratives may bridge relational understandings between people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH/A) and future oral health care providers. Borrowing from literature in participatory visual methods such as photo elicitation and photovoice, we explored how PLWH/A visually choose to represent their daily lives. This study uses a grounded theory action-oriented approach in examining the thematic analysis of 257 photos and 12 related reflective participant journals. Ten collaborative themes emerged from the participants analysis of their photos. These themes of social support, places, family, staff, group, recovery tools, transportation, friends, medications and food exhibited the indivisible characteristics of stressors and supports commonly found in accessing care. Fur...

Abstract Aim.- This article presents a discussion of nursing education development in the People-s Republic of China in its historical, economic and sociopolitical contexts. Background.- China has a population of 13 billion with about 218 million nurses. With the recent surging economic and social development in China, nursing education has undergone transformation changes in the past two decades. Data sources.- Online bibliographical databases from 1990 to 2010 were searched including CINAHL, MEDLINE, Wan Fang Data and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure. Search terms included nursing education, China and development. Methods.- Thematic analysis and narrative synthesis were used to identify and report themes from literature. Results.- Database searches yielded 1674 papers, and 34 me...

Medical Education 2011: 45: 497-503 Objectives- Despite a recognised need for richer narratives about academic medicine, much of the literature is limited to an analysis of the enablers and barriers associated with recruitment and retention, and focuses on analysing the development of research career pathways. We explored academic clinician-educators- experiences of entering into and navigating academic medicine, with a particular focus on those who privilege teaching above research. Methods- Data were collected through interviews and focus groups conducted across a medical school at one Australian university. We used socio-cognitive career theory to provide theoretical insight into the factors that influence academic clinician-educators- interests, choice and motivations regarding enterin...

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to distinguish experiences from practices and relate this distinction to current developments in value research within service-dominant (S-D) logic and the broader service domain. Design/methodology/approach - The paper provides a conceptual overview of how experiences and practices have been characterized in the literature to date, how they differ from each other, and if and where they intersect. Following this, the epistemological and methodological differences between practices and experiences are illustrated using narrated experiences and practical observations of car-washing. Findings - While practices are primarily routinized patterns of behaviour, experiences focus more on individuals' value determinations in different contexts. Thus, different...

This dialogical project is framed within critical inquiry methods to bring an Amish teacher's voice to the forefront. Henry, an Amish middle school teacher, and two university teacher educators in northeastern Indiana collaboratively critiqued educational literature written about the Amish culture from the past 15 years. Building on critical ethnography and narrative methods, the authors used dialogue as a medium for inquiry. The intersubjective, collaborative project democratized the university researchers' research role and allowed an Amish voice to gain a place in the academic field of research. (Contains 9 footnotes.)

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to provide empirical evidence of engineering knowledge creation in the context of product failure management, thereby extending knowledge about organizational learning and mindfulness to a largely unexplored context. The study addresses a gap in the literature by illustrating "engineering epistemology" as a critical knowledge asset that gives rise to superior problem solving - and potentially - superior business performance. Design/methodology/approach - The authors conducted qualitative research based on phenomenological interviews with product engineers to generate a grounded theory about organizational knowledge creation. Rigorous analysis of narratives detailing the "lived lives" of problem solvers relied on a research protocol recommended by Corb...

Purpose - Attempts to modernise the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK involve promoting flexible approaches to work and training, restructuring postgraduate training and increasing control and scrutiny of doctors' work. However, the medical community has responded with expressed anxiety about the implications of these changes for medical professionalism and the quality of patient care. This paper aims to address these issues. Design/methodology/approach - Drawing on literature on nostalgia, gender, identity and organisations, the paper explores the narratives of 20 senior NHS hospital doctors to identify ways in which doctors use nostalgia to react to organisational and professional challenges and resist modernisation and feminisation of medicine. Findings - This paper illustrates ho...

BACKGROUND: This critique stems from a self-experienced frustration with the perspectives offered by current medical anthropology, when faced with informants in severe, acute pain. AIM: By shifting between discussing former and current academic approaches to pain in anthropology and examining ethnographic data material, the aim of this paper is to re-evaluate our approach to people in pain. METHODS: The study is founded partly on seven months of ethnographic fieldwork conducted at postoperative pain units and surgical wards in Danish and Italian hospitals in 2003-2004, partly on a perusal of the anthropological literature on pain from the 1950's up to today. RESULTS: The anthropological focus on pain has changed considerably during the last century from exotic tales of cultural codes of pain behaviour to illness narratives of pain experience. This shift in focus not only mirrors changes in our profession (the urge to escape cultural essentialism) but also reflects a current epistemological trend in much medical anthropology, namely the fascination by illness narratives. The illness narrative (of the patient) is said to offer unique insights into the human experience of pain, and is equally believed to be of therapeutic value in it-self. However captivating, this dual approach may bring severe limitations to the field of medical anthropology by 1) guiding our choice of study objects, e.g., people in chronic pain in preference to people in acute pain, and 2) by promoting equivocal ideas of a fundamental, phenomenological way of understanding pain. CONCLUSION: My empirical findings show that a narrative approach only offer a partial understanding of how we acquire knowledge of other people's pain - this goes for health professionals as well as ethnographers. A more contextual approach - studying pain behaviour in particular collectives of humans and non-humans - may offer more useful anthropological perspectives on how culture and pain are merged experiences of everyday life.

...for Production of Science and Engineering Indicators...and Discussion of Science and Engineering Indicators 2012 Narrative Chapter Outlines...and Discussion of Science and Engineering Indicators 2012. Narrative Chapter...

Introduction? It is essential that allied health practice decisions are underpinned by the best available evidence. Therefore, effective training needs to be provided for allied health professionals to do this. However, little is known about how evidence-based practice training programs for allied health professionals are delivered, the elements contained within them, how learning outcomes are measured or the effectiveness of training components in improving learning outcomes. Methods? We conducted a systematic literature review to identify effectiveness of evidence-based practice training programs and their components for allied health professionals. Key words of evidence-based practice programs OR journal clubs OR critical appraisal AND allied health OR physiotherapists OR occupational therapists OR speech pathologists AND knowledge OR skills OR attitudes OR behaviour were applied to all available databases. Papers were critically appraised using the Joanna Briggs Institute and McMaster tools and the checklist of recommendations for educational interventions. Data were extracted on participants, training program components and underpinning theories, methods of delivery and learning outcomes. Data were synthesised using a combination of narrative and realist synthesis approaches. Results? Six relevant studies (four randomised controlled trials and two before-and-after studies) reported on the effectiveness of evidence-based practice training programs for evidence-based practice for groups of health professionals. Specifically, only three of these studies (one randomised controlled trial and two before-and-after studies) reported on allied health professionals (physiotherapists, occupational therapists and social workers). Among these three studies on allied health, outcomes were variably measured, largely reporting on knowledge, skills, attitudes and/or behaviours. Significant changes in knowledge and skills were reported in all studies. Only the social work study, which reassessed outcomes after 3?months, reported significant changes in attitudes and behaviours. Training took from 3?hours to 2?days. While there was information on training program components, there was no evidence of effectiveness related to learning outcomes. Conclusion? Overall, there is limited research regarding training of allied health professionals in evidence-based practice and learning outcomes. From the limited evidence base, there was consistent evidence that any training significantly influenced knowledge, skills and attitudes, irrespective of the allied health discipline. There was little information, however, regarding how to change or measure behaviours. This review cannot recommend components of training for allied health professionals in evidence-based practice, which significantly improve learning outcomes. PMID:23173659

Systematic reviews, which were developed to improve policy-making and clinical decision-making, answer an empirical question based on a minimally biased appraisal of all the relevant empirical studies. A model is presented here for writing systematic reviews of argument-based literature: literature ...

In order to understand better the role of affect in learning about socio-scientific issues (SSI), this study investigated Year 12 students' emotional arousal as they participated in an online writing-to-learn science project about the socio-scientific issue of biosecurity. Students wrote a series of hybridised scientific narratives, or BioStories, that integrate scientific information about biosecurity with narrative storylines, and uploaded these to a dedicated website. Throughout their participation in the project, students recorded their emotional responses to the various activities ( N = 50). Four case students were also video recorded during selected science lessons as they researched, composed and uploaded their BioStories for peer review. Analysis of these data, as well as interview data obtained from the case students, revealed that pride, strength, determination, interest and alertness were among the positive emotions most strongly elicited by the project. These emotions reflected students' interest in learning about a new socio-scientific issue, and their enhanced feelings of self-efficacy in successfully writing hybridised scientific narratives in science. The results of this study suggest that the elicitation of positive emotional responses as students engage in hybridised writing about SSI with strong links to environmental education, such as biosecurity, can be valuable in engaging students in education for sustainability.

This paper analyses the first author's experiences in writing a critical review at the beginning of postgraduate study in Australia. Utilising the first author's position as both a researcher and the researched, the paper provides a narrative account of her stage-by-stage progress in writing a review, followed by an interpretive analysis from a social point of view. The social activities around writing the review are interrelated in a complex manner as she tackled difficulties at each stage of the task. The solutions she found contributed not only to her preparation and composition of the final text but also to her gradual understanding of a social practice view of language learning. Implications for teaching the writing of a critical review include the usefulness of self-reflection as a tool for raising critical awareness of what we do with language.

The purpose of this review of literature was to describe affinity spaces and identity formation for children of color in schools and recommend texts currently in use. The literature reviewed included studies utilizing qualitative and quantitative research and the Undoing Racism workshop. Topics reviewed include affinity spaces, understanding blackness, and teaching whiteness. Recommendations for improving the effectiveness of using affinity spaces include teachers' challenges and a sample bibliography of 44 books by grade-level band used currently in a school to enhance practice.

The study compared the effect of two adaptations of a scientific article on students? comprehension and use of scientific inquiry skills. One adaptation preserved as much as possible the canonical form of the original article (APL, Adapted Primary Literature) and the other was written in a more narrative mode typical of secondary literature (SL). Both adaptations contained the same content. Two hundred and eleven senior high school students in a Western Canadian school district participated. The numbers of males and females were approximately equal, and all students were registered in an introductory calculus course. All students were given a 90 min class by their teachers that introduced them to the basic mathematical concepts needed to read the articles. Students were randomly assigned t...

This guide accompanies the following article: Erin Royston Battat, `Literature, Social Science, and the Development of American Migration Narratives in the Depression Era', Literature Compass 4.3 (2007): 539-551, doi: 10.1111/j.1741-4113.2007.00428.x. Author's Introduction Migration has shaped the physical, cultural, and literary landscape of what is now the United States from the transcontinental movements of indigenous peoples, to the arrival of Europeans, westward expansion, and the urban migrations of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. In the past century, stories of transnational and internal migration helped to define the modern American city; the concepts of race, region, and ethnicity; and a changing national identity. These stories both influenced and were influenced by the...

This guide accompanies the following article: Brian Richardson, `Making Time: Narrative Temporality in Twentieth-Century Literature and Theory'. Literature Compass 3.3 (2006): 603-12. doi: 10.1111/j.1741-4113.2006.00321.x Authors' Introduction Poised at the beginning of the twentieth century, F. T. Marinetti claimed in his 1909 `Futurist Manifesto': We are on the furthest promontory of the ages! ... Why should we be looking back over our shoulders, if what we desire is to smash down the mysterious doors of the Impossible? Time and Space died yesterday. We are living already in the realms of the Absolute, for we have already created infinite, omnipresent speed. (14) Scholars have long noted that major scientific discoveries during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, including...

When listeners talk about their listening experiences, they often refer to music as if it were a narrative. But can music actually tell a story? Can music be narrative? Traditionally, narrativity is associated with verbal and visual texts, and the mere possibility of musical narrativity is highly de...

The paper we present here discusses ICT innovation in India using a narrative framework. We argue that ICT innovation has not really been a subject matter sufficiently researched in information systems from the perspective of innovation in developing countries. We use a grounded theory inspired approach and we discovered three narratives of innovation in India; a) the supply narrative, b) the technology narrative and c) the collaborative narrative. We detect the evolution of these narratives and aim to continue further work to understand the factors involved in the emergence and shift of these narratives on a more granular level.

Objective: The majority of clinical symptoms are stored as free text in the clinical record, and this information can inform clinical decision support and automated surveillance efforts if it can be accurately processed into computer interpretable data. Methods: We developed rule-based algorithms and evaluated a natural language processing (NLP) system for infectious symptom detection using clinical narratives. Training (60) and testing (444) documents were randomly selected from VA emergency department, urgent care, and primary care records. Each document was processed with NLP and independently manually reviewed by two clinicians with adjudication by referee. Infectious symptom detection rules were developed in the training set using keywords and SNOMED-CT concepts, and subsequently eval...

Problem and objective: The translation of the evidence-base for preventing falls among community-dwelling older people into practice has been limited. This study systematically reviewed and synthesised the effectiveness of methods to implement falls prevention programmes with this population. Methods: Articles published between 1980 and May 2010 that evaluated the effects of an implementation strategy. No design restrictions were imposed. A narrative synthesis was undertaken. Results: 15 studies were identified. Interventions that involved the active training of healthcare professionals improved implementation. The evidence around changing the way people who fall are managed within primary care practices, and, layperson, peer or community delivered models was mixed. Impact on industry: Tra...

Placebo fascinates and mystifies. Even with today's medical science we still do not know how and if it works. The use of placebo both in therapy and in research evokes ethical problems that are not easily resolved either. Placebo is intrinsically linked to deception, while veracity is a basic tenet in today's thinking of a doctor-patient relationship. In research ethics placebo, though considered the golden control condition, leads to the question of the therapeutic obligation. This narrative review presents an overview of these ethical questions and offers considerations that are of relevance to daily medical and research practice both in psychiatry and elsewhere. PMID:22534614

This volume is a history of the Nuclear Test Personnel Review (NTPR) program from 1978 to 1986. It identifies the origins, missions, and historical evolution of the effort, focusing on the contributions of the Defense Nuclear Agency, the NTPR teams, the Veterans Administration, and the Department of Energy. In addition, the narrative describes U.S. nuclear operations, including weapons testing and the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, personnel participation in those operations, and radiation safety measures. The report also discusses radiation dose determination and medical studies of potential dose effects.

Summary Conclusions from narrative qualitative reviews on differences in total tract digestibilities between goats and sheep did not account for variability among studies. Therefore meta-analytic techniques were used to describe the magnitude of these differences with numerical values. A unitless effect size (Hedges- g) was applied within studies to measure differences in digestibilities of dry matter (DM; 104 comparisons), organic matter (OM; 93 comparisons), crude protein (CP; 85 comparisons), neutral detergent fibre (NDF; 74 comparisons), acid detergent fibre (ADF; 59 comparisons), cellulose (24 comparisons), hemicellulose (18 comparisons) and gross energy (GE; 29 comparisons). The absence and inability to describe independent factors which contributed to variation among studies necessi...

Abstract Background- Central sensitisation entails several top-down and bottom-up mechanisms, all contributing to the hyperresponsiveness of the central nervous system to a variety of inputs. In the late nineties, it was first hypothesised that chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is characterised by hypersensitivity of the central nervous system (i.e. central sensitisation). Since then, several studies have examined central sensitisation in patients with CFS. This study provides an overview of such studies. Materials and Methods- Narrative review. Results- Various studies showed generalised hyperalgesia in CFS for a variety of sensory stimuli, including electrical stimulation, mechanical pressure, heat and histamine. Various tissues are affected by generalised hyperalgesia: the skin, muscle tis...

Failures in cortical control of fronto-striatal neural circuits may underpin impulsive and compulsive acts. In this narrative review, we explore these behaviors from the perspective of neural processes and consider how these behaviors and neural processes contribute to mental disorders such as obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), obsessive–compulsive personality disorder, and impulse-control disorders such as trichotillomania and pathological gambling. We present findings from a broad range of data, comprising translational and human endophenotypes research and clinical treatment trials, focussing on the parallel, functionally segregated, cortico-striatal neural projections, from orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) to medial striatum (caudate nucleus), proposed to drive compulsive activ...

Narrative Review Advances in structural and functional imaging have provided both scientists and clinicians with information about the neural mechanisms underlying focal hand dystonia (FHd), a motor disorder associated with aberrant posturing and patterns of muscle contraction specific to movements of the hand. Consistent with the hypothesis that FHd is the result of reorganization in cortical fields, studies in neuroimaging have confirmed alterations in the topography and response properties of somatosensory and motor areas of the brain. Noninvasive stimulation of these regions also demonstrates that FHd may be due to reductions in inhibition between competing sensory and motor representations. Compromises in neuroanatomical structure, such as white matter density and gray matter volume, ...

Abstract in spanish Introducción: Desde hace más de 50 años el litio se ha utilizado en psiquiatría y su eficacia se ha establecido para el tratamiento de los trastornos afectivos. Su uso se limita en ocasiones por su estrecho rango terapéutico y su perfil de efectos colaterales. Desde los años ochenta, las secuelas de la neurotoxicidad por sales de litio han llamado la atención y fueron descritas por Adityanjee, bajo el acrónimo SILENT (del inglés Syndrome of Irreversible Lithium E (more) ffectuated Neurotoxicity). Objetivos: Discutir los aspectos clínicos relacionados con la neurotoxicidad secundaria a sales de litio e incrementar el conocimiento sobre este tema en la comunidad médica. Método: Revisión narrativa de la literatura médica. Resultados y conclusiones: Más del 90% de las personas en tratamiento con litio experimentan algún tipo de efecto colateral. Dentro de las secuelas neurológicas persistentes se destaca la disfunción cerebelosa, aunque existen otras presentaciones atípicas como alteraciones oculomotoras y neuropatía periférica. Es fundamental que el clínico reconozca estos síntomas y que se desarrollen estrategias, como el uso de criterios estrictos para la implementación de tratamiento con esta sustancia, la prevención de la intoxicación aguda y el seguimiento riguroso durante el mantenimiento. Abstract in english Introduction: Lithium has been a medication used in psychiatry for more than 50 years and its efficacy has been established in the treatment of mood disorders. The use of lithium is limited due to its narrow therapeutic range and toxicity. Its persistent neurological secondary effects caught clinical attention in the 80s and were described by Adityanjee under the acronym SILENT (Syndrome of Lithium-effectuated Neurotoxicity). Objective: To discuss the clinical aspects of (more) lithium toxicity and to increase physicians' awareness of this subject. Method: Narrative review based on the available literature. Results and Conclusion: More than 90% of individuals treated with lithium experience some side effect. Neurological sequelae include persistent cerebellar dysfunction, oculomotor abnormalities and peripheral neuropathy. It is important for physicians to recognize these symptoms and it becomes necessary to develop strategies like the use of stricter criteria for starting lithium to prevent acute intoxication, and the rigorous monitoring of serum levels during treatment.

Abstract in spanish Una revisión preliminar de Polygalaceae en el subcontinente indio ha sido preparada sobre la base de la observación de diferentes especies pertenecientes a esta familia en un há­bitat natural y el análisis de especímenes de herbario y de literatura taxonómica. En el subcontinente indio (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka e India) la fa­milia Polygalaceae está pobremente representada (6,37% de la distribución global). Este artículo trata la (more) distribución, fitoendemismo, posibles fósiles ancestrales, potencial econó­mico y riesgos de supervivencia de especies existentes. El estado actual de fitoendemismo en Polygalaceae en el subcontinente indio (35,29% en 2002-2007) ha sido comparado con la información de investigaciones anteriores (21,87% en 1939-1940) finalizadas en el siglo XX. El aumento de la tasa de endemismo indica un incremento en el número de especies en­démicas o un lapso de decrecimiento de especies pan-endémicas pertenecientes a esta fami­lia. Para una mejor comprensión de los aspectos funcionales del porcentaje dinámico de las especies, la tasa de endemismo de un grupo determinado ha sido usada aquí como un indica­dor clave. El crecimiento en una misma zona geográfica ha sido registrado en intervalos de tiempo diferente y posteriormente es considerado para narrar los estudios académicos en la forma de presupuestos económicos de recursos renovables para asegurar su conservación y uso sostenible. Abstract in english A preliminary checklist of Polygalaceae in Indian subcontinent has been prepared on the basis of primary observations of different taxa belonging to this family in wild habitats and on secondary observations based on examined herbarium specimens and taxonomic lite­rature. On the Indian subcontinent (comprising Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Pa­kistan, Sri Lanka and India), the family Polygalaceae is poorly represented (6.37% of global distribution). The present pap (more) er deals with a brief review of distribution, phytoendemism, possible fossil ancestry, economic potential and survival threat on existing taxa. The present status of phytoendemism of Polygalaceae in Indian subcontinent (35.29% in 2002-2007) has been compared to the data of previous investigations (21.87% in 1939-1940) done in the XX century. The increasing rate of endemism either indicates towards increasing number of en­demic taxa or decreasing span of distribution of pan-endemic taxa belonging to this family. For a better understanding of the functional aspects of species dynamics the percentage of rate of endemism of a particular group of plants has been used as key index here. The growing on same geographical location has been recorded in different time intervals and has further been considered to narrate the academic studies in form of qualitative economic appraisal of renewable resources for ensuring its conservation sustainable utilization.

Abstract in spanish El incumplimiento a los tratamientos crónicos se ha convertido en un gran problema en el sistema sanitario de muchos países. Los farmacéuticos comunitarios están bien posicionados para afrontar el incumplimiento como parte de sus actividades globales sobre los pacientes y contribuir a la calidad del uso de medicamentos por los pacientes. Entre 2008 y 2010, se publicó en Pharmacy Practice una serie de artículos de revisiones narrativas revisadas por pares, que se cen (more) tró en las actividades de los farmacéuticos comunitarios en cumplimiento terapéutico, específicamente en aspectos de la educación que reciben, su práctica, la investigación realizada y las políticas nacionales y locales. Este editorial trata de resumir los hallazgos clave presentados en la serie y remarcar los problemas y carencias pertinentes de la literatura. Existe la necesidad de implantar objetivos globales y a largo plazo que se centren en aumentar la calidad de la educación y las competencias de los farmacéuticos comunitarios y la investigación realizada sobre cumplimiento de la medicación, desarrollar guías para farmacéuticos y aumentar la implantación de servicios de promoción del cumplimiento en los cuidados de rutina. Abstract in english Nonadherence to chronic therapy has become a large burden on the healthcare system of many countries. Community pharmacists are well positioned to address nonadherence as part of their overall patient care activities, and contribute to patients´ quality use of medicines. Between 2008 and 2010, a series of narrative, peer-reviewed articles were published in Pharmacy Practice which focused on community pharmacists´ activities in medication adherence, specifically in the a (more) reas of the education they receive, their practice, the research conducted and national or local policies. This editorial aims to summarise the key findings presented in the series, and highlight the pertinent issues and gaps in the literature. There is a need to implement global and long-term objectives focussing on enhancing the quality of education and competencies of community pharmacists and the research conducted in medication adherence, to develop guidelines for pharmacists and enhance the uptake of adherence promoting services in routine care.

In this article we review the literature on financial literacy, financial education, and consumer financial outcomes. We consider how financial literacy is measured in the current literature, and examine how well the existing literature addresses whether financial education improves financial literacy or personal financial outcomes. We discuss the extent to which a competitive market provides incentives for firms to educate consumers or offer products that facilitate informed choice. We review the literature on alternative policies to improve financial outcomes, and compare the evidence to evidence on the efficacy and cost of financial education. Finally, we discuss directions for future research.

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to provide a conceptual overview of linkages between buen vivir and social enterprise as emerging from a review of the literature regarding indigenous development approaches in Latin America. As reported in the literature such approaches aim to reduce poverty and affirm indigenous cultural identities through the sustainable use of natural resources. Design/methodology/approach - The conceptual arguments build on a review of literature regarding social enterprise, mainly in its European conception, on social and solidarity economy according to several Latin American scholars, and on streams of literature related to indigenous development and indigenous entrepreneurship. Findings - Against the failure of externally-driven developmental policies, social ...

This article is a literature review of water reclamation and reuse. The various aspects of water resources planning, agriculture, irrigation and groundwater recharge are reviewed. One section of the review deals with the treatment of food processing wastes to produce methane, single cell protein and alcohol.

In this review of literature, the author explored the representation of music in early childhood education researcher and practitioner journal articles. Thirty-eight pertinent journal articles were identified in a keyword search for "music" in eight journals. The search was limited to a 5-year period, 2005-2010. Article summaries were categorized into seven themes: extramusical benefits, music strategies, musical parenting, musical practices at home, musical lives of children, musical practices at school, and integration. The majority of articles reviewed addressed extramusical benefits of music instruction in early childhood classrooms. Implications of the literature review are discussed and suggestions for adding to this literature are shared.

Summary Background:- This article is a response to expressions of concern from a range of sources, including reports of curriculum redesign to accommodate the characteristics of Gen Y, claims made in the press and concerns expressed by educators in the health professions. Are these concerns grounded in research and if so how can educators in the health professions respond? Method:- Narrative review and discussion. Results:- Generation-Y is defined, and beliefs about its defining characteristics are reviewed. The key role of marketing companies in the creation and perpetuation of generalised views of Gen-Y is addressed, and a review of recent research related to members of this generation is presented. The more extreme claims of Gen-Y as a unique generation are critiqued and implications fo...

SummaryIntroductionThis narrative review was carried out to collate the work of researchers on health-seeking behaviour in Pakistan, to discuss the methods used, highlight the emerging themes and identify areas that have yet to be studied. Study designReview. MethodsAn overview of studies on health-seeking behaviour in Pakistan, found via searches on scholarly databases intended to locate material of medical and anthropological relevance. ResultsIn total, 29 articles were reviewed with a range of different methodologies. A retrospective approach was the most common. A variety of medical conditions have been studied in terms of health-seeking behaviour of people experiencing such conditions. However, a wide range of chronic illnesses have yet to be studied. Nevertheless, some studies highli...

Abstract in portuguese INTRODUÇÃO: A história da epilepsia estuda a evolução do conhecimento médico com as suas contradições e incrementos aqui abordados eurocentristicamente. A literatura relacionada é rica e extensa. METODOLOGIA: Revisão narrativa baseada em fatos históricos sobre epilepsia em perspectiva epistemológica. OBJETIVOS: Apresentar uma breve resenha da evolução do conhecimento e de fatos no decorrer de quase 2300 anos desde Hipócrates até meados do século XIX, na v (more) irada para a epileptologia moderna que tem como símbolo, John Hughlings Jackson (1834-1911). Mencionar, da era pré-moderna, as hipóteses sobre a origem das crises epilépticas (CE) no organismo humano e suas causas e os conseqüentes procedimentos terapêuticos. Arrolar, dos anos subseqüentes ao mestre inglês, aspectos fundamentais da epileptologia moderna através dos seus Centros precursores, personalidades e fatos mais marcantes: terapia medicamentosa e cirúrgica, diagnóstico neurofisiológico e o retorno à abordagem integrada biopsicossocial patrocinada pela Campanha Global Contra Epilepsia, Saindo das sombras. Considerar: personalidades com/ou apenas hipoteticamente com epilepsia; literatura feita por escritores com epilepsia ou expectadores das CE de pessoas com epilepsia ou conhecedores de relatos secundários delas; livros médicos e periódicos precursores sobre epilepsia. CONCLUSÃO: A história da epilepsia consegue fazer uma resenha da evolução do conhecimento médico o que pode ser feito for fatos científicos e suas interfaces socioculturais. Ela demonstra, por exemplo, a importância histórica do método dedutivo-hipotético na elucidação da fisiopatogenia da epilepsia, magistralmente feita por John Hughlings Jackson, ao lado do mais usualmente usado nas Ciências, o indutivo. Abstract in english INTRODUCTION: The history of the epilepsy studies the medical knowledge with their contradictions and increments, here presented in a European point of view. The related literature is rich and extensive. METHODOLOGY: Narrative review based on epilepsy historical facts in an epistemologic perspective. OBJECTIVES: To present an overview of the evolution of the knowledge and of facts in elapsing of almost 2300 years from Hippocrates to middles of the XIX century, in the turn (more) point of the modern epileptology that has as symbol, John Hughlings Jackson (1834-1911). To mention, of the pre-modern era, the hypotheses on the seizure origin in the human organism and related causes and the consequent therapeutic procedures. To enroll, after the subsequent years to the English master, fundamental aspects of the modern epileptology through their pioneer Centers, personalities and more outstanding facts: surgical and drug therapies, neurophysiological diagnosis and the return to the integrated bio-psycho-social approach sponsored by the Global Campaign Against Epilepsy, Out of the shadows. To consider: personalities with/or just hypothetically with epilepsy; literature done by writers with epilepsy or who saw patient's seizures or who read secondary reports about these patients; precursor medical book or periodics. CONCLUSION: The epilepsy history manages to do a review of the medical evolution of the knowledge that can be done by means of scientific facts and socio-cultural interfaces. It demonstrates, for instance, the historical importance of the deductive-hypothetical method in the elucidation of the epilepsy physiopathogeny, masterfully done by John Hughlings Jackson, besides the more usually carried out in the Sciences, the inductive.

The usefulness of hazard perception tests is discussed on the basis of a literature review. Hazard perception skills seem to improve with driving experience and are considered for safe driving. Some countries have therefore implemented hazard perception t...

... literature OMIM Genetic disorder catalog Genetic Conditions > Ocular albinism On this page: Description Genetic changes Inheritance Diagnosis ... Glossary definitions Reviewed July 2007 What is ocular albinism? Ocular albinism is a genetic condition that primarily ...

... Recent literature OMIM Genetic disorder catalog Genetic Conditions > Axenfeld-Rieger syndrome On this page: Description Genetic changes Inheritance ... names Glossary definitions Reviewed June 2012 What is Axenfeld-Rieger syndrome? Axenfeld-Rieger syndrome is primarily an eye ...

This qualitative systematic review of the clinical methodology used in randomised, controlled trials of oral opioids (morphine, hydromorphone, oxycodone) for cancer pain underlines the difficulties of good pain research in palliative care. The current literature lacks placebo-controlled superiority ...

This paper presents a review of the literature on comparative tort law and economics. It pays special attention to the economics arguments against and in favour of harmonization of tort law in Europe.

Fatigue occurs in the majority of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and therapeutic possibilities are few. Exercise therapy is a therapeutic option but no studies have systematically reviewed the existing literature evaluating the effect of exercise therapy on MS fatigue.

... Recent literature OMIM Genetic disorder catalog Genetic Conditions > Lactose intolerance On this page: Description Genetic changes Inheritance ... names Glossary definitions Reviewed May 2010 What is lactose intolerance? Lactose intolerance is an impaired ability to ...

An evidence-based systematic review including written and statistical analysis of scientific literature, expert opinion, folkloric precedent, history, pharmacology, kinetics/dynamics, interaction, adverse effects, toxicology, and dosing. PMID:17135164

Abstract This chapter provides a review of the literature on peer leadership with specific emphasis on the benefits of these programs to the students being served, to those who engage as peer leaders, and to the institution.

Femoral neck stress fracture is extremely rare in childhood. We report a case of femoral neck stress fracture in an 11-year-old girl. Differentials diagnosis and a brief review of the literature follow.

Abstract This article is a historical review of the last decade of Rudolph Hanau's life. It covers his introduction to dentistry and explores his prolific articulator designs and contributions to the prosthodontic literature.

This report is a literature review on sorption properties of sediments and energy-related organic pollutants. Adsorption of organic compounds in general is discussed, and analytical methodology in soil thin-layer chromatography and chemical analysis as applicable to measurement o...

This document reviews recent literature regarding the usage of biodiesel and biodiesel blend fuel in on-road applications. The report describes some of the principal characteristics of biodiesel and usage experience in and near the State of Montana. Sever...

The results of research into anthropogenic pollution of aquatic biotopes were discussed in the literature review along with analyses of heavy metal accumulations or accumulation patterns in various organs of fishes. (JH).

... Recent literature OMIM Genetic disorder catalog Genetic Conditions > GLUT1 deficiency syndrome On this page: Description Genetic changes ... names Glossary definitions Reviewed February 2008 What is GLUT1 deficiency syndrome? GLUT1 deficiency syndrome is a disorder ...

Presented is a comprehensive literature review of mucosal melanoma along with case vignettes of a number of pertinent cases. Melanomas of the head and neck, the female genital tract, and the anorectum are discussed.

A case of a parathyroid cyst with adenoma was seen on Tl-201/Tc-99m subtraction imaging. The literature regarding parathyroid cysts and the subtraction technique for parathyroid adenoma imaging was reviewed.

Trampoline-related injuries have increased dramatically over the last few years. This article presents a review of the literature summarizing the different types and mechanisms of sustaining such injuries and looks at current recommendations to prevent them. PMID:21240113

... literature OMIM Genetic disorder catalog Genetic Conditions > Cystic fibrosis On this page: Description Genetic changes Inheritance Diagnosis ... Glossary definitions Reviewed August 2012 What is cystic fibrosis? Cystic fibrosis is an inherited disease characterized by ...

... literature OMIM Genetic disorder catalog Genetic Conditions > Asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy On this page: Description Genetic changes Inheritance ... Glossary definitions Reviewed July 2008 What is asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy? Asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy, also known as Jeune ...

Reviews the literature on the role and application of music therapy in special education in an Australian context. Notes that music therapy in Australia is practiced in medical contexts, education contexts, and in private practice and community programs. (DB)

This study focuses on the factors which influence patient satisfaction with nursing care in an Air Force outpatient clinic. The review of literature demonstrates that multiple factors influence patient satisfaction, including perception of a caring attitu...

Structural integrity of well construction, sampling, and remediation materials may be compromised at many hazardous sites by nonaqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) and their dissolved constituents. A literature review of compatibility theory and qualitative field experiences are provid...

BACKGROUND: Evaluation of how Motor Imagery and conventional therapy (physiotherapy or occupational therapy) compare to conventional therapy only in their effects on clinically relevant outcomes during rehabilitation of persons with stroke. DESIGN: Systematic review of the literature METHODS: We con...

The use of a branched endovascular stent–graft to repair an aneurysm of the visceral aorta is described. The evolving role of branched endovascular stent–grafts in the management of aortic aneurysms is discussed, and the literature reviewed.

The authors report a case of keratinising desquamative squamous metaplasia (KDSM) and review the literature on the topic. The aetiology and clinical-radiological characteristics are described and the long-term (8 years) efficiency of percutaneous treatment is emphasised.

This project was undertaken on behalf of TRB. The report documents a range of airport sustainability practices gathered from a literature review and web-based survey. It specifically targets airport operators and provides a snapshot of airport sustainabil...