Adolescent psychopathology in times of change: Introduction to the special issue.

The aim of this special issue is to understand better the many changes in adolescent psychopathology have taken place over the last decades. The factors associated with adjustment problems and psychopathology in adolescence today are not necessarily the same as the factors that predicted problems and psychopathology in the past. But the basic strategies for connecting negative experiences with adolescent psychopathology remain as important today as they were for understanding adolescent psychopathology decades ago.

Inconsistency in opinions of forensic odontologists when considering bite mark evidence.

There has been controversy surrounding the principles of bite mark analysis, and also the opinions reached by forensic odontologists. The purpose of this study was to assess the consistency of opinions formed by forensic odontologists, both for individual odontologists after a period of time, and between odontologists. 23 forensic odontologists participated, and opinions on 4 cases per member were requested.

A structured preceptorship programme for laparoscopic colorectal surgery in Wales: An early experience.

Introduction: A single experienced laparoscopic colorectal surgeon introduced an outreach preceptorship programme (OPP) for laparoscopic colorectal surgery (LCS) in Wales with the aim of supporting consultants in the early stages of their learning curve, as well as to help avoid some of the problems faced by self-taught laparoscopic surgeons. The structured programme consisted of a minimum 1 day master class at the preceptor's operating theatre, followed by multiple outreach visits by the preceptor. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and early experience of this programme.

Patterns of child death in England and Wales.

In the past century, child mortality has fallen to very low rates in all developed countries. However, rates between and within countries vary widely, and factors can be identified that could be modified to reduce the risk of future deaths. An understanding of the nature and patterns of child death and of the factors contributing to child deaths is essential to drive preventive initiatives.

[Effectiveness of institutional policies to prevent adolescent alcohol use: The view of experts and adolescents].

Objective: The objective of this study is to obtain the views of a sample of adolescents and experts on adolescence, family, school, local policies and media, regarding the effectiveness of institutional policies to prevent adolescent alcohol use.

Setting: Four educational centers in the province of Seville. Head office of the Alcohol and Society Foundation in Madrid.

Transcompartmental inflammatory responses in humans: IV versus endobronchial administration of endotoxin*.

Objectives: Transcompartmental signaling during early inflammation may lead to propagation of disease to other organs. The time course and the mechanisms involved are still poorly understood. We aimed at comparing acute transcompartmental inflammatory responses in humans following lipopolysaccharide-induced pulmonary and systemic inflammation.

Barriers to delivering extracurricular school sport and physical activity in Wales: a qualitative study of 5x60 officers' views and perspectives.

Background: In light of recent reports, schools must be realistic in that physical activity recommendations cannot be met through curriculum PE alone. However, extracurricular PE and school sport has the potential to further promote physical activity in adolescents. Consequently, the Welsh Government, UK, proposed through its Climbing Higher strategy (2006) for secondary school children to achieve 60 minutes of physical activity a day.

Acute hamstring strain injury in track-and-field athletes: A 3-year observational study at the Penn Relay Carnival.

This study aimed to observe the incidence rates of hamstring strain injuries (HSIs) across different competition levels and ages during the Penn Relays Carnival. Over a 3-year period, all injuries treated by the medical staff were recorded. The type of injury, anatomic location, event in which the injury occurred, competition level, and demographic data were documented.

RV contractility and exercise-induced pulmonary hypertension in chronic mountain sickness: a stress echocardiographic and tissue Doppler imaging study.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate right ventricular (RV) and left ventricular function and pulmonary circulation in chronic mountain sickness (CMS) patients with rest and stress echocardiography compared with healthy high-altitude (HA) dwellers.

Background: CMS or Monge's disease is defined by excessive erythrocytosis (hemoglobin >21 g/dl in males, 19 g/dl in females) and severe hypoxemia. In some cases, a moderate or severe increase in pulmonary pressure is present, suggesting a similar pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension.

Maintaining the passion for pinards.

Throughout my midwifery programme I have developed a passion for the use of pinards; a skill that may be lost within midwifery. It is often acknowledged that the use of pinard stethoscopes prior to the use of electronic devices is best practice (Royal College of Midwives (RCM) 2012), yet it is a practice that seems to be losing its place. This article aims to share some of the benefits of using a pinard and encourages the reader to reflect on their own feelings towards using this tool in practice.

BSI not CSI: birth scene investigation--a community midwifery simulation.

Educating students in sophisticated clinical simulation centres, whereby students are exposed to low and high fidelity equipment, is gaining popularity. It is considered beneficial to create the most authentic environment to enhance learning. The Professor Bernard Knight House at the University of Glamorgan, originally designed as an environment for forensic science students, was utilised to simulate a community midwifery scenario.

Primiparous and multiparous mothers' perceptions of social support from nursing professionals in postnatal wards.

Objective: the study aimed at evaluating primiparous or multiparous mothers' perceptions of social support from nursing professionals (SSNP) in postnatal wards and factors associated with SSNP.

Design: a cross-sectional and correlational design was used.

Methods: data was collected in 2007-2008 in two maternity hospitals with a convenience sample of Finnish-comprehending primiparous and multiparous mothers (N=1300).

Learning objects? Nurse educators' views on using patients for student learning : ethics and consent.

Introduction: This study explored the views of nursing lecturers concerning the use of patients in nursing education, particularly in light of the development of additional learning opportunities such as clinical simulation.

Methods: Focus group interviews involving 19 educators from one school of nursing in the United Kingdom were held. An interview schedule was developed by the study team from the findings of a focused literature review of the area.

Factors affecting microbial fuel cell acclimation and operation in temperate climates.

For the successful scale-up of microbial fuel cell (MFC) systems, enrichment strategies are required that not only maximise reactor performance but also allow anodic biofilms to be robust to environmental change. Cluster analysis of Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis community fingerprints showed that anodic biofilms were enriched according to substrate type and temperature. Acetate produced the highest power density of 7.

Control of power sourced from a microbial fuel cell reduces its start-up time and increases bioelectrochemical activity.

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) performance depends on the selective development of an electrogenic biofilm at an electrode. Controlled biofilm enrichment may reduce start-up time and improve subsequent power performance. The anode potential is known to affect start-up and subsequent performance in electrogenic bio-catalytic consortia.

An analysis of the economic impact of smoking cessation in Europe.

Background: There is much evidence that smoking cessation interventions are both clinically and cost effective but these results relate only to the specific study populations involved in the studies. The present study aimed to compare and contrast results obtained when the effects of smoking cessation are modelled for several different European countries.

Methods: Local investigators collected data relating to several smoking related diseases.

Emergency airway management: common ventilation techniques.

Maintaining a patient's airway and facilitating breathing are the main priorities during any emergency situation in which breathing is compromised. The key to safe management of an airway is thorough assessment, primarily to ensure the airway is patent. In an emergency situation, a bag-valve-mask may be the most effective way to assist ventilation.

'Being there': the experiences of staff in dealing with matters of dying and death in services for people with intellectual disabilities.

Background: Research on staffed housing for people with intellectual disability has identified the challenges in achieving postitive quality of life outcomes. However, a less well considered dimension of such services is that they are places of living and dying. This paper looks at the experiences of staff in dealing with issues of death and dying.

United Kingdom (Wales): Health system review.

Wales is situated to the west of England, with a population of approximately 3 million (5% of the total for the United Kingdom), and a land mass of just over 20 000 km2. For several decades, Wales had a health system largely administered through the United Kingdom Governments Welsh Office, but responsibility for most aspects of health policy was devolved to Wales in a process beginning in 1999. Since then, differences between the policy approach and framework in England and Wales have widened.

Microbial fuel cell type biosensor for specific volatile fatty acids using acclimated bacterial communities.

Volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentration is one of the most important parameters for monitoring bio-processes such as anaerobic digestion and microbial fuel cells. In this study the correlation between VFA concentration and current/voltage responses and electrochemical properties by using the MFC technology was evaluated. The discrimination between different species of VFA by using two methods i.