Criteria for evaluating the clinical and practical utility of models used by nurses

Arguably, nursing, like all health care disciplines, is an applied science. Essentially, this refers to the application of theory in order to understand and respond to the health problems of clients. These theories may be drawn (borrowed) from any applied science, or generated inductively from clinical nursing practice. Alternatively, nurses may attempt to apply deductive theory (global theoretical frameworks) known as nursing models. In this paper, all theoretical approaches, irrespective of origin, are referred to as models used by nurses. Thirteen criteria by which clinicians, and others, can evaluate the clinical and practical utility of models used by nurses which are expressed in the form of questions are identified and discussed. The criteria are an extension, both in detail and in number, of those developed by Reynolds and Cormack and subsequently applied by those writers to the Johnson Behavioural System Model of Nursing. The value, or otherwise, of individual models, or of models in general, will not be discussed in this paper. However, the authors propose that if the evaluation criteria described here are applied to existing models, serious deficits will be identified in relation to their clinical and practical utility.     

Becoming a mother — an analysis of women's experience of early motherhood

This paper presents the results of a qualitative study conducted by midwife researchers into women's experience of new motherhood. Data were collected using focus groups involving 55 first-time mothers and analysed using grounded theory method. The analysis produced six categories: 'realizing', 'unready', 'drained', 'aloneness', 'loss' and 'working it out'. The core category, 'becoming a mother', integrates all other categories and encapsulates the process of change experienced by women. Also explained are factors mediating the often distressing experience of becoming a mother. The analysis provides a conceptualization of early motherhood enabling the development of strategies for midwives, nurses and others helping women negotiate this challenge.     

The sensitivity of Drosophila larvae to continuous-wave ultrasound.

The threshold for killing of freshly hatched Drosophila larvae exposed to continuous-wave (CW) ultrasound shows a minimum at approximately 0.3 MHz. This suggests that the stiffness of the material surrounding the gas bodies in the organism is comparable to water. From this, it is apparent that the gas bodies in three-day-old larvae that we have used in earlier studies are far larger than resonance size at the frequencies (1-5 MHz) used. Yet, these larvae were killed by short exposures to low-temporal-average-intensity pulsed ultrasound with peak intensities of the order of 10 W/cm2. Hence, it appears that "large" bubbles cannot be ignored in considerations of the biological effects of pulsed ultrasound and lithotripsy.     

Prognostic indicators in centroblastic-centrocytic lymphoma.

The prognostic importance of ploidy and proliferative index (%S + G2) assessed by flow cytometry, mitotic and centroblast counts, and histological growth pattern were evaluated in biopsy specimens taken before treatment from 60 cases of centroblastic-centrocytic non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Cases with a high proliferative index (greater than or equal to 18%) or DNA aneuploidy showed significantly poorer survival than those with a low proliferative index (less than 18%). A high mitotic count was also associated with a poor prognosis. On multiple regression analysis the flow cytometric assessments and mitotic counts were significant predictors of survival. Assessments of proliferative activity clearly have prognostic potential in centroblastic-centrocytic lymphoma and may permit more accurate characterisation of individual tumours.     

集训新兵躯体化症状特点及其相关因素分析

目的：探讨集训新兵躯体化症状特点及其相关因素。方法：用成人EPQ和症状自评量表（SCL-90）在集训过程中对1432名新兵进行了躯体化症状和个性评定。结果：集训第一个月末新兵躯体化症状的检出率最高（12.25％），集训第二个月末为9.81％，集训前为8.66％。逐步回归分析表明，影响躯体化症状的主要因素依次为情绪不稳、有过受伤史、缺少体育锻炼、非主动要求参军等。结论：集训期间躯体化症状呈非线性下降趋势，集训前躯体化症状受多种因素影响。     

硝苯啶、硫氮(艹卓)酮对兔实验性动脉粥样硬化症的影响

硝苯啶和硫氮(艹桌)酮不明显影响血清脂蛋白组分水平,但均显著抑制家兔主动脉动脉粥样硬化形成,降低血浆过氧化脂质、血栓烷和主动脉内中膜胆固醇、磷脂及钙含量,升高血浆6-酮-PGF_(1α),使,TXB_2/6-酮-PGF_(1α)趋于平衡。说明钙在血栓烷-前列环素代谢中起重要作用。     

湖南省两地区成瘾物质使用状况调查报告：使用率及相关因素

本文采用整群抽样的方法，对湖南两地区城乡共２３７７人（１５岁以上）的成瘾物质使用状况进行调查，其中男１１７９（４９．６％）人，女１１９９（５０．４％人），平均年龄男女分别为４１．２（ＳＤ＝１７．５）和４３．４（ＳＤ＝１８．６）。结果表明，饮酒率男性为５７．５％，女性为１７．３％，吸烟率男女分别为６８．２％和１１．７％；饮酒者多集中在每月饮１次左右的人群中（男５７．９％，女７７．９％），但吸烟者多集中在每日吸２０支及以上（男５２．４％，女４２．９％）的人群中。除解热镇痛剂外，男性各种精神活性物质的使用频率及剂量皆男高于女性，开始使用的年龄及成瘾的年龄男性低于女性；性别、使用频度、最早使用的年龄、婚姻与饮酒、吸烟量关系最为密切。有１４人使用过鸦片类物质，４人使用过兴奋剂。作者讨论了我国成瘾物质使用的特点，指出经济水平、社会文化背景等因素与我国社会性成瘾物质的使用有密切关系。