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AIM: This paper explores the development of a low-cost, involving methodology for constructing nursing-focused evidence-based national care guidance, known as Best Practice Statements, the intended users of which are gerontological nurses practising throughout Scotland. DESIGN: The Best Practice Statement construction methodology forms one cycle in a five-year longitudinal action research study that aims to achieve evidence-based nursing, facilitate professional networking to support practice development and promote the principles and practice of gerontological nursing. Achieving these aims involved designing a virtual Practice Development College. METHODS: A Community of Practice comprising practising gerontological nurses, expert advisors, academic teaching and research nurses collaborated in face-to-face meetings and in the virtual Practice Development College to delineate and refine the procedural model for Best Practice Statement construction. Focus groups, telephone interviews, analysis of on-line archives and documentary outputs formed the analytic dataset. RESULTS: Qualitative analysis indicated that, from the perspective of the community of practice, the emerging methodology facilitated the melding of knowledge sources reflecting the dominant evidence hierarchy with other forms of evidence valued by gerontological nurses, in the Best Practice Statement. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Current methods of care guidance construction rarely address the concerns of nurses and the evidence from which guidelines are developed is narrowly defined with regard to inclusion and acceptability. In contrast this model focuses on nursing issues, embraces a wider definition of evidence and ensures that the published Best Practice Statements are credible and achievable in gerontological practice, where they are tested and refined as an inherent aspect of the development process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes a prototype modeling system for assessing forest management-related erosion at its source and predicting sediment transport from hillslopes to stream channels and through channel networks to a watershed outlet. We demonstrate that it is possible to develop a land management tool capable of accurately assessing the primary impacts of spatiotemporally varied forest management practices on sediment yield and delivery at hillslope to watershed scales in a single simulation. The modeling system consists of four components: (1) the TOpographic ParameteriZation (TOPAZ) model for discretizing hillslope and channel elements, (2) the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) model for evaluating hillslope-scale surface erosion processes, (3) the National Center for Computational Hydrodynamics and Engineering's one-dimensional (CCHEID) hydrodynamic-sediment transport model, and (4) an interface program to manage relational databases and data transfer between modules. The coupled models were calibrated and validated with observed flow and sediment load data from the North Fork Caspar Creek Experimental Watershed in coastal northern California. The coupled models' predictions of peak flow rate and total flow volume were not significantly different from observed values. Predicted sediment concentrations were significantly different from observed values, but within typical ranges for sediment transport equations. We recommend that the WEPP model be improved to allow access to sub-daily time scale results so that it can be better integrated with other watershed models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AIMS: This paper presents findings from telephone interviews completed with link nurses 2 years into the project to explore how participation progressed achievement of evidence-based practice where the link nurses worked. BACKGROUND: In 2001, an innovative practice development initiative was launched in Scotland. A national network of experienced nurses from across the country was recruited to form the inaugural Community of Practice. This involved describing gerontological nursing, pioneering a nurse-sensitive methodology to craft care guidance that reflects the agreed practice model, and constructing a virtual college based on a situated learning model. METHODS: A volunteer sample of link nurses took part in telephone interviews exploring experiences of using the virtual college and the extent to which the description of gerontological nursing and the first best practice statement on nutrition had influenced practice. FINDINGS: Five components (themes) were identified as facilitating the attainment of evidence-based practice. These focussed on confidence-building and the positive benefits of achieving vision and clarity for gerontological nursing. Membership of a national Community of Practice afforded status and strengthened sense of professional identity. The inclusive knowledge synthesis methodology used to prepare, pilot and support implementation of the best practice statement was highly valued. Progress towards evidence-based practice in all affiliated areas was reported. Major challenges for nurses in participating in the virtual college included the absence of a learning-at-work culture, lack of time and doubts about the legitimacy of internet-based learning. CONCLUSION: The evaluation indicates the potential merits of e-practice development, particularly for nurses who feel geographically and professionally isolated or disenchanted with available continuing professional development opportunities. Participation in the virtual college appeared to enrich practice and foster a culture of change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Powdered magnesia based additives injected at the flue gas airheater inlets on oil fired plant are being evaluated as possible palliatives to acid smut emission and surface corrosion problems. This paper considers some important mass transfer aspects which govern the effectiveness of these “back end” additives together with factors which influence the “scaling” of injection rates as functions of plant size. The relevance of additive particle size, duct diameter and surface temperature on additive and acid deposition on surfaces is discussed and the potential for gas phase reaction between sulphuric acid vapour and suspended additive is quantified. The overall conclusion substantiates facts already observed in recent full scale plant trials— namely that prediction of additive performance is very difficult and that scaling factors are complex functions of many variables. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article identifies the underlying molecular events responsible for fracture nonunions in a subset of fracture patients. Expression profiling of fracture callus tissue from both uneventful fracture repair and nonunion outcomes showed a decrease of COX-2 expression and an inability to mount an immune response in nonunion fractures. Validation in vitro with Saos-2 osteoprogenitor cell lines showed a decrease in osteogenesis potential after the cells were treated with celecoxib, a COX-2 specific inhibitor and anti-inflammatory agent. This article recapitulates that an initial immune response is crucial to fracture healing and suggests limited usage of COX-2 inhibitors in patients with healing fractures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]