On malfunctioning software

Artefacts do not always do what they are supposed to, due to a variety of reasons, including manufacturing problems, poor maintenance, and normal wear-and-tear. Since software is an artefact, it should be subject to malfunctioning in the same sense in which other artefacts can malfunction. Yet, whether software is on a par with other artefacts when it comes to malfunctioning crucially depends on the abstraction used in the analysis. We distinguish between “negative” and “positive” notions of malfunction. A negative malfunction, or dysfunction, occurs when an artefact token either does not (sometimes) or cannot (ever) do what it is supposed to. A positive malfunction, or misfunction, occurs when an artefact token may do what is supposed to but, at least occasionally, it also yields some unintended and undesirable effects. We argue that software, understood as type, may misfunction in some limited sense, but cannot dysfunction. Accordingly, one should distinguish software from other technical artefacts, in view of their design that makes dysfunction impossible for the former, while possible for the latter

Variations on a theme: conceptualizing system diversity with examples from northern Cameroon.

The existence and significance of variation at cropping and farming systems levels is examined using a case study in northern Cameroon. System diversity as a problem is firstly addressed followed by a discussion of diversity as a source of information. System diversity at the field level is then examined for the village of Gaban, and system diversity at the household level is explored for the same village. The issue of conceptualizing diversity in farming systems is addresse

The Left Ventricular Dysfunction Questionnaire: Italian translation and validation.

Patients affected by heart failure have a compromised quality of life (QOL) and in the last few years "health related quality of life" has become an important outcome indicator for the evaluation of heart failure treatment. Methods: Translation into Italian of the Left Ventricular Dysfunction Questionnaire (LVD-36), a new, 36-item, disease-specific health status instrument for patients with congestive heart failure, and its subsequent validation by administration to 50 consecutive patients in our heart failure outpatient clinic. The Italian LVD-36 was compared to the "The Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire" (MLHF). Results: The Italian version of the LVD-36 correlates well with MLHF for ejection fraction (EF), NYHA class I and II, etiology and therapy. Since, however, the LVD-36 has only one domain, it may be able to offer more synthetic information than MLHF about patients' status. Conclusions: The Italian version of the LVD-36 appears to be a reliable instrument for assessing patients' QOL and the degree of limitations imposed on them by the disease. It is short, clear and easy to complete. In patients with heart failure the LVD-36 correlates well with the MLHF and may be considered a new disease- specific instrument to estimate changes in health status, and an useful support in optimizing therapeutic options

MCP-1 and CCR2 gene polymorphisms in Czech patients with allergic disorders

Summary Several lines of evidence suggest that chemokines play an important role in asthma and allergy. We analysed polymorphisms at -2518A/G and -2076A/T of MCP-1 and V64I of CCR2 gene in healthy subjects ( n = 306) and allergic patients ( n = 332). Allele and genotype frequencies did not differ significantly between groups. Nevertheless, MCP-1 variants were associated with allergen sensitization. The results suggest that MCP-1, but not CCR2 gene variants, may participate in the pathogenesis of allergic phenotypes at least in the Caucasian population

Klimaatverandering, wetenschap en debat

De KNAW is ervan overtuigd dat er geen aanleiding meer is de gevolgen van de toegenomen concentratie kooldioxide en andere broeikasgassen in de atmosfeer te bagatelliseren of weg te wuiven. Ook al zou de klimaatverandering milder uitpakken dan verwacht dan nog is het, in het kader van andere overwegingen zoals zorg om toekomstige energievoorziening en duurzame ontwikkeling, verstandig in het beleid rekening te houden met de klimaatverandering zoals die wordt verwacht in de rapporten van het IPCC

Feasibility of an emotion regulation intervention for patients in cardiac rehabilitation

Cardiac rehabilitation is important to improve physical activity and reduce cardiovascular disease risk factors among people who have experienced a major cardiac event. However, poor emotion regulation can make it difficult to change cardiovascular risk factors. The purpose of this paper was to assess the feasibility of the Regulating Emotions to improve Nutrition Exercise and reduce Stress (RENEwS) intervention, an education program aimed at improving emotion regulation strategies among patients in cardiac rehabilitation. Fourteen cardiac rehabilitation patients (mean age 61 years) enrolled in 5 weekly RENEwS sessions. Qualitative analysis of participants’ comments was used to assess eight elements of feasibility. Fifty-seven percent of participants completed the intervention. Participants thought the intervention was feasible, with strengths in the areas of acceptability, demand, adaptation, integration, and implementation. Other comments regarding practicality, expansion, and perceived efficacy provide guidance for intervention refinement.Kelly L. Wierenga was supported in this work as The Nurses Charitable Trust of Greater Miami Scholar of the American Nurses Foundation and by NINR grants T32NR015433 and P30NR015326. David M. Fresco was supported by NHLBI Grant R01HL119977, NINR Grant P30NR015326, NCCIH Grant R61AT009867, and NICHD Grant R21HD095099. Megan Alder was supported by NINR grant P30NR015326 and T32NR015433. This secondary analysis was from a P30 pilot study in the SMART Center: Brain-Behavior Connections in Self-Management Science directed by Dr. Shirley Moore at CWRU (P30NR015326). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health

Preliminary Efficacy of an Emotion Regulation Intervention on Physical Activity and Depressive and Anxious Symptoms in Individuals in Cardiac Rehabilitation

Background: For the 720 000 Americans expected to experience a new acute cardiac event this year, cardiac rehabilitation is an important part of recovery. Symptoms of depression and anxiety undermine recovery efforts, leaving recovering patients at risk for diminished functional capacity and heightened risk of mortality. Poor emotion regulation can worsen symptoms of depression and anxiety and hinder recovery efforts. Objective: The purpose of this randomized controlled trial was to evaluate the early efficacy testing of a theoretically based emotion regulation treatment (Regulating Emotions to Improve Self-management of Nutrition, Exercise, and Stress [RENEwS]) designed to assist survivors of an acute cardiac event in cardiac rehabilitation to optimize recovery. Methods: Survivors of an acute cardiac event in cardiac rehabilitation (n = 30, 83% men) were randomized to five 1-hour in-person group sessions of RENEwS or a phone-based attention-control group. Participants completed measures of depression and anxiety symptoms at 3 time points. Moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was objectively measured for 7 days at each time point using waist-worn actigraphy monitors. Between-group differences were calculated using analysis of variance with Cohen f effect sizes calculated to evaluate initial efficacy. Results: There was no statistically significant difference in depression, anxiety, or MVPA over time based on group assignment (all P > .05). Compared with attention control participants, in RENEwS participants, preliminary effects showed greater reductions in depression (Cohen f = 0.34) and anxiety (Cohen f = 0.40) symptoms but only modest improvements in MVPA from baseline to 5 months (Cohen f = 0.08). Conclusions: Findings show that RENEwS is a promising emotion regulation intervention to enhance cardiac rehabilitation and potentially decrease symptoms of depression and anxiety.Kelly L. Wierenga was supported in this work as The Nurses Charitable Trust of Greater Miami Scholar of the American Nurses Foundation and by NINR grants T32NR015433 and P30NR015326. David M. Fresco was supported by NHLBI Grant R01HL119977, NINR Grant P30NR015326, NCCIH Grant R61AT009867, NIMH Grant R01MH118218, NICHD Grant R21HD095099, and NCI Grant R01CA244185. Megan Alder was supported by NINR grant P30NR015326 and T32NR015433. This secondary analysis was from a P30 pilot study in the SMART Center: Brain-Behavior Connections in Self-Management Science directed by Dr. Shirley Moore at CWRU (P30NR015326). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health

Efficacy of a Manualized and Workbook-Driven Individual Treatment for Social Anxiety Disorder

Social anxiety disorder is a prevalent and impairing disorder for which viable cognitive-behavioral therapies exist. However, these treatments have not been easily packaged for dissemination and may be underutilized as a result. The current study reports on the findings of a randomized controlled trial of a manualized and workbook-driven individual cognitive-behavioral treatment for social anxiety disorder (Hope, Heimberg, Juster, & Turk, 2000; Hope, Heimberg, & Turk, 2006). This treatment package was derived from an empirically supported group treatment for social anxiety disorder and intended for broad dissemination, but it has not previously been subjected to empirical examination on its own. As a first step in that examination, 38 clients seeking treatment for social anxiety disorder at either the Adult Anxiety Clinic of Temple University or the Anxiety Disorders Clinic of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln were randomly assigned to receive either immediate treatment with this cognitive-behavioral treatment package or treatment delayed for 20 weeks. Evaluation at the posttreatment/postdelay period revealed substantially greater improvements among immediate treatment clients on interviewer-rated and self-report measures of social anxiety and impairment. Three-month follow-up assessment revealed maintenance of gains. Clinical implications and directions for future research are discussed