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PubMed1999

Medial prefrontal cortex lesions cause deficits in a variable-goal location task but not in object exploration.

The role of the medial prefrontal cortex (PFC) in goal-directed behavior was examined in rats with aspiration lesions. In Experiment 1, PFC lesions resulted in an impaired ability to relearn the location of a behaviorally defined goal arm of a plus-maze after it was moved from an initially fixed position. Lesioned rats also exhibited a significantly greater degree of perseveration compared with control animals. Experiment 2 was an object exploration task in which rats had to respond to a change in the layout of the environment. PFC-lesioned rats performed identically to controls, therefore demonstrating that the deficits observed in Experiment 1 did not result from a deficit in the ability to explore the environment. The results are discussed in terms of several competing, but not mutually exclusive explanations of the role of the PFC in navigation and spatial representation.

Animals↗

PubMed1985

A proposed animal model for hallucinogens based on LSD's effects on patterns of exploration in rats.

The utility of various measures of exploratory activity in rats was studied in order to develop an animal model of hallucinogens. A hole board chamber, connected by a door to a home cage, provided two test situations. Rats either were placed directly into the hole board with the door closed (forced exploration) or were placed in the home cage and, following adaptation, the door was opened (free exploration). The monitoring system provided both quantitative measures (crossovers, rearings, and hole pokes) and qualitative measures of locomotor patterns. A series of four experiments, with doses of 2-160 micrograms/kg LSD, revealed three major categories of effects, distinguishable on the basis of dose dependency, time course, or response to environmental manipulation: increased avoidance of novel and central areas, disruption of the spatial patterning of locomotion, and suppression of rearing. All three effects exhibited partial tolerance 24 hr after one injection of 30 micrograms/kg LSD and complete tolerance after five daily injections. The possibility that LSD's enhancement of neophobia in rats may be a valid analogue model of its intensification of affective reactions in humans is discussed.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Attachment and exploration in adulthood.

In the present work, the relationship between attachment and exploration in adulthood is examined from both theoretical and empirical standpoints. Theoretically, attachment theory's exploration system is linked to R. W. White's (1959) concept of effectance motivation, and to the motive and goals constructs that are central to the achievement motivation literature. Empirically, 4 studies are presented that document a link between adult attachment (operationalized using categorical, continuous, and dimensional measures) and achievement motives (need for achievement and fear of failure) and achievement goals (mastery-approach, mastery-avoidance, performance-approach, performance-avoidance, and approach relative to avoidance personal strivings). Mediational analyses establish the role of challenge construal, threat construal, and competence valuation in accounting for the observed relationships.

Achievement↗

PubMed1992

Age and sex as factors influencing spontaneous exploration and object investigation by preadult rats (Rattus norvegicus).

This study examined developmental and sex differences in the exploratory and investigatory behaviors of Long-Evans rats (Rattus norvegicus). Littermate sextuplets were divided into sex-matched groups (at 30, 60, and 90 days of age) and were individually videotaped on 2 consecutive nights in an arena that contained stimulus objects. Multiple measures of locomotor exploration and object investigation increased significantly with age but were not influenced by sex. Older rats entered more quickly, were more active, spent more time in the arena, and spent more time investigating inanimate stimulus objects than did younger rats. Sex did not significantly affect most measures of open-field behavior; however, the data suggest that the sexes may begin to diverge by 90 days. These results suggest that preadult rats of both sexes are equipped early in development with similar strategies and repertoires for exploration and investigation.

Age Factors↗

PubMed1976

Role of residual olfactory cues in the determination of feeding site selection and exploration patterns of domestic rats.

Weanling domestic rat pups feed and explore in areas containing residual olfactory cues deposited by conspecific adults in preference to clean areas. Both nulliparous and lactating Long-Evans female rats deposit residual cues in an area that induce pups to explore and feed in it. Residual cues continue to affect the feeding and exploratory behavior of pups to maturity. Discrepancies between results obtained in the olfactory discrimination apparatus used by Leon and Moltz and those of the present experiments are resolved, and evidence is presented for the existence of residual cues not contained in anal excreta, which are attractive to pups. It is suggested that residual cues deposited by adult rats can play a role in directing weanlings to their first meals of solid food in the natural environment.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

Endoscopic exploration of Red Sea coral reefs reveals dense populations of cavity-dwelling sponges.

Framework cavities are the largest but least explored coral reef habitat. Previous dive studies of caverns, spaces below plate corals, rubble and artificial cavities suggest that cavity-dwelling (coelobite) filter-feeders are important in the trophodynamics of reefs. Quantitative community data are lacking, however, as the bulk of the narrow crevices interlacing the reef framework are inaccessible to conventional analysis methods. Here we have developed endoscopic techniques to explore Red Sea framework crevices up to 4 m into the carbonate rock, revealing a large internal surface (2.5-7.4 m2 per projected m2 reef) dominated by encrusting filter-feeders. Sponges alone provided up to 60% of coelobite cover, outweighing epi-reefal filter-feeder biomass by two orders of magnitude. Coelobite community filtration removed more than 60% of the phytoplankton in the course of its less than 5-minute passage through the crevices, corresponding to an uptake of roughly 0.9 g carbon m-2 d-1. Mineralization of the largely allochthonous organic material is a principal source of nutrients supporting coral and algal growth. The supply of new material by coelobites may provide a key to understanding the 'coral reef paradox'-a rich ecosystem thriving in nutrient-poor water.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Exploring biology with small organic molecules.

Small organic molecules have proven to be invaluable tools for investigating biological systems, but there is still much to learn from their use. To discover and to use more effectively new chemical tools to understand biology, strategies are needed that allow us to systematically explore 'biological-activity space'. Such strategies involve analysing both protein binding of, and phenotypic responses to, small organic molecules. The mapping of biological-activity space using small molecules is akin to mapping the stars--uncharted territory is explored using a system of coordinates that describes where each new feature lies.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Assessment of Mars Exploration Rover landing site predictions.

Comprehensive analyses of remote sensing data during the three-year effort to select the Mars Exploration Rover landing sites at Gusev crater and at Meridiani Planum correctly predicted the atmospheric density profile during entry and descent and the safe and trafficable surfaces explored by the two rovers. The Gusev crater site was correctly predicted to be a low-relief surface that was less rocky than the Viking landing sites but comparably dusty. A dark, low-albedo, flat plain composed of basaltic sand and haematite with very few rocks was expected and found at Meridiani Planum. These results argue that future efforts to select safe landing sites based on existing and acquired remote sensing data will be successful. In contrast, geological interpretations of the sites based on remote sensing data were less certain and less successful, which emphasizes the inherent ambiguities in understanding surface geology from remotely sensed data and the uncertainty in predicting exactly what materials will be available for study at a landing site.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2001

Contralateral groin exploration is not justified in infants with a unilateral inguinal hernia.

BACKGROUND: In children undergoing a unilateral inguinal herniotomy, the contralateral groin is often explored on the basis of a high incidence of patency of the processus vaginalis. The patency rate is highest in infants but there are no data on the subsequent risk of contralateral hernia development purely in this population. This was a study of the incidence of contralateral inguinal hernia following unilateral inguinal herniotomy in infancy (aged less than 1 year). METHODS: All infants who underwent a unilateral inguinal herniotomy between January 1986 and December 1991 were studied retrospectively. RESULTS: One hundred and eighty-one infants (165 boys and 16 girls) were studied. Median gestational age was 37 (range 25-42) weeks and median age at operation was 87 (range 1-365) days. The herniotomy was right sided in 82.9 per cent of infants. Follow-up ranged from 5 to 10 years. A contralateral hernia/hydrocele developed in 14 infants (7.7 per cent). None of the hernias was incarcerated. Median time from operation to occurrence of the contralateral hernia was 18 (2-67) months. Gestational age, sex and the side of the hernia did not influence the incidence of contralateral hernia development. CONCLUSION: The low incidence of contralateral hernia development in infants undergoing a unilateral inguinal herniotomy does not justify routine contralateral groin exploration.

Female↗

PubMed2002

Cancer as a chronic illness? Reconsidering categorization and exploring experience.

This article explores the different ways that user experience is defined and conceptualized, and the various policy and professional contexts in which emphasis is placed on exploring users' views. We go on to examine the experience of cancer as a chronic illness and argue that, although there are common features in the experience of cancer and people with chronic illness, the differences are too significant and cancer should not be defined as a chronic condition. We conclude with a consideration of the methodological difficulties of documenting user experience and identify the need for further methodological development.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1999

Exploring 'person-centredness': user perspectives on a model of social psychiatry.

This paper explores service users' experiences of a 'person-centred' mental health service. We describe the development of a model of social psychiatry that places the emphasis on the experiences of the person within social and political contexts. This establishes the foundations of a 'person-centred' approach, the values of which are described briefly. The results of interviews with 20 people are presented, in which their experiences of the service are explored in detail. These interviews reveal the struggle that lies at the heart of the professional-service user dialectic, which relates to issues of institutional power, roles and responsibility, and which places professional staff in conflict with the very notion of 'person-centredness'. No matter how 'person-centred' a mental health service may strive to be, there remain serious obstacles to the full realization of this approach. Despite this critique, there were many things that were valued by those who used the service. More detailed qualitative studies are required to explicate the complex relationships and paradoxes that emerged.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1996

Role: a concept explored in nursing education.

A number of research studies in nursing education have drawn on the concept of 'role' when defining differing aspects of both student nurse and nurse teacher experiences. Despite the fairly wide use of the word, little attention has been given to the origins and development of the study of role. Consequently, the purpose of this paper is to explore 'role' and to consider the implications of this concept when undertaking research into the work nurses do. The subject will be explored from the perspective of nursing education and the role of the nurse teacher will be used as the working example in this paper.

Education, Nursing↗

PubMed1998

A qualitative study utilizing a focus group to explore the role and concept of the nurse practitioner.

This paper describes the first part of a two-stage study exploring the concept of the nurse practitioner role. By utilization of a focus group methodology, data were collated from a cohort of eight RCN trained nurse practitioners. The transcript from their discussion was subjected to a qualitative-based content analysis. Eight categories emerged from the data and this paper explores four of them. These are: role recognition, feature of the nurse practitioner role, nurse/patient relationship and doctor/patient relationship. As a whole the focus group discussion highlighted the diversity in application of the nurse practitioner title. This in part, reflects the rapidly evolving role and the ongoing debate regarding the terms advanced and specialist practitioner.

England↗

PubMed1998

The place of metaphor and language in exploring nurses' emotional work.

An understanding of the importance of language as a symbolic artefact, particularly with reference to metaphor, has been little addressed within the nursing literature. Consequently, the potential richness of people's accounts may be missed. Data from a study which explored the nature of hospice work and nurses' experiences of professional and personal bereavements are used to illustrate the different understanding which an exploration of metaphor can bring to research. Meanings of metaphor and its role in language are initially presented before drawing on data concerned with the emotional aspects of hospice work. Root metaphors of emotion are identified and examples from nurses' accounts indicate how nurses draw on these metaphors to articulate their experiences. The strategies nurses employ to continue working within the hospice culture are identified both practically in their work and metaphorically in the language they use.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1999

An exploration of psychiatric nurses' and patients' opinions regarding in-patient care for suicidal patients.

This study explores psychiatric nurses' and patients' opinions regarding the care provided for in-patients who were admitted following: (i) depression as a result of psychosocial difficulty, (ii) suicidal ideation, or (iii) an overt suicidal behaviour. It also explores how care for such patients could be improved. A total of 20 psychiatric nurses and 17 in-patients were interviewed. The results show that nurses and patients believe that communicating with patients about their difficulties is the most important skill in psychiatric nursing. Most nurses were disappointed with the limited time they had available to communicate with patients and they were constructively critical of their pre-registration training in communication skills. Patients suggested that nurses should spend more time in helping to problem-solve their difficulties. Both nurses and patients suggest that situational factors impinge on the time available for psychotherapeutic care. Findings have implications for pre- and post-registration education and practice. Responses from both cohorts suggest how care could be improved.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

A case for case studies: exploring the use of case study design in community nursing research.

The case study has become an accepted vehicle for conducting research in a variety of disciplines. However, the meaning behind the term is not always made explicit by researchers and this has given rise to a number of assumptions which are open to challenge, and to questions about the robustness of the method. This paper explores some of the issues arising from one particular definition of case study research, used in a study by Yin which examined the practice of case management in community nursing. Four main areas are discussed. First, defining 'case' is seen to pose questions about the relationship of the phenomenon to its context, the degree of researcher control over case definition, the limits to what may constitute a 'case' and what is meant by the term 'unit of analysis'. Second, the relevance of external validity to case study research is supported through the use of a number of tactics, in particular Yin's concept of replication logic, which involves generalizing to theory, rather than to empirical data. Third, the use of method triangulation (multiple methods of data collection) is advanced as a means of enhancing construct validity in research where data converge around a particular theory. Finally, the relationship of the case study to theory construction, through the prior development of 'propositions' is discussed. Each of these issues is applied to the design and conduct of a research study based closely on Yin's multiple case study framework. Thirteen 'cases' were selected of case management practice and data were collected through interviews and examination of literature and documentation, to explore the suitability of community nurses for the role. It is concluded that, given the appropriate subject matter, context and research aims, the case study method may be seen as a credible option in nursing research.

Case Management↗

PubMed2000

Exploring reflective thinking in nursing practice.

While it is claimed in the nursing literature that reflective thinking is the approach par excellence for learning and advancing the art and practice of nursing, few empirical studies have been undertaken in this area to date. Sense-Making, a qualitative research method, was utilized to obtain and analyse data from interviews with 10 registered nurses in order to study reflective thinking in actual nursing practice. Ten non-routine nursing situations were analysed for the presence of reflective thinking. Time-line interviews of the events resulted in a total of 59 micro-moments, each of which was explored in terms of the thinking processes utilized to make sense of the situation as well as the focus of their thought. 'Pre-perceptions' played an important part in how the respondents perceived their situation. Reflective thinking was extensively manifest, especially in moments of doubt and perplexity, and consisted of such cognitive activities as comparing and contrasting phenomena, recognizing patterns, categorizing perceptions, framing, and self-questioning in order to create meaning and understanding. Self-questioning was identified as a significant process within reflective thinking. By exploring and analysing the type of questions respondents were asking themselves, the study uncovered three hierarchical levels of reflective thinking. Respondents most often engaged in reflective thinking-for-action which centred on the here and now in order to act. Reflective thinking-for-evaluation focused on creating wholeness and contributed to the realization of multiple perceptions and multiple responses. Reflective thinking-for-critical-inquiry could not be demonstrated in the study sample. The findings of this study resulted in the development of a model of reflective thinking, which is discussed in terms of the implications for learning in nursing practice.

Decision Making↗

PubMed2001

Exploring caring using narrative methodology: an analysis of the approach.

The investigation of caring in nursing practice and the need to explicate what it is nurses do when they care present a challenge for nurse researchers. This is due largely to the complex and nebulous nature of caring as a concept and the contextual elements that influence its perceived meaning. Consequently, the use of qualitative methods in the exploration of caring is the method of choice, with researchers employing a variety of such approaches. In particular, the use of stories as a primary way of making sense of an experience has gained attention in the literature and the narrative method is being seen increasingly as a valid means of tapping into the patient experience. However, the use of narratives is complex with a diversity of approaches often being presented. This paper discusses the use of narratives in the exploration of caring, focusing specifically on an approach developed by Donald Polkinghorne. Issues associated with the collection and analysis of narrative data using this approach are examined.

Data Collection↗