bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Can serum procalcitonin levels be useful in predicting spontaneous ureteral stone passage?
Authors: Cilesiz Nusret Can , Ozkan Arif , Kalkanli Arif , Eroglu Ali , Gezmis Cem Tuğrul , Simsek Berkan , Arslan Burak 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
Background
Medical expulsive therapy (MET) is recommended for ureteral stones when there is no indication for interventional treatment. Spontaneous passage (SP) may not always be perceived in patients undergoing MET. We aimed to demonstrate the effects of inflammatory factors on spontaneous ureteral stone passage in patients undergoing MET.

Methods
Our study was conducted between August and November, 2016, in healthy volunteers and patients with a single distal ureteral stone between 5 and 10 mm in diameter and no indications for interventional therapy. Blood and urine samples from all patients and healthy volunteers were tested. The patients were followed up every 2 weeks for 1 month unless emergency situations appeared. Patients with stone-free status at follow-up were concluded to have achieved complete stone passage [SP(+)], and failure [SP(−)] was concluded if the patient had not passed the stone by the end of the study. Blood samples of the patients and the control group were analyzed, recording WBC (white blood cell), CRP (c-reactive protein), SED (sedimentation), MPV (mean platelet volume), NLR (neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio), and serum procalcitonin levels. Abnormalities in urine samples were recorded. All patients received diclofenac sodium 75 mg/day, tamsulosin 0.4 mg/day, and at least 3 l/day fluid intake. Patients were followed for a month with kidney, ureter, bladder (KUB) plain films, ultrasonography (USG), and unenhanced abdominal CT scans while undergoing MET. Comparative statistical analyses were performed between the SP(+) and SP(−) groups.

Results
The procalcitonin levels of the SP(−) group were significantly higher (207 ± 145.1 pg/ml) than in the SP(+) group (132.7 ± 28.1 pg/ml) (p = 0.000). The leucocyturia rate of the SP(−) group was significantly higher than in the SP(+) group (p = 0.004). Based on the ROC curve analysis, 160 pg/ml (86.7% sensitivity, 70.8% specificity, p < 0.001; AUC: 0.788 95% CI (0.658–0.917) was identified as the optimal cut-off value for procalcitonin. In logistic regression analysis, a significant efficacy of procalcitonin and leucocyturia was observed in the univariate analysis on spontaneous passage. In the multivariate analysis, significant independent activity was observed with procalcitonin. (p < 0.05).

Conclusion
Our findings suggest that high procalcitonin levels and the presence of leucocyturia have a strong negative effect on SP of ureteral stones between 5 and 10 mm in diameter. This relationship can be explained by stone impaction, possibly caused by increased mucosal inflammation.
Is menopause still evolving? Evidence from a longitudinal study of multiethnic populations and its relevance to women’s health
Authors: Chan Shirley , Gomes Alyssa , Singh Rama Shankar 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
Background
To reflect on the impact of changing patterns of delayed marriage and reproduction and to seek evidence as to whether menopause is still evolving, characteristics of the menopause transition were investigated within and between ethnic populations in this study.

Methods
A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using data on 747 middle-aged women obtained from the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN) from 1996 to 2008. The ethnic groups included: Afro-American, Chinese, Japanese, Caucasian, and Hispanic. Perimenopause age and duration, menopause age, and hormonal indicators of menopause were examined across five ethnicities.

Results
We found a similar window of menopause age within populations, but no significant difference in perimenopause and menopause age between populations. The rate of increase of follicle-stimulating hormone and testosterone differed significantly in Hispanics and African-Americans during the menopause transition period.

Conclusions
The broad window of variation in age at menopause within the population and the absence of significant differences between populations, in combination with population variation in menopause symptoms, suggest that menopause is a relatively recently evolved and still evolving trait. Under the mate choice theory of menopause, menopause is the result of the accumulation of infertility mutations in older women due to men’s preference for younger mates. We propose a shifting mate choice-shifting menopause model which posits that, as the age of mate choice/marriage shifts to older ages, so will the age at menopause, and that menopause is a transient phase of female fertility; it can de-evolve, be delayed, if not disappear completely. Integrated longitudinal menopausal studies linked with genomics and hormonal studies on diverse ethnic populations can provide valuable information bearing on women’s health and personalized medicine.
Protective effect of ethyl acetate fraction from Semen sojae germinatum, the processed sprout of Chinese black soybean, on rat experimental osteoarthritis
Authors: Wang Jun , Guo Jie , Li Shulan , Zhang Mengya , He Bingshu 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
Background
Our previous in vitro study reported that the ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) of Semen sojae germinatum (SSG), the processed sprout of Chinese black soybean, possessed the potent anti-inflammatory and chondroprotective properties. The aim of the present work was to verify the in vivo antiosteoarthritic effect of EAF from SSG on a rat osteoarthritis (OA) model .

Methods
A classical rat OA model was surgically induced by anterior cruciate ligament transaction (ACLT). The OA rats were intra-articularly administered EAF from SSG for 8 weeks. The cartilage and synovial tissues were stained with hematoxylin and eosin (HE) to observe the histopathological changes. Safranin O/fast green staining was used to assess the glycosaminoglycan content in cartilage tissue sections. The expression of type II collagen and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-13 in cartilage was measured by immunohistochemistry. The apoptotic chondrocytes in the cartilage sections were detected using TUNEL assay. The concentrations of interleukin (IL)-1β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-ɑ in synovial fluid were determined using ELISA.

Results
Intra-articular administration of EAF from SSG well retained the structure and superficial layer of cartilage tissues, ameliorated cartilage lesion and the degradation of cartilage matrix, including proteoglycan and type II collagen, induced by ACLT operation. The ACLT-induced upregulation of MMP-13 expression in the cartilage tissues was resisted by EAF from SSG. Moreover, EAF from SSG inhibited the ACLT-induced chondrocyte apoptosis. Compared to OA model group, the inflammatory status of synovial membrane was improved, the levels of inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and TNF-ɑ in synovial fluid were decreased in rats administrated with EAF from SSG.

Conclusion
These data suggested that EAF from SSG displayed in vivo protective effect on OA development via preventing the degeneration of articular cartilage, inhibiting chondrocyte apoptosis and suppressing synovial inflammation.
Nurses´ perceptions of automated dispensing cabinets – an observational study and an online survey
Authors: Metsämuuronen Riikka , Kokki Hannu , Naaranlahti Toivo , Kurttila Minna , Heikkilä Reeta 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
Background
Thirty-two automated dispensing cabinets (ADCs) were introduced in May 2015 in Kuopio University Hospital, Finland. These medication distribution systems represent relatively new technology in Europe and are aimed at rationalising the medication process and improving patient safety. Nurses are the end-users of ADCs, and it is therefore important to survey their perceptions of ADCs. Our aim was to investigate nurses’ perceptions of ADCs and the impacts of ADCs on nurses’ work.

Methods
The study was conducted in the Anaesthesia and Surgical Unit (OR) and Intensive Care Unit (ICU), of a tertiary care hospital, in Finland. We used two different research methods: observation and a survey. The observational study consisted of two 5-day observation periods in both units, one before (2014) and the other after (2016) the introduction of ADCs. An online questionnaire was distributed to 346 nurses in April 2017. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics including frequencies and percentages and the Chi-Square test.

Results
The majority (n = 68) of the 81 respondents were satisfied with ADCs. Attitudes to ADCs were more positive in the ICU than in the OR. Nearly 80% of the nurses in the ICU and 42% in the OR found that ADCs make their work easier. The observational study revealed that in the OR, time spent on dispensing and preparing medications decreased on average by 32 min per 8-h shift and more time was spent on direct patient care activities. The need to collect medicines from outside the operating theatre during an operation was less after the introduction of ADCs than before that. Some resistance to change was observed in the OR in the form of non-compliance with some instructions; nurses took medicines from ADCs when someone else was logged in and the barcode was not always used. The results of the survey support these findings.

Conclusions
Overall, nurses were satisfied with ADCs and stated that they make their work easier. In the ICU, nurses were more satisfied with ADCs and complied with the instructions better than the nurses in the OR. One reason for that can be the more extensive pilot period in the ICU.
Distinctive nursing practices in working with mothers to care for hospitalised children at a district hospital in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: a descriptive observational study
Authors: North Natasha , Leonard Angela , Bonaconsa Candice , Duma Thobeka , Coetzee Minette 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
Background
The presence of family members and their active involvement in caring for hospitalised children is an established practice in many African paediatric settings, with family members often regarded as a resource. This aspect of African paediatric nursing practice lacks formal expression or a clear conceptual basis, and difficulties arise when applying concepts of family involvement originating from the culturally distinct practice environments of higher resourced settings including Europe and America. The aim of this study was to articulate a nurse-led practice innovation intended to facilitate family involvement in the care of hospitalised children, observed in a paediatric inpatient ward in a district hospital in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Methods
A qualitative case study design was used. Data collection included visual research methods (graphic facilitation, sociograms and photo-elicitation) as well as a focus group, interviews and practice observation. Activities associated with 20 nurses and 22 mother-child dyads were observed. Data were subjected to content analysis, with Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research (SRQR) applied.

Results
Findings relate to six aspects of practice, categorised thematically as: preserving the mother-child pair; enabling continuous presence; psychological support and empathy; sharing knowledge; mothers as a resource; and belief and trust.

Conclusion
The nursing practices and organisational policies observed in this setting relating to the facilitation of continuous maternal presence represent a distinctive nursing practice innovation. This deliberate practice contrasts with models of care provision which originate in higher resourced settings including Europe and America, such as Family Centred Care, and contrasts with informal practices in local African settings which tolerate the presence of mothers in other settings, as well as local institutional policies which limit mothers’ presence to varying extents.
Defining the boundaries and operational concepts of resilience in the resilience in healthcare research program
Authors:   on behalf of the RiH-team, Wiig Siri , Aase Karina , Billett Stephen , Canfield Carolyn , Røise Olav , Njå Ove , Guise Veslemøy , Haraldseid-Driftland Cecilie , Ree Eline , Anderson Janet E. , Macrae Carl 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
Background
Understanding the resilience of healthcare is critically important. A resilient healthcare system might be expected to consistently deliver high quality care, withstand disruptive events and continually adapt, learn and improve. However, there are many different theories, models and definitions of resilience and most are contested and debated in the literature. Clear and unambiguous conceptual definitions are important for both theoretical and practical considerations of any phenomenon, and resilience is no exception. A large international research programme on Resilience in Healthcare (RiH) is seeking to address these issues in a 5-year study across Norway, England, the Netherlands, Australia, Japan, and Switzerland (2018–2023). The aims of this debate paper are: 1) to identify and select core operational concepts of resilience from the literature in order to consider their contributions, implications, and boundaries for researching resilience in healthcare; and 2) to propose a working definition of healthcare resilience that underpins the international RiH research programme.

Main text
To fulfil these aims, first an overview of three core perspectives or metaphors that underpin theories of resilience are introduced from ecology, engineering and psychology. Second, we present a brief overview of key definitions and approaches to resilience applicable in healthcare. We position our research program with collaborative learning and user involvement as vital prerequisite pillars in our conceptualisation and operationalisation of resilience for maintaining quality of healthcare services. Third, our analysis addresses four core questions that studies of resilience in healthcare need to consider when defining and operationalising resilience. These are: resilience ‘for what’, ‘to what’, ‘of what’, and ‘through what’? Finally, we present our operational definition of resilience.

Conclusion
The RiH research program is exploring resilience as a multi-level phenomenon and considers adaptive capacity to change as a foundation for high quality care. We, therefore, define healthcare resilience as: the capacity to adapt to challenges and changes at different system levels, to maintain high quality care. This working definition of resilience is intended to be comprehensible and applicable regardless of the level of analysis or type of system component under investigation.
Metal ion-responsive nanocarrier derived from phosphonated calix[4]arenes for delivering dauricine specifically to sites of brain injury in a mouse model of intracerebral hemorrhage
Authors: Li Mingxin , Liu Guohao , Wang Kaixuan , Wang Lingfeng , Fu Xiang , Lim Lee Yong , Chen Wei , Mo Jingxin 
Published: April 2020

AbstractPrimary intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a leading cause of long-term disability and death worldwide. Drug delivery vehicles to treat ICH are less than satisfactory because of their short circulation lives, lack of specific targeting to the hemorrhagic site, and poor control of drug release. To exploit the fact that metal ions such as Fe2+are more abundant in peri-hematomal tissue than in healthy tissue because of red blood cell lysis, we developed a metal ion-responsive nanocarrier based on a phosphonated calix[4]arene derivative in order to deliver the neuroprotective agent dauricine (DRC) specifically to sites of primary and secondary brain injury. The potential of the dauricine-loaded nanocarriers for ICH therapy was systematically evaluatedin vitroand in mouse models of autologous whole blood double infusion. The nanocarriers significantly reduced brain water content, restored blood-brain barrier integrity and attenuated neurological deficits by inhibiting the activation of glial cells, infiltration by neutrophils as well as production of pro-inflammatory factors (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α) and matrix-metalloprotease-9. These results suggest that our dauricine-loaded nanocarriers can improve neurological outcomes in an animal model of ICH by reducing inflammatory injury and inhibiting apoptosis and ferroptosis.
Psychometric properties of the WHOQOL-BREF among next of kin to older persons in nursing homes
Authors: Rosén Helena , Ahlström Gerd , Lexén Annika 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
Background
The worries of next of kin about their older loved ones in nursing homes can be extensive and can adversely affect their subjective experiences of their own physical, mental and social well-being. It is thus of utmost importance to measure the quality of life of next of kin in a valid and reliable way.

Methods
The design is a cross-sectional study with psychometric evaluation based on classical test theory in preparation for a planned educational intervention study on palliative care. An abbreviated version of the World Health Organization’s quality-of-life self-assessment instrument WHOQOL, the Swedish WHOQOL-BREF, was completed by 254 next of kin of older persons in 30 nursing homes. Data quality was assessed via the mean, median, item response, missing values, and floor and ceiling effects. Reliability was estimated using Cronbach’s alpha and corrected item-total correlations. Construct validity was estimated by Spearman’s rank correlation, and model fit was assessed using confirmatory factor analysis.

Results
The rate of missing data was low (less than 2%). Ceiling effects ranged from 11 to 43% and were above 20% for 21 of 24 items. The corrected item-total correlations varied between 0.35 and 0.68 and were thus well above the lower limit of 0.30. Cronbach’s alpha was 0.83, indicating satisfactory internal consistency. The confirmatory factor analysis indicated a fair to close model fit (comparative fit index 0.93, root mean squared error of approximation 0.06).

Conclusions
The findings suggest that the WHOQOL-BREF may constitute a reliable and valid measure of quality of life for use among next of kin to older persons in nursing homes. When interpreting the results, it is important to assess the ceiling effect, as it may restrict the ability of the WHOQOL-BREF to detect true positive changes in quality of life over time.

Trial registration
NCT02708498.
Brief version of the coping health inventory for parents (CHIP) among family caregivers of children with chronic diseases
Authors: Toledano-Toledano Filiberto , Moral de la Rubia José , McCubbin Laurie D. , Cauley Bridget , Luna David 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
Background
The Coping Health Inventory for Parents (CHIP) has demonstrated good psychometric properties in several language forms and has been used to assess the coping behaviors of families facing disease. However, the CHIP has not been validated in Mexico among families of children with chronic conditions, where it could be useful for research and intervention. The objectives of this instrumental study were to obtain a version of the CHIP for the Spanish language in Mexico, establish the factor structure of the Mexican version of the CHIP, probe its internal consistency reliability, and assess its concurrent construct validity.

Methods
A nonprobability sample of 405 family caregivers of children with chronic diseases responded to a battery of measurement instruments that included the CHIP, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, and the Beck Depression Inventory. The sample was randomly divided into two parts. In one subsample (190 participants), an exploratory factor analysis was performed using a principal component analysis and oblique rotation. In the second subsample (215 participants), a confirmatory factor analysis was performed using maximum likelihood estimation.

Results
The scale was reduced to 16 items (CHIP-16) with factorial loads greater than .50. The empirical criteria used to determine the number of factors converged on the following five factors: belief and trust (McDonald ω = .85), spouse/partner relationship (ω = .79), home care (ω = .77), family involvement (ω = .75), and security/stability (ω = .79). The overall internal consistency was good (ω = .88). The five-factor model showed acceptable fit indices and high parsimony. The mean CHIP-16 scores and the Spouse/partner relationship scores among the caregivers with anxiety were greater than those among the caregivers without anxiety. The mean home-care scores among the women were greater than those among men.

Conclusions
The 16-item version of the CHIP showed good internal consistency and construct validity; thus, the CHIP-16 is a useful instrument for measuring and assessing coping in family caregivers of children with chronic diseases.
Kinin B1 receptor: a potential therapeutic target in sepsis-induced vascular hyperpermeability
Authors: Ruiz Stéphanie , Vardon-Bounes Fanny , Buléon Marie , Guilbeau-Frugier Céline , Séguelas Marie-Hélène , Conil Jean-Marie , Girolami Jean-Pierre , Tack Ivan , Minville Vincent 
Published: April 2020

AbstractBackgroundIn sepsis, the endothelial barrier becomes incompetent, with the leaking of plasma into interstitial tissues. VE-cadherin, an adherens junction protein, is the gatekeeper of endothelial cohesion. Kinins, released during sepsis, induce vascular leakage and vasodilation. They act via two G-protein coupled receptors: B1 (B1R) and B2 (B2R). B1R is inducible in the presence of pro-inflammatory cytokines, endotoxins or after tissue injury. It acts at a later stage of sepsis and elicits a sustained inflammatory response. The aim of our study was to investigate the relationships between B1R and VE-cadherin destabilization in vivo in a later phase of sepsis.MethodsExperimental, prospective study in a university research laboratory. We used a polymicrobial model of septic shock by cecal ligation and puncture in C57BL6 male mice or C57BL6 male mice that received a specific B1R antagonist (R-954). We studied the influence of B1R on sepsis-induced vascular permeability 30 h after surgery for several organs, and VE-cadherin expression in the lung and kidneys by injecting R-954 just before surgery. The 96-h survival was determined in mice without treatment or in animals receiving R-954 as a “prophylactic” regimen (a subcutaneous injection of 200 µg/kg, prior to CLP and 24 h after CLP), or as a “curative” regimen (injection of 100 µg/kg at H6, H24 and H48 post-surgery).ResultsB1R inactivation helps to maintain MAP above 65 mmHg but induces different permeability profiles depending on whether or not organ perfusion is autoregulated. In our model, VE-cadherin was destabilized in vivo during septic shock. At a late stage of sepsis, the B1R blockade reduced the VE-cadherin disruption by limiting eNOS activation. The survival rate for mice that received R-954 after sepsis induction was higher than in animals that received an antagonist as a prophylactic treatment.ConclusionsB1R antagonizing reduced mortality in our model of murine septic shock by limiting the vascular permeability induced by VE-cadherin destabilization through maintenance of the macrohemodynamics, consequently limiting organ dysfunctions.