bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Self-confidence and attitude of acute care nurses to the presence of family members during resuscitation
Authors: Rafiei Hossein , Senmar Mojtaba , Mostafaie Mohammad Reza , Goli Zeinab , Avanaki Sedighe Nasiri , Abbasi Leila , Mafi Mohamad Hossein 
Published: November 2018

Aim: the present study aimed to assess the relationship between attitude to the presence of family members during cardiopulmonary resuscitation and confidence of acute care nurses in performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the presence of family. Methods: this descriptive-analytical study was conducted on nurses working in acute care units (intensive care unit, coronary care unit, and emergency department) in Iran in 2017. A total of 150 nurses entered the study by convenience sampling. Data were collected on nurses' attitude towards the presence of family scale and nurses' self-confidence in presence of family scale. Results: of the 150 participants, 48 (32%) were men and 102 (68%) were women. Total mean score of attitude was 67±10.4 (obtained scores by nurses ranged from 32 to 100). Total mean score of self-confidence was 53.86 ±11.7 (obtained scores by nurses ranged from 23 to 81). Pearson correlation test showed a significant negative relationship between nurses' attitude toward presence of family members during cardiopulmonary resuscitation and their self-confidence (rr=-0.45, p=0.001). Conclusion: the present study showed that nurses with a higher self-confidence have a more positive attitude toward presence of family members during cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Given the importance of the subject, it should be considered by nursing managers and planners.
A qualitative study of nursing staff experiences of delirium in the hospice setting
Authors: Waterfield Kerry , Weiand Donna , Dewhurst Felicity , Kiltie Rachel , Pickard Jonathan , Karandikar Ulka , MacCormick Fiona , Vidrine Jen , Rowley Grace , Coulter Paul , Lee Mark , Frew Katie 
Published: November 2018

Background: Delirium is a common condition occurring in 13–42% of people admitted to palliative care units and up to 88% of these patients are at the end of their lives. It is frequently unrecognised and distressing to all those affected—patients, families and health professionals. In addition, there is considerable uncertainty surrounding its trajectory and optimal management, both of which can be inconsistent. Aims: This study aims to explore the experience of nursing staff who are caring for patients with delirium in the hospice environment and understand any potential barriers to its management. Methods: Semistructured interviews using emotional touchpoints were conducted with 12 nurses and six healthcare assistants in three hospices in North East England. Data was analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Findings: The results highlighted gaps in knowledge and understanding in the management of delirium. The results demonstrated delirium had significant emotional effects, which were associated with uncertainty in managing the condition and the impact of this uncertainty on the relationship between staff and patients. Conclusion: This study highlights the emotional impact of caring for patients with delirium. Future work is needed to address the areas of uncertainty identified and ascertain how to best support nursing staff in these challenges.
An ethnographic study in nursing homes in Iran
Authors: Shahrki Sedigheh Khodabandeh , Abazari Farokh , Nayer Nahid Dehghan , Pouraboli Batool 
Published: November 2018

Background: The approach of death is an undeniable part of ageing and death is the most important concern for elderly people who live in nursing homes. This study examines describes how care home residents feel when they recognise that they are close to death. Aims: The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of elderly residents who are dying in nursing homes as well as their caregivers toward death in an Iranian context. Methods: A focused ethnographic research design was chosen. The research sample consisted of 25 nursing home staff—three nurses, 18 healthcare assistants, two administrators, a social worker and a psychologist—and 10 elderly people in two nursing homes in Iran. Data was collected through field notes, observations and semistructured, in-depth interviews. Data was analysed using thematic analysis. Findings: There were two main themes of: seeking the embrace of a calm death; and waiting for death. Within these, four subthemes were identified. Conclusion: The perceptions of the participants originated from the nursing home culture and their beliefs in eternal life. Training staff about the cultural needs of dying people and end-of-life care would be the most effective way to improve the experience of dying for nursing home residents.
Increased Ferritin Concentration and Risk of Atrial Fibrillation and Heart Failure in Men and Women: Three Studies of the Danish General Population Including 35799 Individuals
Authors: Mikkelsen Lise Fischer , Nordestgaard Børge G , Schnohr Peter , Ellervik Christina 
Published: November 2018

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Moderately increased plasma ferritin, as a biomarker of iron overload, has been associated with higher rates of cardiovascular death and heart failure. However, the association of moderately increased plasma ferritin with risk of atrial fibrillation in the general population is unknown.

METHODS
We examined the association of plasma ferritin concentrations with risk of atrial fibrillation and heart failure in metaanalyses of 35799 men and women from 3 studies of the Danish general population: the Copenhagen City Heart Study, the Danish General Suburban Population Study, and the Copenhagen General Population Study.

RESULTS
Multivariable adjusted fixed effects odds ratios for atrial fibrillation were 1.23 (95% CI, 1.05–1.44; P = 0.005) in men for ferritin concentration ≥300 μg/L vs &lt;300 μg/L, 1.13 (95% CI, 0.93–1.38; P = 0.22) in women for ≥200 μg/L vs &lt;200 μg/L, and 1.19 (95% CI, 1.06–1.35; P = 0.005) in both sexes combined (Psex interaction = 0.52). Corresponding fixed effects odds ratios for heart failure were 1.16 (95% CI, 0.98–1.37; P = 0.08) in men, 0.86 (95% CI, 0.67–1.10; P = 0.23) in women, and 1.05 (95% CI, 0.91–1.21; P = 0.45) in both sexes combined (Psex interaction = 0.05). Multivariable adjusted fixed effects odds ratio for atrial fibrillation per step increase in ferritin concentrations was 1.13 (95% CI, 1.06–1.21; Ptrend = 0.0005) in both sexes combined (Psex interaction = 0.59); the corresponding value for heart failure was 1.03 (95% CI, 0.95–1.11; Ptrend = 0.47) (Psex interaction = 0.08). In sensitivity analyses, there was no evidence of U-shaped relationships between plasma ferritin concentrations and risk of atrial fibrillation or heart failure in men or women.

CONCLUSIONS
Increased ferritin concentration is associated with increased risk of atrial fibrillation in the general population.
Identifying and Eliminating Laboratory Contamination by Topical Testosterone Therapeutics
Authors: Genzen Jonathan R , La'ulu Sonia L , Wyness Sara P , Scholes Kelly L , Signorelli Heather N , Greer Ryan W 
Published: November 2018

Abstract
Many prescription and over-the-counter drugs are available as topical formulations. Contamination of clinical laboratory workspaces by topical drugs may increase the risk of potential interference with diagnostic testing. An example of localized workspace contamination attributed to a topical hormonal drug (testosterone, T) is presented to highlight significant challenges in identifying and resolving this potential problem. Investigation included precision studies, instrument service and parts replacement, instrument replacement, airflow analysis, environmental dust sampling, and the development of customized methods for workspace monitoring and cleaning. Laboratory policies and procedures were also revised to minimize future risk.
Integrated Extreme Real-Time PCR and High-Speed Melting Analysis in 52 to 87 Seconds
Authors: Myrick Joseph T , Pryor Robert J , Palais Robert A , Ison Sean J , Sanford Lindsay , Dwight Zachary L , Huuskonen Jarkko J , Sundberg Scott O , Wittwer Carl T 
Published: November 2018

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Extreme PCR in &lt;30 s and high-speed melting of PCR products in &lt;5 s are recent advances in the turnaround time of DNA analysis. Previously, these steps had been performed on different specialized instruments. Integration of both extreme PCR and high-speed melting with real-time fluorescence monitoring for detection and genotyping is presented here.

METHODS
A microfluidic platform was enhanced for speed using cycle times as fast as 1.05 s between 66.4 °C and 93.7 °C, with end point melting rates of 8 °C/s. Primer and polymerase concentrations were increased to allow short cycle times. Synthetic sequences were used to amplify fragments of hepatitis B virus (70 bp) and Clostridium difficile (83 bp) by real-time PCR and high-speed melting on the same instrument. A blinded genotyping study of 30 human genomic samples at F2 c.*97, F5 c.1601, MTHFR c.665, and MTHFR c.1286 was also performed.

RESULTS
Standard rapid-cycle PCR chemistry did not produce any product when total cycling times were reduced to &lt;1 min. However, efficient amplification was possible with increased primer (5 μmol/L) and polymerase (0.45 U/μL) concentrations. Infectious targets were amplified and identified in 52 to 71 s. Real-time PCR and genotyping of single-nucleotide variants from human DNA was achieved in 75 to 87 s and was 100% concordant to known genotypes.

CONCLUSIONS
Extreme PCR with high-speed melting can be performed in about 1 min. The integration of extreme PCR and high-speed melting shows that future molecular assays at the point of care for identification, quantification, and variant typing are feasible.
Pathologic Difference between Sepsis and Bloodstream Infections
Authors: Huerta Luis E , Rice Todd W 
Published: November 2018

Abstract

Background
Sepsis, defined as life-threatening organ failure caused by a dysregulated host response to infection, is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients. Understanding the features that distinguish sepsis from bloodstream infections (and other types of infection) can help clinicians appropriately and efficiently target their diagnostic workup and therapeutic interventions, especially early in the disease course.

Content
In this review, sepsis and bloodstream infections are both defined, with a focus on recent changes in the sepsis definition. The molecular and cellular pathways involved in sepsis pathogenesis are described, including cytokines, the coagulation cascade, apoptosis, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Laboratory tests that have been evaluated for their utility in sepsis diagnosis are discussed.

Summary
Sepsis is defined not only by the presence of an infection, but also by organ dysfunction from a dysregulated host response to that infection. Numerous pathways, including proinflammatory and antiinflammatory cytokines, the coagulation cascade, apoptosis, and mitochondrial dysfunction, help determine if a bloodstream infection (or any other infection) progresses to sepsis. Many biomarkers, including C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, and lactic acid have been evaluated for use in sepsis diagnosis, although none are routinely recommended for that purpose in current clinical practice. While some laboratory tests can help distinguish the 2, the presence of organ dysfunction is what separates sepsis from routine infections.
The plight of the private press during the Zimbabwe crisis (2010–18)
Authors: Ruhanya Pedzisai 
Published: November 2018

Abstract
This study critically examines how the private press in Zimbabwe survived during periods of economic and political crises. In year 2010, the Zimbabwe media fraternity saw the re-opening of Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe (ANZ) after closure in 2003 and the emergence of the NewsDay, published by the Alpha Media Holdings (AMH). The study examines how these publishers survive the economic challenges in Zimbabwe, especially during the prolonged period of the Zimbabwe Crisis from 2010 to 2018. It critically investigates how these two publications have remained operational despite the limited advertising revenue – owing to company closures – and the adversarial relations with the government – a critical source of huge advertising revenue. Given that copy sales of newspapers hardly sustain business entities, this article explores the alternative sources of income and the impact of vested interests on alternative revenue for privately owned newspapers. It is a qualitative research based on findings from thirteen semi-structured in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of ANZ and AMH officials and journalists. Publishers have relied on two main survival strategies, namely, internal cost-cutting strategies and building good business relations with the ruling political elites. Internal cost-cutting strategies have included newsroom convergences, retrenchments, salary reductions and freezes, reduction of newspaper pages and shutting down national newspaper bureaus. External survival methods, on the other hand, have been seeking donor funding, attracting political investments and embracing the new political order for government protection in the event of failure to pay statutory obligations such as taxes and pensions.
An introduction to the manifesto for illustration pedagogy: A lexicon for contemporary illustration practice
Authors: Fauchon Mireille , Gannon Rachel 
Published: November 2018

Abstract
As illustration educators our role is to be at the forefront of championing the development and understanding of our subject. Through practice, debate and research we strive to extend the remits of contemporary illustration and provoke debate as to what may be achieved at the very heights of ambition. Questioning of the potentials of illustration has never been more urgent as we work to prepare students to enter into a rapidly expanding field. Changes in industry, the vast expansion of potential platforms and the shifting of hierarchy as illustrators become more autonomous has prompted professionals to interrogate new ways to apply their diverse skill sets. This, met with the development of illustration taught as an independent subject not beholden to other graphic art forms, has seen the emergence of increasingly experimental and interdisciplinary uses and placements of illustrative work. Within our community of educators there is a concerted effort to establish new benchmarks for the study of our subject, to provoke aspirational thinking amongst our student cohorts and to facilitate pioneering practice. The Manifesto for Illustration Pedagogy intends to nurture ambition for the future of contemporary illustration practice and support the development of a discipline-specific critical vocabulary.
Factors associated with glycemic control in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus at a tertiary-care center in Thailand: a retrospective observational study
Authors: Dumrisilp Termpong , Supornsilchai Vichit , Wacharasindhu Suttipong , Aroonparkmongkol Suphab , Sahakitrungruang Taninee 
Published: November 2018

Abstract

Background
Children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D), even those with intensive insulin treatment regimens, often have higher glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels than adults.

Objective
To delineate the medical and psychosocial factors associated with glycemic control in an unselected pediatric population with T1D.

Methods
We included a cross-section of 58 adolescents (28 boys and 30 girls) aged 13.6 ± 4.0 years with T1D ≥1 year attending a well-established pediatric diabetes clinic in Thailand. Median diabetes duration was 4.1 years (range 1–18 years). Participants were divided into 2 subgroups according to their average HbA1c level over the past year. Those with good control (HbA1c <8%) (n = 13) were compared with those with poor control (HbA1c ≥8%) (n = 45). Data collected from self-report standardized questionnaires and medical records were used to compare variables between groups.

Results
Adolescents with good control used significantly less daily insulin and had higher family income, higher scores for family support, and quality of life (QoL) than those in the group with poor control (P < 0.05). Age, sex, puberty, duration of diabetes, insulin regimen, frequency of blood glucose monitoring, and self-report adherence did not differ between groups. By univariate logistic regression, the only factor associated significantly with poor glycemic control was a QoL score <25.

Conclusion
Adolescents with T1D may be at a higher risk of poor glycemic control if they have poor QoL, impaired family functioning, poor coping skills, and lower socioeconomic status, suggesting that psychosocial interventions could potentially improve glycemic control in this population.
Determinants of consanguinity and inbreeding coefficient in the multiethnic population of Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Authors: Tufail Muhammad , Rehman Atta Ur , Malik Sajid 
Published: November 2018

Abstract

Background
Despite the high sociocultural preferences in contracting marriages among close relatives in Pakistan, marked regional differences exist in the prevalence of consanguinity. There is great interest to elucidate the sociodemographic variables underlying the heterogeneity in consanguinity prevalence in the various populations. The present study was conducted in the Mardan district of Pakistan, the second largest multiethnic Pashtun metropolis.

Objective
To find determinants of consanguineous unions.

Methods
In a cross-sectional study design, a convenience sample of 1,202 ever-married men from 3 tehsils of Mardan district was recruited in an unselected manner and data regarding their marital union types and sociodemographic variables were obtained by a structured interview. Descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used.

Results
Consanguineous unions accounted for 44% of all marriages, and the inbreeding coefficient was calculated as 0.0258. Regression analyses revealed that 6 variables were significant predictors of consanguinity, namely, tehsil, age, year of marriage, caste (zaat/biradari) system, area of house, and marriage arrangement of the respondent, while 6 other variables, namely, rural/urban origin, literacy, occupation, monthly income, household type, and number of family members, were not found to be significant. Regression analyses showed that there were different combinations of variables predictive of consanguinity among the various tehsils.

Conclusions
The prevalence of consanguinity in the Mardan district was found to be lower than that in many other districts of Pakistan. National regional differences exist in consanguinity, and the combination of predictive factors varies greatly.
Postoperative cure in Iranian patients with gastric cancer: estimating the crude conditional probability in a relative survival setting in the presence of competing risks
Authors: Paknazar Fatemeh , Mahmoudi Mahmood , Mohammad Kazem , Zeraati Hojjat , Mansournia Mohammad Ali , Yaseri Mehdi 
Published: November 2018

Abstract

Background
Following treatment, cancer patients may be clinically cured. However, they may die for reasons other than cancer, called competing risks.

Objective
To estimate postoperative cure while considering the competing risks in Iranian patients with gastric cancer.

Method
Data were obtained from the Cancer Institute of Imam Hospital in Tehran. The analysis was conducted within the framework of relative survival by fitting the data to a flexible parametric cure model, taking into account the competing risks using general population data by adjusting for age, sex, and year of diagnosis.

Results
Of the 326 patients (224 male and 102 female) whose data were included, 235 deaths (72.1%) occurred during the follow-up period. The probability of conditional cure in terms of crude ratios of dying from causes other than gastric cancer in the surviving patients increased with the passage of time, and the slope of excess mortality approached almost 0 after 7 years. The estimated cure ratios showed a variation from 69% for 50-year-old men with diagnosis at early stages (I and II) to 3% for 80-year-old women with diagnosis at stage IV.

Conclusion
The ratio of patients in Iran who were estimated to die from cancer reduced significantly with the passage of time following the diagnosis, and the statistical cure point was estimated to be 7 years after diagnosis. However, aging was shown to be inversely associated. Although the same trend was observed in both sexes, we showed that men were statistically more likely to reach the cure point.
The Anti-biofilm Activity of Nanometric Zinc doped Bioactive Glass against Putative Periodontal Pathogens: An in vitro Study
Authors: Esfahanizadeh Nasrin , Nourani Mohammad Reza , Bahador Abbas , Akhondi Nasrin , Montazeri Mostafa 
Published: November 2018

Abstract
Colonization of periodontal pathogens on the surgical sites is one of the primary reasons for the failure of regenerative periodontal therapies. Bioactive glasses (BGs) owing to their favorable structural and antimicrobial properties have been proposed as promising materials for the reconstruction of periodontal and peri-implant bone defects. This study aimed to investigate the antibiofilm activity of zinc-doped BG (Zn/BG) compared with 45S5 Bioglass® (BG®) on putative periodontal pathogens. In this in vitro experimental study, the nano BG doped with 5-mol% zinc and BG® were synthesized by sol-gel method. Mono-species biofilms of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (A. a), Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. g), and Prevotella intermedia (P. i)were prepared separately in a well-containing microplate. After 48 hours of exposure to generated materials at 37°C, the anti-biofilm potential of the samples was studied by measuring the optical density (OD) at 570nm wavelengths with a microplate reader. Two-way ANOVA then analyzed the results. Both Zn/BG and BG® significantly reduced the biofilm formation ability of all examined strains after 48 hours of incubation (P=0.0001). Moreover, the anti-biofilm activity of Zn/BG was significantly stronger than BG® (P=0.0001), which resulted in the formation of a weak biofilm (OD<1) compared with a moderately adhered biofilm observed with BG® (1<OD<2). Zn/BG showed a significant inhibitory effect on the biofilm formation of all examined periodontal pathogens. Given the enhanced regenerative and anti-biofilm properties of this novel biomaterial, further investigations are required for its implementation in clinical situations.