bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of cutbacks on motivating factors among nurses in primary health care
Authors: Halldorsdottir Sigridur , Einarsdottir Emilia J. , Edvardsson Ingi Runar 
Published: August 2017

BackgroundWhen financial cuts are made, staff redundancies and reorganisation in the healthcare system often follow. Little is known how such cutbacks affect work motivation of nurses in primary health care.AimExamine the effects of cutbacks on motivating factors among nurses in primary health care.MethodsA phenomenological approach involving a purposeful sample of ten nurses in primary health care. Average age 44.ResultsThe participants identified the job itself, autonomy, independence, good communication with co‐workers, and the potential for professional training, learning and development as the main internal motivational factors related to their work. However, increased stress and uncertainty, growing fatigue and understaffing were starting to have a negative impact on these internal motivational factors. Moreover, reduced opportunities for professional training and development had negative effects on the participants. Many saw these opportunities as a vital part of recognition for their job performance. Regarding external motivation, the factors identified were job security, salaries and rewards, and interaction with management. The participants expressed their interest in more consultation with managers and most preferred an increased flow of information from managers to staff members during cutbacks. Salaries, professional training opportunities and appreciation were rewards named by participants for a job well done. All agreed that salaries are stronger motivational factors than before cutbacks.ConclusionsIn the case of cutbacks, nursing managers should increase consultations with staff and make sure that nurses maintain their independence, autonomy, opportunities for professional training as well as appreciation for job well done.
Hemolysis related to intravenous immunoglobulins is dependent on the presence of anti‐blood group A and B antibodies and individual susceptibility
Authors: Mielke Orell , Fontana Stefano , Goranova‐Marinova Vesselina , Shebl Amgad , Spycher Martin O. , Wymann Sandra , Durn Billie L. , Lawo John P. , Hubsch Alphonse , Salama Abdulgabar 
Published: August 2017

BACKGROUNDPatients treated with intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG) rarely experience symptomatic hemolysis. Although anti‐A and anti‐B isoagglutinins from the product are involved in most cases, the actual mechanisms triggering hemolysis are unclear.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODSA prospective, open‐label, multicenter, single‐arm clinical trial in 57 patients with immune thrombocytopenia treated with IVIG (Privigen, CSL Behring) was conducted.RESULTSTwenty‐one patients received one infusion (1 g/kg) and 36 received two infusions (2 × 1 g/kg) of IVIG. After a study duration of more than 2 years, no cases of clinically significant hemolysis as defined in the protocol were identified. Data of patients with mild hematologic and biochemical changes were analyzed in more detail. Twelve cases (10/23 patients with blood group A1 and 2/11 patients with blood group B, all having received 2 g/kg IVIG) were adjudicated as mild hemolysis (median hemoglobin [Hb] decrease, −3.0 g/dL); Hb decreases were transient, with partial or full recovery achieved by last visit. Eighteen patients (31.6%), all with non‐O blood group, of whom 16 (88.9%) received 2 g/kg IVIG, fulfilled post hoc criteria for hemolytic laboratory reactions. Red blood cell (RBC) eluates of all direct antiglobulin test–positive samples were negative for non‐ABO blood group antibodies. Blood groups A and B antigen density on RBCs appeared to be a risk factor for hemolytic laboratory reactions. Platelet response to treatment was observed in 42 patients (74%); eight of 12 patients with complete response had blood group A1.CONCLUSIONIsoagglutinins are involved in clinically nonsignificant hemolysis after treatment with IVIG, but individual susceptibility varies greatly.
Flexible Natural Gas/Intermittent Renewable Hybrid Power Plants
Authors: Welch Michael , Pym Andrew 
Published: August 2017

Increasing grid penetration of intermittent renewable power from wind and solar is creating challenges for the power industry. There are times when generation from these intermittent sources needs to be constrained due to power transmission capacity limits, and times when fossil fuel power plant are required to rapidly compensate for large power fluctuations, for example clouds pass over a solar field or the wind stops blowing.
There have been many proposals, and some actual projects, to store surplus power from intermittent renewable power in some form or other for later use: Batteries, Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES), Liquid Air Energy Storage (LAES), heat storage and Hydrogen being the main alternatives considered. These technologies will allow power generation during low periods of wind and solar power, using separate discrete power generation plant with specifically designed generator sets. But these systems are time-limited so at some point, if intermittent renewable power generation does not return to its previous high levels, fossil fuel power generation, usually from a large centralized power plant, will be required to ensure security of supplies. The overall complexity of such a solution to ensure secure power supplies leads to high capital costs, power transmission issues and potentially increased carbon emissions to atmosphere from the need to keep fossil fuel plant operating at low loads to ensure rapid response.
One possible solution is to combine intermittent renewables and energy storage technologies with fast responding, flexible natural gas-fired gas turbines to create a reliable, secure, low carbon, decentralized power plant. This paper considers some hybrid power plant designs that could combine storage technologies and gas turbines in a single location to maximize clean energy production and reduce CO2 emissions while still providing secure supplies, but with the flexibility that today’s grid operators require.
Parametric Study of Cascade Latent Heat Thermal Storage System for Concentrating Solar Power Plants
Authors: Xu Ben , Zhao Yawen , Chirino Hermes , Li Peiwen 
Published: August 2017

Recently, Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) is attracting more research attentions because it can store the excessive heat from the solar field and extend the power generation at night, CSP can also levelized the mismatch between energy demand and supply. To make CSP technology competitive, thermal energy storage (TES) system filled with energy storage media is a critical component in all CSP plant.
TES system can be operated by using sensible materials, phase change materials (PCMs) or a combination of both. Because the phase change materials can store more heat due to the latent during the melting/freezing process, it becomes promising to use PCM in latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) system for large scale CSP application. Unfortunately, LHSS has relatively low energy storage efficiency compared to SHSS alone because of the fact that LHSS has more parameters to be controlled and optimized.
To realize a complete utilization of PCM and a high energy storage/extraction efficiency and a high exergetic efficiency, one approach is to adopt a cascade configuration of multiple PCMs modules in TES tank, which can also be called as a cascade latent heat thermal energy storage (CLHTES) system. The melting temperatures of the PCMs placed in the TES tank should be cascaded from low to high temperature, where the latent heat of PCM can completely be used to absorb the heat from the solar field for energy storage purpose.
Due to the complexity of a CLHTES system, it is necessary to provide a comprehensive study from the heat transfer perspective. This paper presents a preliminary parametric study of CLHTES system using a previously developed enthalpy-based 1D transient model for energy storage/extraction in CLHTES system. The effects of material properties (such as latent heat, specific heat at solid and liquid phase) and CSP plant operation conditions (such as charging/discharging time period) are to be explored. The results from the preliminary parametric study is expected to be beneficial to the community of solar thermal engineering.
Optimization of a Small Size CHP System by Means of a Fully Transient Numerical Approach
Authors: Chiantera Luigi , Milani Massimo , Montorsi Luca , Stefani Matteo 
Published: August 2017

The paper investigates the performance of a combined heat and power system by means of a fully dynamic numerical approach. An ad-hoc library for the simulation of energy conversion systems is developed under the OpenModelica open source platform; the library includes the main components that usually equip a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) system and they can be connected as they are logically connected in the real plant. Each component is modelled by means of equations and correlations that calculate their performance on a time dependent basis. Therefore, many configurations can be evaluated not only in terms of cumulative annual results or average performance, but the instantaneous behavior can be investigated. The numerical library is constructed using the lumped and distributed parameter approach and it is validated by comparing the numerical results with the measured values over a one-year time period. The prediction capabilities of the proposed numerical approach are evaluated by simulating a case study of a health spa. This case study is selected since it is characterized by significant requirements of both thermal and electric energy. The comparison demonstrated that the calculated results are in good agreement with the measurements in terms of both annual values and distribution over the reference period.
Furthermore, an optimization algorithm is adopted and linked to the developed library in order to estimate the best size of different components of the CHP system according to a number of constraints. This feature is particularly important when addressing the energy efficiency of a complete system that is depending on a number of interdependent variables. Therefore, the case study is investigated by accounting also for additional technologies that can be further enhance the performance of the system both in terms of energy consumption and economic investment. In particular, the numerical model is used to optimized the CHP energy efficiency by estimating the best trade-off between the reduction of the energy purchased and the overall cost of the system. The application of PV panels and electric energy accumulators is also investigated and the simulation demonstrates that the size of the cogeneration unit equal to 48 kW, the number of PV panels of 299 and the battery capacity of 45 kWh provide the lowest amount of energy purchased, while the best return of investment is obtained by the CHP unit of 40 kW along with 109 PV panels and a battery of 40 kWh.
A Comparative Assessment on Static and Dynamic PCA for Fault Detection in Natural Gas Transmission Systems
Authors: Pinzón Horacio , Audivet Cinthia , Torres Melitsa , Alexander Javier , Sanjuán Marco 
Published: August 2017

Sustainability of natural gas transmission infrastructure is highly related to the system’s ability to decrease emissions due to ruptures or leaks. Although traditionally such detection relies in alarm management system and operator’s expertise, given the system’s nature as large-scale, complex, and with vast amount of information available, such alarm generation is better suited for a fault detection system based on data-driven techniques. This would allow operators and engineers to have a better framework to address the online data being gathered.
This paper presents an assessment on multiple fault-case scenarios in critical infrastructure using two different data-driven based fault detection algorithms: Principal component analysis (PCA) and its dynamic variation (DPCA).
Both strategies are assessed under fault scenarios related to natural gas transmission systems including pipeline leakage due to structural failure and flow interruption due to emergency valve shut down. Performance evaluation of fault detection algorithms is carried out based on false alarm rate, detection time and misdetection rate. The development of modern alarm management frameworks would have a significant contribution in natural gas transmission systems’ safety, reliability and sustainability.
Genome Sequences of Seven Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus Isolates Collected from Serial Samples from One Persistently Infected Carrier Cow in Vietnam
Authors: Pauszek Steven J. , Bertram Miranda R. , Vu Le T. , Hartwig Ethan J. , Smoliga George R. , Brito Barbara , Stenfeldt Carolina , VanderWaal Kimberley , Fish Ian H. , Hung Vo V. , Phuong Nguyen T. , Hoang Bui H. , Rodriguez Luis L. , Dung Do H. , Arzt Jonathan 
Published: August 2017

ABSTRACT
Several foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) carrier cattle were identified in Vietnam by the recovery of infectious virus from oropharyngeal fluid. This report contains the first near-complete genome sequences of seven viruses from sequential samples from one carrier animal collected over the course of 1 year. The characterization of within-host viral evolution has implications for FMDV control strategies.
Whole-Genome Sequences of Salmonella enterica subsp.
enterica
Serovar Typhimurium Strains TT6675 and TT9097 Employed in the Isolation and Characterization of a Giant Phage Mutant Collection
Authors: Gan Han Ming , Eng Wilhelm Wei Han , Barton Melissa K. , Adams Lily E. , Samsudin Nurul Aisyah , Bartl Austin J. , Hudson André O. , Savka Michael A. , Thomas Julie A. 
Published: August 2017

ABSTRACT

We report here the genome sequences of
Salmonella enterica
subsp.
enterica
serovar Typhimurium strains TT6675 and TT9097, which we utilize for genetic analyses of giant bacterial viruses. Our analyses identified several genetic variations between the two strains, most significantly confirming strain TT6675 as a serine suppressor and TT9097 as a nonsuppressor.
Draft Genome Sequence of Strain R_RK_3, an Iron-Depositing Isolate of the Genus
Rhodomicrobium
, Isolated from a Dewatering Well of an Opencast Mine
Authors: Braun Burga , Künzel Sven , Schröder Josephin , Szewzyk Ulrich 
Published: August 2017

ABSTRACT

Rhodomicrobium
sp. strain R_RK_3 is an iron-depositing bacterium from which we report the draft genome. This strain was isolated from ochrous depositions of a mining well pump in Germany. The Illumina NextSeq technique was used to sequence the genome of the strain.
Taxonomic Resolution of the Nematophagous Fungal Isolate ARF18 via Genome Sequencing
Authors: Sharma Sandeep , Zaccaron Alex Z. , Ridenour John B. , Bradshaw Amy , Kirkpatrick Terry L. , Cartwright Kelly , Bluhm Burton H. 
Published: August 2017

ABSTRACT

The taxonomically uncharacterized nematophagous fungus ARF18, which parasitizes cysts, juveniles, and adults of the soybean cyst nematode (
Heterodera glycines
), was proposed as a nematode biological control agent in 1991. A 46.3-Mb draft genome sequence of this fungus is presented, and a tentative taxonomic identification as a novel species of
Brachyphoris
is proposed.
Microbiota, Liver Diseases, and Alcohol
Authors: Cassard Anne-Marie , Gérard Philippe , Perlemuter Gabriel 
Published: August 2017

ABSTRACT
Being overweight and obesity are the leading causes of liver disease in Western countries. Liver damage induced by being overweight can range from steatosis, harmless in its simple form, to steatohepatitis, fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Alcohol consumption is an additional major cause of liver disease. Not all individuals who are overweight or excessively consume alcohol develop nonalcoholic fatty liver diseases (NAFLD) or alcoholic liver disease (ALD) and advanced liver disease. The role of the intestinal microbiota (IM) in the susceptibility to liver disease in this context has been the subject of recent studies. ALD and NAFLD appear to be influenced by the composition of the IM, and dysbiosis is associated with ALD and NAFLD in rodent models and human patient cohorts. Several microbial metabolites, such as short-chain fatty acids and bile acids, are specifically associated with dysbiosis. Recent studies have highlighted the causal role of the IM in the development of liver diseases, and the use of probiotics or prebiotics improves some parameters associated with liver disease. Several studies have made progress in deciphering the mechanisms associated with the modulation of the IM. These data have demonstrated the intimate relationship between the IM and metabolic liver disease, suggesting that targeting the gut microbiota could be a new preventive or therapeutic strategy for these diseases.
The Potential of Probiotics as a Therapy for Osteoporosis
Authors: Collins Fraser L. , Rios-Arce Naiomy D. , Schepper Jonathan D. , Parameswaran Narayanan , McCabe Laura R. 
Published: August 2017

ABSTRACT
Osteoporosis, characterized by low bone mass and micro-architectural deterioration of bone tissue with increased risk of fracture, can be categorized into two forms: primary and secondary, depending on whether it occurs as part of the natural aging process (estrogen deficiency) or as part of disease pathology. In both forms bone loss is due to an imbalance in the bone remodeling process, with resorption/formation skewed more toward bone loss. Recent studies and emerging evidence consistently demonstrate the potential of the intestinal microbiota to modulate bone health. This review discusses the process of bone remodeling and the pathology of osteoporosis and introduces the intestinal microbiota and its potential to influence bone health. In particular, we highlight recent murine studies that examine how probiotic supplementation can both increase bone density in healthy individuals and protect against primary (estrogen deficiency) as well as secondary osteoporosis. Potential mechanisms are described to account for how probiotic treatments could be exerting their beneficial effect on bone health.
Protocol for a pilot randomised controlled trial of metformin in pre-diabetes after kidney transplantation: the Transplantation and Diabetes (Transdiab) study
Authors: Alnasrallah Basil , Pilmore Helen , Manley Paul 
Published: August 2017

IntroductionPost-transplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM) is a common complication of kidney transplantation and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. In the general population, metformin has been used for diabetes prevention in high-risk individuals. Improving insulin sensitivity is one of many proven favourable effects of metformin. Despite the high incidence of PTDM in kidney transplant recipients, there is a lack of evidence for the role of metformin in the prevention of diabetes in this setting.Methods and analysisTransplantation andDiabetes (Transdiab)is a single-centre, unblinded, pilot randomised controlled trial assessing the feasibility, tolerability and efficacy of metformin after renal transplantation in patients with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). Participants will undergo an oral glucose tolerance test in the 4–12 weeks post-transplantation; those with IGT will be randomised to standard care or standard care and metformin 500 mg twice daily, and followed up for 12 months. The primary outcomes of the study will be the feasibility of recruitment, the tolerability of metformin assessed using the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale at 3 and 12 months, and the efficacy of metformin assessed by morning glucose and glycated haemoglobin at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months.Ethics and disseminationDespite the significant morbidity and mortality of PTDM, there are currently no randomised clinical trials assessing pharmacological interventions for its prevention after kidney transplantation. The Transdiab trial will thus provide important data on the feasibility, safety, tolerability and efficacy of metformin after renal transplantation in patients with IGT; this will facilitate undertaking larger multicentre trials of interventions to reduce the incidence or severity of diabetes after kidney transplantation. This study has been approved by the Northern B Health and Disability Ethics Committee of the Ministry of Health in New Zealand. On study completion, results are expected to be published in a peer-reviewed journal.Trial registration numberAustralian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry Number: ACTRN12614001171606.
The association between vertebrobasilar insufficiency and the risk of dementia: a nationwide register-based retrospective cohort study in Taiwan
Authors: Yang Fu-Chi , Chen Shao-Yuan , Yin Jiu-Haw , Lin Chun-Chieh , Sung Yueh-Feng , Chou Chung-Hsing , Chung Chi-Hsiang , Chien Wu-Chien , Tsai Chia-Kuang , Tsai Chia-Lin , Lin Guan-Yu , Lee Jiunn-Tay 
Published: August 2017

ObjectivesNeurodegenerative disorders are reportedly characterised by decreased regional cerebral blood flow. However, the association between vertebrobasilar insufficiency (VBI) and dementia remains unclear. In this nationwide, population-based, retrospective cohort study, we explored the potential association between VBI and dementia.DesignNationwide population-based cohort study.SettingPatients with VBI were newly diagnosed between 2000 and 2005 from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database.ParticipantsWe included 3642 subjects as the VBI group. The control cohort included 14 568 randomly selected age-matched and sex-matched VBI-free individuals.Outcome measuresAll subjects were followed until the diagnosis of dementia, death or the end of 2010. Patients with VBI, dementia (viz, vascular and non-vascular, including Alzheimer’s) subtypes and other confounding factors were identified according to the International Classification of Diseases Clinical Modification Codes. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was employed to examine adjusted HRs after adjusting for confounding factors.ResultsPatients with VBI had a 1.807-fold (95% CI 1.643 to 1.988, p<0.001) higher risk to develop all-cause dementia than individuals without VBI. The risk was significantly higher in the VBI group than in the non-VBI group regardless of age (<65 years: HR: 2.997, 95% CI 1.451 to 6.454, p<0.001; ≥65 years: HR: 1.752, 95% CI 1.584 to 1.937, p<0.001). The VBI group had a higher risk of all-cause dementia than the non-VBI group regardless of sex and follow-up time intervals (<1 year, 1–2 years and≥2 years).ConclusionPatients with VBI appear to have an increased risk of developing dementia. Further research is needed to investigate the underlying pathophysiology.