bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Nurses' extended work hours: Patient, nurse and organizational outcomes
Authors: Kunaviktikul W. , Wichaikhum O. , Nantsupawat A. , Nantsupawat R. , Chontawan R. , Klunklin A. , Roongruangsri S. , Nantachaipan P. , Supamanee T. , Chitpakdee B. , Akkadechanunt T. , Sirakamon S. 
Published: May 2015

BackgroundNursing shortages have been associated with increased nurse workloads that may result in work errors, thus impacting patient, nurse and organizational outcomes.AimTo examine for the first time in Thailand nurses' extended work hours (working more than 40 h per week) and its relationship to patient, nurse and organizational outcomes.MethodsUsing multistage sampling, 1524 registered nurses working in 90 hospitals across Thailand completed demographic forms: the Nurses' Extended Work Hours Form; the Patient, Nurse, Organizational Outcomes Form; the Organizational Productivity Questionnaire and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Spearman's rank correlation and logistic regression.ResultsThe average extended work hour of respondents was 18.82 h per week. About 80% worked two consecutive shifts. The extended work hours had a positive correlation with patient outcomes, such as patient identification errors, pressure ulcers, communication errors and patient complaints and with nurse outcomes of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. Furthermore, we found a negative correlation between extended work hours and job satisfaction as a whole, intent to stay and organizational productivity. Nurses who had extended work hours of >16 h per week were significantly more likely to perceive all four adverse patient outcomes than participants working an extended ≤8 h per week.LimitationsPatient outcomes were measured by respondents' self‐reports. This may not always reflect the real occurrence of adverse events.ConclusionsAssociations between extended work hours and outcomes for patients, nurses and the organization were found. The findings demonstrate that working two shifts (16 h) more than the regular work hours lead to negative outcomes for patients, nurses and the organization.Implications for nursing and health policyOur findings add to increasing international evidence that nurses' poor working conditions result in negative outcomes for professionals, patients and health systems. Policymakers need to be aware of the issues regarding nurses' extended work hours, which has been found to contribute to burnout. Urgently, nurse and health administrators need to develop and implement appropriate nursing overtime policies and strategies to help reduce this phenomenon, including measures to overcome the nursing shortage.
DC Conduction and Electric Modulus Formulation of Lithium‐Doped Bismuth Zinc Vanadate Semiconducting Glassy System
Authors: Dahiya Sajjan , Punia Rajesh , Singh Anupinder , Maan Anup S. , Murugavel Sevi 
Published: May 2015

The conduction parameters related to dc conductivity and electric modulus formulation in the temperature range 313–533 K for xLi2O (100 − x) (50V2O5.20 Bi2O3. 30 ZnO) glass system have been studied. The temperature‐dependant dc conductivity is analyzed using the Mott's model for transition metals and modified Mott's VRH model. It is observed that Mott's model is in good agreement with the experimental data in high‐ and intermediate‐temperature region as a strong electron–phonon interaction seems to be prevalent. The conduction in these glasses has been attributed to small polaron hopping at the vanadium sites in nonadiabatic regime. The ion‐polaron effect (coupling between ions and polarons) leads to drop of the effective mobility and it can manifest itself as decrease in the dc conductivity with the addition of lithium content. The composition and temperature dependence of imaginary part of electric modulus () collapsed onto a single master curve, confirms the presence of same type of relaxation phenomenon in all the studied glass compositions.
Low Temperature Firing of Li0.43Zn0.27Ti0.13Fe2.17O4 Ferrites with Enhanced Magnetic Properties
Authors: Liao Yulong , Xu Fang , Zhang Dainan , Zhou Tinchuan , Wang Qi , Wang Xiaoyi , Jia Lijun , Li Jie , Su Hua , Zhong Zhiyong , Zhang Huaiwu 
Published: May 2015

In the present work, the Li0.43Zn0.27Ti0.13Fe2.17O4 ferrite, a low temperature sintered gyromagnetic material, was prepared via solid‐state reaction method. A pure spinel phase can be formed with a sintering temperature ranging from 880°C to 920°C, which allows them to be co‐fired with silver. The addition of ZnO–Bi2O3–SiO2 (ZBS) glass in the Li0.43Zn0.27Ti0.13Fe2.17O4 ferrites contributes significantly to the grain growth and ferromagnetic properties through a low temperature (~900°C) sintering process. Results show that the addition of ZBS glass (0.125–2.00 wt%) cannot only double saturation induction (from ~150 to 300 mT) but also drastically reduce ferromagnetic resonance line width at 9.3 GHz (from 920 to 228 Oe), indicating that ZBS glass is a good candidate for lowing the sintering temperature of LiZnTi ferrites.
Procedural Outcomes and Survival After Catheter Ablation of Ventricular Tachycardia in Relation to Electroanatomical Substrate in Patients With Nonischemic‐Dilated Cardiomyopathy: The Role of Unipolar Voltage Mapping
Authors: DINOV BORISLAV , SCHRATTER ALEXANDRA , SCHIRRIPA VALENTINA , FIEDLER LUKAS , BOLLMANN ANDREAS , ROLF SASCHA , SOMMER PHILIPP , HINDRICKS GERHARD , ARYA ARASH 
Published: May 2015

Scar and Outcomes Of VT Ablation in Nonischemic DCMIntroductionIn patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy the size of bipolar low‐voltage areas (LVA) in electroanatomical maps (EAM) was associated with poorer outcomes after catheter ablation (CA) of ventricular tachycardia (VT). However, the effect of LVA size on the survival after VT ablation in patients with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NIDCM) has not been studied.Methods and ResultsIn 55 patients with NIDCM (48 male, age 61 ± 16 years, ejection fraction 32 ± 13%) an EAM to delineate the bipolar and unipolar LVAs was performed in 52 (94.5%) patients endocardially, in 24 (43.6%) patients epicardially, and in 21 (38.2%) patients on both surfaces. Additionally, activation mapping of the VT was possible in 22 (40%) patients. CA with lines transecting the scar and targeting late potentials was performed in all patients. Complete VT noninducibility at the end was achieved in 40 (72.7%) patients. During the median follow‐up of 22 (interquartile range IQR 6, 34) months, VT recurrences were observed in 30 (54.5%) and cardiac death in 14 (25.5%) patients. The ROC analysis revealed that the size of endocardial unipolar LVA (<8.3 mV) was associated with cardiac death (AUC 0.89, 95% CI 0.79–0.98, P <0.0001). UVA = 145 cm2 discriminates for cardiac death with 83% sensitivity and 78% specificity. Endocardial UVA > 145 cm2 was a predictor for cardiac death (adjusted HR = 6.9; P = 0.014) and UVA ≥ 54% (of total endocardial LV surface) for VT recurrence (adjusted HR = 3.5; P = 0.016).ConclusionThe size of endocardial unipolar LVA (<8.3 mV) was a strong and independent predictor for cardiac mortality and VT recurrence in patients with NIDCM.
Akt1 phosphorylates Nicastrin to regulate its protein stability and activity
Authors: Jo Eun‐Hye , Ahn Ji‐Seon , Mo Jung‐Soon , Yoon Ji‐Hye , Ann Eun‐Jung , Baek Hyeong‐Jin , Lee Hye‐Jin , Kim Seol‐Hee , Kim Mi‐Yeon , Park Hee‐Sae 
Published: May 2015

AbstractThe gamma‐secretase is a multiprotein complex that cleaves many type‐I membrane proteins, such as the Notch receptor and the amyloid precursor protein. Nicastrin (NCT) is an essential component of the multimeric gamma‐secretase complex and functions as a receptor for gamma‐secretase substrates. In this study, we found that Akt1 markedly regulated the protein stability of NCT. Importantly, the kinase activity of Akt1 was essential for the inhibition of gamma‐secretase activity through degradation of NCT. Notably, the protein level of endogenous NCT was higher in shAkt1‐expressing cells than in shCon‐expressing cells. Akt1 physically interacted with NCT and mediated its degradation through proteasomal and lysosomal pathways. We also found that Akt1 phosphorylates NCT at Ser437, resulting in a significant reduction in NCT protein stability. Importantly, a phospho‐deficient mutation in NCT at Ser437 stabilized its protein levels. Collectively, our results reveal that Akt1 functions as a negative regulator of the gamma‐secretase activity through phosphorylation and degradation of NCT.
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Generation of the amyloid peptide (A‐beta) and the amyloid precursor protein (APP) intracellular domain (AICD) can happen by sequential proteolysis of APP by beta and gamma‐secretase. The gamma‐secretase complex consists of four essential proteins: presenilin (PS1 or PS2), presenilin enhancer 2 (PEN‐2), anterior pharynx‐defective 1 (APH‐1), and the Nicastrin (NCT). NCT can interact and be phosphorylated by Akt1, and phosphorylated NCT promotes its proteasomal and lysosomal degradation. As a result, Akt1 plays role in reducing gamma‐secretase activity through phosphorylation‐dependent regulation of NCT protein degradation.
Sympathetic innervation of human muscle spindles
Authors: Radovanovic Dina , Peikert Kevin , Lindström Mona , Domellöf Fatima Pedrosa 
Published: May 2015

AbstractThe aim of the present study was to investigate the presence of sympathetic innervation in human muscle spindles, using antibodies against neuropeptide Y (NPY), NPY receptors and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). A total of 232 muscle spindles were immunohistochemically examined. NPY and NPY receptors were found on the intrafusal fibers, on the blood vessels supplying muscle spindles and on free nerve endings in the periaxial space. TH‐immunoreactivity was present mainly in the spindle nerve and vessel. This is, to our knowledge, the first morphological study concerning the sympathetic innervation of the human muscle spindles. The results provide anatomical evidence for direct sympathetic innervation of the intrafusal fibers and show that sympathetic innervation is not restricted to the blood vessels supplying spindles. Knowledge about direct sympathetic innervation of the muscle spindle might expand our understanding of motor and proprioceptive dysfunction under stress conditions, for example, chronic muscle pain syndromes.
Effect of Water T2 Shortening in the Quantification of in‐vitro Proton MR Spectroscopy
Authors: Hernández‐Tamames Juan Antonio , Mato Abad Virginia , García‐Álvarez Roberto , González‐Zabaleta Javier , Pereira Loureiro Javier , Álvarez‐Linera Juan 
Published: May 2015

ABSTRACTPURPOSEThis work studies the relationship between in‐vitro Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy metabolite quantification and water T2 decay.MATERIALS AND METHODSAn in‐vitro correspondence is established between the iron accumulation and the shortening of water T2 relaxation times using seven spherical phantoms, 6 of them were doped with an increasing concentration of iron metal nanoparticles solution. This is later proposed as a source of error during the LCModel metabolite quantification of either absolute concentrations or ratios.RESULTSThe Pearson's correlation coefficient between water T2 values against absolute metabolite concentrations was on average [r] = 0.97 and on average [r] = 0.85 for metabolite ratios.CONCLUSIONThese results suggest that the shortening of T2 values should be taken into account when performing metabolite quantification. Also, the need of demonstrated similar results in in‐vivo studies, since the presence of iron deposits or other factors affecting the water T2 decay measurements could explain part of the inter‐subject variability in the metabolite concentration and ratio quantification.
Changing 14‐year trends in the epidemiology of hepatitis B virus infection in rural and urban Central–Eastern European areas
Authors: Genowska A. , Jamiołkowski J. , Rodakowska E. , Fryc J. , Kozela M. , Pająk A. 
Published: May 2015

SummaryIn Poland, the prevalence of HBV infection constitutes an emerging public health concern. The aim of the study was to analyse changes in hepatitis B incidence rate by age, gender and place of residence in Poland between 1999 and 2012. The data were obtained from Polish state statistics institutions such as the National Institute of Public Health and State Sanitary Inspection. Relationships of hepatitis B incidence with age, gender and rural/urban areas were investigated using χ2 and tests for two proportions with Bonferroni adjustment. The incidence of hepatitis B in rural and urban populations was compared using Wilcoxon's signed‐rank tests. Joinpoint regression was used to analyse trends in hepatitis B incidence rate. In Poland, a total of 26 660 cases of hepatitis B were reported in the studied period and 31.6% of these cases occurred in rural areas. There was significantly declining tendency in the hepatitis B incidence rate in the initial period of the study. However, there were periods of significant increase of HBV incidence rate in women from rural areas aged 15–24 years (9.4%/year) and in women from urban areas aged 15–24 years (10.9%/year) and 25–64 years (3.8%/year) in the final years of the observation. Despite the success in controlling this infection, a significant increase in the incidence of hepatitis B among young women living in rural and urban areas, as well as in adult women in urban areas, has been noted.
Incidence, Severity and Prognosis Associated with Hypernatremia in Dogs and Cats
Authors: Ueda Y. , Hopper K. , Epstein S.E. 
Published: May 2015

BackgroundHypernatremia has been associated with substantial morbidity and death in human patients. The incidence and importance of hypernatremia in dogs and cats has not been determined.Hypothesis/ObjectivesTo describe the incidence of and prognosis associated with hypernatremia in dogs and cats at a university teaching hospital.AnimalsA total of 16,691 dogs and 4,211 cats with measured blood or serum sodium concentration.MethodsRetrospective study. Medical records of animals with a blood or serum sodium concentration measured during a 60‐month period were reviewed to determine the severity of hypernatremia and its associated case fatality rate. Cases with moderate (11–15 mmol/L above the reference range) or severe hypernatremia (≥16 mmol/L above the reference range) were further reviewed.ResultsA total of 957 dogs (5.7%) and 338 cats (8.0%) were diagnosed with hypernatremia. Case fatality rates of dogs and cats with hypernatremia was 20.6 and 28.1%, respectively compared to 4.4 and 4.5% with a normal blood or serum sodium concentration (P < .0001). The magnitude of hypernatremia was linearly associated with a higher case fatality rate (P < .0001). Hypernatremia was associated with a higher case fatality rate than hyponatremia. Among the animals with moderate or severe hypernatremia, 50% of dogs and 38.5% of cats presented with community‐acquired hypernatremia, and 50% of dogs and 61.5% of cats developed hospital‐acquired hypernatremia.Conclusions and clinical importanceHypernatremia was found infrequently in this population but was associated with increased case fatality rates in dogs and cats. Presence and severity of hypernatremia might be useful as a prognostic indicator.
Periplasmic superoxide dismutase SodCI of Salmonella binds peptidoglycan to remain tethered within the periplasm
Authors: Tidhar Avital , Rushing Marcus D. , Kim Byoungkwan , Slauch James M. 
Published: May 2015

SummarySalmonellae survive and propagate in macrophages to cause serious systemic disease. Periplasmic superoxide dismutase plays a critical role in this survival by combating phagocytic superoxide. Salmonella Typhimurium strain 14028 produces two periplasmic superoxide dismutases: SodCI and SodCII. Although both proteins are produced during infection, only SodCI is functional in the macrophage phagosome. We have previously shown that SodCI, relative to SodCII, is both protease resistant and tethered within the periplasm and that either of these properties is sufficient to allow a SodC to protect against phagocytic superoxide. Tethering is defined as remaining cell‐associated after osmotic shock or treatment with cationic antimicrobial peptides. Here we show that SodCI non‐covalently binds peptidoglycan. SodCI binds to Salmonella and Bacillus peptidoglycan, but not peptidoglycan from Staphylococcus. Moreover, binding can be inhibited by a diaminopimelic acid containing tripeptide, but not a lysine containing tripeptide, showing that the protein recognizes the peptide portion of the peptidoglycan. Replacing nine amino acids in SodCII with the corresponding residues from SodCI confers tethering, partially delineating an apparently novel peptidoglycan binding domain. These changes in sequence increase the affinity of SodCII for peptidoglycan fragments to match that of SodCI and allow the now tethered SodCII to function during infection.
Regulated intramembrane proteolysis of the virulence activator TcpP in Vibrio cholerae is initiated by the tail‐specific protease (Tsp)
Authors: Teoh Wei Ping , Matson Jyl S. , DiRita Victor J. 
Published: May 2015

SummaryVibrio cholerae uses a multiprotein transcriptional regulatory cascade to control expression of virulence factors cholera toxin and toxin‐co‐regulated pilus. Two proteins in this cascade are ToxR and TcpP – unusual membrane‐localized transcription factors with relatively undefined periplasmic domains and transcription activator cytoplasmic domains. TcpP and ToxR function with each other and two other membrane‐localized proteins, TcpH and ToxS, to activate transcription of toxT, encoding the direct activator of toxin and pilus genes. Under some conditions, TcpP is degraded in a two‐step proteolytic pathway known as regulated intramembrane proteolysis (RIP), thereby inactivating the cascade. The second step in this proteolytic pathway involves the zinc metalloprotease YaeL; V. cholerae cells lacking YaeL accumulate a truncated yet active form of TcpP termed TcpP*. We hypothesized that a protease acting prior to YaeL degrades TcpP to TcpP*, which is the substrate of YaeL. In this study, we demonstrate that a C‐terminal protease called Tsp degrades TcpP to form TcpP*, which is then acted upon by YaeL. We present evidence that TcpH and Tsp serve to protect full‐length TcpP from spurious proteolysis by YaeL. Cleavage by Tsp occurs in the periplasmic domain of TcpP and requires residues TcpPA172 and TcpPI174 for wild‐type activity.
Allergic multimorbidity of asthma, rhinitis and eczema over 20 years in the German birth cohort MAS
Authors: Gough Hannah , Grabenhenrich Linus , Reich Andreas , Eckers Nora , Nitsche Oliver , Schramm Dirk , Beschorner John , Hoffmann Ute , Schuster Antje , Bauer Carl‐Peter , Forster Johannes , Zepp Fred , Lee Young‐Ae , Bergmann Renate L. , Bergmann Karl E. , Wahn Ulrich , Lau Susanne , Keil Thomas ,   MAS study group
Published: May 2015

AbstractBackgroundThe occurrence of allergic multimorbidity (coexistence of asthma, allergic rhinitis and eczema) has not been evaluated longitudinally from early childhood up to adulthood in a population‐based study sample. We aimed to determine the prevalence of allergic multimorbidity up to age 20 stratified by parental allergies and sex/gender using extensive prospective follow‐up data from two decades of a birth cohort study.MethodsIn 1990, we recruited 1314 healthy newborns from 6 maternity wards across Germany for the population‐based MAS birth cohort study. The sample was purposely risk‐enriched by increasing the proportion of children at high allergy risk (i.e. at least 2 allergic family members among parents and siblings) from 19% in the source population to 38% in the final sample. The remaining 62% of all MAS children had a low or no allergy risk. Symptoms, medication and doctor's diagnoses of allergic diseases have been assessed using standardized questionnaires including validated ISAAC questions in 19 follow‐up assessments up to age 20. Allergic multimorbidity at each time point was defined as the coexistence of at least 2 of the following diseases in one participant: asthma, allergic rhinitis and eczema.ResultsResponse at age 20 was 72% (n = 942) of all recruited participants. At age 20, 18.5% (95% CI, 15.0–22.5%) of all participants with allergic parents had 2 or 3 concurrent allergies as compared to only 6.3% (95% CI, 4.3–9.0%) of those with non‐allergic parents. At this age, allergic multimorbidity was similar in women and men (12.7% (95% CI, 9.7–16.2%) vs. 11.6% (95% CI, 8.9–14.8%)), whereas single allergic diseases were slightly more common in women than men (24.2% (95% CI, 20.2–28.5%) vs. 20.1% (95% CI, 16.6–24.0%)). Asthma occurred more frequently with coexisting allergic rhinitis and/or eczema than as a single entity from pre‐puberty to adulthood.ConclusionHaving parents with allergies is not only a strong predictor to develop any allergy, but it strongly increases the risk of developing allergic multimorbidity. In males and females alike, coexisting allergies were increasingly common throughout adolescence up to adulthood. Particularly asthma occurred in both sexes more frequently with coexisting allergies than as a single entity.
Gait analysis in Down syndrome pediatric patients using a sheet‐type gait analyzer: Pilot study
Authors: Naito Makiko , Aoki Sayaka , Kamide Anri , Miyamura Kohei , Honda Manami , Nagai Akira , Mezawa Hidetoshi , Hashimoto Keiji 
Published: May 2015

AbstractBackgroundChildren with Down syndrome (DS), who are likely to suffer from a large number of muscloskeletal problems, tend to have a unique pattern of walking in clinical settings. Despite such apparent uniqueness, few studies have empirically investigated gait development pattern in DS children, especially at an earlier age. We therefore conducted gait analysis in young DS children who are prescribed insoles, to explore how their gait patterns develop, using the gait parameters identified by Sutherland et al. as determinants of gait maturity of typical children.MethodsParticipants consisted of 63 DS children (31 boys) aged 1–6 years (mean, 4 years 1 month) with a diagnosis of flat feet who were prescribed orthotic insoles. A 2.4 m sheet‐type gait analyzer was used to analyze gait pattern. We measured the following variables: walking velocity (cm/min), cadence (steps/min), step length (cm), and single‐limb stance phase ratio (%), and examined their relationship with age on regression analysis.ResultsWalking velocity and step length were significantly and positively related to age. Cadence was also significantly, but negatively associated with age. In contrast, SLS phase ratio did not have a statistically significant relationship with age.ConclusionDown syndrome children have unique gait development patterns. Although walking velocity, cadence, and step length were found to develop with age, as in typical children, SLS phase ratio did not change with age in DS children. Further studies with a larger sample are necessary to replicate these findings.