bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A single‐item self‐report medication adherence question predicts hospitalisation and death in patients with heart failure
Authors: Wu Jia‐Rong , DeWalt Darren A , Baker David W , Schillinger Dean , Ruo Bernice , Bibbins‐Domingo Kristen , Macabasco‐O'Connell Aurelia , Holmes George M , Broucksou Kimberly A , Erman Brian , Hawk Victoria , Cene Crystal W , Jones Christine DeLong , Pignone Michael 
Published: December 2013

Aims and objectivesTo determine whether a single‐item self‐report medication adherence question predicts hospitalisation and death in patients with heart failure.BackgroundPoor medication adherence is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Having a simple means of identifying suboptimal medication adherence could help identify at‐risk patients for interventions.DesignWe performed a prospective cohort study in 592 participants with heart failure within a four‐site randomised trial.MethodsSelf‐report medication adherence was assessed at baseline using a single‐item question: ‘Over the past seven days, how many times did you miss a dose of any of your heart medication?’ Participants who reported no missing doses were defined as fully adherent, and those missing more than one dose were considered less than fully adherent. The primary outcome was combined all‐cause hospitalisation or death over one year and the secondary endpoint was heart failure hospitalisation. Outcomes were assessed with blinded chart reviews, and heart failure outcomes were determined by a blinded adjudication committee. We used negative binomial regression to examine the relationship between medication adherence and outcomes.ResultsFifty‐two percent of participants were 52% male, mean age was 61 years, and 31% were of New York Heart Association class III/IV at enrolment; 72% of participants reported full adherence to their heart medicine at baseline. Participants with full medication adherence had a lower rate of all‐cause hospitalisation and death (0·71 events/year) compared with those with any nonadherence (0·86 events/year): adjusted‐for‐site incidence rate ratio was 0·83, fully adjusted incidence rate ratio 0·68. Incidence rate ratios were similar for heart failure hospitalisations.ConclusionA single medication adherence question at baseline predicts hospitalisation and death over one year in heart failure patients.Relevance to clinical practiceMedication adherence is associated with all‐cause and heart failure‐related hospitalisation and death in heart failure. It is important for clinicians to assess patients' medication adherence on a regular basis at their clinical follow‐ups.
Workplace physical violence among hospital nurses and physicians in underserved areas in Jordan
Authors: AbuAlRub Raeda Fawzi , Al Khawaldeh Abdullah Talal 
Published: December 2013

Aims and objectivesTo: (1) examine the incidence, frequency and contributing factors to workplace violence among nurses and physicians in underserved areas in Jordan, and (2) identify the existing policies and the management modalities to tackle workplace violence.BackgroundWorkplace violence is a major problem in healthcare organisations. An understanding of the nature of violence is essential to implementing successful management.DesignA descriptive exploratory research design.MethodsThe questionnaire that was developed in 2003 by the International Labor Office, the International Council of Nurses, the World Health Organization, and the Public Services International was used to collect data from a convenience sample of 521 Jordanian physicians and nurses (396 nurses, 125 physicians) who worked in hospitals located in underserved areas.ResultsAround 15% of the participants were exposed to physical violence. The factors that contributed to workplace violence were related to absence of policies, inadequate staffing and lack of communication skills. Only 16·9% of participants indicated that there were specific policies available for dealing with physical workplace violence. Strengthening security and providing training were some of the important factors indicated by participants for decreasing violence in the workplace.ConclusionsWorkplace violence is a problem in underserved areas that needs attention from administrators. Most participants were very dissatisfied with the way the administrators dealt with the incidents.Relevance to clinical practiceInstituting firm policies against perpetrators and developing protective violence guidelines to support healthcare staff in managing workplace violence are paramount to tackle the problem of workplace violence.
Nutrition and hydration in dying patients: the perceptions of acute care nurses
Authors: Higgins Isabel , van der Riet Pamela , Sneesby Ludmilla , Good Phillip 
Published: December 2013

Aims and objectivesTo explore the perceptions of nurses regarding the provision and nonprovision of medical nutrition and hydration during the end stage of life when death is imminent in the acute care setting.BackgroundWhen people are dying, they often experience a loss of appetite and desire for drinking which are natural processes at this time. The cessation of eating and drinking challenges both family members and clinical staff. This article builds on previous studies that describe the perceptions of medical doctors and palliative care nurses regarding medical nutrition and hydration during the end stage of life when death is imminent.DesignQualitative descriptive design.MethodsThis study included three focus group meetings with ten nurses in an acute care setting in medical, oncology and haematology units. An interview schedule was used to guide the discussions.ResultsThe main theme to emerge from this study was ‘finding a comfort space/ambiguous spaces of unrest’ that included four subthemes: (1) limited involvement in decision‐making, (2) comfort vs. discomfort, (3) uncertainty and (4) the comfort of withdrawing treatment. Finding a comfort space captures the challenges nurses faced when speaking about the concerns of patients and family. In this space, there were ambiguities that created unease and unrest: a reluctance to talk about death; a reluctance to engage with the patient and the family.ConclusionsAcute care nurses need to be more cognisant of the palliative approach to care and become more engaged with decision‐making during the end stage of life when death is imminent.Relevance to clinical practiceNurses in acute care settings need to be involved in decision‐making and advocate for patients and family during the dying phase. Nurses in acute care need better understanding about the palliative approach to care and nutrition and hydration for people who are dying.
The impact of educational interventions for nurses on mechanically ventilated patients' outcomes in a Jordanian university hospital
Authors: Al‐Faouri Ibrahim G , AbuAlRub Raeda Fawzi , Jumah Dalia Mohammad 
Published: December 2013

Aims and objectivesTo determine the effect of educational interventions for nurses on the success of weaning trials, ventilation period and reintubation incidence for mechanically ventilated patients in a Jordanian university hospital.BackgroundSharing decision between healthcare providers about weaning should be based on specific guidelines or protocols to avoid complications associated with wrong weaning estimation.DesignA nonequivalent, pretest–post‐test (quasi‐experimental) study.MethodsThe study used a convenience sample consisting of 135 ventilated patients. The historical control group (n = 65) data were collected from patients’ files before the implementation of the educational interventions for the experimental group (n = 70), which was recruited from intensive care units at a university hospital. The experimental group received educational interventions on Burns Weaning Assessment Protocol items over one month through in‐service education, bedsides and hands‐on application. Data were collected about Burns Weaning Assessment Protocol scores, failed trials, reintubation incidence and ventilation period for all participants.ResultsThe results showed that the number of failed trials and reintubation incidence was less in the experimental group compared with the control group. On the other hand, there was not any significant difference in the score of ventilation period between the experimental and control groups.ConclusionEducational interventions for nurses on Burns Weaning Assessment Protocol have a significant impact on reducing incidence of failed trials and reintubation.Relevance to clinical practiceThe improvement of outcomes of patients on mechanical ventilators is a result of shared decision based on effective planning and communication between nurses and physicians.
Attitudes of healthcare providers towards family involvement and presence in adult critical care units in Saudi Arabia: a quantitative study
Authors: Al Mutair Abbas , Plummer Virginia , Paul O'Brien Anthony , Clerehan Rosemary 
Published: December 2013

Aims and objectivesTo describe healthcare providers' attitudes to family involvement during routine care and family presence during resuscitation or other invasive procedures in adult intensive care units in Saudi Arabia.BackgroundPrevious research has shown that healthcare professionals have revealed a diversity of opinions on family involvement during routine care and family presence during resuscitation or other invasive procedures. Attitude assessment can provide an indication of staff acceptance or rejection of the practice and also help identify key potential barriers that will need to be addressed. It has also been evident that participation in the care has potential benefits for patients and families as well as healthcare providers.DesignA quantitative descriptive design.MethodsA questionnaire was used with a convenience sample of 468 healthcare providers who were recruited from eight intensive care units.ResultsThe analysis found that healthcare providers had positive attitudes towards family involvement during routine care, but negative attitudes towards family presence during resuscitation or other invasive procedures. Physicians expressed more opposition to the practice than did nurses and respiratory therapists. Staff indicated a need to develop written guidelines and policies, as well as educational programmes, to address this sensitive issue in clinical practice.ConclusionFamily is an important resource in patient care in the context of the critical care environment. Clinical barriers including resources, hospital policies and guidelines, staff and public education should be taken into account to facilitate family integration to the care model.Relevance to clinical practiceThe findings can help to develop policies and guidelines for safe implementation of the practice. They can also encourage those who design nursing and other medical curricula to place more emphasis on the role of the family especially in critical care settings.
The HLA locus contains novel foetal susceptibility alleles for congenital heart block with significant paternal influence
Authors: Meisgen S. , Östberg T. , Salomonsson S. , Ding B. , Eliasson H. , Mälarstig A. , Alfredsson L. , Klareskog L. , Hamsten A. , Olsson T. , Axelsson T. ,   The Swedish Congenital Heart Block Study Group, Gadler F. , Jonzon A. , Sonesson S.‐E. , Kockum I. , Wahren‐Herlenius M. 
Published: December 2013

AbstractObjectiveThe main aim of this study was to identify foetal susceptibility genes on chromosome six for Ro/SSA autoantibody‐mediated congenital heart block.Subjects and DesignSingle nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping of individuals in the Swedish Congenital Heart Block (CHB) study population was performed. Low‐resolution HLA‐A, ‐Cw and ‐DRB1 allele typing was carried out in 86 families comprising 339 individuals (86 Ro/SSA autoantibody‐positive mothers, 71 fathers, 87 CHB index cases and 95 unaffected siblings).ResultsA case–control comparison between index cases and population‐based out‐of‐study controls (n = 1710) revealed association of CHB with 15 SNPs in the 6p21.3 MHC locus at a chromosome‐wide significance of P < 2.59 × 10−6 (OR 2.21–3.12). In a family‐based analysis of association of SNP markers as well as distinct MHC class I and II alleles with CHB, HLA‐DRB1*04 and HLA‐Cw*05 variants were significantly more frequently transmitted to affected individuals (P < 0.03 and P < 0.05, respectively), whilst HLA‐DRB1*13 and HLA‐Cw*06 variants were significantly less often transmitted to affected children (P < 0.04 and P < 0.03). We further observed marked association of increased paternal (but not maternal) HLA‐DRB1*04 transmission to affected offspring (P < 0.02).ConclusionsHLA‐DRB1*04 and HLA‐Cw*05 were identified as novel foetal HLA allele variants that confer susceptibility to CHB in response to Ro/SSA autoantibody exposure, whilst DRB1*13 and Cw*06 emerged as protective alleles. Additionally, we demonstrated a paternal contribution to foetal susceptibility to CHB for the first time.
Identification of CNS Neurons Innervating the Levator Ani and Ventral Bulbospongiosus Muscles in Male Rats
Authors: Dobberfuhl Amy D. , Oti Takumi , Sakamoto Hirotaka , Marson Lesley 
Published: December 2013

Abstract

Introduction
The pelvic striated muscles play an important role in mediating erections and ejaculation, and together these muscles compose a tightly coordinated neuromuscular system that is androgen sensitive and sexually dimorphic.

Aim
To identify spinal and brains neurons involved in the control of the levator ani (LA) and bulbospongiosus (BS) in the male adult and preadolescent rat.

Methods
Rats were anesthetized, and the transsynaptic retrograde tracer pseudorabies virus (PRV) was injected into the LA muscle of adults or the ventral BS muscle in 30-day-old rats. After 3–5 days rats were sacrificed, and PRV-labeled neurons in the spinal cords and brains were identified using immunohistochemistry. The presence of gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) in the lumbar spinal neurons was examined.

Main Outcomes Measures
The location and number of PRV-labeled neurons in the spinal cord and brain and GRP colocalization in the lumbar spinal cord.

Results
PRV-labeled spinal interneurons were found distributed throughout T11-S1 of the spinal cord, subsequent to dorsal medial motoneuron infection. The majority of spinal interneurons were found in the lumbosacral spinal cord in the region of the dorsal gray commissure and parasympathetic preganglionic neurons. Preadolescent rats had more PRV-labeled spinal interneurons at L5-S1 where the motoneurons were located but relatively less spread rostrally in the spinal cord compared with adults. Lumbar spinothalmic neurons in medial gray of L3-L4 co-localized PRV and GRP. In the brain consistent labeling was seen in areas known to be involved in male sexual behavior including the ventrolateral medulla, hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus, and medial preoptic area.

Conclusion
Common spinal and brain pathways project to the LA and BS muscles in the rat suggesting that these muscles act together to coordinate male sexual reflexes. Differences may exist in the amount of synaptic connections/neuronal pathways in adolescents compared with adults.
Manufacturer changes lead to clinically important differences between two editions of the TNO stereotest
Authors: van Doorn Louise L A , Evans Bruce J W , Edgar David F , Fortuin Marten F 
Published: December 2013

AbstractPurposeStereoacuity tests used in clinical practice should be repeatable and reproducible. However, it has been observed in a clinical setting that new editions of the TNO stereotest appear to give different values from those obtained using previous versions. The purpose of the present research was to investigate this observation.MethodsOne hundred and twenty‐one Dutch subjects, 88 (73%) females and 33 (27%) males, with an average age of 34.0 years (range 18–55) had their stereoacuity measured using two different versions of the TNO stereoacuity test (TNO 13 and TNO 15). The TNO was tested in a counterbalanced order so that consecutive subjects started with alternate editions to avoid bias.ResultsThere was a significant difference (p < 0.001) between the median value for stereoacuity measured with TNO 13 (30 s of arc) and TNO 15 (60 s of arc). The bias between the two test versions was −0.23 Log arcseconds (95% limits of the differences: 0.15 to −0.60 Log arcseconds).ConclusionThis study reveals that results obtained with two different editions of a commonplace stereoacuity test are not comparable. New versions come on the market at regular intervals and the assumption that they will give the same results as previous versions may not be valid. Besides the statistically significant difference between the TNO 13 and TNO 15, the Bland‐Altman plot also showed a considerable bias and the 95% limits of the differences between the TNO 13 and TNO 15 are more than two steps on the Log arcsecond scale. This difference between two editions of the TNO stereotests is not clinically acceptable and therefore it is inappropriate to use the two versions of the test interchangeably. It is important in both research and clinical records to specify the edition of the TNO test used.
Gender differences in childhood food preference: Evaluation using a subjective picture choice method
Authors: Kimura Shinji , Endo Yuri , Minamimae Keiko , Kanzaki Susumu , Hanaki Keiichi 
Published: December 2013

AbstractBackgroundA preference for calorie‐dense food in men seems to be closely linked with a considerably higher incidence of obesity in adulthood for men than women, but it is not clear in which life stage the gender differences in food preference begin to appear. In order to clarify this, a picture choice method has been developed that is designed to evaluate food preferences or interests in children based on their subjective choices.MethodsIn total, 486 children aged 6–12 years were enrolled. To evaluate food interest, children were instructed to choose any 10 from 36 pictures in the panel showing 10 different foods and 26 other things. The number of foods chosen was set as the food interest score. For food preference, they were also instructed to choose any 10 from 36 pictures in the other panel depicting 36 different foods. For the 10 foods chosen, Japanese food score, energy density, fat energy content, and saturated fatty acid score were calculated. These indices were compared for sex, age group and body mass index.ResultsIndices reflecting food interest or fat preference were significantly higher in boys than girls both in the 7–9‐ and 10–12‐year‐old age groups. Positive correlations were found between food interest score and energy density, fat energy content, and saturated fatty acid score.ConclusionsUsing the picture choice method, definite gender differences in food preference were identified in early elementary school children. This information could be useful for dietary therapy in childhood obesity.
Need to Focus Beyond the Medical Causes: a Systematic Review of the Social Factors Affecting Neonatal Deaths
Authors: Upadhyay Ravi Prakash , Krishnan Anand , Rai Sanjay K. , Chinnakali Palanivel , Odukoya Oluwakemi 
Published: December 2013

AbstractBackgroundReducing the global total of 3.3 million neonatal deaths is crucial to meeting the fourth Millennium Development Goal. Until recently, attention has been on the medical causes of the neonatal deaths, while the social factors contextualising these deaths have largely remained unaddressed. The current review aimed to quantify the role of these factors in neonatal deaths.MethodsA systematic search was performed through PubMed, Google scholar, Cochrane library, Medline, IndMed, Embase, World Health Organization and Biomed central databases. Studies published from 1995 to 2011 were included. Random effects meta‐analysis was performed to derive at an estimate of the burden of delays, as defined by the ‘three delays model’ by Thadeus and Maine.ResultsA total of 17 studies were reviewed. The majority of them (n = 10) were from the African continent. Level 3 delay, i.e. delay in receiving appropriate treatment upon reaching a health facility (38.7%, 95% CI, 21.7%–57.3%) and delay in deciding to seek care for the illness (Level 1 delay) (28%, 95% CI, 16%–43%) were the major contributors to neonatal deaths. Level 2 delay, i.e. delay in reaching a health facility (18.3%, 95% CI, 2.6–43.8%) contributed least to the neonatal deaths.ConclusionCreating awareness among caregivers regarding early recognition and treatment seeking for neonatal illness along with improving the quality of neonatal care provided at the health facilities is essential to reduce neonatal mortality.
Race/Ethnicity, Educational Attainment, and Pregnancy Complications in New York City Women with Pre‐existing Diabetes
Authors: James‐Todd Tamarra , Janevic Teresa , Brown Florence M. , Savitz David A. 
Published: December 2013

AbstractBackgroundMore women are entering pregnancy with pre‐existing diabetes. Disease severity, glycaemic control, and predictors of pregnancy complications may differ by race/ethnicity or educational attainment, leading to differences in adverse pregnancy outcomes.MethodsWe used linked New York City hospital record and birth certificate data for 6291 singleton births among women with pre‐existing diabetes between 1995 and 2003. We defined maternal race/ethnicity as non‐Hispanic white, non‐Hispanic black, Hispanic, South Asian, and East Asian, and education level as <12, 12, and >12 years. Our outcomes were pre‐eclampsia, preterm birth (PTB) (<37 weeks gestation and categorised as spontaneous or medically indicated), as well as small‐for‐gestational age (SGA) and large‐for‐gestational age (LGA). Using multivariable binomial regression, we estimated the risk ratios for pre‐eclampsia, SGA, and LGA. We used multivariable multinomial regression to estimate odds ratios (OR) for PTB.ResultsCompared with non‐Hispanic white women with pre‐existing diabetes, non‐Hispanic black and Hispanic women with pre‐existing diabetes had a 1.50‐fold increased risk of pre‐eclampsia compared with non‐Hispanic whites with pre‐existing diabetes, after full adjustment. Non‐Hispanic black and Hispanic women with pre‐existing diabetes had adjusted ORs of 1.72 [adj. 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.38, 2.15] and 1.65 [adj.95% CI 1.32, 2.05], respectively, for medically indicated PTB. South Asian women with pre‐existing diabetes had the highest risk for having an SGA infant [adj. OR: 2.29; adj. 95% CI 1.73, 3.03]. East Asian ethnicity was not associated with these pregnancy complications.ConclusionsNon‐Hispanic black, Hispanic, and South Asian women with pre‐existing diabetes may benefit from targeted interventions to improve pregnancy outcomes.