bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effect ofin vitroexposure to lead chloride on semen quality and sperm DNA fragmentation
Authors: Gomes M. , Gonçalves A. , Rocha E. , Sá R. , Alves A. , Silva J. , Barros A. , Pereira M.L. , Sousa M. 
Published: February 2014

SummaryExposure to lead may cause changes in the male reproductive system. We evaluated the effect of lead chloride (PbCl2)in vitroon semen quality from 31 individuals. Samples were incubated at room temperature for two exposure times (4 h and 8 h) and with two concentrations of PbCl2(15 μg/ml or 30 μg/ml). Results showed that PbCl2significantly inhibited rapid progressive motility and caused an increase in the percentage of tail anomalies in both times and concentrations assessed, as well as a decrease in vitality in the group exposed to 30 μg/ml PbCl2. A significant increase in immotile sperm was also observed between the group control and the groups submitted to lead. Total motility and DNA fragmentation also showed a significant decrease and increase, respectively, after 4 h of incubation in the group exposed to 30 μg/ml and in both groups after 8 h of incubation. In conclusion, PbCl2affected sperm parameters and DNA integrity, which are essential for male fertility.
Near-infrared spectroscopy after high-risk congenital heart surgery in the paediatric intensive care unit
Authors: Tume Lyvonne N. , Arnold Philip 
Published: February 2014

AbstractObjective: To establish whether the use of near-infrared spectroscopy is potentially beneficial in high-risk cardiac infants in United Kingdom paediatric intensive care units. Design: A prospective observational pilot study. Setting: An intensive care unit in North West England. Patients: A total of 10 infants after congenital heart surgery, five with biventricular repairs and five with single-ventricle physiology undergoing palliation. Interventions: Cerebral and somatic near-infrared spectroscopy monitoring for 24 hours post-operatively in the intensive care unit. Measurement and main results: Overall, there was no strong correlation between cerebral near-infrared spectroscopy and mixed venous oxygen saturation (r=0.48). At individual time points, the correlation was only strong (r=0.74) 1 hour after admission. The correlation was stronger for the biventricular patients (r=0.68) than single-ventricle infants (r=0.31). A strong inverse correlation was demonstrated between cerebral near-infrared spectroscopy and serum lactate at 3 of the 5 post-operative time points (1, 4, and 12 hours: r=−0.76, −0.72, and −0.69). The correlation was stronger when the cerebral near-infrared spectroscopy was <60%. For cerebral near-infrared spectroscopy <60%, the inverse correlation with lactate was r=−0.82 compared with those cerebral near-infrared spectroscopy >60%, which was r=−0.50. No correlations could be demonstrated between (average) somatic near-infrared spectroscopy and serum lactate (r=−0.13, n=110) or mixed venous oxygen saturation and serum lactate. There was one infant who suffered a cardiopulmonary arrest, and the cerebral near-infrared spectroscopy showed a consistent 43 minute decline before the event. Conclusions: We found that cerebral near-infrared spectroscopy is potentially beneficial as a non-invasive, continuously displayed value and is feasible to use on cost-constrained (National Health Service) cardiac intensive care units in children following heart surgery.
Post-infective pericarditis left ventricular pseudoaneurysm: a case report and review of literature
Authors: Desai Manan , Gandhi Hemang , Mishra Amit 
Published: February 2014

AbstractPost-infective pseudoaneurysm of the left ventricle in children is very rare, with only five cases reported in English medical literature so far. Patients usually have a short history of infection by Staphylococcus aureus. Timely surgical intervention has generally a good outcome. We present a case of post-infectious pseudoaneurysm in a 2-year-old girl with a review of literature.
Takotsubo cardiomyopathy: how much do we know of this syndrome in children and young adults?
Authors: Hernandez Lazaro E. 
Published: February 2014

AbstractSince Takotsubo cardiomyopathy was first described by Sato in 1990, multiple cases have been reported, but only few in children, among whom this type of cardiomyopathy is to some extent underappreciated. A series of children with this syndrome were therefore reviewed, drawing comparison with cases reported by others. The review addresses the current challenges in diagnosis, presentation, triggers, clinical course, management, and possible pathogenic mechanisms of the entity.
Quality of life following paediatric heart transplant: are age and activity level factors?
Authors: Parent John J. , Sterrett Lauren , Caldwell Randall , Darragh Robert , Schamberger Marcus , Murphy Debbie , Ebenroth Eric 
Published: February 2014

AbstractBackground: We evaluated whether quality of life correlates to age and activity in children following heart transplantation. In addition, quality of life in children following heart transplantation was compared with previously reported values in children with congenital heart disease. Quality of life remains an important aspect of therapy. Methods: The Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Generic Core Scales and Cardiac Module were administered to 14 children who had previously undergone heart transplantation. Patients wore a pedometer for 7 days to assess daily activity. Results: The age at assessment was 13.1±1.9 years. The patients were 7.1±5.7 years post heart transplantation. There was a negative correlation between age at first heart transplantation and emotional (r=−0.64; p<0.05) and school function (r=−0.57; p<0.05). A negative correlation between patient’s age at assessment and perceived physical appearance existed (r=−0.53; p<0.05). Daily steps negatively correlated with cognitive (r=−0.58; p<0.05), physical (r=−0.63; p<0.05), emotional (r=−0.62; p<0.05), and school function (r=−0.66; p<0.01). Heart transplantation patients reported better scores for treatment and symptoms (p<0.05) but lower physical health scores (p<0.01) than those with moderate congenital heart disease. Conclusions: Paediatric heart transplantation patients reported overall similar quality of life as patients with moderate congenital heart disease. Children receiving heart transplants at an older age may require additional emotional and educational support. Heart transplantation patients with higher activity levels may be more aware of their physical, emotional, and cognitive limitations, and thus score lower on these quality of life indicators.
Water and Power Reserve Capacity of Health Facilities in the Greek Islands
Authors: Alexakis Lykourgos-Christos G. , Codreanu Tudor A. , Stratton Samuel J. 
Published: February 2014

AbstractIntroductionGeographically isolated islands are vulnerable during natural or technological disasters. During disasters, island health facilities should be able to secure power and water in order to continue operations.ObjectiveThis study sought to determine the existence of Greek island health facility backup systems for water and power. When such systems existed, reserve capacity was quantified and compared to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Hospital Safety Index standards.MethodsA standardized, self-administered questionnaire was sent to major health care facilities belonging to the national health system in all Greek islands. The biggest facility available in each island was included (hospital, health center, or health post). For Crete and Euboea, all hospitals were included.ResultsFifty-four of 85 facilities queried (27 hospitals, 17 health centers and 41 health posts) responded, for a response rate of 64%. Responding to the survey were 16 hospitals, 12 health centers and 26 health posts. In 70% of responding facilities (all 16 hospitals, 10 health centers, and 12 health posts) a backup water tank was available, while 72% (all 16 hospitals, 11 health centers, and 12 health posts) had a backup power supply system. Twenty-seven facilities provided data on water reserve, with 15 (56%) reporting a reserve for three or more days. Twenty facilities provided data on fuel stock and power consumption; six (30%) had energy reserves for more than 72 hours, and eight (40%) had reserves for 24-72 hours.ConclusionsGreek state-supported island health facilities responding to the questionnaire had water and power reserves for use in an emergency. Health centers and health posts were less prepared than hospitals. Of the responding health facilities, half had a water backup system and approximately one-third had power backup systems with reserves that would last for at least 72 hours.AlexakisLC, CodreanuTA, StrattonSJ. Water and power reserve capacity of health facilities in the Greek islands. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2014;29(1):1-5.
Effects of the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT®LOUD) on Hypomimia in Parkinson's Disease
Authors: Dumer Aleksey I. , Oster Harriet , McCabe David , Rabin Laura A. , Spielman Jennifer L. , Ramig Lorraine O. , Borod Joan C. 
Published: February 2014

AbstractGiven associations between facial movement and voice, the potential of the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT) to alleviate decreased facial expressivity, termed hypomimia, in Parkinson's disease (PD) was examined. Fifty-six participants—16 PD participants who underwent LSVT, 12 PD participants who underwent articulation treatment (ARTIC), 17 untreated PD participants, and 11 controls without PD—produced monologues about happy emotional experiences at pre- and post-treatment timepoints (“T1” and “T2,” respectively), 1 month apart. The groups of LSVT, ARTIC, and untreated PD participants were matched on demographic and health status variables. The frequency and variability of facial expressions (Frequency and Variability) observable on 1-min monologue videorecordings were measured using the Facial Action Coding System (FACS). At T1, the Frequency and Variability of participants with PD were significantly lower than those of controls. Frequency and Variability increases of LSVT participants from T1 to T2 were significantly greater than those of ARTIC or untreated participants. Whereas the Frequency and Variability of ARTIC participants at T2 were significantly lower than those of controls, LSVT participants did not significantly differ from controls on these variables at T2. The implications of these findings, which suggest that LSVT reduces parkinsonian hypomimia, for PD-related psychosocial problems are considered. (JINS, 2014,20, 1–11)
Meal pattern among Norwegian primary-school children and longitudinal associations between meal skipping and weight status
Authors: Stea Tonje H , Vik Frøydis N , Bere Elling , Svendsen Martin V , Oellingrath Inger M 
Published: February 2014

AbstractObjectiveTo investigate meal pattern longitudinally and explore whether meal skipping was associated with overweight among Norwegian children and adolescents.DesignLongitudinal study. Children's meal frequencies were reported by their parents using a retrospective FFQ. Weight and height were measured by public health nurses. Descriptive data comparing 4th and 7th grade were analysed by paired-sample t tests for continuous variables and χ2 tests for categorical variables. Odds ratio estimates, including confidence intervals, with BMI category (normal/overweight) as the dependent variable, were determined through logistic regression analyses.SettingPrimary schools, Telemark County, Norway.SubjectsA cohort of 428 Norwegian boys and girls; 4th graders in 2007, 7th graders in 2010.ResultsThe number of children eating four main meals per day (regular meal frequency) decreased from 4th grade (47 %) to 7th grade (38 %; P = 0·001). Those who ate regular meals in 4th grade but not in 7th grade had higher odds (OR = 3·1; 95 % CI 1·1, 9·0) of being overweight in 7th grade after adjusting for gender, maternal education and physical activity, but the odds ratio was not statistically significant after adjusting for overweight in 4th grade (OR = 2·8; 95 % CI 0·7, 11·6).ConclusionsThe present study showed significant increases in overall meal skipping among children between 4th and 7th grade. The results indicate an association between overweight and meal skipping, but additional prospective and longitudinal analyses and intervention trials are warranted to confirm this relationship.
Identifying Dynamic Membrane Structures with Atomic-Force Microscopy and Confocal Imaging
Authors: Timmel Tobias , Schuelke Markus , Spuler Simone 
Published: February 2014

AbstractCombining the biological specificity of fluorescence microscopy with topographical features revealed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) provides new insights into cell biology. However, the lack of systematic alignment capabilities especially in scanning-tip AFM has limited the combined application approach as AFM drift leads to increasing image mismatch over time. We present an alignment correction method using the cantilever tip as a reference landmark. Since the precise tip position is known in both the fluorescence and AFM images, exact re-alignment becomes possible. We used beads to demonstrate the validity of the method in a complex artificial sample. We then extended this method to biological samples to depict membrane structures in fixed and living human fibroblasts. We were able to map nanoscale membrane structures, such as clathrin-coated pits, to their respective fluorescent spots. Reliable alignment between fluorescence signals and topographic structures opens possibilities to assess key biological processes at the cell surface such as endocytosis and exocytosis.
Where to die? That is the question: A study of cancer patients in Israel
Authors: Barak Frida , Livshits Sofia , Kaufer Haana , Netanel Ruth , Siegelmann-Danieli Nava , Alkalay Yasmin , Kreitler Shulamith 
Published: February 2014

AbstractObjective:Most patients prefer to die at home, but barely 30% do so. This study examines the variables contributing to dying at home.Methods:The participants were 326 cancer patients, of both genders, with a mean age of 63.25 years, who died from 2000 to 2008 and were treated by the palliative care unit of the Barzilai Hospital. Some 65.7% died at home and 33.4% in a hospital. The data were extracted from patient files. The examined variables were demographic (e.g., age, gender, marital status, ethnic background, number of years in Israel until death), medical (e.g., age at diagnosis, diagnosis, nature of last treatment, patient received nursing care, patient given the care of a social worker, patient had care of a psychologist, family received care of a social worker, patient had a special caregiver), and sociological (e.g., having insurance, having worked in Israel, living alone or with family, living with one's children, living in self-owned or rented house, family members working).Results:The findings indicate that the chances of dying at home are higher if the patient is non-Ashkenazi, the family got social worker care, the patient lived in a self-owned house, the patient lived with his family, the family members worked, and the patient's stay in Israel since immigration was longer. Logistic regression showed that all the predictors together yielded a significant model accounting for 10.9–12.3% of the variance.Significance of results:The findings suggest that dying at home requires maintaining continued care for the patient and family in a community context.
Anxiety among informal hospice caregivers: An exploratory study
Authors: Washington Karla T. , Demiris George , Pike Kenneth C. , Kruse Robin L. , Oliver Debra Parker 
Published: February 2014

AbstractObjective:This study examined the prevalence of clinically significant anxiety among informal hospice caregivers and identified the characteristics of caregivers who experienced anxiety of this severity.Method:An exploratory secondary data analysis pooled from three separate studies of informal hospice caregivers (N = 433) was conducted. Researchers employed descriptive statistics to calculate anxiety prevalence and utilized logistic regression to model the associations between the covariates (i.e., caregiver characteristics) and anxiety.Results:Overall, 31% of informal hospice caregivers reported moderate or higher levels of anxiety. Caregivers associated with the research site in the Northwest were less likely to be anxious than those in the Southeast [χ2(3, N = 433) = 7.07, p = 0.029], and employed caregivers were less likely to be anxious than unemployed caregivers (OR = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.33, 0.96). The likelihood of being anxious decreased with increasing physical quality of life (OR = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.69, 0.85), and younger female caregivers were more likely to be anxious than male caregivers and older females (OR = 0.95, CI = 0.91, 0.99).Significance of Results:A noteworthy number of informal hospice caregivers experience clinically significant levels of anxiety. Increased efforts to screen and address anxiety in this population are recommended.
“Not a nice experience, not at all”: Underprivileged women's experiences of being confronted with cervical cancer
Authors: Maree Johanna E. , Langley Gayle , Nqubezelo Lucy 
Published: February 2014

AbstractObjective:Research on women's experiences of cervical cancer as a health problem focuses primarily on cervical screening, while their experiences of cervical cancer as a disease seem to be underresearched. This study addresses this understudied area and aims to yield insight into the experiences of underprivileged women confronted with this disease.Method:Our study was qualitative, exploratory, and contextual with descriptive and interpretive elements. The context of the study was a radiation oncology department at an academic hospital in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. The target population was all patients diagnosed with cervical cancer referred for treatment at the specific hospital. Convenience sampling selected participants typical of the population. Nineteen open-ended unstructured interviews were conducted after demographic data were collected. One question was posed: “Please tell me what made you think there was something wrong with you?” Thematic analyses were used to analyze the data.Results:The average age of participants was 47.2 years, with a youngest participant of 29 and oldest of 70. Three themes arose from the data: experiencing the symptoms of cervical cancer, hearing the bad news, and what remained unsaid.Significance of Results:Being confronted with cervical cancer is a traumatic experience. Women suffer unexplained, severe, humiliating vaginal bleeding and unrelieved pain. They have to face a dual healthcare system: on the one hand, unaffordable effective private healthcare and, on the other, the free-of-cost public healthcare that failed them. The bad news of their cervical cancer is most commonly broken in a kind and sympathetic manner, yet misunderstandings and a need for additional information prevail after the bad news conversation. Having to inform their families of their cancer adds to their suffering.
Lack of congruence between patients' and health professionals' perspectives of adherence to imatinib therapy in treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia: A qualitative study
Authors: Wu Simon , Chee Desmond , Ugalde Anna , Butow Phyllis , Seymour John , Schofield Penelope 
Published: February 2014

AbstractObjective:Consistent use of imatinib is critical for treatment success in chronic myeloid leukemia, yet perfect adherence to the prescribed clinical regimen is reported to be as low as 14%. This study aimed to understand patients' experiences of chronic myeloid leukemia with a qualitative approach, including identified facilitators and barriers to adherence, drawing on patients' and health professionals' perspectives, recording comments made by patients and health professionals involved with the same treatment team.Method:We recruited patients with chronic myeloid leukemia prescribed imatinib therapy and health professionals involved in their treatment from a specialized cancer center. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were recorded, transcribed, and manually analyzed using interpretive phenomenological analysis. Recruitment ceased upon saturation, with 16 patients and 10 health professionals (hematologistsn = 4, nursesn = 3, pharmacistsn = 3).Results:Twelve patients reported at least one instance of nonadherence. Reasons for unintentional nonadherence included forgetfulness related to variations of routine and doctor–patient communication issues. Reasons for intentional nonadherence included desires to reduce dose-dependent side effects and insufficient support. Patients who reported higher nonadherence rates felt complacent following periods of sustained disease control or had received conflicting advice regarding nonadherence. Health professionals had difficulty in accurately evaluating medication adherence due to a lack of reliable measures, utilizing patient self-report and manifestations of suboptimal disease control to guide assessments.Significance of Results:Adherence issues persist throughout the course of treatment. While high patient-reported nonadherence rates were recorded, health professionals were often unaware of the complex causes, compounded by an inadequacy of adherence assessment tools. Some patients reported nonadherence events because of insufficient education or lack of access to prompt medical guidance. These issues should be addressed to improve clinical practice.
Understanding parental behavior in pediatric palliative care: Attachment theory as a paradigm
Authors: Kearney Joan A. , Byrne Mary W. 
Published: February 2014

AbstractObjective:The objective of this conceptual paper was to present important constructs in attachment theory as they apply to parent and caregiver behavior in pediatric palliative care. Clarification of these constructs is provided with specific reference to their clinical application as well as their reflection in current empirical literature. Social attachment theory is proposed as a developmentally contextual model for the study of parenting in pediatric palliative and end-of-life care.Method:A comprehensive search was conducted of pertinent literatures. These included classic as well as recent theory and research in attachment theory in addition to the empirical literatures on parent and family experience in pediatric palliative care, serious illness, and beyond to parental bereavement. Other relevant literature was examined with respect to the phenomena of concern.Results:The empirical literature in pediatric palliative care supports the use of central concepts in attachment theory as foundational for further inquiry. This is evidenced in the emphasis on the importance of parental protection of the child, as well as executive activities such as decision making and other prominent parental operations, parental psychological resolution of the child's diagnosis and illness as well as coping and meaning making, and the core significance of parental relationships with providers who provide secure-base and safe-haven functions.Significance of Results:The promise for developing integrated, conceptually based interventions from construction through implementation is of urgent importance to children and families receiving pediatric palliative care services. Focusing on key parental behaviors and processes within the context of a well-studied and contextually appropriate model will inform this task efficiently. The attachment paradigm meets these criteria and has promise in allowing us to move forward in developing well-defined, inclusive, and conceptually grounded protocols for child and family psychosocial research, practice, and education in this specialty