bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Nursing student attitudes towards older people: validity and reliability of the Italian version of the Kogan Attitudes towards Older People scale
Authors: Matarese Maria , Lommi Marzia , Pedone Claudio , Alvaro Rosaria , De Marinis Maria Grazia 
Published: June 2012

AbstractAim.  This paper reports a study testing the validity and reliability of the Italian version of the Kogan Attitude towards Older People scale.Background.  Nursing students’ attitudes towards older people can affect their preference for working with them. One of the most common instruments used to assess these attitudes is the Kogan Attitude towards Older People scale. Previous validation studies performed on college students internationally have demonstrated good reliability and validity. The psychometric properties of the Italian version have not yet been tested.Design.  A cross‐sectional, descriptive study.Method.  The study was conducted from March–June 2010 with a convenience sample of nursing students attending two Italian universities. Reliability was evaluated using internal consistency and item‐to‐total correlation. Content and construct validity were evaluated using a content validity index and principal factor analysis.Results.  A total of 1637 nursing students participated in the study. Two factors were extracted from the factor analysis: prejudice describing a negative disposition and appreciation indicating a favourable feeling and opinion towards older people.Conclusion.  The Kogan Attitude towards Older People scale applied to Italian nursing students exhibited good internal consistency. The two‐dimensional construct of the scale was congruent with some, but not all, results of previous studies due to methodological differences among the studies. Based on the study findings, the scale can be recommended for future research studies in Italy including use as pre/post‐test measurement associated with nursing education programmes.
Enabling overweight children to improve their food and exercise habits – school nurses’ counselling in multilingual settings
Authors: Magnusson Maria B , Kjellgren Karin I , Winkvist Anna 
Published: June 2012

Aims and objectives.  The study aimed at analysing school nurses’ counselling of overweight and obese children in settings with many immigrants, focusing on content concerning food and physical activity and how this was communicated.Background.  For people with a predisposition for overweight, the weight control process requires cognitive skills. School nurses’ counselling of overweight children has the potential to support this process by enabling personal resources in the children and their families. However, there is uncertainty among nurses about how to conduct supportive counselling.Design.  An explorative design was used when collecting and analysing data.Method.  Twenty‐two counselling sessions between eight school nurses and 20 overweight children were audio‐recorded and analysed using qualitative content analysis. Most of the participating schools represented areas with low socioeconomic status and a high proportion of immigrants and refugees.Results.  Less adequate skills in enabling resources in the children and their parents were observed. Concurrently, school nurses provided inadequate explanations about food and physical activity. Topics related to general nutrition models were frequently communicated as general advice instead of individually tailored counselling. Counselling families with other languages and food cultures than the traditional Swedish created additional difficulties.Conclusions.  Improved nutritional knowledge for nurses may enhance their skills in enabling children’s and families’ resources. School nurses should be provided with opportunities to cooperate with other professions in counteracting overweight.Relevance to clinical practice.  Our findings demonstrate a relationship between content skills and person‐centeredness in the counselling. This highlights the importance of inter‐professional collaboration to ensure a high quality of lifestyle counselling. School health authorities should give high priority to facilitating school nurses’ evidence‐based continuing education.
Prioritization of a plant polysaccharide over a mucus carbohydrate is enforced by a Bacteroides hybrid two‐component system
Authors: Lynch Jonathan B. , Sonnenburg Justin L. 
Published: June 2012

SummaryBacteroides is a dominant genus within the intestinal microbiota of healthy humans. Key adaptations of the Bacteroides to the dynamic intestinal ecosystem include a diverse repertoire of genes involved in sensing and processing numerous diet‐ and host‐derived polysaccharides. One such adaptation is the carbohydrate‐sensing hybrid two‐component system (HTCS) family of signalling sensors, which has been widely expanded within the Bacteroides. Using Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron as a model, we have created a chimeric HTCS consisting of the well‐characterized sensing domain of one HTCS, BT1754, and the regulatory domain of another HTCS, BT0366, to explore the regulatory capabilities of these molecules. We found that the BT0366 regulatory region directly binds to and mediates induction of the adjacent polysaccharide utilization locus (PUL) using whole‐genome transcriptional profiling after inducing signalling through our chimeric protein. We also found that BT0366 activation simultaneously leads to repression of distal PULs involved in mucus carbohydrate consumption. These results suggest a novel mechanism by which an HTCS enforces a nutrient hierarchy within the Bacteroides via induction and repression of multiple PULs. Thus, hybrid two‐component systems provide a mechanism for prioritizing consumption of carbohydrates through simultaneous binding and regulation of multiple polysaccharide utilization loci.
Mucosal expression of basic fibroblastic growth factor, Syndecan 1 and tumor necrosis factor‐alpha in diverticular disease of the colon: a case–control study
Authors: Tursi A. , Elisei W. , Brandimarte G. , Giorgetti G. M. , Inchingolo C. D. , Nenna R. , Picchio M. , Giorgio F. , Ierardi E. 
Published: June 2012

AbstractBackground  Inflammation may be detected in diverticular disease (DD), and fibrosis may also develop. We assessed the mucosal expression of bFGF, SD1, and TNF‐α in DD according to the severity of the disease. Moreover, we assessed the response to therapy of these cytokines in acute uncomplicated diverticulitis (AUD).Methods  Fifteen patients affected by AUD and seven patients affected by symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease (SUDD) were enrolled. Patients with asymptomatic diverticulosis (AD), segmental colitis associated with diverticulosis (SCAD), ulcerative colitis (UC), and healthy subjects (HC) served as control groups.Key Results  The expression of bFGF, SD1, and TNF‐α was significantly higher in diverticulitis than in healthy controls, in diverticulosis, and in uncomplicated diverticular disease. Cytokines were significantly higher in uncomplicated diverticular disease than in healthy controls. Cytokine expression in diverticulitis did not differ significantly from that of ulcerative colitis. After treatment, TNF‐α expression dropped significantly.Conclusions & Inferences  Mucosal TNF‐α is overexpressed only in symptomatic DD, while SD1 and bFGF are already overexpressed in AD. Finally, TNF‐α but not SD1 or bFGF expression seems to be influenced by the treatment in AUD.
Kinetics of transient hiatus hernia during transient lower esophageal sphincter relaxations and swallows in healthy subjects
Authors: Lee Y. Y. , Whiting J. G. H. , Robertson E. V. , Derakhshan M. H. , Wirz A. A. , Smith D. , Morrison D. , Kelman A. , Connolly P. , McColl K. E. L. 
Published: June 2012

AbstractBackground  Proximal displacement of the gastro‐esophageal junction (GEJ) is present in hiatus hernia but also occurs transiently during transient lower esophageal sphincter relaxations (TLESRs) and swallows. Using a novel magnetic‐based technique we have performed detailed examination of the GEJ movement during TLESRs and swallows in healthy subjects.Methods  In 12 subjects, a magnet was endoscopically clipped to the GEJ and combined assembly of Hall‐Effect locator probe and 36 channel high‐resolution manometer passed nasally. After a test meal the subjects were studied for 90 min.Key Results  The median amplitude of proximal movement of GEJ during TLESRs was 4.3 cm (1.6–8.8 cm) and this was substantially greater than during swallowing at 1.2 cm (0.4–2.7 cm), P = 0.002. With both TLESRs and swallows proximal GEJ movement coincided with lower esophageal sphincter (LES) relaxation and return to its original position occurred 4 s after return of LES tone. Kinetic modeling of the movement of the GEJ during TLESRs indicated two return phases with the initial return phase having the greater velocity (0.9 cm s−1) and being strongly correlated with amplitude of proximal movement (r = 0.8, P < 0.001).Conclusions & Inferences  The marked proximal GEJ migration during TLESRs represents very severe herniation of the GEJ. The rapid initial return of the GEJ following TLESRs when the crural diaphragm is relaxed and its correlation with amplitude suggest it is due to elastic recoil of the phreno‐esophageal ligament. The marked stretching of the phreno‐esophageal ligament during TLESRs may contribute to its weakening and development of established hiatus hernia.
Genotype differences in 13C discrimination between atmosphere and leaf matter match differences in transpiration efficiency at leaf and whole‐plant levels in hybrid Populus deltoides ×nigra
Authors: RASHEED FAHAD , DREYER ERWIN , RICHARD BÉATRICE , BRIGNOLAS FRANCK , MONTPIED PIERRE , LE THIEC DIDIER 
Published: June 2012

ABSTRACT13C discrimination between atmosphere and bulk leaf matter (Δ13Clb) is frequently used as a proxy for transpiration efficiency (TE). Nevertheless, its relevance is challenged due to: (1) potential deviations from the theoretical discrimination model, and (2) complex time integration and upscaling from leaf to whole plant. Six hybrid genotypes of Populus deltoides×nigra genotypes were grown in climate chambers and tested for whole‐plant TE (i.e. accumulated biomass/water transpired). Net CO2 assimilation rates (A) and stomatal conductance (gs) were recorded in parallel to: (1) 13C in leaf bulk material (δ13Clb) and in soluble sugars (δ13Css) and (2) 18O in leaf water and bulk leaf material. Genotypic means of δ13Clb and δ13Css were tightly correlated. Discrimination between atmosphere and soluble sugars was correlated with daily intrinsic TE at leaf level (daily mean A/gs), and with whole‐plant TE. Finally, gs was positively correlated to 18O enrichment of bulk matter or water of leaves at individual level, but not at genotype level. We conclude that Δ13Clb captures efficiently the genetic variability of whole‐plant TE in poplar. Nevertheless, scaling from leaf level to whole‐plant TE requires to take into account water losses and respiration independent of photosynthesis, which remain poorly documented.
The Role of T‐Regulatory Cells and Toll‐Like Receptors 2 and 4 In Atopic Dermatitis
Authors: Lesiak A. , Smolewski P. , Sobolewska‐Sztychny D. , Sysa‐Jedrzejowska A. , Narbutt J. 
Published: June 2012

AbstractRegulatory T cells (Tregs), toll‐like receptors (TLRs) and interleukin‐17 (IL‐17) play important role in inflammatory diseases; however, their relevance in atopic dermatitis (AD) pathogenesis is not clear. The aim of study was to evaluate the number of circulating Tregs and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) expressing TLR2 and TLR4 receptors in patients with AD. PBMC and CD4+/CD25high+ Tregs were isolated from the whole blood of 32 AD patients and 36 healthy volunteers. Expression of CD4+CD25+, TLR2 and TLR4 receptors and IL 17+ was assessed with the flow cytometry. In the peripheral blood of AD patients, the percentage of Tregs was significantly higher when compared with the controls (P = 0.0003). The number of TLR2+PBMC and TLR4+ PBMC in AD patients was significantly lower than in the controls (P = 0.035; P = 0.001, respectively). Also the percentages of Tregs with expression of both TLR2+ and TLR4+ in AD patients were significantly lower than in the control (3.85 versus 21.6, P < 0.0001; 2.2 versus 17.6, P < 0.0001, simultaneously). The percentage of CD4+/CD25high+/FOXP3+ Treg lymphocytes with expression of IL‐17 was significantly higher in AD group than in healthy subjects (0.3% versus 0.06%; P = 0.011). Distinct number of Tregs and various distribution of TLR2 and TLR4 expression on PBMC in AD patients suggest their contribution in the pathogenesis of AD.
Nuclear survivin expression as a potentially useful tool for the diagnosis of canine cutaneous sebaceous lesions
Authors: Bongiovanni Laura , Suter Maja M , Malatesta Daniela , Ordinelli Alessandra , Ciccarelli Andrea , Romanucci Mariarita , Brenner Ori , Della Salda Leonardo 
Published: June 2012

Background –  Sebaceous glands are specialized cutaneous adnexal glands, which work under constant hormonal control to produce sebum. They can give rise to several proliferative lesions, such as hamartoma, hyperplasia and neoplasms (adenoma, epithelioma and carcinoma). Their nomenclature is currently confusing, both in veterinary and in human medicine, owing to the difficulty of differentiating between some of these lesions.Methods –  The present study used immunohistochemistry to determine the expression levels and patterns of survivin and Ki67 in five samples of normal canine skin and 44 cases of canine cutaneous lesions with sebaceous differentiation (10 hamartomas, nine hyperplasia, eight adenomas, eight epitheliomas and nine carcinomas).Results –  In normal glands, survivin, as well as Ki67, was expressed in scattered reserve cells. In hamartomas, survivin was more highly expressed than in normal skin, indicating a possible role of this molecule in the pathogenesis of these congenital lesions. In tumours, a moderate or high level of survivin and Ki67 expression (more than two and four and more than two positive cells, respectively) were significantly correlated with a malignant histotype, infiltrative growth and a moderate or high number of mitoses (more than two).Conclusions and clinical importance –  The level of survivin expression increased with increasing malignancy, designating survivin as a new diagnostic marker in the assessment of malignancy of sebaceous tumours.
Independence among physiological traits suggests flexibility in the face of ecological demands on phenotypes
Authors: BUEHLER D. M. , VÉZINA F. , GOYMANN W. , SCHWABL I. , VERSTEEGH M. , TIELEMAN B. I. , PIERSMA T. 
Published: June 2012

AbstractPhenotypic flexibility allows animals to adjust their physiology to diverse environmental conditions encountered over the year. Examining how these varying traits covary gives insights into potential constraints or freedoms that may shape evolutionary trajectories. In this study, we examined relationships among haematocrit, baseline corticosterone concentration, constitutive immune function and basal metabolic rate in red knotCalidris canutus islandicaindividuals subjected to experimentally manipulated temperature treatments over an entire annual cycle. If covariation among traits is constrained, we predict consistent covariation within and among individuals. We further predict consistent correlations between physiological and metabolic traits if constraints underlie species‐level patterns found along the slow‐fast pace‐of‐life continuum. We found no consistent correlations among haematocrit, baseline corticosterone concentration, immune function and basal metabolic rate either within or among individuals. This provides no evidence for constraints limiting relationships among these measures of the cardiovascular, endocrine, immune and metabolic systems in individual red knots. Rather, our data suggest that knots are free to adjust individual parts of their physiology independently. This makes good sense if one places the animal within its ecological context where different aspects of the environment might put different pressures on different aspects of physiology.
Cryopreservation of Equine Embryos: Current State‐of‐the‐Art
Authors: Stout TAE 
Published: June 2012

ContentsDuring the past 15 years, embryo transfer (ET) has become increasingly widespread within the sport‐horse breeding industry. At present, however, the vast majority (>95%) of horse embryos are transferred fresh or after chilled storage for up to 24 h, whereas cryopreservation is rarely employed despite its obvious potential for simplifying recipient mare management and facilitating long‐term storage and international transport of embryos. A number of inter‐related factors have contributed to the slow development and implementation of equine embryo cryopreservation, and these include the following: (i) the absence of commercially available products for reliably stimulating superovulation; (ii) very poor pregnancy rates following cryopreservation of embryos >300 μm in diameter; (iii) difficulty in recovering embryos at early developmental stages amenable to cryopreservation; and (iv) interembryo variation in susceptibility to cryodamage. However, acceptable success rates (>55% pregnancy) have been reported for both slow‐frozen and vitrified small embryos (<300 μm), and there is renewed interest in cryopreservation, not only in the context of standard ET programmes, but also because it would facilitate pre‐implantation genetic testing and allow wider access to techniques for producing embryosin vitro, such as intracytoplasmic sperm injection and nuclear transfer. This article will review the current status of equine embryo cryopreservation.
Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer and Transgenesis in Large Animals: Current and Future Insights
Authors: Galli C , Lagutina I , Perota A , Colleoni S , Duchi R , Lucchini F , Lazzari G 
Published: June 2012

ContentsSomatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) was first developed in livestock for the purpose of accelerating the widespread use of superior genotypes. Although many problems still exist now after fifteen years of research owing to the limited understanding of genome reprogramming, SCNT has provided a powerful tool to make copies of selected individuals in different species, to study genome pluripotency and differentiation, opening new avenues of research in regenerative medicine and representing the main route for making transgenic livestock. Besides well‐established methods to deliver transgenes, recent development in enzymatic engineering to edit the genome provides more precise and reproducible tools to target‐specific genomic loci especially for producing knockout animals. The interest in generating transgenic livestock lies in the agricultural and biomedical areas and it is, in most cases, at the stage of research and development, with few exceptions that are making the way into practical applications.
Clinical features of eosinophilic esophagitis: Ten Japanese cases
Authors: Tomomatsu Yuichiro , Yoshino Junji , Inui Kazuo , Wakabayashi Takao , Kobayashi Takashi , Miyoshi Hironao , Kosaka Toshihito , Yamamoto Satoshi , Torii Yoshinori 
Published: June 2012

Aim:  We studied eosinophilic esophagitis (EE) to clarify the clinical and endoscopic features of a Japanese case series.Methods:  Records of 10 patients diagnosed with EE at our hospital between May 2010 and December 2011 were examined for age, sex, symptoms, allergic disorder, endoscopic findings, and treatment received. Esophageal wall thickness was measured by endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS).Results:  Patients were seven males and three females with a mean age of 48 years. Symptoms included dysphagia, heartburn, food impaction, and chest pain. Nine patients had a history of allergic diseases. Increased peripheral eosinophil count was observed in one patient whereas increased immunoglobulin E level was observed in eight patients. Endoscopic findings included longitudinal furrows in all patients, mucosal edema in nine patients, loss of vascular pattern in nine patients, white exudates in six patients, cobblestone‐like appearance in five patients, and concentric rings in three patients. EUS revealed thickening of the esophageal wall in one patient. Histopathological examination revealed eosinophilic infiltration (≥15 eosinophils/high‐powered field) in the esophageal epithelium of all patients. Treatment was required in six patients. Proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy was given as the first‐line treatment but was ineffective in four patients and effective in two patients. Steroid therapy was given to three patients unresponsive to PPI therapy and was effective.Conclusions:  EE was common among relatively young men and was associated with allergic diseases. Longitudinal furrows were observed as the most characteristic endoscopic finding. Esophageal wall thickening was not commonly observed by EUS.
Damping control of balance in the medial/lateral direction and the risk of falling in the elderly
Authors: Aoki Mitsuhiro , Nishihori Takesumi , Jiang Yifa , Nagasaki Sachio , Wakaoka Takanori , Ito Yatsuji 
Published: June 2012

Aims:  A proportional–integral–derivative (PID) control has recently been used as a control algorithm of body balance. The purpose of this study was to elucidate an association of the proportional and derivative gain based on the PID control gain for balance for quiet standing with the risk factor for falls in the elderly.Methods:  The movement of a marker on the back of 23 elderly participants (age 75.6 ± 6.6 years) was measured by our developed device with a complementary metal oxide semiconductor video camera and the trunk sway speed in the medial/lateral (M/L) direction (TSSX) was calculated as absolute values of the whole time series. The PID control gain (proportional gain: KP, integral gain: KI, derivative gain: KD) was identified using the trunk sway data, and normalized by individual height and weight (KPn, KDn and KIn). Individual risk factor for falls was additionally assessed with the Tinetti Performance Oriented Mobility Assessment (POMA) and the fall risk questionnaire.Results:  The score in the POMA and the KDn significantly decreased with age (P < 0.01). The score in the POMA showed a positive correlation with the KDn, and negative correlations with the TSSX and KP/KD ratios (P < 0.01). The average KDn and the score in the POMA of fallers were significantly lower than those of non‐fallers (P < 0.05).Conclusion:  These results suggest that the decreased damping control by derivative gain for balance in the M/L direction is one of the risk factors for falls in the elderly. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2013; 13: 182–189.