bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Clinical nurses as teachers: insights from students of nursing in their first semester of study
Authors: Jackson Debra , Mannix Judy 
Published: August 2010

• This paper reports the findings of a study which sought to gain insights about the role of clinical nursing staff in the planned clinical experience of undergraduate nursing students.• This study differs from others in that the perspectives of students of nursing in their first year of the undergraduate programme are sought, and the role of clinical nurses rather than clinical teachers is of particular interest.• Using a story‐telling approach, an exploration of students’ perspectives on the role of clinical nursing staff in their clinical learning was undertaken.• Analysis allowed findings to be grouped into helpful and unhelpful behaviours.• Helpful behaviours included understanding and being friendly, showing interest and explaining. Behaviours that students found unhelpful to their learning were often passive rather than active, but they made students feel acutely aware of being unwelcome in the clinical area. Several students described feeling intrusive, uncomfortable and even unwelcome in clinical areas because of the attitudes and behaviour of clinicians.• Findings of this study highlight the importance of clinicians and academic nurses working together to ensure that students of nursing, who represent the future of the profession, are provided with the best possible opportunities for clinical learning.
Levels of fatigue in people with ESRD living in far North Queensland
Authors: Ann Bonner , Wellard Sally , Caltabiano Marie 
Published: August 2010

Aim.  Levels of fatigue as experienced by people with end stage renal disease (ESRD), were assessed using the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS).Background.  Fatigue, a common symptom reported by people with ESRD, is a multifaceted, subjective experience, which is readily understood by individuals but difficult to measure. There is limited understanding of the level of fatigue experienced by people with ESRD, with research currently limited to people treated with haemodialysis.Method.  The FSS was completed by 92 people with ESRD who were patients of a renal service in far North Queensland, Australia. Demographic and renal health history data were also collected with the self‐report survey.Results.  Comparisons were preformed between overall fatigue levels and different renal disorders, genders, ethnicity and renal replacement therapy (RRT). Participants in this study were more fatigued than the general population; there was no difference in levels of fatigue between gender and ethnicity. Participants with diabetic nephropathy and those who were predialysis were the most fatigued. A significant difference between mean fatigue scores was found for type of RRT [F(3,88) = 2·4, p < 0·05], with participants using peritoneal dialysis reporting the most fatigue. Additionally, participants categorized according to type of RRT, erythropoietin replacement therapy and current haemoglobin levels revealed significant mean differences on fatigue levels [F(3,88) = 2·74, p < 0·05].Relevance to clinical practice.  People with ESRD experience considerable fatigue; it is particularly important for nurses to understand this level of fatigue impacts on the daily life of patients. These findings provide the preliminary evidence to support the development of renal nursing practice guidelines related to symptom recognition and management of fatigue.
The effectiveness of silver‐releasing dressings in the management of non‐healing chronic wounds: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Lo Shu‐Fen , Chang Chee‐Jen , Hu Wen‐Yu , Hayter Mark , Chang Yu‐Ting 
Published: August 2010

Aim.  The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of silver‐releasing dressings in the management of non‐healing chronic wounds.Background.  Non‐healing chronic wounds often have a negative physical impact on patients and place a financial burden on healthcare systems. Silver dressings are wound products designed to control infection and provide a wound environment conducive to healing. However, validation of the clinical efficacy of these dressings is lacking.Design.  Systematic review and meta‐analysis.Methods.  A systematic search of the major electronic databases PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane, MEDLINE, British Nursing Index, EBSCO, OCLC and Proquest between 1950–June 2007 was conducted. Hand searches of selected periodicals, textbooks and checking reference lists and contacting experts was also performed.Results.  Eight studies were selected from a potentially relevant 1957 references screened. Analysis incorporated data from 1399 participants in the eight randomised control trials. We found that silver dressings significantly improved wound healing (CI95: 0·16–0·39, p < 0·001), reduced odour (CI95: 0·24–0·52, p < 0·001) and pain‐related symptoms (CI95: 0·18–0·47, p < 0·001), decreased wound exudates (CI95: 0·17–0·44, p < 0·001) and had a prolonged dressing wear time (CI95: 0·19–0·48, p = 0·028) when compared with alternative wound management approaches. An analysis of sensitivity in these studies by subgroup analysis generally supported these associations. Furthermore, studies indicated an improvement in quality of life (CI95: 0·04–0·33, p = 0·013) using silver dressings in wound management with no associated severe adverse events.Conclusion.  This meta‐analysis confirms the effectiveness of silver dressings in wound healing and improving patients’ quality of life. However, it also highlights the need for additional well‐designed randomised controlled trials to evaluate the effectiveness of silver‐related dressings further.Relevance to clinical practice.  The results of this study provide objective data on the effectiveness of silver‐related dressing when applied to non‐healing chronic wounds.
A systematic review of the effectiveness of cutaneous warming systems to prevent hypothermia
Authors: Galvão Cristina M , Marck Patricia B , Sawada Namie O , Clark Alexander M 
Published: August 2010

Aims.  To retrieve and critique recent randomised trials of cutaneous warming systems used to prevent hypothermia in surgical patients during the intraoperative period and to identify gaps in current evidence and make recommendations for future trials.Background.  Hypothermia affects up to 70% of anaesthetised surgical patients and is associated with several significant negative health outcomes.Design.  Systematic review using integrative methods.Methods.  We searched CINAHL, EMBASE, Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials and Medline databases (January 2000–April 2007) for recent reports on randomised controlled trials of cutaneous warming systems used with elective patients during the intraoperative period.Inclusion criteria.  We included randomised control trials examining the effects of cutaneous warming systems used intraoperatively on patients aged 18 years or older undergoing non‐emergency surgery. Studies published in English, Spanish or Portuguese with a comparison group that consisted of either usual care or active cutaneous warming systems without prewarming were reviewed.Results.  Of 193 papers initially identified, 14 studies met the inclusion criteria. There was moderate evidence to indicate that carbon‐fibre blankets and forced‐air warming systems are equally effective and that circulating‐water garments are most effective for maintaining normothermia during the intraoperative period. Few trials reported costs.Conclusions.  Carbon‐fibre blankets and forced‐air warming systems are effective and circulating‐water garments may be preferable. Future research should measure the direct and indirect costs associated with competing systems.Relevance to clinical practice.  Nurses can use this review to inform their selection of warming interventions in perioperative nursing practice. They can also assess other factors such as nursing workload, staff training and equipment maintenance, which should be incorporated into future research.
Relationships among nutritional self‐efficacy, health locus of control and nutritional status in older Taiwanese adults
Authors: Chen Su‐Hui , Acton Gayle , Shao Jung‐Hua 
Published: August 2010

Aim.  The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among selected demographic characteristics, nutrition self‐efficacy, health locus of control and nutritional status in older Taiwanese adults.Background.  The number of older adults in Taiwan is increasing, and they have been shown to have poor nutritional status. However, little is known about the factors that lead to poor nutritional status in this population.Design.  Correlational, cross‐sectional study.Methods.  Participants were randomly selected from two district public health centres in Yilan County, Taiwan. Of 162 individuals who met the study criteria, 156 agreed to participate and provided data on demographic information, nutrition self‐efficacy (Cardiac Diet Self‐Efficacy scale), health locus of control (Multidimensional Health Locus of Control scale) and nutritional status (Mini‐Nutritional Assessment and serum albumin levels).Results.  The majority of this sample was healthy men (60·9%) with a mean age of 72·29 years. The results indicated that age, educational level, current chronic diseases and chance health locus of control all affected nutritional status in terms of Mini‐Nutritional Assessment scores, but only current chronic diseases explained significant variance in nutritional status in terms of albumin levels.Conclusions.  The current study integrated self‐efficacy theory and Health Locus of Control theory to better understand how background characteristics, nutrition self‐efficacy and Health Locus of Control relate to nutritional status in older Taiwanese adults. However, the overall predicted variance accounted for by predictors was small, further research is therefore necessary to gain a deeper understanding of nutritional status and its factors among older Taiwanese adults.Relevance to clinical practice.  Nurses can help older persons identify factors that relate to their nutritional status and plan effective interventions to maintain healthy nutrition behaviours with the following risk characteristics: (1) lower level of education, (2) more chronic diseases and (3) external control orientation.
Measuring organizational attributes in primary care: a validation study in Germany
Authors: Ose Dominik , Freund Tobias , Kunz Cornelia U. , Szecsenyi Joachim , Natanzon Iris , Trieschmann Johanna , Wensing Michel , Miksch Antje 
Published: August 2010

AbstractObjective  Models for the structured delivery of care rely on organizational attributes of practice teams. The Survey of Organizational Attributes for Primary Care (SOAPC) is known to be a valid instrument to measure this aspect in the primary care setting. The aim of this study was to determine the validity of a translated and culturally adapted German version of the SOAPC.Methods  The SOAPC was translated and culturally adapted according to established standards. The external validity of the German SOAPC was assessed using the German version of the Warr‐Cook‐Wall scale. A total of 200 practices randomly selected from a conference database were asked to participate in the validation study. Practice, clinicians and staff characteristics were determined via short‐form questionnaires. We used standardized statistical procedures to reveal the psychometric properties of the SOAPC.Results  A total of 54 practice teams participated by returning 297 completed questionnaires (297/425, response rate 69.8%). All four domains of the SOAPC (communication, decision making, stress/chaos, history of change) could be approved by factor analysis. Internal consistency is underlined by a Cronbach's alpha of 0.70 or higher in all categories. We show strong correlation with the Warr‐Cook‐Wall scale in all corresponding categories indexing high external validity.Conclusions  The German SOAPC is a reliable and valid instrument for the assessment of organizational attributes of practice teams as the providers of quality of care. Moreover, the tool makes it possible to map the state of implementation of quality management and practice organization. The availability of the German SOAPC encourages further research on this topic in German‐speaking countries.
A prospective study of menopause in women with Down's syndrome
Authors: Seltzer G. B. , Schupf N. , Wu H.‐S. 
Published: August 2010

AbstractThe present study prospectively examined the age at menopause of 92 women with Down's syndrome (DS) and the influence of hypothyroidism on the age of menopause. Three methods were used to determine the distribution and median age at onset of menopause: (1) Kaplan–Meier life tables; (2) Cox proportional hazards modelling; and (3) maximum likelihood logistic regression. All three methods provided distributions and similar estimates of the median age at menopause, which was ≈46 years. The presence of hypothyroidism did not influence age at menopause. The earlier‐than‐expected age at onset of menopause suggests that women with DS are at an increased risk for post‐menopausal health disorders.
Localized photodamage of the human erythrocyte membrane causes an invagination as a precursor of photohaemolysis
Authors: WONG FELIX H. C. , NG‐KAMSTRA JOSHUA S. , CHEN NELSON L. H. , FRADIN CÉCILE 
Published: August 2010

SummaryFluorescence excitation can result in the formation of reactive oxygen species and free radicals damaging to live cells. In the case of erythrocytes, reaction of these reactive oxygen species with membrane components causes large‐scale morphological changes followed by cell haemolysis. In an effort to understand the origin of these morphological changes, we have studied the consequences of localized photodamage on the erythrocyte membrane. For this, we irradiated a small area of the cell membrane using a focused laser beam in the presence of an external photosensitizer. We observed the rapid formation of an invagination (approximately 1 μm deep) at the laser focus, long before photohaemolysis occurred. We measured the rate of invagination formation and the rate of cell haemolysis, using a combination of fluorescence contrast imaging (to detect the membrane position) with fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (to measure photosensitizer concentration). We found that the kinetics of both processes depend in a similar manner on light energy flux, fluorophore concentration and the presence of oxygen scavenger. This leads us to the conclusion that the observed invagination is due to the photooxidation of membrane‐associated proteins, representing a precursor of cellular photohaemolysis. We then discuss two different molecular mechanisms (conformational change of the protein band 3 and detachment of the spectrin cytoskeleton from the lipid membrane) that may explain how the photodamage of membrane‐associated proteins can lead to a deformation of the lipid bilayer.
A vacuum‐compatible wet‐specimen chamber for compact X‐ray microscopy
Authors: STOLLBERG H. , POKORNY M. , HERTZ H. M. 
Published: August 2010

SummarySoft X‐ray microscopy is a powerful tool for investigations of, for example, polymers or soils in their natural liquid environment. This requires a wet‐specimen chamber. Compact X‐ray microscopy allows the horizontal mounting of such samples, thereby reducing the influence of gravitational forces. We have developed a wet‐specimen chamber for such compact X‐ray microscope. The chamber is vacuum compatible, which reduces the exposure time. The vacuum sealing is achieved by a combination of mechanical sealing and sealing by bio‐compatible glue. With the wet‐specimen chamber the specimens can be kept in an aqueous environment in a vacuum of 10−4 mbar for several hours. Imaging of lipid droplets in water demonstrates the function of the wet‐specimen chamber.
LED illumination for video‐enhanced DIC imaging of single microtubules
Authors: BORMUTH VOLKER , HOWARD JONATHON , SCHÄFFER ERIK 
Published: August 2010

SummaryIn many applications high‐resolution video‐enhanced differential interference contrast microscopy is used to visualize and track the ends of single microtubules. We show that single ultrabright light emitting diodes from Luxeon can be used to replace conventional light sources for these kinds of applications without loss of function. We measured the signal‐to‐noise ratio of microtubules imaged with three different light emitting diode colours (blue, red, green). The blue light emitting diode performed best, and the signal‐to‐noise ratios were high enough to automatically track the ends of dynamic microtubules. Light emitting diodes as light sources for video‐enhanced differential interference contrast microscopy are high performing, low‐cost and easy to align alternatives to existing illumination solutions.
Helicobacter pylori infection and gastric emptying of solids in humans
Authors: CALDWELL S. H. , VALENZEULA G. , MARSHALL B. J. , DYE K. R. , HOFFMAN S. R. , PLANKEY M. W. , McCALLUM R. W. 
Published: August 2010

AbstractHelicobacter pylori has been implicated in a number of upper gastrointestinal illnesses. In a controlled study, we have investigated the relationship between H. pylori infection and gastric emptying of solids in two groups of patients with chronic symptoms of dyspepsia. In the first group, 19 patients with non‐ulcer dyspepsia and H. pylori infection underwent a standard test of gastric emptying after ingestion of 500 μCi of Tc‐labelled chicken liver. The results were compared to a control group of 16 uninfected volunteers. We also studied a second group of 20 patients with previously diagnosed idiopathic gastroparesis for the prevalence of H. pylori infection and its relationship to symptom severity and rates of gastric emptying.In the first group of patients, the half‐time of gastric emptying was significantly less among the infected patients compared to the uninfected volunteers (108 ± 9 vs. 142 ± 14 min, P < 0.05). In the second group of patients with gastroparesis, the prevalence of H. pylori was not significantly different among these patients than among 21 age and sex matched controls (20% vs. 38%, P = 0.32). Gastric emptying was markedly slow in all 20 patients in the second group but less so among the four with H. pylori infection. Symptom scores were no different between infected and uninfected patients.We conclude that H. pylori infection is not associated with abnormally slow gastric emptying. On the contrary, gastric H. pylori infection appears to be associated with mildly accelerated emptying of solids compared to normal controls. Idiopathic gastroparesis and dyspepsia related H. pylori infection are separate but sometimes overlapping disorders.
Human gut‐brain interactions
Authors: ENCK P. , FRIELING T. 
Published: August 2010

AbstractIn recent years, new neurophysiological techniques have been developed which allow access to the gut‐brain axis in humans. Among these tools, recording of cerebral evoked potentials following stimulation of a viscera (rectosigmoid, oesophagus) as well as the striated anal sphincter muscle have gained importance for evaluation of afferent pathways in functional bowel disorders. Oesophageal and anal motor evoked potentials after transcranial magnetoelectrical stimulation of the motor cortex and the spine have demonstrated the feasibility to access the efferent motor pathways to these muscles as well, but studies are still needed to demonstrate their clinical importance. Finally, recording of electromechanical coupling at the level of a single muscle (external anal sphincter) will give further insight into the continence mechanism in health and disease.
Age‐related changes in rat colon mechanics
Authors: BUTT W. G. , WANG M. , KAUFMAN S. T. , RYAN J. P. , COHEN S. 
Published: August 2010

AbstractTo determine whether myogenic factors are responsible for slowed colonic transit in senescent rats, maximum shortening velocity (V0), compliance of the series elastic component (SEC), measurements of passive force in calcium‐depleted tissue and peak isometric force (F0) were examined in proximal and distal colonic circular smooth muscle from 6‐ and 30‐monthold Fischer rats (n = 5). After mucosa was removed, measurements were made on strips stimulated with 80 m>m KCl in a 2.5 m>m Ca2+ Kreb's solution. Muscle strips were quick released at peak isometric force (F0) to afterloads of 60% of F0. The changes in muscle length from zero to 40 msec and 1 to 2 sec after release during isotonic contraction were used to calculate the SEC and V0 as a fraction of total muscle length. Passive force (Fp) was measured in 2.5 m>m Ca2+ Kreb's solution and in a zero Ca2+, 0.1 m>m EGTA solution to determine the contribution of contractile and passive elements to passive force. The results of these studies indicate there is no difference in the V0 (L0/sec) of adult (8.4 ± 1.5) and aged (7.5 ± 2.0) animals (P ± 0.05). Peak force (F0) in the distal colon of the aged rats was greater than adult rats (1.23 ± 0.1 vs 0.85 ± 0.01 kg/cm2, P = 0.05). The stiffness of the parallel elastic component and the length‐tension relationship were similar in adult and aged animals. Negligible decreases in Fp were observed in zero calcium medium. However, basal contractile tone was elevated in aged animals (P = 0.05). These studies indicate basic differences in aged colonic circular muscle that may contribute to altered bowel transit and function during ageing.
Therapeutic effects of loxiglumide, a cholecystokinin antagonist, on chronic constipation in elderly patients: a prospective, randomized, double‐blind, controlled trial
Authors: MEIER R. , BEGLINGER C. , THUMSHIRN M. , MEYER B. , ROVATI L. C. , GIACOVELLI G. , D'AMATO M. , GYR K. 
Published: August 2010

AbstractSevere chronic constipation is a common health problem, particularly among elderly nursing‐home patients. Cholecystokinin (CCK) is involved in the regulation of colonic motility, and the blockade of CCKA receptors with loxiglumide, a potent and highly specific CCKA antagonist, dramatically accelerates colonic transit time in healthy human volunteers. The effect of loxiglumide on the bowel habits and colonic transit time in 21 chronically constipated nursing‐home patients (mean age 83, range 71–89 years) was studied in a randomized, placebo‐controlled, double‐blind cross‐over study. Loxiglumide 800 mg t.i.d. or identical‐looking placebo tablets were given orally in sequence with a 7‐day washout period in between for 21 days each. The number of spontaneous bowel movements and that of administered enemas was recorded for each 3‐week phase. At the end of each treatment period colonic transit time was assessed using radio‐opaque markers. Treatment with loxiglumide significantly (P < 0.005) accelerated colonic transit time from 113 ± 6 to 81 ± 10 h. The frequency of weekly bowel movements increased from 3.9 ± 0.5 (placebo) to 4.9 ± 0.5 (loxiglumide) (P < 0.006), while the number of enemas over the 3 weeks decreased from 2.7 ± 0.6 to 1.3 ± 0.4 for placebo and loxiglumide, respectively (P < 0.005). No serious side‐effects were observed and there were no signs of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency induced by loxiglumide. The blockade of CCKA receptors with loxiglumide significantly improves chronic constipation in geriatric patients. Loxiglumide may therefore constitute the prototype of a new class of potent therapeutic agents effective in the treatment of constipation.