bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Music intervention and preoperative anxiety: an integrative review
Authors: Pittman S. , Kridli S. 
Published: February 2011

PITTMAN S. & KRIDLI S. (2011) Music intervention and preoperative anxiety: an integrative review. International Nursing Review58, 157–163Background:  Hospitalized patients and patients scheduled to undergo surgery or invasive medical procedures experience high levels of anxiety. Recently, music intervention has been evaluated for its anxiolytic effects in preoperative patients.Aim:  The aim of this integrative review was to illustrate the varying methodological approaches utilized to assess the efficacy of a music intervention in reducing preoperative anxiety in adults.Methods:  A total of 11 articles, meeting the inclusion criteria, were evaluated and included.Findings:  Three of the eight (38%) studies, investigating the effect of listening to music on blood pressure, concluded that listening to music lowered blood pressure. Three of seven (43%) studies, investigating the relationship between listening to music and heart rate, illustrated patterns of decreased heart rates. Finally, two of four (50%) studies, investigating relaxing effects of listening to music on breathing, provided evidence of a decreased respiratory rate.Conclusion:  There was inconsistent evidence regarding music's effectiveness in lowering blood pressure, heart rate and respirations in anxious patients. However, music intervention can still be used by nurses to create a calm, relaxing atmosphere geared towards reducing anxiety in preoperative patients.
Adiponectin and Resistin Gene Polymorphisms in Association with Their Respective Adipokine Levels
Authors: Lau Cia‐Hin , Muniandy Sekaran 
Published: February 2011

SummarySingle nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at the adiponectin and resistin loci are strongly associated with hypoadiponectinemia and hyperresistinemia, which may eventually increase risk of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes (T2DM), metabolic syndrome (MS), and cardiovascular disease. Real‐time PCR was used to genotype SNPs of the adiponectin (SNP+45T>G, SNP+276G>T, SNP+639T>C, and SNP+1212A>G) and resistin (SNP‐420C>G and SNP+299G>A) genes in 809 Malaysian men (208 controls, 174 MS without T2DM, 171 T2DM without MS, 256 T2DM with MS) whose ages ranged between 40 and 70 years old. The genotyping results for each SNP marker was verified by sequencing. The anthropometric clinical and metabolic parameters of subjects were recorded. None of these SNPs at the adiponectin and resistin loci were associated with T2DM and MS susceptibility in Malaysian men. SNP+45T>G, SNP+276G>T, and SNP+639T>C of the adiponectin gene did not influence circulating levels of adiponectin. However, the G‐allele of SNP+1212A>G at the adiponectin locus was marginally associated (P= 0.0227) with reduced circulating adiponectin levels. SNP‐420C>G (df = 2; F= 16.026; P= 1.50×10−7) and SNP+299G>A (df = 2; F= 22.944; P= 2.04×10−10) of the resistin gene were strongly associated with serum resistin levels. Thus, SNP‐420C>G and SNP+299G>A of the resistin gene are strongly associated with the risk of hyperresistinemia in Malaysian men.
The Association of a Single‐Nucleotide Polymorphism of the IL‐2 Inducible T‐cell Kinase Gene with Asthma
Authors: Lee Shin‐Hwa , Chang Hun Soo , Jang An‐Soo , Park Sung‐Woo , Park Jong Sook , Uh Soo‐Taek , Kim Yong Hoon , Oh Bermseok , Lee Jong‐Keuk , Park Byung‐Lae , Shin Hyung Doo , Park Choon‐Sik , Kimm Kuchan 
Published: February 2011

SummaryAsthma manifests as TH2‐dominant airway inflammation regulated by inducible T‐cell kinase (ITK). To investigate associations between genetic variants of the ITK gene and asthma, 31 single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped in 303 normal controls and 498 asthmatics and the two groups were compared using logistic regression models. The functional effects of the ITK promoter SNP were assessed using pGL3 luciferase reporter systems and gel‐shift assays. The minor allele−196C>T in the promoter region of the ITK gene was significantly more frequent in asthmatics than in controls. The luciferase activity of the PGL3‐ITK‐196T allele construct was higher than that of the −196C allele. In the gel‐shift assay, −196T double‐stranded oligonucleotides bound more strongly to Jurkat cell nuclear protein compared to the −196C double‐stranded oligonucleotides. People with the −rare allele 196C>T may be more susceptible to asthma via transcriptional regulation of the ITK gene.
General overview of neo‐adjuvant therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma before liver transplantation: necessity or option?
Authors: Fujiki Masato , Aucejo Federico , Kim Richard 
Published: February 2011

AbstractBecause of its increasing incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma, it is now recognized as a worldwide health problem affecting mostly patients with chronic liver disease. Liver transplantation is the optimal therapy and achieves its best results in patients with small tumour burden. In an effort to prevent tumour progression and patient dropout from the transplant wait list, the concept and utilization of neo‐adjuvant locoregional therapies have gained relevance in the past few years. Moreover, good and maintained response to therapy is now considered a surrogate of favourable tumour biology, therefore aiding the patient transplant selection process. Herein, we review the current role of neo‐adjuvant therapies and revise concepts of tumour ‘downstaging’ or ‘bridging therapy’ in the setting of liver transplantation. In addition, we explore the debate of implementing locoregional therapy for patients with small tumours and short waiting times to liver transplantation.
The Risk of Sedation/Analgesia in Hemodialysis Patients Undergoing Interventional Procedures
Authors: Beathard Gerald A. , Urbanes Aris , Litchfield Terry , Weinstein Alex 
Published: February 2011

AbstractData derived from a large cohort of hemodialysis patients (12,896) undergoing dialysis access maintenance procedures being performed by interventional nephrologists were analyzed to determine the safety of sedation/analgesia (S/A) in a freestanding facility. Data collected included patient demographics, procedures performed, time of procedures, drugs used, doses used, and complications that occurred. Four high‐risk groups were identified based upon age, pulmonary status, and over all physical status. These were compared to the total cohort. Midazolam, fentanyl, or a combination of the two were used. Within the total cohort of patients, midazolam alone was used most commonly (94.7%). The total mean dose of midazolam when used alone was 3.4 mg. The dosages used in the high‐risk groups tended to be only slightly lower (3–3.2 mg). This setting appears to be safe for hemodialysis patients, even those in high‐risk subgroups having these types of procedures. The types of drugs and the dosages that are commonly used do not appear to be associated with an unacceptable risk to the hemodialysis patient. A nephrologist that is not specialty trained in anesthesia is able to provide S/A safely in a freestanding facility.
Relationship between the echogenicity of subcutaneous tissue and the depth of forehead wrinkles
Authors: Tsukahara Kazue , Osanai Osamu , Hotta Mitsuyuki , Sano Tomohiko , Kitahara Takashi , Takema Yoshinori , Tsujimoto Fumio 
Published: February 2011

Background/purpose: Subcutaneous tissue is rarely studied in research on wrinkles. We used diagnostic ultrasonography to produce images of subcutaneous tissue of the forehead, one of the areas where age‐related wrinkles form. We quantified the resulting echogenicity and investigated its relationship with wrinkle depth.Methods: One hundred and seventy‐three Japanese subjects were divided into four age groups (21–28 years, 35–41 years, 47–59 years, 65–75 years). Maximum wrinkle depth (Rmax) was measured in the forehead. On an ultrasound image, which was captured by scanning perpendicular to the deepest wrinkle, we set a 12.5‐mm‐wide region of interest by aligning the deepest point of the wrinkle at its center and then obtained the ratio of the area exceeding this threshold to the total area as the echogenicity.Results: R
max increased and the echogenicity decreased with age. A negative correlation was found in the oldest group but was not found in other groups, presumably due to individual differences in the echogenicity among younger subjects.Conclusion: This study suggests that the internal structure of subcutaneous tissue, as observed by ultrasonography, is related to wrinkle depth. The relationship between wrinkle depth and echogenicity of subcutaneous tissue is particularly pronounced in the elderly.
Ten‐year quality assurance of the nationwide hearing screening programme in Dutch neonatal intensive care units
Authors: van Dommelen P , van Straaten HLM , Verkerk PH ,   the Dutch NICU Neonatal Hearing Screening Working Group
Published: February 2011

AbstractAim:  To evaluate 10‐year quality assurance of newborn hearing screening (NHS) in Dutch neonatal intensive care units (NICU).Methods:  Results of the two‐stage automated auditory brainstem response (AABR) screening and diagnostic examination in NICU graduates were centrally registered between October 1998 and December 2008. This registration facilitates screening, tracking and follow‐up after abnormal screening results. Outcome measures are referral rates, prevalence rate of hearing loss and (trends of) coverage rates and timeliness of follow‐up.Results:  Thirty‐two thousand one hundred and two infants have been screened. Referral rates were 9.2% at the first and 26.3% at the second stage. Hearing loss was diagnosed in 728 infants (2.2%). Coverage rates were 98.7% at the first, 92.1% at the second stage, 92.3% for the diagnostic examination and 97.9% for the complete programme. After correction for gestational age, 95.8% of the infants had their first AABR <1 month, 81.8% of the referred infants had their second AABR <6 weeks and 67.1% were diagnosed <3 months. There was a positive trend in referred infants that had their second AABR <6 weeks (p = 0.004) as well as in infants diagnosed <3 months (p < 0.001).Conclusion:  The NHS in Dutch NICUs is effective. Timely identification of hearing loss is improving over time.
Citizenship at the Margins: The Canadian Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program and Civil Society Advocacy
Authors: GABRIEL CHRISTINA , MACDONALD LAURA 
Published: February 2011

This article evaluates the role civil society organizations play in helping noncitizen migrant workers access to social rights in Canada. The study focuses on the bilateral Canadian Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program, a temporary worker scheme that brings Mexicans to Canada to work as harvesters for a four‐to‐eight‐month period. Despite the common description of this program as “best practice,” questions are raised about the ability of workers to access citizenship rights and even limited labor protections. We draw on primary field research conducted in the province of Ontario's agricultural sector to consider how involvement of civil society state actors operating at a variety of scales—local, national, international, and the extra territorial—in a range of social justice struggles expands access to social citizenship rights for Mexican migrant workers.Este artículo evalúa el rol que juegan las organizaciones de la sociedad civil en la ayuda a los trabajadores migrantes no‐ciudadanos en el acceso a derechos sociales en Canadá. El estudio se enfoca en el Programa Bilateral Canadiense de Trabajadores Agrícolas Temporales (SAWP, por sus siglas en inglés), un esquema de trabajo temporal que lleva mexicanos a Canadá a trabajar como segadores por un periodo de entre cuatro y ocho meses. A pesar de la descripción de este programa como de una “buena política/práctica,” surgen preguntas acerca de la habilidad de los trabajadores de acceder a derechos ciudadanos y hasta de protección laboral limitada. Analizamos a partir de una investigación primaria conducida en el sector agrícola de la provincia de Ontario, considerar cómo la participación de actores estatales de la sociedad civil en una variedad de niveles—local, nacional, internacional y extraterritorial—en el ámbito de la justicia social amplía el acceso de los trabajadores migrantres mexicanos a los derechos sociales.
The microbiology of urban UK floodwaters and a quantitative microbial risk assessment of flooding and gastrointestinal illness
Authors: Fewtrell L. , Kay D. , Watkins J. , Davies C. , Francis C. 
Published: February 2011

AbstractA quantitative microbial risk assessment of flooding and gastrointestinal illness was carried out using a combination of floodwater quality data from the existing literature on pathogen concentrations in the various floodwater components, the use of microcosms to determine pathogen die‐off rates in floodwaters and opportunistic sampling of actual UK floodwaters. Two flood‐related scenarios were examined in a hypothetical population to provide an assessment of the likely cases of gastrointestinal illness resulting from contact with floodwater. The results of the study suggest that significant numbers of people are at risk of illness (especially from viral gastroenteritis) during the clean‐up process rather than during the inundation and withdrawal phases. Additional sampling during flood events of water and sediment would strengthen the empirical policy evidence base required for estimating the severity and range of health impacts using the risk assessment methodology developed in this paper.
Evaluating a new LISFLOOD‐FP formulation with data from the summer 2007 floods in Tewkesbury, UK
Authors: Neal J. , Schumann G. , Fewtrell T. , Budimir M. , Bates P. , Mason D. 
Published: February 2011

AbstractTwo‐dimensional flood inundation modelling is a widely used tool to aid flood risk management. In urban areas, the model spatial resolution required to represent flows through a typical street network often results in an impractical computational cost at the city scale. This paper presents the calibration and evaluation of a recently developed formulation of the LISFLOOD‐FP model, which is more computationally efficient at these resolutions. Aerial photography was available for model evaluation on 3 days from the 24 to the 31 of July. The new formulation was benchmarked against the original version of the model at 20 and 40 m resolutions, demonstrating equally accurate simulation, given the evaluation data but at a 67 times faster computation time. The July event was then simulated at the 2 m resolution of the available airborne LiDAR DEM. This resulted in more accurate simulation of the floodplain drying dynamics compared with the coarse resolution models, although maximum inundation levels were simulated equally well at all resolutions tested.
Influence of patient age on drug costs: An investigation to validate the prescribing unit
Authors: Edwards C , Metcalfe D , Burr A , Watson K , Steward F C N , Jepson M H , van Zwanenberg T D 
Published: February 2011

Abstract
The costs of 15,226 drug items prescribed by 22 doctors in two UK health centres were analysed with respect to patients' age and gender. For patients aged 65 and over, average drug costs per practice patient at the health centres were, respectively, 3.6 and 5.2 times greater, and the number of prescribed items 3.3 and 5.6 times greater, than for patients under 65. When analysed in 10 patient-age bands, there was a gradual increase in the number of prescribed items and average costs from the age of 35 to 74 years at each centre. Items and costs decreased for patients aged 75 and over. The increase in costs was the consequence of a general increase in prescribed items throughout the major therapeutic groups. The findings suggest that the prescribing unit, which is a weighting factor for age currently employed to standardise populations when making interpractice comparisons of prescribing costs, may not be wholly appropriate and could conceal important differences in some patient groups, especially the middle age ranges of 35 to 64 years.
Professional values and pharmacy practice: Keywords and concepts
Authors: Brown M E , Ellis S , Linley P A , Booth T G 
Published: February 2011

Abstract
A range of factors was established, such as knowledge and ethics, which underlay the practice of six groups of health professionals: pharmacists, dentists, doctors, nurses, optometrists and radiographers. These factors have been identified as “concepts”. The method used was content analysis of official documents of the professions, such as codes of ethics and guidance documents. Postal questionnaires were also used to collect data. Nine principal concepts were identified. A “collective professional consciousness” was evident, in which knowledge, patient welfare and ethics were important concepts for the highest quality of practice. The perceived importance of these and other concepts was broadly similar across the professions.
In vitro assessment of ampicillin capsules marketed in Nigeria
Authors: Iwuagwu M A , Onyeonwu N 
Published: February 2011

Abstract
An in vitro characterisation of thirteen brands of 250mg ampicillin capsules available in Nigeria was carried out. Nearly a quarter (3; 23.1 per cent) of the brands tested were substandard. Two brands, one from England, failed the BP identification test for ampicillin and were classed as fakes. Eleven brands passed the BP uniformity of weight and disintegration tests, but only 10 brands passed both the BP content uniformity test and the BP dissolution rate test. Similar dissolution profiles for three brands of ampicillin capsules were obtained with three different pieces of equipment — the BP apparatus, Levy's beaker apparatus and a stationary basket/magnetic stirrer apparatus. The results emphasise the need for routine quality assurance testing of pharmaceuticals before dispensing to patients. The stationary basket/magnetic stirrer dissolution test has the advantage of simplicity and low cost.
Patient counselling: an investigation of core situations and difficulties in pharmacy practice
Authors: Morrow Norman , Morrow Owen 
Published: February 2011

Abstract
Within the past five years there has been a growth of interest in the application of communication skills training (CST) programmes to pharmacy. The content of these programmes has been based primarily on research carried out in other health professions. There is a clear need for similar research to be set in the context of pharmacy so that the content of CST programmes can be shown to be directly relevant and applicable to practice needs. The purpose of this investigation was to ascertain from pharmacists their perceptions of the range of situations and difficulties that were most relevant to patient counselling. The situation which was regarded as being most prevalent was that of dealing with confusion over medication, with the second being that of medication problems in the elderly. The two most frequently mentioned counselling difficulties were having sufficient time to deal with patients and ensuring patient understanding. The findings are discussed within the context of the design and content of CST programmes, and the wider application of the behavioural and social sciences to the practice of pharmacy.
Ageing of intravenous glucose solutions
Authors: Hecker J , Lewis G B H 
Published: February 2011

Abstract
The pH and acid content of 63 glucose-based solutions was measured up to eight years after their expiry. The pH ranged from 2.27 to 4.33. Newly manufactured solutions with 5 per cent or less of glucose which were packaged in plastic bags contained in the order of 0.01 mEq/L of acid per gram of glucose. Solutions with higher glucose concentrations had lower pH and greater acid. As solutions in bags became older, pH decreased and acid increased. In contrast, 25 per cent and 50 per cent glucose solutions in glass containers were much less acid and showed only slight changes with age in pH or acid. The greater rate of acid increase in glucose solutions in plastic bags may be due to the bags being permeable to oxygen and thus allowing slow oxidation of the glucose.
Audit of a laxative policy for elderly patients
Authors: Goodyer L I , Fahey M , Tristram J 
Published: February 2011

Abstract
A laxative policy was introduced at Charing Cross hospital, London, which recommended co-danthrusate and co-danthramer as first line treatment for constipation in the elderly. As a result of this policy the prescribing of lactulose was virtually eliminated and the use of phosphate enemas fell significantly.
Changing the method of maintaining patency of indwelling intravenous catheters: A pharmacy initiative
Authors: Fitzpatrick R W 
Published: February 2011

Abstract
Low concentration heparin solutions are used routinely in many hospitals to maintain the patency of indwelling peripheral venous catheters. This practice poses potential problems, as well as having a cost implication for the drugs budget. In view of evidence suggesting normal saline as an effective alternative, the pharmaceutical service in North Staffordshire health district initiated a programme to encourage the use of saline in preference to heparin for maintaining catheter patency. This paper describes the strategies used to achieve a change in practice, and demonstrates the success of the programme. The cumulative savings on the drugs budget in the three years following the change exceeded £15,000
Pharmacokinetics and dose requirements of disopyramide in neonates and children
Authors: Thomson A H , Mcgovern E M , Caldwell G 
Published: February 2011

Abstract
The pharmacokinetics and dose requirements of disopyramide were evaluated in 10 infants and children during the course of routine therapeutic drug monitoring. Drug clearance was estimated using a Bayesian parameter estimation program and found to range from 0.09-0.31L/h/kg. Concentrations associated with a satisfactory response were achieved with doses of 15-20mg/kg/day in most patients, but some required higher doses of 25-30mg/kg/day.
Management of steroid reducing regimens by patients
Authors: Mason J S , Walker Roger 
Published: February 2011

AbstractPatient management of solid oral dosage steroid reducing courses was studied over a 20-week period at North Tees General hospital. Seventy-five eligible patients were identified, of whom 57 were recruited and subsequently interviewed at home towards the end of their reducing dosage programme.Tablet count was used to assess compliance in 50 patients. Thirty-seven patients (74 per cent) were found to be compliant. Patients whose present courses of steroid treatment were of more than six months' duration and those who had undertaken eight or more reducing dosage courses during the previous two years were less compliant than others. Thirty-six (65 per cent) of 55 patients on once-daily regimens regularly took their medication within two hours of 8am. Five patients (9 per cent) inappropriately divided their daily dosages.Although compliance was assessed as being good, possibilities exist for effecting improvement.