bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
End‐of‐life care in two Norwegian nursing homes: family perceptions
Authors: Kaarbø Elsa 
Published: June 2010

Aim and objective.  The aim of this article is to report a study exploring experiences of relatives who have been present immediately prior to and after the death (in the last 72 hours) of a next‐of‐kin in a nursing home. The purpose of the study was to acquire research‐based knowledge to improve practice.Background.  Globally, a growing number of older people, often with increased morbidity and complexity of conditions, require specialised nursing care, particularly at the end of life. Several international studies describe end‐of‐life care in nursing homes as insufficient, mainly owing to shortage of qualified staff and other essential resources. There are few studies in this field in Norway; none of them focus on the final days and hours of a patient’s life from the perspective of their relatives.Design.  A mixed methods design was used.Methods.  Data were collected through structured interviews with 50 relatives during Spring 2006 and analysed by SPSS version 14 and theme‐based analysis.Results.  With a few exceptions, the quality of nursing care was considered professional and good. Care was described as supportive, individualised and based on patients’ needs – in a safe atmosphere and supported by good relations between patients and nursing staff. Information and communication between staff and relatives, however, were described as unsystematic and casual. That some patients died alone became a source of distress for their relatives.Conclusions.  Information and communication between staff and relatives need to be improved. There is need for change to avoid the situation where patients die in solitude.Relevance to clinical practice.  End‐of‐life care is performed at a time when patients and their relatives are at their most vulnerable. Nurses and other health workers need information, as this study suggests, to provide high‐quality care to ease this situation.
New features of troponin testing in different clinical settings
Authors: Omland T. 
Published: June 2010

Abstract.  Omland T. (Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo and Division of Medicine, Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway) New features of troponin testing in different clinical settings (Review). J Intern Med 2010; 268: 207–217.Cardiac troponin levels are routinely measured for diagnosing acute myocardial infarction. Cardiac troponin measurements also provide information concerning prognosis and the effect of early intervention in patients with acute coronary syndromes. The recent development of highly sensitive cardiac troponin assays permits detection of very low circulating levels. Use of sensitive troponin assays improves overall diagnostic accuracy in patients with suspected acute coronary syndromes, and these assays provide strong prognostic information in stable coronary artery disease and chronic heart failure. However, increased sensitivity comes with a cost of decreased specificity, and serial testing, as well as clinical context and judgment, is likely to become increasingly important in the interpretation of troponin assay results.
Molecular identification of Fusarium spp. associated with bakanae disease of rice in Italy and assessment of their pathogenicity
Authors: Amatulli M. T. , Spadaro D. , Gullino M. L. , Garibaldi A. 
Published: June 2010

Between 2006 and 2008, 146 isolates of Fusarium spp. were obtained from bakanae‐diseased rice plants and seeds from the major rice‐growing regions of Italy. These isolates were identified based on translation elongation factor (EF‐1α) sequence and pathogenicity tests were used to assess their aggressiveness against the susceptible rice cultivar Galileo. Use of the EF‐1α sequence gave reliable identification and showed that Fusarium fujikuroi, the causal agent of bakanae disease, was the most abundant Fusarium spp. isolated. These data were confirmed by inoculation of the isolates to rice seeds which were then germinated in the greenhouse, showing that only F. fujikuroi isolates were able to cause bakanae disease. Pathogenic isolates were identified with different levels of aggressiveness. Phylogenetic analysis based on EF‐1α sequences generated a tree which separated the various Fusarium species into different clusters with high bootstrap values.
Generation of Sperms Containing EGFP‐LacZ Following Transfection of Chicken Testis with a Eukaryotic Dual Reporter Vector
Authors: Liu L , Cao F , Cai K , Zhang Y , Ding Z , Li J 
Published: June 2010

ContentsMale germ cells modified by foreign genes can be used to generate transgenic chicken. In this study, in vivo transfection of chicken testis with an EGFP‐LacZ dual reporter expression vector was performed. Large‐scale plasmid DNA preparation of the EGFP‐LacZ eukaryotic expression vector was carried out and efficient transfection of chicken testicle cells using the prepared plasmid DNA was confirmed in vitro. The reporter plasmid was directly injected into adult rooster testes. Semen samples were collected on 10‐days post‐transfection and every other day thereafter; and a total of six collections were made. Semen slides were subjected to fluorescence microscopy and β‐galactosidase activity assay to identify sperms carrying the reporter genes. The presence of EGFP and LacZ was further confirmed by PCR amplification with sperm genomic DNA as template. The testicles of those birds were subjected to cryostat sectioning, fluorescence microscopy and β‐galactosidase activity assay. The results showed that sperms with green fluorescence were not observed on semen slides; however, sperms positive for β‐galactosidase were detected. Specific amplicons of EGFP and lacZ were detected in four of the six sequentially collected semen samples. Fluorescence microscopy of the corresponding semen slides revealed yellow‐green fluorescence, but not clear green fluorescence. The β‐galactosidase activity assay and GFP histochemistry using monoclonal antibodies demonstrated positive staining for subsets of testicle cells. Together, these results showed that direct injection of the dual reporter vector into adult rooster testis allowed in vivo transfection of chicken sperm precursor cells, which further developed into sperm containing EGFP‐LacZ.
A Case of Schistosoma Reflexum in a Cat with Chromosomal Aberrations
Authors: Ozalp GR , Celikler S , Simsek G , Ozyigit MO , Inan S 
Published: June 2010

ContentsA 2‐year‐old, female Persian cat was presented with a history of distocia. In her first pregnancy, she had whelped four kittens and had eaten all of them right after parturition. She had mated again with the same tomcat. Well‐developed foetuses with weak foetal heart beats were observed in the ultrasonographic examination. En block ovariohysterectomy was performed. Three live and mature foetuses were obtained from the uterus; two of them were female foetuses and had no anatomical problem but the third one exhibiting multiple malformations was a male and diagnosed as ‘schistosoma reflexum’ (SR). The vertebral column deviated markedly to the right (scoliosis) at thoracolumbar region, and the middle lumbar and the sacral vertebrae were directed dorsocranially (lordosis). The entire small intestine, a part of large intestine, stomach, spleen and the right kidney were displayed out of the body, and it seemed that the listed internal organs were protruded from an abdominal cleft associated with the allantoic membrane. Liver, lungs and heart were hypoplastic. The large intestine was seen to have blind end (atresia recti), but anus was normal. Cerebrum and cerebellum were noticed as normal in sizes. Chromosome preparations from lymphocyte cultures of the foetus showed chromosomal aberrations including chromatid and chromosome breaks, exchange figures, non‐homologous pairing, whereas no abnormalities were detected in the chromosome preparations from mother’s cultures. This is probably the first case of SR in a cat, which was examined in detail from clinical, pathological, radiological and chromosomal angles.
The diagnostic outcomes of children with suspected attention deficit hyperactivity disorder following multidisciplinary assessment
Authors: Efron Daryl , Sciberras Emma 
Published: June 2010

Aim:  To undertake a retrospective analysis of the patients referred with suspected attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to a multidisciplinary clinic at the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne between 2004 and 2007. This study aimed to determine the proportion of children diagnosed with ADHD, the frequency of comorbid diagnoses, and the level of functional impairment of referred children.Methods:  Data regarding the demographic characteristics, clinical features, assessment findings and suggested management of patients who attended the ADHD Assessment Clinic were reviewed.Results:  Sixty‐four children (58 males, 6 females) aged between age 4 and 8 years 11 months (M = 6.84, SD = 1.24) were referred. 43 children (67%) were diagnosed with ADHD and 32 (74%) of these were diagnosed with at least one comorbid condition, most commonly, oppositional defiant disorder (ODD; 51%) and speech/language disorder (23%). Of the 21 children who were not diagnosed with ADHD, approximately one‐third were diagnosed with ODD and one‐third were diagnosed with a specific learning disorder. Overall, the children referred to the clinic had poor quality of life by caregiver report; however, this did not differ between children who were diagnosed with ADHD and children who were not.Conclusion:  Comprehensive evaluation of children with suspected ADHD resulted in an alternative primary diagnosis in one‐third of cases. Three‐quarters of children diagnosed with ADHD had one or more comorbid diagnoses. A multidisciplinary model of assessment can be effective in identifying a range of problems in this patient group, and help to inform targeted interventions.
What do paediatricians think of the Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit?
Authors: He Suwen , Zurynski Yvonne A , Elliott Elizabeth J 
Published: June 2010

Aim:  To explore clinicians' perceptions of the value, usefulness and limitations of the Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit (APSU) and obtain direct feedback regarding the surveillance mechanism and suggestions for improvement.Methods:  Anonymous postal survey of Australian paediatricians (n = 1260) in 2007.Results:  Of 1260 clinicians surveyed 818 (65%) responded, a similar proportion from all states/territories and specialties. Over half had participated in surveillance for >10 years. The majority (95%), believe APSU research is valuable, for generating knowledge (81%), identifying research needs (78%), facilitating collaborative research (75%), supporting education and advocacy (74%), guiding clinical practice (70%), informing future policy (70%) and evaluating current policy (68%). Of 458 respondents who had ever reported a case (90%) had no objection to providing de‐identified clinical information; and about 75% said questionnaires were easy to complete; however, one third said clinical information requested was not always readily available. Most (680, 83%) respondents believed their contribution to the APSU was appropriately acknowledged and 20% said they had personally benefited from participation. The majority (90%) were willing to report immediately by email/fax/phone in an epidemiological emergency. Lack of time and resources was the most common limitation to participation identified by clinicians: some suggested on‐line reporting would improve the ease and timeliness of reporting. Clinicians also suggested better use of the APSU website to disseminate results.Conclusion:  Clinicians acknowledged the APSU as valuable. Improving communication with clinicians, ensuring that information requested in questionnaires is relevant and available, and developing a secure web‐based reporting system are future APSU priorities.
Prenatal diagnosis of congenital heart disease: Trends in pregnancy termination rate, and perinatal and 1‐year infant mortalities in Korea between 1994 and 2005
Authors: Lee Ji Eun , Jung Kyung‐Lan , Kim Sei‐Eun , Nam Soo‐Hyun , Choi Suk‐Joo , Oh Soo‐Young , Roh Cheong‐Rae , Kim Jong‐Hwa 
Published: June 2010

AbstractAim:  To determine the pregnancy termination rate, and perinatal and 1‐year infant mortality rates following prenatally‐detected congenital heart disease (CHD) and trends over an 11‐year period.Methods:  Between 1994 and 2005, 1603 gravidas underwent fetal echocardiography in our institution, in which 378 fetuses were diagnosed with CHD. The study period was divided into the following three groups for time‐trend analysis: 1994–1997, 1998–2001, and 2002–2005. Data regarding gestational age at diagnosis and delivery, the presence of extracardiac or chromosomal abnormalities, pregnancy termination rate, and perinatal and 1‐year mortalities were collected by review of medical records and telephone interviews.Results:  Among 378 fetuses with a prenatally‐detected CHD, complete perinatal and infant outcomes were available for 336 fetuses (88.9%). There was a gradual increase in prenatally‐detected CHD by fetal echocardiography during the study period (1994–1997, 10.3%; 1998–2001, 17.3%; and 2002–2005, 24.3%). The mean gestational ages at diagnosis and delivery were 27.2 ± 5.6 and 37.8 ± 2.9 weeks, respectively. Overall, the pregnancy termination rate in this study population was 20.2% and the perinatal and 1‐year infant mortality rates were 6.3% and 9.7%, respectively. Among the fetuses who underwent cardiac surgery, surgical mortality occurred in two (3.8%); both died more than 1 month after surgery. Although the pregnancy termination rates remained unchanged, there was a significant decrease in perinatal and 1‐year infant mortality rates over the study period.Conclusion:  Although the perinatal and 1‐year infant mortalities following prenatally‐detected CHD have continued to decrease significantly during the past 11 years, pregnancy termination rates have remained unchanged.
Interspecific transmission of a male‐killing bacterium on an ecological timescale
Authors: Duron Olivier , Wilkes Timothy E. , Hurst Gregory D. D. 
Published: June 2010

Ecology Letters (2010) 13: 1139–1148AbstractInherited symbionts are important drivers of arthropod evolutionary ecology, with microbes acting both as partners that contribute to host adaptation, and as subtle parasites that drive host evolution. New symbioses are most commonly formed through lateral transfer, where a microbial symbiont passes infectiously from one host species to another, and then spreads through its new host population. However, the rate of horizontal transfer has been regarded as sufficiently low that population and coevolutionary processes can be approximated to one, where the symbiont interacts with a single host species. In this paper, we demonstrate experimentally that horizontal transfer of the son‐killer infection of Nasonia wasps occurs readily following multi‐parasitism events (two species of parasitoid wasp sharing a fly pupal host), and provide phylogenetic evidence of recent and likely ongoing transmission amongst members of the community of wasps utilizing filth flies. Combining per contact transmission rates estimated in the laboratory with rates of multiparasitism in the field produces an estimate that an infected Nasonia vitripennis individual in an Eastern US bird’s nest habitat has a 12% chance of passing the infection into N. giraulti. We conclude that the single host‐single symbiont framework is therefore insufficient for understanding the population and evolutionary dynamics in this system and caution against blind acceptance of the single host/single symbiont framework. We conjecture that lateral transfer rates that require a multi‐host framework will most likely be seen in symbionts that retain the ability to cross host epithelia, and that this will be correlated to the recency with which the symbionts have been free living.
Lack of CbrB in Pseudomonas putida affects not only amino acids metabolism but also different stress responses and biofilm development
Authors: Amador Cristina I. , Canosa Inés , Govantes Fernando , Santero Eduardo 
Published: June 2010

SummaryThe CbrAB two‐component system has been described in certain species of Pseudomonads as a global regulatory system required for the assimilation of several amino acids (e.g. histidine, proline or arginine) as carbon or carbon and nitrogen sources. In this work, we used global gene expression and phenotypic analyses to characterize the roles of the CbrAB system in Pseudomonas putida. Our results show that CbrB is involved in coordination with the nitrogen control system activator, NtrC, in the uptake and assimilation of several amino acids. In addition, CbrB affects other carbon utilization pathways and a number of apparently unrelated functions, such as chemotaxis, stress tolerance and biofilm development. Based on these new findings, we propose that CbrB is a high‐ranked element in the regulatory hierarchy of P. putida that directly or indirectly controls a variety of metabolic and behavioural traits required for adaptation to changing environmental conditions.
Reduced adipogenic gene expression in fibroblasts from a patient with type 2 congenital generalized lipodystrophy
Authors: Victoria B. , Cabezas‐Agrícola J. M. , González‐Méndez B. , Lattanzi G. , Del Coco R. , Loidi L. , Barreiro F. , Calvo C. , Lado‐Abeal J. , Araújo‐Vilar D. 
Published: June 2010

Diabet. Med. 27, 1178–1187 (2010)AbstractAims  Beradinelli–Seip congenital generalized lipodystrophy is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by near‐complete absence of adipose tissue, Herculean appearance, insulin resistance, hypoleptinaemia and diabetes mellitus. The aim of this study was to investigate the in vitro effects of pioglitazone on the expression of genes involved in adipogenesis in fibroblasts from a patient with this condition due to a seipin mutation.Methods  Primary cultures of fibroblasts from the skin of the patient were obtained. Fibroblasts were treated with classic adipose differentiation medium, with and without pioglitazone. Several adipogenes were evaluated by real‐time reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. Intracellular localization of prelamin A was studied by immunofluorescence microscopy.Results  The expression of the adipogenic genes PPARG, LPL, LEP and SLC2A4 was reduced in lipodystrophic fibroblasts, while treatment with pioglitazone increased the expression of these genes. Moreover, and unexpectedly, we found an accumulation of farnesylated prelamin A in lipodystrophic fibroblasts.Conclusions  The process of adipocyte differentiation is compromised in patients with Beradinelli‐Seip congenital lipodystrophy owing to diminished expression of the regulatory genes involved, which pioglitazone treatment partially rescues. Prelamin A accumulation establishes a link with other types of familial lipodystrophies, as familial partial lipodystrophy.
HOW MUCH CAN A PHILOSOPHER DO?
Authors: KERR, OP FERGUS 
Published: June 2010

AbstractSome philosophers (Stephen Mulhall, Peter Winch, and D.Z. Phillips) complained that in Sources of the Self Charles Taylor allowed his Christian allegiance to “peep through”, whereas, as a philosopher, he should have done justice to other views than his own, without taking sides. They would no doubt have protested even more about A Secular Age. Reading these two books in the context of his previous work it becomes hard to accuse Taylor of failing to expound fairly views he opposes, especially regarding British empiricism. Moreover, how disinterested can critical genealogy of religion in the West ever be?
HISTORY, BELIEF AND IMAGINATION IN CHARLES TAYLOR'S A SECULAR AGE
Authors: WARD GRAHAM 
Published: June 2010

AbstractIn this essay I explore, from a theologian's perspective, two questions which arise from the Taylor's development of a genre addressing two quite different audiences: the social scientists and the theologians. In particular, it examines the relationship between theology and history and the relationship between believing, an act of faith and the imaginary. While accepting the conditions for believing in the age of enchantment differ from those in a secular and disenchanted age, the essay concludes by questioning whether an act of faith was any less difficult and by pointing out that if it was less difficult then theologically we need a more nuanced account of the relationship between God and history.
The role of genes in causing dystonia
Authors: Schmidt A. , Klein C. 
Published: June 2010

Background:  In recent years, the identification of several new dystonia genes has provided important insights into the nature of this clinically and genetically heterogeneous disorder.Aims:  To identify the role of genes in the pathophysiology of dystonia.Materials and Methods:  Literature review from 1985 to 2009.Results:  Early‐onset dystonia is overall rare, often monogenic and tends to spread to become generalized. In contrast, adult‐onset dystonia is relatively common, typically sporadic and usually remains focal. To date, 19 different forms of monogenic dystonia (primary dystonias and dystonia‐plus syndromes) have been identified and classified as DYT loci. Likewise, secondary dystonia is a feature of a large number of hereditary conditions, such as Wilson disease or neuroacanthocytosis. This review focuses on the eight monogenic primary dystonias, six of which are associated with an early‐onset generalized phenotype (DYT1, 2, 4, 6, 16 and 17), while the remaining two are characterized by an adolescent‐ or adult‐onset focal or segmental form of dystonia (DYT7 and 13).Discussion:  Primary dystonias have a strong genetic component that is most obvious in the rare monogenic early‐onset generalized forms. However, genetic risk factors also are likely to play an important role in the pathophysiology of the much more common late‐onset focal and segmental primary dystonias.Conclusion:  The identification of these genetic factors is a critical future aim in dystonia research.
Dynamic postural stability in pregnant fallers and non‐fallers
Authors: McCrory JL , Chambers AJ , Daftary A , Redfern MS 
Published: June 2010

Please cite this paper as: McCrory J, Chambers A, Daftary A, Redfern M. Dynamic postural stability in pregnant fallers and non‐fallers. BJOG 2010;117:954–962.Objective  To compare dynamic postural stability in pregnant women who have fallen during their pregnancies with those who have not, and with a group of non‐pregnant women.Design  The study was both longitudinal and cross‐sectional. A cohort of pregnant women were followed through their second and third trimesters. A non‐pregnant control group was used for comparison.Setting  University‐based laboratory.Population  A total of 81 women (41 pregnant and 40 controls) participated. Twenty‐nine pregnant women completed the protocol.Methods  Data were collected on the pregnant women in the middle of their second and third trimesters. Pregnant women were surveyed about their daily activities, exercise participation, and fall history. Postural reaction time and centre of pressure (COP) movement data, in response to translational perturbations, were collected using a force plate. A mixed‐model analysis of variants (ANOVA) was performed on each of the dependent variables (α = 0.05). Chi‐square analysis was performed to determine if exercise participation altered the likelihood of a subject experiencing a fall (α = 0.05).Main outcome measures  Reaction time, initial sway, total sway, and sway velocity.Results  Fifty‐two percent of our pregnant subjects experienced a fall. Initial sway response, total sway, and sway velocity were smaller in the pregnant fallers than in the non‐fallers and control participants (P < 0.05). Thirty‐one of the pregnant subjects participated in regular exercise. Sedentary pregnant women were more likely to experience a fall than those who exercised.Conclusions  Dynamic balance is altered in pregnant women who have fallen compared with non‐fallers and controls. Exercise may play a role in fall prevention in pregnant women.