bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cytochalasin B treatment of mouse oocytes during intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) increases embryo survival without impairment of development
Authors: Hu Li-li , Shen Xing-hui , Zheng Zhong , Wang Zhen-dong , Liu Zhong-hua , Jin Lian-hong , Lei Lei 
Published: August 2011

SummaryIntracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is a technique commonly used in clinical and research settings. In mouse oocytes, conventional ICSI has a poor survival rate caused by a high level of lysis. Cytochalasin B (CB) is a toxic microfilament-inhibiting agent that is known to relax the cytoskeleton and enhance the flexibility of oocytes. CB has been used widely in nuclear transfer experiments to improve the success rate of the micromanipulation, however information describing the use of CB in ICSI is limited. Here, we demonstrated that the addition of 5 μg/ml CB to the manipulation medium of ICSI procedure significantly improved the survival rate of the ICSI embryos (80.74% vs. 89.50%, p < 0.05), and that there was no harm for the in vitro or in vivo development. The birth rates and birth weights were not significantly different between the CB-treated and -untreated groups. Interestingly, the microfilaments of the ICSI embryos were almost undetectable immediately after CB treatment; however, they gradually re-appeared and had fully recovered to the normal level 2 h later. Moreover, CB did not disturb spindle rotation, second polar body formation or pronuclei migration, and had no effect on the microtubules. We thus conclude that ICSI manipulation in CB-containing medium results in significantly improved survival rate of mouse ICSI embryos, and that short-term treatment with CB during ICSI manipulation does not have adverse effects on the development of ICSI embryos.
Effect of lanosterol on thein vitromaturation in semi-defined culture system of prepubertal ewe oocytes
Authors: Marco-Jiménez F. , Vicente J.S. , Viudes-de-Castro M.P. 
Published: August 2011

SummaryThe choice of medium and supplements can affect meiotic regulation and may have an impact on the regulation of mammalian oocyte growth and embryonic cell function. The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of oxygen concentration and endogenous lanosterol on thein vitromaturation (IVM) media without serum and based on recombinant human chorionic gonadotrophin in prepubertal ewe oocytes. Firstly, the effect of varying oxygen concentrations (5% and 20%) during IVM in TCM-199 supplemented (4 mg/ml bovine serum albumin (BSA), 100 μM cysteamine, 0.3 mM sodium pyruvate, 0.1 UI/ml recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone (r-FSH; Gonal-F® 75 UI, Serono, Italy), 0.1 UI/ml recombinant leuteinizing hormone (r-LH; Lhadi® 75 UI, Serono, Italy) and 1 μg/ml estradiol-17β) on subsequent nuclear maturation of oocytes examined under ultraviolet light following staining with bisbenzimide (Hoechst 33342) was investigated. Secondly, two concentrations of lanosterol (0, 10 and 50 μM) were added to the IVM medium. Nuclear maturation of oocytes was examined as previously. Lipid content in oocytes, an important indicator of cytoplasmic maturity, was also measured using Nile red fluorescent stain. The results showed that low oxygen concentration affected the nuclear maturation. Similarly, a significantly higher rate of meiosis resumption was observed with 10 μM (72.3%) of lanosterol compared with the control (51.8%) or 50 μM of lanosterol (59.4%). A significantly higher content of lipids was also observed with 10 and 50 μM of lanosterol (7.3 ± 0.2 × 106and 7.4 ± 0.2 × 106arbitrary units of fluorescence) compared with the control (6.7 ± 0.2 × 106arbitrary units of fluorescence). The results indicate that 10 μM lanosterol during IVM in medium without serum and based on recombinant human chorionic gonadotrophin has a positive effect on maturation of prepubertal ewe oocytes.
Recent progress in reproduction of whale oocytes
Authors: Zheng Yue-Liang 
Published: August 2011

SummaryWhale oocytes recovered from follicles can be matured in vitro. Whale sperm and mature oocytes can be used for in vitro fertilization (IVF), and IVF embryos have the ability to develop to morula stage. Whale sperm injected into bovine or mouse oocytes can activate the oocytes and form pronucleus. Interspecies somatic cell nuclear transfer embryos have been reconstructed with whale somatic cell nucleus and enucleated bovine or porcine oocytes, and interspecies cloned embryos can develop in vitro. This paper reviews recent progress in maturation, fertilization and development of whale oocytes.
THE SHUFFLE VARIANT OF JEŚMANOWICZ’ CONJECTURE CONCERNING PYTHAGOREAN TRIPLES
Authors: MIYAZAKI TAKAFUMI 
Published: August 2011

AbstractLet (a,b,c) be a primitive Pythagorean triple such that b is even. In 1956, Jeśmanowicz conjectured that the equation ax+by=cz has the unique solution (x,y,z)=(2,2,2) in the positive integers. This is one of the most famous unsolved problems on Pythagorean triples. In this paper we propose a similar problem (which we call the shuffle variant of Jeśmanowicz’ problem). Our problem states that the equation cx+by=az with x,y and z positive integers has the unique solution (x,y,z)=(1,1,2) if c=b+1 and has no solutions if c>b+1 . We prove that the shuffle variant of the Jeśmanowicz problem is true if c≡1 mod b.
The “La Caixa” Foundation and WHO Collaborating Center Spanish National Program for enhancing psychosocial and spiritual palliative care for patients with advanced diseases, and their families: Preliminary findings
Authors: Gómez-Batiste Xavier , Buisan Montse , González M. Pau , Velasco David , de Pascual Verónica , Espinosa Jose , Novellas Anna , Martínez-Muñoz Marisa , Simón Marc , Calle Candela , Lanaspa Jaume , Breitbart William 
Published: August 2011

AbstractObjective:The psycho-social needs of patients with advanced chronic illness and their families include emotional, spiritual, and bereavement care. With a funding initiative by the La Caixa Foundation and design by the WHO Collaborating Center, we developed and implemented a program for the comprehensive care of terminally-ill individuals and their families, in Spain. The intent was to improve the psycho-social and spiritual dimensions of care, to generate experience and evidence, to explore models, and to act as catalyst in the Spanish National Strategy for Palliative Care.Method:We reviewed the process of design, implementation, and initial evaluation of the program at 18 months.Results:Thirty psycho-social teams’ (PST) acting as support teams projects were initiated. There were 120 full-time healthcare professionals appointed (58% clinical psychologists). These professionals received training through a comprehensive postgraduate course, and all used the same documentation. Some results were collated 18 months post-implementation. The total number of patients attended to was 10,954, and the number of relatives was 17,715. The preliminary clinical outcomes show a significant improvement in well-being, and a decrease in anxiety and insomnia, although there was a smaller impact on alleviating depression. Healthcare professionals collated results on satisfaction with palliative care (PC) services.Significance of results:Based on these preliminary results, we suggest that the PST can be a model of organization that is effective and efficient in improving the psycho-social and spiritual aspects of care of terminally ill patients. Further follow-up and evaluation with validated tools are the main goals for the immediate future.
Protection against perceptions of powerlessness and helplessness during palliative care: The family members' perspective
Authors: Milberg Anna , Strang Peter 
Published: August 2011

AbstractObjective:Resilience in relation to coping with stress, loss, and bereavement has recently received increased attention. The aim of the current study was to describe aspects that are experienced as a protection against powerlessness and/or helplessness during advanced palliative home care (APHC) or as a help when coping with such perceptions.Method:Both family members during ongoing APHC and family members 3–9 months after the patient's death responded (in total, N = 233; response rate 72%) to a postal questionnaire with mainly open-ended questions. The text responses were analyzed using Manifest Content Analysis.Results:Protection against powerlessness and helplessness had been facilitated by a stable patient condition, the patient coping well, a trusting relationship with the patient, practical and emotional support from family and friends, access to palliative expertise, and staff support that was both individually-focused and cooperative. Other aspects that had helped or protected family members against powerlessness and helplessness were a belief that they had their own reliable knowledge to manage the difficult situation, talking to someone, doing good for the patient, distracting activities, acceptance, meaning and hope, and an inner feeling of security.Significance of results:The findings are discussed in relation to existential psychology, the dual process model of coping with bereavement, and repressive coping. Clinical implications are suggested.
Meeting needs of family members of persons with life-threatening illness: A support group program during ongoing palliative care
Authors: Henriksson Anette , Benzein Eva , Ternestedt Britt-Marie , Andershed Birgitta 
Published: August 2011

AbstractObjective:The aim of the study was to describe family members' experiences of content, structure, and approach of a potential intervention including a support group program for family members of persons with life-threatening illness.Method:The study was a pilot project in a developmental phase in which a potential intervention, a support group program, was investigated. The design of the study was qualitative descriptive. Twenty-nine family members were interviewed by telephone after taking part in the program. The interviews were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.Results:The results indicate that the support group program could work as an acceptable and useful intervention for family members. The program was experienced to cover topics of immediate interest reflecting life close to severely ill persons. The structure of the program was found to be inviting, offering an opportunity to establish relationships with other participants and the caring team in a warm atmosphere.Significance of results:The study indicates the importance of health professionals inviting and interacting with family members during ongoing palliative care. The results could inspire nursing staff to initiate, develop, and deliver similar interventions.
Harmonizing hope: A grounded theory study of the experience of hope of registered nurses who provide palliative care in community settings
Authors: Penz Kelly , Duggleby Wendy 
Published: August 2011

AbstractObjective:The purpose of this study was to explore the hope experience of registered nurses (RNs) who provide palliative care services in community settings. The specific aims of the study were to (1) describe their hope experience, (2) develop a reflexive understanding of the processes of their hope, and (3) construct a substantive theory of hope of palliative care RNs.Methods:Using constructivist grounded theory methodology, purposeful theoretical sampling was used to enroll 14 practicing community palliative care RNs in the study. Twenty-seven open-ended telephone interviews were conducted and nine daily journal entries on hope were copied. Interviews and journals were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using Charmaz's grounded theory approach.Results:Participants described their hope as a positive state of being involving a perseverant and realistic understanding of future possibilities. Their hope sustained and motivated them, and helped them to strive to provide high-quality care. The main concern for participants was keeping their hope when faced with work life challenges and contrasting viewpoints (i.e., when their hopes differed from the hopes of others around them). They dealt with this through harmonizing their hope by the processes of “looking both ways,” “connecting with others,” “seeing the bigger picture,” and “trying to make a difference.” Their experience of hope was defined within the social context of their work and lives.Significance of results:The results of this study suggest that hope is very important to palliative care RNs, in that it helps them to persevere and sustains them when faced with work life challenges in their practice. This study also highlights the need for continued research in this area as there appears to be a lack of evidence on the meaning of hope for healthcare professionals, and, in particular, understanding hope in the context of palliative and end-of-life care delivery.
Sharing living and dying: A balancing act between vulnerability and a sense of security. Enrolled nurses' experiences of working in the sitting service for dying patients at home
Authors: Wallerstedt Birgitta , Benzein Eva , Andershed Birgitta 
Published: August 2011

AbstractObjective:To describe enrolled nurses' (ENs') experiences of working in a sitting service for dying patients at home (SSH).Method:The ENs who participated in this study had permanent jobs in community care/ primary care, but were also employed part time in a special home-sitting service organization in a municipality in the south of Sweden. Data were collected by four focus group interviews with 17 enrolled nurses. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the data.Results:Care-giving in SSH was a balancing act between a sense of security and a feeling of vulnerability. Feeling secure and valued and that one is developing both professionally and personally, stemmed from working in partnership, whereas a feeling of vulnerability was associated with managing closeness and distance, being a mediator, having responsibility and feeling guilty, feeling hindered from doing good, facing loneliness, and affecting private lives.Significance of results:SSH makes it possible for people who are terminally ill to remain at home until they die. If the SSH organization were not an option for dying patients and their families, the pressure on the healthcare would be dramatically increased.
“How do you live without a stomach?”: A multiple case study examination of total gastrectomy for palliation or prophylaxis
Authors: Garland Sheila N. , Lounsberry Joshua , Pelletier Guy , Bathe Oliver F. 
Published: August 2011

AbstractObjective:The number of diagnosed cases of stomach cancer in Western countries is relatively small compared to prevalence rates in Eastern populations. This disparity creates a general lack of information and understanding of the experience of patients treated for this disease in North America. Surgical removal of the stomach, also called total gastrectomy (TG), is presently the only curative treatment available to patients with stomach cancer. Considering the impact such a procedure may have, very little is known about what factors influence an individual's postsurgical quality of life (QL).Method:This article reviews current literature and examines three unique case studies. Semi-structured interviews were analyzed using content analysis, a qualitative analytic approach for reporting combined subject responses.Results:Participants included one 37-year-old man with multiple polyps in his stomach and a family history of stomach cancer, one 18 year-old man with a confirmed CDH1 mutation and a family history of stomach cancer, and one 33-year-old man with confirmed metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma. Subjective patient experience was categorized into: (1) making the decision, (2) treatment impact, and (3) life after TG. Prior to surgery, all patients carefully evaluated their perceived risk compared to the treatment consequences and indicated that a certain event triggered their decision. The largest treatment impacts were learning to eat again and adjusting to the physical changes. Each patient endorsed that their experience made them appreciate and make the most of life.Significance of results:This currently represents the only study to investigate the lived experience of TG for prophylaxis or palliation in individuals with and without genetic risk for stomach cancer. Understanding this process will allow all members of the cancer care team, and the patients themselves, to better understand the factors involved in decision making and postoperative adjustment. Fruitful avenues for future research are discussed.
Cancer family caregivers during the palliative, hospice, and bereavement phases: A review of the descriptive psychosocial literature
Authors: Williams Anna-Leila , McCorkle Ruth 
Published: August 2011

AbstractObjective:Because caregiving to an adult with cancer is a dynamic process, a caregiver's perceived burden and psychosocial concerns may be different at different phases of the patient's disease. There is evidence of escalation in caregiver anxiety, depression, and psychological distress as the patient's functional status declines and as the patient nears death. The purpose of this review was to organize the literature in a meaningful way that can potentially capture the unique needs of caregivers to patients receiving palliative and/or hospice care, and caregivers who are in the post-death bereavement phase.Method:A systematic review was conducted. Major databases were searched for non-intervention descriptive studies that included psychosocial variables of family caregivers to adults with cancer during the palliative, hospice, or bereavement phases.Results:The 19 studies reviewed were conducted in six countries and varied considerably by samples, outcome measures, methodologies, and analytic approaches. Despite limiting to the palliative, hospice, and bereavement phases, inconsistent results were found for key variables, such as age, gender, and relationship to the patient. When patient–caregiver dyad analysis was conducted, with rare exception, there was mutuality between the patient's condition and the caregiver's response. Across the 19 studies, 89 unique instruments were used, almost half of which were study specific with no psychometric testing reported.Conclusions/significance of research:As a direct consequence of assuming the caregiver role, cancer family caregivers in the palliative, hospice, and bereavement phases are at increased risk for physical and mental morbidity. Often, the psychological burden of the caregiver exceeds that of the critically ill patient. It is possible that distressed caregivers have a deleterious influence on patient well-being. This review demonstrates the need to develop research standards, especially regarding measurement instruments, so that caregiver research can mature and interventions can be developed to support family caregivers.
Novel NIR Spectroscopy Correlation Approach to Amino Acid Analysis of Soybean Proteins for Composition Improvements
Authors: Baianu I. , Prisecaru Valentin 
Published: August 2011

AbstractAmino acid NIR calibrations were developed in our Physical Chemistry of Foods Laboratory of the University of Illinois at Urbana for three selected amino acid groups that include essential amino acids for identified soybean accessions. Conventional “wet chemistry” analytical methods are time-consuming and costly. As a result, soybean breeders and researchers have an imperative need to utilize faster and less expensive methods. NIR Spectroscopy is a rapid and inexpensive method for composition analysis for academia and industry. Recent advancements in instrumentation design, such as the application of the Diode Array (DA) technique and the Fourier Transform (FT) IR and NIR techniques, have significantly improved overall instrument performance and advancement in the field of grain analysis.Novel results are presented for amino acid calibrations for US soybean accessions relevant to the food and agricultural industry.
Toxicity prediction of anti tuberculosis active molecules
Authors: R Sajeev , Jaleel.U.C Abdul 
Published: August 2011

AbstractAbstract The aim of the work was to understand the toxicity, physically significant descriptors and pharmaceutically relevant properties of some imidazoles obtained from the open sources that may found to be active against tuberculosis. At present five azoles were modeled for the prediction and calculation of descriptors that were carried out by means of computational approach [1].
NIF and NeuroLex
Authors: Bandrowski Anita 
Published: August 2011

AbstractIn the digital age one can find data and teaching materials on the web, however data and materials of a high quality are not always ranked very high on commercial search engines that look at the number of other sites that link to a page rather than the quality of the information. Additionally, many such materials are maintained within databases that are inaccessible to search technology. To solve these problems, the Neuroscience Information Framework (NIF: http://www.neuinfo.org) was created to aid the neuroscience community to discover useful digital resources, such as academic databases, and it has also developed a large digital catalog of resources that are related to neuroscience.NIF has developed a “resource ontology”, and synchronized to a large extent the effort with the BRO (biomedical resource ontology) and assigned all 4000+ digital resources within the catalog to one or more of these ontological categories, making it possible to discover for example: all atlases through the NIF catalog. The resource categories are: Data, Funding, Job, Material, People, Services, Software, and Training. Most of these comprise sub-categorizations, definitions and synonyms and they can be viewed in the Neurolex found at http://neurolex.org/wiki/Resource_Type_Hierarchy. Each “resource descriptor” has been coded in OWL format files and has a unique identifier as well as synonyms and subclasses to help search systems locate data.Cataloging efforts of digital resources are tricky because unlike publications they can change at any time, including major shifts of data and structure, therefore the curation effort must be reasonably scoped and relatively nimble. NIF has developed some self reporting tools in the DISCO suite, accessible from http://disco.neuinfo.org/webportal/discoDashboardShow.do, to create just such a nimble resource identification system such that when a resource changes content or data structure significantly, the resource provider (such as the webmaster or database engineer) can change a small xml file sitting on their home page that will alert the NIF system and any other automated agent that the resource has changed. This tool in addition to the human curation effort results in a catalog that is reasonably representative of the state of biomedical resources.NIF maintains a list of current policies, issues and solicits input from community members at https://confluence.crbs.ucsd.edu/display/NIF/NIF+Resources+and+Curation+Policies.