bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Complete genome sequence of the sugarcane nitrogen-fixing endophyte Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus Pal5
Authors: Bertalan Marcelo , Albano Rodolpho , de Pádua Vânia , Rouws Luc , Rojas Cristian , Hemerly Adriana , Teixeira Kátia , Schwab Stefan , Araujo Jean , Oliveira André , França Leonardo , Magalhães Viviane , Alquéres Sylvia , Cardoso Alexander , Almeida Welington , Loureiro Marcio Martins , Nogueira Eduardo , Cidade Daniela , Oliveira Denise , Simão Tatiana , Macedo Jacyara , Valadão Ana , Dreschsel Marcela , Freitas Flávia , Vidal Marcia , Guedes Helma , Rodrigues Elisete , Meneses Carlos , Brioso Paulo , Pozzer Luciana , Figueiredo Daniel , Montano Helena , Junior Jadier , de Souza Filho Gonçalo , Martin Quintana Flores Victor , Ferreira Beatriz , Branco Alan , Gonzalez Paula , Guillobel Heloisa , Lemos Melissa , Seibel Luiz , Macedo José , Alves-Ferreira Marcio , Sachetto-Martins Gilberto , Coelho Ana , Santos Eidy , Amaral Gilda , Neves Anna , Pacheco Ana Beatriz , Carvalho Daniela , Lery Letícia , Bisch Paulo , Rössle Shaila C , Ürményi Turán , Rael Pereira Alessandra , Silva Rosane , Rondinelli Edson , von Krüger Wanda , Martins Orlando , Baldani José Ivo , Ferreira Paulo CG 
Published: September 2009

Abstract

Background

Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus Pal5 is an endophytic diazotrophic bacterium that lives in association with sugarcane plants. It has important biotechnological features such as nitrogen fixation, plant growth promotion, sugar metabolism pathways, secretion of organic acids, synthesis of auxin and the occurrence of bacteriocins.

Results

Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus Pal5 is the third diazotrophic endophytic bacterium to be completely sequenced. Its genome is composed of a 3.9 Mb chromosome and 2 plasmids of 16.6 and 38.8 kb, respectively. We annotated 3,938 coding sequences which reveal several characteristics related to the endophytic lifestyle such as nitrogen fixation, plant growth promotion, sugar metabolism, transport systems, synthesis of auxin and the occurrence of bacteriocins. Genomic analysis identified a core component of 894 genes shared with phylogenetically related bacteria. Gene clusters for gum-like polysaccharide biosynthesis, tad pilus, quorum sensing, for modulation of plant growth by indole acetic acid and mechanisms involved in tolerance to acidic conditions were identified and may be related to the sugarcane endophytic and plant-growth promoting traits of G. diazotrophicus. An accessory component of at least 851 genes distributed in genome islands was identified, and was most likely acquired by horizontal gene transfer. This portion of the genome has likely contributed to adaptation to the plant habitat.

Conclusion
The genome data offer an important resource of information that can be used to manipulate plant/bacterium interactions with the aim of improving sugarcane crop production and other biotechnological applications.
What medical specialists like and dislike about health technology assessment reports
Authors: Lehoux Pascale , Hivon Myriam , Denis Jean-Louis , Tailliez Stephanie 
Published: September 2009

Objective: To examine how medical specialists view health technology assessment (HTA) and its role in policy-making. Methods: Semi-structured interviews with 28 medical specialists practising in Quebec and Ontario (Canada) to examine their views on an HTA report relevant to their specialty (prostate-specific antigen screening, electroconvulsive therapy and prenatal screening for Down's syndrome). Results: Medical specialists represent a particularly demanding audience for HTA producers because they are knowledgeable about current studies in their field and often contribute to the evidence base that HTA seeks to synthesize. In all three cases, specialists not only challenged specific points in the content of the HTA reports but also offered different and sometimes conflicting appraisals of the clinical relevance and policy implications. More than just the timeliness and usefulness of HTA findings are at issue. The views of specialists are grounded in a clinical understanding of what counts as evidence and how decisions should be made, a view that contrasts with the societal perspective of HTA. Conclusions: HTA producers cannot afford to overlook medical specialists who play a key role in the adoption of health technologies. Establishing a transparent dialogue between producers and users of HTA reports could enrich policy recommendations.
Bringing genetics into primary care: Findings from a national evaluation of pilots in England
Authors: Martin Graham , Currie Graeme , Finn Rachael 
Published: September 2009

Objectives: Developments in genetic knowledge and clinical applications are seen as rendering traditional modes of organizing genetics provision increasingly inappropriate. In common with a number of developed world countries the UK has sought to increase the role of primary care in delivering such services. However, efforts to reconfigure service delivery face multiple challenges associated with divergent policy objectives, organizational boundaries and professional cultures. This paper presents findings from an evaluation of an English initiative to integrate genetics into ‘mainstream’ clinical provision in the National Health Service. Methods: Qualitative research in 11 case-study sites focusing on attempts by pilots funded by the initiative to embed knowledge and provision within primary care illustrating barriers faced and the ways in which these were surmounted. Results: Lack of intrinsic interest in clinical genetics among primary care staff was compounded by national targets that focused their attention elsewhere and by service structures that rendered genetics a peripheral concern demanding minimal engagement. Established divisions between the commissioning of mainstream and specialist services, along with the pressures of shorter-term targets, impeded ongoing funding. Conclusions: More wide-ranging policy and organizational support is required if the aim of entrenching genetics knowledge and practice across the Health Service is to be realized.
Evaluation of the impact of program budgeting and marginal analysis in Vancouver Island Health Authority
Authors: Dionne Francois , Mitton Craig , Smith Neale , Donaldson Cam 
Published: September 2009

Objective: The objective of this research was to provide further insights into the ability of Program Budgeting and Marginal Analysis (PBMA) to help health care decision-makers in deciding where to allocate scarce resources so as to best meet their organizational objectives. Methods: We report on a case study of PBMA implementation. The main source of information was two sets of semi-structured evaluation interviews conducted with senior decision-makers after each of the first two years of PBMA implementation in Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA), Canada. These interviews were analysed thematically, with initial coding based upon themes that had been identified in the previous stage of the research. Results: Many of the initial problems with PBMA implementation resolved themselves over time as participants became more familiar with the process. However, some problems needed to be addressed explicitly through changes in procedures. Establishing procedures for handling ‘must-dos’ (i.e. spending priorities, that are externally mandated) did not replace the need to define explicitly the extent of the organization's discretionary spending authority. Conclusion: Faced with claims that typically outstrip available resources, health care decision-makers need a process to guide allocation decisions. PBMA has demonstrated at VIHA an ability to handle some of the key issues associated with this challenge. Our analysis has produced lessons that should facilitate future implementation but has also shown that resource allocation criteria selection and the extent of executive discretion are likely to be ongoing challenges.
A Bayesian method for the synthesis of evidence from qualitative and quantitative reports: The example of antiretroviral medication adherence
Authors: Voils Corrine , Hassselblad Vic , Crandell Jamie , Chang Yunkyung , Lee Eunjeong , Sandelowski Margarete 
Published: September 2009

Objectives: Bayesian meta-analysis is a frequently cited but very little-used method for synthesizing qualitative and quantitative research findings. The only example published to date used qualitative data to generate an informative prior probability and quantitative data to generate the likelihood. We developed a method to incorporate both qualitative and quantitative evidence in the likelihood in a Bayesian synthesis of evidence about the relationship between regimen complexity and medication adherence. Methods: Data were from 11 qualitative and six quantitative studies. We updated two different non-informative prior distributions with qualitative and quantitative findings to find the posterior distribution for the probabilities that a more complex regimen was associated with lower adherence and that a less complex regimen was associated with greater adherence. Results: The posterior mode for the qualitative findings regarding more complex regimen and lesser adherence (using the uniform prior with Jeffreys’ prior yielding highly similar estimates) was 0.588 (95% credible set limits 0.519, 0.663) and for the quantitative findings was 0.224 (0.203, 0.245); due to non-overlapping credible sets, we did not combine them. The posterior mode for the qualitative findings regarding less complex regimen and greater adherence was 0.288 (0.214, 0.441) and for the quantitative findings was 0.272 (0.118, 0.437); the combined estimate was 0.299 (0.267, 0.334). Conclusions: The utility of Bayesian methods for synthesizing qualitative and quantitative research findings at the participant level may depend on the nature of the relationship being synthesized and on how well the findings are represented in the individual reports.
Evidence-based practice in British complementary and alternative medicine: Double standards?
Authors: Hunt Katherine , Ernst Edzard 
Published: September 2009

Objectives: The principles of evidence-based practice (EBP) are fundamental to medical ethics and seem essential for any form of health care. In 2000, a House of Lords Select Committee recommended that the ethos of EBP should extend to complementary and alternative medicine. The aim of this investigation was to determine whether EBP is incorporated in the codes of ethics of British complementary and alternative medicine organizations. Methods: We obtained the codes of the following bodies: Association of Naturopathic Practitioners, Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine (UK), Ayurvedic Practitioners Association, British Acupuncture Council, Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council, European Herbal Practitioners Association, General Chiropractic Council, General Osteopathic Council, General Regulatory Council for Complementary Therapies, National Institute of Medical Herbalists, Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine, Society of Homeopaths, UK Healers, Unified Register of Herbal Practitioners. We then extracted the statements referring to EBP and compared this with what the respective codes of British doctors and nurses proscribed. Results: Only the General Chiropractic Council, the General Osteopathic Council and the General Regulatory Council for Complementary Therapies oblige their members to adopt EBP. Conclusions: This discloses double standards in UK health care which may compromise patient safety.
How to review a paper
Authors: Wright Kath , Harden Melissa , Wright Kath , Misso Kate 
Published: September 2009

Peer review is integral to assuring the quality of papers that are published in the scientific literature. Many health professionals at some point in their career will be invited by a journal editor to review a manuscript that has been submitted for publication. What resources are available on the web to support reviewers in this task? This edition of ‘What's on the web’ pulls together some of the essential websites that provide guidance, tips, background information and current debates about the process of peer review. If you would like to alert readers to useful web pages or suggest topics for this column, please send details to:
An Audit of Dental General Anaesthetic Referral from a General Dental Practice in South Wales
Authors: Richards Wayne , Razzaq Kamran , Higgs Gary 
Published: September 2009

Aims The aim of this audit was to quantify the number of patients that received a dental general anaesthetic (DGA) between 1999 and 2007 following referral from a general dental practice. It also aimed to establish the deprivation status of those referred and to investigate further dental treatment pathways of these patients. Methods Data were collected from all patient records held by the practice. The information collected included: postcode, gender, age at the close of the study, age at time of DGA, reason for DGA, number of teeth extracted, and details of further ongoing care. In the absence of individual level socioeconomic data, a deprivation score (derived from the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation [WIMD]) was appended to each record in order to provide a measure of deprivation based on the postcode of the patient. Results Two hundred and eighty-seven patients were referred for DGA during the nine-year period. Their mean age was 9.4 years (95% confidence interval [CI] = 8.4, 10.4) and 30.7% were children aged five years or younger. The most common reason for DGA was dental caries. The mean number of teeth extracted was 4.5 (95% CI = 4.1, 4.9). Patients living in deprived areas were more likely to be referred for DGA. Of the 87 who did not subsequently attend for continuing care, 72 were from deprived areas compared with 15 from more affluent areas ( P=0.003). Conclusions In proportion to the number of patients registered at a practice, the number of referrals for DGAs was relatively low. Patients categorised as deprived (based on their residential postcode) received more referrals for DGAs than those from more affluent areas. Patients from deprived locations were significantly more likely not to attend for continuing care after their DGA than those from more affluent areas.
Mentoring. A Quality Assurance Tool for Dentists Part 5: The Roots of the Modern Approach to Mentoring and Coaching
Authors: Holt Vernon P , Ladwa Russ 
Published: September 2009

Mentoring and coaching, as they are currently practised, are relatively new techniques for working with people. The roots of the current approach can be traced back to the psychotherapist Carl Rogers, who developed a new ‘person-centred approach’ to counselling and quickly realised that this approach was also appropriate for many types of relationship, from education to family life. Rogers’ thinking was deeply influenced by dialogues with his friend, the existentialist philosopher Martin Buber. Developments in psychology building upon this new person-centred approach include transactional analysis (TA) and neurolingusitic programming (NLP). More recently, solutions-focused approaches have been used and a related approach to leadership in the business environment—strengths-based leadership—has been developed. In recent years, developments in neuroscience have greatly increased understanding not only of how the brain is ‘wired up’ but also of how it is specifically wired to function as a social organ. The increased understanding in these areas can be considered in the context of emotional and social intelligence. These concepts and knowledge have been drawn together into a more structured discipline with the development of the approach known as positive psychology, the focus of which is on the strengths and virtues that contribute to good performance and authentic happiness.
Innovative Staff Education Techniques
Authors: Hadaway Lynn 
Published: September 2009

Abstract
A knowledgeable, skillful staff of health care providers is critical to enhance clinical outcomes for patients; however, there can be much confusion about the processes used by educators to support and develop staff. Although adult-learning principles should be used, it is also important to remember that not all clinical performance problems require an educational approach. Published literature of educational programs that have been documented to reduce catheter-related complications is reviewed along with key concepts of learning needs assessment, transfer of learning, and staff development resources.
Initial Experience of a Nurse-Implemented Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter Program in Italy
Authors: Scocca A. , Gioia A. , Poli P. 
Published: September 2009

Abstract
In Italy prior to 2006 central venous catheters were inserted only by anaesthesiologists. Nurses were excluded based on professional profile. In 2005 the nursing staff of the Pain Therapy and Palliative Care Unit (PTPCU) at Santa Chiara Hospital in Pisa, proposed that nurses be permitted to insert Peripherally Inserted Central Catheters (PICCs). The recommendation was submitted to the Italian National Board of Nurses with a request to implement a training program. The Board approved the proposal in January 2006. Initially the PTPCU nursing staff had PICC training programs through the St. Chiara Hospital Vocational Training Office. The program was initially implemented by a nurse volunteer who had critical care training, intravenous therapy experience and who demonstrated competence with PICC placement based on training by PTPCU interventional anaesthesiologists. To date, nearly 250 successful PICC placements have been performed using the Modified Seldinger Technique (MST) in conjunction with ultrasound guidance. Physicians and nurses identified potential candidates and the patients were assessed by the PICC nurse. The combination of PICC/MST was found to facilitate placement in patients with impalpable vessels and above the antecubital fossa as well as improve freedom of movement and reduce the likelihood of patients accidentally dislodging the device. The primary reasons for PICC placement included antibiotic or antiviral therapy (26%), total parenteral nutrition administration (35%) and chemotherapy (39%). There were 211 catheters used exclusively for inpatients and 39 catheters exclusively for outpatients. The PICC program resulted in an excellent safety profile, a high success rate, and few post-procedural complications. It was a less costly option compared to centrally inserted, tunnelled, or implanted central vascular access devices; it improved the quality of nursing care and decreased patients' waiting time for vascular access placement.
Incremental Value of Continuous Glucose Monitoring When Starting Pump Therapy in Patients With Poorly Controlled Type 1 Diabetes
Authors: Raccah Denis , Sulmont Véronique , Reznik Yves , Guerci Bruno , Renard Eric , Hanaire Hélène , Jeandidier Nathalie , Nicolino Marc 
Published: September 2009

OBJECTIVE
To compare the improvements in glycemic control associated with transitioning to insulin pump therapy in patients using continuous glucose monitoring versus standard blood glucose self-monitoring.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS
The RealTrend study was a 6-month, randomized, parallel-group, two-arm, open-label study of 132 adults and children with uncontrolled type 1 diabetes (A1C ≥8%) being treated with multiple daily injections. One group was fitted with the Medtronic MiniMed Paradigm REAL-Time system (PRT group), an insulin pump with integrated continuous subcutaneous glucose monitoring (CGM) capability, with instructions to wear CGM sensors at least 70% of the time. Conventional insulin pump therapy was initiated in the other group (continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion [CSII] group). Outcome measures included A1C and glycemic variability.

RESULTS
A total of 115 patients completed the study. Between baseline and trial end, A1C improved significantly in both groups (PRT group −0.81 ± 1.09%, P &lt; 0.001; CSII group −0.57 ± 0.94%, P &lt; 0.001), with no significant difference between groups. When the 91 patients who were fully protocol-compliant (including CGM sensor wear ≥70% of the time) were considered, A1C improvement was significantly greater in the PRT group (P = 0.004) (PRT group −0.96 ± 0.93%, P &lt; 0.001; CSII group −0.55 ± 0.93%, P &lt; 0.001). Hyperglycemia parameters decreased in line with improvements in A1C with no impact on hypoglycemia.

CONCLUSIONS
CGM-enabled insulin pump therapy improves glycemia more than conventional pump therapy during the first 6 months of pump use in patients who wear CGM sensors at least 70% of the time.
Clandestine Operations: The Vancouver Women's Caucus, the Abortion Caravan, and the RCMP
Authors: Sethna Christabelle , Hewitt Steve 
Published: September 2009

Abstract: In 1969, the reform of the Criminal Code legalized contraception, abortion, and homosexual acts between consenting adults. Yet the conditions under which legal abortion was now permissible were so restrictive that the new abortion law provoked widespread discontent. One women's liberation group, the fledging Vancouver Women's Caucus (VWC), outlined a plan to travel to Ottawa between February and May 1970 in an Abortion Caravan to protest the new law. The caravan's central feature was a van bearing a coffin filled with coat hangers to represent the deaths of women from botched abortions. Declassified RCMP files reveal that the Mounties were spying on the VWC and tracking the Abortion Caravan on its journey from Vancouver to Ottawa. An analysis of these files shows that the VWC, like other women's liberation groups, was targeted for surveillance because the RCMP was extremely concerned about women's liberation groups' real and putative connections to left-wing organizations. Indeed, the RCMP's approach to women's liberation groups was a crucial component of the climate of fear of subversion so prevalent during the Cold War. However, the files also reveal that RCMP surveillance of the VWC proved to be a major challenge because of the complex gendered nature of the force's surveillance of women's liberation groups. Ultimately, the files point to the importance of studying the ways in which state security interests intersect with variables such as gender, class, race, and sexual orientation.
Metabolic engineering of the anaerobic central metabolic pathway in Escherichia coli for the simultaneous anaerobic production of isoamyl acetate and succinic acid
Authors: Dittrich Cheryl R. , Bennett George N. , San Ka‐Yiu 
Published: September 2009

AbstractAn in vivo method of producing isoamyl acetate and succinate simultaneously has been developed in Escherichia coli to maximize yields of both high value compounds as well as maintain the proper redox balance between NADH and NAD+. Previous attempts at producing the ester isoamyl acetate anaerobically did not produce the compound in high concentrations because of competing pathways and the need for NAD+ regeneration. The objective of this study is to produce succinate as an example of a reduced coproduct to balance the ratio of NADH/NAD+ as a way of maximizing isoamyl acetate production. Because the volatility of the two compounds differs greatly, the two could be easily separated in an industrial setting. An ldhA, adhE double mutant strain (SBS110MG) served as the control strain to test the effect of an additional ackA‐pta mutation as found in SBS990MG. Both strains overexpressed the two heterologous genes pyruvate carboxylase and alcohol acetyltransferase (for ester production). The triple mutant SBS990MG was found to produce higher levels of both isoamyl acetate and succinate. At the optimal condition of 25°C, the culture produced 9.4 mM isoamyl acetate and 45.5 mM succinate. SBS990MG produced 36% more ester and over 700% more succinate than SBS110MG. In addition, this study demonstrated that a significantly higher isoamyl acetate concentration can be attained by simultaneously balancing the carbon and cofactor flow; the isoamyl acetate concentration of 9.4 mM is more than seven times higher than an earlier report of about 1.2 mM. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2009