bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Functional Diversity of Isoamylase Oligomers: The ISA1 Homo-Oligomer Is Essential for Amylopectin Biosynthesis in Rice Endosperm
Authors: Utsumi Yoshinori , Utsumi Chikako , Sawada Takayuki , Fujita Naoko , Nakamura Yasunori 
Published: March 2011

Abstract
Rice (Oryza sativa) endosperm has two isoamylase (ISA) oligomers, ISA1 homo-oligomer and ISA1-ISA2 hetero-oligomer. To examine their contribution to starch synthesis, expression of the ISA1 or ISA2 gene was differently regulated in various transgenic plants. Although suppression of ISA2 gene expression caused the endosperm to have only the homo-oligomer, no significant effects were detected on the starch phenotypes. In contrast, ISA2 overexpression led to endosperm having only the hetero-oligomer, and starch synthesis in the endosperm was drastically impaired, both quantitatively and qualitatively, because the starch was devoid of typical starch features, such as thermal and x-ray diffraction properties, and water-soluble highly branched maltodextrins were accumulated. In the ISA2 overexpressed line, about 60% to 70% of the ISA1-ISA2 hetero-oligomer was bound to starch, while the ISA homo- and hetero-oligomers from the wild type were mostly present in the soluble form at the early milking stage of the endosperm. Detailed analysis of the relative amounts of homo- and hetero-oligomers in various lines also led us to the conclusion that the ISA1 homo-oligomer is essential, but not the ISA1-ISA2 oligomer, for starch production in rice endosperm. The relative amounts of ISA1 and ISA2 proteins were shown to determine the ratio of both oligomers and the stoichiometry of both ISAs in the hetero-oligomer. It was noted when compared with the homo-oligomer that all the hetero-oligomers from rice endosperm and leaf and potato (Solanum tuberosum) tuber were much more stable at 40°C. This study provides substantial data on the structural and functional diversity of ISA oligomers between plant tissues and species.
Relative performance of common biochemical indicators in detecting cigarette smoking
Authors: Marrone Gina F. , Shakleya Diaa M. , Scheidweiler Karl B. , Singleton Edward G. , Huestis Marilyn A. , Heishman Stephen J. 
Published: March 2011

ABSTRACTAims  Many cities have banned indoor smoking in public places. Thus, an updated recommendation for a breath carbon monoxide (CO) cut‐off is needed that optimally determines smoking status. We evaluated and compared the performance of breath CO and semiquantitative cotinine immunoassay test strips (urine and saliva NicAlert®) alone and in combination.Design  Cross‐sectional study.Setting  Urban drug addiction research and treatment facility.Participants  Ninety non‐treatment‐seeking smokers and 82 non‐smokers.Measurements  Participants completed smoking histories and provided breath CO, urine and saliva specimens. Urine and saliva specimens were assayed for cotinine by NicAlert® and liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry (LCMSMS).Findings  An optimal breath CO cut‐off was established using self‐report and LCMSMS analysis of cotinine, an objective indicator, as reference measures. Performance of smoking indicators and combinations were compared to the reference measures. Breath CO ≥5 parts per million (p.p.m.) optimally discriminated smokers from non‐smokers. Saliva NicAlert® performance was less effective than the other indicators.Conclusions  In surveys of smokers and non‐smokers in areas with strong smoke‐free laws, the breath carbon monoxide cut‐off that discriminates most effectively appears to be ≥5 p.p.m. rather than the ≥10 p.p.m. cut‐off often used. These findings may not generalize to clinical trials, regions with different carbon monoxide pollution levels or areas with less stringent smoke‐free laws.
The development and testing of a scale of Taiwanese caregiver meaning
Authors: Yen Wen‐Jiuan , Ma Wei‐Fen , Lu Ying‐Chi , Chang Ting , Lee Sheuan 
Published: March 2011

Aims.  The purpose of this study was to develop and test a scale of Taiwanese caregiver meaning.Background.  The meaning of care‐giving is defined as the beliefs one holds about oneself and the care‐giving experiences that affect adjustment to the care‐giving role. An existing tool, the Meaning in Care‐giving Scale, has been tested in Taiwan, but it showed that the construct validity was unreliable.Design.  The study was a cross‐sectional study with purposive sampling.Method.  The instrument was developed through 20 semi‐structured interviews of caregivers of mentally ill patients. A comparative method was used to analyse the text and field notes. According to the results, 29 items were designed and 318 caregivers of mentally ill patients were recruited from a psychiatric outpatient department in central Taiwan. Content and back direct content validity tests were conducted. Internal consistency, Chronbach’s alpha, was used to examine the reliability, and exploratory factor analysis was used to examine the construct validity.Results.  Twenty items were kept after exploratory factor analysis. They represent four factors: the benefits of care‐giving, a belief in Karma, personal responsibility and a reflection on life. Cronbach’s alpha value for a subscale increased from 0·68–0·84, and the total scale was 0·84. A sixty per cent (59·55%) cumulative variance can be explained by four factors.Conclusion.  A Taiwanese caregiver meaning can be considered a useful scale for assessing the meaning of care‐giving for Taiwanese caregivers of mentally ill patients. A good scale and instrument take years to develop. This study takes the first step to examine the structure of the scale, and it is worth continued testing, modification and improvements.Relevance to clinical practice.  The scale of Taiwanese caregiver meaning was developed based on certain aspects of contemporary Taiwanese culture. It can be used to provide mental health professionals new counselling knowledge to assist caregivers of mentally ill patients to adjust to their circumstances.
Barriers to clinical leadership development: findings from a national survey
Authors: Fealy Gerard M , McNamara Martin S , Casey Mary , Geraghty Ruth , Butler Michelle , Halligan Phil , Treacy Margaret , Johnson Maree 
Published: March 2011

Aims and objectives.  To describe self‐reported barriers to clinical leadership development among nurses and midwives in Ireland.Background.  Effective clinical leadership is essential for optimising care and improving patient outcomes. Clinical leadership development is concerned with intrapersonal and interpersonal capabilities and is context bound. Barriers to clinical leadership development among nurses and midwives are associated with interdisciplinary and organisational factors, such as lack of influence in interdisciplinary care planning and policy.Design.  A national postal survey of nurses and midwives was administered to a simple random sample of 3000 nurses and midwives in Ireland.Method.  The method of data collection was the Clinical Leadership Analysis of Need Questionnaire (CLAN‐Q) Barriers Scale (CLAN‐QBS©), a self‐administered, self‐report questionnaire developed to measure the barriers to clinical leadership development.Results.  Mean scores for the CLAN‐Q barriers subscales showed that barriers to clinical leadership development were perceived as lower in the dimension ‘quality care factors’, when compared with the dimensions ‘interdisciplinary relationships, recognition and influence’. Staff and other promotional grades differed significantly in self‐perceived barriers related to interdisciplinary working, influence and recognition of the disciplinary contribution.Conclusions.  Differential experiences of barriers among higher and lower grades suggest that grade level may influence ability to negotiate work‐related and organisational barriers to clinical leadership development.Relevance to clinical practice.  Overcoming the barriers to clinical leadership development requires attention to interdisciplinary relationships in the practicum and to the actual and perceived degree of relative influence that nurses and midwives have at wider departmental and organisational levels.
An initial look at the quality of life of Malaysian families that include children with disabilities
Authors: Clark M. , Brown R. , Karrapaya R. 
Published: March 2011

AbstractBackground  While there is a growing body of literature in the quality of life of families that include children with disabilities, the majority of research has been conducted in western countries. The present study provides an initial exploration of the quality of life of Malaysian families that include children with developmental/intellectual disabilities. Dynamics characterising Malaysian society are described as developments in social policy and service delivery that support persons with disabilities and their families.Method  Questionnaire data were collected using the Family Quality of Life Survey – Short Version. Members of 52 families that included one or two children with disabilities were interviewed. Their responses provided their perceptions within six dimensions of family quality of life across the nine life domains assessed.Results  Findings showed a consistent pattern of relatively strong perceived ‘importance’ ratings in each of life domains as compared to mean ratings for other family quality of life dimensions. Some dimensions of family quality of life, in particular ‘opportunities’, ‘initiative’ and ‘attainment’, demonstrated particularly strong associations with each other. Overall means of satisfaction with and attainment of family quality of life as well as global evaluations of quality of life and satisfaction all demonstrated significant associations, although each of these correlations accounted for less than 50% of the common variance.Conclusions  The importance rating can be viewed as a determining factor in terms of quality of life, and it played a critical role in supporting attainment of, and satisfaction with, family quality of life, assuming opportunities, initiative and stability are adequate. The need for a broader sample including families that were not receiving services was noted. Future research questions based on the results of the current study and some of the dynamics impacting Malaysian society are also suggested.
Home literacy environments, interest in reading and emergent literacy skills of children with Down syndrome versus typical children
Authors: Ricci L. 
Published: March 2011

AbstractBackground  The present study examined home literacy environments, children's interest in reading and emergent literacy skills of pre‐school‐aged children with Down syndrome (DS; n = 20), school‐aged children with DS (n = 17) and typically developing children (n = 18) matched on chronological age with the younger DS group and mental age (MA) with the older DS group.Method  Parents filled out questionnaires on their home literacy environments and their children's interest in reading. School‐aged children with DS and typical children were assessed on cognitive functioning, receptive vocabulary, alphabet knowledge, familiarity with print conventions and comprehension of meaning.Results  School‐aged children with DS and typical children – as opposed to pre‐school‐aged children with DS – were exposed to more literacy‐rich home environments and had greater interest in reading. School‐aged children with DS also outperformed the MA‐matched typical group on letter and sight word knowledge and familiarity with print conventions.Conclusions  Parents of children with DS tailor home literacy environments to their children's developmental levels. Confirming earlier studies, children with DS achieved some higher literacy skills than what was expected for their MA, emphasising the importance of early reading interventions for this population.
Life without the essential bacterial tRNAIle2–lysidine synthetase TilS: a case of tRNA gene recruitment in Bacillus subtilis
Authors: Fabret Céline , Dervyn Etienne , Dalmais Bérengère , Guillot Alain , Marck Christian , Grosjean Henri , Noirot Philippe 
Published: March 2011

SummaryIn eubacteria, the post‐transcriptional modification of the wobble cytidine of the CAU anticodon in a precursor tRNAIle2 to a lysidine residue (2‐lysyl‐cytidine, abbreviated as L) allows the amino acid specificity to change from methionine to isoleucine and the codon decoding specificity to shift from AUG to AUA. The tilS gene encoding the enzyme that catalyses this modification is widely distributed. However, some microbial species lack a tilS gene, indicating that an alternative strategy exists to accurately translate the AUA codon into Ile. To determine whether a TilS‐dependent bacterium, such as Bacillus subtilis, can overcome the absence of lysidine in its tRNAIle2 (CAU), we analysed the suppressor mutants of a tilS‐thermosensitive allele. These tilS‐suppressor mutants carry a substitution of the wobble guanosine into thymidine in one of the tRNAIle1 genes (the original GAT anticodon is changed to a TAT). In absence of TilS activity, the AUA codons are translated into isoleucine by the suppressor tRNAIle1, although a low level of AUA codons is also mistranslated into methionine. Results are in agreement with rare cases of eubacteria (and archaea), which naturally lack the tilS gene (or tiaS in archaea) but contain a tRNAIle2 gene containing a TAT instead of a CAT anticodon.
In Vitro Developmental Potential of Nuclear Transfer Embryos Cloned with Enucleation Methods using Pre‐denuded Bovine Oocytes
Authors: Jeon B‐G , Betts DH , King WA , Rho G‐J 
Published: March 2011

ContentsEnucleation of a recipient oocyte is an important essential process in the procedure of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). The present study investigated a method for the improvement of enucleation efficiency. Oocytes were denuded of cumulus cells before the completion of nuclear maturation (pre‐denuded) after 12 h of culture at MI stage and subsequently cultured for additional 6 h until the completion of nuclear maturation and extrusion of the first polar body (PB1). The extrusion rate of PB1 was not significantly different in the pre‐denuded oocyte group, compared with control oocyte group matured for 18 h. However, the number of oocytes showing the metaphase II (MII) located just underneath the PB1 was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the pre‐denuded oocyte group than those in control oocyte group. To test the effect of pre‐denuding on the enucleation rate and developmental potential of embryos to blastocyst stage, subsequent somatic cell nuclear transfer comparisons were made with three different methods of enucleation at MII stage using vital dyes (demicoline and Hoescht) or the PB1 (blind enucleation) to localize the chromosome plate. Enucleation rate of the oocytes with demicoline, Hoechst and pre‐denuding enucleation groups were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than those of blind enucleation groups. However, cleavage rate to two‐cell stage and, developmental rate to blastocyst and hatched blastocyst stage, the mean numbers of total and ICM cells in the SCNT embryos with Hoechst enucleation groups were significantly decreased (p < 0.05), compared to those of blind, demicoline and pre‐denuding enucleation groups. Moreover, the level of telomerase activity was also significantly (p < 0.05) decreased in SCNT blastocysts of Hoechst enucleation group, compared to those of blind, demicoline and pre‐denuding enucleation groups. Taken together, pre‐denuding enucleation group using pre‐denuded oocytes was a useful and simple enucleation method for bovine SCNT embryos.
The SOMERS Index: A simple instrument designed to predict the likelihood of rural career choice
Authors: Somers George T. , Jolly Brian , Strasser Roger P. 
Published: March 2011

AbstractObjective:  The World Health Organization has drawn up a set of strategies to encourage health workers to live and work in remote and rural areas. A comprehensive instrument designed to evaluate the effectiveness of such programs has not yet been tested. Factors such as Stated rural intention, Optional rural training, Medical sub‐specialization, Ease (or self‐efficacy) and Rural Status have been used individually or in limited combinations. This paper examines the development, validity, structure and reliability of the easily‐administered SOMERS Index. Design:  Limited literature review and cross‐sectional cohort study. Setting:  Australian medical school. Participants:  A total of 345 Australian undergraduate‐entry medical students in years 1 to 4 of the 5‐year course. Main outcome measures:  Validity of the factors as predictors of rural career choice was sought in the international literature. Structure of the index was investigated through Principal Components Analysis and regression modelling. Cronbach's alpha was the test for reliability. Results:  The international literature strongly supported the validity of the components of the index. Factor analysis revealed a single, strong factor (eigenvalue: 2.78) explaining 56% of the variance. Multiple regression modelling revealed that each of the other variables contributed independently and strongly to Stated Rural Intent (semi‐partial correlation coefficients range: 0.20–0.25). Cronbach's alpha was high at 0.78. Conclusions:  This paper presents the reliability and validity of an index, which seeks to estimate the likelihood of rural career choice. The index might be useful in student selection, the allocation of rural undergraduate and postgraduate resources and the evaluation of programs designed to increase rural career choice.
Management of chronic Hepatitis B infection in the remote primary health care setting: The search for a suitable guideline
Authors: Cross Virginia , Larkins Sarah 
Published: March 2011

AbstractObjective:  To identify a regionally appropriate guideline for the primary health care management of chronic Hepatitis B patients in the Torres Strait. Design:  Literature review. PubMed (1950–November 2009), Nursing and allied health (CINAHL)‐CD (1982–November 2009), and the following databases accessed through INFORMIT: Australian Public Affairs Information Service – Health (1978–November 2009), Aboriginal and Torres Strait Health Bibliography (1900–November 2009), Health & Society Database (1980–November 2009), Health Collection (1980–November 2009), Meditext (1968–November 2009), and Rural and Remote Health Database (1966–January 2006) were searched over a 3‐month period from September to November 2009. An Internet search of relevant guidelines and recommendations from professional bodies such as the World Health Organization was also performed. Setting:  Remote primary health care. Outcome measures:  Initial searching identified 144 articles to include based on the provision of recommendations or guidelines for management of Hepatitis B at the primary care level. Included articles were then reviewed for their appropriateness to the remote primary health care setting against a set of five criteria determined at a consensus meeting of eight local medical officers. Results:  Eleven articles were included for final review of which none met all five criteria of appropriateness for the remote primary health care setting. Conclusions:  Guidelines need to recognize the difficulties of rural and remote practice and present practical alternatives to urban centred recommendations.
Atypical social development in neonatal intensive care unit survivors at 12 months
Authors: Yamada Yasumasa , Yoshida Futoshi , Hemmi Hayato , Ito Miharu , Kakita Hiroki , Yoshikawa Toru , Hishida Manabu , Iguchi Toshiyuki , Seo Tomoko , Nakanishi Keiko 
Published: March 2011

AbstractBackground:  Owing to advances in neonatal intensive care, many infants who are hospitalized in neonatal intensive care units (NICU) can survive and grow, and are referred to as NICU survivors. However, social development in NICU survivors has not been fully explored.Methods:  To examine the social development of NICU survivors, a questionnaire consisting of the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M‐CHAT) was used. The M‐CHAT was completed by the parents of either NICU survivors (n= 117) or normally delivered children (control group, n= 112) during their regular medical checkups at a corrected age of 12 months.Results:  Ninety percent of NICU survivors and 63% of control children did not pass the M‐CHAT screen. As it was originally designed for children aged 18–30 months, failed M‐CHAT items could have been due to developmental issues and not due to autistic spectrum disorders. However, there was a significant difference in the total number of items failed between the two groups. In particular, many NICU survivors did not pass on M‐CHAT items, such as oversensitivity to noise, unusual finger movements, and attempts to attract attention. Concerning perinatal complications, infants with low birthweight and/or the need for respiratory support tended to have a higher number of failures on all M‐CHAT items.Conclusions:  NICU survivors may have distinct developmental patterns of social communication, and should be followed up for assessment of social skills and neurological development.
Outside of the intensive care unit: the safety and effectiveness of an insulin–dextrose infusion protocol
Authors: Wong V. W. , Kok J. , Eason M. 
Published: March 2011

AbstractA review of patients who were on an insulin–dextrose (I‐D) infusion protocol in general hospital wards over a 6‐month period was conducted to compare glycaemic control before, during and following I‐D infusion. Among the 34 cases identified, blood glucose levels during the period of I‐D infusion were significantly better than those before or after I‐D infusion. This I‐D infusion protocol was shown to be effective and safe in maintaining good glycaemic control for patients outside intensive care unit.
Dermatological complications following initiation of lenalidomide in a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia
Authors: Tageja N. , Giorgadze T. , Zonder J. 
Published: March 2011

AbstractOff‐label use of lenalidomide (Len) in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is becoming increasingly frequent. When compared with thalidomide, Len has been reported to have more potent anti‐tumour activity and a better safety profile. However, dermatological side‐effects are known to occur with both drugs. Clinical trial design often precludes precise quantification of infrequent toxicities and studies frequently report only grade 3–4 toxicities without a detailed description of rashes, leading to under‐recognition of these complications in the community. Careful long‐term tracking of late adverse effects with prompt reporting on recognition is imperative while monitoring patients for potential adverse events as we enter the new era of targeted therapies. We present an unusual case of CLL that was complicated by erythema annulare centrifugum and neutrophilic dermatosis (Sweet's syndrome) after starting Len.