bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
An intervention study exploring the effects of providing older adult hip fracture patients with an information booklet in the early postoperative period
Authors: Murphy Siobhan , Conway Col , McGrath Niamh B , O’Leary Breda , O’Sullivan Mary P , O’Sullivan Dawn 
Published: July 2011

Aim.  To determine whether the provision of an information booklet on mobilisation improves early mobility postsurgical repair of hip fracture.Background.  Hip fracture among older people can have long‐lasting consequences with the majority of patients failing to achieve their prefracture functional status. Early postoperative mobility may have a positive effect on long‐term recovery. The importance of providing postoperative information on mobility has been highlighted. It is suggested that patients remain passive in their recovery when they do not understand the importance of mobilisation.Design.  The study used a pretest–post‐test design of two treatments and a usual care control group.Methods.  Eighty‐three adults postsurgical repair of hip fracture, aged 65 years and older, were recruited to the study. Participants were assigned to one of three groups, a usual care group, treatment group 1 (T1) usual care plus basic information booklet or treatment group 2 (T2) usual care plus detailed information booklet. Data collection three days postsurgery and prior to discharge included the Mini‐Mental State Examination, a Demographic Questionnaire, the Elderly Mobility Scale and a Numerical Pain Scale.Results.  Greatest improvements in Elderly Mobility Scale scores occurred in T1, with least changes observed in T2. Changes did not reach significance level (p = 0·105).Conclusion.  The results of the study suggest that the provision of basic information is preferable and highlights a deficiency of education in usual care.Relevance to clinical practice.  Hip fracture patients should be provided with an educational booklet containing basic information on mobility to promote optimal recovery.
Managing mealtime tasks: told by persons with dementia
Authors: Johansson Linda , Christensson Lennart , Sidenvall Birgitta 
Published: July 2011

Aim.  To capture the self‐description of managing mealtime tasks by persons with dementia.Background.  There are several factors that negatively affect food intake in persons with dementia that may increase the risk of developing malnutrition. Difficulties in managing daily activities increase gradually and mealtime tasks like food shopping, cooking and eating often become troublesome. Still, little is known about how persons with dementia themselves experience this issue.Design.  A qualitative study with an ethnographic approach.Method.  Ten women and five men aged 69–86 with dementia were interviewed. Interviews were carried out in the informants’ own homes and a thematic analysis was performed.Results.  The informants described that they wanted to be independent and that the memory loss was not affecting them to a great extent. Old habits and routines, as well as newly developed strategies, helped them manage mealtime tasks despite the disease. Informants were satisfied with their current situation, even though it sometimes meant that they had changed their way of managing mealtime tasks, for instance receiving meals‐on‐wheels.Conclusions.  Persons with dementia seem to be able to manage mealtime tasks and these activities were based on old habits and routines. Independence was highly valued and managing mealtime tasks seems to be one way to appear independent.Relevance to clinical practice.  It is important for caregivers to understand that persons with dementia might not express difficulties in managing mealtime tasks for fear of losing their independence. It is, therefore, important to create a trustful relationship even before problems arise to be able to support the persons when necessary.
Eating difficulties among stroke patients in the acute state: a descriptive, cross‐sectional, comparative study
Authors: Medin Jörgen , Windahl Jenny , von Arbin Magnus , Tham Kerstin , Wredling Regina 
Published: July 2011

Aims and objectives.  To examine eating difficulties among stroke patients – a comparison between women and men.Background.  Gender differences have been reported in studies of stroke, but the findings are inconclusive and few of these studies have specifically focused on gender differences in eating difficulties.Design.  This study was a descriptive, cross‐sectional, comparative study.Method.  Patients with stroke were recruited at a general hospital in Sweden. To detect eating difficulties, individual observations of the patients were made during one meal using a structured observation protocol. Assessment also included measurements of nutritional and oral status, degree of independence, stroke severity, neglect and well‐being.Results.  One hundred and four patients (53·8% women) were included in the study. The proportion of stroke patients with one or more eating difficulties was 81·7%. The most common eating difficulties were ‘managing food on the plate’ (66·3%), ‘food consumption’ (54·8%) and ‘sitting position’ (45·2%). Women had lower ‘food consumption’, more severe stroke (p = 0·003), worse functional status (p = 0·001) and lower quality of life (QoL) (p = 0·038) than men. More women than men were malnourished and living alone. After adjustment for functional status and motor arm, the odds ratio of having difficulties with food consumption was four times higher among women than men (1·7–9·4, confidence interval 95%).Conclusions.  More women than men with stroke suffered from inadequate food consumption. The women had more severe strokes, experienced poorer QoL and showed lower functional status than the men. In the rehabilitation process of women with stroke, these factors should be taken into consideration.Relevance to clinical practice.  Structured observation of meals, including assessment of food consumption, might be necessary in acute stroke care to detect patients, especially women, who might need closer supervision and nutritional intervention.
Defining the limit to resistance in a drought‐tolerant grassland: long‐term severe drought significantly reduces the dominant species and increases ruderals
Authors: Evans Sarah E. , Byrne Kerry M. , Lauenroth William K. , Burke Ingrid C. 
Published: July 2011

Summary1. Models predict that the duration and intensity of drought will increase under future climate regimes. Although semi‐arid grasslands are adapted to moisture limitation, the sensitivity of semi‐arid grassland vegetation to extreme and sustained dry periods that may occur in the future has not been tested.2. In this study, we analysed vegetation cover data from an 11‐year drought manipulation in the semi‐arid shortgrass steppe in Colorado, USA. We examined changes in total vegetation cover, dominant plant (Bouteloua gracilis) cover and ruderal cover in plots receiving 25% and 50% of ambient precipitation during the growing season.3. We found that 11 years of drought resulted in large reductions in total cover and cover of the dominant species, but significant differences did not emerge until the 4th and 7th year of drought. Drought severity significantly influenced the degree to which ruderal cover increased in the later period of the drought, but reductions in B. gracilis cover under drought were not significantly different under different drought severities. Bouteloua gracilis reduction did correspond strongly with increases in ruderal cover and species richness, suggesting that the dominant species plays a strong role in maintaining the structure of communities in the shortgrass steppe.4. Synthesis. Our results suggest that the shortgrass steppe, and most notably the dominant species B. gracilis, can be significantly perturbed by long‐term droughts that may be more common in future decades. By quantifying the resistance‐limit of a drought‐tolerant system, our results can inform theories of stability and management decisions for grassland systems under new climate regimes and provide a new temporal context for previous and future manipulation studies.
Development of an aquatic pathogen database (AquaPathogen X) and its utilization in tracking emerging fish virus pathogens in North America
Authors: Emmenegger E J , Kentop E , Thompson T M , Pittam S , Ryan A , Keon D , Carlino J A , Ranson J , Life R B , Troyer R M , Garver K A , Kurath G 
Published: July 2011

AbstractThe AquaPathogen X database is a template for recording information on individual isolates of aquatic pathogens and is freely available for download (http://wfrc.usgs.gov). This database can accommodate the nucleotide sequence data generated in molecular epidemiological studies along with the myriad of abiotic and biotic traits associated with isolates of various pathogens (e.g. viruses, parasites and bacteria) from multiple aquatic animal host species (e.g. fish, shellfish and shrimp). The cataloguing of isolates from different aquatic pathogens simultaneously is a unique feature to the AquaPathogen X database, which can be used in surveillance of emerging aquatic animal diseases and elucidation of key risk factors associated with pathogen incursions into new water systems. An application of the template database that stores the epidemiological profiles of fish virus isolates, called Fish ViroTrak, was also developed. Exported records for two aquatic rhabdovirus species emerging in North America were used in the implementation of two separate web‐accessible databases: the Molecular Epidemiology of Aquatic Pathogens infectious haematopoietic necrosis virus (MEAP‐IHNV) database (http://gis.nacse.org/ihnv/) released in 2006 and the MEAP‐ viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (http://gis.nacse.org/vhsv/) database released in 2010.
From global to local genetic structuring in the red gorgonian Paramuricea clavata: the interplay between oceanographic conditions and limited larval dispersal
Authors: MOKHTAR‐JAMAÏ K. , PASCUAL M. , LEDOUX J.‐B. , COMA R. , FÉRAL J.‐P. , GARRABOU J. , AURELLE D. 
Published: July 2011

AbstractDefining the scale of connectivity among marine populations and identifying the barriers to gene flow are tasks of fundamental importance for understanding the genetic structure of populations and for the design of marine reserves. Here, we investigated the population genetic structure at three spatial scales of the red gorgonian Paramuricea clavata (Cnidaria, Octocorallia), a key species dwelling in the coralligenous assemblages of the Mediterranean Sea. Colonies of P. clavata were collected from 39 locations across the Mediterranean Sea from Morocco to Turkey and analysed using microsatellite loci. Within three regions (Medes, Marseille and North Corsica), sampling was obtained from multiple locations and at different depths. Three different approaches (measures of genetic differentiation, Bayesian clustering and spatially explicit maximum‐difference algorithm) were used to determine the pattern of genetic structure. We identified genetic breaks in the spatial distribution of genetic diversity, which were concordant with oceanographic conditions in the Mediterranean Sea. We revealed a high level of genetic differentiation among populations and a pattern of isolation by distance across the studied area and within the three regions, underlining short effective larval dispersal in this species. We observed genetic differentiation among populations in the same locality dwelling at different depths, which may be explained by local oceanographic conditions and which may allow a process of local adaptation of the populations to their environment. We discuss the implications of our results for the conservation of the species, which is exposed to various threats.
Colony stage and not facultative policing explains pattern of worker reproduction in the Saxon wasp
Authors: BONCKAERT W. , Van ZWEDEN J. S. , D’ETTORRE P. , BILLEN J. , WENSELEERS T. 
Published: July 2011

AbstractInclusive fitness theory predicts that in colonies of social Hymenoptera headed by a multiple‐mated queen, workers should benefit from policing eggs laid by other workers. Foster & Ratnieks provided evidence that in the vespine wasp Dolichovespula saxonica, workers police other workers’ eggs only in colonies headed by a multiple‐mated queen, but not in those headed by a single‐mated one. This conclusion, however, was based on a relatively small sample size, and the original study did not control for possible confounding variables such as the seasonal colony progression of the nests. Our aim, therefore, was to reinvestigate whether or not facultative worker policing occurs in D. saxonica. Remarkably, our data show that in the studied Danish population, there was no correlation between worker–worker relatedness and the percentage of worker‐derived males. In addition, we show that variability in cuticular hydrocarbon profiles among the workers did not significantly correlate with relatedness and that workers therefore probably did not have sufficient information on queen mating frequency from the workers’ cuticular hydrocarbon profiles. Hence, there was no evidence that workers facultatively policed other workers’ eggs in response to queen mating frequency. Nevertheless, our data do show that the seasonal progression of the nest and the location in which the males were reared both explain the patterns of worker reproduction found. Overall, our results suggest that the earlier evidence for facultative worker policing in D. saxonica may have been caused by accidental correlations with certain confounding variables, or, alternatively, that there are large interpopulation differences in the expression of worker policing.
Implication of hrpW in virulence of Pseudomonas cichorii
Authors: Kajihara S. , Hojo H. , Koyanagi M. , Tanaka M , Mizumoto H. , Ohnishi K. , Kiba A. , Hikichi Y. 
Published: July 2011

Pseudomonas cichorii strain SPC9018 harbours hrp genes that encode a type III secretion system. The hrp mutants have reduced virulence on lettuce and lose virulence on aubergine. Of the hrp genes, the B3 gene (B3) is located next to hrpW, encoding a harpin, and is predicted to encode a small (12 kDa) acidic (pI = 5·21) chaperone. In this study, involvement of the two genes in SPC9018 virulence was analysed. An hrpW‐mutant (CWN1) and a B3‐deleted mutant (ΔB3) of SPC9018 lacked virulence on aubergine and had reduced virulence on lettuce. Furthermore, both mutants also lost their ability to induce the hypersensitive response (HR) in tobacco leaves. The phenotypes were similar to those of the hrpL‐deficient mutant (SPC9018‐L). Transformation of CWN1 and ΔB3 with the plasmid containing hrpW and B3, respectively, originating from SPC9018 restored their virulence and ability to induce the HR in tobacco leaves. The population of CWN1 drastically decreased in aubergine following inoculation. In contrast, the population of ΔB3 was retained after inoculation, which was similar to that observed with SPC9018‐L. RT‐PCR analysis showed that hrpW and B3 are transcribed as a single transcript and its expression is dependent on HrpL. The two‐hybrid analysis showed association of HrpW with the B3 protein. Therefore, HrpW can be implicated in the virulence of P. cichorii and its ability to induce the HR in tobacco, with some assistance from the B3 protein, probably acting as a chaperone.
Do earthquake storms repeat in the Apennines of Italy?
Authors: Chiarabba Claudio , De Gori Pasquale , Amato Alessandro 
Published: July 2011

Terra Nova, 23, 300–306, 2011AbstractSeries of multiple main shocks that develop on adjacent faults is a typical way in which active extension is accommodated in the Apennines of Italy. This behaviour is explained by fault interaction that occurs at a scale ranging from seconds to days, yielding a space–time clustering of earthquakes, termed as earthquake storms. We show that the seismic energy released by historical earthquakes in central Apennines is clustered into two main small time periods, around 600 and 300 years ago, during which a great portion of the normal faulting belt failed. We favour the hypothesis that clustering results from sudden input of deep fluids into the brittle upper crust. The roughly 300 years periodicity and the 3–4 mm year−1 of tectonic extension suggest that earthquake storms need to be taken into account in seismic hazard scenarios.
Attitudes towards blood donation and transfusion in Bamenda, Republic of Cameroon
Authors: Koster J. , Hassall O. W. 
Published: July 2011

Objectives: This study was conducted in Bamenda, Cameroon. The objectives of the study were to develop a theoretical framework to better understand local attitudes towards blood donation and transfusion, to identify factors that motivate and deter blood donation and to identify interventions to improve the supply of blood for transfusion at Bamenda Regional Hospital.Background: The supply of blood for transfusion in sub‐Saharan Africa is insufficient. Cameroon has no national blood service and the collection and screening of blood is the responsibility of individual hospitals. At Bamenda Regional Hospital patient relatives recruit replacement blood donors, who may or may not be family members, and shortages of blood and delays in transfusion are frequent.Materials and Methods: Qualitative research methods were used: direct observation, in‐depth interviews, focus group discussions and a simulation exercise. Participants were clinical and laboratory staff, patient relatives, blood donors, secondary school students and community members.Results: Attitudes towards blood donation and transfusion fit a transanctionalist framework of health decision making. Deterrents to blood donation are multiple and varied. Some form of compensation is often expected, even by family members, although the blood donation is still considered ‘voluntary’ by the donor.Conclusion: This study confirms that interventions to improve the blood supply must take into account local attitudes and conditions. In Bamenda, a variety of pragmatic approaches are required including education around specific biological misperceptions identified in the study and the retention of replacement donors as repeat donors. Issues around compensation for blood donation require further work.
HCV prevalence and co‐infection with HIV among pregnant women in Saint Camille Medical Centre, Ouagadougou
Authors: Zeba Moctar T. A. , Karou Simplice D. , Sagna Tani , Djigma Florencia , Bisseye Cyrille , Ouermi Djeneba , Pietra Virginio , Pignatelli Salvatore , Gnoula Charlemagne , Sia Joseph D. , Moret Remy , Nikiema Jean‐Baptiste , Simpore Jacques 
Published: July 2011

SummaryObjective  To determine hepatitis C virus (HCV) prevalence and the rate of HCV/human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) co‐infection in pregnant women attending Saint Camille medical centre (SCMC) in Ouagadougou.Methods  A total of 607 pregnant women, 16–45 years old, with <32 weeks amenorrhoea were screened for HCV and HIV using rapid tests. The majority of the women included in the study were previously known as HIV infected, as the centre is a reference centre for the programme of prevention against mother‐to‐child HIV transmission in the country. HCV RNA was extracted and quantified using the cDNA polymerase chain reaction with the nested primers at the 5′ untranslated region. Transaminases were measured from plasma samples using spectrophotometric method.Results  Of women, 62.27% were infected with HIV. The prevalence of HCV was 2.14% in the screened pregnant women: 1.75% in HIV‐negative women and 2.38% in HIV‐positive ones. This prevalence is not significantly different between HIV‐positive and HIV‐negative pregnant women (P = 0.81). HCV RNA was found in all women with anti‐HCV. A significant transaminase increase was noted in women infected with HCV (P = 0.01 and P < 0.01 for glutamic‐pyruvic transaminase and glutamic‐oxaloacetic transaminase, respectively). Risk factors significantly associated with HCV positivity in pregnant women included transfusion and genital excision. In addition, the infection was linked with the educational level of the women.Conclusion  The issue of this study revealed that effort should be made to promote safe medical practices and fight against women genital excision that are found to be the main risk factors associated with the HCV infection.
Blockade of GABAA receptors in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus attenuates voluntary ethanol intake and activates the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenocortical axis
Authors: Li Jing , Bian Weiliang , Dave Vaidehi , Ye Jiang‐Hong 
Published: July 2011

ABSTRACTThe paraventricular nucleus (PVN) in the hypothalamus is the main integration site that controls the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) neuroendocrine stress system. Disruption of this system has been linked with alcoholism, but the specific role of the PVN has not been fully explored. Of particular interest is the ability of γ‐aminobutyric acid type A receptors (GABAARs) in the PVN, to regulate ethanol self‐administration behavior, as these receptors appear to play an essential role in mediating the effects of ethanol in the central nervous system and in the regulation of PVN activity. We observed that Long–Evans rats, in the intermittent access to 20% ethanol paradigm, consumed high amounts of ethanol and subsequently developed ethanol dependence. Microinjection of the GABAAR antagonist picrotoxin into the PVN, but not to the lateral ventricle of the brain, significantly reduced the intake of ethanol, but not the intake of sucrose. Picrotoxin‐induced reduction was mimicked by another GABAAR antagonist bicuculline but was attenuated by the GABAAR agonist muscimol. Moreover, increased ethanol consumption was associated with lowered blood corticosterone levels, indicating a blunted HPA signaling, which was reversed by intra‐PVN injection of picrotoxin, as indicated by the increased Fos immunostaining‐positive cells in the PVN and the increased blood corticosterone levels. Taken together, our data provide evidence that in ethanol‐dependent rats, the function of GABAARs in the PVN is upregulated, leading to a dampened HPA system. Moreover, it demonstrates that the GABAAR antagonists normalize HPA axis signaling and reduce excessive ethanol drinking. Therefore, drugs targeting GABAARs may be beneficial for alcoholics.
Reproductive biology of Diopatra neapolitana (Annelida, Onuphidae), an exploited natural resource in Ria de Aveiro (Northwestern Portugal)
Authors: Pires Adília , Gentil Franck , Quintino Victor , Rodrigues Ana M. 
Published: July 2011

AbstractDiopatra neapolitana Delle Chiaje, 1841 (Annelida, Onuphidae) is an important economic natural resource in Ria de Aveiro (northwestern coast of Portugal) and throughout Europe. The species is intensively harvested for use as fresh bait. However, there is only limited knowledge about its life cycle derived from a previous study in Mediterranean Sea. Reproduction and development patterns are known to vary biogeographically, making it important to base management decisions on locally appropriate information. This work examines reproduction patterns for populations from the Eastern Atlantic, which have not previously been assessed, with an eye towards drawing Atlantic–Mediterranean comparisons and informing local management strategies. The study was conducted from May 2007 to April 2009 in Ria de Aveiro. The reproductive biology of D. neapolitana was described from the proportional variation of worms with gametes in the coelom and from the progression of the oocyte diameter. Individuals with gametes inside the coelom were found all year round, but the peak reproductive period occurred between May and August, when almost all individuals had gametes in the coelom and females contained more oocytes than at any other time of the year. The overall male:female ratio was close to 1:1 and the oocyte diameter ranged from 40 to 240 μm. In vitro fertilization was performed and the results compared to other studies. Based on the present results, some protection measures are suggested to implement a sustainable exploitation of the species.