bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The demand for measuring the impact of nursing interventions: a community perspective
Authors: BARRIBALL K. LOUISE , MACKENZIE ANN 
Published: November 2007

Summary

There has not been a more appropriate time for nurses working in the community to measure their efficiency and effectiveness. The manner in which health‐care services are delivered to the community and the quality of these services are being carefully scrutinized.
Changes in community health services have seen the emergence of nurses practising in innovative and varying ways to meet the health needs of the population, and it is vital in the competition for resources that they measure the impact of such practice upon the health status of the population.
The evidence suggests, however, that few nurses working to an advanced level have measured their effectiveness, highlighting the need for empirically based research.
Focus groups: a humanistic means of evaluating an HIV/AIDS programme based on caring theory
Authors: SCHROEDER CAROLE , NEIL RUTH M. 
Published: November 2007

Summary

This qualitative study utilized focus group methodology to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of a nurse‐directed HIV/AIDS facility based on Jean Watson's theory of human caring (1985a,b, 1988, 1990).
The focus group method proved to be a humanistic means of evaluating consumer satisfaction congruent with Watson's theory of human caring.
Different concerns of research informants in different stages of the HIV/AIDS disease process were elicited; in addition, many of the informants elected to tell their stories of living with HIV/AIDS. These stories were profoundly moving and informative regarding the realities of living with HIV/AIDS in an under‐prepared social and health‐care system.
A consistent theme emerging from the data was the high value the clients placed on the caring behaviour shown by nursing staff.
This study was the beginning of an empirical validation of the tenets of Watson's theory of human caring in nursing, and demonstrated the applicability of caring theory in practice.
The evolution of the RSCN
Authors: FRADD ELIZABETH 
Published: November 2007

Summary

The first English Child Branch students will complete their programme of training in September of this year. It is timely, therefore, to review again the role that has emerged for nurses interested in the care of children.
The status of children's nursing has in the past been uncertain, and their role poorly understood. The evolution of high‐quality care in an increasingly complex field is explored and some issues which remain, are discussed.
As the care of children becomes more specialized the need to ensure a cohesiveness exists is essential in order to move practice forward in a logical and comprehensive fashion. The field is too small to survive fragmentation and it is not in the best interest of the child and its family.
Throughout the paper the child is the focal point which, together with the need to enable families to knowledgeably participate in their own child's care, has been the major thrust behind recent changes.
The paper explores not just the past and present, but some of the issues that need to be considered in the future.
The measurement of nurses' attitudes towards nursing research and the research environment in clinical settings
Authors: MARSH GENE W. , BROWN BSN TERRI L. 
Published: November 2007

Summary

Professional nurses in newly developed clinical nurse researcher roles may initially need to focus on determining the climate for research within the clinical setting. The purposes of this descriptive study were to describe the attitudes of nurses towards nursing research and the research environment, and to determine the strengths and weaknesses among nurse attitudes that could be used to implement more effectively a clinical nursing research programme.
Nurses employed at an urban private hospital (n=144) completed a demographic profile, Attitudes Towards Nursing Research Scale and Nursing Research Environment Scale (present and future). The typical respondent was 39 years old, female, BSN prepared, and had been employed full time in nursing for about 12 years. Sixty‐two nurses (43%) had some previous experience with research.
Nurses' attitudes towards research were moderately positive, significantly higher by educational degree, and higher for nurses with research experience. A significant difference existed in nurses' perceptions of the present and desired future research environment. Nurses desired an environment that would be more conducive to conducting research than their current environment. The greatest perceived discrepancies between present and future environments were related to time and funding for conducting research. The findings are the basis for presenting implementation strategies for clinical nursing research programmes. However, due to a 29% response rate, findings must be interpreted with caution.
Assessment of oral status: evaluation of three oral assessment guides
Authors: HOLMES SUSAN , MOUNTAIN ELIZABETH 
Published: November 2007

Summary

Oral care is a basic nursing activity central to patient comfort and well‐being, the prevention of infection and the maintenance of nutritional status.
This care is particularly important in cancer when both disease and treatment cause significant destruction of oral membranes/teeth, marked decline in salivary secretion and increased risk of infection. Systemic infection, originating in the mouth, is regarded as a significant cause of death. Appropriate oral care is, therefore, an important part of cancer care.
Thorough assessment is required to: provide baseline data, monitor response to therapy, identify new problems as they arise.
Although several assessment guides have been reported, for the majority no reliability/validity data are available.
This paper describes evaluation of the reliability, validity and clinical usefulness of three such guides. All were found reliable with regard to detection of gross abnormalities although precision with regard to scoring of subcategories was less reproducible.
In terms of validity, the literature supported the assessment categories of all tools, although an expert panel, supported by the nursing observers, identified many inappropriate descriptors and omissions highlighting, in particular, the difficulty of selecting appropriate descriptors when differences were observed in different areas of the mouth.
The lack of reliability and validity limits the clinical usefulness of these tools; it also suggests that reservations must be expressed about research based on their use. Further work is required to develop suitable tool(s) for assessing oral status in cancer patients.
Assessment, prevention and monitoring of chronic leg ulcers in the community: report of a survey
Authors: ROE B. H. , LUKER K. A. , CULLUM N. A. , GRIFFITHS J. M. , KENRICK M. 
Published: November 2007

Summary

A questionnaire was completed by 146 community nurses which requested information on the types of leg ulcers they managed, along with details of their nursing assessment, monitoring and prevention strategies.
Important differences in their reported clinical practice related to when they qualified as a community nurse.
It is imperative that patients with chronic leg ulcers be given the benefit of a medical diagnosis, and an in‐depth nursing assessment so that an appropriate and effective plan of management may be developed.
Community nurses could benefit from further information on the aetiology and research‐based management of patients with leg ulcers.
A creative approach to the dissemination of research evidence for the management of leg ulcers, as part of continuing education initiatives, is required.
Client and information: a literature review
Authors: LEINO‐KILPI HELENA , IIRE LIISA , SUOMINEN TARJA , VUORENHEIMO JANA , VÄLIMÄKI MARITTA 
Published: November 2007

Summary

This paper gives a brief review of existing research studies concerning patient information.
The paper outlines two relevant perspectives on information giving and on the meaning of information to the individual patient: ideological and practical.
From these two perspectives the knowledge structures of four patient groups: surgical patients, cancer patients, dialysis patients and psychiatric patients are looked at more closely.
Play as therapy for the hospitalized child
Authors: CHAMBERS MARGARET A. 
Published: November 2007

Summary

Play has been recognized as essential for normal growth and development.
Children use play as a medium for self‐expression and communication.
Play can be utilized therapeutically to help children to master environmental stresses, such as those encountered by hospitalization.
Play is conceptualized as an important part of holistic nursing care.
Many UK hospitals do not employ paid play specialists and paediatric nurses may have to fulfil this important role.
Evidence to support the value of therapeutic play is largely anecdotal and there is a need for empirical research in this area.
The carer‐led assessment process (CLASP): a framework for the assessment of need in dementia caregivers
Authors: KEADY JOHN , NOLAN MIKE 
Published: November 2007

Summary

The initial and on‐going assessment of individuals with dementia may not always fully reflect the expert knowledge of the caring situation that carers possess. In the absence of such knowledge a comprehensive and responsive assessment is unlikely to be achieved.
This paper describes the development of a carer‐led assessment process (CLASP) which it is suggested provides a flexible framework for the assessment of need in carers of dementia sufferers.
Gram‐negative bacteria. The challenge of preventing cross‐infection in hospital wards: a review of the literature
Authors: GOULD DINAH , CHAMBERLAIN ANGELA 
Published: November 2007

Summary

Gram‐negative bacteria arc responsible for a high proportion of nosocomial infections, particularly among the critically ill and those in hospital for long periods.
Colonization (asymptomatic carriage on the skin) occurs before the emergence of overt clinical infection (appearance of the signs and symptoms of disease) and is therefore worth reducing.
Spread is principally via the hands of staff, so handwashing is the chief method of prevention.
Gram‐negative bacteria survive best in a moist environment and arc more readily transferred via damp than dry surfaces; hands and equipment should therefore be kept as dry as possible.
Good skin care can also help prevent cross‐infection as Gram‐negative bacteria colonize damaged skin more readily than if it is in good condition.
Phenotypic and Genotypic Analysis of Amino Acid Auxotrophy in
Lactobacillus helveticus
CNRZ 32
Authors: Christiansen Jason K. , Hughes Joanne E. , Welker Dennis L. , Rodríguez Beatriz T. , Steele James L. , Broadbent Jeff R. 
Published: November 2007

ABSTRACT

The conversion of amino acids into volatile and nonvolatile compounds by lactic acid bacteria in cheese is thought to represent the rate-limiting step in the development of mature flavor and aroma. Because amino acid breakdown by microbes often entails the reversible action of enzymes involved in biosynthetic pathways, our group investigated the genetics of amino acid biosynthesis in
Lactobacillus helveticus
CNRZ 32, a commercial cheese flavor adjunct that reduces bitterness and intensifies flavor notes. Most lactic acid bacteria are auxotrophic for several amino acids, and
L. helveticus
CNRZ 32 requires 14 amino acids. The reconstruction of amino acid biosynthetic pathways from a draft-quality genome sequence for
L. helveticus
CNRZ 32 revealed that amino acid auxotrophy in this species was due primarily to gene absence rather than point mutations, insertions, or small deletions, with good agreement between gene content and phenotypic amino acid requirements. One exception involved the phenotypic requirement for Asp (or Asn), which genome predictions suggested could be alleviated by citrate catabolism. This prediction was confirmed by the growth of
L. helveticus
CNRZ 32 after the addition of citrate to a chemically defined medium that lacked Asp and Asn. Genome analysis also predicted that
L. helveticus
CNRZ 32 possessed ornithine decarboxylase activity and would therefore catalyze the conversion of ornithine to putrescine, a volatile biogenic amine. However, experiments to confirm ornithine decarboxylase activity in
L. helveticus
CNRZ 32 by the use of several methods were unsuccessful, which indicated that this bacterium likely does not contribute to putrescine production in cheese.
Bifidobacteria in Feces and Environmental Waters
Authors: Lamendella Regina , Domingo Jorge W. Santo , Kelty Catherine , Oerther Daniel B. 
Published: November 2007

ABSTRACT

Bifidobacteria have been recommended as potential indicators of human fecal pollution in surface waters even though very little is known about their presence in nonhuman fecal sources. The objective of this research was to shed light on the occurrence and molecular diversity of this fecal indicator group in different animals and environmental waters. Genus- and species-specific 16S rRNA gene PCR assays were used to study the presence of bifidobacteria among 269 fecal DNA extracts from 32 different animals. Twelve samples from three wastewater treatment plants and 34 water samples from two fecally impacted watersheds were also tested. The species-specific assays showed that
Bifidobacterium adolescentis
,
B. bifidum
,
B. dentium
, and
B. catenulatum
had the broadest host distribution (11.9 to 17.4%), whereas
B. breve
,
B. infantis
, and
B. longum
were detected in fewer than 3% of all fecal samples. Phylogenetic analysis of 356 bifidobacterial clones obtained from different animal feces showed that ca. 67% of all of the sequences clustered with cultured bifidobacteria, while the rest formed a supercluster with low sequence identity (i.e., <94%) to previously described
Bifidobacterium
spp. The
B. pseudolongum
subcluster (>97% similarity) contained 53 fecal sequences from seven different animal hosts, suggesting the cosmopolitan distribution of members of this clade. In contrast, two clades containing
B. thermophilum
and
B. boum
clustered exclusively with 37 and 18 pig fecal clones, respectively, suggesting host specificity. Using species-specific assays, bifidobacteria were detected in only two of the surface water DNA extracts, although other fecal anaerobic bacteria were detected in these waters. Overall, the results suggest that the use of bifidobacterial species as potential markers to monitor human fecal pollution in natural waters may be questionable.
Influence of Turning and Environmental Contamination on the Dynamics of Populations of Lactic Acid and Acetic Acid Bacteria Involved in Spontaneous Cocoa Bean Heap Fermentation in Ghana
Authors: Camu Nicholas , González Ángel , De Winter Tom , Van Schoor Ann , De Bruyne Katrien , Vandamme Peter , Takrama Jemmy S. , Addo Solomon K. , De Vuyst Luc 
Published: November 2007

ABSTRACT

The influence of turning and environmental contamination on six spontaneous cocoa bean heap fermentations performed in Ghana was studied through a multiphasic approach, encompassing both microbiological (culture-dependent and culture-independent techniques) and metabolite target analyses. A sensory analysis of chocolate made from the fermented, dried beans was performed as well. Only four clusters were found among the isolates of acetic acid bacteria (AAB) identified:
Acetobacter pasteurianus
,
Acetobacter ghanensis
,
Acetobacter senegalensis
, and a potential new
Acetobacter lovaniensis
-like species. Two main clusters were identified among the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated, namely,
Lactobacillus plantarum
and
Lactobacillus fermentum
. No differences in biodiversity of LAB and AAB were seen for fermentations carried out at the farm and factory sites, indicating the cocoa pod surfaces and not the general environment as the main inoculum for spontaneous cocoa bean heap fermentation. Turning of the heaps enhanced aeration and increased the relative population size of AAB and the production of acetic acid. This in turn gave a more sour taste to chocolate made from these beans. Bitterness was reduced through losses of polyphenols and alkaloids upon fermentation and cocoa bean processing.
Transcriptome Analysis of
Lactococcus lactis
in Coculture with
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Maligoy Mathieu , Mercade Myriam , Cocaign-Bousquet Muriel , Loubiere Pascal 
Published: November 2007

ABSTRACT

The study of microbial interactions in mixed cultures remains an important conceptual and methodological challenge for which transcriptome analysis could prove to be the essential method for improving our understanding. However, the use of whole-genome DNA chips is often restricted to the pure culture of the species for which the chips were designed. In this study, massive cross-hybridization was observed between the foreign cDNA and the specific
Lactococcus lactis
DNA chip. A very simple method is proposed to considerably decrease this nonspecific hybridization, consisting of adding the microbial partner's DNA. A correlation was established between the resulting cross-hybridization and the phylogenetic distance between the microbial partners. The response of
L. lactis
to the presence of
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
was analyzed during the exponential growth phase in fermentors under defined growth conditions. Although no differences between growth kinetics were observed for the pure and the mixed cultures of
L. lactis
, the mRNA levels of 158 genes were significantly modified. More particularly, a strong reorientation of pyrimidine metabolism was observed when
L. lactis
was grown in mixed cultures. These changes in transcript abundance were demonstrated to be regulated by the ethanol produced by the yeast and were confirmed by an independent method (quantitative reverse transcription-PCR).
Host-Synthesized Secondary Compounds Influence the In Vitro Interactions between Fungal Endophytes of Maize
Authors: Saunders Megan , Kohn Linda M. 
Published: November 2007

ABSTRACT

Maize produces a suite of allelopathic secondary metabolites, the benzoxazinoids. 2,4-Dihydroxy-7-methoxy-2
H
-1,4-benzoxazin-3-one and 2,4-dihydroxy-2
H
-1,4-benzoxazin-3-one reside as glucosides in plant tissue and spontaneously degrade to 6-methoxy-2-benzoxazolinone (MBOA) and 2-benzoxazolinone (BOA) upon plant cell disruption. Several maize-associated fungi in the genus
Fusarium
can metabolize MBOA and BOA. BOA tolerance levels in 10 species of
Fusarium
and in the maize endophytes
Nigrospora oryzae
,
Acremonium zeae
, and
Periconia macrospinosa
were characterized. BOA tolerance ranged from 0.25 to 1.10 mg/ml among species. The influence of substrate alteration by one species on the subsequent growth of another species was assessed in the presence and absence of BOA. The colony area of the secondary colonizer in heterospecific interactions was compared to that in autospecific interactions (one isolate follows itself). In the presence of BOA, four of six secondary colonizers had greater growth (facilitation) when primary colonizers had higher BOA tolerance than the secondary colonizer. When the primary colonizer had lower tolerance than the secondary, three of six secondary colonizers were inhibited (competition) and three not significantly affected. In BOA-free medium, the number of isolates that were facilitated or inhibited was the same regardless of the tolerance level of the primary colonizer. Two of six secondary colonizers were facilitated, two inhibited, and two not significantly affected. This study provides some support for facilitation in stressful conditions under the Menge-Sutherland model. The results are not consistent with the corresponding prediction of competition in the absence of stress. The hypothesis drawn from these data is that in the presence of a toxin, fungal species that detoxify their substrate can enhance the colonization rate of less tolerant fungi.
Single-Nucleotide Primer Extension Assay for Detection and Sequence Typing of “
Dehalococcoides
” spp
Authors: Nikolausz Marcell , Chatzinotas Antonis , Palatinszky Márton , Imfeld Gwenaël , Martinez Paula , Kästner Matthias 
Published: November 2007

ABSTRACT

A single-nucleotide primer extension (SNuPE) assay in combination with taxon-specific 16S rRNA gene PCR analysis was developed for the detection and typing of populations of the genus “
Dehalococcoides
”. The specificity of the assay was evaluated with 16S rRNA gene sequences obtained from an isolate and an environmental sample representing two
Dehalococcoides
subgroups, i.e., the Cornell and the Pinellas subgroups. Only one sequence type, belonging to the Pinellas subgroup, was detected in a Bitterfeld-Wolfen region aquifer containing chlorinated ethenes as the main contaminants. The three-primer hybridization assay thus provided a fast and easy-to-implement method for confirming the specificity of taxon-specific PCR and allowed rapid additional taxonomic classification into subgroups. This study demonstrates the great potential of SNuPE as a novel approach for rapid parallel detection of microorganisms and typing of different nucleic acid signature sequences from environmental samples.
Parameters Affecting Ethyl Ester Production bySaccharomyces cerevisiaeduring Fermentation
Authors: Saerens S. M. G. , Delvaux F. , Verstrepen K. J. , Van Dijck P. , Thevelein J. M. , Delvaux F. R. 
Published: November 2007

ABSTRACTVolatile esters are responsible for the fruity character of fermented beverages and thus constitute a vital group of aromatic compounds in beer and wine. Many fermentation parameters are known to affect volatile ester production. In order to obtain insight into the production of ethyl esters during fermentation, we investigated the influence of several fermentation variables. A higher level of unsaturated fatty acids in the fermentation medium resulted in a general decrease in ethyl ester production. On the other hand, a higher fermentation temperature resulted in greater ethyl octanoate and decanoate production, while a higher carbon or nitrogen content of the fermentation medium resulted in only moderate changes in ethyl ester production. Analysis of the expression of the ethyl ester biosynthesis genesEEB1andEHT1after addition of medium-chain fatty acid precursors suggested that the expression level is not the limiting factor for ethyl ester production, as opposed to acetate ester production. Together with the previous demonstration that provision of medium-chain fatty acids, which are the substrates for ethyl ester formation, to the fermentation medium causes a strong increase in the formation of the corresponding ethyl esters, this result further supports the hypothesis that precursor availability has an important role in ethyl ester production. We concluded that, at least in our fermentation conditions and with our yeast strain, the fatty acid precursor level rather than the activity of the biosynthetic enzymes is the major limiting factor for ethyl ester production. The expression level and activity of the fatty acid biosynthetic enzymes therefore appear to be prime targets for flavor modification by alteration of process parameters or through strain selection.
Characterization of Two New Genes,
amoR
and
amoD
, in the
amo
Operon of the Marine Ammonia Oxidizer
Nitrosococcus oceani
ATCC 19707
Authors: El Sheikh Amal F. , Poret-Peterson Amisha T. , Klotz Martin G. 
Published: November 2007

ABSTRACT

Molecular analysis of the
amo
gene cluster in
Nitrosococcus oceani
revealed that it consists of five genes, instead of the three known genes,
amoCAB
. The two additional genes,
orf1
and
orf5
, were introduced as
amoR
and
amoD
, respectively. Putative functions of the AmoR and AmoD proteins are discussed.