bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Preliminary results of patient satisfaction with nutrition handouts versus dietetic consultation in oncology outpatients receiving chemotherapy
Authors: ISENRING Elisabeth , CROSS Giordana , KELLETT Elizabeth , KOCZWARA Bogda 
Published: February 2008

AbstractAim:  To determine patient satisfaction with nutrition interventions in outpatients receiving chemotherapy identified as at nutritional risk.Methods:  An observational, cross‐sectional study was conducted at an Australian public hospital in 61 oncology outpatients receiving chemotherapy. A simple malnutrition screening tool was used to identify nutritional risk. Patients identified as moderate risk were triaged to receive nutrition handouts on increasing energy and protein intake. Those at high risk received nutrition counselling and support by a dietitian. Patient satisfaction was assessed using a modification of a valid and reliable satisfaction with nutrition services questionnaire.Results:  Sixty‐one patients entered the study and one‐third (20/61) were at nutritional risk. Seven patients were at high risk, and received dietetic review while 13 patients were at moderate risk and received nutrition handouts. Patients identified as at nutritional risk (n = 20) were approached to complete the satisfaction with nutrition services questionnaire. Eighteen patients completed the questionnaire (n = 7: dietetic review; and n = 11: nutrition handout). Nutrition information/advice was rated as helpful (n = 15), met patient expectations (n = 16) and overall patient satisfaction was rated highly. Patients who had received a dietitian review recorded a clinically but not statistically higher overall satisfaction with nutrition services than those patients receiving the nutrition handout.Conclusion:  The high patient satisfaction helps support nutrition intervention at the chemotherapy unit. A prospective trial is required to determine the benefits of this triage and nutrition intervention on nutrition‐related outcomes.
Riverina men's study: An exploration of rural men's attitudes to health and body image
Authors: O'KANE Gabrielle , CRAIG Pippa , SUTHERLAND David 
Published: February 2008

AbstractAim:  To determine the attitudes of rural men to matters of health and body image.Methods:  Focus group discussions were used to examine the attitudes of a sample of Australian rural men to matters of health and body image in the context of their eating and exercise behaviours. Forty‐two rural men, aged 25–64 years, took part in four focus groups, one exclusively for farmers, in south‐western New South Wales (NSW).Results:  Results from these focus groups reveal that many of the masculine myths surrounding male behaviour in relation to health and ideas on body image persist among rural men in south‐western NSW. Talking about health is not considered a male past‐time; visiting health professionals is still seen as a last resort; being a ‘big bloke’ is perceived to be advantageous and heavy drinking is still considered an Australian male domain, especially among the younger men in the groups.Conclusion:  The present study provides a deeper understanding of rural men's attitudes to body image issues and lifestyle behaviours, which is critical to helping change health outcomes for this hard‐to‐reach group.
Validation of the General Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire in an Australian community sample
Authors: HENDRIE Gillian A. , COX David N. , COVENEY John 
Published: February 2008

AbstractAim:  To validate the General Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire developed by Parmenter and Wardle (1999) in an Australian community sample. This questionnaire differs from previous assessments of knowledge because it incorporates a broad range of nutrition concepts, including knowledge of dietary recommendations, healthy food choices, nutrient sources and some diet–disease relationships.Methods:  The original questionnaire was developed in the UK, and thus modified to suit the current Dietary Guidelines for Australians and current public health nutrition recommendations. A total of 156 people, of which 116 were community members, completed the questionnaire (113 items). As an indication of concurrent validity, a subsample of nutrition and dietetic students were included (n = 40). As a measure of test–retest reliability, a subsample (n = 57), including students and community members, answered the questionnaire on two occasions, two weeks apart.Results:  Both overall internal reliability of the questionnaire items (Cronbach's alpha = 0.92) and test–retest reliability (r = 0.87) were high. The nutrition and dietetic students, hypothesised to have higher knowledge levels, scored consistently higher than the general community sample, indicating good concurrent validity.Conclusion:  A test of a modified version of the General Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire found it to be a valid and reliable measure of nutrition knowledge, appropriate for use in a section of the Australian community. The validated tool may be used in the future for the comprehensive assessment of general nutrition knowledge; however, further testing in differing sections of Australian society may be warranted.
Promoting the reuse of enteral feeding equipment in ambulatory patients: Where do we stand?
Authors: OSLAND Emma 
Published: February 2008

AbstractCleaning and reuse of single‐use and single‐patient‐use enteral feeding equipment is common in Australia, particularly in ambulatory patients. This practice may result in feed product contamination and adverse clinical outcomes for the patient, and exposes the health professional providing the advice to liability for harm caused. The present article reviews the literature addressing cleaning and reuse of enteral feeding equipment to provide guidance to health professionals managing and supporting patients receiving home enteral nutrition.
Development of an electromagnetic hydrocyclone separator for purification of wastewater
Authors: Ali‐Zade Parviz , Ustun Ozgur , Vardarli Feyzullah , Sobolev Konstantin 
Published: February 2008

AbstractA number of various organic and inorganic contaminants are commonly present in the technological fluids hindering production quality. Importantly, waste influents must be purified to meet the appropriate environmental standards for their disposal. This paper deals with the development of a treatment technique for technological and wastewater streams allowing the separation of microscopic droplets of water, sand, oil and other organic and inorganic contaminants. Some existing approaches and processes for treatment of contaminated fluids are briefly reviewed and the design of an electromagnetic hydrocyclone separator is presented in this paper. The effect of the main forces on the separation of small‐sized impurities (<10 μm) is analysed. The experimental tests demonstrated the efficiency of the developed apparatus in purifying the industrial wastewaters of the textile dyeing industry.
Combined biological treatment of high‐sulphate wastewater from yeast production
Authors: Zub S. , Kurissoo T. , Menert A. , Blonskaja V. 
Published: February 2008

AbstractThe wastewater from baker's yeast production contains above‐average concentrations of organic pollutants (25 000 mg/L total chemical oxygen demand, TCOD), nutrients (1500 mg/L Ntot, 100 mg/L Ptot) and sulphate (2900 mg/L SO42−). Baker's yeast wastewater with a flow rate of 190 m3/day was treated in a mesophilic anaerobic/anoxic continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) system. At the expense of the reduction of trimethylglycine (or betaine‐component of sugar‐beet molasses) to other nitrogen‐containing compounds, it was possible to re‐oxidize the sulphides to elemental sulphur, remove them from the wastewater and increase biogas production. Therefore, the average removal efficiency in the anaerobic/anoxic system was 79% by TCOD, 100% by SO42− in which the concentration of sulphides in the effluent did not exceed 50 mg/L. The application of this combined anaerobic/anoxic system to a full‐scale treatment plant supported biogas production up to 1300 m3/day, and the purification of wastewater was feasible without the use of granular sludge.
Experiences of algae in UK waters: a treatment perspective
Authors: Henderson Rita , Chips Michael , Cornwell Neill , Hitchins Philip , Holden Barrie , Hurley Steve , Parsons Simon A. , Wetherill Andrew , Jefferson Bruce 
Published: February 2008

AbstractAlgae blooms are a seasonal problem in UK waters and during these periods interferences with treatment plants are reported. This paper presents an analysis of data from 2000 to 2005 demonstrating UK experiences of algae at water treatment works. Cell populations are lower than those reported in the 1970s and 1980s, but reach levels that adversely affect treatment processes. Diatoms and cyanobacteria dominate in spring and autumn respectively. A treatment works including pre‐oxidation, coagulation, flotation and filtration removes on average 96% of influent cells, while rapid gravity filters alone remove 63–75%. Cells present in the filtrate are typically either unicellular, micro‐algae, or flagellated algae. filter blockages in the spring and autumn are caused by large cells of complex morphology, including the diatoms Melosira and Asterionella. Overall, since the 1980s the key issue with respect to algae treatment has changed from one of treatability to that of process optimisation and economics.
How groundwater seepage and transport modelling software can be useful for studying gaseous transport in an unsaturated soil
Authors: Chesnaux R. 
Published: February 2008

AbstractThe aim of this paper is to show how standard hydrogeologic software, usually used to model contaminant transport in groundwater under unsaturated conditions, can also be used to model gas transport in unsaturated porous media. Physical processes involved in the interaction between the atmosphere and the unsaturated soils are considered: transport by diffusion through the air and the groundwater, exchange between the liquid and gas phases and consumption. These physical processes are incorporated into the governing equations of a groundwater numerical code; by considering air, contained in the unsaturated soil, as water in the seepage numerical model, the air effectively becomes fluid within the numerical code. Then, the investigated gas is defined as the contaminant in the transport model, which is transported by ‐the air for the modeller‐, and ‐water for the numerical code‐. The over‐riding assumption is that the air profiles and, therefore, water profiles of volume contents remain constant. The approach is illustrated using two examples, which consider the transport of oxygen. The first deals with oxygen distribution through a laboratory‐cell diffusion containing reactive mining tailings. The second deals with the oxygen fluxes through the vadose zone, between the atmosphere and an unconfined aquifer's water table. Both examples consider different cases of oxygen consumption.
Shallow aquifer resources in the federal capital territory of Nigeria
Authors: Jimoh O. D. , Wojuola O. A. 
Published: February 2008

AbstractPublic water supply to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) of Nigeria is inadequate and an alternative source of water includes streams, hand‐dug wells and boreholes. A survey showed that 41% of the territory uses hand‐dug wells, while 23% depends on boreholes and 16% depends on streams. Measurements were taken from 84 wells in 2002 and 2003 to assess the contribution of hand‐dug wells. The parameters considered include ground surface elevation, water level, permeability and well yield. The well diameter ranged between 0.7 and 1.2 m, while the depth ranged between 4.5 and 16 m. The permeability ranged between 0.000518 and 0.002541 cm/s. The source of recharge to the aquifer is rain, and well productivity ranged between 211 and 1806 L/day. Wells located in seven out of nine groups considered cannot meet the water demand of an average household (20 people) in the territory.
Meeting the phosphorus consent with biological nutrient removal under UK winter conditions
Authors: Manyumba Future , Wood Elizabeth , Horan Nigel 
Published: February 2008

AbstractIt is estimated that up to 342 wastewater treatment plants (Wwtps) in England and Wales will require a phosphorus (P) consent by 2010. Although biological P removal is considered to be the most sustainable option for P removal, it has always been problematic for plants that remove both nitrogen and P due to the inadequate concentration of organic material during wet periods. Two biological nutrient removal (BNR) configurations, the Johannesburg (JHB) process and a combined JHB and five‐stage Bardenpho process, were evaluated over a period of 2 years to assess the impact of sewage strength on bio‐P removal. The JHB achieved an average effluent total phosphorus (TP) of 2.4 mg/L and the combined JHB and five‐stage process averaged 1.4 mg/L effluent TP. The major problems affecting the performance of both configurations were: dissolved oxygen (DO) in the recycled mixed liquor, nitrate in the return activated sludge (RAS) and low influent biological oxygen demand (BOD) concentrations. Acetate dosing proved successful as a source of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) in the anaerobic zone during periods of low‐strength sewage. An acetate dosing strategy based on the influent flow rate to the plant was found to be a simple and effective technique that ensured that a consent of <1 mg TP/L could be met.
The effect of a single intravenous fluid bolus on packed cell volume and plasma total solids concentration in Red‐collared Lorikeets (Trichoglossus haematodus rubritorquis)
Authors: WICKS RM , SCHULTZ DJ 
Published: February 2008

Objective  To determine the effect of a single intravenous (IV) fluid bolus on the hydration of an avian patient, using packed cell volume (PCV) and plasma total solids (TS) to estimate hydration.Procedure   Ten birds were allocated randomly to one of three groups, and administered 30 mL/kg or 50 mL/kg intravenous fluid, or were part of a control group and did not receive IV fluid. Blood was collected before the IV fluid bolus was administered, and at 1 minute, 3 hours and 6 hours after administration of the fluid. Samples were used to determine PCV and TS and results were compared between groups and between the different time points.Results   Administration of 30 mL/kg or 50 mL/kg compound sodium lactate solution caused a statistically significant decrease in PCV. Within 3 hours, the PCV was not significantly different to the initial value or to the PCV of control birds. Administration of 30 mL/kg compound sodium lactate solution did not result in a significant decrease in TS. However, administration of 50 mL/kg produced a significant decrease in TS, which was still significantly less than controls 6 hours after the fluid was administered.Conclusion   These findings suggest that an intravenous bolus of fluid may be safely administered to an anaemic bird, since PCV is significantly decreased for less than 3 hours. Up to 50 mL/kg of fluid may be administered as an intravenous bolus to a bird, to produce significant haemodilution that persists for up to 6 hours.
Rural veterinary services in Western Australia: Part B. Rural practice
Authors: MAXWELL JAL , COSTA ND , LAYMAN LL , ROBERTSON ID 
Published: February 2008

Objective   To determine the current status of rural veterinary services in Western Australia.Procedure   A questionnaire was sent to all eligible rural practitioners registered in 2006 and the replies were transferred to Microsoft Excel for analysis.Results   Of the rural practitioners invited to participate in the survey replies were received from 67%. There were equal numbers of females and males. Their mean age was 44 years. Ninety per cent of respondents considered knowledge gained as an undergraduate was sufficient to equip them for practice, but only 60% considered their practical skills adequate. Thirteen per cent of those in rural practices in 2005 had left by 2006. Eighty‐nine per cent of respondents were in mixed practice, the balance in specific species practice, such as equine, large animal and production animal consultancy. The majority of rural practitioners relied on servicing companion animals for their viability; 7% earned their income from servicing production animals only. Seventy per cent utilised merchandising and the sale of pet foods to supplement the income received from the traditional veterinary services and 34% found it necessary to earn an independent income. A quarter considered that rural practice did not have a future.Conclusion   The majority of rural practitioners in Western Australia depend on companion animals, not production animals, to remain viable, with very few operating production animal services. Poor remuneration is a major reason why veterinarians leave rural practice, and many find it necessary to supplement their income or develop an independent income.
Effects of
Plasmodium falciparum
Parasite Population Size and Patient Age on Early and Late Parasitological Outcomes of Antimalarial Treatment in Children
Authors: Borrmann Steffen , Matsiegui Pierre-Blaise , Missinou Michel Anoumou , Kremsner Peter G. 
Published: February 2008

ABSTRACT

The design and interpretation of trials assessing the chemotherapeutic effects of antimalarial drugs depend on our understanding of how different selection criteria affect treatment outcomes. In this study, we analyzed the effects of baseline parameters on the initial parasite elimination rate and the risk of subsequent recrudescence as a marker for incompletely eliminated asexual blood-stage parasites in pediatric patients with uncomplicated
Plasmodium falciparum
infection treated with amodiaquine in a high-transmission area. We found that (i) parasite population size and patient age independently determine early and late parasitological treatment outcome measurements; (ii) the rate of recrudescence is higher in patients 1 to 3 years of age than in patients aged <1 or >3 years; (iii) patients aged >5 years with parasite densities between 2,000 and 10,000/μl have a lower recrudescence rate (13%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 8% to 21%) than patients aged <5 years with parasite densities of >10,000/μl (40%; 95% CI, 30% to 50%); and (iv) the sensitivity of detecting recrudescences outside this high-risk group, i.e., in patients of >5 years of age or with parasite densities of <10,000/μl, is as low as 27% or 22%, respectively. In conclusion, these findings highlight the need to use adequate selection criteria and to report parasitological outcome results adjusted for the readily available determinants of chemotherapeutic failure, i.e., patient age and baseline parasitemia. The thresholds may vary by transmission intensity and drug regimen. A better understanding of the limitations of antimalarial regimens in high-risk subgroups of patients has important implications for setting policy recommendations.
Pharmacokinetic Determinants of the Window of Selection for Antimalarial Drug Resistance
Authors: Stepniewska K. , White N. J. 
Published: February 2008

ABSTRACT
The selection and spread of antimalarial drug resistance pose enormous challenges to the health of people living in tropical countries. Most antimalarial drugs are slowly eliminated and so, following treatment in areas of endemicity, provide a gradient of concentrations to which newly acquired parasites are exposed. There is a variable period during which a new blood-stage infection with resistant malaria parasites can emerge from the liver and subsequently produce gametocyte densities sufficient for transmission while reinfection by sensitive parasites is still suppressed. This “window of selection” drives the spread of resistance. We have examined the factors which determine the duration of this window and, thus, the resistance selection pressure. The duration ranges from zero to several months and is dependent on the degree of parasite resistance, the slope of the concentration-effect relationship, and the elimination kinetics of the antimalarial drug. The time at which the window opens and the duration of opening are both linear functions of the terminal elimination half-life. Because of competition from sibling susceptible parasites, the greater risks of extinction with low starting numbers, and opening of the window only when blood concentrations have fallen below the MIC, the window of selection for de novo resistance is narrower than that for resistance acquired elsewhere. The windows were examined for the currently available antimalarials. Drugs with elimination half-lives of less than 1 day, such as the artemisinins and quinine, do not select for resistance during the elimination phase.
Carbapenem-Resistant
Acinetobacter baumannii
Isolates from Tunisia Producing the OXA-58-Like Carbapenem-Hydrolyzing Oxacillinase OXA-97
Authors: Poirel Laurent , Mansour Wejdene , Bouallegue Olfa , Nordmann Patrice 
Published: February 2008

ABSTRACT

The basis of the β-lactam resistance of 39 multidrug-resistant
Acinetobacter baumannii
isolates recovered from hospitalized patients was studied. These isolates were collected from 2001 to 2005 at the Sahloul Hospital in Sousse, Tunisia. They belonged to two distinct clones. One clone that grouped 19 isolates produced a carbapenem-hydrolyzing oxacillinase, OXA-97, that differed from OXA-58 by a single amino acid substitution and conferred the same β-lactam resistance profile as OXA-58. The
bla
OXA-97
gene was located on plasmids that varied in size in 18 isolates and was chromosomally located in a single isolate. Cloning and sequencing identified genetic structures surrounding the
bla
OXA-97
gene similar to those reported to be adjacent to the
bla
OXA-58
gene. In addition, the novel IS
Aba8
element (which is of the IS
21
family) was identified. This is the first report of the nosocomial spread of carbapenemase producers in
A. baumannii
isolates in Africa.
Identification of an Antiparallel Coiled-Coil/Loop Domain Required for Ligand Binding by theBorrelia hermsiiFhbA Protein: Additional Evidence for the Role of FhbA in the Host-Pathogen Interaction
Authors: Hovis Kelley M. , Freedman John C. , Zhang Hongming , Forbes Jonathan L. , Marconi Richard T. 
Published: February 2008

ABSTRACTBorrelia hermsii, an etiological agent of tick-borne relapsing fever in North America, binds host-derived serum proteins including factor H (FH), plasminogen, and an unidentified 60-kDa protein via its FhbA protein. Two distinct phylogenetic types of FhbA have been delineated (FhbA1 and FhbA2). These orthologs share a conserved C-terminal domain that contains two alpha helices with a high predictive probability of coiled-coil formation that are separated by a 14-amino-acid loop domain. Through site-directed mutagenesis, we have identified residues within these domains that influence the binding of both mouse and human FH, plasminogen, and/or the 60-kDa protein. To further investigate the involvement of FhbA in the host-pathogen interaction, strains that are either FhbA+(isolate YOR) or FhbA−(isolate REN) were tested for serum sensitivity. Significant differences were observed, with YOR and REN being serum resistant and serum sensitive (intermediate), respectively. To test the abilities of these strains to infect and persist in mice, mice were needle inoculated, and infectivity and persistence were then assessed. While both strains REN and YOR infected mice, only the FhbA+YOR strain persisted beyond day 4. Survival of the YOR isolate in blood correlated with the upregulation of thefhbAgene, as demonstrated by real-time reverse transcriptase PCR. These data advance our understanding of the unique interactions of FhbA with individual serum proteins and provide support for the hypothesis that FhbA is an important contributor to the pathogenesis of the relapsing fever spirocheteB. hermsii.