bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Mitigation of adverse effects of rising CO2 on a planktonic herbivore by mixed algal diets
Authors: URABE JOTARO , WAKI NAOKO 
Published: October 2008

AbstractPutative future increase in atmospheric CO2 is expected to adversely affect herbivore growth due to decrease in contents of key nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus (P) relative to carbon in primary producers including plant and algal species. However, as many herbivores are polyphagous and as the response of primary producers to elevated CO2 is highly species‐specific, effects of elevated CO2 on herbivore growth may differ between feeding conditions with monospecific and multiproducer diets. To examine this possibility, we performed CO2 manipulation experiments under a P‐limited condition with a planktonic herbivore, Daphnia, and three algal species, Scenedesmus obliquus (green algae), Cyclotella sp. (diatoms) and Synechococcus sp. (cyanobacteria). Semibatch cultures with single algal species (monocultures) and multiple algal species (mixed cultures) were grown at ambient (360 ppm) and high CO2 levels (2000 ppm) that were within the natural range in lakes. Both in the mono‐ and mixed cultures, algal steady state abundance increased but algal P : C and N : C ratios decreased when they were grown at high CO2. As expected, Daphnia fed monospecific algae cultured at high CO2 had decreased growth rates despite increased algal abundance. However, when fed mixed algae cultured at high CO2, especially consisting of diatoms and cyanobacteria or the three algal species, Daphnia maintained high growth rates despite lowered P and N contents relative to C in the algal diets. These results imply that algal diets composed of multiple species can mitigate the adverse effects of elevated CO2 on herbivore performance, although the magnitude of this mitigation depends on the composition of algal species involved in the diets.
Elevated air temperature alters an old‐field insect community in a multifactor climate change experiment
Authors: VILLALPANDO SHAWN N. , WILLIAMS RAY S. , NORBY RICHARD J. 
Published: October 2008

AbstractTo address how multiple, interacting climate drivers may affect plant–insect community associations, we sampled insects that naturally colonized a constructed old‐field plant community grown for over 2 years under simultaneous CO2, temperature, and water manipulation. Insects were sampled using a combination of sticky traps and vacuum sampling, identified to morphospecies and the insect community with respect to abundance, richness, and evenness quantified. Individuals were assigned to four broad feeding guilds in order to examine potential trophic level effects. Although there were occasional effects of CO2 and water treatment, the effects of warming on the insect community were large and consistent. Warming significantly increased Order Thysanoptera abundance and reduced overall morphospecies richness and evenness. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling found that only temperature affected insect community composition, while a Sørensen similarity index showed less correspondence in the insect community between temperature treatments compared with CO2 or soil water treatments. Within the herbivore guild, elevated temperature significantly reduced richness and evenness. Corresponding reductions of diversity measures at higher trophic levels (i.e. parasitoids), along with the finding that herbivore richness was a significant predictor of parasitoid richness, suggest trophic‐level effects within the insect community. When the most abundant species were considered in temperature treatments, a small number of species increased in abundance at elevated temperature, while others declined compared with ambient temperature. Effects of temperature in the dominant insects demonstrated that treatment effects were limited to a relatively small number of morphospecies. Observed effects of elevated CO2 concentration on whole‐community foliar N concentration did not result in any effect on herbivores, which are probably the most susceptible guild to changes in plant nutritional quality. These results demonstrate that climatic warming may alter certain insect communities via effects on insect species most responsive to a higher temperature, contributing to a change in community structure.
Predominant role of water in regulating soil and microbial respiration and their responses to climate change in a semiarid grassland
Authors: LIU WEIXING , ZHANG ZHE , WAN SHIQIANG 
Published: October 2008

AbstractClimate change can profoundly impact carbon (C) cycling of terrestrial ecosystems. A field experiment was conducted to examine responses of total soil and microbial respiration, and microbial biomass to experimental warming and increased precipitation in a semiarid temperate steppe in northern China since April 2005. We measured soil respiration twice a month over the growing seasons, soil microbial biomass C (MBC) and N (MBN), microbial respiration (MR) once a year in the middle growing season from 2005 to 2007. The results showed that interannual variations in soil respiration, MR, and microbial biomass were positively related to interannual fluctuations in precipitation. Laboratory incubation with a soil moisture gradient revealed a constraint of the temperature responses of MR by low soil moisture contents. Across the 3 years, experimental warming decreased soil moisture, and consequently caused significant reductions in total and microbial respiration, and microbial biomass, suggesting stronger negatively indirect effects through warming‐induced water stress than the positively direct effects of elevated temperature. Increased evapotranspiration under experimental warming could have reduced soil water availability below a stress threshold, thus leading to suppression of plant growth, root and microbial activities. Increased precipitation significantly stimulated total soil and microbial respiration and all other microbial parameters and the positive precipitation effects increased over time. Our results suggest that soil water availability is more important than temperature in regulating soil and microbial respiratory processes, microbial biomass and their responses to climate change in the semiarid temperate steppe. Experimental warming caused greater reductions in soil respiration than in gross ecosystem productivity (GEP). In contrast, increased precipitation stimulated GEP more than soil respiration. Our observations suggest that climate warming may cause net C losses, whereas increased precipitation may lead to net C gains in the semiarid temperate steppe. Our findings highlight that unless there is concurrent increase in precipitation, the temperate steppe in the arid and semiarid regions of northern China may act as a net C source under climate warming.
Hope, expectations and recovery from illness: a narrative synthesis of qualitative research
Authors: Wiles Rose , Cott Cheryl , Gibson Barbara E. 
Published: October 2008

AbstractAim.  This paper is a report of a narrative literature review conducted to explore how expectations and wants are distinguished in empirical research on hope and illness and the related issues of realistic hope and temporality.Background.  Particularized hope has been identified as comprising wants and expectations. The distinction is important in relation to debates around ‘realistic’ hopes, the temporal dimension of hope and hope‐sustaining strategies.Data sources.  A systematic search of the literature was undertaken for qualitative research papers published between January 1996 and July 2007 relating to hope and recovery in adults with physical ill health. Seven papers were identified.Review methods.  A narrative synthesis approach was adopted and the papers were appraised for quality using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme method. Textual descriptions and tabulation were used to compare central themes and thematic analysis was used to explore the findings.Results.  A lack of conceptual clarity in relation to hope as a want or an expectation was identified. Healthcare professionals’ role in encouraging ‘realistic’ hopes emerged as problematic because of the lack of understanding about the possible benefits of hope and difficulties in identifying ‘realistic’ hopes. There has been limited research exploring temporality and the impact of hope‐sustaining activities.Conclusion.  The lack of clarity about particularized hope, its dimensions, properties or different forms limits knowledge about the conditions under which hope is a positive force versus when it can be damaging. Distinguishing conceptually between hope as a want and hope as an expectation has potential value in improving healthcare practice and informing future investigations.
Cross‐disciplinary demands of multihost pathogens
Authors: HAYDON DANIEL T. 
Published: October 2008

The dynamics of infectious disease spread depend on host population contact structure. Heterogeneities in this contact structure can arise from various forms of demographic and spatial phenomena. Craft et al. (this issue) have constructed an exploratory simulation model of the spread of canine distemper virus through a multispecies carnivore community. Each species in this community is modelled with a contact structure reflecting host social organization, ranging behaviour, and likely interspecific contact patterns. The results are used to infer the possible roles of different species in determining the observed spatio‐temporal incidence of canine distemper virus in Serengeti lions during an outbreak in 1993–94.
The impact of lifestyle on the physical fitness of primary school children
Authors: Chung Joanne WY , Chung Louisa MY , Chen Bob 
Published: October 2008

Aims.  To compare the physical fitness levels of Hong Kong and mainland Chinese school children and to study the association between any differences and their respective lifestyles.Background.  Genes and lifestyle are both factors contributing to health. Hong Kong is a Chinese city with distinctive lifestyle features such as a different diet and different entertainment and education from the rest of China. Using samples of the same ethnicity and investigating differences in the physical fitness parameters between Hong Kong and mainland Chinese school children might reveal the impact of some lifestyle factors on health.Design.  Survey.Method.  Primary school children (n = 522) were recruited. Demographic data were collected by questionnaire. Physical fitness tests were carried out.Results.  Significant differences were found in height, body weight, sit and reach, long jump, running 50 m and lung capacity. Hong Kong children were found to be taller and heavier at ages 6 and 7, but heavier with similar height to that of mainland children at ages 8–12. Other results showed better physical fitness on the part of mainland children.Discussion.  Although the people of Hong Kong share the same ethnicity as the majority of mainland Chinese, the eastern‐mixed‐with‐western diet, education and entertainment of Hong Kong children differ greatly. The findings in terms of physical fitness revealed variations in body build, flexibility, cardiovascular function and muscle power between the two groups.Conclusion.  Lifestyle could possibly be a key factor and predictor of physical fitness, providing strong evidence to support the interaction between lifestyle and genes in their impact on our health.Relevance to clinical practice.  Lifestyle could possibly be a key factor and predictor of physical fitness and health outcomes. The finding of this study may enhance the identification of healthy lifestyle which may improve health outcomes in children.
Swedish and Chinese nurses’ conceptions of ethical problems: a comparative study
Authors: Silén Marit , Tang Ping Fen , Ahlström Gerd 
Published: October 2008

Aim.  To investigate Swedish and Chinese nurses’ conceptions of ethical problems and workplace stress and ascertain whether there are differences between the nurses in the two countries and between types of clinics.Background.  Nursing can be regarded as an ethical practice and ethical problems are one type of problems nurses have to deal with.Design.  The research design was comparative and quantitative.Methods.  A questionnaire was used. The study was carried out at one hospital in China and two hospitals in Sweden. One hundred and thirty‐six Chinese nurses and 137 Swedish nurses participated.Results.  There was a statistical difference between nurses working in the different countries regarding commonest stated ethical problem. The Swedish nurses indicated a greater number of ethical problems than the Chinese nurses. The latter felt irritated, dissatisfied or sad at work or after work more often than the Swedish nurses. Forty‐one per cent of the nurses in both countries thought there was a modest or rather big difference between the current and the desired quality of nursing.Conclusions.  The findings were partially the same in the two countries and this underlines the importance of looking at ethical problems from an organisational perspective.Relevance to clinical practice.  The findings also show the need for a reduction of nurses’ workload as well as the importance of assuring that nurses have the knowledge they need to carry out their work. The communication between nurses and other members of the health‐care team, patients and relatives also needs to be improved.
Injured road users’ health‐related quality of life after telephone intervention: a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Franzén Carin , Brulin Christine , Stenlund Hans , Björnstig Ulf 
Published: October 2008

Objective.  To investigate whether nursing intervention via telephone follow‐up can affect health‐related quality of life among road users in the postinjury phase.Background.  Injuries in the traffic environment often cause both physical impairment and psychological trauma. Therefore, it is important to investigate whether nursing via telephone follow‐up after discharge could affect health‐related quality of life among injured road users.Design.  A randomised controlled study.Method.  Between April 2003–April 2005, car occupants, cyclists and pedestrians, aged 18–70 years, all injured in the traffic environment, were randomly assigned to an intervention (n = 288) or control group (n = 280). All patients were initially managed by one emergency department with the intervention group being followed up by nurse led telephone follow‐up three weeks after discharge, while the control group did not receive any telephone follow‐up. Data were collected from a mail survey using the non‐disease‐specific health‐related quality of life instrument EQ5D, at baseline and after six months.Results.  In general, the intervention group rated significantly higher health‐related quality of life than the control group. This difference was most pronounced in the group of those provided with advice as part of telephone follow‐up and significantly for the general health status. Car occupants gained most advantage from the nursing telephone follow‐up, with significantly lower problems in the dimensions of pain/discomfort and usual activities.Conclusion.  Nursing intervention via telephone follow‐up was effective at increasing the health‐related quality of life of injured road users. Early identification of the concerns of the injured and specific advice provided by the intervening nurse seems to be of greatest weight. Thus, more research is needed regarding the usefulness of early support and the advantage of this from a health economic perspective.Relevance to clinical practice.  There is a need for changes in attitudes and working routines to identify individuals with low health‐related quality of life and to give more extensive support from this point of view.
Factors associated with the prevalence of violent behaviour among residents living in nursing homes
Authors: Isaksson Ulf , Åström Sture , Sandman Per‐Olof , Karlsson Stig 
Published: October 2008

Aim. The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between environmental and organisational factors as well as resident and caregiver characteristics in nursing home wards with a high respectively low prevalence of residents with violent behaviour.Background.  Earlier studies have indicated that different factors are related to violent behaviour among residents living in nursing homes, such as environmental and organisational variations, and resident and caregiver characteristics. However, few studies have simultaneously examined the relationship between these factors.Design.  A cross‐sectional descriptive survey design.Methods.  The study was performed in 10 nursing homes consisting of 33 wards. Data were collected using the Multi‐Dimensional Dementia Assessment Scale and the Geriatric Rating Scale. Variables concerning organisation and environment were gathered by means of a questionnaire. Differences between wards with high (HPW) or low prevalence of violence (LPW) were analysed.Results.  In HPWs, the prevalence of behaviour and psychiatric symptoms, residents needing assistance with dressing and psychological workload were found to be higher, while job satisfaction was lower compared to LPWs. This study has also shown that caregivers in HPWs had less experience of working with older people and they experienced their working climate as less positive. Furthermore, HPWs had more residents, lower caregiver‐to‐resident ratio and longer corridors, and caregivers in these wards experienced more difficulties to supervise the residents.Conclusion.  This study has shown that the prevalence of residents with violent behaviour is significantly associated with other behavioural and psychiatric symptoms and ADL (activities of daily life)‐functions, as well as caregivers’ experiences of job satisfaction and psychological workload.Relevance to clinical practice.  This study underlines the importance of a multifactorial approach to understand the prevalence of violent behaviour, including the physical environment, organisational factors, as well as characteristics of the resident and the caregiver.
Development and psychometric testing of the Cancer Knowledge Scale for Elders
Authors: Su Ching‐Ching , Chen Yuh‐Min , Kuo Bo‐Jein 
Published: October 2008

Aim.  To develop the Cancer Knowledge Scale for Elders and test its validity and reliability.Background.  The number of elders suffering from cancer is increasing. To facilitate cancer prevention behaviours among elders, they shall be educated about cancer‐related knowledge. Prior to designing a programme that would respond to the special needs of elders, understanding the cancer‐related knowledge within this population was necessary. However, extensive review of the literature revealed a lack of appropriate instruments for measuring cancer‐related knowledge. A valid and reliable cancer knowledge scale for elders is necessary.Design.  A non‐experimental methodological design was used to test the psychometric properties of the Cancer Knowledge Scale for Elders.Methods.  Item analysis was first performed to screen out items that had low corrected item‐total correlation coefficients. Construct validity was examined with a principle component method of exploratory factor analysis. Cancer‐related health behaviour was used as the criterion variable to evaluate criterion‐related validity. Internal consistency reliability was assessed by the KR‐20. Stability was determined by two‐week test–retest reliability.Results.  The factor analysis yielded a four‐factor solution accounting for 49·5% of the variance. For criterion‐related validity, cancer knowledge was positively correlated with cancer‐related health behaviour (r = 0·78, p < 0·001). The KR‐20 coefficients of each factor were 0·85, 0·76, 0·79 and 0·67 and 0·87 for the total scale. Test–retest reliability over a two‐week period was 0·83 (p < 0·001).Conclusion.  This study provides evidence for content validity, construct validity, criterion‐related validity, internal consistency and stability of the Cancer Knowledge Scale for Elders. The results show that this scale is an easy‐to‐use instrument for elders and has adequate validity and reliability.Relevance to clinical practice.  The scale can be used as an assessment instrument when implementing cancer education programmes for elders. It can also be used to evaluate the effects of education programmes.
Older people and inflammatory bowel disease: a systematic review
Authors: Smith Graeme D , Watson Roger , Thompson David R 
Published: October 2008

Aims and objectives.  To review the literature on inflammatory bowel disease in older and younger people and to identify whether they included a nursing or psychosocial perspective, or were informed by theories of ageing.Background.  Inflammatory bowel disease, manifested as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, affects younger and older people and is associated with a range of psychosocial factors. Nurses have an important role to play in caring for people with inflammatory bowel disease.Methods.  A systematic review of literature related to inflammatory bowel disease and older people was carried out using the MEDLINE, CINAHL EMBASE and Cochrane databases between 1990–2006.Conclusions.  Generally speaking, the clinical features of inflammatory bowel disease are similar in younger and older people, as are indications for surgery, survival and the usual wide spectrum of severity of disease. Corticosteroid treatment carries additional risk for older people. The studies used both retrospective and prospective designs, with the former using patient records, and the latter using follow‐up of patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Sample sizes were adequate for statistical analyses but there was no reference to reliability or validity of data collection methods. None of the studies considered psychosocial aspects, or the role of nurses in caring for people with inflammatory bowel disease. A specific gerontological perspective was lacking from the papers reviewed. While the clinical features of inflammatory bowel disease are similar in younger and older people, with the bimodal distribution of age of onset of inflammatory bowel disease, the possibility exists that quality of life and adjustment in older people depend on age of onset. This has not been investigated. Future lines of enquiry taking psychosocial aspects of inflammatory bowel disease into account in older people are explored.Relevance to clinical practice.  Nurses play an increasingly important role in the assessment and management of inflammatory bowel disease patients. Little is known about factors which could predict poorer psychosocial health and the impact non‐intestinal manifestations may have on this in older people with inflammatory bowel disease.