bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Coping mechanisms of parents of children recently diagnosed with autism in Taiwan: a qualitative study
Authors: Lin Ching‐Rong , Tsai Yun‐Fang , Chang Hsueh‐Ling 
Published: September 2008

Objective.  To understand the coping mechanisms of Taiwanese parents whose children have recently been diagnosed with autism.Background.  When a child is diagnosed with autism, the family’s life changes. Parents of a child with autism have been shown to cope with problem‐ or emotion‐focused coping strategies. However, it is not known how parents in Taiwan adapt and cope with the stresses of taking care of an autistic child, especially in the early period after learning their child’s diagnosis and while waiting for free national day care arrangements at hospital.Design.  A descriptive qualitative design was used, with in‐depth interviews.Methods.  Parents of children diagnosed with autism (n = 17) were recruited from a children’s psychiatric outpatient clinic at a medical centre in northern Taiwan. The parents were still waiting for free national day care arrangements at hospital. Data were collected through individual, tape‐recorded interviews and observations, and transcripts were analysed by content analysis for emerging themes and concepts.Results.  The study sample of parents of children with autism described nine main coping mechanisms that fell into three core categories: adjusting to self‐change, developing treatments for the autistic child and seeking support.Conclusions.  The results of this study could be used by clinicians to help parents of autistic children become aware of whether or not they are using healthy coping mechanisms, and to suggest concrete and healthy coping strategies, particularly in the period after the diagnosis is confirmed and they are waiting for free national day care arrangements at hospital.Relevance to clinical practice.  Clinicians in child psychiatry are encouraged to become part of the social support network for parents of autistic children, thus helping them adjust to the long journey of caring for their children.
Biopsychosocial functioning of women after mastectomy
Authors: Skrzypulec Violetta , Tobor Ewa , Drosdzol Agnieszka , Nowosielski Krzysztof 
Published: September 2008

Aims.  The aim of this work was to identify the problems of women after total mastectomy and partial mastectomy with regard to various factors and intensity of discomfort which affect the quality of life.Background.  The loss of the attribute of femininity, maternity and sexuality, as the mammary gland is perceived by patients, is a highly traumatic experience, frequently resulting in re‐evaluation of life and functioning to date.Design and methods.  The survey encompassed 494 women after operational treatment of breast cancer with varying time since the procedure. The research group consisted of women after radical mastectomy, and the control group consisted of patients after partial mastectomy.Results.  The intensity of post‐traumatic stress was an important factor affecting the level of depression and anxiety. This correlation appeared to be statistically highly significant in the group of women after total mastectomy. Life satisfaction, the level of depression and anxiety in women after such an operation were dependent on the intensity of post‐traumatic stress and they caused inferior biopsychosocial functioning.Conclusions.  Women after mastectomy require professional long‐term support; this need should result in the enhancement of services provided in relevant women’s support groups.Relevance to clinical practice.  When evaluating holistically the life of women after mastectomy, all spheres of everyday functioning should be taken into account: physical, cognitive, emotional and social.
Experiences of living with a malignant fungating wound: a qualitative study
Authors: Lo Shu‐Fen , Hu Wen‐Yu , Hayter Mark , Chang Shu‐Chuan , Hsu Mei‐Yu , Wu Li‐Yue 
Published: September 2008

Aims and objectives.  The purpose of this study was to explore the experience of cancer patients living with a malignant fungating wounds.Background.  Malignant fungating wounds are caused by cancerous cells invading skin tissue. These wounds can then bleed, become malodorous and painful causing physical and psychological distress. However, little is know about how individuals experience these lesions.Design.  Qualitative.Methods.  Ten in‐depth interviews were conducted with patients in one medical teaching centre in Taiwan. Data were subject to a thematic analysis informed by elements of grounded theory.Results.  Five key themes demonstrated an emerging model that offers an insight into how patients experience their wound. Firstly, ‘Declining physical well‐being’ refers to the initial impact of the wound, this is linked to two further themes; ‘Wound related stigma’ and the ‘Need for expert help’. Another theme; ‘Strategies in wound management’ describes the initial, ineffective attempts by participants to manage their wound and the impact of professional help around wound management. This was linked to a fifth theme; ‘Living positively with the wound’ that reflected how patients adjusted to the presence of the wound – significantly influenced by the wound care they received.Conclusion.  This study contributes to the understanding we have of how patients experience living with such wounds. It sets out the clear need for early use of wound specialists as part of the multi‐disciplinary oncology team.Relevance to clinical practice.  The results of this study provides a description of patient experiences that can help to guide nursing practice as well as an understanding of what a malignant fungating wound means to cancer patients and how it influences their lives.
Shifting supervision: implications for safe administration of medication by nursing students
Authors: Reid‐Searl Kerry , Moxham Lorna , Walker Sandra , Happell Brenda 
Published: September 2008

Background.  Medication errors made unintentionally by nurses continue to be a major concern in hospitals, medical centres and aged care facilities throughout Australia. While there is a plethora of literature available, which has identified factors that contribute to nurses making errors, few studies have reported on factors that may contribute to errors made by nursing students.Design.  A grounded theory approach.Methods.  In‐depth interviews with final‐year undergraduate nursing students (n = 28) to explore their experiences of administering medication. Constant comparative analysis was used to identify categories from the data.Results.  The central category was identified as ‘shifting levels of supervision’. This describes the process of supervision students received when administering medication. Four levels were identified: ‘being with’, ‘being over’, ‘being near’ and ‘being absent’. The findings suggest that nursing students do not always receive the level of supervision that is legally required. Less than satisfactory levels of supervision were identified by participants as leading to medication errors or near misses.Conclusion.  Apart from ‘Being with’, the levels of supervision described by participants have major implications for the safe administration of medication by nursing students and represent the actual or potential cause of error.Relevance to clinical practice.  The potential for medication errors pose a major safety issue. Healthcare services have a responsibility to protect patient safety. Appropriate supervision of nursing students when administering education therefore requires urgent attention to ensure best practice is executed.
Inactivation of Ichthyophonus spores using sodium hypochlorite and polyvinyl pyrrolidone iodine
Authors: Hershberger P K , Pacheco C A , Gregg J L 
Published: September 2008

AbstractChlorine and iodine solutions were effective at inactivating Ichthyophonus spores in vitro. Inactivation in sea water increased directly with halogen concentration and exposure duration, with significant differences (P < 0.05) from controls occurring at all chlorine concentrations and exposure durations tested (1.5–13.3 ppm for 1–60 min) and at most iodine concentrations and exposure durations tested (1.2 ppm for 60 min and 5.9–10.7 ppm for 1–60 min). However, 10‐fold reductions in spore viability occurred only after exposure to halogen solutions at higher concentrations and/or longer durations (13 ppm total chlorine for 1–60 min, 5.9 ppm total iodine for 60 min, and 10.7 ppm total iodine for 1–60 min). Inactivation efficacy was greater when halogen solutions were prepared in fresh water, presumably because of combined effects of halogen‐induced inactivation and general spore instability in fresh water. The results have practical implications for disinfection and biocontainment in research laboratories and other facilities that handle live Ichthyophonus cultures and/or infected fish.
The effects of water velocity on the Ceratomyxa shasta infectious cycle
Authors: Bjork S J , Bartholomew J L 
Published: September 2008

Abstract Ceratomyxa shasta is a myxozoan parasite identified as a contributor to salmon mortality in the Klamath River, USA. The parasite has a complex life cycle involving a freshwater polychaete, Manayunkia speciosa and a salmonid. As part of ongoing research on how environmental parameters influence parasite establishment and replication, we designed a laboratory experiment to examine the effect of water flow (velocity) on completion of the C. shasta infectious cycle. The experiment tested the effect of two water velocities, 0.05 and 0.01 m s−1, on survival and infection of M. speciosa as well as transmission to susceptible rainbow trout and comparatively resistant Klamath River Chinook salmon. The faster water velocity facilitated the greatest polychaete densities, but the lowest polychaete infection prevalence. Rainbow trout became infected in all treatments, but at the slower velocity had a shorter mean day to death, indicating a higher infectious dose. Infection was not detected in Chinook salmon even at a dose estimated to be as high as 80 000 actinospores per fish. The higher water velocity resulted in lower C. shasta infection prevalence in M. speciosa and decreased infection severity in fish. Another outcome of our experiment is the description of a system for maintaining and infecting M. speciosa in the laboratory.
Application of in situ detection techniques to determine the systemic condition of lymphocystis disease virus infection in cultured gilt‐head seabream, Sparus aurata L.
Authors: Cano I , Ferro P , Alonso M C , Sarasquete C , Garcia‐Rosado E , Borrego J J , Castro D 
Published: September 2008

AbstractImmunohistochemistry (IHC) and in situ hybridization (ISH) techniques have been used for the detection of lymphocystis disease virus (LCDV) in formalin‐fixed, paraffin‐embedded tissues from gilt‐head seabream, Sparus aurata L. Diseased and recovered fish from the same population were analysed. IHC was performed with a polyclonal antibody against a 60‐kDa viral protein. A specific digoxigenin‐labelled probe, obtained by PCR amplification of a 270‐bp fragment of the gene coding the LCDV major capsid protein, was used for ISH. LCDV was detected in skin dermis and gill lamellae, as well as in several internal organs such as the intestine, liver, spleen and kidney using both techniques. Fibroblasts, hepatocytes and macrophages seem to be target cells for virus replication. The presence of lymphocystis cells in the dermis of the skin and caudal fin, and necrotic changes in the epithelium of proximal renal tubules were the only histological alterations observed in fish showing signs of the disease.
Water recirculation and good management: potential methods to avoid disease outbreaks with Flavobacterium psychrophilum
Authors: Madsen L , Dalsgaard I 
Published: September 2008

Abstract Flavobacterium psychrophilum infections cause high mortality among rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, fry in Danish fish farms and hatcheries. Hatcheries based entirely on bore‐hole water recirculation systems have been suggested as a possibility for eliminating F. psychrophilum or at least keeping the amount of this bacterium low. The occurrence of the bacterium in a bore‐hole water recirculation system was compared with a combined bore‐hole water and stream water flow‐through system in a hatchery where outbreaks of rainbow trout fry syndrome caused by F. psychrophilum often occurred. Broodfish, unfertilized and fertilized eggs, eyed eggs and fry, as well as water samples from the tanks/troughs with broodfish/fry, were examined. Suspect yellow bacterial colonies were either confirmed or rejected as F. psychrophilum by growth characteristics and by PCR. As both virulent and less virulent F. psychrophilum isolates are known, isolates were characterized. The isolates were ribotyped and grouped according to ribotyping patterns. Representatives of the groups were serotyped. Fry isolates were very homogeneous whereas isolates from broodfish were heterogeneous, whether the isolates originated from external surfaces of the fish (mucus from skin and gills, haemorrhages and ulcers) or internal organs. Flavobacterium psychrophilum was isolated from broodfish in both water systems; 56% of investigated broodfish from the borehole/flowthrough system and 36% from the recirculation facility harboured the bacterium. In the recirculation system, the bacterium was isolated from fish (ulcers, milt, liver, abdominal cavity) kept in the system for 11 months. Flavobacterium psychrophilum was found in milt and ovarian fluid as well as on the surface of fertilized eggs, but not inside the eggs. Fry also harboured F. psychrophilum, but in the water recirculation system the bacterium was first isolated from the fry after they had been graded. Flavobacterium psychrophilum was found regularly in other parts of the hatchery (outside the recirculation facility), including at the time of grading, suggesting that the occurrence of F. psychrophilum in the fry recirculation facility was due to contamination from the borehole/flowthrough hatchery. It is suggested that the combination of bore‐hole water recirculation systems and good management procedures (including egg disinfection) is a possible method for hatcheries to avoid disease outbreaks due to F. psychrophilum.
Low levels of relatedness on black grouse leks despite male philopatry
Authors: LEBIGRE C , ALATALO R. V , FORSS H. E , SIITARI H 
Published: September 2008

AbstractIn lekking species, males cluster on specific areas for display (the leks) and females generally prefer to copulate with males on large aggregations. The maintenance of leks in which only a few males reproduce might be explained if subordinate males gain indirect fitness benefits. By joining a lek on which relatives are displaying, subordinates might attract more females to the lek thereby increasing the mating opportunities of their kin. In black grouse, a genetic structure among leks has previously been found suggesting that relatives could display together. Using 11 microsatellite loci, we extended this result by testing for the presence of kin structures in nine black grouse leks (101 males). The genetic differentiation among flocks was higher in males than in females, suggesting female‐biased dispersal and male philopatry. Because of this genetic structure, males were more related within than among leks. However, the mean relatedness within each lek hardly differed from zero. The lekking males were not more related than random assortments of males from the winter flocks and there were no kin clusters within leks. Thus, black grouse males do not choose to display with and close to relatives. Male philopatry alone was not sufficient to induce elevated levels of relatedness on the leks either because of male partial dispersal or a rapid turnover of the successful males. The indirect fitness benefits associated with males’ settlement decision are probably limited compared to the direct benefits of joining large aggregations such as increased current and future mating opportunities.
The Monoclonal Antibody 6B9 Recognizes CD44 and Not Cell Surface Transglutaminase 2
Authors: Stamnaes J. , Fleckenstein B. , Lund‐Johansen F. , Sollid L. M. 
Published: September 2008

AbstractThe multifunctional enzyme transglutaminase 2 (TG2) can be located intracellularly, in the extracellular matrix (ECM) and on the cell surface. Cell surface TG2 (csTG2) is poorly recognized both by most TG2‐specific commercial antibodies and celiac disease‐associated anti‐TG2 autoantibodies. The recent characterization of a csTG2‐specific monoclonal antibody (mAb), which did not recognize ECM‐associated TG2, suggested major conformational differences between csTG2 and TG2 found in the ECM. Subsequent findings based on this antibody indicated ubiquitous abundance and novel roles of csTG2 in innate immune responses. We wished to identify the epitope of 6B9 so as to shed light on the disparate antibody binding properties of csTG2‐ and ECM‐associated TG2. Surprisingly, and despite thorough effort, we were unable to isolate TG2 as the antigen of 6B9. We found that 6B9 does not react with recombinant human TG2. In immunoprecipitation experiments, 6B9 pulled down an 85 kDa protein which was identified as CD44 by mass spectrometry. Several flow cytometry experiments including the testing of CD44s transfectants indicated that CD44, and not csTG2, is the antigen of 6B9. We conclude that 6B9 does not recognize csTG2 but rather the cell surface glycoprotein CD44. Thus, recent knowledge of csTG2 gained through the use of 6B9 should be reevaluated.
Overexpression of class 1 plant hemoglobin genes enhances symbiotic nitrogen fixation activity between Mesorhizobium loti and Lotus japonicus
Authors: Shimoda Yoshikazu , Shimoda‐Sasakura Fuyuko , Kucho Ken‐ichi , Kanamori Norihito , Nagata Maki , Suzuki Akihiro , Abe Mikiko , Higashi Shiro , Uchiumi Toshiki 
Published: September 2008

SummaryPlant hemoglobins (Hbs) have been divided into three groups: class 1, class 2, and truncated Hbs. The various physiological functions of class 1 Hb include its role as a modulator of nitric oxide (NO) levels in plants. To gain more insight into the functions of class 1 Hbs, we investigated the physical properties of LjHb1 and AfHb1, class 1 Hbs of a model legume Lotus japonicus and an actinorhizal plant Alnus firma, respectively. Spectrophotometric analysis showed that the recombinant form of the LjHb1 and AfHb1 proteins reacted with NO. The localization of LjHb1 expression was correlated with the site of NO production. Overexpression of LjHb1 and AfHb1 by transformed hairy roots caused changes in symbiosis with rhizobia. The number of nodules formed on hairy roots overexpressing LjHb1 or AfHb1 increased compared with that on untransformed hairy roots. Furthermore, nitrogenase activity as acetylene‐reduction activity (ARA) of LjHb1‐ or AfHb1‐overexpressing nodules was higher than that of the vector control nodules. Microscopic observation with a NO‐specific fluorescent dye suggested that the NO level in LjHb1‐ and AfHb1‐overexpressing nodules was lower than that of control nodules. Exogenous application of a NO scavenger enhanced ARA in L. japonicus nodules, whereas a NO donor inhibited ARA. These results suggest that the basal level of NO in nodules inhibits nitrogen fixation, and overexpression of class 1 Hbs enhances symbiotic nitrogen fixation activity by removing NO as an inhibitor of nitrogenase.
Clinical and laboratory features that distinguish dengue from other febrile illnesses in endemic populations
Authors: Potts James A. , Rothman Alan L. 
Published: September 2008

SummaryObjective  Clinicians in resource‐poor countries need to identify patients with dengue using readily‐available data. The objective of this systematic review was to identify clinical and laboratory features that differentiate dengue fever (DF) and/or dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) from other febrile illnesses (OFI) in dengue–endemic populations.Method  Systematic review of the literature from 1990 to 30 October 2007 including English publications comparing dengue and OFI.Results  Among 49 studies reviewed, 34 did not meet our criteria for inclusion. Of the 15 studies included, 10 were prospective cohort studies and five were case–control studies. Seven studies assessed all ages, four assessed children only, and four assessed adults only. Patients with dengue had significantly lower platelet, white blood cell (WBC) and neutrophil counts, and a higher frequency of petechiae than OFI patients. Higher frequencies of myalgia, rash, haemorrhagic signs, lethargy/prostration, and arthralgia/joint pain and higher haematocrits were reported in adult patients with dengue but not in children. Most multivariable models included platelet count, WBC, rash, and signs of liver damage; however, none had high statistical validity and none considered changes in clinical features over the course of illness.Conclusions  Several individual clinical and laboratory variables distinguish dengue from OFI; however, some variables may be dependent on age. No published multivariable model has been validated. Study design, populations, diagnostic criteria, and data collection methods differed widely across studies, and the majority of studies did not identify specific aetiologies of OFIs. More prospective studies are needed to construct a valid and generalizable algorithm to guide the differential diagnosis of dengue in endemic countries.
Apoptosis and anti‐apoptotic heat shock proteins in canine cutaneous infundibular keratinizing acanthomas and squamous cell carcinomas
Authors: Bongiovanni Laura , Romanucci Mariarita , Fant Pierluigi , Lagadic Marie , Della Salda Leonardo 
Published: September 2008

AbstractCell stress and death are linked in the neoplastic process, and heat shock proteins appear to play an important role by inhibiting apoptotic pathways. The apoptotic rates in 9 canine infundibular keratinizing acanthomas (IKAs) and 17 canine squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) were correlated with the immunohistochemical expression of caspase‐3 and the antiapoptotic heat shock proteins Hsp27, 72 and 73. Apoptosis was evaluated using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase biotin‐dUTP nick end labelling (TUNEL) method.The absence of a correlation between the TUNEL index and active‐caspase‐3 expression, a paucity of active‐caspase‐3‐positive cells and Hsp72 over‐expression were considered to be indicative of inhibition of apoptosis, and suggestive that inhibition of cell death plays a key role in oncogenesis and tumour growth of some canine skin neoplasms.
Carriage of Malassezia spp. yeasts in Cornish Rex, Devon Rex and Domestic short‐haired cats: a cross‐sectional survey
Authors: Bond R. , Stevens K. , Perrins N. , Åhman S. 
Published: September 2008

AbstractCarriage of Malassezia spp. yeasts in healthy Cornish Rex cats (CRC) was compared with that in Devon Rex (DRC) and Domestic short‐haired (DSH) cats. Samples obtained from the left external ear canal, anus and claw fold of digit III of the left fore foot by swabbing, and the axilla and groin using contact plates, were incubated for yeasts on modified Dixon's agar at 32 °C for 7 days. Malassezia species were isolated from 90% of the DRC, but from only 39% of the CRC and 50% of the DSH cats. M. pachydermatis accounted for 121 of 141 Malassezia spp. isolates. Five CRC were colonized by M. pachydermatis alone, one CRC yielded only M. nana, and one cat yielded only M. slooffiae, whereas five CRC were colonized by both M. pachydermatis and M. nana and another yielded M. pachydermatis, M. slooffiae and M. nana. M. nana was primarily isolated from the ear canal, whereas M. slooffiae was most often isolated from the claw. Both the frequencies of isolation and the population sizes of M. pachydermatis at all sites sampled in the CRC were comparable to those of 10 healthy DSH cats. Populations of M. pachydermatis in the left axilla and left and right groin in the CRC were significantly lower when compared with counts in a group of 21 healthy DRC, a breed with very similar coat characteristics but prone to seborrheic dermatitis caused by M. pachydermatis.