bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Home visiting programme for older people with health problems: process evaluation
Authors: Nicolaides‐Bouman Ans , Van Rossum Erik , Habets Herbert , Kempen Gertrudis I.J.M. , Knipschild Paul 
Published: May 2007

AbstractTitle.  Home visiting programme for older people with health problems: process evaluation Aim.  This paper is a report of a process evaluation of the content, patient compliance and participant experiences of a home visiting programme for older people with self‐reported health problems.Background.  Systematic home visits by nurses to older people are a public health strategy to improve their functional abilities and prevent institutionalization. Evidence of the usefulness of these visits is conflicting, partly due to a lack of information on the intervention process in these programmes.Method.  One hundred and sixty people (aged 70–84 years) participated in the programme and were visited eight times during an 18‐month period (February 2003–October 2004) by experienced home nurses. The nurses recorded key elements of each visit on standard forms: topics discussed, interventions regarding health problems and risks, and compliance with these interventions. Participants’ and nurses’ opinions on the visits were obtained through interviews at the end of the programme.Findings.  Nearly 80% of the group received the complete programme. Problems were detected in nearly all visits, mainly regarding social and psychological functioning, circulatory and musculoskeletal problems, and vision or hearing impairment. On average, ten problems and 11 interventions were recorded per participant. Nearly 40% of interventions related to referrals, 45% to advice and 17% consisted of information‐giving. The compliance rate was 65% for referrals and 58% for advice. Both nurses and participants were positive about the programme.Conclusion.  A health visiting programme, performed by home nurses, is feasible and appreciated by frail elders. The latter seem to be a relevant target population in view of the many and varied problems detected.
Family interviews as a method for family research
Authors: Eggenberger Sandra K. , Nelms Tommie P. 
Published: May 2007

Abstract Title. Family interviews as a method for family research Aim.  This paper is a description of the experience of conducting family interviews in a study to come to understand from families their experience of the hospitalization of a critically ill family member.Background.  Traditional family research has been done quantitatively, with a focus on the needs of individual family members rather than the family as a whole. The limited amount of qualitative family research has been done primarily by interviewing individual family members rather than the family as a group.Method.  The original study was conducted within a framework of phenomenology and 11 families, for a total of 41 individuals, were interviewed about their experiences. Family groups from two to seven members, some including adolescents and young adults, participated in semi‐structured interviews.Findings.  Findings revealed that gathering families together, even early in the critical illness experience, is not only feasible but beneficial for them and opens the door to dialogues that have a therapeutic effect on the family and help them manage the critical illness experience. Although daunting and challenging, family interviews are feasible and provide rich family‐level data that contribute knowledge to family science and family caring. Strategies for family recruitment, conduct of family interviews and family‐level data analysis are presented.Conclusion.  Families want to tell their stories and clearly have a need for nurses to develop relationships with them while caring for their ill loved ones. Family interviews both affirm the family and give nurses greater understanding of family issues, concerns and meanings.
Distinguishing between task and contextual performance for nurses: development of a job performance scale
Authors: Greenslade Jaimi H. , Jimmieson Nerina L. 
Published: May 2007

Abstract Title. Distinguishing between task and contextual performance for nurses: development of a job performance scale Aim.  This paper is a report of a development and validation of a new job performance scale based on an established job performance model.Background.  Previous measures of nursing quality are atheoretical and fail to incorporate the complete range of behaviours performed. Thus, an up‐to‐date measure of job performance is required for assessing nursing quality.Methods.  Test construction involved systematic generation of test items using focus groups, a literature review, and an expert review of test items. A pilot study was conducted to determine the multidimensional nature of the taxonomy and its psychometric properties. All data were collected in 2005.Findings.  The final version of the nursing performance taxonomy included 41 behaviours across eight dimensions of job performance. Results from preliminary psychometric investigations suggest that the nursing performance scale has good internal consistency, good convergent validity and good criterion validity.Conclusion.  The findings give preliminary support for a new job performance scale as a reliable and valid tool for assessing nursing quality. However, further research using a larger sample and nurses from a broader geographical region is required to cross‐validate the measure. This scale may be used to guide hospital managers regarding the quality of nursing care within units and to guide future research in the area.
Concept analysis: the importance of differentiating the ontological focus
Authors: Duncan Craig , Cloutier Julie Duff , Bailey P.H. 
Published: May 2007

Abstract Title. Concept analysis: the importance of differentiating the ontological focus Aim.  The aim of this paper is to clarify the philosophical underpinnings of concepts and concept analysis and the implications of their use through the lens of particular ontological perspectives.Background.  Information on the philosophical foundations of concepts from an ontological and epistemological perspective is not readily identifiable in the international literature. Although some authors have made reference to the ontological perspectives of specific concept analysis processes, none have addressed the implications of the realist or relativist perspective in relation either to the analysis process or the implications of a particular ontological perspective on the meaning and utility of a specific concept.Method.  We describe the evolution of concept analysis and influence of ontological paradigms on specific analysis methods. Using an historical review of concept development within nursing thought, we decode the language of concepts and processes of concept analysis, outline the importance of the ontological foundation of concept development, and describe the impact of concept use.Discussion.  The nursing literature is dominated by concepts created from a realist perspective. Although recent nurse–authors have introduced evidence‐based data to facilitate the development of a number of concepts, they have held fast to the perception that the ‘best’, most adequate or mature concepts transcend context.Conclusion.  The theoretical shift from context‐bound empirical analysis of concepts belies the complexity of nurses’ work. Concepts are unapologetically context‐bound. A concept that transcends context (based on realist ontology) will remain the same even when the context of praxis changes limiting its utility.
Using an interactive voice response system to improve patient safety following hospital discharge
Authors: Forster Alan J. , Van Walraven Carl 
Published: May 2007

AbstractBackground  Patients often experience complications when transitioning from hospital to home. These complications are frequently related to poor monitoring. An interactive voice response system (IVRS) could improve post‐discharge monitoring.Objective  To determine the feasibility and utility of an IVRS to monitor patients following hospital discharge.Design  Prospective cohort study at an academic health sciences centre.Patients  Consecutive internal medicine patients who had a touch‐tone telephone, spoke English, had no cognitive impairments and were discharged home.Measurements  Feasibility was defined as the proportion of patients reached by the IVRS and the proportion completing an IVRS‐based survey. Utility was defined as the percentage of patients whose outcomes could have been changed by the IVRS.Methods  We programmed the IVRS to call patients and administer a simple survey 48 hours after discharge. The survey’s objective was to identify all patients with new health problems. Such patients were telephoned by a nurse to clarify and address the problem.Results  We enrolled 77 patients who were predominantly male (68%), elderly (median age 65 years) and chronically ill (median number of co‐morbidities = 3). The IVRS reached 45 of the 77 patients (58.4%). Forty patients (51.9%) answered all questions on the survey. Twenty patients (26%, 95% CI 17%−37%) indicated new or worsening symptoms, problems with their medications, or requested to talk to the clinic nurse. For 10 patients (13%, 95% CI 7%−22%), the IVRS could have made a difference in their outcome.Conclusion  Using an IVRS, we were able to identify several important new health concerns arising following hospital discharge. Subtle changes could increase the feasibility and utility of IVRS technology in improving post‐discharge outcomes.
Non‐uniform assembly of the Bacillus anthracis exosporium and a bottle cap model for spore germination and outgrowth
Authors: Steichen Christopher T. , Kearney John F. , Turnbough Charles L. 
Published: May 2007

SummarySpores of Bacillus anthracis are enclosed by an exosporium composed of a basal layer and an external hair‐like nap. The nap is formed by a collagen‐like glycoprotein called BclA, while the basal layer contains many different proteins, one of which is a spore‐specific alanine racemase (Alr). In this study, we employed fluorescence microscopy and a fluorescently labelled anti‐Alr monoclonal antibody (mAb) to examine the distribution of Alr within the exosporium. Binding of the mAb occurred over approximately three‐quarters of the exosporium but not in a cap‐like region at one end of the spore, indicating the absence or inaccessibility of Alr in this region. We also determined that the cap‐like region, or cap, corresponds to the first part of the exosporium assembled within the mother cell during sporulation and the only part of the exosporium assembled in a ΔexsY mutant strain of B. anthracis. Our results provide the first direct evidence that exosporium assembly is a non‐uniform process and suggest that exosporium formation is discontinuous. Finally, we demonstrated that during spore germination and outgrowth, the outgrowing cell always escapes from its exosporium shell by popping through the cap, suggesting that the cap is designed to facilitate the emergence of the outgrowing cell.
Cell envelope stress induced by the bacteriocin Lcn972 is sensed by the lactococcal two‐component system CesSR
Authors: Martínez Beatriz , Zomer Aldert L. , Rodríguez Ana , Kok Jan , Kuipers Oscar P. 
Published: May 2007

SummaryThe non‐pore‐forming bacteriocin lactococcin 972 (Lcn972) inhibits the synthesis of peptidoglycan at the septum in Lactococcus lactis. In this work, the genome‐wide response of L. lactis MG1614 to Lcn972 was analysed by DNA microarrays. We found 26 genes to be significantly upregulated. Most of these encode membrane proteins of unknown function and the two‐component system (TCS) CesSR (formerly known as TCS‐D). CesSR orchestrates the response of L. lactis to Lcn972. None of the genes upregulated in L. lactis MG1614 were induced by Lcn972 in L. lactisΔcesR. In silico analysis of the promoter regions of the upregulated genes revealed a novel conserved 16 bp palindromic sequence at positions −73/−72 or −46 relative to the putative transcriptional start sites. Point mutations and deletion of this CesR box abolished regulation. Purified His‐tagged CesR interacts in electrophoretic mobility shift assays with several promoters carrying the CesR box. The CesR box is also present in other Gram‐positive cocci, upstream of genes involved in cell envelope stress. CesSR was strongly induced by lipid II‐interacting cationic polypeptides and disruption of cesR increased susceptibility to these antimicrobials. We propose here that CesSR of L. lactis controls the immediate response to cell envelope stress in this organism.
Mutualism and pathogenesis in Xenorhabdus and Photorhabdus: two roads to the same destination
Authors: Goodrich‐Blair Heidi , Clarke David J. 
Published: May 2007

Summary Photorhabdus and Xenorhabdus bacteria colonize the intestines of the infective soil‐dwelling stage of entomophagous nematodes, Heterorhabditis and Steinernema, respectively. These nematodes infect susceptible insect larvae and release the bacteria into the insect blood. The bacteria kill the insect larvae and convert the cadaver into a food source suitable for nematode growth and development. After several rounds of reproduction the nematodes are recolonized by the bacteria before emerging from the insect cadaver into the soil to search for a new host. Photorhabdus and Xenorhabdus bacteria therefore engage in both pathogenic and mutualistic interactions with different invertebrate hosts as obligate components of their life cycle. In this review we aim to describe current knowledge of the molecular mechanisms utilized by Photorhabdus and Xenorhabdus to control their host‐dependent interactions. Recent work has established that there is a trade‐off between pathogenicity and mutualism in both these species of bacteria suggesting that the transition between these interactions must be under regulatory control. Despite the superficial similarity between the life cycles of these bacteria, it is now apparent that the molecular components of the regulatory networks controlling pathogenicity and mutualism in Photorhabdus and Xenorhabdus are very different.
MutS deficiency and activity of the error‐prone DNA polymerase IV are crucial for determining mucA as the main target for mucoid conversion in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Moyano Alejandro J. , Luján Adela M. , Argaraña Carlos E. , Smania Andrea M. 
Published: May 2007

Summary Pseudomonas aeruginosa colonizes the respiratory tract of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, where mutators along with mucoid variants emerge leading to chronic infection. Mucoid conversion generally involves mutations inactivating the mucA gene. This study correlates the frequency and nature of mucA mutations with the activity of factors determining the mutation rate, such as MutS and polymerase IV (Pol IV). Results show that: (i) the emergence frequency of mucoid variants was higher in isolates arising from mutS populations compared with the wild‐type strain; (ii) in both strains mucoid conversion occurred mainly by mucA mutations; (iii) however, the mutator strain harboured mostly mucA22 (a common allele in CF isolates), while the wild type showed a wider spectrum of mucA mutations with low incidence of mucA22; (iv) disruption of dinB in the wild‐type and mutS strains decreased drastically the emergence frequency of mucoid variants; (v) furthermore, the incidence of mucA mutations diminished in the mutS dinB double mutant strain which consisted only in mucA22; (vi) finally, the mucoid isolates obtained from the dinB strain showed an unexpected absence of mucA mutations. Taken together results demonstrate the implication of both MutS and Pol IV in determining mucA as the main target for conversion to mucoidy.
Perturbations to engulfment trigger a degradative response that prevents cell–cell signalling during sporulation in Bacillus subtilis
Authors: Doan Thierry , Rudner David Z. 
Published: May 2007

SummaryDuring sporulation in Bacillus subtilis, the mother cell membranes migrate around the forespore in a phagocytic‐like process called engulfment. Developmental gene expression requires the successful completion of this key morphological event. Here we show that perturbations to engulfment block the accumulation of proteins secreted into the space between the mother cell and forespore membranes. Our data support a model in which engulfment defects cause the proteolytic clearance of these secreted proteins. Importantly, we show that this degradative response is reversible; once proper engulfment is restored, secreted proteins again accumulate. In particular, we have found that the forespore signalling protein SpoIVB fails to accumulate when engulfment is impaired and, as a result, late mother cell gene expression under the control of σK is blocked. If engulfment is restored, SpoIVB accumulates and cell–cell signalling resumes. Thus, this degradative pathway functions like a developmental checkpoint ensuring that mother cell gene expression does not commence unless morphogenesis proceeds normally.
The yeast ammonium transport protein Mep2 and its positive regulator, the Npr1 kinase, play an important role in normal and pseudohyphal growth on various nitrogen media through retrieval of excreted ammonium
Authors: Boeckstaens Mélanie , André Bruno , Marini Anna Maria 
Published: May 2007

SummaryThree ammonium transport systems of the Mep/Amt/Rh superfamily contribute to ammonium uptake for use as a nitrogen source in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. A specific sensor role has further been proposed for Mep2 in the stimulation of pseudohyphal development during ammonium limitation. Optimal ammonium transport by the Mep proteins requires the Npr1 kinase, a potential target of the target‐of‐rapamycin signalling pathway. We show here that the growth impairment of cells lacking Npr1 on many nitrogen sources is shared by cells deprived of the three Mep proteins and is a consequence of deficient ammonium retrieval. Expression of a newly isolated Npr1‐independent and hyperactive Mep2 in cells lacking Npr1 and/or the Mep proteins restores growth on low ammonium but also on other nitrogen sources. This hyperactive Mep2 variant efficiently counteracts ammonium excretion. Hence, ammonium uptake activity plays an important role in compensating for leakage of catabolic ammonium. Our data also reveal that the requirement of Npr1 for ammonium‐induced pseudohyphal growth is an indirect consequence of its necessity for Mep2‐mediated ammonium transport. Finally, we show that Mep2 participates, through ammonium leakage compensation, in pseudohyphal growth induced by amino acid starvation. This argues further in favour of tight coupling of Mep2 transport and sensor functions.
Fcγ Receptor Polymorphisms are not Associated with Autoimmune Addison's Disease
Authors: Wolff A. S. B. , Myhr K.‐M. , Vedeler C. A. , Husebye E. S. 
Published: May 2007

AbstractPolymorphisms in the low‐affinity Fcγ receptors (FcγR) modulate their capacity to bind IgG and the subsequent immune response. Different FcγR polymorphisms have been reported to be associated with susceptibility and severity of various autoimmune diseases. We wanted to investigate associations between FcγR polymorphisms and autoimmune primary adrenal failure (Addison's disease). We have genotyped 149 patients with Addison's disease and 89 healthy controls for common polymorphisms in the genes coding for FcγRIIa, FcγRIIIa and FcγRIIIb using polymerase chain reaction. Patients with Addison's disease and controls showed no differences in genotype distributions of FcγRIIa, FcγRIIIa and FcγRIIIb. The results indicate that different FcγR polymorphisms do not have an impact on immune responses involved in the development of autoimmune Addison's disease.
The chloroplast HSP70B‐CDJ2‐CGE1 chaperones catalyse assembly and disassembly of VIPP1 oligomers in Chlamydomonas
Authors: Liu Cuimin , Willmund Felix , Golecki Jochen R. , Cacace Sabrina , Heß Barbara , Markert Christine , Schroda Michael 
Published: April 2007

SummaryThe vesicle‐inducing protein in plastids (VIPP1) is essential for the biogenesis of thylakoid membranes in cyanobacteria and plants. VIPP1 and its bacterial ancestor PspA form large homo‐oligomeric rings of >1 MDa. We recently demonstrated that VIPP1 interacts with the chloroplast J‐domain co‐chaperone CDJ2 and its chaperone partner HSP70B, and hypothesized that the chaperones might be involved in the assembly and/or disassembly of VIPP1 oligomers. To test this hypothesis, we analysed the composition of VIPP1/chaperone complexes in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii cell extracts and monitored effects of the chaperones on VIPP1 assembly states in vitro. We found that CGE1, the chloroplast GrpE homologue, is also part of complexes with HSP70B, CDJ2 and VIPP1. We observed that CDJ2‐VIPP1 accumulated as low‐ and high‐molecular‐weight complexes in ATP‐depleted cell extracts, but as intermediate‐size complexes in extracts supplemented with ATP. This was consistent with a role for the chaperones in VIPP1 assembly and disassembly. Using purified proteins, we could demonstrate that the chaperones indeed facilitated both the assembly and disassembly of VIPP1 oligomers. Electron microscopy studies revealed that, in contrast to PspA, VIPP1 rings assembled into rod‐shaped supercomplexes that were morphologically similar to microtubule‐like structures observed earlier in various plastid types. VIPP1 rods, too, were disassembled by the chaperones, and chaperone‐mediated rod disassembly also occurred when VIPP1 lacked an approximately 30‐aa C‐terminal extension present in VIPP1 homologues but absent in PspA. By regulating the assembly state of VIPP1, the chloroplast HSP70 chaperone system may play an important role in the maintenance/biogenesis of thylakoid membranes.
Identification and functional characterization of cation–chloride cotransporters in plants
Authors: Colmenero‐Flores José M. , Martínez Germán , Gamba Gerardo , Vázquez Norma , Iglesias Domingo J. , Brumós Javier , Talón Manuel 
Published: April 2007

SummaryChloride (Cl−) is an essential nutrient and one of the most abundant inorganic anions in plant tissues. We have cloned an Arabidopsis thaliana cDNA encoding for a member of the cation–Cl− cotransporter (CCC) family. Deduced plant CCC proteins are highly conserved, and phylogenetic analyses revealed their relationships to the sub‐family of animal K+:Cl− cotransporters. In Xenopus laevis oocytes, the A. thaliana CCC protein (At CCC) catalysed the co‐ordinated symport of K+, Na+ and Cl−, and this transport activity was inhibited by the ‘loop’ diuretic bumetanide, a specific inhibitor of vertebrate Na+:K+:Cl− cotransporters, indicating that At CCC encodes for a bona fide Na+:K+:Cl− cotransporter. Analysis of At CCC promoter‐β‐glucuronidase transgenic Arabidopsis plants revealed preferential expression in the root and shoot vasculature at the xylem/symplast boundary, root tips, trichomes, leaf hydathodes, leaf stipules and anthers. Plants homozygous for two independent T‐DNA insertions in the CCC gene exhibited shorter organs such as inflorescence stems, roots, leaves and siliques. The elongation zone of the inflorescence stem of ccc plants often necrosed during bolt emergence, while seed production was strongly impaired. In addition, ccc plants exhibited defective Cl− homeostasis under high salinity, as they accumulated higher and lower Cl− amounts in shoots and roots, respectively, than the treated wild type, suggesting At CCC involvement in long‐distance Cl− transport. Compelling evidence is provided on the occurrence of cation–chloride cotransporters in the plant kingdom and their significant role in major plant developmental processes and Cl− homeostasis.