bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of continuous intrapartum professional support on childbirth outcomes
Authors: Hodnett Ellen D. , Osborn Richard W. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractThe purpose of this stratified randomized trial was to determine the physical and psychological effects of continuous, one‐to‐one professional support on childbirth outcomes. Data were gathered during prenatal and postpartum interviews with, and from the medical records of, 103 low‐risk women. All subjects had attended one of two types of prenatal education programs, were accompanied by husbands or partners during labor, and had vaginal deliveries. Subjects in the experimental group were less likely to have medication for pain relief and less likely to have episiotomies. Three variables were found to predict perceived control during childbirth—expectations of control, the presence of a continuous professional care‐giver, and pain medication usage. The results demonstrate the importance of the traditional nursing support role during childbirth.
Medicaid maternal and child health care: Prepaid plans vs. private fee‐for‐service
Authors: Reis Janet 
Published: April 2007

AbstractA randomly selected sample of 98 inner‐city new mothers was interviewed with regard to (a) their level of satisfaction with and perceived barriers to pediatric and maternal health care, and (b) the health status of their infants. The mothers were divided according to their Medicaid status: 39 (40%) were enrolled into a Medicaid prepaid plan (PPP) and 59 (60%) were enrolled as regular Medicaid fee‐for‐service (FFS) patients. Comparison of the two groups showed that infant health status was similar but that PPP mothers reported a higher incidence of untreated infant problems and perceived more barriers to pediatric care. Birth outcomes also were similar for the two groups but FFS mothers and infants were hospitalized for significantly longer periods postpartum. The implications of these findings for the delivery of maternal and child health services to low‐income populations through the Medicaid program are discussed.
The relationship between task complexity and decision‐making consistency
Authors: Hughes Katharine Kostbade , Young Wendy B. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between task complexity and decision‐making consistency using a normative decision model. The Decision Analytic Questionnaire (DAQ), an instrument designed to measure nurses' decision making under increasingly uncertain and complex conditions, was administered to a stratified random sample of 101 paid volunteer medical‐surgical nurses drawn from three public teaching hospitals. Probit analysis was used to construct a profile of the decision maker whose decisions coincided with those of the model. Results indicated that nurses made clinical decisions that coincided with those recommended by a normative decision model but that agreement diminished as task complexity increased (p ≤ .005). The results also indicated that consistency was task specific, that predictive variables were a function of decision task and that more predictor variables were needed to explain consistency as task complexity increased.
Effects of moderate and low intensity long‐term exercise by older adults
Authors: Stevenson Joanne Sabol , Topp Robert 
Published: April 2007

AbstractThe goal was to determine the existence of differential effects of long‐term moderate‐ or low‐intensity exercise on selected bio‐behavioral variables in 72 community‐dwelling persons over 60 years of age. After screening, subjects were randomly assigned to a moderate (n=39, 60–70% heart rate reserve [HRR]) or low (n=33, 30–40% HRR) intensity exercise protocol. Both groups exercised three times per week for 9 months and dependent measures were taken at baseline, 4.5 months and after 9 months. Repeated measures ANOVA with Tukey post hoc comparisons constituted the analysis approach. Moderate exercise showed no superiority over low‐intensity exercise; both groups improved about equally. Variables that significantly improved included: self‐reported sleep (sleep quantity and dream recall), mental status (attention/concentration, short‐term memory and higher cognitive functioning), health perceptions (health outlook, health worry, rejection of the sick role), and cardiovascular fitness indicators (submaximum stress test heart rate, maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max), maximum work capacity and maximum exercise time). Similarity of outcomes in both groups may mean that the moderate exercise protocol was too conservative. Conversely, the findings may indicate that lower levels of exercise, which may be safer and more feasible over time, do improve fitness levels, prolong independent functioning, and promote positive perceptions of well‐being in older adults.
Stress, locus of control, social support, and psychological symptoms among head nurses
Authors: Jennings Bonnie Mowinski 
Published: April 2007

AbstractThis study was conducted to evaluate the relationships among work stress, nonwork stress, locus of control, social support, and head nurses' psychological symptoms. Data were collected from head nurses (N = 300) representing all Army hospitals in the United States; 21% of the volunteer sample were men. The results supported the hypotheses that perceived stress from both work and nonwork sources was positively related to psychological symptoms. Direct effects for both internal locus of control and social support, while weak, were manifest as expected; these variables demonstrated a negative relationship with psychological symptoms. None of the hypothesized buffering effects were detected. The stress model derived from this study accounted for 35.9% of the variance in psychological symptoms. Regardless of gender, the head nurses' psychological symptoms were one standard deviation higher than nonpatient norms.
Altered level of consciousness: Validity of a nursing diagnosis
Authors: Grant Joan S. , Kinney Marguerite 
Published: April 2007

AbstractThe purpose of this three‐phase study was to examine the validity of the nursing diagnosis altered level of consciousness (ALC). The conceptual framework was diagnostic reasoning. In Phase I, 26 content experts certified in neuroscience nursing completed four rounds of a Delphi survey to identify defining characteristics and operational definitions for the nursing diagnosis. The diagnosis was divided into ALC: arousal and ALC: content. In Phase II, 30 staff nurses from two neuroscience intensive care units (NICUs) used the magnitude estimation scaling technique in judging the importance and frequency of occurrence of defining characteristics chosen in Phase I. In Phase III, 60 patients in two NICUs were assessed for frequency of occurrence of the defining characteristics for ALC: arousal and ALC: content. In Phase I, there was ≥70% agreement on the appropriateness and clarity of 28 and 24 defining characteristics and operational definitions for ALC: arousal and ALC: content, respectively. In Phase II, there were 7 major defining characteristics identified for ALC: arousal and 6 major defining characteristics identified for ALC: content. In Phase III, there were 13 defining characteristics that occurred with significantly greater frequency in patients with an ALC: arousal and 17 defining characteristics that occurred with significantly greater frequency in patients with an ALC: content.
Reference charts and equations of Korean fetal biometry
Authors: Jung Sung IL , Lee Young Ho , Moon Min Hoan , Song Mi Jin , Min Jee Yeon , Kim Jeong‐Ah , Park Ju Hyun , Yang Jae Hyug , Kim Moon Young , Chung Jin Hoon , Cho Jeong Yeon , Kim Kwang Gi 
Published: April 2007

AbstractObjectiveTo construct new reference charts and equations for fetal biparietal diameter (BPD), head circumference (HC), abdominal circumference (AC) and femur diaphysis length (FDL) from Korean fetuses at 12–40 weeks.MethodProspective cross‐sectional data obtained in one center for 5 years from a population of pregnant women undergoing ultrasound examination between the 12th and 40th week of gestation. Exclusion criteria comprised all maternal and fetal conditions possibly affecting fetal biometry. No fetuses were excluded on the basis of abnormal biometry. For each measurement, regression models were fitted to estimate both the mean and the standard deviation at each menstrual age.ResultsBiometric measurements were obtained for 10 455 fetuses. New charts and reference equations are reported for BPD, HC, AC and FDL. Reference equations are cubic models.ConclusionWe present new Korean reference charts and equations for fetal biometry. They can be easily used in obstetric ultrasound studies for the Korean population. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Preparation of porous polyacrylamide hydrogels by frontal polymerization
Authors: Lu Guo Dong , Yan Qing Zhi , Ge Chang Chun 
Published: April 2007

AbstractPolyacrylamide hydrogels with defined porous structure were synthesized through frontal polymerization (FP) in the presence of NaHCO3 as a foaming agent. Pore properties were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy and mercury intrusion porosimetry. The as‐prepared hydrogels displayed a small cell diameter of ca 2 µm. The dissolved foaming agent dispersing at the level of molecules and the polymerization front propagating step by step should be responsible for the small uniform cell structure. The pore volume varied from 0.63 to 3.65 cm3 g−1 and the bulk density changed from 0.48 to 0.28 g cm−3 for a foaming agent content from 0 to 18%. The hydrogels synthesized by FP exhibited higher swelling rate and swelling ratio with respect to conventional batch polymerization. The highest swelling ratio and rate were obtained at a foaming agent concentration of 12% based on monomer. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry
Electrochemical polymerization and characterization of polyether‐substituted aniline derivatives
Authors: Tirkeş Seha , Cihaner Atilla , Önal Ahmet M 
Published: April 2007

AbstractNew compounds consisting of aniline units linked by polyether bridges have been synthesized and their electrochemical polymerization was performed via constant potential electrolysis and cyclic voltammetry in an aqueous solution containing 3.0 mol L−1 H2SO4. Chemical polymerization was carried out using (NH4)2S2O8 as oxidizing agent. It was found that both methods gave the same polymer product without any cleavage of the polyether bridge between aniline rings. The polymers were characterized using the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic technique and the thermal behavior of electrochemically prepared polymers was investigated using thermogravimetric analysis. Spectroelectrochemical properties of the films were investigated using the in situ UV‐visible spectroscopic technique. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry
Diabetes‐induced changes in the renal cortical proteome assessed with two‐dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry
Authors: Tilton Ronald G. , Haidacher Sigmund J. , LeJeune Wanda S. , Zhang Xiaoquan , Zhao Yingxin , Kurosky Alexander , Brasier Allan R. , Denner Larry 
Published: April 2007

AbstractTo understand the spectrum of proteins affected by diabetes and to characterize molecular functions and biological processes they control, we analyzed the renal cortical proteome of db/db mice using 2‐DE combined with MALDI‐TOF, MALDI‐TOF/TOF, and LC‐MS/MS. This approach yielded 278 high confidence identifications whose expression levels were significantly increased or decreased >two‐fold by diabetes, of which 170 mapped to gene identifiers representing 147 nonredundant proteins. Gene Ontology classification demonstrated that 80% of these proteins modulated physiological functions, 55% involved metabolism, ˜25% involved carboxylic and organic acid metabolism, 14% involved biosynthesis or catabolism, and 12% involved fatty acid metabolism. Predominant molecular functions were catalytic (61%), oxidoreductase (20%), and transferase (17%) activities, and nucleotide and ATP binding (11–15%). Twenty eight percent of the proteins identified as significantly altered by diabetes were mitochondrial proteins. The top‐ranked network described by Ingenuity Pathway Analysis indicated PPARα was the most common node of interaction for the numerous enzymes whose expression levels were influenced by diabetes. These differentially regulated proteins create a foundation for a systems biology exploration of molecular mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of diabetic nephropathy.
Preparation of poly(butylene‐co‐ε‐caprolactone carbonate) and their use as drug carriers for a controlled delivery system
Authors: Liu Yanfei , Huang Kelong , Peng Dongming , Liu Suqin , Wu Hong 
Published: April 2007

AbstractPoly(butylene‐co‐ε‐caprolactone carbonate) (PBCCL) was successfully synthesized via terpolymerization of carbon dioxide, 1,2‐butylene oxide (BO), and ε‐caprolactone (ε‐CL). ε‐CL was inserted into the backbone of BO‐CO2. The glass transition temperature (Tg) and the decomposition temperature (Td) of PBCCL were much higher than those of poly(butylene carbonate) (PBC). The degradation rate of PBCCL was higher than that of PBC in a pH 7.4 phosphate‐buffered solution. ε‐CL offered an ester structural unit that gave the terpolymers remarkable degradability. PBC and PBCCL microcapsules containing a hydrophilic antibiotic drug pazufloxacin mesilate (PZFX) were elaborated by solvent evaporation method based on the formation of double W/O/W emulsion. Microcapsules were characterized in terms of the morphology, size, amount of encapsulated, and encapsulation efficiency. The results showed that the microcapsules had smooth and spherical surfaces, and the mean diameter of the microcapsules was in the range of 0.5–1 μm. Of all, 87.90% drug encapsulation efficiency has been achieved for microcapsules of 38.21% drug loading. In vitro drug release of these microcapsules was performed in a pH 7.4 phosphate‐buffered solution. The release profiles were investigated from the measurement of PZFX presented in the release medium at various intervals. The release profiles of PZFX from PBC and PBCL microcapsules were found to be biphasic with a burst release followed by a gradual release phase. The release rate of PZFX from the microcapsules increased with increasing the content of ε‐CL inserted into the copolymers. It showed that the release profiles of PZFX were highly polymer‐dependent. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. JPolym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 2152–2160, 2007
Synthesis and characterization of epoxy resin‐montmorillonite nanocomposites obtained by frontal polymerization
Authors: Mariani Alberto , Bidali Simone , Caria Giuseppe , Monticelli Orietta , Russo Saverio , Kenny José María 
Published: April 2007

AbstractFrontal polymerization, a method that allows to convert a monomer into a polymer exploiting the exothermicity of the self‐same polymerization reaction, has been conveniently used for the easy and fast preparation of epoxy resin‐montmorillonite nanocomposites. The obtained materials have shown characteristics similar or even better than those prepared by the conventional polymerization routes. The synthetic methods and the thorough characterization of the obtained nanocomposites are described. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 2204–2211, 2007
Site directed mutagenesis at position 193 of human trypsin 4 alters the rate of conformational change during activation: Role of local internal viscosity in protein dynamics
Authors: Tóth Júlia , Simon Zoltán , Medveczky Péter , Gombos Linda , Jelinek Balázs , Szilágyi László , Gráf László , Málnási‐Csizmadia András 
Published: April 2007

AbstractUpon activation of trypsinogen four peptide segments flanked by hinge glycine residues undergo conformational changes. To test whether the degree of conformational freedom of hinge regions affects the rate of activation, we introduced amino acid side chains of different characters at one of the hinges (position 193) and studied their effects on the rate constant of the conformational change. This structural rearrangement leading to activation was triggered by a pH‐jump and monitored by intrinsic fluorescence change in the stopped‐flow apparatus. We found that an increase in the size of the side chain at position 193 is associated with the decrease of the reaction rate constant. To analyze the thermodynamics of the reaction, temperature dependence of the reaction rate constants was examined in a wide temperature range (5–60°C) using a novel temperature‐jump/stopped‐flow apparatus developed in our laboratory. Our data show that the mutations do not affect the activation energy (the exponential term) of the reaction, but they significantly alter the preexponential term of the Arrhenius equation. The effect of solvent viscosity on the rate constants of the conformational change during activation of the wild type enzyme and its R193G and R193A mutants was determined and evaluated on the basis of Kramers' theory. Based on this we propose that the reaction rate of this conformational transition is regulated by the internal molecular friction, which can be specifically modulated by mutagenesis in the hinge region. Proteins 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A simple way to compute protein dynamics without a mechanical model
Authors: Shih Chien‐Hua , Huang Shao‐Wei , Yen Shih‐Chung , Lai Yan‐Long , Yu Sung‐Huan , Hwang Jenn‐Kang 
Published: April 2007

AbstractWe found that in proteins the average atomic fluctuation is linearly related to the square of the atomic distance from the center of mass of the protein. Using this simple relation, we can accurately compute the temperature factors of proteins of a wide range of sizes and folds, and the correlation of the fluctuations in proteins. This simple relation provides a direct link between protein dynamics and the static protein's geometrical shape and offers a simple way to compute protein dynamics without either long time trajectory integration or any matrix operations. Proteins 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Deposition of polysiloxane‐like nanofilms onto an aluminium alloy by plasma polymerized hexamethyldisiloxane: characterization by XPS and contact angle measurements
Authors: Azioune A. , Marcozzi M. , Revello V. , Pireaux J.‐J. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractIn this work, aluminium (Alclad 2024‐T3) substrates were cleaned by an r.f. (13.56 MHz) plasma, using argon (Ar), oxygen (O2) and a mixture of O2/Ar (50:50) gases. The effectiveness of plasma cleaning was checked in situ using X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and ex situ using water contact angle measurements. XPS O/Al surface atomic ratios are in excellent agreement with those of the crystalline boehmite and the pseudoboehmite. Oxygen O 1s peak‐fitting was used to quantify the proportion of hydroxyl ions and the functional composition on the aluminium surface: the surface cleaned with O2 plasma contains 50% of aluminium hydroxides, the ones cleaned with Ar plasma and with Ar/O2 plasma contain, respectively, 25 and 37% hydroxyl ions. The binding energy separation between Al 2p and O 1s is characteristic of AlO(OH). Thin SiOx films were subsequently deposited from a mixture of hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO) and oxygen. In the absence of oxygen, a hydrophobic (Θ≥ 100° ) film characteristic of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is formed: polysiloxane‐like thinner films (SiOx) are obtained with the introduction of oxygen. XPS and contact angle measurements confirmed both the composition and the structure of these films. More importantly, contact angle measurements using different liquids and interpreted with the van Oss‐Good‐Chaudhury theory allowed determination of the surface free energy of the deposited films: the calculated values of surface tension of the film formed from HMDSO/O2: (50/50) are in excellent agreement with those of reference silica‐based materials such as a silicon wafer and cleaned glass. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Tools and methods for genetic analysis of Saccharomyces castellii
Authors: Astromskas Eimantas , Cohn Marita 
Published: April 2007

AbstractThe budding yeast species Saccharomyces castellii has provided important new insights into molecular evolution when incorporated in comparative genomics studies and studies of mitochondrial inheritage. Although it shows some diversity in the specific molecular details, several analyses have shown that it contains many genetic pathways similar to those of S. cerevisiae. Here we have investigated the possibility of performing genetic analyses in S. castellii. We optimized the LiAc transformation protocol to achieve 200–300 transformants/µg plasmid DNA. We found that the commonly used plasmids for S. cerevisiae are stably maintained in S. castellii under selective conditions. Surprisingly, both 2µ and CEN/ARS plasmids are kept at a high copy number. Moreover, the kanMX cassette can be used as a resistance marker against the selective drug geneticin (G418). Finally, we determined that the S. cerevisiae GAL1 promoter can be used for the activation of transcription in S. castellii, thus enabling the controlled overexpression of genes when galactose is present in the medium. The availability of these tools provides the possibility of performing genetic analyses in S. castellii, and makes it a promising new model system in which hypotheses derived from bioinformatics studies can be experimentally tested. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Is distraction less effective when pain is threatening? An experimental investigation with the cold pressor task
Authors: Van Damme Stefaan , Crombez Geert , Van De Wever Kathleen Nieuwenborgh , Goubert Liesbet 
Published: April 2007

AbstractDistraction is a commonly used strategy to control pain. However there is doubt about its effectiveness as a clinical tool, and results from both experimental and clinical studies remain inconclusive. Recent theoretical advancements suggest that distraction of attention may be less effective when pain is threatening. The aim of the present study was to experimentally investigate this hypothesis. Pain‐free volunteers (N=101) participated in a cold pressor test. Half of the participants simultaneously performed a cognitive distraction task, the other half did not. The threat value of the pain was manipulated by means of verbal information. The results showed that distraction resulted in less attention to the pain and lower pain ratings once the cold pressor procedure was halted. The hypothesis that the effectiveness of distraction is modulated by the threat value of pain could not be confirmed. However, threatening information increased catastrophic thoughts and anxiety, and interfered with performance on the distraction task. These findings suggest that caution is required in using distraction as a pain control strategy when the threat value is high, because fearful appraisal of pain is associated with less engagement in distraction tasks.
Amplification of magnetic fields by polaritonic flows in quantum pair plasmas
Authors: SHUKLA N. , SHUKLA P. K. , MORFILL G. E. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractIt is shown that equilibrium polaritonic flows can amplify magnetic fields in an ultra-cold quantum electron–positron/hole (polaritons) plasma. For this purpose, a linear dispersion relation has been derived by using the quantum generalized hydrodynamic equations for the polaritons, the Maxwell equation, and Faraday's law. The dispersion relation admits purely growing instabilities, the growth rates of which are proportional to the equilibrium streaming speeds of the polaritons. Possible applications of our work to the spontaneous excitation of magnetic fields and the associated cross-field transport of the polaritons in micromechanical systems, compact dense astrophysical objects (e.g. neutron stars), and intense laser–plasma interaction experiments are mentioned.