bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Variation in the IGF‐1 gene is associated with lymphocyte subset counts in neonates: The Generation R Study
Authors: Duijts Liesbeth , Bakker‐Jonges Liesbeth E. , Mook‐Kanamori Dennis O. , Labout Joost A. M. , Hofman Albert , Van Duijn Cornelia M. , Van Dongen Jacques J. M. , Hooijkaas Herbert , Moll Henriëtte A. , Jaddoe Vincent W. V. 
Published: May 2008

SummaryObjective  IGF‐1 stimulates growth, development and function of lymphocytes. The aim of this study was to examine whether functional variants of the IGF‐1 gene are associated with absolute lymphocyte subset counts in neonates.Study design and measurements  This study was embedded in the Generation R Study, a prospective cohort study from foetal life onwards. A polymorphism in the IGF‐1 promoter region was genotyped in cord blood DNA. Lymphocytes (T, B and NK) and T lymphocyte subsets (helper, cytotoxic, naïve and memory) in cord blood were immunophenotyped in 380 neonates by six‐colour flow cytometry.Results  In total, 39% of the neonates were homozygous for the 192‐bp allele (wild‐type), 48% were heterozygous and 13% were noncarrier. No differences in absolute lymphocyte and T lymphocyte subset counts were observed between the 192‐bp allele heterozygous and homozygous groups. In noncarriers, we found 15% lower T lymphocyte (P = 0·03), 22% lower B lymphocyte (P = 0·04) and 10% lower NK lymphocyte counts (P = 0·36) than in the 192‐bp allele homozygous group. Analyses of T lymphocyte subsets showed 16% lower helper T lymphocyte counts (P = 0·01) in noncarriers. No significant differences were found for cytotoxic, naïve and memory T lymphocyte counts. All associations were adjusted for gravidity, mode of delivery, gestational age, birth weight, gender and 1‐ and 5‐ min Apgar scores.Conclusions  Our study showed associations between this IGF‐1 promoter region polymorphism and absolute lymphocyte subset counts in neonates. These results should be regarded as hypothesis generating until they have been replicated in other studies.
Polymorphisms of ADIPOR1 and ADIPOR2 are associated with phenotypes of type 2 diabetes in Koreans
Authors: Kim Jin Taek , Kim Yeonjung , Cho Young Min , Koo Bo Kyung , Lee Eun Kyung , Shin Hyoung Doo , Jang Hak Chul , Choi Jung Won , Oh Bermseok , Park Kyong Soo 
Published: May 2008

SummaryObjective  Adiponectin receptors 1 and 2 (ADIPOR1 and ADIPOR2) are considered as candidate genes for type 2 diabetes because they mediate the metabolic effects of adiponectin on target tissues. We investigated whether common polymorphisms of ADIPOR1 and ADIPOR2 are associated with type 2 diabetes or its related phenotypes in Koreans.Design and patients  By sequencing of the DNA samples from 24 unrelated Korean subjects, we selected seven single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from ADIPOR1 and four SNPs from ADIPOR2 for genotyping in 757 type 2 diabetic patients and 644 nondiabetic subjects.Results  None of the SNPs were associated with the risk of type 2 diabetes. However, g.−7309A>G (rs75172865) in ADIPOR1 was associated with lower insulin resistance, measured by the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA‐IR). Thereafter, we transfected three different human cell lines with plasmids harbouring g.−7309A>G and found that this variant reduced the promoter activity of ADIPOR1. In ADIPOR2, g.−63442G (novel SNP) and g.33447T (rs1044471) were associated with smaller waist circumference.Conclusions  None of the SNPs in either ADIPOR1 or ADIPOR2 were associated with the risk of type 2 diabetes in Koreans. However, the altered activity of the ADIPOR1 promoter was associated with insulin resistance and SNPs of ADIPOR2 were associated with waist circumference.
Effects of the culturally‐sensitive comprehensive sex education programme among Thai secondary school students
Authors: Thato R. , Jenkins R.A. , Dusitsin N. 
Published: May 2008

AbstractTitle. Effects of the culturally‐sensitive comprehensive sex education programme among Thai secondary school students.Aim. This paper reports on a study to evaluate the effectiveness of a culturally‐sensitive comprehensive sex education programme among Thai secondary school students.Background. Increasing number of adolescents in Thailand have been engaging in premarital sex. No theory‐based, abstinence‐oriented models of sex education have been evaluated in this population.Method. A quasi‐experimental study was conducted in 2006–2007. Outcome measures included sexual behaviour, condom use, intention to refuse sex, intention to use condoms, and knowledge regarding sexually transmitted infections/human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and pregnancy.Findings. Students in the experimental group had lower levels of reported sexual intercourse at 3‐ and 6‐month follow‐ups, compared with those in control group (P < 0·01). Students participating in the programme had significantly greater intention to refuse sex in the future across time than controls (P < 0·05). Sexually active adolescents participating in the programme reported significantly lower frequencies of sexual intercourse across time than controls (P < 0·01). However, the programme did not influence consistent condom use (P > 0·05), although the intervention was associated with increased intention to use condoms (P < 0·01). Knowledge about sexually transmitted infections/human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and pregnancy among students in the intervention group was significantly greater than that of the controls (P < 0·05).Conclusion. School nurses can play a major role by applying this kind of sex education programme. For nurse researchers, it would be useful to extend this research by considering alternative ways to foster condom use in the non‐commercial partnerships that have become common among adolescents.
Postgraduate Research Experience Questionnaire: reliability and factor structure with Master’s in Nursing graduates
Authors: Drennan Jonathan 
Published: May 2008

AbstractTitle.  Postgraduate Research Experience Questionnaire: reliability and factor structure with Master’s in Nursing graduates. Aim.  This paper is a report of a study to measure the psychometric properties of the Postgraduate Experience Questionnaire when used to evaluate the research experience of graduates who had completed Master’s in Nursing programmes.Background.  Evidence of standards and outcomes of Master's in Nursing programmes is lacking, despite their continuing growth worldwide. The Postgraduate Research Experience Questionnaire was introduced to evaluate the research experience of graduates. The instrument is a multidimensional measure of graduate students’ experiences of research and research supervision. Six constructs that comprise the research experience of graduates are measured: the supervision process, academic climate, goals and expectations, infrastructure, skill development and the dissertation examination process.Method.  A cross‐sectional postal survey of graduates from coursework Master’s in Nursing programmes in Ireland was undertaken in 2006. The response rate was 71%. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis were used to test construct validity, while internal consistency measures were used to test reliability.Results.  Factor analysis identified a six‐factor solution, as hypothesized by the instrument’s developers. According to oblique rotation and confirmatory factor analysis, the majority of scales that comprise the instrument were relatively robust. Internal consistency measures identified that the six scales were reliable.Conclusion.  The construct validity of Postgraduate Research Experience Questionnaire when psychometrically evaluated with coursework master’s graduates differed slightly from the factor structure reported in the literature for the original scale. However, overall, adequate estimates of reliability and validity were found when the instrument was used to evaluate the research experience of graduates who complete a supervised dissertation as part of their degree.
Removal of oral secretion prior to position change can reduce the incidence of ventilator‐associated pneumonia for adult ICU patients: a clinical controlled trial study
Authors: Chao Yann‐Fen C , Chen Yin‐Yin , Wang Kai‐Wei Katherine , Lee Ru‐Pin , Tsai Hweifar 
Published: May 2008

Aim.  The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of oral secretion on aspiration and reducing ventilator‐associated pneumonia.Background.  Ventilator‐associated pneumonia is a serious hospital‐acquired infection with reported incidence rate of 12·2% and mortality rate of 29·3%. Oral secretion is purported as a media which brings the oropharyngeal pathogens down to the respiratory track.Methods.  Two‐group comparison study design was adopted. Subjects were recruited from an adult general intensive care unit of a medical centre in Taipei city. Patients in the study group received suction of oral secretion before each positional care, in contrast with patients in the control group who received routine care.Results.  Ventilator‐associated pneumonia was found in 24 of 159 (15·1%) patients in the control group and in five of 102 (4·9%) patients in the study group with a reduction of risk ratio of 0·32 (95% CI 0·11–0·92). Eight of the 24 ventilator‐associated pneumonia patients died in the control group; however, none of those ventilator‐associated pneumonia patients died in the study group. The increased chance of survival was 1·50 (95% CI 1·13–1·99). The length of stay in ICU and duration of mechanical ventilation were reduced in the study group. In consideration of cost, the cost of tubes used to remove oral secretion is much less than the one used to do continuous subglottal suction.Conclusion.  Removal of oral secretion is effective in reducing the incidence of ventilator‐associated pneumonia with minimum cost intervention.Relevance to Clinical Practice.  This study provides evidence that removal of oral secretion prior to position change is cost effective to reduce the incidence of ventilator‐associated pneumonia. As such intervention is an easy task, routine removal of oral secretion is recommended as the standard of daily nursing care of patients on ventilator.
HIV prevention for people with serious mental illness: a survey of mental health workers’ attitudes, knowledge and practice
Authors: Hughes Elizabeth , Gray Richard 
Published: May 2008

Aim.  The aim of this survey was to investigate the attitudes, knowledge and reported practice (capabilities) of mental health workers concerning humanimmunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other sexually transmitted diseases in people with serious mental illness.Background.  People with serious mental illness are at increased risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. Mental health workers have a key role to play in promoting sexual health in this population, but it is unclear how they perceive their role in this work and whether they have the capabilities to deliver sexual health promotion.Design.  Cross sectional survey.Methods.  A questionnaire was devised and distributed to 650 mental health workers working in a London (UK) NHS mental health service.Results.  A response rate of 44% was achieved. Overall, workers reported positive attitudes to sexual health promotion and were knowledgeable about risk behaviours and risk factors for HIV infection. Adherence to glove wearing was good. However, participants’ knowledge about HIV/AIDS in people with schizophrenia was poor and most reported they were not engaged in sexual health promotion activities with people with serious mental illness. Glove wearing was predicted by those who had drug and alcohol training and clinical experience and knowledge of risk factors was predicted by previous health promotion training. No other demographic factors predicted any of the other subscales.Conclusion.  Mental health workers require training to provide skills for health promotion regarding sexual health and HIV in people with serious mental health problems. In addition, there needs to be more research on risk behaviours.Relevance to clinical practice.  The development of effective interventions to reduce this behaviour.
A theory to guide families and carers of people who are at risk of suicide
Authors: Sun Fan‐Ko , Long Ann 
Published: May 2008

Aims.  The aim of this study was to explore family members’ and ex‐patients’ perceptions of caring for people who had previously attempted suicide.Background.  Suicide is a major public health problem in Taiwan. Official figures demonstrate that suicide was one of the top 10 causes of death in the last eight years, with 18·8 per 100,000 people taking their own lives in 2005. The Taiwanese Government has set targets to reduce this rate. All members of the population play a role in the prevention of suicide, including families and carers of those at risk. Evidence is sparse on the role that families take in caring for members who have been discharged from hospital following a suicide attempt.Methods.  Grounded theory using one‐to‐one tape‐recorded interviews were conducted with patients who had just been discharged from hospitals following a suicide attempt (n = 15) and family members (n = 15). Data were analysed using open, axial and selective coding.Results.  The core category that emerged was ‘Impending burnout’, depicting family members’ experience of caring for people who had attempted suicide. Other key categories linked to and embraced within this core category were: on guard day and night, maintaining activities of daily living and creating a nurturing environment.Conclusion.  Families and carers could use the emergent theory as a guide to caring for people at risk of suicide. Psychiatric nurses could use the theory as a framework to educate family members on enhancing the quality of care provided to this group of people. The theory could go some way towards reducing suicidal attempts and decreasing re‐hospitalisation rates.Relevance to clinical practice.  The finding indicated that family members experienced difficulties when caring for those who had previously attempted suicide. Consequently, nurses have a pivotal role in educating families and carers on preventive strategies before suicidal patients are discharged from hospitals.
Occurrence of Mycobacterium spp. in ornamental fish in Italy
Authors: Zanoni R G , Florio D , Fioravanti M L , Rossi M , Prearo M 
Published: May 2008

AbstractThe occurrence of Mycobacterium spp. in freshwater and marine ornamental fish was studied in Italy from June 2002 to May 2005. Two surveys were carried out, one of aquarium fish sent to the Laboratory for diagnosis, and the other of prevalence of infection by mycobacteria in ornamental fish imported into Italy. Bacterial isolation was carried out from the spleen, kidney and liver, and the isolates were subsequently identified by biochemical tests. In the first survey, 387 fish were examined and Mycobacterium spp. were isolated from 181 (46.8%) fish. In the second survey 127 batches of ornamental fish from different countries were examined. Mycobacterium spp. were isolated from 38 (29.9%) batches. The following species were found: M. fortuitum, M. peregrinum, M. chelonae, M. abscessus, M. marinum, M. gordonae, M. nonchromogenicum and M. interjectum. There was a high prevalence of infection independent of the presence of macroscopic lesions. Mycobacterium fortuitum and M. chelonae were more prevalent than M. marinum in the samples examined.
Proliferation of kuchijirosho causative agent in a fugu‐derived cell line
Authors: Hashimoto E , Miyadai T , Ohtani M , Kitamura S‐I , Oh M‐J 
Published: May 2008

AbstractKuchijirosho is a fatal disease of commercially cultured fugu, Takifugu rubripes. The transmissible nature of kuchijirosho strongly suggests that an infectious pathogen is the causative agent. Because it is filtrable, the agent is thought to be a virus; however, it has not yet been identified. The lack of a permissive cell line for the putative kuchijirosho‐causing agent (KCA) has hindered research on the identification of this pathogen. We inoculated brain extract prepared from kuchijirosho‐affected fugu onto an established fugu cell line, fugu eye, and observed that cytopathic effect appeared 7 days after inoculation. Injection of the culture medium of infected fugu eye cells into fugu resulted in the onset of kuchijirosho, indicating that fugu eye cells are able to proliferate KCA. An infectious fraction separated by sodium iottalamate density gradient centrifugation showed a density of 1.15 g mL−1 equivalent to that of KCA derived from affected fugu brain. To determine whether the genome of KCA is RNA or DNA based, nucleotide synthesis inhibitors were applied to inoculated fugu eye cell line to influence the production of KCA. 5‐Fluorouracil but not IUdR showed a concentration‐dependent inhibition of KCA yield. These results suggest that KCA is an RNA virus.
Drug resistance mechanism of the fish‐pathogenic bacterium Lactococcus garvieae
Authors: Maki T , Hirono I , Kondo H , Aoki T 
Published: May 2008

AbstractThe minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 15 chemotherapeutic agents were tested against 146 Lactococcus garvieae strains isolated from 1999 to 2006 in Japan. The agents used included chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, erythromycin (EM), enoxacin, fleroxacin, florfenicol, kanamycin, lincomycin (LCM), norfloxacin, oxolinic acid, orbifloxacin, ofloxacin, benzylpenicillin, streptomycin and tetracycline (TC). Of the tested strains, 46 showed high levels of resistance to EM, LCM and TC. Twelve of these strains were detected to be carrying transferable R‐plasmids using a conjugation experiment and, using Southern hybridization, were shown to have the same structure as the R‐plasmid. The remaining 34 resistant strains had a similar DNA structure to that of the R‐plasmid as confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using primers designed from sites in the transferable R‐plasmid. The EM and TC resistance genes were classified into the ermB and tetS groups using PCR. We also detected gyrA and/or parC mutants that are highly resistant to old and new generation quinolones. This study revealed that transferable R‐plasmids encoding EM, LCM and TC are widely distributed and are conserved regardless of the area and/or time of collection.
Glargine and protamine zinc insulin have a longer duration of action and result in lower mean daily glucose concentrations than lente insulin in healthy cats
Authors: MARSHALL R. D. , RAND J. S. , MORTON J. M. 
Published: May 2008

The pharmacological effects of glargine, protamine zinc (PZI), and lente insulins were evaluated in nine healthy cats. A 3‐way crossover study was performed and plasma concentrations of insulin and glucose were determined for 24 h after a single subcutaneous injection of each insulin at 3‐day intervals.Time to onset of action did not differ between insulins. Mean time to first nadir glucose was longer for glargine (14 h) relative to PZI (4 h) and lente (5 h). PZI was biphasic in action with nadirs at 4 and 14 h with the second nadir occurring at a similar time to glargine. Nadir glucose did not differ significantly between insulin types. The duration of action was similar for glargine and PZI and was longer than that for lente insulin. Mean daily glucose after glargine and PZI were also similar and were lower than after lente insulin.Time to reach peak insulin did not differ between insulin types. Time to return to baseline insulin level for PZI was longer than glargine but did not differ significantly from lente.In conclusion, healthy cats injected subcutaneously with glargine, compared to those injected with lente insulin, have a later glucose nadir and longer duration of action. Glargine and PZI had similar durations of action in study cats but a larger study is required to obtain precise comparisons of duration of action.
Comparing direct vs. indirect estimates of gene flow within a population of a scattered tree species
Authors: ODDOU‐MURATORIO SYLVIE , KLEIN ETIENNE K 
Published: May 2008

AbstractThe comparison between historical estimates of gene flow, using variance in allelic frequencies, and contemporary estimates of gene flow, using parentage assignment, is expected to provide insights into ecological and evolutionary processes at work within and among populations. Genetic variation at six microsatellite loci was used to quantify genetic structure in the insect‐pollinated, animal‐dispersed, low‐density tree Sorbus torminalis L. Crantz, and to derive historical estimates of gene flow. The neighbourhood size and root‐mean‐squared dispersal distance inferred from seedling genotypes (Nb = 70 individuals, σe = 417 m) were similar to those inferred from adult genotypes (Nb = 114 individuals, σe = 472 m). We also used parentage analyses and a neighbourhood model approach after an evaluation of the statistical properties of this method on simulated data. From our data, we estimated even contributions of seed‐ and pollen‐mediated dispersal to the genetic composition of established seedlings, with both fat‐tailed pollen and seed dispersal kernels, and slightly higher mean distance of pollen dispersal (248 m) as compared to seed dispersal (135 m). The resulting contemporary estimate of gene dispersal distance (σc = 211 m) was ∼twofold smaller than the historical estimates. Besides different assumptions and statistical nuances of both approaches, this discrepancy is likely to reflect a recent restriction in the scale of gene flow which requires manager's attention in a context of increasing forest fragmentation.
Complex patterns of genetic and phenotypic divergence in an island bird and the consequences for delimiting conservation units
Authors: PHILLIMORE A. B. , OWENS I. P. F. , BLACK R. A. , CHITTOCK J. , BURKE T. , CLEGG S. M. 
Published: May 2008

AbstractSubstantial phenotypic and genetic variation is often found below the species level and this may be useful in quantifying biodiversity and predicting future diversification. However, relatively few studies have tested whether different aspects of intraspecific variation show congruent patterns across populations. Here, we quantify several aspects of divergence between 13 insular populations of an island endemic bird, the Vanuatu white‐eye (Zosterops flavifrons). The components of divergence studied are mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), nuclear DNA microsatellites and morphology. These different aspects of divergence present subtly different scenarios. For instance, an mtDNA phylogenetic tree reveals a potential cryptic species on the most southerly island in Vanuatu and considerable divergence between at least two other major phylogroups. Microsatellite loci suggest that population genetic divergence between insular populations, both between and within phylogroups, is substantial, a result that is consistent with a low level of interisland gene flow. Finally, most populations were found to be strongly morphologically divergent, but no single population was morphologically diagnosable from all others. Taken together, our results show that, although many measures of divergence are concordant in this system, the number of divergent units identified varies widely depending on the characters considered and approach used. A continuum of divergence and a degree of discordance between different characters are both to be expected under simple models of evolution, but they present problems in terms of delimiting conservation units.