bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A Program Evaluation of Postpartum/Newborn Home Visitation Services in Aiken County, South Carolina
Authors: Ogbuanu Chinelo A. , Jones Candace A. , McTigue James F. , Baker Samuel L. , Heim Marge , Baek JongDeuk , Smith Lillian U. 
Published: December 2008

ABSTRACT
Objective: Home visiting programs for very young children seek to promote their health and development. We conducted a process and outcome evaluation of the Postpartum/Newborn Home Visit (PPNBHV) service in 1 county.Design: A retrospective study of Aiken County Health records of live infant births in 2004 was conducted.Sample: A random sample of 176 infants who were born in 2004 and enrolled in the women, infants, and children's (WIC) program in the same year was selected.Measures: Process measures include timeliness of the home visit, and appropriateness of revisits. Outcome measures include age at WIC enrollment and immunization status at 6/9 months.Results: Of the 176 infants, 76 (43%) received a home visit. Of these, 13 (17%) received the visit within the stipulated time frame. After controlling for potential confounders, infants who received a home visit were 4 times (95% CI 1.92–8.36) as likely to enroll early in the WIC program compared with those who did not.Conclusion: The PPNBHV service may contribute to early enrollment in the WIC program. Improvement in the timeliness of the visits is needed. Program monitoring and evaluation are necessary to ensure adherence, measure outcomes, and provide feedback for continuous quality improvement.
Ethanol‐Induced Conditioned Taste Avoidance: Reward or Aversion?
Authors: Liu Chuang , Showalter John , Grigson Patricia Sue 
Published: December 2008

Background: Rats avoid intake of a palatable taste cue when paired with all drugs of abuse tested. Evidence suggests that, at least for morphine and cocaine, rats avoid the taste cue because they are anticipating the rewarding properties of the drug. Thus, the suppressive effects of a rewarding sucrose solution and cocaine, but not those of the putatively aversive agent, lithium chloride (LiCl), are exaggerated in drug‐sensitive Lewis rats. Likewise, the suppressive effects of sucrose and morphine, but not those of LiCl, are eliminated by bilateral lesions of the gustatory thalamus. Unlike morphine and cocaine, it is less clear whether rewarding or aversive drug properties are responsible for ethanol‐induced suppression of intake of a taste cue. The present set of studies tests whether, like cocaine, ethanol‐induced suppression of intake of a taste cue also is greater in the drug‐sensitive Lewis rats and whether the suppressive effects of the drug are prevented by bilateral lesions of the taste thalamus.Methods: In Experiment 1, fluid‐deprived Lewis and Fischer rats were given 5‐minute access to 0.15% saccharin and then injected with saline or a range of doses of ethanol (0.5, 0.75, 1.0, or 1.5 g/kg). There was a total of 6 such pairings. In Experiments 2 and 3, Sprague–Dawley rats received bilateral electrophysiologically guided lesions of the gustatory thalamus. After recovery, suppression of intake of the saccharin cue was evaluated following repeated daily pairings with either a high (1.5 g/kg) or a low (0.75 g/kg) dose of ethanol.Results: Ethanol‐induced suppression of intake of the saccharin conditioned stimulus (CS) did not differ between the drug‐sensitive Lewis rats relative to the less‐sensitive Fischer rats. Lesions of the taste thalamus, however, prevented the suppressive effect of the 0.75 g/kg dose of the drug, but had no impact on the suppressive effect of the 1.5 g/kg dose of ethanol.Conclusion: The results suggest that the suppressive effects of ethanol on CS intake are mediated by both rewarding and aversive consequences, varying as a function of dose.
The Archaea‐a biochemical perspective
Authors: Bullock Clive 
Published: December 2008

AbstractThe Archaea represent an unusual and instructive group of organisms for students of biochemistry. In this brief review some of their distinctive biochemical features are highlighted, along with appropriate topics and questions for student study. Archaea demonstrate unique structural features in the chemical makeup of their outer membranes and cell walls as well as in the components and design of their metabolic pathways, and the structure and function of their enzymes. Rationalising these biochemical features in relation to the chemically and physically harsh environments inhabited by these organisms and evaluating their potential (and limitations) for use in industrial biotechnology can form the basis of a range of profitable student study topics. © 2000 IUBMB. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Information retrieval in biochemistry: some exercises to develop a fundamental skill Simon Brown*
Authors: Brown Simon 
Published: December 2008

AbstractThe volume of data available through the literature and databases on the internet is valuable to students as a resource, but it can also be overwhelming. It is necessary to teach students what is currently available and how to use these resources efficiently. Here an integrated approach to this problem is described that involves use of the library, literature and databases available through the internet. This programme has been employed successfully for three years and it has proved to be popular with both students and staff. © 2000 IUBMB. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
A simple method for immunodetection of membrane‐associated proteins
Authors: Daghastanli Katia R.P. , Ferreira Rinaldo B. , Jr. Geraldo Thedei , Ciancaglin Pietro 
Published: December 2008

AbstractThe main objective of the present study was to identify membrane antigenic proteins using immunodiffusion and Western blotting techniques. This multidisciplinary experiment integrates biochemical principles with immunological and microbiological concepts.Pasteurella multocida, the causative agent of fowl cholera and other diseases like haemorrhagic septicaemia in many wild and domestic animals, was chosen as a biological model in order to obtain membrane antigenic proteins. We designed some simple laboratory experiments: partial purification of IgG, study of the effect of detergent on immunodiffusion, electrophoresis and Western blotting of membrane protein fraction ofPasteurella multocida. The results obtained with these techniques revealed that the membrane antigenic proteinsPasteurella multocidapresented had Mr's of around 110, 104, 86, 71, 65 and 40kDa. © 2000 IUBMB. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Lucenz‐programmes for undergraduate analysis of enzyme kinetic data
Authors: Clark Alan G. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractTwo programmes for analysis of enzyme kinetic data are described. The programmes have evolved from use in undergraduate classes and accordingly the emphasis is on simplicity in design and use, rather than on computational sophistication. Data fitting, to a selection of predetermined models, proceeds via a weighted linear regression on to the reciprocals of the substrate concentrations and catalytic rates and is rapid and robust. The programmes yield best‐fit valus for Km, Vm and, when appropriate, Ki together with measures of the goodness of fit. Experimental data and lines of best fit may be presented graphically in up to seven diifferent plotting methods. Entered data and the graphical and numerical results of model fitting are displayed on the same screen so that relationships between all three may be readily appreciated. Variants of the programmes may be employed in the Windows 3 × or 9 × platforms or in DOS. © 2000 IUBMB. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Bio‐molecular modelling utilising RasMol and PDB resources: a tutorial with HEW lysozyme
Authors: Pembroke J. Tony 
Published: December 2008

AbstractThe availability of an excellent and freely available molecular visualisation package authored by Roger Sayle‐RasMol, coupled to the protein data bank (PDB) resource of molecular structure data makes the visualisation and manipulation of molecular data accessible to the Internet community. Tutorials based on almost any protein deposited in the PDB can be utilised as an aid to understand bio‐molecular modelling. The utility of these resources is illustrated for modelling and visualisation of HEW lysozyme. © 2001 IUBMB. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Glucocorticoid‐induced apoptosis: a simple set of laboratory experiments
Authors: Vicent Guillermo P. , Lanuza Guillermo M. , Romero Damian G. , Croce Luciano Di , Pecci Adali 
Published: December 2008

AbstractHere, we present a laboratory experiment for students of human biology and medicine. In this experiment the students have the opportunity of measuring one of the hallmarks of programmed cell death, which is DNA fragmentation. The biological system that we examine here is the glucocorticoid‐induced apoptosis in the thymus. The set of experiments that we propose to perform and discuss are relatively simple and can be rapidly carried out in a course for undergraduates. This practice also allows the students to familiarize themselves with basic pharmacology, compare in vivo vs. in vitro assays and acquireskills in animal handling. The organisation of the practical work requires 4–5 h of experimental training in each of two days. © 2001 IUBMB. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Nurses’ roles in identifying urinary incontinence and its effects on social life
Authors: Kök Gülşah , Şenel Nur , Akyüz Aygül 
Published: December 2008

AbstractUrinary incontinence (UI) is a serious health problem, which is usually neglected by both health professionals and patients, and negatively affects women’s social, psychological and sexual life. The aim of this descriptive study was planned to identify UI‐affecting women who attended the gynaecology outpatient clinic at a training military hospital in Turkey, their individual perception levels of the effect and the effect of UI on their social lives. Sample of this study included 229 patients who were older than 18 years and had a normal delivery. The data obtained from the application were analysed as percentages in the spss 11.0 program. By means of a two‐section questionnaire, it was found that 37.1% of the women had experienced UI, and the problem was affecting their social life ‘slightly’ at a rate of 28.2%; and ‘highly’ and ‘extremely highly’ with a rate of 41.2% in total. This study suggests that nurses can identify UI symptoms among women who attend to gynaecological outpatient clinics, assess them from the perspective of UI risk factors, explore their thoughts on the effects of UI symptoms on their social lives and encourage them to get treatment accordingly.
Neonatal haemoglobinopathy screening in Burkina Faso: Table 1
Authors: Kafando E , Nacoulma E , Ouattara Y , Ayéroué J , Cotton F , Sawadogo M , Gulbis B 
Published: December 2008

Aims:To report our experience of neonatal screening for sickle cell disease in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) and to discuss the feasibility of neonatal screening in this country.Methods:Between the years 2000 and 2004, there were about 2341 births in five maternity services in Ouagadougou. These babies were screened for sickle cell disease in a universal screening pilot programme. In 2006, 53 babies born to selected couples were screened. The specimens were collected either by cord blood sampling or from a dried blood spot on filter paper. The screening was performed using an isoelectric focusing technique.Results:In the first stage (2000–4), the incidence of sickle cell disease was 1:57. In the second stage, six of 53 babies of selected couples were found to have major haemoglobinopathies: one was homozygous for haemoglobin S and five were compound heterozygotes for haemoglobins S and C.Conclusions:The results suggest that a national screening programme should be implemented in Burkina Faso with effective newborn and subsequent follow-up, but a methodology needs to be developed.
“Two per cent isn’t a lot, but when it comes to death it seems quite a lot anyway”: patients’ perception of risk and willingness to accept risks associated with thrombolytic drug treatment for acute stroke
Authors: Mangset M , Berge E , Førde R , Nessa J , Wyller T B 
Published: December 2008

Background:Thrombolytic drugs to treat an acute ischaemic stroke reduce the risk of death or major disability. The treatment is, however, also associated with an increased risk of potentially fatal intracranial bleeding. This confronts the patient with the dilemma of whether or not to take a risk of a serious side effect in order to increase the likelihood of a favourable outcome.Objective:To explore acute stroke patients’ perception of risk and willingness to accept risks associated with thrombolytic drug treatment.Design:Eleven patients who had been informed about thrombolytic drug treatment and had been through the process of deciding whether or not to participate in a thrombolytic drug trial went through repeated qualitative, semistructured interviews.Results:Many patients showed a limited perception of the risks connected with thrombolytic drug treatment. Some perceived the risk as not relevant to them and were reluctant to accept that treatment could cause harm. Others seemed to be aware that treatment would mean exposure to risk. The patients’ willingness to take a risk also varied substantially. Several statements revealed ambiguity and confusion about being involved in a decision about treatment. The patients’ reasoning about risk was put into the context of their health-related experiences and life histories. Several patients wanted the doctor to be responsible for the decisions.Conclusion:Acute stroke patients’ difficulties in perceiving and processing information about risk may reduce their ability to be involved in clinical decisions where risks are involved.
Improvement in the management of acutely poisoned patients using an electronic database, prospective audit and targeted educational intervention
Authors: Greene S L , Wood D M , Gawarammana I B , Warren-Gash C , Drake N , Jones A L , Dargan P I 
Published: December 2008

Abstract

Problem
The need to improve the clinical assessment and management of acutely poisoned patients presenting to an NHS hospital emergency department (ED).

Design
Creation of an electronic clinical toxicology database to prospectively collect all aspects of clinical information on poisoned-patient presentations. Systematic analysis of collated information to identify shortfalls in patient assessment and management. Bimonthly audit meetings, and design and implementation of educational interventions to address identified shortfalls. Ongoing audit to demonstrate continued improvement in patient care.

Background and setting
ED in tertiary-level inner-city London teaching hospital. Study conducted by staff from the ED and clinical toxicology service.

Key measures for improvement
Demonstration of overall reduction in the incidence of predefined shortfalls in patient assessment and management during 12-month study period.

Strategies for improvement
Targeted educational lectures and case-based clinical scenarios addressing identified deficiencies in the knowledge required to effectively manage poisoned patients. Weekly case-based anonymised feedback report sent electronically to staff involved in caring for poisoned patients.

Effects of change
Implementation of targeted teaching of ED staff and regular electronic distribution of teaching cases. Between the first and second 6 months of the study, there was a significant increase in the proportion of presentations for which clinical management was graded as “good” (77.6% to 89.4%, p&lt;0.0001) and a significant reduction in the proportion of “major” (9.9% to 5.8%, p = 0.012) and “minor” (12.6% to 4.8%, p&lt;0.0001) shortfalls.

Lessons learnt
Systematic collection of clinical information, using a dedicated electronic database and subsequent review and audit of collated data by interested clinicians, enabled design and implementation of targeted educational interventions to address shortfalls in patient management. This process has led to significant improvements in the clinical care of acutely poisoned patients presenting to the ED.
Radiation effects on the intima–media thickness of the common carotid artery in post-radiotherapy patients with head and neck malignancy
Authors: Shariat M , Alias N A A , Biswal B M 
Published: December 2008

Abstract

Background
Post-radiation large vessel injury has not received as much attention as microvascular irradiation injury. A few studies have shown that common carotid intima–media thickness (IMT) is increased after radiotherapy to the head and neck. However, in most of these studies, the irradiated subjects also had other major risk factors for atherosclerosis. In this study, irradiated subjects with major risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, history of previous cerebrovascular accident and connective tissue disorder were excluded.

Objective
To show in a cross-sectional study if radiotherapy to the carotid area has any effect on the IMT of the common carotid artery.

Subjects and methods
13 patients with head and neck malignancies who had completed radiotherapy to the carotid region at least 1 year previously underwent ultrasound of the carotid artery. IMT measurements were compared with those of 13 healthy controls, matched for age, sex and race, with no history of radiotherapy.

Results
The irradiated subjects had significantly larger IMT measurements (mean 0.74 mm) than the non-irradiated subjects (mean 0.46 mm). The difference was significant (p&lt;0.001) with a confidence interval of 95%.

Conclusions
This study shows that there is a measurable, significant (p&lt;0.001) increase in IMT of the common carotid artery after radiotherapy for head and neck malignancy compared with non-irradiated matched controls. This knowledge is important for risk–benefit assessment of prophylactic or therapeutic neck irradiation. Increased awareness of this complication should provide an opportunity to intervene and prevent future cerebrovascular accidents in the majority of such patients.
The added value of peripheral blood cell morphology in the diagnosis and management of infectious diseases—part 2: illustrative cases
Authors: Potasman I , Prokocimer M 
Published: December 2008

Abstract
The previous review dealt with the diagnostic yield of peripheral blood smear examination with regard to diagnosis of infectious diseases. In addition to the clinical data, it can provide information of major clinical significance. At times, it can even replace additional, costly and time-consuming diagnostic modalities. The following clinical vignettes, which are discussed briefly, support these arguments.
The Effect of Imposed Drying on Parameterized Deep Convection
Authors: Sobel Adam H. , Bellon Gilles 
Published: December 2008

AbstractThis paper examines the influence of imposed drying, intended to represent horizontal advection of dry air, on parameterized deep convection interacting with large-scale dynamics in a single-column model framework. Two single-column models, one based on the NASA Goddard Earth Observing System general circulation model version 5 (GEOS5) and the other developed by Bony and Emanuel, are run in weak temperature gradient mode. Drying is imposed by relaxation of the specific humidity field toward zero within a specified vertical layer. The strength of the drying is controlled by specifying either the relaxation time scale or the vertically integrated drying tendency; results are insensitive to which specification is used.The two models reach very different solutions for the same boundary conditions and model configuration. Even when adjustments to the boundary conditions and model parameters are made to render the precipitation rates similar, large differences in the profiles of relative humidity and large-scale vertical velocity persist. In both models, however, drying in the middle troposphere is more effective, per kg m−2 s−1 (or W m−2) of imposed drying, in suppressing precipitation than is drying in the lower troposphere. Even when compared at equal relaxation time (corresponding to weaker net drying in the middle than lower troposphere), middle-tropospheric drying is comparably effective to lower-tropospheric drying. Upper-tropospheric drying has a relatively small effect on precipitation, although large drying in the upper troposphere cannot be imposed as a steady state because of the lack of moisture there. Consistent with the other model differences, the gross moist stabilities of the two models are quite different and vary somewhat differently as a function of imposed drying, but in both models the gross moist stability increases as the drying is increased when it is less than around 30 W m−2 and located in the middle troposphere. For lower-tropospheric drying, the gross moist stability either decreases with increased drying or increases more slowly than for middle-tropospheric drying.
El Niño Modoki Impacts on Australian Rainfall
Authors: Taschetto Andréa S. , England Matthew H. 
Published: December 2008

Abstract
This study investigates interseasonal and interevent variations in the impact of El Niño on Australian rainfall using available observations from the postsatellite era. Of particular interest is the difference in impact between classical El Niño events wherein peak sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies appear in the eastern Pacific and the recently termed El Niño “Modoki” events that are characterized by distinct warm SST anomalies in the central Pacific and weaker cold anomalies in the west and east of the basin. A clear interseasonal and interevent difference is apparent, with the maximum rainfall response for Modoki events occurring in austral autumn compared to austral spring for classical El Niños. Most interestingly, the Modoki and non-Modoki El Niño events exhibit a marked difference in rainfall impact over Australia: while classical El Niños are associated with a significant reduction in rainfall over northeastern and southeastern Australia, Modoki events appear to drive a large-scale decrease in rainfall over northwestern and northern Australia. In addition, rainfall variations during March–April–May are more sensitive to the Modoki SST anomaly pattern than the conventional El Niño anomalies to the east.