bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Psycho‐social factors and coping strategies as predictors of chronic evolution and quality of life in patients with low back pain: A prospective study
Authors: Koleck Michèle , Mazaux Jean‐Michel , Rascle Nicole , Bruchon‐Schweitzer Marilou 
Published: February 2005

AbstractLow back pain (LBP) is a major problem of public health. Chronic pain is the most difficult to treat and the most expensive. The way patients cope with their pain may influence its outcome.Aim: To identify coping strategies of LBP patients, and their influence on LBP evolution.Methods: Ninety nine patients were assessed just after an acute LBP episode and one year later. Assessment tools included medical and social reports, scales of anxiety, depression, quality of life, locus of control (LOC), social support and coping strategies.Results: One year after the initial episode, 67% of patients have improved and 33% had a chronic pain. A principal components analysis showed that two main dimensions might be identified inside the outcome: functional and emotional non‐adjustment. Functional non‐adjustment was predicted by male gender, reduction of activity, and history of trauma over one year. Emotional non‐adjustment was only predicted by trait‐depression. Reactions to pain were structured in four factors: distraction‐praying, helplessness‐hopelessness, cognitive restructuration and perceived control. Two of these factors predicted adjustment one year later: distraction‐praying had a direct effect on functional non‐adjustment, and helplessness‐hopelessness on emotional issue.Conclusions: Besides somatic factors, psychosocial predictors of LBP chronic evolution may be identified. Both aspects must be taken into account in order to prevent chronic pain. Perhaps cognitive‐behavior therapy may help LBP patients to cope with pain in a better way.
Antarctic ecosystem monitoring: quantifying the response of ecosystem indicators to variability in Antarctic krill
Authors: Reid Keith , Croxall John P. , Briggs Dirk R. , Murphy Eugene J. 
Published: February 2005

Abstract
The utility of upper-trophic-level species as ecosystem indicators is determined by our ability to relate changes in indices of their performance to changes at lower trophic levels. Such relationships were assessed using indices of predator performance (response vectors) for four predator species, together with independent ship-based acoustic estimates of abundance of their main prey, Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba), from South Georgia in the South Atlantic Ocean. Out of 32 response vectors investigated, 13 showed a significant non-linear relationship, based on a Holling Type II response, to krill abundance, and just five showed a significant linear relationship. Predator responses reflecting the processes during summer, when prey surveys were undertaken, showed the closest relationship with prey abundance. Distinct relationships existed between the variability of indices and the biological processes they measured. Body mass variables had the lowest variability (CVs <10%), whereas those measuring breeding success showed the greatest variability (CVs >50%). Multivariate indices, produced by combining response vectors from all four predator species into a single combined index, provided a better fit with krill data than any of the individual vectors. Whereas population size parameters for individual species showed no relationship with annual estimates of krill abundance, a combined, multispecies population size index did show a significant response. Understanding the form of the relationship between concurrent indicators of prey abundance and key ecosystem metrics/reference points, such as population size, is crucial to the application of monitoring data to management action.
Running the gauntlet: the predation environment of small fish in the northern Gulf of St Lawrence, Canada
Authors: Duplisea Daniel E. 
Published: February 2005

Abstract
Predation size spectra were constructed for the northern Gulf of St Lawrence, covering prey size ranges that include pre-recruit cod. Predation by fish and harp seals was modelled with a log-normally distributed predator–prey size ratio along with a relationship between predator body size and the energy required. Fish concentrate predation on prey of weight 0.5–2 g, whereas harp seals prefer prey of 60–125 g. It is speculated that predation caused by harp seals on pre-recruits could be a major factor limiting cod recruitment in the system. The northern Gulf of St Lawrence is a cold boreal system with a large predatory seal population, and cod recruit older than elsewhere. Therefore, cod recruitment may be more strongly affected by predation in the northern Gulf of St Lawrence than in warmer systems such as the North Sea, where recruitment is strongly influenced by temperature.
A framework for making qualities of indicators transparent
Authors: Hauge Kjellrun Hiis , Olsen Erik , Heldal Hilde Elise , Skjoldal Hein Rune 
Published: February 2005

AbstractA framework is presented to communicate different qualities of and uncertainties in indicators, and to enhance the transparency of conclusions and scientific advice based on them. The framework consists of four parts: Advice Statement, Power of Explanation, Robustness, and Performance Perspectives. The Advice Statement is descriptive and largely quantitative; the last three parts are more analytical and qualitative. Power of Explanation addresses the strength of the associated scientific knowledge. Robustness seeks to clarify how sensitive the indicator value and advice are to underlying assumptions. Performance Perspectives highlight prospects and drawbacks in a management context. The framework and its discussion are illustrated by examples on spawning-stock biomass of Northeast Arctic cod, technetium-99 concentrations in lobster, and harbour porpoise bycatch rates.
CORONA, a Member of the Class III Homeodomain Leucine Zipper Gene Family in Arabidopsis, Regulates Stem Cell Specification and Organogenesis
Authors: Green Kirsten A. , Prigge Michael J. , Katzman Rebecca B. , Clark Steven E. 
Published: February 2005

AbstractOrganogenesis at the shoot meristem requires a delicate balance between stem cell specification and differentiation. In Arabidopsis thaliana, WUSCHEL (WUS) is a key factor promoting stem cell identity, whereas the CLAVATA (CLV1, CLV2, and CLV3) loci appear to promote differentiation by repressing WUS expression. In a screen for mutations modifying clv1 mutants, we have identified a novel regulator of meristem development we term CORONA (CNA). Whereas cna single mutant plants exhibit subtle defects in meristem development, clv cna double mutants develop massively enlarged apices that display early loss of organogenesis, misexpression of WUS and CLV3, and eventual differentiation of the entire apex. The CNA gene was isolated by positional cloning and found to encode a class III homeodomain Leu zipper protein. A missense mutation resulting in the dominant-negative cna-1 allele was identified in a conserved domain of unknown function, and a likely null allele was shown to display a similar but weaker phenotype. CNA is expressed in developing vascular tissue, diffusely through shoot and flower meristems, and within developing stamens and carpels. Our analysis of WUS expression in wild-type, clv, and clv cna plants revealed that, contrary to current models, WUS is neither necessary nor sufficient for stem cell specification and that neither WUS nor CLV3 is a marker for stem cell identity. We propose that CNA functions in parallel to the CLV loci to promote organ formation.
Pain relief strategies used by older people with chronic pain: an exploratory survey for planning patient‐centred intervention
Authors: Tse Mimi MY , Pun Sandra PY , Benzie Iris FF 
Published: February 2005

Aim.  To explore pain relief interventions used by older people with chronic pain in Hong Kong. The frequency and perceived effectiveness of non‐prescription measures were also explored.Background.  With increasing life expectancy, the incidence of chronic illness and chronic pain also increases. Chronic pain robs older people of their quality of life.Design.  This was a descriptive qualitative study.Results.  Forty‐four older people (37 female and seven male) who were residents of a nursing home in Hong Kong took part in this study. Their ages ranged from 65 to 82 years, median age was 75 years. Almost 80% had experienced moderate to severe pain during the previous three months. The most common sites of pain were muscles and joints; 35% of subjects reported continuous pain, 27% reported pain associated with activities of daily living, and 38% reported pain during exercise but not at rest. Only a few of the study group had taken prescribed medication to relieve pain, and only two of the 44 subjects studied had used a combination of drug and non‐prescription intervention for pain relief. The majority of participants used non‐prescription intervention only and the most commonly used were topical analgesics with massage. The majority (58%) of the subjects perceived the used of non‐prescription intervention to be very effective in pain relief.Conclusions.  The prevalence of pain was found to be high among older people in this study. Yet, they were taking a pro‐active and responsible role in treating their chronic pain by using non‐pharmacological patient‐initiated intervention; also older people perceive themselves to have control over their pain status.Relevance to clinical practice.  This active role of older people in their pain relief is likely to enhance the effect of education seminars and workshops aimed at novel, non‐pharmacological pain relief strategies for older people with chronic pain.
Maintenance haemodialysis: patients’ experiences of their life situation
Authors: Hagren Birger , Pettersen Inga‐Märta , Severinsson Elisabeth , Lützén Kim , Clyne Naomi 
Published: February 2005

Aim.  The aim of this study was to examine how patients suffering from CKD on maintenance haemodialysis experience their life situation. The focus was on how treatment encroaches on time and space and how patients experience care. The rationale was that this knowledge is necessary to provide professional support that takes into consideration a person's whole life situation.Background.  The experiences of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) undergoing maintenance haemodialysis have been studied in many quantitative studies, which translate patients’ subjective experiences into objectively quantifiable data. However, there are few qualitative studies examining the experiences of these patients’ life situation and expressing their experiences within the context of a nursing and caregiver's perspective.Method.  Data were collected by interviews with 41 patients between the ages of 29 and 86 years who participated in the study. A content analysis was used to identify common themes that describe the patients’ experiences of their life situation.Results.  Three main themes were identified, ‘not finding space for living’, ‘feelings evoked in the care situation’ and, ‘attempting to manage restricted life’. The first theme ‘not finding space for living’ consisted of two sub‐themes: ‘struggling with time‐consuming care’ and ‘feeling that life is restricted’. The second theme ‘feelings evoked in the care situation’ consisted of two sub‐themes: ‘sense of emotional distance’ and ‘feeling vulnerable’.Conclusions.  The patients in this study indirectly expressed an existential struggle, indicating that encroachment of time and space were important existential dimensions of CKD. The findings indicated that caregivers were not always aware of this inducing a sense of emotional distance and a sense of vulnerability in the patients.Relevance to clinical practice.  Caregivers in dialysis units have to consider haemodialysis patients’ experience of a sense of emotional distance in their relationship to caregivers. Nurses and doctors need to create routines within nursing practice to overcome this.
Patients’ experiences of hope and suffering during the first year following acute spinal cord injury
Authors: Lohne Vibeke , Severinsson Elisabeth 
Published: February 2005

Aims and objectives.  The aim of this study was to explore patients’ experiences of hope during the first year suffering from spinal cord injury.Background.  There is a lack of substantial precision with regard to the concept of hope. Very few qualitative studies focusing on experiences of hope in spinal cord‐injured patients have been identified in the literature. In this study, ‘hope’ was defined as future oriented towards improvement.Design and methods.  Data were collected by means of personal interviews (n = 10) at the participants’ homes in Norway. A phenomenological‐hermeneutic approach, inspired by Ricoeur, was used to extract the meaning of the patients’ experiences. The analysis was performed in several steps, as a hermeneutic process.Results.  In this study, the findings revealed two main themes: ‘The Vicious Circle’ and ‘Longing’. The vicious circle constituted aspects of suffering, and the common hope experienced by the subjects was therefore to leave the vicious circle. Experiences of suffering were experienced as feelings of loneliness, impatience, disappointment, bitterness and dependency. The ‘Longing’ was based on the subject's former life and was the source of awaked new hopes, which again was experienced comforting.Conclusions.  Experiences of suffering created hope and longing. The meaning of hope was to find a possible way out of the circle and the hoping was experienced as a comfort.Relevance to clinical practice.  Implications to nursing practice are listening to the suffering and longing individual and comforting the suffering by pointing towards possible future roads of hope.
Changes in patient characteristics and outcomes for radical cystectomy in England
Authors: Nuttall Martin C. , Van Der Meulen Jan , McIntosh Gregor , Gillatt David , Emberton Mark 
Published: February 2005

OBJECTIVESTo describe temporal changes in patient characteristics and outcomes for radical cystectomy (RC) in England between 1995 and 2002, using routinely collected administrative data.PATIENTS AND METHODSData were extracted from the Hospital Episode Statistics database of the Department of Health in England, describing all patients recorded as having undergone RC between 1995/1996 and 2001/2002; 8228 patients were included.RESULTSOf the patients who had undergone RC, two‐thirds were ≥ 65 years old and 75.6% were men. From 1995/1996 to 2001/2002 the annual number of RCs increased from 1013 to 1254, the proportion of patients admitted as an emergency decreased from 6.5% to 4.9%, the mean length of hospital stay decreased from 20.7 days to 18.7 days, and in‐hospital mortality rates fell from 5.3% to 3.6%. The length of hospital stay and in‐hospital mortality rates were higher in older patients, in female patients, and in those admitted as an emergency.CONCLUSIONSThere was no sign of centralization of RCs over the study period, as the 25% increase in annual hospital volume was accompanied by a similar increase in the annual number of RCs. Length of hospital stay and in‐hospital mortality rates have decreased.
Prostate cancer detection with digital rectal examination, prostate‐specific antigen, transrectal ultrasonography and biopsy in clinical urological practice
Authors: Ng Tze Kiat , Vasilareas Despina , Mitterdorfer Andrew J. , Maher Peter O. , Lalak Andre 
Published: February 2005

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the utility of digital rectal examination (DRE), prostate specific antigen (PSA) and transrectal ultrasonography and biopsy (TRUSB) in detecting prostate cancer in one teaching‐hospital urological practice.PATIENTS AND METHODSIn all, 2800 consecutive patients had TRUSB as outpatients by one urologist, the indications for which were a raised or rising PSA level or an abnormal DRE. In addition, the indications for repeat TRUSB included previous abnormal histology, e.g. suspicious areas or atypia or high‐grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia. All data were collected prospectively.RESULTSOf 2800 TRUSB, 223 were known cases of prostate cancer (previously diagnosed from transurethral prostatectomy chips or after radical prostatectomy) and were excluded from the analysis. There were 2194 initial and 383 repeat TRUSB; of the former patients, 1129 were found to have prostate cancer, giving a cancer‐detection rate of 52%. The positive predictive values (PPVs) for patients with a normal DRE and PSA of < 4, 4–10 and > 10 ng/mL were 9%, 31% and 48%, respectively; the corresponding PPVs for patients with an abnormal DRE and the same PSA levels were 27%, 67% and 85%, respectively. Of the 383 repeat TRUSB, the cancer‐detection rate was 31% for the first repeat and 28% for the second.CONCLUSIONSThe present values are higher than those reported previously, because these patients were within a clinical urological practice, and the indications for and methods of TRUSB have changed in recent years, such that more lateral areas were biopsied. These values are useful in helping clinicians to counsel patients about the probability of detecting cancer.
International Prostate Symptom Scores in young asymptomatic American men
Authors: Mueller Elizabeth R. , Latini Jerilyn , Lux Matthew , Kreder Karl , Fitzgerald Mary P. 
Published: February 2005

OBJECTIVETo establish ‘normal’ ranges of responses to the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) questionnaire from a sample of young, asymptomatic men, as the IPSS is useful both clinically and in research studies, but there are little or no data on the normal ranges of the IPSS.SUBJECTS AND METHODSDuring a previously conducted study of 284 ambulatory men who considered themselves to have normal urinary function, asymptomatic men completed a 24‐h urinary diary and the IPSS questionnaire. Diary variables and the IPSS were analysed using nonparametric Kruskal–Wallis and Spearman's tests.RESULTSThe IPSS was recorded for 243 men aged < 50 years; 153 (63%) were Caucasian, 67 (28%) African‐American, 11 (5%) Hispanic and 11 (5%) Asian. Although all men denied lower urinary tract symptoms during study screening, the total IPSS increased with age. Of men aged 18–29 years, 2% reported ‘moderate’ symptoms (IPSS > 7) compared to 12% of men aged 40–49 years (P = 0.002). No subject reported ‘severe’ symptoms (IPSS > 19). When responses to individual IPSS questions were analysed, all item scores except frequency (question 2) and hesitancy (question 6) increased with age. Nocturia (question 7) was often reported, and 11% of men aged 18–29 and 31% of men aged 40–49 years reported two or more nightly voids.CONCLUSIONSIn this study, the consistently increasing positive IPSS with ageing in almost all symptom categories suggests underlying changes in urinary habits even in this asymptomatic group. Studies of normal urinary habits remain critically important to understanding normal and abnormal function, both for the design of research studies and for counselling patients.
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostatitis: prevalence of painful ejaculation in men with clinical BPH
Authors: Nickel J. Curtis , Elhilali Mostafa , Vallancien Guy ,   ALF‐ONE Study Group
Published: February 2005

OBJECTIVESTo determine the prevalence and importance of pain/discomfort on ejaculation (prostatitis‐like symptom) in men with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) diagnosed with clinical benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).PATIENTS AND METHODSBaseline data from 5096 men reporting LUTS suggestive of BPH, and enrolled in the ALF‐ONE study by general practitioners and urologists in Europe, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Canada, were analysed to determine the prevalence and significance of pain/discomfort on ejaculation. All the men were asked to complete the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) questionnaire, the bother score (IPSS question 8), and the Danish Prostate Symptom Score sexual‐function questionnaire (DAN‐PSSsex) which assesses three symptoms (rigidity of erection, amount of ejaculate and pain/discomfort on ejaculation) and their bothersomeness.RESULTSThere were 3700 sexually active men who had an evaluable answer to the DAN‐PSSsex question related to pain/discomfort on ejaculation. Of these, 688 (18.6%) reported pain/discomfort on ejaculation and 609 (88%) considered it was a problem. Patients with painful ejaculation had more severe LUTS and reported greater bother (P < 0.001). Of men with painful ejaculation, 72% reported erectile dysfunction, of whom 91% considered it a problem, and 75% reported reduced ejaculation, of whom 81% considered it a problem. By contrast, of men with no ejaculatory discomfort, 57% reported erectile dysfunction, of whom 79% considered it a problem, and 56% reported reduced ejaculation, of whom 57% considered it a problem. A history of urinary tract infection was reported by 12% of men in the ejaculatory pain group, compared with 7% in the LUTS‐only group, while 5% of men in the ejaculatory pain group reported macroscopic haematuria, compared to 3% in the LUTS‐only group. Men with ejaculatory pain were slightly younger, but there were no significant differences in duration of LUTS, history of acute urinary retention, prostate‐specific antigen concentrations or maximum urinary flow rate compared to the LUTS‐only group.CONCLUSIONSOf sexually active men with LUTS suggestive of BPH, ≈ 20% complain of specific prostatitis‐like symptoms of pain/discomfort on ejaculation, and these men clearly differ from those who present with LUTS only. For most the symptom is a significant bother. Men with BPH and painful ejaculation have more severe LUTS and reported greater bother, and had a higher prevalence of erectile dysfunction and reduced ejaculation, than men with LUTS only. Evaluation and treatment strategies should address this population of men with symptoms suggestive of both prostatitis and BPH.