bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Differences between nurse and patient assessments on postoperative pain management in two hospitals
Authors: Idvall Ewa , Berg Katarina , Unosson Mitra , Brudin Lars 
Published: September 2005

AbstractRationale  Differences between patient and professional assessments on pain and pain management have been reported, but no further analysis has described the statistical problems of pseudocorrelation concerning the nature of these differences.Aim  The aim of the present study was: (1) to investigate the differences between nurse and patient assessments of postoperative pain management in two hospitals, and (2) to discuss the nature and  scope  of  these  differences.Method  The subjects were 209 inpatients and 63 nurses from a central county hospital and 77 inpatients and 34 nurses from a university hospital. The ‘Strategic and Clinical Quality Indicators in Postoperative Pain Management’ questionnaire was used, comprising 14 items in four sub‐scales (communication, action, trust and environment) and two questions concerning the worst pain experienced during the past 24 hours and general satisfaction.Result  Except for the trust sub‐scale in one hospital, the correlations between patient and nurse ratings concerning all assessments were significant in both hospitals (r = 0.22 − 0.59). Both groups of patients had significantly higher (better) scores than judged by the nurses on the environment sub‐scale and general satisfaction. In contrast, nurses from both hospitals tended to significantly underestimate patients’ worst pain during the past 24 hours. Other differences between patient and nurse assessments were either non‐significant or inconsistent between hospitals. Using so‐called Oldham plots nurses tended to underestimate severe pain more often than mild pain, as judged by the patients, but this association was weak and statistically significant in one hospital only.Conclusion  Although the effects of pseudocorrelation are minimized by using Oldham plots, they are not cancelled. This issue is discussed, and we conclude that this study does not support the notion that the nurses tend to underestimate severe pain more often than mild pain.
An overview of methods and empirical comparison of aggregate data and individual patient data results for investigating heterogeneity in meta‐analysis of time‐to‐event outcomes
Authors: Smith Catrin Tudur , Williamson Paula R. , Marson Anthony G. 
Published: September 2005

AbstractCombining the results of individual studies using meta‐analysis may be undertaken using either aggregate data (AD) or individual patient data (IPD). In any meta‐analysis it is important to consider statistical heterogeneity between studies. Potential sources of heterogeneity can be explored using regression models with either AD or IPD. An overview of approaches and empirical assessment of how the results and conclusions differ from these analyses is undertaken using a meta‐analysis of five randomized controlled trials comparing two antiepileptic drugs with time‐to‐event outcomes. Alternative meta‐regression models using AD are compared to stratified Cox regression models using IPD. Age as a potential cause of heterogeneity is detected by both AD and IPD regression models. Time from first ever seizure to randomization is only identified by some AD models. A more thorough explanation of heterogeneity is obtained from the model using IPD but further empirical evidence comparing IPD and AD results are needed.
New technology to enable personal monitoring and incident reporting can transform professional culture: the potential to favourably impact the future of health care
Authors: Bolsin Stephen , Patrick Andrew , Colson Mark , Creatie Bernie , Freestone Liadane 
Published: September 2005

AbstractThere have been recent exposures of poor health care performance in many countries with western health care systems. The poor performance has either related to poor or criminal practices routinely going undetected or to organizational indifference or hostility to staff raising concerns about perceived poor standards of care. The demonstration that routine performance data monitoring would have detected and prevented many of the deaths attributed to poor surgical standards in the Bristol Royal Infirmary paediatric cardiac surgery scandal and criminal behaviour in the Harold Shipman scandal has highlighted the need for routine data collection to demonstrate to both health care administrators and patients that minimum standards of clinical practice are being achieved. The recent proposal that surgical report cards represent an important minimum ethical standard for health care consent will force the medical profession to engage in the debate surrounding routine data collection for performance monitoring and other purposes. This article considers the cultural background to data collection in the medical profession and the cost implications of failing to improve data collection in the areas of performance monitoring and incident reporting. A potential solution developed by the Geelong hospital group and in use in Australia is proposed as a novel, technologically appropriate and working example of practical data collection. This model is endorsed by the professional specialties and supported by modern regulatory theory. The individual, local and system wide benefits of such personal professional data collection are outlined and the necessary prerequisites are detailed.
Cluster randomized controlled trials
Authors: Puffer Suezann , Torgerson David J. , Watson Judith 
Published: September 2005

AbstractCluster randomized controlled trial (RCT), in which groups or clusters of individuals rather than individuals themselves are randomized, are increasingly common. Indeed, for the evaluation of certain types of intervention (such as those used in health promotion and educational interventions) a cluster randomized trial is virtually the only valid approach. However, cluster trials are generally more difficult to design and execute than individually randomized studies, and some design features of a cluster trial may make it particularly vulnerable to a range of threats that can introduce bias. In this paper we discuss the issues that can lead to bias in cluster randomized trials and conclude with some suggestions for avoiding these problems.
Role development in health care assistants: the impact of education on practice
Authors: Hancock Helen , Campbell Steve , Ramprogus Vince , Kilgour Julie 
Published: September 2005

AbstractRationale  Health care provision has moved towards an approach to patient care that challenges the traditional role boundaries of health care workers. In nursing this has resulted in the delegation of ‘nursing care’ to health care assistants (HCAs). This study sought to evaluate the impact of a HCA Development Programme on care delivery. Secondly, it sought to understand the preparedness of HCAs to undertake the programme and the new roles set for  them.Methodology  The research method was a qualitative, inductive approach. For part one, data were gathered using a 360‐degree approach. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with four HCAs, eight of each of their colleagues and four patients. For part two, 12 HCAs were interviewed. Data were analysed following the principles of thematic analysis.Findings  The findings for part one showed positive changes to the HCAs’ role, which included skill and knowledge development, increased confidence and initiative and a more holistic approach to care. A range of personal and contextual factors including relationships, hierarchy, staffing, experience, responsibility, patient dependency, attitudes and values affected the development of their role. The HCAs in part two voiced positive and negative views of their role development. Of the 12 HCAs interviewed, eight were prepared to attend the programme, two were undecided, and two  were  reluctant  to  attend.Conclusions  The findings indicated that while the HCA Development Programme positively influenced the role of the HCA, there was a need to invest more into preparation for the restructuring of roles.
Detection of quinolone‐resistance genes in Photobacterium damselae subsp. piscicida strains by targeting‐induced local lesions in genomes
Authors: Kim M‐J , Hirono I , Aoki T 
Published: September 2005

AbstractQuinolone‐resistant strains of the fish‐pathogenic bacterium, Photobacterium damselae subsp. piscicida are distributed widely in cultured yellowtail, Seriola quinqueradiata (Temminck & Schlegel), in Japan. The quinolone resistance‐determining region (QRDR) was amplified with degenerate primers, followed by cassette ligation‐mediated PCR. Open reading frames encoding proteins of 875 and 755 amino acid residues were detected in the gyrA and parC genes, respectively. Resistant strains of P. damselae subsp. piscicida carried a point mutation only in the gyrA QRDR leading to a Ser‐to‐Ile substitution at residue position 83. No amino acid alterations were discovered in the ParC sequence. A mutation in the gyrA gene was also detected in nalidixic acid‐resistant mutants of strain SP96002 obtained from agar medium containing increased levels of quinolone. These results suggest that GyrA, as in other Gram‐negative bacteria, is a target of quinolone in P. damselae subsp. piscicida. Furthermore, we attempted to detect a point mutation using targeting‐induced local lesions in genomes (TILLING), which is a general strategy used for the detection of a variety of induced point mutations and naturally occurring polymorphisms. We developed a new detection method for the rapid and large‐scale identification of quinolone‐resistant strains of P. damselae subsp. piscicida using TILLING.
Gross signs and histopathology of branchiostegal blister disease (balloon disease): an idiopathic disease of farmed Macrobrachium rosenbergii (De Man)
Authors: Pillai D , Nair C M , Salin K R , Marques A , Widada J S , Bonami J‐R 
Published: September 2005

AbstractThe giant freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii, is facing increased threat due to disease as its culture becomes more widespread. A disease characterized by the swelling of the branchiostegal region and deformities of the appendages, named balloon disease by farmers, has caused considerable economic loss in the Nellore region of Andhra Pradesh, India. Clinical signs of diseased animals include a voluminous hypertrophy of some gill filaments and the inner area of the branchiostegite. By histology, hypertrophied areas at the level of the gill filaments or branchiostegite had an identical structure corresponding to a large cyst filled with a fluid containing a few free haemocytes, limited on one side by the cuticle and on the other by the subcuticular epithelial layer. Analysis of the diseased prawns did not reveal any pathogenic agent leading us to conclude that the disease is idiopathic, probably due to suboptimal water quality conditions.
Descriptions, development and pathogenicity of myxozoan (Myxozoa: Myxosporea) parasites of juvenile cyprinids (Pisces: Cyprinidae)
Authors: Longshaw M , Frear P A , Feist S W 
Published: September 2005

AbstractApproximately 5000 young of the year (0+) cyprinids comprising roach, chub, dace, minnow, bleak, bream, barbel and gudgeon were examined histologically for the presence of myxozoan infections. Thirteen myxozoans were identified to species, the majority being Myxobolus spp. In addition, two species of Myxidium and of Sphaerospora were recorded. All organs were examined, with the majority of infections being found in the gills, musculature and kidney. However, isolated spores were occasionally found in other tissues. Whilst roach contained the highest number of myxozoan species, it was chub that showed the greatest host response to sporogonic forms. Data are provided on spore morphology, pathogenic responses and tissue and host specificity of the myxozoans recorded.
Algorithms to estimate the rose of directions of a spatial fibre system
Authors: KIDERLEN M. , PFRANG A. 
Published: September 2005

SummaryThe directional measure (which is up to normalization the rose of directions) is used to quantify anisotropy of stationary fibre processes in three‐dimensional space. There exist a large number of approaches to estimate this measure from the rose of intersections (which is the mean number of intersections of fibres with lower dimensional test sets). Three recently suggested nonparametric algorithms to solve this problem are reviewed and compared. They were obtained from solutions of a least squares problem, a more general convex optimization problem and a linear program, respectively. Application to two different carbon fibre architectures and to simulated data allow an empirical comparison of these approaches. In addition, estimators for the associated zonoid (or Steiner compact) are suggested. This set turns out to be an intuitive tool for visualization.
A multiparametric assay for quantitative nerve regeneration evaluation
Authors: WEYN B. , VAN REMOORTERE M. , NUYDENS R. , MEERT T. , VAN DE WOUWER G. 
Published: September 2005

SummaryWe introduce an assay for the semi‐automated quantification of nerve regeneration by image analysis. Digital images of histological sections of regenerated nerves are recorded using an automated inverted microscope and merged into high‐resolution mosaic images representing the entire nerve. These are analysed by a dedicated image‐processing package that computes nerve‐specific features (e.g. nerve area, fibre count, myelinated area) and fibre‐specific features (area, perimeter, myelin sheet thickness). The assay's performance and correlation of the automatically computed data with visually obtained data are determined on a set of 140 semithin sections from the distal part of a rat tibial nerve from four different experimental treatment groups (control, sham, sutured, cut) taken at seven different time points after surgery. Results show a high correlation between the manually and automatically derived data, and a high discriminative power towards treatment. Extra value is added by the large feature set. In conclusion, the assay is fast and offers data that currently can be obtained only by a combination of laborious and time‐consuming tests.
Reconstruction of pore space from a pore connectivity network via morphological transformations
Authors: TEO L. L. , DAYA SAGAR B. S. 
Published: September 2005

SummaryPore and grain regions were separated via thresholding techniques from sandstone images. A mathematical morphology‐based framework was followed to pack the random pore space with overlapping and nonoverlapping disks. This framework has several advantages in implementation and is generally applicable to multiscale images. The random pore space was reconstructed in two ways from the minimum morphological information through: (a) overlapping and (b) nonoverlapping disks of various shapes and sizes. The structuring elements employed to carry out this analysis included octagon, square and rhombus templates. The results achieved through these two types of reconstruction of sandstone pores are compared. These results provided the basis on which to test the accuracy of these techniques. Reconstruction recovery was tested by computing shapiness indices for the reconstructed pores achieved through the two methods.
Low gene flow but high genetic diversity in the threatened Mallorcan midwife toad Alytes muletensis
Authors: KRAAIJEVELD‐SMIT F. J. L. , BEEBEE T. J. C. , GRIFFITHS R. A. , MOORE R. D. , SCHLEY L. 
Published: September 2005

AbstractWe investigated fine‐scale genetic structuring in the rare and vulnerable Mallorcan midwife toad Alytes muletensis using eight polymorphic microsatellite markers. The current range of this amphibian is restricted to some 19 sites of which six are derived from reintroductions, all located in the mountain ranges of Mallorca. We sampled tadpoles from 14 pools covering 10 natural sites and two reintroduction sites for microsatellite DNA analyses. Relatively high levels of genetic variation were found in most pools (HE = 0.38–0.71, allelic richness = 2.6–6.2). Only at one pool has the population recently gone through a bottleneck. Dispersal between pools in different torrents does not occur whereas downstream dispersal between pools within the same torrent does happen at low frequencies. This occasional exchange of individuals does not lead to neighbouring pools in the same torrent being panmictic. This can be concluded because all FST values (0.12–0.53) differ significantly from zero and structure analyses identified neighbouring pools as separate populations. Furthermore, assignment and migration tests showed little exchange between neighbouring pools. If upstream locations or complete torrents go extinct, they are unlikely to be recolonized naturally. For conservation purposes, reintroductions of tadpoles to sites where local extinctions have occurred may therefore be advisable.
Asymmetrical introgression between twoMorusspecies (M. alba,M. rubra) that differ in abundance
Authors: BURGESS K. S. , MORGAN M. , DEVERNO L. , HUSBAND B. C. 
Published: September 2005

AbstractAsymmetrical introgression is an expected genetic consequence of hybridization when parental taxa differ in abundance; however, evidence for such effects in small populations is scarce. To test this prediction, we estimated the magnitude and direction of hybridization between red mulberry (Morus rubraL.), an endangered species in Canada, and the introduced and more abundant white mulberry (Morus albaL.) using nuclear (randomly amplified polymorphic DNA) and cytoplasmic (chloroplast DNA sequence) markers. Parentage of 184 trees (n = 42 using cpDNA) from four sympatric populations was estimated using a hybrid index and related to six morphological characters and population frequencies of the parental classes. Overall, the frequency of nuclear hybrids was 53.7% (n = 99) and ranged from 43% to 67% among populations. The parental and hybrid taxa differed with respect to all of the morphological traits. Sixty‐seven percent of all hybrids contained more nuclear markers fromM. albathanM. rubra(hybrid indexx̄ = 0.46); among populations, the degree ofM.albabias was correlated with the frequency ofM. alba. In addition, the majority of hybrids (68%) contained the chloroplast genome of white mulberry. These results suggest that introgression is bidirectional but asymmetrical and is related, in part, to the relative frequency of parental taxa.
Gene‐flow patterns in Atlantic and Mediterranean populations of the Lusitanian sea star Asterina gibbosa
Authors: BAUS E. , DARROCK D. J. , BRUFORD M. W. 
Published: September 2005

AbstractIn this study, the population structure of the Lusitanian sea star Asterina gibbosa was assessed using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP). One hundred and twenty‐two AFLP loci were analysed in 159 individuals from eight populations from across the species’ range and revealed high levels of genetic diversity, with all individuals but two harbouring a unique banding pattern. As reported for other marine invertebrates, we found high levels of genetic differentiation between the Atlantic and Mediterranean basins, suggesting that the Strait of Gibraltar represents a major barrier to dispersal for this sea star. Our assignment studies suggest that, in the Atlantic, a measurable degree of gene flow occurs between populations, which could result in the isolation‐by‐distance pattern of differentiation observed in this basin. In contrast, no evidence of contemporary gene flow was found in the Mediterranean, suggesting contrasting patterns of dispersal of Asterina gibbosa in the Atlantic and Mediterranean basins.
Effect of external pH on the growth, photosynthesis and photosynthetic electron transport of Chlamydomonas acidophila Negoro, isolated from an extremely acidic lake (pH 2.6)
Authors: GERLOFF‐ELIAS ANTJE , SPIJKERMAN ELLY , PRÖSCHOLD THOMAS 
Published: September 2005

ABSTRACTIn extremely acidic lakes, low primary production rates have been measured. We assumed that proton stress might explain these observations and therefore investigated the photosynthetic behaviour of a Chlamydomonas species, a main primary producer in acidic lakes, over a range of pH values. Identified as C. acidophila using small subunit rDNA analysis, this species is identical to other isolates from acidic environments in Europe and South America, suggesting a worldwide distribution. Laboratory experiments with C. acidophila, revealed a broad pH‐tolerance for growth and photosynthesis, the lower pH limit lying at pH 1.5 and the upper limit at pH 7. Growth rates at optimum pH conditions (pH 3 and 5) were equal to those of the mesophilic Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. In contrast, photosynthetic rates were significantly higher, suggesting that higher photosynthetic rates compensated for higher dark respiration rates, as confirmed experimentally. Electron transport capacities of PSI and PSII, P700+ re‐reduction times and measurements of PSII fluorescence revealed the induction of alternative electron transport mechanisms, such as chlororespiration, state transitions and cyclic electron transport, only at suboptimal pH values (pH 1.5; 4 and 6–7). The results indicate, that C. acidophila is well adapted to low pH and that the relatively low primary production rates are not a result of pH stress.
Physiological changes in white lupin associated with variation in root‐zone CO2 concentration and cluster‐root P mobilization
Authors: CRAMER M. D. , SHANE M. W. , LAMBERS H. 
Published: September 2005

ABSTRACTWhite lupin (Lupinus albus L.) mobilizes insoluble soil phosphorus through exudation of organic acids from ‘cluster’ roots. Organic acid synthesis requires anaplerotic carbon derived from dark CO2 fixation involving PEP‐carboxylase. We tested the hypothesis that variation in root‐zone CO2 concentration would influence organic acid synthesis and thus P mobilization. Root‐zone CO2 concentrations and soil FePO4 concentrations supplied to sand‐grown white lupin (cv. Kiev Mutant) were varied. More biomass accumulated in plants supplied with 360 µL L−1 CO2 to the root‐zone, compared with those aerated with either 100 or 6000 µL L−1 CO2. Increased FePO4 in the sand resulted in greater leaf P concentrations, but root‐zone [CO2] did not influence leaf P concentration. Suppression of cluster‐root development in plants supplied with 100 µL L−1 root‐zone CO2 was correlated with increased leaf [P]. However, at both 360 and 6000 µL L−1 CO2, cluster‐root development was suppressed only at the highest leaf P concentration. Phloem sap [P] was significantly increased by greater [FePO4] in the sand, but was reduced with increased root‐zone [CO2], and this may have triggered increased cluster‐root initiation. Succinate was the major organic acid (carboxylate) in the phloem sap (minor components included malate, citrate, fumarate) and was increased at greater [FePO4], suggesting that this shoot‐derived carboxylate might provide an important source of organic acids for root metabolism. Since cluster root development was inhibited by increasing concentrations of FePO4 in the sand, it is possible that succinate was utilized for the functioning of the root‐nodules.