Critical Attributes (critical + attribute)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


The conceptual structure of transition to motherhood in the neonatal intensive care unit

JOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 1 2007
Hyunjeong Shin
Abstract Title. The conceptual structure of transition to motherhood in the neonatal intensive care unit Aim., This paper is a report of a concept analysis of transition to motherhood for mothers with infants in a neonatal intensive care unit. Background., Mothers with infants in a neonatal intensive care unit have more difficulty in their transition to motherhood compared with mothers of healthy infants. The concept of transition to motherhood in the neonatal intensive care unit is not well-understood in nursing, often being confused with mothers' psychological responses in the neonatal intensive care unit. Methods., The concept analysis combined Rodgers' evolutionary method with Schwartz-Barcott & Kim's Hybrid method. Thirty-eight studies were reviewed and a purposive sample of 10 Korean mothers with infants in a neonatal intensive care unit was interviewed. Findings., Three critical attributes of transition to motherhood in the neonatal intensive care unit were identified: (1) time-dependent process, (2) psycho-emotional swirling and (3) hovering around the edge of mothering. These are caused by the antecedents (1) unexpected outcome of pregnancy, (2) awareness of the situation and (3) mother,infant separation. The consequences were: (1) delayed motherhood and (2) developing a sense of meaning concerning family and life. Additionally, five influencing factors to be alleviated were identified: (1) negative meaning attribution, (2) uncertainty, (3) social prejudice, (4) lack of opportunities to make contact with the infant and (5) the neonatal intensive care unit environment. Conclusions., This concept analysis should help nurses to understand the process of becoming a mother in a neonatal intensive care unit and plan appropriate interventions for mothers with special needs. [source]


CONSUMER ACCEPTANCE AND PURCHASE INTENT OF A NOVEL LOW-FAT SUGAR-FREE SHERBET CONTAINING SOY PROTEIN

JOURNAL OF FOOD QUALITY, Issue 2010
J. WALKER
ABSTRACT This research was designed to develop low-fat sugar-free frozen sherbet products containing an acceptable level of soy protein (SP) recommended by the Food and Drug Administration and to determine consumer sensory profile driving consumer acceptance and purchase intent. Four orange-flavored sherbets were manufactured using four levels of SP isolate (6.0, 6.5, 7.5 and 7.9 g/serving) and evaluated by 140 consumers. Consumers evaluated each sample for acceptability of appearance/color, flavor, sweetness, sourness, texture/mouthfeel and overall liking. Consumers also evaluated overall acceptance and purchase intent of these products. All four formulations were overall different (multivariate analysis of variance, Pr > F = 0.0003). Appearance and sweetness were not used by the consumers to differentiate among the four sherbet formulations. Formulations with 7.9 g and 6.0 g SP were equally liked with the mean overall liking score of 5.60,5.66. Formulation with 6.0 g SP had the highest acceptance (65.0%) and purchase intent (55.7%) after consumers had been informed of soy health benefits. Specifically, overall liking and texture were identified as the two most critical attributes affecting overall acceptance and purchase intent of these products. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Consumer interest in healthy eating is increasing. Soy-based products have moved into the marketplace and are becoming increasingly popular. Consumers tend to associate consuming soy with healthy eating habits. In this study, consumer acceptability of low-fat sugar-free sherbets containing soy protein (SP) was evaluated. Development of a frozen dessert with SP would give consumers another venue to satisfy consumer's eating desire and provide them with the health benefits of soy. [source]


Practice development: a concept analysis

JOURNAL OF NURSING MANAGEMENT, Issue 6 2000
BSc (Hons), J. Unsworth MSc
Aims This analysis sets out to explore the nature and scope of the concept of practice development. Background The last 10 years has seen a growing interest in the development of health care practice. However, the exact nature of practice development remains poorly articulated and nebulous. Literature from nursing, medical, accountancy, social work and counselling is used to identify the critical attributes of the concept. Data analysis The analysis uses the techniques developed by Walker & Avant (1995) to collect information on the use of the concept from the literature and to construct cases. Key issues Many of the attributes of practice development are shared by other related concepts such as innovation. However, four critical attributes of practice development were identified and illustrated through case construction. Conclusions An understanding of the nature and scope of practice development is essential if the role of the Practice Development Nurse is to be evaluated. The critical attributes and empirical referents identified in this analysis provide a framework for both role development and evaluation. [source]


Antibody structure, instability, and formulation

JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES, Issue 1 2007
Wei Wang
Abstract The number of therapeutic monoclonal antibody in development has increased tremendously over the last several years and this trend continues. At present there are more than 23 approved antibodies on the US market and an estimated 200 or more are in development. Although antibodies share certain structural similarities, development of commercially viable antibody pharmaceuticals has not been straightforward because of their unique and somewhat unpredictable solution behavior. This article reviews the structure and function of antibodies and the mechanisms of physical and chemical instabilities. Various aspects of formulation development have been examined to identify the critical attributes for the stabilization of antibodies. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 96:1,26, 2007 [source]


Relationship Between Aboveground Biomass and Multiple Measures of Biodiversity in Subtropical Forest of Puerto Rico

BIOTROPICA, Issue 3 2010
Heather D. Vance-Chalcraft
ABSTRACT Anthropogenic activities have accelerated the rate of global loss of biodiversity, making it more important than ever to understand the structure of biodiversity hotspots. One current focus is the relationship between species richness and aboveground biomass (AGB) in a variety of ecosystems. Nonetheless, species diversity, evenness, rarity, or dominance represent other critical attributes of biodiversity and may have associations with AGB that are markedly different than that of species richness. Using data from large trees in four environmentally similar sites in the Luquillo Experimental Forest of Puerto Rico, we determined the shape and strength of relationships between each of five measures of biodiversity (i.e., species richness, Simpson's diversity, Simpson's evenness, rarity, and dominance) and AGB. We quantified these measures of biodiversity using either proportional biomass or proportional abundance as weighting factors. Three of the four sites had a unimodal relationship between species richness and AGB, with only the most mature site evincing a positive, linear relationship. The differences between the mature site and the other sites, as well as the differences between our richness,AGB relationships and those found at other forest sites, highlight the crucial role that prior land use and severe storms have on this forest community. Although the shape and strength of relationships differed greatly among measures of biodiversity and among sites, the strongest relationships within each site were always those involving richness or evenness. Abstract in Spanish is available at http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/loi/btp [source]