bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cost evaluation of providing evidence‐based dietetic services for weight management in adults: In‐person versuseHealth delivery
Authors: Rollo Megan E. , Burrows Tracy , Vincze Lisa J. , Harvey Jean , Collins Clare E. , Hutchesson Melinda J. 
Published: January 2017

AimTo compare the theoretical costs of best‐practice weight management delivered by dietitians in a traditional, in‐person setting compared to remote consultations delivered using eHealth technologies.MethodsUsing national guidelines, a framework was developed outlining dietitian‐delivered weight management for in‐person and eHealth delivery modes. This framework mapped one‐on‐one patient–dietitian consultations for an adult requiring active management (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) over a one‐year period using both delivery modes. Resources required for both the dietitian and patient to implement each treatment mode were identified, with costs attributed for material, fixed, travel and personnel components. The resource costs were categorised as either establishment or recurring costs associated with the treatment of one patient.ResultsEstablishment costs were higher for eHealth compared to in‐person costs ($1394.21 vs $90.05). Excluding establishment costs, the total (combined dietitian and patient) cost for one patient receiving best‐practice weight management for 12 months was $560.59 for in‐person delivery, compared to $389.78 for eHealth delivery. Compared to the eHealth mode, a higher proportion of the overall recurring delivery costs was attributed to the patient for the in‐person mode (46.4% and 33.9%, respectively).ConclusionsAlthough it is initially more expensive to establish an eHealth service mode, the overall reoccurring costs per patient for delivery of best‐practice weight management were lower compared to the in‐person mode. This theoretical cost evaluation establishes preliminary evidence to support alternative obesity management service models using eHealth technologies. Further research is required to determine the feasibility, efficacy and cost‐effectiveness of these models within dietetic practice.
Parent, patient and health professional perspectives regarding enteral nutrition in paediatric oncology
Authors: Cohen Jennifer , Wakefield Claire E. , Tapsell Linda C. , Walton Karen , Cohn Richard J. 
Published: January 2017

AimEnteral tube feeding (ETF) is an important part of treatment for paediatric cancer patients. Without nutritional therapy, the prevalence of under‐nutrition during treatment for childhood cancer may be as high as 50%. To ensure that the appropriate initiation of ETF is optimised, information on the views of key stakeholders regarding ETF is needed.MethodsIn total, 48 interviews were conducted with parents of paediatric cancer patients (n = 20), patients (n = 10) and members of the paediatric oncology health‐care team (n = 18). Semistructured interviews were used to elicit information from participants, and the data were analysed using a content analysis approach. The interviews focused on views regarding: (i) attitude toward, and impact of, ETF; (ii) information and support regarding ETF; and (iii) clinical management of ETF.ResultsThere was agreement between stakeholders on the impact of ETF on patients, both positive (good nutrition, weight gain and decreased anxiety) and negative (physical appearance, invasive insertion procedure and comfort). There were discordant perceptions regarding the timing and type of information provided on the use of ETF, as well as the decision‐making process used.ConclusionsBy standardising the information given to parents and enhancing understanding of parent, patient and health‐care worker perceptions about ETF, the initiation of tube feeding may be optimised. This may positively impact patient outcomes in the future.
Comparison of Gender Differences in Nutritional Value and Key Odor Profile of Hepatopancreas of Chinese Mitten Crab (Eriocheir Sinensis)
Authors: Wu Na , Wang Xi‐Chang 
Published: January 2017

AbstractThe nutritional value and key odor profile of hepatopancreas of Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) was evaluated, and gender differences in terms of edible yield, proximate composition, different lipid fractions, fatty acid composition, and key odor compounds were compared. Total lipids were separated into different lipid fractions using silicic acid columns. And odorants were detected by monolithic material sorptive extraction coupled with gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry‐olfactometry (GC‐MS‐O). Furthermore, detected frequency and odor intensity method of GC‐O were applied to select key odor compounds in steamed E. sinensis. The results showed male crabs (34.06%) had a higher edible yield than female crabs (32.42%). Hepatopancreas was the most abundant portion in both genders, which contained high lipid content. Higher contents of triacylglycerols, sterols, free fatty acids, and phosphatidylethanolamine in female crabs resulted in a significant higher total lipid content in females (40.05%) than in males (37.94%). Meanwhile, total monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids of female crabs had significant higher content than male crabs, and the ratio of docosahexaenoic acid to eicosapentaenoic acid of female crabs (1.26) showed higher value than male crabs (1.18), which indicated that female crabs had higher nutritional value than male crabs. For further analyses, unique odor compounds detected in female crabs showed a plant/vegetable‐like odor, while sweety, corn‐like odor in male crabs. These suggested that hepatopancreases of female crabs are healthier than male crabs for human consumption, however, they may be favored by different consumers individually due to their unique aroma profiles.
Utility of 68Ga prostate specific membrane antigen – positron emission tomography in diagnosis and response assessment of recurrent renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Siva Shankar , Callahan Jason , Pryor David , Martin Jarad , Lawrentschuk Nathan , Hofman Michael S 
Published: January 2017

AbstractIntroductionProstate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron emission tomography (PET) is an emerging imaging modality in prostate cancer. However, 68Ga‐PSMA‐PET may also have diagnostic utility in the setting of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). We investigate the differential role of 18F‐fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) and PSMA‐PET/CT scanning in patients with oligometastatic RCC. In particular, we focus on the utility of PSMA‐PET for diagnostic evaluation of isolated or limited metastases planned for local surgery or radiation, as well as the potential utility of PSMA‐PET for therapeutic response assessment in patients receiving stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR).MethodsWe present a retrospective series of eight patients in which comparative imaging modalities are evaluated against PSMA‐PET scanning. FDG‐PET and PSMA‐PET scans were performed prior to definitive treatment (either surgery or SABR) of limited recurrent disease. Response assessment after SABR was performed with both PET imaging modalities at multiple time points in a subset of four patients.ResultsProstate specific membrane antigen uptake is typically more intense than FDG in RCC. In all but two cases, one of which was papillary carcinoma, FDG‐PET and PSMA‐PET are concordant for detection of sites of disease. We demonstrate for the first time the differential kinetics of post‐treatment response using PSMA and FDG‐PET, with a more rapid metabolic response observed on FDG‐PET. Both modalities demonstrate response earlier than morphological appearances on CT or MRI imaging.ConclusionsOur series suggests that PSMA shows early promise as a diagnostic and therapeutic response assessment tool in patients with metastatic RCC receiving definitive local therapies.
Phylogenomics using formalin‐fixed and 100+ year‐old intractable natural history specimens
Authors: Ruane Sara , Austin Christopher C. 
Published: January 2017

AbstractMuseum specimens provide a wealth of information to biologists, but obtaining genetic data from formalin‐fixed and fluid‐preserved specimens remains challenging. WhileDNAsequences have been recovered from such specimens, most approaches are time‐consuming and produce low data quality and quantity. Here, we use a modifiedDNAextraction protocol combined with high‐throughput sequencing to recoverDNAfrom formalin‐fixed and fluid‐preserved snakes that were collected over a century ago and for which little or no modern genetic materials exist in public collections. We successfully extractedDNAand sequenced ultraconserved elements ( = 2318 loci) from 10 fluid‐preserved snakes and included them in a phylogeny with modern samples. This phylogeny demonstrates the general use of such specimens in phylogenomic studies and provides evidence for the placement of enigmatic snakes, such as the rare and never‐before sequenced IndianXylophis stenorhynchus. Our study emphasizes the relevance of museum collections in modern research and simultaneously provides a protocol that may prove useful for specimens that have been previously intractable forDNAsequencing.
On the performance of four methods for the numerical solution of ecologically realistic size‐structured population models
Authors: Zhang Lai , Dieckmann Ulf , Brännström Åke 
Published: January 2017

Summary

Size‐structured population models (SSPMs) are widely used in ecology to account for intraspecific variation in body size. Three characteristic features of size‐structured populations are the dependence of life histories on the entire size distribution, intrinsic population renewal through the birth of new individuals, and the potential accumulation of individuals with similar body sizes due to determinate or stunted growth. Because of these three features, numerical methods that work well for structurally similar transport equations may fail for SSPMs and other transport‐dominated models with high ecological realism, and thus their computational performance needs to be critically evaluated.

Here, we compare the performance of four numerical solution schemes, the fixed‐mesh upwind (FMU) method, the moving‐mesh upwind (MMU) method, the characteristic method (CM), and the Escalator Boxcar Train (EBT) method, in numerically solving three reference problems that are representative of ecological systems in the animal and plant kingdoms. The MMU method is here applied for the first time to SSPMs, whereas the three other methods have been employed by other authors.

Our results show that the EBT method performs best, except for one of the three reference problems, in which size‐asymmetric competition affects individual growth rates. For that reference problem, the FMU method performs best, closely followed by the MMU method. Surprisingly, the CM method does not perform well for any of the three reference problems.

We conclude that life‐history features should be carefully considered when choosing the numerical method for analyzing ecologically realistic size‐structured population models.
Using Sleep Interventions to Engage and Treat Heavy‐Drinking College Students: A Randomized Pilot Study
Authors: Fucito Lisa M. , DeMartini Kelly S. , Hanrahan Tess H. , Yaggi Henry Klar , Heffern Christina , Redeker Nancy S. 
Published: January 2017

BackgroundContinued high alcohol consumption levels by college students highlight the need for more effective alcohol interventions and novel treatment engagement strategies. The purpose of this study was to investigate a behavioral sleep intervention as a means to engage heavy‐drinking college students in treatment and reduce alcohol use and alcohol‐related consequences.MethodsHeavy‐drinking college students (N = 42) were assigned to 1 of 2 web‐based interventions comprised of 4 modules delivered over 4 weeks. The experimental intervention focused primarily on sleep and included evidence‐based sleep content (i.e., stimulus control instructions, sleep scheduling [consistent bed/rise times; ideal sleep duration for adolescents/young adults], sleep hygiene advice, relaxation training, cognitive strategies to target sleep‐disruptive beliefs), and alcohol content (i.e., normative and blood alcohol level feedback, moderate drinking guidelines, controlled drinking strategies, effects of alcohol on sleep and the body, advice to moderate drinking for improved sleep) in young adults. The control condition Healthy Behaviors provided basic advice about nutrition, exercise, sleep (i.e., good sleep hygiene only), and drinking (i.e., effects of alcohol on the body, moderate drinking guidelines, advice to moderate drinking for sleep). Participants in both conditions monitored their sleep using daily web‐based diaries and a wrist‐worn sleep tracker.ResultsRecruitment ads targeting college students with sleep concerns effectively identified heavy‐drinking students. The program generated a high number of inquiries and treatment completion rates were high. Both interventions significantly reduced typical week drinking and alcohol‐related consequences and improved sleep quality and sleep‐related impairment ratings. The control condition yielded greater reductions in total drinks in a heaviest drinking week. The effects on drinking were larger than those observed in typical brief alcohol intervention studies for college students. Greater sleep improvement tended to predict better subsequent drinking outcomes.ConclusionsThe results suggest that sleep treatment may be a promising strategy for targeting and treating heavy‐drinking college students.
The Swiss payment for milk processed into cheese:ex postandex anteanalysis
Authors: Finger Robert , Listorti Giulia , Tonini Axel 
Published: January 2017

AbstractWe make use of both anex postand anex anteevaluation to analyze the Swiss payment for milk processed into cheese. This payment for each kilogram of raw milk processed into cheese is issued to milk producers through dairy processors. In theex postevaluation, by applying a vector autoregressive model, we estimate the effects of reductions of the payment for prices of raw milk used to produce Emmentaler, Gruyère, and industrial cheese. Past declines in the payment have only been partially transmitted to raw milk prices. The rate of transmission is higher for milk used for the production of industrial cheese than for artisan cheeses. In theex anteimpact evaluation, we use a partial equilibrium model and develop a counterfactual scenario in which the payment is removed. The payment for milk processed into cheese is found to have effects on cheese production and exports but also has important indirect effects on other dairy products. Our findings suggest that about two‐thirds of the payment are benefiting milk producers. At the same time, the overall welfare losses resulting from the elimination of the aid are smaller than the budget allocated to this measure, suggesting a net welfare gain from elimination.
Language Shapes People's Time Perspective and Support for Future‐Oriented Policies
Authors: Pérez Efrén O. , Tavits Margit 
Published: January 2017

AbstractCan the way we speak affect the way we perceive time and think about politics? Languages vary by how much they require speakers to grammatically encode temporal differences. Futureless tongues (e.g., Estonian) do not oblige speakers to distinguish between the present and future tense, whereas futured tongues do (e.g., Russian). By grammatically conflating “today” and “tomorrow,” we hypothesize that speakers of futureless tongues will view the future as temporally closer to the present, causing them to discount the future less and support future‐oriented policies more. Using an original survey experiment that randomly assigned the interview language to Estonian/Russian bilinguals, we find support for this proposition and document the absence of this language effect when a policy has no obvious time referent. We then replicate and extend our principal result through a cross‐national analysis of survey data. Our results imply that language may have significant consequences for mass opinion.
The albumin–bilirubin grade improves hepatic reserve estimation post‐sorafenib failure: implications for drug development
Authors: Pinato D. J. , Yen C. , Bettinger D. , Ramaswami R. , Arizumi T. , Ward C. , Pirisi M. , Burlone M. E. , Thimme R. , Kudo M. , Sharma R. 
Published: January 2017

SummaryBackgroundDrug development in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is limited by disease heterogeneity, with hepatic reserve being a major source of variation in survival outcomes. The albumin–bilirubin (ALBI) grade is a validated index of liver function in patients with HCC.AimTo test the accuracy of the ALBI grade in predicting post‐sorafenib overall survival (PSOS) in patients who permanently discontinued treatment.MethodsFrom a prospectively maintained international database of 447 consecutive referrals, we derived 386 eligible patients treated with sorafenib within Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer C stage (62%), 75% of whom were of Child class A at initiation. Clinical variables at sorafenib discontinuation were analysed for their impact on post‐sorafenib overall survival using uni‐ and multivariable analyses.ResultsMedian post‐sorafenib overall survival of the 386 eligible patients was 3.4 months and median sorafenib duration was 2.9 months, with commonest causes of cessation being disease progression (68%) and toxicity (24%). At discontinuation, 92 patients (24%) progressed to terminal stage, due to worsening Child class to C in 40 (10%). Median post‐sorafenib overall survival in patients eligible for second‐line therapies (n = 294) was 17.5, 7.5 and 1.9 months according respectively to ALBI grade 1, 2 and 3 (P < 0.001).ConclusionsThe ALBI grade at sorafenib discontinuation identifies a subset of patients with prolonged stability of hepatic reserve and superior survival. This may allow improved patient selection for second‐line therapies in advanced HCC.
Randomised clinical trial: mucosal protection combined with acid suppression in the treatment of non‐erosive reflux disease – efficacy of Esoxx, a hyaluronic acid–chondroitin sulphate based bioadhesive formulation
Authors: Savarino V. , Pace F. , Scarpignato C. ,   the Esoxx Study Group
Published: January 2017

SummaryBackgroundSeveral studies have shown that patients with non‐erosive reflux disease (NERD) are less responsive to proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) than those with erosive disease as they belong to different subgroups, in whom factors other than acid can trigger symptoms.AimTo evaluate whether combined therapy (mucosal protection plus acid suppression) would improve symptom relief compared to PPI treatment alone.MethodsIn a multicenter, randomised, double‐blind trial, 154 patients with NERD were randomised to receive Esoxx (Alfa Wassermann, Bologna, Italy), a hyaluronic acid‐chondroitin sulphate based bioadhesive formulation, or placebo, in addition to acid suppression with standard dose PPIs for 2 weeks. Symptoms (heartburn, acid regurgitation, retrosternal pain and acid taste in the mouth) and health‐related quality of life (HRQL) were evaluated before and after treatment. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients with at least a 3‐point reduction in the total symptom score.ResultsAt the end of treatment, the primary endpoint was reached by 52.6% of patients taking Esoxx compared to 32.1% of those given placebo (P < 0.01). The same was true also for HRQL, evaluated by means of the Short Form‐36 questionnaire, which improved with both treatments, but some items were significantly better after Esoxx plus PPI therapy.ConclusionThe synergistic effect of Essox with PPI treatment suggests that mucosal protection added to acid suppression could improve symptoms and HRQL in NERD patients.
The combination of bortezomib with chemotherapy to treat relapsed/refractory acute lymphoblastic leukaemia of childhood
Authors: Bertaina Alice , Vinti Luciana , Strocchio Luisa , Gaspari Stefania , Caruso Roberta , Algeri Mattia , Coletti Valentina , Gurnari Carmelo , Romano Mariateresa , Cefalo Maria Giuseppina , Girardi Katia , Trevisan Valentina , Bertaina Valentina , Merli Pietro , Locatelli Franco 
Published: January 2017

SummaryAchieving complete remission (CR) in childhood relapsed/refractory acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) is a difficult task. Bortezomib, a proteasome inhibitor, has in vitro activity against ALL blasts. A phase I‐II trial, reported by the Therapeutic Advances in Childhood Leukaemia and Lymphoma (TACL) consortium, demonstrated that bortezomib with chemotherapy has acceptable toxicity and remarkable activity in patients with relapsed ALL failing 2–3 previous regimens. We evaluated bortezomib in combination with chemotherapy in 30 and 7 children with B‐cell precursor (BCP) and T‐cell ALL, respectively. Bortezomib (1·3 mg/m2/dose) was administered intravenously on days 1, 4, 8, and 11. Chemotherapy agents were the same as those used in the TACL trial, consisting of dexamethasone, doxorubicin, vincristine and pegylated asparaginase. Three patients (8·1%) died due to infections. Twenty‐seven patients (72·9%) achieved CR or CR with incomplete platelet recovery (CRp). Fourteen had minimal residual disease (MRD) lower than 0·1%. Twenty‐two of 30 BCP‐ALL patients (73·3%) and 5/7 patients (71%) with T‐cell ALL achieved CR/CRp. The 2‐year overall survival (OS) is 31·3%; CR/CRp patients with an MRD response had a remarkable 2‐year OS of 68·4%. These data confirm that the combination of bortezomib with chemotherapy is a suitable/effective option for childhood relapsed/refractory ALL.
Using patient‐reported outcome measures to improve service effectiveness for supervisors: a mixed‐methods evaluation of supervisors' attitudes and self‐efficacy after training to use outcome measures in child mental health
Authors: Fullerton Mary , Edbrooke‐Childs Julian , Law Duncan , Martin Kate , Whelan Isabelle , Wolpert Miranda 
Published: January 2017

BackgroundPatient‐reported outcome measures (PROMs) are recommended by healthcare systems internationally, but there are a number of barriers to implementation. The aim of this research was to examine the impact of training supervisors in using PROMs on clinical practice, given the importance of leadership when changing behaviour.MethodData included pre–post questionnaires from 42 supervisors, interviews after training with six supervisees and nonparticipant observations of nine video‐recorded supervision sessions.ResultsAfter training, supervisors had more positive attitudes to administering PROMs and using feedback from PROMs and had higher levels of self‐efficacy about using PROMs in supervision.ConclusionsFindings are in line with the growing body of evidence that training child mental health staff to use PROMs may be associated with changes in attitudes, self‐efficacy and use of PROMs.