bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Methamphetamine Use and Dental Problems among Adults Enrolled in a Program to Increase Access to Oral Health Services for People Living with HIV/AIDS
Authors: Walter Angela W. , Bachman Sara S. , Reznik David A. , Cabral Howard , Umez-Eronini Amarachi , Nath Avantika , Flournoy Minnjuan W. , Young Nancy S. 
Published: July 2017

Objective. We examined the association between methamphetamine (meth) use and dental problems in a large sample of HIV-positive adults. Methods. We gathered data from 2,178 interviews across 14 sites of the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration HIV/AIDS Bureau's Special Projects of National Significance Innovations in Oral Health Care Initiative from May 2007 to August 2010. We used multivariate generalized estimating equations to test the association between meth use and dental problems, adjusting for potential confounders. Results. Past and current meth use was significantly associated with more dental problems. The study also found that poor self-reported mental health status, fewer years since testing positive for HIV, a history of forgoing dental care, less frequent teeth brushing, poor self-reported oral health status, oral pain, grinding or clenching teeth, some alcohol use, more years of education, and self-reported men-who-have-sex-with-men HIV risk exposure (compared with other exposure routes) were significantly associated with dental problems. Conclusion. Individuals who are HIV-positive with a history of meth use experience access barriers to oral health care and more dental problems. Our study demonstrated that it is possible to recruit this population into dental care. Findings suggest that predisposing, enabling, and need factors can serve as demographic, clinical, and behavioral markers for recruiting people living with HIV/AIDS into oral health programs that can mitigate dental problems.
Accuracy of Physician Reporting in Routine Public Health Surveillance for Hepatitis C Virus Infection
Authors: Jochem Klaus , Leclerc Pascale , Maurais Emilie , Tremblay Claude , Cox Joseph 
Published: July 2017

Objective. From January 2007 to December 2008, the Montréal Public Health Department sent postal questionnaires to physicians and conducted patient interviews for all those newly diagnosed with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. We evaluated physician responses to risk factor questions for non-acute HCV cases. Methods. We compared physician and patient responses with each of nine risk factor questions, determined the sensitivity and specificity of physician responses compared with patient responses, and evaluated agreement using Gwet's agreement coefficient (AC1). We ranked risk factors and compared the distributions by principal exposure category according to physician reporting vs. patient interview using the Chi-square test. Results. The completeness of physicians' responses (yes, no, or unknown) varied by risk factor question from 90.8% to 96.7%. For risk factors present among more than 5% of cases, sensitivity of physician responses ranged from 26.9% to 87.7% and specificity ranged from 93.0% to 98.6%. The AC1 coefficients for agreement between physician and patient responses to lifetime risk factors considered most important in HCV acquisition were 0.80 for injection drug use, 0.95 for blood transfusion before 1990, and 0.86 for birth in a country with high HCV prevalence. Risk distributions by principal exposure category according to physician reporting vs. patient interview were not statistically different (χ2[4] = 2.17, p=0.704). Conclusion. Postal questionnaires completed by physicians appear valid for determining the principal exposure category among non-acute HCV cases. Physician reporting can be a useful and low-cost component of routine HCV surveillance.
The Community Balance and Mobility Scale-a balance measure for individuals with traumatic brain injury
Authors: Howe J A , Inness E L , Venturini A , Williams J I , Verrier M C 
Published: July 2017

Objective: To provide evidence for the validity and reliability of a new outcome measure of balance, the Community Balance and Mobility Scale, developed for the ambulatory individual with traumatic brain injury. Design: A validity and reliability study. Setting: Acute care, in- and outpatient rehabilitation and day hospital settings. Subjects: Two convenience samples ( n=36, 32) of ambulatory patients with traumatic brain injury. Main measures: The content and construct validity, test-retest, inter- and intra-rater reliability and internal consistency of the Community Balance and Mobility Scale. Results: Content validity was demonstrated by the involvement of patients with traumatic brain injury ( n=7) and clinicians ( n=17) in the process of item generation and by physical therapists’ ratings of item relevance. Further support is the correlation of the Community Balance and Mobility Scale scores with physical therapists’ global balance ratings of the patient ( r=0.62). Construct validity was supported by the ability of the measure to differentiate between patients along the continuum of care and also by comparisons with maximal walking velocity ( r=0.64). Patients who scored greater than or less than 50 on the balance measure demonstrated significantly different Community Integration Questionnaire scores ( P=0.004). The Community Balance and Mobility Scale demonstrated intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) of 0.977, 0.977, 0.975 and Cronbach’s alpha of 0.96 for intra-, inter-, test-retest reliability and internal consistency, respectively. Conclusion: The Community Balance and Mobility Scale is a valid and reliable outcome measure for the ambulatory individual with traumatic brain injury.
The criterion-related validity of the Northwick Park Dependency Score as a generic nursing dependency instrument for different rehabilitation patient groups
Authors: Plantinga E , Tiesinga L J , van der Schans C P , Middel B 
Published: July 2017

Objective: To investigate the criterion or concurrent validity of the Northwick Park Dependency Score (NPDS) for determining nursing dependence in different rehabilitation groups, with the Barthel Index (BI) and the Care Dependency Scale (CDS). Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Centre for Rehabilitation of the University Medical Center Groningen, The Netherlands. Subjects: Patients after stroke, spinal cord injury, multitrauma, head injury, amputation, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes mellitus, lung diseases, tuberculosis and coronary artery disease. One hundred and fifty-four patients were included. Measures: The Northwick Park Dependency Score (NPDS), the Barthel Index (BI) and the Care Dependency Scale (CDS). Results: The correlation (rho) between the NPDS and the BI for all groups was -0.87; R2=0.76 ( n=154). Per patient group rho varied from -0.70 ( R2=0.49) to -0.93 ( R2=0.86). The overall correlation between the NPDS and CDS was larger than the criterion of rho=0.60 ( r=-0.74; R2=0.55) but was <0.60 in the rheumatoid arthritis and tuberculosis group. The overall correlation between BI and CDS exceeded the criterion ( r=0.75; R2=0.56). Conclusions: The NPDS is a generic nursing dependency instrument that can be used as a valid measure across various patient groups in rehabilitation.
Nodular Hyperplasia in the Liver of the Dog: An Association with Changes in the Ito Cell Population
Authors: Bergman J. R. 
Published: July 2017

The prevalence and morphological features of hyperplastic nodules in the liver of the dog were studied in a series of 50 consecutive post-mortem examinations. Macroscopically visible nodules were present in 35 of 50 dogs (70%), and the prevalence was related to age. The earliest age at which nodules were found was between 6 and 8 years. They were present in all dogs older than 14 or more years. The lesions were focal, multiple and consistently had evidence of a lobular pattern. There was no liver fibrosis. No direct association between previous drug administration or specific extrahepatic disease was found. Changes in the perisinusoidal fat storing cells (Ito cells) were observed in the dogs in this study. These changes comprised proliferation and hypertrophy and were recorded predominantly in dogs with hepatic nodules. The presence of a ceroid pigment was correlated with these changes. The pigment, together with lipid and macrophages, was present in the form of lipogranulomata. Lipogranulomata were observed in the parenchyma and in the portal areas of dogs with hepatic nodules. These changes may play a role in the pathogenesis of nodular hyperplasia in the liver of the dog.
A Discussion of Negative Poisson's Ratio Design for Composites
Authors: Zhang Ruguang , Yeh Hsien-Liang , Yeh Hsien-Yang 
Published: July 2017

It is feasible to design laminated composites with negative Poisson's ratio. Although the minimum value of negative Poisson's ratio design can be done via numerical approach, it is possible to use the analytical method in this paper to perform the following tasks: (a) evaluate the approximated ply orientation angles to obtain maximum transverse strain cy, (b) determine the necessary conditions of design negative Poisson's ratio, and (c) investigate the influence of laminae properties on the Poisson's ratio of a composite laminate. In this study, it is also found that, in general, the ply orientations for obtaining maximum transverse strain, sy, in a composite laminate are close to 70'/20I%.
Capital Punishment Resources on the Internet
Authors: Blankenship Michael B. 
Published: July 2017

To say that the Internet has impacted pedagogy is probably the understatement of the millennium. The professoriate is now faced with the additional challenges of mastering the Internet and concomitant technology while taking advantage of this vast information domain by incorporating its components in the classroom. My own experience with using the Internet to facilitate learning in a death penalty seminar underscores the problems of enticing students to go beyond classroom discussions and assigned readings while keeping pace with technological changes and their impact on pedagogy. In the following sections, a number of capital punishment Internet sites are listed along with brief discussions of the content and their possible utility in the classroom. This list is by no means exhaustive, but is intended to assist anyone with an interest in capital punishment in minimizing their time spent searching the Web.
The Value of Benefits of a Public Street Market: The Case of Maxwell Street
Authors: Morales Alfonso , Balkin Steven , Persky Joseph 
Published: July 2017

EDQ introduces a new format to the Forum section in this issue. Periodically an article is submitted to us that raises important policy or methodological issues that have generated sharp responses from external reviewers. We believe that the debate that has taken place between the authors and reviewers is of such importance that we have then solicited people to comment on the article. Controversy on Maxwell Street raises the issue of the marriage of anthropologic and economic techniques in economic development analysis. We hope that you find this debate as stimulating as we did. Controversy on Maxwell Street began when Morales, Balkin, and Persky submitted their article, “The Value of Benefits of a Public Street Market: The Case of Maxwell Street.” We then requested that Rhoda H. Halperin and Wim Wiewel respond. Following their responses is a rejoinder by the authors. Chicago's Maxwell Street Market was among the oldest open-air public markets in the United States. The market was closed in August 1994 and a smaller alternative market was opened on Canal Street. This article estimates monetary losses resulting from the closure of the market. First, the authors briefly discuss the markets history, followed by a review of the literature on the informal economy. The problem of quantifying the value of street vending is addressed by combining ethnographic and economic analytical methods. Ethnography is introduced in the article's third section. The authors demonstrate the usefulness of merging ethnographic and economic analysis by estimating monetary losses to vendors and consumers as a result of changes in the market's governance and location.
Bacterial resistance to disinfectants
Authors: Russell AD 
Published: July 2017

A ntiseptics and disinfectants (biocides) are widely employed in controlling hospital infection. Their activity depends upon several factors, notably concentration, period of contract, pH, temperature, the type, nature and numbers of microorganisms to be inactivated and the presence of organic soil or other interfering material. Bacteria vary considerably in their response to antiseptics and disinfectants. Bacterial spores are the least susceptible, followed by mycobacteria (including glutaraldehyde-resistant Mycobacterium chelonae) and then by Gram-negative bacteria, notably pseudomonads. Gram-positive cocci, including antibiotic-resistant staphylococci, are readily inactivated by disinfectants. Enterococci, including vancomycin-resistant strains, are also susceptible but somewhat less so than staphylococci. Resistance is often intrinsic in nature, but may be acquired either by mutation or by the acquisition of genetic elements. Disinfectant rotation is practised in several hospitals but the issue remains contentious, although hospital isolates are often more resistant to biocides than laboratory or ‘standard’ strains.
Environmental organisms from different hospital wards
Authors: Dancer S , Raeside J , Boothma M 
Published: July 2017

T hree clinical wards in the same hospital, High Dependency (HDU), Care of the Elderly (CE) and Acute Psychiatry (AP), were screened for environmental organisms. The screening programme ran for four weeks and targeted comparable sites from all three units. Floor areas were similar, as were staffing levels, cleaning schedules, infection control policies and patient numbers. Organisms such as coagulase-negative staphylococci, Bacillus spp., coliforms, oxidase-positive Gram-negative bacilli, Clostridium difficile, enterococci, various fungi and Staphylococcus aureus were isolated. Staphylococci and Gram-negative bacilli were tested against clinically appropriate antibiotics. There was little variation in diversity or density of organisms from any of the wards, except for significant differences in antibiotic susceptibilities of the organisms (P<0.0001 HDU v AP, P=0.0057 CE v AP and P=0.0365 HDU v CE). From HDU, 49% (of 43) isolates were resistant to four or more antibiotics and from CE, 37% (of 54) isolates were resistant to four or more. From AP, just 2% (of 52) were resistant to four or more antibiotics. 9% HDU organisms were fully susceptible, as compared with 20% of those from CE and 27% from AP. Antibiotic data (in Defined Daily Doses (g)/100 bed-days) showed that HDU consumed over 12 times more antibiotics than CE, which in turn consumed twice as much as AP; these were mostly intravenous broad-spectrum agents for HDU, as opposed to oral preparations for the other two wards (Chi-square for each ward for linear trends by level of antibiotic intake were all P<0.0001). It was concluded that the only significant difference between environmental bacteria from wards of varying specialities in this hospital is their resistance to antibiotics. Heavy use of antibiotics in a hospital unit, as demonstrated by antibiotic consumption data, may be associated with increased antibiotic resistance in environmental organisms originating from that unit.
Topical antimicrobial therapy with tea tree oil: fact or fantasy
Authors: Riley TV 
Published: July 2017

T his paper reviews briefly the evidence that tea tree oil may be suitable as a topical antimicrobial agent. Tea tree oil is the essential oil extracted by steam distillation from the Australian native tree Melaleuca alternifolia. It has a long history of use in Australia, and has emerged as a possible topical antimicrobial because of antimicrobial resistance to conventional agents. The history, production and chemistry of tea tree oil are described. The in vitro antimicrobial activity of tea tree oil has now been reported in numerous papers, and there is good evidence for antibacterial, antifungal and, to a lesser extent, antiviral activity. What is lacking is sufficient numbers of clinical trials to verify this efficacy in vivo. Tea tree oil is only safe to use as a topical agent and although skin sensitivity has been a concern, the evidence for this is not strong. However, long-term usage studies are still required. Based on the published data, tea tree oil may prove to be a very useful topical antimicrobial and there is a role for infection control practitioners in the validation of its use in clinical practice.
Healthcare governance and the modernisation of the NHS: infection prevention and control
Authors: Pratt R , Morgan S , Hughes J , Mulhall A , Fry C , Perry C , Tew L 
Published: July 2017

Q uality is central to the government's programme for modernising the NHS and clinical quality is at the heart of this agenda. The recent introduction of corporate governance with controls assurance and clinical governance in the NHS has established a framework for providing such excellence in clinical care. Governance applies to all healthcare activities and provides an ideal opportunity for infection prevention and control practitioners to improve the quality of their service and reduce the risk of patients acquiring preventable healthcare-associated infections (HAI). This paper will discuss the introduction of governance in the NHS, describe the key principles of clinical governance and relate these to infection prevention and control.
Guidelines for contributors
Authors: Millward Sue 
Published: July 2017

The editors welcome papers that contribute towards the development and understanding of infection control theory and practice. Manuscripts up to 3,000 words that address issues of infection control clinical practice, scientific research, education and management are encouraged. Short papers of between 1,000 and 2,000 words and correspondence (up to a maximum of 300 words) are also welcomed. The British Journal of Infection Control cannot consider articles that are not original or have been submitted elsewhere, and the exclusive right to the manuscript should be stated in an accompanying letter. Contributors will be asked to assign copyright to the ICNA.
On the nature and origin of garnet in highly-refractory Archean
lithospheric mantle: constraints from garnet exsolved in Kaapvaal craton
orthopyroxenes
Authors: Gibson Sally A. 
Published: July 2017

AbstractThe widespread occurrence of pyrope garnet in Archean lithospheric mantle
remains one of the 'holy grails' of mantle petrology. Most garnets found in
peridotitic mantle equilibrated with incompatible-trace-element enriched
melts or fluids and are the products of metasomatism. Less common are
macroscopic intergrowths of pyrope garnet formed by exsolution from
orthopyroxene. Spectacular examples of these are preserved in both mantle
xenoliths and large, isolated crystals (megacrysts) from the Kaapvaal craton
of southern Africa, and provide direct evidence that some garnet inthe
sub-continental lithospheric mantle formed initially by isochemical rather
than metasomatic processes. The orthopyroxene hosts are enstatites and fully
equilibrated with their exsolved phases (low-Cr pyrope garnet ±
Cr-diopside). Significantly, P-T estimates of the
postexsolution orthopyroxenes plot along an unperturbed conductive Kaapvaal
craton geotherm and reveal that they were entrained from a large continuous
depth interval (85 to 175 km). They therefore represent snapshots of
processes operating throughout almost the entire thickness of the
sub-cratonic lithosphericmantle.New rare-earth element (REE) analyses show that the
exsolved garnets occupy the full spectrum recorded by garnets in mantle
peridotites and also diamond inclusions. A key finding is that a few
low-temperature exsolved garnets, derived from depths of ∼90 km, are more
depleted in light rare-earth elements (LREEs) than
previously observed in any other mantle sample. Importantly, the
REE patterns of these strongly
LREE-depleted garnets resemble the hypothetical composition
proposed for pre-metasomatic garnets that are thought to pre-date major
enrichment events in the sub-continental lithospheric mantle, including
those associated with diamond formation. The recalculated compositions of
pre-exsolution orthopyroxenes have higher Al2O3 and
CaO contents than their post-exsolution counterparts and most probably
formed as shallow residues of large amounts of adiabatic decompression
melting in the spinel-stability field. It is inferred that exsolution of
garnet from Kaapvaal orthopyroxenes may have been widespread, and perhaps
accompanied cratonization at ∼2.9 to 2.75 Ga. Such a process would
considerably increase the density and stability of the continental
lithosphere.
Trumpeters from China in Bristol in 1577?
Authors: Pangallo Matteo 
Published: July 2017

This note corrects the impression given in the Bristol Records of Early English Drama (REED) that five trumpeters from China performed for the mayor, aldermen, and common council of Bristol in November 1577. Rather, the note points out that the trumpeters were likely English and were associated with the return of Martin Frobisher’s second northwest passage expedition that fall.
Does Diversification Drive Down Risk-adjusted Returns? A Quantile Regression Approach
Authors: Shim Jeungbo 
Published: July 2017

Abstract
This study examines diversification-performance relationship in the U.S. property-liability insurance industry over the period of 1996–2010. Unlike prior studies that rely on the conditional mean estimation method, we employ quantile regression, which captures the heterogeneous effects of diversification on conditional return distribution. The results show that diversification does not necessarily drive down risk-adjusted returns and its effects vary along return distribution. We find that there is a diversification discount for firms in the lower levels of return distribution, whereas a diversification premium exists for firms in the upper levels of return distribution. We provide evidence that the relations between risk-adjusted returns and other explanatory variables are not constant, but vary over the quantiles of return distribution. Our results are robust to alternative measures of an insurer’s performance and product diversification.
Excitation probability and effective temperature in the stationary regime of conductivity for Coulomb Glasses
Authors: Caravaca Garratón Manuel , Fernández-Martínez Manuel 
Published: July 2017

AbstractIn this paper, we shall illustrate the numerical calculation of the effective temperature in Coulomb glasses by excitation probability provided that the system has been placed in a stationary state after applying a strong electric field. The excitation probability becomes a better alternative than the occupation probability, which has been classically employed to calculate the effective temperature and characterize the thermodynamics of Coulomb glasses out of equilibrium. This is due to the fact that the excitation probability shows better statistics than the occupation probability. In addition, our simulations show that the excitation probability does not depend on the choice of the chemical potential, which critically affects the occupation probability. Our results allow us to propose the excitation probability as a standard procedure to determine the effective temperature in Coulomb glasses as well as in other complex systems such as spin glasses.