bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Assessing quality of care in oesophago‐gastric cancer surgery in Australia
Authors: Burton Paul R. , Ooi Geraldine J. , Shaw Kalai , Smith Andrew I. , Brown Wendy A. , Nottle Peter D. 
Published: September 2016

BackgroundOutcomes of oesophago‐gastric cancer are poor and highly variable between centres. It is important that complex multimodal treatments are applied optimally. Low case volumes at Australian centres mean that the analysis of crude outcomes is an inadequate assessment of overall quality of care. Detailed analysis across a range of quality domains offers the opportunity to measure performance.MethodsWe compared data from the UK National Oesophago‐gastric Cancer Audit 2010 with the prospective Alfred Hospital oesophago‐gastric cancer database.ResultsThere were 314 Alfred and 17 279 UK patients identified. The volume of patients assessed by the Alfred was equal to the second highest quartile in the UK trust (4–5 new cases per month). Case ascertainment was better, capturing 84% of all oesophago‐gastric cancer within the Alfred prospective audit (P < 0.001). The use of staging CT and PET scans was more common among Alfred patients (99% versus 89%, P < 0.01 and 83.8% versus 17%, P < 0.01, respectively). More patients embarked on a curative pathway (P < 0.01), with greater use of neo‐adjuvant therapies. Acceptable lymph node yields were less in oesophagectomies (88.2% versus 96.2%, P < 0.01) and similar in gastrectomies (77.4% versus 74.6%, P = 0.61). Higher overall complications were observed in Alfred patients (P < 0.01), predominantly due to respiratory complications. Perioperative mortality after resection and 1‐year survival was similar.ConclusionsComparing a range of quality domains as a means of identifying areas of deficiency is feasible. This allows for contemporaneous improvements in service quality and may be more appropriate in the Australian setting than focusing on volume.
Estimating plant abundances from crown cover and forest structure data reveals size‐dependent patterns of rarity in subtropical Australia
Authors: McCarthy James K. , Mokany Karel , Dwyer John M. 
Published: September 2016

AbstractAimsAccurate field quantification of stem counts is time consuming and laborious, especially in ecosystems containing many small individuals where counts are immense. There are many large, long‐term data sets worldwide that include various measures of woody plant abundance, such as crown cover, that are faster and easier to measure than true counts of individuals. Quantifying the number of individuals allows in‐depth research into various topics including functional ecology, carbon accounting, conservation and metabolic theory. Here we test the accuracy of predicting the abundance of individual woody plants from cover and forest structure measures, and explore the implications of refined abundance measures for understanding the rarity of woody plant species across southeast Queensland.LocationSoutheast Queensland (SEQ), Australia.MethodsTo supplement an existing data set of 1251 sites with measured crown covers for woody plants in various strata, we sampled stem counts in an additional 30 sites, forming a calibration data set. We ensured that these 30 sites covered the environmental variation in the study area. Generalized additive mixed effects models were used to predict stem counts for all woody plants in the original data set from their crown cover and forest structure values and a site‐level variable accounting for water balance. We used these refined abundance data to investigate relationships between local and regional abundance for different size classes.ResultsStem densities increased with crown cover in a non‐linear fashion; slowing once crown cover reached ca. 5% for shrubs and ca. 50% for trees, depending on their maximum potential height. Using the predicted stem count data, we found that shrubs were more locally abundant than trees, but less regionally abundant. Larger trees (>20 m maximum potential height) showed a negative relationship between local and regional abundance; there was no significant relationship between other size classes.ConclusionsOur study demonstrates how crown cover can be converted to stem counts using a calibration data set and flexible mixed‐effects models. This enables further ecological analysis at a fraction of the investment required to re‐survey. Analyses of abundances revealed that tree species are less locally abundant than smaller woody species, likely due to space filling constraints, but more regionally abundant.
Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomization Trials with Enrichment Design
Authors: Liu Ying , Wang Yuanjia , Zeng Donglin 
Published: September 2016

Summary
Sequential multiple assignment randomization trial (SMART) is a powerful design to study Dynamic Treatment Regimes (DTRs) and allows causal comparisons of DTRs. To handle practical challenges of SMART, we propose a SMART with Enrichment (SMARTER) design, which performs stage-wise enrichment for SMART. SMARTER can improve design efficiency, shorten the recruitment period, and partially reduce trial duration to make SMART more practical with limited time and resource. Specifically, at each subsequent stage of a SMART, we enrich the study sample with new patients who have received previous stages’ treatments in a naturalistic fashion without randomization, and only randomize them among the current stage treatment options. One extreme case of the SMARTER is to synthesize separate independent single-stage randomized trials with patients who have received previous stage treatments. We show data from SMARTER allows for unbiased estimation of DTRs as SMART does under certain assumptions. Furthermore, we show analytically that the efficiency gain of the new design over SMART can be significant especially when the dropout rate is high. Lastly, extensive simulation studies are performed to demonstrate performance of SMARTER design, and sample size estimation in a scenario informed by real data from a SMART study is presented.
Estimation of Diagnostic Accuracy of a Combination of Continuous Biomarkers Allowing for Conditional Dependence Between the Biomarkers and the Imperfect Reference-Test
Authors: García Barrado Leandro , Coart Els , Burzykowski Tomasz 
Published: September 2016

Summary
Estimating biomarker-index accuracy when only imperfect reference-test information is available is usually performed under the assumption of conditional independence between the biomarker and imperfect reference-test values. We propose to define a latent normally-distributed tolerance-variable underlying the observed dichotomous imperfect reference-test results. Subsequently, we construct a Bayesian latent-class model based on the joint multivariate normal distribution of the latent tolerance and biomarker values, conditional on latent true disease status, which allows accounting for conditional dependence. The accuracy of the continuous biomarker-index is quantified by the AUC of the optimal linear biomarker-combination. Model performance is evaluated by using a simulation study and two sets of data of Alzheimer's disease patients (one from the memory-clinic-based Amsterdam Dementia Cohort and one from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) database). Simulation results indicate adequate model performance and bias in estimates of the diagnostic-accuracy measures when the assumption of conditional independence is used when, in fact, it is incorrect. In the considered case studies, conditional dependence between some of the biomarkers and the imperfect reference-test is detected. However, making the conditional independence assumption does not lead to any marked differences in the estimates of diagnostic accuracy.
Randomised trial of early infant circumcision performed by clinical officers and registered nurse midwives using the Mogen clamp in Rakai, Uganda
Authors: Kankaka Edward N. , Murungi Teddy , Kigozi Godfrey , Makumbi Frederick , Nabukalu Dorean , Watya Stephen , Kighoma Nehemiah , Nampijja Resty , Kayiwa Daniel , Nalugoda Fred , Serwadda David , Wawer Maria , Gray Ronald H. 
Published: September 2016

ObjectivesTo assess the safety and acceptability of early infant circumcision (EIC) provided by trained clinical officers (COs) and registered nurse midwives (RNMWs) in rural Uganda.Subjects and MethodsWe conducted a randomised trial of EIC using the Mogen clamp provided by newly trained COs and RNMWs in four health centres in rural Rakai, Uganda. The trial was registered with clinicaltrials.gov # NCT02596282. In all, 501 healthy neonates aged 1–28 days with normal birth weight and gestational age were randomised to COs (n = 256) and RNMWs (n = 245) for EIC, and were followed‐up at 1, 7 and 28 days.ResultsIn all, 701 mothers were directly invited to participate in the trial, 525 consented to circumcision (74.9%) and 23 were found ineligible on screening (4.4%). The procedure took an average of 10.5 min. Adherence to follow‐up was >90% at all scheduled visits. The rates of moderate/severe adverse events were 2.4% for COs and 1.6% for RNMWs (P = 0.9). All wounds were healed by 28 days after circumcision. Maternal satisfaction with the procedure was 99.6% for infants circumcised by COs and 100% among infants circumcised by RNMWs.ConclusionsEIC was acceptable in this rural Ugandan population and can be safely performed by RNMWs who have direct contact with the mothers during pregnancy and delivery. EIC services should be made available to parents who are interested in the service.
Implications of different population model structures for management of threatened plants
Authors: Regan Helen M. , Bohórquez Clara I. , Keith David A. , Regan Tracey J. , Anderson Kurt E. 
Published: September 2016

AbstractPopulation viability analysis (PVA) is a reliable tool for ranking management options for a range of species despite parameter uncertainty. No one has yet investigated whether this holds true for model uncertainty for species with complex life histories and for responses to multiple threats. We tested whether a range of model structures yielded similar rankings of management and threat scenarios for 2 plant species with complex postfire responses. We examined 2 contrasting species from different plant functional types: an obligate seeding shrub and a facultative resprouting shrub. We exposed each to altered fire regimes and an additional, species‐specific threat. Long‐term demographic data sets were used to construct an individual‐based model (IBM), a complex stage‐based model, and a simple matrix model that subsumes all life stages into 2 or 3 stages. Agreement across models was good under some scenarios and poor under others. Results from the simple and complex matrix models were more similar to each other than to the IBM. Results were robust across models when dominant threats are considered but were less so for smaller effects. Robustness also broke down as the scenarios deviated from baseline conditions, likely the result of a number of factors related to the complexity of the species’ life history and how it was represented in a model. Although PVA can be an invaluable tool for integrating data and understanding species’ responses to threats and management strategies, this is best achieved in the context of decision support for adaptive management alongside multiple lines of evidence and expert critique of model construction and output.
SLEEPWALKING THROUGH SCHOOL: NEW EVIDENCE ON SLEEP AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT
Authors: Sabia Joseph J. , Wang Kurt , Cesur Resul 
Published: September 2016

AbstractPolicymakers advocating for later school starting times argue that increased sleep duration may generate important schooling benefits. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, this study examines the relationship between sleep duration and academic performance, while carefully controlling for difficult‐to‐measure characteristics at the family and individual levels. We find that increased sleep time is associated with improvements in classroom concentration as well as increased educational attainment. However, we also find evidence of diminishing returns to increased sleep. We estimate an “academic optimum” number of sleep hours of, on average, 8.5 hours per night. Turning to sleep quality, we find that the onset of insomnia‐like symptoms is associated with diminished contemporaneous academic concentration, but little change in long‐run educational attainment. (JEL I12)
Electroantennogram response and attraction of Anastrepha suspensa to volatiles of various sugar sources and aged sugar solutions
Authors: Guillén L. , Epsky N.D. , Kendra P.E. , Montgomery W.S. , Gill M. , Allen C. , Niogret J. , Heath R.R. 
Published: September 2016

AbstractWith the aim of finding new, sugar‐based volatile attractants for economically important tephritid fruit fly species, we used electroantennography (EAG) to quantitate olfactory responses of female Caribbean fruit fly, Anastrepha suspensa (Loew) (Diptera: Tephritidae), to volatiles of six sugar sources (refined white and brown cane sugar, coconut sugar, date sugar, date jaggery, and cane panela). Laboratory‐strain and wild flies, both sexually immature and mature, were tested for EAG responses to the volatiles of dry crystallized sugar sources and 10% (wt/vol) aqueous solutions that had aged in the laboratory for 0–7 days. In general, wild flies exhibited higher EAG responses than laboratory flies, and immature females responded more strongly than mature females. With the exception of date jaggery and cane panela, volatiles of dry sugar sources and 0‐ and 1‐day‐old solutions elicited lower EAG responses than any of the aged solutions. Most solution volatiles elicited the strongest EAG response after 2 days of aging. Of the treatments evaluated, volatiles of the 5‐day‐old date jaggery solution elicited the highest‐amplitude EAG responses (39%) in A. suspensa females. On the basis of the latter, we tested the attraction response of mature and immature females to date‐jaggery solutions aged over 2 and 4 days in two‐choice flight tunnel bioassays. With both mature and immature females, the 2‐day‐old solution was more attractive than the 4‐day‐old jaggery solution, but significantly more mature females (70% of captures) were attracted to 2‐day‐old jaggery solution. We discuss our results with respect to the improvement of fruit fly lures and attractants by incorporating elements from aged date‐jaggery sugar.
Exposure to the neonicotinoid imidacloprid disrupts sex allocation cue use during superparasitism in the parasitoid wasp Nasonia vitripennis
Authors: COOK NICOLA , GREEN JADE , SHUKER DAVID M. , WHITEHORN PENELOPE R. 
Published: September 2016

1. Neonicotinoid insecticides are potent neurotoxins of significant economic importance. However, it is clear that their use can adversely impact beneficial insects in the environment, even at low, sub‐lethal doses.2. It has recently been shown that the neonicotinoid imidacloprid disrupts adaptive sex allocation in the parasitoid wasp Nasonia vitripennis (Walker) by limiting their ability to respond to the presence of other females on oviposition patches. In the present study, that work was extended to explore whether sex allocation when superparasitising – laying eggs on a host that has already been parasitised – is also disrupted by imidacloprid.3. Under superparasitism, sex allocation theory predicts that females should vary their offspring sex ratio in relation to their relative clutch size. It was found that sex allocation under superparasitism in Nasonia is disrupted in a dose‐dependent manner, with exposed females producing more daughters.4. Importantly, imidacloprid does not appear to influence the ability of females to estimate the number of eggs already present on a host, suggesting a disassociation between the sex ratio and clutch size cues.5. The present work highlights the fitness costs to beneficial insects of exposure to neonicotinoids, but also provides clues as to how female Nasonia use information when allocating sex.
Pharmacokinetics, safety, and tolerability of sulcardine sulfate: an open‐label, single‐dose, randomized study in healthy Chinese subjects
Authors: Chen Qian , Qian Hong‐jie , Wang Wei , Zhang Meng‐qi , Lu Dong‐ying , Lu Chuan , Jin Jie‐mei , Hu Chao‐ying , Liu Gang‐yi , Jia Jing‐ying , Zheng Hong‐chao , Li Xue‐ning , Yu Chen , Wang Yi‐ping , Liu Yun 
Published: September 2016

AbstractSulcardine sulfate (Sul) is a novel anti‐arrhythmic agent as a potential treatment for atrial fibrillation and ventricular arrhythmias. This study was conducted to investigate the pharmacokinetic profile, safety, and tolerability of Sul in healthy Chinese subjects. In this open‐label, single‐dose, randomized study, 10 healthy subjects were assigned to receive Sul doses of 200, 400, and 800 mg under fasting conditions (Cohorts A, B, and C, respectively) or 400 mg under fed conditions (Cohort D). The study incorporated a crossover design, separated by a seven‐day washout period. Blood samples were collected before treatment and at successive time intervals up to 48 h after treatment. Sul concentrations in plasma samples were determined using a validated LC‐MS/MS method. Tolerability was determined by clinical evaluation and adverse event (AE) monitoring. Pharmacokinetic results demonstrated that Cmax and AUC(0–t) of Sul increased with an increasing dose. The mean t1/2 values for Cohorts A, B, and C were 16.85, 17.66, and 11.87 h, respectively. No statistically significant differences were observed between men and women for the main pharmacokinetic parameters, with the exception of t1/2 in Cohorts B and C. No significant differences were observed in the absorption and bioavailability of Sul between the fed and fasted states (P > 0.05). Four subjects reported mild AEs during the study. No serious AEs were reported. Sul was shown to be safe and well tolerated in healthy Chinese subjects. Pharmacokinetics studies demonstrated that Sul has adequate oral absorption and bioavailability properties.
Response to The Availability of Conscious Knowledge: A Comment on Lindseth (2016)
Authors: Lindseth Martina 
Published: September 2016

AbstractMy study (Lindseth, The Effects of Form‐Focused Instruction on the Acquisition of Subject‐Verb Inversion in German) that was published in the Volume 49, No. 1 issue of Foreign Language Annals suggested that form‐focused instruction that targets a specific structure may help learners progress faster toward accurate use of this structure in spontaneous speech, i.e., a situation that does not appear to allow monitoring or consciously applying rules. In his letter to the editor in this issue, Dr. Krashen questioned whether participants were, indeed, using language in a spontaneous way. He framed his concerns in terms of his 1982 hypothesis, which states that second language performers can access and apply conscious knowledge when all three of the following conditions are met: (1) speakers consciously know the rule, (2) they are thinking about correctness, and (3) they have time to apply the rule. I do not agree that all three conditions were met in my study.
Youth Participatory Action Research in World Language Classrooms
Authors: Bocci Melissa Cochrane 
Published: September 2016

AbstractYouth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) requires students to use language in myriad ways as they define a problem, design and conduct an original research project, disseminate their findings, and take change‐seeking actions in their community. YPAR embeds language development in community‐centered and cross‐disciplinary work and empowers youth as valuable knowledge producers and change agents in their community. In so doing, it offers a unique opportunity to world language teachers, particularly those of heritage speakers, who are looking for ways to address the World‐Readiness Standards (National Standards Collaborative Board, 2015), meaningfully incorporate best practices, and affirmatively engage their students. This article details YPAR's connection to existing world language methods and standards, offers an example of YPAR in practice, and presents the results of a study examining teachers’ and heritage language learners’ observations of learner growth using the NCSSFL‐ACTFL Can‐Do statements as a result of their participation in a course‐embedded YPAR project. Findings demonstrated that students had positive mean gain scores across all categories of communication skill and all but one student finished the semester performing above grade level in at least three of the five communicative domains. The largest gains were for written and spoken presentational communication.
Effects of sheep stocking on the plant community and agricultural characteristics of upland Anthoxanthum odoratum–Geranium sylvaticum meadow in northern England
Authors: Smith R. S. , Shiel R. S. , Millward D. , Simkin J. M. 
Published: September 2016

AbstractIn the UK, upland hay meadows (Anthoxanthum odoratum–Geranium sylvaticum grassland) with high plant biodiversity are rare and confined to submontane areas of northern England. We report results from a 5‐year experiment to test suggestions that recent biodiversity declines were attributable to increased sheep‐stocking density and a longer spring stocking period, thus delaying the shut up date for the growth of the hay crop. Longer stocking periods and higher stocking densities decreased the forage mass at 8 July, but they increased herbage N content and digestibility, reduced plant species diversity and reduced populations and seed production of Rhinanthus minor. Compared with unstocked swards, the similarity of the vegetation to Anthoxanthum odoratum–Geranium sylvaticum grassland was reduced by 16·9% when stocking with sheep continued until 27 May each year, and by 8·3% when sward heights were maintained at 3 cm compared with 5 cm. Increased mean sward height and height of R. minor were positively correlated with accumulated temperatures. Results support suggestions that recent reductions in the nature value of these grasslands might be a consequence of high stocking densities persisting until later in the spring, carried out during a 1‐year period with warmer temperatures.