bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
School‐Based First Aid Training Programs: A Systematic Review
Authors: Reveruzzi Bianca , Buckley Lisa , Sheehan Mary 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACTBACKGROUNDThis review examines the breadth of first aid training delivered to school students and the components that are age appropriate to adolescents.METHODEligible studies included school‐based first aid interventions targeting students aged between 10 and 18 years. Online databases were searched, for peer‐reviewed publications available as at August 2014.RESULTSA total of 20 journal articles were relevant to the review. Research supported programs with longer durations (3 hours or more). Most programs taught resuscitation alone and few included content that was context‐specific and relevant to the target group. The training experience of the facilitator did not appear to impact on student outcomes. Incorporating both practical and didactic components was found to be an important factor in delivering material and facilitating the retention of knowledge. Educational resources and facilitator training were found to be common features of effective programs.CONCLUSIONSThe review supports first aid in school curriculum and provides details of key components pertinent to design of school‐based first aid programs. The findings suggest that first aid training may have benefits wider than the uptake and retention of knowledge and skills. There is a need for future research, particularly randomized controlled trials to aid in identifying best practice approaches.
Sleep Patterns and Academic Performance During Preparation for College Entrance Exam in Chinese Adolescents
Authors: Wang Guanghai , Ren Fen , Liu Zhijun , Xu Guangxing , Jiang Fan , Skora Elizabeth , Lewin Daniel S. 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACTBACKGROUNDDeficient sleep is linked to detrimental outcomes in health and school performance for adolescents. This study characterized sleep patterns in Chinese adolescents preparing for the College Entrance Exam (CEE) and evaluated the association between sleep patterns, self‐rated academic performance, and the CEE scores.METHODSA sample of 481 Chinese adolescents in 12th grade (ages 16–19 years) completed questionnaires about sleep patterns, academic performance, academic stress, and sociodemographic factors 4–6 weeks before the CEE in June 2013. The CEE scores for each student also were obtained.RESULTSA total of 21% of the students had bedtimes after 12:00 am, 78.3% had sleep latency longer than 30 minutes, 14.6% had wake time earlier than 6:00 am, and the vast majority (94.4%) had sleep duration less than 8 hours. After adjusting for selected confounders such as academic stress, prolonged sleep latency was associated with poorer self‐reported academic performance, and late bedtime was associated with higher CEE score.CONCLUSIONSOur findings highlight the complex association between sleep and academic performance. Assessing and monitoring sleep patterns in adolescents during periods of high academic demand and stress may yield important recommendations for their health and safety as well as establishing optimal sleep and study habits.
What Can the National Broadband Map Tell Us About the Health Care Connectivity Gap?
Authors: Whitacre Brian E. , Wheeler Denna , Landgraf Chad 
Published: March 2016

AbstractPurposeInternet connection speeds are generally slower in rural areas, and this issue is rising in importance for health care facilities as technologies such as Electronic Health Records and Health Information Exchanges become more common. However, the extent of the rural‐urban divide in terms of health care connectivity has not been fully quantified. This report uses data compiled from the National Broadband Map (NBM) to compare levels of health care facility connectivity across metropolitan and nonmetropolitan counties.MethodsThe number of health and medical entries in the Community Anchor Institution (CAI) data collected as part of the NBM grew from 35,000 to 63,000 between 2010 and 2014. About one‐fifth provided information on the speed of their connections in 2014. Comparisons across metro and nonmetro counties and over time provide insight into trends associated with the health care connectivity gap.FindingsThe data clearly show that health‐related institutions in nonmetro counties connect with lower speeds than do their more urban counterparts. At the aggregate level, over 55% of metro institutions who provided speed information had download speeds in excess of 50 megabytes per second in 2014, compared with only 12% of nonmetro institutions (P < .001). More importantly, the connectivity gap has grown significantly during 2010‐2014, particularly for nonhospital facilities.ConclusionsThe NBM CAI data are a publicly available and easy to use asset that rural health advocates should be aware of. The fact that the connectivity gap increased during 2010‐2014, despite policies focusing on this issue, is a cause for concern.
Multidrug resistance protein 4 is a critical protein associated with the antiviral efficacy of nucleos(t)ide analogues
Authors: Liu Wei , Song Hongxuan , Chen Qian , Xu Chunli , Zhang Wenjing , Liu Yutian , Wang Baoju , Xu Dongping , Lu Mengji , Yang Dongliang , Zheng Xin 
Published: March 2016

AbstractBackground & AimsMultidrug resistance protein 4 (MRP4) has been associated with nucleos(t)ide analogue (NA) antiretroviral therapy failure, though is unclear if MRP4 is also correlated with the failure of anti‐hepatitis B virus (HBV) therapy.MethodsMultidrug resistance protein 4 expression in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), liver tissues and human hepatoma cell lines was detected by real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), western blotting and immunohistochemistry assays. Supernatant and intracellular HBV DNA levels of MRP4‐overexpressing or silenced HepG2.4D14 (wild‐type) and HepG2.A64 (entecavir‐resistant mutant) cells were measured by quantitative PCR. NA concentrations and HBV mutational analysis were assessed by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry assays and DNA sequencing. Multivariate analysis was used to assess predictive factors for treatment failure.ResultsHigh expression of MRP4 was found in hepatoma cell lines and PBMCs, and up‐ or down‐regulation of MRP4 expression altered the susceptibility of cells to NAs. MRP inhibitors increased NA intracellular accumulation and decreased extracellular levels. Moreover, MRP4 expression in PBMCs was correlated with that in paired liver tissues. Furthermore, multivariate analysis showed MRP4 mRNA expression to be an independent predictor of NA treatment failure.ConclusionsMultidrug resistance protein 4 is a critical protein associated with the antiviral efficacy of NAs, and combination therapy of NA and MRP inhibitors could reduce the dosage for long‐term NA use. This is the first report to demonstrate that MRP4 expression is an important factor predicting treatment failure in chronic hepatitis B patients and will provide a potential therapeutic target against HBV.
Evolution of procalcitonin, C‐reactive protein and fibrinogen levels in neutropenic leukaemia patients with invasive pulmonary aspergillosis or mucormycosis
Authors: Roques Marjorie , Chretien Marie Lorraine , Favennec Camille , Lafon Ingrid , Ferrant Emmanuelle , legouge Caroline , Plocque Alexia , Golfier Camille , Duvillard Laurence , Amoureux Lucie , Bastie Jean Noel , Maurin‐Bernier Lory , Dalle Frederic , Caillot Denis 
Published: March 2016

SummaryUnlike bacterial infections, the value of procalcitonin (PCT) in detecting fungal infections in leukaemia patients is not clear. To determine whether the monitoring of PCT coupled with C‐reactive protein (CRP) and fibrinogen (Fib) could be helpful in the management of pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) or mucormycosis (PM), we retrospectively analysed the evolution of PCT, CRP and Fib levels in 94 leukaemia patients with proven/probable IPA (n = 77) or PM (n = 17) from D−12 to D12 relative to IFI onset defined as D0. Overall, 2140 assays were performed. From D−12 to D0, 12%, 5% and 1.4% of patients had PCT >0.5, 1 and 1.5 μg l−1, respectively, while CRP was >50, 75 and 100 mg l−1 in 84%, 70% and 57% and Fib was >4, 5 and 6 g l−1 in 96%, 80% and 61% of cases respectively (P < 10−7). The same trends were observed from D1 to D12. Overall, between D−12 and D12, only 6.4% of patients had PCT >1.5 μg l−1, while CRP >100 mg l−1 and Fib >6 g l−1 were observed in 80% and 75% of cases respectively (P < 10−7). In leukaemia patients, IPA or PM was accompanied by a significant increase in CRP and Fib while PCT remained low.
A prospective observational study of vulvovagintis in pregnant women in Argentina, with special reference to candidiasis
Authors: Mucci María J. , Cuestas María L. , Cervetto María M. , Landaburu María F. , Mujica María T. 
Published: March 2016

SummaryTo evaluate the frequency of yeast, bacteria or protozoa in pregnant women and to correlate the possible associations of these microorganisms and their relationships with vulvovaginitis (VV) and cervicitis. Vaginal specimens were collected and prepared for smears in microscope slides for the evaluation of yeast, Trichomonas vaginalis and bacteria. Samples were cultured in specific culture medium. Cervical specimens were used to investigate the presence of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis, Ureaplasma spp. and Mycoplasma hominis. We enrolled 210 pregnant women, aged 10–42 years old. Of them, 38.1% were symptomatic. Symptoms were most prevalent in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy coincident with a major prevalence of microorganisms. In this study, 39.5% of pregnant women had normal microbial biota and symptoms of VV due to non‐infectious causes were observed (6.2%). The occurrence of vulvovaginal candidiasis was 25% and Candida albicans with a prevalence of 80.7% was the dominant species (P = 0.005) while non‐albicans Candida species and other yeast were more common in asymptomatic ones (P = 0.0038). The frequency of bacterial vaginosis, T. vaginalis, C. trachomatis and N. gonorrhoeae were 18.1%, 1.4, 1.4% and 0.5% respectively.
Dermatophytosis: fluorostaining enhances speed and sensitivity in direct microscopy of skin, nail and hair specimens from dermatology outpatients
Authors: Ovrén Ellen , Berglund Lars , Nordlind Klas , Rollman Ola 
Published: March 2016

SummaryDirect microscopy of keratinised specimens is a standard screening procedure that assists clinicians to differentiate true superficial mycoses from non‐fungal disorders of the skin, nail and hair. Most clinical dermatologists use bright‐field microscopy when searching for dermatophyte fungi in clinical samples while laboratory‐based mycologists increasingly favour fluorescence microscopy in order to optimise visualisation of fungal elements. This study compared the validity and speediness of fluorescence microscopy vs. conventional light microscopy when screening for fungi in 206 dermatological samples from dermatology outpatients. Both senior dermatologist and a less experienced investigator (medical student) attained high and comparable levels of specificity (91.7–93.8%), positive predictive value (77.1–81.4%) and negative predictive value (83.7–89.9%) using either method. Fluorostaining with Blankophor prior to fluorescence microscopy increased the sensitivity by 22 ± 1% as compared to light microscopy of unstained samples. For both investigators, the time required to identify fungal elements by the fluorescence‐based technique was reduced by at least 50%, thus improving the performance of direct microscopy in the clinical setting.
Cryptococcus neoformans infection in malignancy
Authors: Schmalzle Sarah A. , Buchwald Ulrike K. , Gilliam Bruce L. , Riedel David J. 
Published: March 2016

SummaryCryptococcosis is an opportunistic invasive fungal infection that is well described and easily recognised when it occurs as meningitis in HIV‐infected persons. Malignancy and its treatment may also confer a higher risk of infection with Cryptococcus neoformans, but this association has not been as well described. A case of cryptococcosis in a cancer patient is presented, and all cases of coincident C. neoformans infection and malignancy in adults published in the literature in English between 1970 and 2014 are reviewed. Data from these cases were aggregated in order to describe the demographics, type of malignancy, site of infection, clinical manifestations, treatment and outcomes of cryptococcosis in patients with cancer. Haematologic malignancies accounted for 82% of cases, with lymphomas over‐represented compared to US population data (66% vs. 53% respectively). Cryptococcosis was reported rarely in patients with solid tumours. Haematologic malignancy patients were more likely to have central nervous system (P < 0.001) or disseminated disease (P < 0.001), receive Amphotericin B as part of initial therapy (P = 0.023), and had higher reported mortality rates than those with solid tumours (P = 0.222). Providers should have heightened awareness of the possibility of cryptococcosis in patients with haematologic malignancy presenting with infection.
Reassessing Risk Factors for High Defibrillation Threshold: The EF‐SAGA Risk Score and Implications for Device Testing
Authors: SHIH MICHAEL J. , KAKODKAR SIDDHARTH A. , KAID YOUSEF , HASSEL JONATHAN L. , YARLAGADDA SANTI , FOGG LOUIS F. , MADIAS CHRISTOPHER , KRISHNAN KOUSIK , TROHMAN RICHARD G. 
Published: March 2016

ObjectivesTo reevaluate risk factors for high defibrillation threshold (DFT) and propose a risk assessment tool.BackgroundControversy exists over routine DFT testing during implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) placement.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed 1,642 consecutive patients who received an ICD and underwent DFT testing.ResultsThe incidence of high DFT requiring addition of a subcutaneous array was 2.3%. Five significant independent variables predictive of high DFT were identified, including younger age, male gender (hazard ratio 1.99), left ventricular (LV) dysfunction, secondary prevention (hazard ratio 2.33), and amiodarone use (hazard ratio 2.39). Each 10‐year increase in age was indicative of a 0.35‐times lower chance of high DFT. Each 10% increase of LV ejection fraction (EF) was indicative of a 0.52‐times lower chance of high DFT. These five variables form the EF‐SAGA risk score (LVEF < 20%, Secondary prevention ICD indication, Age < 60 years, male Gender, Amiodarone use). Cumulative risk of high DFT increased incrementally; patients with four or more variables had an 8.9% likelihood of high DFT. Importantly, primary prevention patients with LVEF > 20% had a negative predictive value for high DFT of 99.3%.ConclusionWe identified five independent predictors of high DFT. We propose the EF‐SAGA risk score to help decision making. Primary prevention patients with an LVEF > 20% had an exceedingly low incidence of high DFT suggesting that testing could be avoided in these patients. Careful assessment of the risk‐benefit ratio of testing is important in high‐risk patients.
Transcriptomics‐assisted quantitative trait locus fine mapping for the rapid identification of a nodulin 26‐like intrinsic protein gene regulating boron efficiency in allotetraploid rapeseed
Authors: Hua Yingpeng , Zhang Didi , Zhou Ting , He Mingliang , Ding Guangda , Shi Lei , Xu Fangsen 
Published: March 2016

AbstractAllotetraploid rapeseed (Brassica napus L., AnAnCnCn, 2n = 4x = 38) is extraordinarily susceptible to boron (B) deficiency, a ubiquitous problem causing severe losses in seed yield. The breeding of B‐efficient rapeseed germ plasm is a cost‐effective and environmentally friendly strategy for the agricultural industry; however, genes regulating B efficiency in allotetraploid rapeseed have not yet been isolated. In this research, quantitative trait locus (QTL) fine mapping and digital gene expression (DGE) profiling were combined to identify the candidate genes underlying the major‐effect QTL qBEC‐A3a, which regulates B efficiency. Comparative phenotype analyses of the near‐isogenic lines (NILs) indicated that qBEC‐A3a plays a significant role in improving B efficiency under B deficiency. Exploiting QTL fine mapping and DGE analyses revealed a nodulin 26‐like intrinsic protein (NIP) gene, which encodes a likely boric acid channel. The gene co‐expression network for putative B transporters also highlighted its central role in the efficiency of B uptake. An integration of whole‐genome re‐sequencing (WGS) with bulked segregant analysis (BSA) authenticated the emerging availability of QTL‐seq for the QTL analyses in allotetraploid rapeseed. Transcriptomics‐assisted QTL mapping and comparative genomics provided novel insights into the rapid identification of quantitative trait genes (QTGs) in plant species with complex genomes.
Serum biotin in Japanese children: Enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay measurement
Authors: Wakabayashi Kenji , Kodama Hiroko , Ogawa Eishin , Sato Yasuhiro , Motoyama Kahoko , Suzuki Mitsuyoshi 
Published: March 2016

AbstractBackgroundBiotin deficiency has been reported in Japanese infants fed special formulas for medical reasons, including those with milk allergy and congenital metabolic diseases, because these formulas contain little biotin. Serum biotin measurement is useful for diagnosing biotin deficiency. We applied a simple and rapid method to analyze serum biotin, and established normal ranges for children and adults.MethodsSerum biotin in 188 healthy Japanese children aged 0–4 years and in 25 healthy adults was analyzed using a Biotin ELISA Kit (immundiagnostik). The effects of various conditions on the measurement of serum biotin were also examined.ResultsMedian biotin in children aged 0–4 years was 10.4 ng/dL (IQR, 7.9–13.4 ng/dL), and that in adults was 12.9 ng/dL (IQR, 10.8–15.8 ng/dL). Normal range was 4.7–22.0 ng/dL in children and 8.4–20.5 ng/dL in adults (calculated using two‐sided 95%CI). Measurements obtained with this method were not affected by frozen storage, freeze–thaw, or hemolysis, indicating that serum biotin can be analyzed accurately under these conditions, with a possible application to plasma samples.ConclusionsSerum biotin was significantly lower in children than in adults, with the normal range being 4.7–22.0 ng/dL in children and 8.4–20.5 ng/dL in adults. This simple and accurate enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay method is useful for diagnosing biotin deficiency.
Frequency‐specific disruptions of neuronal oscillations reveal aberrant auditory processing in schizophrenia
Authors: Hayrynen Lauren K. , Hamm Jordan P. , Sponheim Scott R. , Clementz Brett A. 
Published: March 2016

AbstractIndividuals with schizophrenia exhibit abnormalities in evoked brain responses in oddball paradigms. These could result from (a) insufficient salience‐related cortical signaling (P300), (b) insufficient suppression of irrelevant aspects of the auditory environment, or (c) excessive neural noise. We tested whether disruption of ongoing auditory steady‐state responses at predetermined frequencies informed which of these issues contribute to auditory stimulus relevance processing abnormalities in schizophrenia. Magnetoencephalography data were collected for 15 schizophrenia and 15 healthy subjects during an auditory oddball paradigm (25% targets; 1‐s interstimulus interval). Auditory stimuli (pure tones: 1 kHz standards, 2 kHz targets) were administered during four continuous background (auditory steady‐state) stimulation conditions: (1) no stimulation, (2) 24 Hz, (3) 40 Hz, and (4) 88 Hz. The modulation of the auditory steady‐state response (aSSR) and the evoked responses to the transient stimuli were quantified and compared across groups. In comparison to healthy participants, the schizophrenia group showed greater disruption of the ongoing aSSR by targets regardless of steady‐state frequency, and reduced amplitude of both M100 and M300 event‐related field components. During the no‐stimulation condition, schizophrenia patients showed accentuation of left hemisphere 40 Hz response to both standard and target stimuli, indicating an effort to enhance local stimulus processing. Together, these findings suggest abnormalities in auditory stimulus relevance processing in schizophrenia patients stem from insufficient amplification of salient stimuli.
Habermas and Religion
Authors: Sheedy Matt 
Published: March 2016

AbstractAt 86, Jürgen Habermas remains one of the most influential living social philosophers in the world. Since the 9/11 attacks, he has focused on the problem of religion in the public sphere and helped to popularize the term ‘post‐secularism’. Despite this recent shift in his work, religion has always been a theme in his complex critical theory. In this paper, I trace the ways in which Habermas has situated religion over the span of his career, including significant shifts, and the ways in which his theory has been taken up by others. In conclusion, I point toward some directions for future engagement with his work in the study of religions.
The Compatriot Win Effect on National Sales of a Multicountry Lottery
Authors: Baker Rose , Forrest David , Pérez Levi 
Published: March 2016

SummaryEuromillions is a lotto game played across nine countries. We examine more than 8 years of sales data for individual states to assess whether a jackpot win in a country increases subsequent sales in that country. We propose a novel test for the presence of such a ‘compatriot win effect’ that has as its only assumption that the lottery draw is random. Results suggest elevated sales over 12 draws following a national win. When we model the size of the effect, it proves to be modest in size for average jackpot wins but much larger and longer lasting for the highest pay-outs.
Multipollutant Measurement Error in Air Pollution Epidemiology Studies Arising from Predicting Exposures with Penalized Regression Splines
Authors: Bergen Silas , Sheppard Lianne , Kaufman Joel D. , Szpiro Adam A. 
Published: March 2016

SummaryAir pollution epidemiology studies are trending towards a multipollutant approach. In these studies, exposures at subject locations are unobserved and must be predicted by using observed exposures at misaligned monitoring locations. This induces measurement error, which can bias the estimated health effects and affect standard error estimates. We characterize this measurement error and develop an analytic bias correction when using penalized regression splines to predict exposure. Our simulations show that bias from multipollutant measurement error can be severe, and in opposite directions or simultaneously positive or negative. Our analytic bias correction combined with a non-parametric bootstrap yields accurate coverage of 95% confidence intervals. We apply our methodology to analyse the association of systolic blood pressure with PM2.5 and NO2 levels in the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Sister Study. We find that NO2 confounds the association of systolic blood pressure with PM2.5 levels and vice versa. Elevated systolic blood pressure was significantly associated with increased PM2.5 and decreased NO2 levels. Correcting for measurement error bias strengthened these associations and widened 95% confidence intervals.