bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Improvement of Insulin Injection Technique
Authors: Spollett Geralyn , Edelman Steven V. , Mehner Patricia , Walter Claudia , Penfornis Alfred 
Published: May 2016

Purpose Correct insulin injection technique is a crucial aspect of diabetes management. The purpose of this article is (1) to outline the medical literature, including patient-based studies and surveys, surrounding the type of issues and problems that patients encounter with injectable insulin therapy and the degree to which correct insulin technique is being applied and (2) to review the latest recommendations for insulin injection technique and discuss the key aspects that diabetes educators and other health care professionals should be communicating to their patients to ensure that injection technique is optimized. Conclusions Examination of the literature and multiple patient surveys demonstrates that patients continue to have many issues with insulin injection technique, highlighting the pressing need for effective patient education. In addition, many patients are not using insulin pen devices correctly. Widespread lack of injection site rotation and reuse of needles have resulted in high rates of lipohypertrophy. Lipohypertrophy has in turn been associated with significantly increased levels of unexplained hypoglycemia and glycemic variability and significantly increased insulin costs. By providing clear, evidence-based consensus recommendations, initiatives such as the Forum for Injection Technique are helping to address these issues but will be successful only if concerted efforts in patient education and reeducation are made to ensure that these recommendations are implemented consistently. This should involve all stakeholders in insulin therapy—particularly diabetes educators, who are at the forefront of patient education.
Coblation tonsillectomy under surgical microscopy: A retrospective study
Authors: Pang Yufeng , Gong Jingrong , Huang Juan , He Shuangzhu , Zhou Hong 
Published: May 2016

Objective A retrospective study to compare surgical parameters and postoperative pain in patients undergoing coblation tonsillectomy with or without microscopic guidance. Methods Data regarding duration of surgery and hospital stay, intraoperative blood loss, incidence of haemorrhage and postoperative pain scores were retrieved from the medical records of adult patients undergoing coblation tonsillectomy under direct vision or with microscopic guidance. Results The incidence of secondary haemorrhage (>24 h postoperatively) was significantly lower and the duration of hospital stay was significantly shorter in the microscope group ( n = 92) than the direct vision group ( n = 76). Pain scores both at rest and while swallowing reached ≤3 (no significant impact on quality-of-life) significantly faster in the microscope group than the direct vision group. Conclusions Microscope-assisted coblation tonsillectomy decreases the duration of hospital stay and the incidence of postoperative secondary haemorrhage, and results in an early improvement in postoperative pain scores.
Platelet-Rich Plasma in a Murine Model
Authors: Denapoli Priscila Martins Andrade , Stilhano Roberta Sessa , Ingham Sheila Jean McNeill , Han Sang Won , Abdalla Rene Jorge 
Published: May 2016

Background: It is well known that platelet-rich plasma (PRP) preparations are not the same and that not all preparations include white blood cells, but the part that leukocytes play on the healing role of PRP is still unknown. Purpose: The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of leukocytes in different PRP preparations with a special emphasis on growth factor concentrations. The secondary aim was to evaluate the influence of PRP on muscle healing. Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: Two PRP preparation procedures were evaluated. Blood fractions were stained with Rapid Panoptic, and growth factors (transforming growth factor beta 1 [TGF-β1], vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF], insulin-like growth factor [IGF], epidermal growth factor [EGF], hepatocyte growth factor [HGF], and platelet-derived growth factor [PDGF]) were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Western blotting analysis was performed for Fms-related tyrosine kinase 1 (Flt-1). A muscle contusion injury was created and treated with PRP at different time points. Results: Leukocytes were the main source of VEGF, and all other growth factors measured had a higher concentration in the preparations that included the buffy coat and consequently had a higher concentration of white blood cells. Flt-1 was also found in platelet-poor plasma (PPP). There were higher concentrations of PDGF and HGF in the preparations that encompassed the buffy coat. A PRP injection 7 days after the injury provided significantly increased exercise performance and decreased the fibrotic area when compared with other PRP-treated groups. Conclusion: VEGF is only present in PRP′s buffy coat, while Flt-1 is present in PPP. A PRP injection 7 days after an injury resulted in improved exercise performance. Clinical Relevance: The presence of Flt-1 in PRP provides yet another explanation for results described in the literature after a PRP injection. This information is relevant for selecting the best PRP for each type of injury.
Quantification of 2-methylcitric acid in dried blood spots improves newborn screening for propionic and methylmalonic acidemias
Authors: Al-Dirbashi Osama Y , McIntosh Nathan , Chakraborty Pranesh 
Published: May 2016

Background Newborn screening for propionic acidemia and methylmalonic acidurias using the marker propionylcarnitine (C3) is neither sensitive nor specific. Using C3 to acetylcarnitine (C3/C2) ratio, together with conservative C3 cut-offs, can improve screening sensitivity, but the false positive rate remains high. Incorporating the marker 2-methylcitric acid has been suggested, to improve the positive predictive value for these disorders without compromising the sensitivity. Methods Between July 2011 and December 2012 at the Newborn Screening Ontario laboratory, all neonatal dried blood spot samples that were reported as screen positive for propionic acidemia or methylmalonic acidurias based on elevated C3 and C3/C2 ratio were analyzed for 2-methylcitric acid, using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Results Of 222,420 samples screened, 103 were positive for methylmalonic acidurias or propionic acidemia using C3 and C3/C2 ratio as markers. There were nine true positives: propionic acidemia (n = 3), Cobalamin (Cbl) A (n=1), and Cbl C (n = 5). Among false positives there were 72 neonates not affected, 20 with maternal B12 deficiency, and two incidental finding (transcobalamin II and unclassified Cbl defect). 2-Methylcitric acid was analyzed in all 103 samples and ranged between 0.1 and 89.4 µmol/l (reference range 0.04–0.36). Only 14 samples exceeded the set 2-methylcitric acid cut-off of 1.0 µmol/l, including the samples from all nine true positives. Conclusion By including 2-methylcitric acid in the screening algorithm, the positive predictive value of our primary and secondary screening targets improved from 8.7 to 64.3%. This would have eliminated 89 unnecessary referrals while maintaining 100% sensitivity.
Magnetic resonance enterography versus capsule endoscopy activity indices for quantification of small bowel inflammation in Crohn’s disease
Authors: Kopylov Uri , Klang Eyal , Yablecovitch Doron , Lahat Adi , Avidan Benjamin , Neuman Sandra , Levhar Nina , Greener Tomer , Rozendorn Noa , Beytelman Arkadi , Yanai Henit , Dotan Iris , Chowers Yehuda , Weiss Batya , Ben-Horin Shomron , Amitai Marianne M. , Eliakim Rami ,   on behalf of the Israeli IBD research Nucleus (IIRN)
Published: May 2016

Background: Video capsule endoscopy (VCE) and magnetic resonance enterography (MRE) are the prime modalities for the evaluation of small bowel (SB) Crohn’s disease (CD). Mucosal inflammation on VCE is quantified using the Lewis score (LS). Diffusion-weighted (DW) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allows for accurate assessment of SB inflammation without administration of intravenous contrast material. The Magnetic Resonance Index of Activity (MaRiA) and the Clermont index are quantitative activity indices validated for contrast-enhanced MRE and DW-MRE, respectively. The aim of this study was to compare the quantification of distal SB inflammation by VCE and MR-related activity indices. Methods: Patients with known quiescent SB CD were prospectively recruited and underwent MRE and VCE. LS, MaRIA and Clermont scores were calculated for the distal SB. Results: Both MRI-based indices significantly correlated with the LS and the Clermont index ( r = 0.50, p = 0.001 and r = 0.53, p = 0.001, respectively). Both MaRIA and Clermont scores were significantly lower in patients with mucosal healing (LS < 135). The area under the curve (AUC) with both MR scores was moderate for prediction of any mucosal inflammation (LS ⩾ 135) and excellent for prediction of moderate-to-severe inflammation (LS ⩾ 790) (0.71 and 0.74 versus 0.93 and 0.91 for MaRIA and Clermont score, respectively). Conclusions: Modest correlation between VCE- and MRE-based quantitative indices of inflammation in patients with quiescent SB CD was observed. Between-modality correlation was higher in patients with endoscopically severe disease. DW-MRE gauged by Clermont score was at least as accurate as contrast-enhanced MRE for quantification of SB inflammation.
Is an ecological school-based nutrition intervention effective to improve adolescents’ nutrition-related knowledge, attitudes and behaviour in rural areas of China?
Authors: Wang Dongxu , Stewart Donald , Chang Chun 
Published: May 2016

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to examine the effect of a school-based nutrition intervention using an ecological approach to improve adolescents’ nutrition-related knowledge, attitudes and behaviour in rural China. Methods: A cluster-randomised intervention trial design was employed. Two middle schools were randomly selected and assigned to the school that was conducting a holistic school-based intervention using health-promoting school (HPS) framework, ‘HPS School’, or to the ‘Control School’ in Mi Yun County, Beijing. From each school we randomly selected 65 seventh-grade students to participate in the study. Their nutrition-related knowledge, attitudes and behaviour were measured by pre- and post-intervention surveys with the same instrument. The nutrition intervention lasted for six months. Results: Adolescents in the intervention school were more likely to know the nutrition knowledge items, with an odds ratio (OR) ranging from 1.86 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.11–3.09) to 6.34 (95% CI: 3.83–10.47); more likely to think nutrition is very important to health, developing healthy dietary habits is very important, and that expired foods should be thrown away, with ORs of 3.03 (95% CI: 1.60–5.76), 2.76 (95% CI: 1.66–4.59) and 2.35 (95% CI: 1.33–4.17) respectively, and more likely to consume no soft drinks, desserts or fried food, and to eat vegetables every day of the last week, with ORs of 1.99 (95% CI: 1.31–3.04), 3.96 (95% CI: 2.43–6.46), 3.63 (95% CI: 2.26–5.85), and 2.51 (95% CI: 1.41–4.48) respectively, as compared with those in the control school after interventions. Conclusions: Our intervention using the HPS framework, an ecological approach, was an appropriate model to promote nutrition among adolescents in rural China and its use should be advocated in future school-based nutrition promotion programmes for adolescents.
Neisseria meningitidis and Streptococcus pneumoniae as leading causes of pediatric bacterial meningitis in nine Mexican hospitals following 3 years of active surveillance
Authors: Chacon-Cruz Enrique , Martinez-Longoria Cesar Adrian , Llausas-Magana Eduardo , Luevanos-Velazquez Antonio , Vazquez-Narvaez Jorge Alejandro , Beltran Sandra , Limon-Rojas Ana Elena , Urtiz-Jeronimo Fernando , Castaneda-Narvaez Jose Luis , Otero-Mendoza Francisco , Aguilar-Del Real Fernando , Rodriguez-Chagoyan Jesus , Rivas-Landeros Rosa Maria , Volker-Soberanes Maria Luisa , Hinojosa-Robles Rosa Maria , Arzate-Barbosa Patricia , Aviles-Benitez Laura Karina , Elenes-Zamora Fernando Ivan , Becka Chandra M. , Ruttimann Ricardo 
Published: May 2016

Objectives: Meningococcal meningitis is reported as a rare condition in Mexico. There are no internationally published studies on bacterial causes of meningitis in the country based on active surveillance. This study focuses on finding the etiology of bacterial meningitis in children from nine Mexican Hospitals. Methods: From January 2010 to February 2013, we conducted a three years of active surveillance for meningitis in nine hospitals throughout Mexico. Active surveillance started at the emergency department for every suspected case, and microbiological studies confirmed/ruled out all potentially bacterial pathogens. We diagnosed based on routine cultures from blood and cerebrospinal fluid (not polymerase chain reaction or other molecular diagnostic tests), and both pneumococcal serotyping and meningococcal serogrouping by using standard methods. Results: Neisseria meningitidis was the leading cause, although 75% of cases occurred in the northwest of the country in Tijuana on the US border. Serogroup C was predominant. Streptococcus pneumoniae followed Neisseria meningitides, but was uniformly distributed throughout the country. Serotype 19A was the most incident but before universal implementation of the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. Other bacteria were much less common, including Enterobacteriaceae and Streptococcus agalactiae (these two affecting mostly young infants). Conclusions: Meningococcal meningitis is endemic in Tijuana, Mexico, and vaccination should be seriously considered in that region. Continuous universal vaccination with the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine should be nationally performed, and polymerase chain reaction should be included for bacterial detection in all cultures – negative but presumably bacterial meningitis cases.
Treatment Adherence and Its Impact on Disease-Free Survival in the Breast International Group 1-98 Trial of Tamoxifen and Letrozole, Alone and in Sequence
Authors: Chirgwin Jacquie H. , Giobbie-Hurder Anita , Coates Alan S. , Price Karen N. , Ejlertsen Bent , Debled Marc , Gelber Richard D. , Goldhirsch Aron , Smith Ian , Rabaglio Manuela , Forbes John F. , Neven Patrick , Láng István , Colleoni Marco , Thürlimann Beat 
Published: May 2016

Purpose To investigate adherence to endocrine treatment and its relationship with disease-free survival (DFS) in the Breast International Group (BIG) 1-98 clinical trial. Methods The BIG 1-98 trial is a double-blind trial that randomly assigned 6,193 postmenopausal women with hormone receptor–positive early breast cancer in the four-arm option to 5 years of tamoxifen (Tam), letrozole (Let), or the agents in sequence (Let-Tam, Tam-Let). This analysis included 6,144 women who received at least one dose of study treatment. Conditional landmark analyses and marginal structural Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate the relationship between DFS and treatment adherence (persistence [duration] and compliance with dosage). Competing risks regression was used to assess demographic, disease, and treatment characteristics of the women who stopped treatment early because of adverse events. Results Both aspects of low adherence (early cessation of letrozole and a compliance score of < 90%) were associated with reduced DFS (multivariable model hazard ratio, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.09 to 1.93; P = .01; and multivariable model hazard ratio, 1.61; 95% CI, 1.08 to 2.38; P = .02, respectively). Sequential treatments were associated with higher rates of nonpersistence (Tam-Let, 20.8%; Let-Tam, 20.3%; Tam 16.9%; Let 17.6%). Adverse events were the reason for most trial treatment early discontinuations (82.7%). Apart from sequential treatment assignment, reduced adherence was associated with older age, smoking, node negativity, or prior thromboembolic event. Conclusion Both persistence and compliance are associated with DFS. Toxicity management and, for sequential treatments, patient and physician awareness, may improve adherence.
Amyloids assemble as part of recognizable structures during oogenesis in Xenopus
Authors: Hayes Michael H. , Weeks Daniel L. 
Published: May 2016

ABSTRACT
A hallmark of Alzheimer's, Huntington's and similar diseases is the assembly of proteins into amyloids rather than folding into their native state. There is an increasing appreciation that amyloids, under specific conditions, may be non-pathogenic. Here we show that amyloids form as a normal part of Xenopus oocyte development. Amyloids are detectable in the cytosol and the nucleus using an amyloid binding dye and antibodies that recognize amyloid structure. In the cytosol, yolk platelets are amyloid reactive, as are a number of yet to be characterized particles. In the nucleus, we find particles associated with transcription by RNA polymerase I, II and III and RNA processing contain amyloids. Nuclear amyloids remain intact for hours following isolation; however, RNase treatment rapidly disrupts nuclear amyloids.
Trading Time in a Congested Environment
Authors: Yang Luyi , Debo Laurens , Gupta Varun 
Published: May 2016

The first in, first out (FIFO) queue discipline respects the order of arrivals, but is not efficient when customers have heterogeneous waiting costs. Priority queues, in which customers with higher waiting costs are served first, are more efficient but usually involve undesirable queue-jumping behaviors that violate bumped customers’ property rights over their waiting spots. To have the best of both worlds, we propose time-trading mechanisms, in which customers who are privately informed about their waiting costs mutually agree on the ordering in the queue by trading positions. If a customer ever moves back in the queue, she will receive an appropriate monetary compensation. Customers can always decide not to participate in trading and retain their positions as if they are being served FIFO. We design the optimal mechanisms for the social planner, the service provider, and an intermediary who might mediate the trading platform. Both the social planner’s and the service provider’s optimal mechanisms involve a flat admission fee and an auction that implements strict priority. If a revenue-maximizing intermediary operates the trading platform, it should charge a trade participation fee and implement an auction with some trade restrictions. Therefore, customers are not strictly prioritized. However, relative to a FIFO system, the intermediary delivers value to the social planner by improving efficiency, and to the service provider by increasing its revenue. This paper was accepted by Noah Gans, stochastic models and simulation.
Utility-Based Link Recommendation for Online Social Networks
Authors: Li Zhepeng , Fang Xiao , Bai Xue , Sheng Olivia R. Liu 
Published: May 2016

Link recommendation, which suggests links to connect currently unlinked users, is a key functionality offered by major online social networks. Salient examples of link recommendation include “People You May Know” on Facebook and LinkedIn as well as “You May Know” on Google+. The main stakeholders of an online social network include users (e.g., Facebook users) who use the network to socialize with other users and an operator (e.g., Facebook Inc.) that establishes and operates the network for its own benefit (e.g., revenue). Existing link recommendation methods recommend links that are likely to be established by users but overlook the benefit a recommended link could bring to an operator. To address this gap, we define the utility of recommending a link and formulate a new research problem—the utility-based link recommendation problem. We then propose a novel utility-based link recommendation method that recommends links based on the value, cost, and linkage likelihood of a link, in contrast to existing link recommendation methods that focus solely on linkage likelihood. Specifically, our method models the dependency relationship between the value, cost, linkage likelihood, and utility-based link recommendation decision using a Bayesian network; predicts the probability of recommending a link with the Bayesian network; and recommends links with the highest probabilities. Using data obtained from a major U.S. online social network, we demonstrate significant performance improvement achieved by our method compared with prevalent link recommendation methods from representative prior research.This paper was accepted by Anandhi Bharadwaj, information systems.
Pembuatan Beton dengan Campuran Limbah Plastik dan Karakterisasinya
Authors: Rismayasari Yessi , U Utari , Santosa Usman 
Published: May 2016

<span>Research on concrete containing plastic waste as an alternative polymer material has been <span>conducted.It studied the concrete characteristic through compressive strength, impact testing, <span>thermal conductivity, and density testing. Plastic waste used for concrete manufacture was <span>black because it is strong but light. The goal of this research is to determine the characteristics <span>value of concrete with and without plastic waste mixing. Concrete was mixed with the ratio of <span>1cement: 2 sands: 3 gravel and cement water factor of 0.5. The addition of plastic waste were <span>0%, 2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, 10% of cement mass.Specimens used was (15x15x15) cm cube with <span>sides for compressive strength testing, (8x2x2) cm a block with the size of for impact testing, a<br /><span>cylinder with a diameter of 4cm and thickness respectively 0.2 cm and 0.4 cm for thermal <span>conductivity testing, and a sides (15 x 15 x 15)cm cube with for density testing. The diameter <span>of plastic waste was 0.1 to 0.8 cm. The test was performed at 28 days of concrete age. The <span>result showed that the addition of 4% of plastic waste recorded the best compressive strength, <span>impact testing, and thermal conductivity. In this research, the density was of the range (16 ± 6)<br /><span>x 10<span>2 <span>kg / m³up to(22 ± 4) x 10<span>2 <span>kg / m³, compressive strength(21.8 ± 0.2) x 10<span>6 <span>N / m² of the <span>range (16 ± 0.1) x 10<span>6 <span>N / m²to(21.8 ± 0.2) x 10<span>6 <span>N / m², impact (8.7 ± 0.3)x 10<span>-1<span>Joule to the <span>range (3.5 ± 0.3)x 10<span>-1<span>Joules up to (8.7 ± 0.3)x 10<span>-1<span>Joule and thermal conductivity (6.0 ± 0.5) x <span>10 <span>-5 <span>kcal / ms °C was (1.17 ± 0.5) x 10<span>-5 <span>kcal / ms °C to (6.0 ± 0.5) x 10 <span>-5 <span>kcal / ms °C.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
Spectral reverberations: A history of the present
Authors: Garoian Charles R. 
Published: May 2016

Abstract
In the article that follows, memory and cultural history are folded onto the present to expose their reverberations, their yet unseen and unknown ideational encounters and alliances. In thinking and writing present and past events through one another constitutes fabulation, a parabolic telling that acts on and reverberates the hauntings of the foundational knowledge again and again, yet differently. A past event that repeats differently in the present constitutes time-out-of-joint – that is, a history of the present. The truth and accuracy of such a paradoxical account reverberates virtually as a newly created and different life in which one is no longer held hostage by the hauntings of memory and history.