bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Necker cube copying may not be appropriate as an examination of dementia: reanalysis from the Tajiri Project
Authors: Oonuma Jiro , Kasai Mari , Meguro Mitsue , Akanuma Kyoko , Yamaguchi Satoshi , Meguro Kenichi 
Published: January 2016

AbstractBackgroundThe Necker cube is usually used for evaluating the visuoconstructional ability of patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. However, the Necker cube is often considered a drawing with a visual illusionary perspective. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether Necker cube copying could detect participants with MCI due to dementia.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed the database of the 1998 prevalence study that was part of the Tajiri Project (n = 599). Pencil drawings of the Necker cube on A4‐sized white paper by non‐demented people (Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) 0 and 0.5, n = 256) were classified into two patterns: non‐three‐dimension (3‐D) and 3‐D. Two neuropsychologists assessed Necker cube copying according to the criteria of the classification. After the classification, the database of the 2003 incidence study was used according to the subjects’ conversion to dementia.ResultsIn the prevalence study, among those who made a non‐3‐D drawing of the Necker cube, there were significantly fewer people in the CDR 0 group than in the CDR 0.5 and CDR 1+ groups; similarly, there were significantly fewer people in the CDR 0.5 group than in the CDR 1 + group (χ2 = 32.6, P < 0.001; post‐hoc tests using χ2 tests, CDR 0 > CDR 0.5 > CDR 1+, P < 0.001). In the incidence study, among those who made a non‐3‐D drawing of the Necker cube, there were significantly fewer people in the non‐converter group than in the converter group (χ2 = 19.9, P < 0.001). However, there was no significant difference between the non‐converter group (n = 21) and the converter group (n = 21) when age, sex, educational levels, and Mini‐Mental State Examination scores were controlled (χ2 = 0.0, P = 1.000).ConclusionsOur results suggested that Necker cube copying may evaluate visual illusion as well as visuoconstructional ability. The Necker cube may not be an appropriate test to detect participants with MCI due to dementia.
Heterogeneity of patients receiving artificial nutrition in Japanese psychiatric hospitals: a cross‐sectional study
Authors: Hirao Akihiko , Abe Keiichi , Takayama Keiko , Kondo Keiko , Yokota Osamu , Sato Yoshiki , Norikiyo Taizo , Sato Soichiro , Nakashima Tadao , Hayashi Hideki , Nakata Kenji , Asaba Hiroyuki , Tanaka Kazuyoshi , Tanaka Ritsuho , Morisada Yumi , Itakura Hisakazu , Honda Hajime , Okabe Nobuyuki , Oshima Etsuko , Terada Seishi ,   Middle Western Japan‐Dementia Study (mid‐Dem study)
Published: January 2016

AbstractAimArtificial nutrition, including tube feeding, continues to be given to dementia patients in numerous geriatric facilities in Japan. However, the clinical characteristics of patients receiving artificial nutrition have not been fully investigated. Therefore, we tried to evaluate the clinical features of those patients in this study.MethodsVarious clinical characteristics of all inpatients at 18 of 20 psychiatric hospitals in Okayama Prefecture, Japan, with a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube, nasogastric tube, or total parenteral nutrition were evaluated.ResultsTwo hundred twenty‐one patients (5.4% of all inpatients) had been receiving artificial nutrition for more than 1 month, and 187 (130 women, 57 men; 84.6% of 221 patients) were fully investigated. The mean age was 78.3 years old, and the mean duration of artificial nutrition was 29.8 months. Eighty‐four patients (44.7% of 187 patients) were receiving artificial nutrition for more than 2 years. Patients with Alzheimer's disease (n = 78) formed the biggest group, schizophrenia (n = 37) the second, and vascular dementia (n = 26) the third.ConclusionAbout one‐fifth of the subjects receiving artificial nutrition were in a vegetative state. More than a few patients with mental disorders, including schizophrenia, also received long‐term artificial nutrition. We should pay more attention to chronic dysphasia syndrome in mental disorders.
Health‐related quality of life as a predictor of recurrent falling in Parkinson's disease: 1‐year follow‐up study
Authors: Gazibara Tatjana , Kisic‐Tepavcevic Darija , Svetel Marina , Tomic Aleksandra , Stankovic Iva , Kostic Vladimir S. , Pekmezovic Tatjana 
Published: January 2016

AbstractObjectiveThe aim of this study was to assess whether various domains related to health‐related quality of life could be predictive of recurrent falls among persons with Parkinson's disease (PD) during a 1‐year follow‐up study.MethodsA total of 120 consecutive persons with PD who had denied falling in past 6 months were recruited at regular check‐ups at the Department of Movement Disorders, Neurology Clinic, Clinical Center of Serbia in Belgrade, from 15 August 2011 to 15 December 2012. At baseline, study participants were clinically assessed. Health‐related quality of life was evaluated with the generic 36‐item Short Form Health Survey. Participants were prospectively followed for 1 year, and occurrence of falls was registered.ResultsThe median age of subjects was 60.0 years, with a median disease duration of 4.0 years. Of 120 persons with PD, 42 (35%) experienced falls during the 12‐month study period, including 23 (19.2%) who fell repeatedly. After adjustment for gender, age, PD duration, levodopa dosage, Hoehn and Yahr stage, Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale I–IV, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scales, we identified the 36‐item Short Form Health Survey domains of role physical (P = 0.033) and vitality (P = 0.019) as being associated with recurrent falls of persons with PD within the 1‐year follow‐up period.ConclusionBaseline 36‐item Short Form Health Survey scores regarding both the physical and mental components of overall health may be related to recurrent falling among persons with PD. These HRQoL domains could be considered as potential markers for persons with PD who are prone to recurrent falls.
Exploration of the importance of geriatric frailty on health‐related quality of life
Authors: Lee I‐Chen , Chiu Yu‐Hsien , Lee Chun‐Ying 
Published: January 2016

AbstractAimThe ageing of the population is a demographic trend globally. Promoting the health of elderly persons has become a crucial priority. However, knowledge about the relationship between frailty and quality of life (QoL) remains limited. This research aimed to investigate the association between elderly frailty and QoL, and to identify whether frailty or current health status more significantly affects the QoL of elderly persons.MethodsThis research began in 2012, and by the end of the study in April 2013, 375 samples had been collected. Structured questionnaires and the face‐to‐face questionnaire interviews were used. Multiple linear regression, t‐test, and one‐way anova were administered.ResultsElderly individuals who were hospitalized performed worse in the physical health QoL domain, whereas those who regularly attended outpatient follow‐ups performed worse in the mental health QoL domain. QoL was only partially affected in both groups. All QoL domains were affected in elderly individuals with symptoms of frailty. Age, marital status, and financial status significantly affect health‐related QoL.ConclusionGeriatric frailty significantly affects general QoL. Early screening of frailty‐related conditions among the elderly can prompt early and proper intervention for this population.
Bayesian Two-Stage Dose Finding for Cytostatic Agents Via Model Adaptation
Authors: Xu Jiajing , Yin Guosheng , Ohlssen David , Bretz Frank 
Published: January 2016

SummaryIn phase I clinical trials with cytostatic agents, the typical objective is to identify the optimal biological dose, which should be tolerable as well as achieving the highest effectiveness. Towards this goal, we consider binary toxicity and efficacy end points simultaneously and develop a two-stage Bayesian adaptive design. Stage 1 searches for the maximum tolerated dose by using a beta–binomial model in conjunction with a probit model, for which decision making is based on the model that fits the toxicity data better. Stage 2 identifies the optimal biological dose while still controlling the level of toxicity. We enumerate all the possibilities that each of the admissible doses may deliver the highest effectiveness so that the dose–efficacy curve is allowed to be increasing, decreasing or concave. We conduct simulation studies to examine the ability of the proposed method to pinpoint both the maximum tolerated dose and the optimal biological dose and demonstrate the design’s satisfactory performance with the BKM120 and cetuximab phase I clinical trials.
Spatiotemporal Model Fusion: Multiscale Modelling of Civil Unrest
Authors: Hoegh Andrew , Ferreira Marco A. R. , Leman Scotland 
Published: January 2016

SummaryCivil unrest is a complicated, multifaceted social phenomenon that is difficult to forecast. Relevant data for predicting future protests consist of a massive set of heterogeneous sources of data, primarily from social media. Using a modular approach to extract pertinent information from disparate sources of data, we develop a spatiotemporal multiscale framework to fuse predictions from algorithms mining social media. This novel multiscale spatiotemporal model is developed to satisfy four essential requirements: be scalable to handle massive spatiotemporal data sets, incorporate hierarchical predictions, accommodate predictions of differing quality and uncertainty, and be flexible, allowing revisions to existing algorithms and the addition of new algorithms. The paper details the challenges that are posed by these four requirements and outlines the benefits of our novel multiscale spatiotemporal model relative to existing methods. In particular, our multiscale approach coupled with an efficient sequential Monte Carlo framework enables scalable rapid computation of richly specified Bayesian hierarchical models for spatiotemporal data.
Update on the End‐Stage Renal Disease Quality Incentive Program
Authors: Wanchoo Rimda , Hazzan Azzour D. , Fishbane Steven 
Published: January 2016

AbstractThe End‐Stage Renal Disease Quality Incentive Program continues to evolve and expand. In this article, we will review the program's structure and critically assess the clinical metrics in place. In addition, we will discuss upcoming program changes to help prepare dialysis facilities and nephrologists to meet new proposed metrics.
A Patient‐Centered Approach to Hemodialysis Vascular Access in the Era of Fistula First
Authors: Kalloo Sean , Blake Peter G. , Wish Jay 
Published: January 2016

AbstractThe primary vascular access options for the hemodialysis population are arteriovenous fistulas (AVF), arteriovenous grafts, and cuffed central venous catheters (CVC). AVFs are associated with the most favorable outcomes with respect to complications, interventions required to maintain functionality and patency, and overall cost. These population‐based outcomes, in conjunction with the efforts of the Fistula First Breakthrough Initiative, have propelled the prevalence of AVFs in the US hemodialysis population. While this endeavor remains steadfast in assuring the continued dominance of this policy for AVF preference, it fails to take into account a subset of the dialysis population who will fail to see the benefits of an AVF. This subset of patients may include the elderly, those with poor vasculature anatomy, those with slowly progressive CKD who are more likely to die than progress to ESRD, and those with an overall poor long‐term prognosis and shortened life expectancy. Thus, in an effort to avoid numerous unnecessary surgical and interventional procedures with minimal to no gains in clinical outcomes, an individualized patient approach must be adopted. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services–instituted quality incentive program is designed to reward high AVF prevalence while also penalizing high CVC prevalence. The current model is devoid of case‐based adjustment, thus penalties are disbursed to dialysis providers in accordance with a “one‐size‐fits‐all” fistula only approach. The most suitable access for a patient remains the one that takes into account the characteristics unique to the individual patient with a primary focus on patient comfort, satisfaction, quality of life, and clinical outcomes.
Taking Science Home: Connecting Schools and Families Through Science Activity Packs for Young Children
Authors: Reinhart Meredith , Bloomquist Debra , Strickler‐Eppard Lacey , Czerniak Charlene M. , Gilbert Amanda , Kaderavek Joan , Molitor Scott C. 
Published: January 2016

A Framework forK‐12 Science Education indicates that introducing young children to scientific and engineering practices, core disciplinary ideas, and crosscutting concepts during the early years is essential for the development of conceptual understanding in science. Unfortunately, science is infrequently included in preschool and primary classrooms, and parents are sometimes uncomfortable engaging their children in science. This article describes the development and initial evaluation of “family science activity packs” as an intervention to fill this void. The study examined four research questions focused on families' use of the packs, parental questions, children's inquiry behaviors, and the nature of parent and children's reactions to the packs. Questionnaires sent to families regarding the packs and videos of families completing the activities were analyzed using descriptive statistics and qualitative methods. Findings suggest that take‐home activity packs have the potential to teach science in a motivating manner and spur further interest in science. However, parent questioning and wait‐time impacted the quality of students' responses. A discussion of how family science activities potentially result in high‐quality discourse is presented, and implications and suggestions for further research and pack development are reviewed.This article features aResearch to Practice Companion Article. Please click on the supporting information link below to access.
The CLAVATA signaling pathway mediating stem cell fate in shoot meristems requires Ca2+ as a secondary cytosolic messenger
Authors: Chou Hsuan , Zhu Yingfang , Ma Yi , Berkowitz Gerald A. 
Published: January 2016

SummaryCLAVATA1 (CLV1) is a receptor protein expressed in the shoot apical meristem (SAM) that translates perception of a non‐cell‐autonomous CLAVATA3 (CLV3) peptide signal into altered stem cell fate. CLV3 reduces expression of WUSCHEL (WUS) and FANTASTIC FOUR 2 (FAF2) in the SAM. Expression of WUS and FAF2 leads to maintenance of undifferentiated stem cells in the SAM. CLV3 binding to CLV1 inhibits expression of these genes and controls stem cell fate in the SAM through an unidentified signaling pathway. Cytosolic Ca2+ elevations, cyclic nucleotide (cGMP)‐activated Ca2+ channels, and cGMP have been linked to signaling downstream of receptors similar to CLV1. Hence, we hypothesized that cytosolic Ca2+ elevation mediates the CLV3 ligand/CLV1 receptor signaling that controls meristem stem cell fate. CLV3 application to Arabidopsis seedlings results in elevation of cytosolic Ca2+ and cGMP. CLV3 control of WUS was prevented in a genotype lacking a functional cGMP‐activated Ca2+ channel. In wild‐type plants, CLV3 inhibition of WUS and FAF2 expression was impaired by treatment with either a Ca2+ channel blocker or a guanylyl cyclase inhibitor. When CLV3‐dependent repression of WUS is blocked, altered control of stem cell fate leads to an increase in SAM size; we observed a larger SAM size in seedlings treated with the Ca2+ channel blocker. These results suggest that the CLV3 ligand/CLV1 receptor system initiates a signaling cascade that elevates cytosolic Ca2+, and that this cytosolic secondary messenger is involved in the signal transduction cascade linking CLV3/CLV1 to control of gene expression and stem cell fate in the SAM.
Comparison of 2 electrophoretic methods and a wet‐chemistry method in the analysis of canine lipoproteins
Authors: Behling‐Kelly Erica 
Published: January 2016

BackgroundThe evaluation of lipoprotein metabolism in small animal medicine is hindered by the lack of a gold standard method and paucity of validation data to support the use of automated chemistry methods available in the typical veterinary clinical pathology laboratory. The physical and chemical differences between canine and human lipoproteins draw into question whether the transference of some of these human methodologies for the study of canine lipoproteins is valid. Validation of methodology must go hand in hand with exploratory studies into the diagnostic or prognostic utility of measuring specific lipoproteins in veterinary medicine.ObjectiveThe goal of this study was to compare one commercially available wet‐chemistry method to manual and automated lipoprotein electrophoresis in the analysis of canine lipoproteins.MethodsCanine lipoproteins from 50 dogs were prospectively analyzed by 2 electrophoretic methods, one automated and one manual method, and one wet‐chemistry method.ResultsElectrophoretic methods identified a higher proportion of low‐density lipoproteins than the wet‐chemistry method. Automated electrophoresis occasionally failed to identify very low‐density lipoproteins.ConclusionsWet‐chemistry methods designed for evaluation of human lipoproteins are insensitive to canine low‐density lipoproteins and may not be applicable to the study of canine lipoproteins. Automated electrophoretic methods will likely require significant modifications if they are to be used in the analysis of canine lipoproteins. Studies aimed at determining the impact of a disease state on lipoproteins should thoroughly investigate the selected methodology prior to the onset of the study.
Retrospective evaluation of concurrent intra‐abdominal injuries in dogs with traumatic pelvic fractures: 83 cases (2008–2013)
Authors: Hoffberg Jamie E. , Koenigshof Amy M. , Guiot Laurent P. 
Published: January 2016

AbstractObjectiveTo report the occurrence of intra‐abdominal injury (IA) in dogs with pelvic fractures due to blunt trauma, to evaluate for association between characterization of pelvic fractures and the presence of IA, and to evaluate for association between IA and other specific clinical conditions.DesignRetrospective case series (2008–2013).SettingUniversity teaching hospital.AnimalsEighty‐three client‐owned dogs with pelvic fractures due to blunt trauma.InterventionsNone.Measurements and Main ResultsPelvic injuries included pubic fractures (90.4%), ischial fractures (80.7%), sacroiliac luxations (57.8%), iliac fractures (43.4%), acetabular fractures (30.1%), and sacral fractures (13.3%). Thirty‐one dogs (37%) had IA, which included hemoabdomen (27 dogs), uroabdomen (3), and septic abdomen (3); 2 dogs had 2 types of IA. Dogs with sacral fractures were significantly more likely to have IA than dogs without sacral fractures (P = 0.0162). Characterization of pelvic fractures included the direction of compression, presence of a weight‐bearing bone fracture, and degree of pelvic narrowing, none of which had an association with IA (P > 0.05). Dogs were more likely to have IA if they had cardiac dysrhythmia (P = 0.0002) or hematuria (P = 0.0001), and were more likely to have a hemoabdomen if they had cardiac dysrhythmia (P = 0.0005). Dogs with hematochezia were more likely to have a septic abdomen (P = 0.0123). Dogs were more likely to receive a transfusion if they had AI (P = 0.033) or hemoabdomen specifically (P = 0.0033). Overall survival to discharge was 89%, which was significantly greater than survival in dogs with pelvic injury that also had septic abdomen (33%; P = 0.0299).ConclusionsIA is common in dogs with pelvic fractures, especially those with sacral fractures. Pelvic fracture characterization had no bearing on the presence of IA.
Use of Geometric In-Line Inspection (ILI) Intelligence Tools With the Inertial Module for Diagnosis and Management of Structural Integrity in Pipelines With Geohazards: Case Study
Authors: Hernández Sánchez Jon Freddy , Vergara Carlos Antonio , Hidalgo Carlos 
Published: January 2016

Colombia is a country located in a geographical area with great geological diversity, where every day the effects of climate change increases the probability of the failure of buried pipelines due to the movement of land or the instability associated with them. That is why the use of geometric In Line Inspection (ILI) intelligent tools with the inertial module is important for the diagnosis of structural integrity of pipelines and is associated with an integrity management program due to the geotechnical threats present throughout its path. It decreases maintenance costs due to pump stoppage for unscheduled repairs, anticipating the solution, and mitigating and controlling deformations in the pipeline caused by geotechnical ground displacements.
OCENSA-Pipeline Central SA (Colombia) has developed, through its experience, a program to manage integrity by determining the structural expense in specific sections due to displacement of the pipeline caused by ground movement through the use of the Geometric ILI tools and MFL inertial module. This paper specifically presents the use of the tool in decision-making based on OCENSA’s preset study limits for deformations in the elastic range and plastic building material of the pipeline.
In 1997 OCENSA was among the first companies in Latin America to use Inertial Geo-positioning technology; today there are sectors which have been inspected with this technology as many as five times, in which pipe displacement of up to 5 meters has been found.
The case study presented refers to a geographical point on the route of the pipeline located in the Andes, at the site of the movement known as the “La negra” ravine, near the town of Puente Nacional, where movements of the pipeline associated with geotechnically unstable slope conditions were detected by In line inspection (ILI) Geometric and inertial modules, beginning in 2004. Since that time, integrity management was conducted in order to reduce the chances pipeline failure will materialize in this area of geotechnical instability.