bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Delayed Sino‐nasal Complications of Radiotherapy for Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma
Authors: Alon Eran E. , Lipschitz Noga , Bedrin Lev , Gluck Iris , Talmi Yoav , Wolf Michael , Yakirevitch Arkadi 
Published: April 2014

ObjectiveThere are only sporadic reports of delayed sino‐nasal complications associated with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treated with radiotherapy. These include choanal stenosis, osteoradionecrosis, chronic sinusitis, and intranasal synechiae. Most likely, these complications are underestimated as in many institutions nasal endoscopies in NPC patients are not performed routinely. The aim of this study was to identify the onset and incidence of delayed sino‐nasal complications in NPC patients and their effect on quality of life (QOL).Study DesignCase series with chart review.SettingTertiary medical center.Subjects and MethodsA retrospective chart review was performed on all patients treated for NPC in our institution between 1988 through 2009. The inclusion criteria required at least a 3‐year follow‐up without recurrence. Included patients were contacted prospectively and asked to fill a SNOT‐16 questionnaire.ResultsSixty‐two patients were included in our review. There were 42 males and 20 females. The average age at onset was 42 years. The AJCC staging for T1, T2, T3, and T4 tumors was 22 (35%), 11 (18%), 18 (29%), and 11 (18%), respectively. Eleven patients (18%) suffered from chronic sinusitis. Nine patients (15%) developed choanal stenosis. Five patients (8%) developed osteoradionecrosis. Two patients suffered from nasal synechiae. Forty‐eight patients completed the SNOT‐16 questionnaire. Patients with choanal stenosis had the lowest QOL scores out of the cohort.ConclusionThe incidence of delayed sino‐nasal complications after radiation treatment for NPC is not negligible and should be kept in mind when addressing the quality of life of NPC survivors.
Les artisans du changement : autour d’un échange plénier
Authors: Berghmans Luc , Bouchard Louise , Lorenzo Philippe , O’Neill Michel , Potvin Louise 
Published: April 2014

La plénière de clôture du colloque a été le lieu d’échange entre quatre panélistes et les participants au colloque. Les panélistes étaient : Luc Berghmans, médecin et directeur de l’Observatoire de la santé du Hainaut en Belgique, Louise Bouchard, sociologue et professeure au Département de sociologie et anthropologie de l’Université d’Ottawa au Canada, Michel O’Neill, sociologue et professeur à la Faculté des sciences infirmières de l’Université Laval, Québec, Canada et Philippe Lorenzo, directeur général de l’Instance régionale d’éducation et de promotion de la santé (Ireps) de Picardie à Amiens, en France. Louise Potvin, professeure à l’Université de Montréal qui a agi comme modératrice de la plénière, a réalisé la synthèse qui suit. Dans la foulée du colloque, trois questions ont fait l’objet du débat. À quel point faut-il mettre la santé au premier plan de l’action locale si l’on veut promouvoir des valeurs d’équité ? Comment doit-on organiser et articuler l’action aux plans local, régional, national et mondial ? Qui sont les partenaires et quelles formes de gouvernance sont à mettre en place ? Quels sont les paramètres pour définir les rôles, tâches et compétences des opérateurs des programmes locaux et régionaux de santé, artisans du changement ? Chaque panéliste devait répondre à deux des trois questions. Nous rendons compte ici des réponses que les panélistes ont apportées à ces questions. Comme il est impossible de vérifier les informations qui soutiennent les points de vue exprimés par l’auditoire, nous ne rapportons ici que la teneur des propos, sans faire état des exemples utilisés.
Subregional Anatomical Distribution of T2 Values of Articular Cartilage in Asymptomatic Hips
Authors: Ho Charles P. , Surowiec Rachel K. , Ferro Fernando P. , Lucas Erin P. , Saroki Adriana J. , Dornan Grant J. , Fitzcharles Eric K. , Anz Adam W. , Smith W. Sean , Wilson Katharine J. , Philippon Marc J. 
Published: April 2014

Objective: A standardized definition of normative T2 values across the articular surface of the hip must be defined in order to fully understand T2 values for detecting early degeneration. Therefore, in this article, we seek to lay foundational methodology for reproducible quantitative evaluation of hip cartilage damage using T2 mapping to determine the normative T2 values in asymptomatic individuals. Design: Nineteen prospectively enrolled asymptomatic volunteers (age 18-35 years, males 10, females 9, alpha angle 49.3º ± 7.2º) were evaluated with a sagittal T2 mapping sequence at 3.0 T magnetic resonance imaging. Acetabular and femoral cartilage was manually segmented directly on the second echo of the T2 mapping sequence by 3 raters, twice. Segmentations were divided into 12 subregions modified from the geographic zone method. Median T2 values within each subregion were compiled for further analysis and interrater and intrarater reliability was assessed. Results: In the femur, the posterior-superior subregion was significantly higher ( P ≤ 0.05) than those in the posterior-inferior and anterior-inferior subregions. In the acetabulum, the anterior-inferior subregion was significantly higher ( P ≤ 0.001) than in the anterior-superior, middle, and posterior-inferior subregions. T2 values of the posterior-superior subregion were significantly higher ( P ≤ 0.05) than the anterior-superior, middle, and posterior-inferior subregions. Interrater agreement was generally fair to good.
Depletion of Sf3b1 impairs proliferative capacity of hematopoietic stem cells but is not sufficient to induce myelodysplasia
Authors: Wang Changshan , Sashida Goro , Saraya Atsunori , Ishiga Reiko , Koide Shuhei , Oshima Motohiko , Isono Kyoichi , Koseki Haruhiko , Iwama Atsushi 
Published: April 2014

Key Points
The level of Sf3b1 expression is critical for the proliferative capacity of hematopoietic stem cells. Haploinsufficiency for Sf3b1 is not sufficient to induce a RARS-like phenotype in mice.
On finding bicliques in bipartite graphs: a novel algorithm and its application to the integration of diverse biological data types
Authors: Zhang Yun , Phillips Charles A , Rogers Gary L , Baker Erich J , Chesler Elissa J , Langston Michael A 
Published: April 2014

Abstract

Background
Integrating and analyzing heterogeneous genome-scale data is a huge algorithmic challenge for modern systems biology. Bipartite graphs can be useful for representing relationships across pairs of disparate data types, with the interpretation of these relationships accomplished through an enumeration of maximal bicliques. Most previously-known techniques are generally ill-suited to this foundational task, because they are relatively inefficient and without effective scaling. In this paper, a powerful new algorithm is described that produces all maximal bicliques in a bipartite graph. Unlike most previous approaches, the new method neither places undue restrictions on its input nor inflates the problem size. Efficiency is achieved through an innovative exploitation of bipartite graph structure, and through computational reductions that rapidly eliminate non-maximal candidates from the search space. An iterative selection of vertices for consideration based on non-decreasing common neighborhood sizes boosts efficiency and leads to more balanced recursion trees.

Results
The new technique is implemented and compared to previously published approaches from graph theory and data mining. Formal time and space bounds are derived. Experiments are performed on both random graphs and graphs constructed from functional genomics data. It is shown that the new method substantially outperforms the best previous alternatives.

Conclusions
The new method is streamlined, efficient, and particularly well-suited to the study of huge and diverse biological data. A robust implementation has been incorporated into GeneWeaver, an online tool for integrating and analyzing functional genomics experiments, available at http://geneweaver.org. The enormous increase in scalability it provides empowers users to study complex and previously unassailable gene-set associations between genes and their biological functions in a hierarchical fashion and on a genome-wide scale. This practical computational resource is adaptable to almost any applications environment in which bipartite graphs can be used to model relationships between pairs of heterogeneous entities.
Epidemiology of respiratory symptoms in children with Down syndrome: a nationwide prospective web-based parent-reported study
Authors: Verstegen Ruud HJ , van Hout Roeland WNM , de Vries Esther 
Published: April 2014

AbstractBackgroundChildren with Down syndrome suffer from recurrent respiratory tract and ear-nose-throat complaints that influence daily life. Little is known about the frequency of these complaints, as well as their relation to co-morbidity and ageing.Methods/designA prospective web-based parent-reported observational study was designed for parents having a child with Down syndrome (age 0 to 18 years). Upon registration, parents receive an email containing a link to a weekly questionnaire regarding respiratory symptoms during two consecutive years. Additionally, at the beginning, after one year and at the end of the study they receive an extended questionnaire concerning baseline data, daily activities and medical history. The data will be compared to the ongoing “child-is-ill” study, which collects weekly data in an identical fashion in children that are considered to be “normal as to being ill” by their parents.DiscussionThis study will provide important data on the epidemiology of respiratory symptoms in children with Down syndrome, which will be useful for further studies on treatment options. Also, this study will gain insight in healthcare usage and work absence due to the child’s illnesses.
Socioeconomic and demographic factors modify the association between informal caregiving and health in the Sandwich Generation
Authors: Do Elizabeth K , Cohen Steven A , Brown Monique J 
Published: April 2014

Abstract

Background
Nearly 50 million Americans provide informal care to an older relative or friend. Many are members of the “sandwich generation”, providing care for elderly parents and children simultaneously. Although evidence suggests that the negative health consequences of caregiving are more severe for sandwiched caregivers, little is known about how these associations vary by sociodemographic factors.

Methods
We abstracted data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to determine how the association between caregiving and health varies by sociodemographic factors, using ordinal logistic regression with interaction terms and stratification by number of children, income, and race/ethnicity.

Results
The association between informal caregiving and health varied by membership in the “sandwich generation,” income, and race/ethnicity. This association was significant among subjects with one (OR = 1.13, 95% CI [1.04, 1.24]) and two or more children (OR = 1.17, 95% CI = 1.09, 1.26]), but not in those without children (OR = 1.01, 95% CI [0.97, 1.05]). Associations were strongest in those earning $50,000-$75,000 annually, but these income-dependent associations varied by race/ethnicity. In Whites with two or more children, the strongest associations between caregiving and health occurred in lower income individuals. These trends were not observed for Whites without children.

Conclusions
Our findings suggest that the added burden of caregiving for both children and elderly relatives may be impacted by income and race/ethnicity. These differences should be considered when developing culturally appropriate interventions to improve caregiver health and maintain this vital component of the US health care system.
Challenges faced by multidisplinary new investigators on addressing grand challenges in global health
Authors: Logie Carmen , Dimaras Helen , Fortin Anny , Ramón-García Santiago 
Published: April 2014

Abstract

Background
The grand challenges approach aims to spark innovative and transformative strategies to overcome barriers to significant global health issues. Grand Challenges Canada endorses an ‘Integrated Innovation™’ approach that focuses on the intersection of scientific/technological, social and business innovation. In this article we explore themes emerging from a dialogue between the authors, who are multidisciplinary recipients of the ‘Rising Stars in Global Health’ award from Grand Challenges Canada, regarding benefits of engaging in integrated innovation research, and recommendations for how this approach may develop in the future.

Discussion
Our dialogue followed a semi-structured interview format that addressed three topics: 1) reflections on applying an Integrated Innovation™ approach for global health; 2) thoughts on participation in the Grand Challenges 2012 meeting; and 3) authors’ visions of Grand Challenges Canada and the Grand Challenge movement towards 2020. The dialogue was transcribed verbatim and we used thematic analysis techniques to identify, analyze and report themes in the data. Benefits of working using the Grand Challenges approach centered on two themes: a) the potential for scientific breakthrough and b) building interdisciplinary collaborations and a community of scholars. Challenges and opportunities for Grand Challenges in moving forward included: a) capacity building, particularly regarding Integrated Innovation™ and scale-up planning; b) interdisciplinary and international mentorship for new investigators; and c) potential for future commercialization.

Conclusions
Our discussion highlighted that Integrated Innovation™ offers the opportunity to develop new theories, methods and approaches to global health while simultaneously fostering a collaborative spirit grounded in international, interdisciplinary collaborations. However, the arguable over-emphasis on corporatization poses a major challenge for new investigators. We propose a more balanced way forward that can harness technology to foster mentorship across time and space to support the development of such skills and ideas among new investigators.
Allergic sensitization: food‐ and protein‐related factors
Authors: McClain Scott , Bowman Christal , Fernández‐Rivas Montserrat , Ladics Gregory S , van Ree Ronald 
Published: April 2014

AbstractPresented here are emerging capabilities to precisely measure endogenous allergens in soybean and maize, consideration of food matrices on allergens, and proteolytic activity of allergens. Also examined are observations of global allergy surveys and the prevalence of food allergy across different locales. Allergenic potential is considered in the context of how allergens can be characterized for their biochemical features and the potential for proteins to initiate a specific immune response. Some of the limitations in performing allergen characterization studies are examined. A combination of physical traits of proteins, the molecular interaction between cells and proteins in the human body, and the uniqueness of human culture play a role in understanding and eventually predicting protein allergy potential. The impact of measuring food allergens on determining safety for novel food crops and existing allergenic foods was highlighted with the conclusion that measuring content without the context of clinically relevant thresholds adds little value to safety. These data and findings were presented at a 2012 international symposium in Prague organized by the Protein Allergenicity Technical Committee of the International Life Sciences Institute's Health and Environmental Sciences Institute.
A survey of “mental hardiness” and “mental toughness” in professional male football players
Authors: Wieser Rainer , Thiel Haymo 
Published: April 2014

Abstract
Background
It is not uncommon for chiropractors to be associated with sports teams for injury prevention, treatment, or performance enhancement. There is increasing acceptance of the importance of sports psychology in the overall management of athletes. Recent findings indicate mental hardiness can be determined reliably using specific self-assessment questionnaires. This study set out to investigate the hardiness scores of professional footballers and examine the correlation between two questionnaires. It also included a mental hardiness rating of players by two coaches, and examined differences in hardiness and mental toughness between national and international players.

Methods
Two self-assessment questionnaires (modified Sports Mental Toughness Questionnaire [SMTQ-M] and Psychological Performance Inventory [PPI-A]) were completed by 20 male professional footballers. Two coaches, independently rated each player. A percentage score from each questionnaire was awarded each player and an average score was calculated ({SMTQ-M % + PPI-A %} ÷ 2). The PPI-A and SMTQ-M scores obtained for each player were analysed for correlation with Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Cohen’s kappa inter-reliability coefficient was used to determine agreement between coaches, and between the players’ hardiness scores and coaches’ ratings. The independent t-test was used to examine differences between national and international players.

Results
The players’ scores obtained from PPI-A and SMTQ-M correlated well (r = 0.709, p < 0.001). The coaches ratings showed significant, weak to moderate agreement (Cohen's kappa = 0.33). No significant agreement was found between player self-assessments and coaches’ ratings.
The average ({SMTQ-M % + PPI-A %} ÷ 2) mean score was 77% (SD = 7.98) with international players scoring 7.4% (p = 0.04) higher than non-international players.

Conclusions
The questionnaires (SMTQ-M and PPI-A) correlated well in their outcome scores. These findings suggest that coaches moderately agree when assessing the level of mental hardiness of football players. There was no agreement between player self-assessment and ratings by coaches. Footballers who play or had played for national teams achieved slightly higher mental hardiness scores.
Either questionnaire can offer the clinician a cost-effective, valuable measure of an individual’s psychological attributes, which could be relevant within the wider context of bio-psycho-social model of care.
Prognosis of concomitant users of clopidogrel and proton-pump inhibitors in a high-risk population for upper gastrointestinal bleeding
Authors: Wang Qing , Ljung Rickard , Lagergren Jesper , Lu Yunxia 
Published: April 2014

AbstractBackgroundIt is unclear whether concomitant use of clopidogrel and proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) increases the risk of recurrence of cardiovascular disease or death in patients at high risk of upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding.MethodsBased on the Swedish Patient Register, a cohort of cardiovascular disease (including acute myocardial infarction, stroke and angina, from 2006 to 2008) was selected from a population with any diagnosis of upper GI bleeding. Data on drug prescription was retrieved from the Prescribed Drug Register. Patients entered into the cohort after their first discharge for cardiovascular disease and were followed up to death, recurrence of cardiovascular disease, or 90 days. A Cox regression model was conducted and hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated to evaluate the risks among users of different drug prescriptions.ResultsPatients who were current users of only PPIs (HR 2.02, 95% CI 1.19-3.44), only clopidogrel (HR 1.14, 95% CI 0.53-2.45) and nonusers of both (HR 2.36, 95% CI 1.39-4.00) were at a higher risk of death compared with patients with a concomitant use. Results were similar among 1779 patients who had any history of upper GI bleeding (HR 2.05, 95% CI 1.18-3.54; HR 1.25, 95% CI 0.57-2.72; HR 2.30, 95% CI 1.33-3.98, respectively).ConclusionAmong patients at high risk of upper GI bleeding, those with a concomitant use of PPIs and clopidogrel were at a decreased risk of mortality, and possibly also a decreased risk of recurrence of cardiovascular disease.
Application of response surface methodology for optimization of natural organic matter degradation by UV/H2O2 advanced oxidation process
Authors: Rezaee Reza , Maleki Afshin , Jafari Ali , Mazloomi Sajad , Zandsalimi Yahya , Mahvi Amir H 
Published: April 2014

Abstract

Background
In this research, the removal of natural organic matter from aqueous solutions using advanced oxidation processes (UV/H2O2) was evaluated. Therefore, the response surface methodology and Box-Behnken design matrix were employed to design the experiments and to determine the optimal conditions. The effects of various parameters such as initial concentration of H2O2 (100–180 mg/L), pH (3–11), time (10–30 min) and initial total organic carbon (TOC) concentration (4–10 mg/L) were studied.

Results
Analysis of variance (ANOVA), revealed a good agreement between experimental data and proposed quadratic polynomial model (R2 = 0.98). Experimental results showed that with increasing H2O2 concentration, time and decreasing in initial TOC concentration, TOC removal efficiency was increased. Neutral and nearly acidic pH values also improved the TOC removal. Accordingly, the TOC removal efficiency of 78.02% in terms of the independent variables including H2O2 concentration (100 mg/L), pH (6.12), time (22.42 min) and initial TOC concentration (4 mg/L) were optimized. Further confirmation tests under optimal conditions showed a 76.50% of TOC removal and confirmed that the model is accordance with the experiments. In addition TOC removal for natural water based on response surface methodology optimum condition was 62.15%.

Conclusions
This study showed that response surface methodology based on Box-Behnken method is a useful tool for optimizing the operating parameters for TOC removal using UV/H2O2 process.