bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Telaprevir or boceprevir triple therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C and varying severity of cirrhosis
Authors: Saxena V. , Manos M. M. , Yee H. S. , Catalli L. , Wayne E. , Murphy R. C. , Shvachko V. A. , Pauly M. P. , Chua J. , Monto A. , Terrault N. A. 
Published: March 2014

SummaryBackgroundRisks and benefits of protease inhibitor (PI) (telaprevir or boceprevir) triple therapy in hepatitis C virus (HCV)‐infected patients with mildly decompensated cirrhosis, including those wait‐listed for liver transplantation (LT), are incompletely known.AimTo assess virological responses and safety of PI triple therapy in patients with mildly decompensated Child‐Pugh (CP) CP ≥6 vs. compensated (CP = 5) cirrhosis.MethodsMulticentre cohort of 160 adults with cirrhosis treated with peginterferon/ribavirin (peg‐IFN/RBV) plus telaprevir (69%) or boceprevir (31%), comparing outcomes between those with CP = 5 and CP ≥6.ResultsPatients, 47% with CP ≥6 cirrhosis (CP range 6–10), received PI triple therapy for a targeted duration of 48 weeks. The cohort was median age 59 years, 32% female, 59% genotype 1a, 35% previous null/partial responders. Sustained virological response at 12 weeks (SVR12) was achieved by 35% of patients with CP ≥6 vs. 54% of those with CP = 5 (P = 0.02). CP = 5, achievement of rapid virological response and genotype 1b/other, independently predicted SVR12. Compared to those with CP = 5, patients with CP ≥6 had more peg‐IFN dose reductions, eltrombopag use, transfusions and hospitalisations to manage adverse events (all P < 0.05). Overall, 67 (42%) discontinued treatment early. Nine wait‐listed patients were treated for a median of 97 days (IQR 60–160) prior to liver transplantation and five achieved post‐LT SVR.ConclusionsIn the presence of mild decompensation (Child‐Pugh ≥6), SVR12 rates with protease inhibitor triple therapy are significantly reduced and adverse events increased. Thus, treatment with protease inhibitor triple therapy, if judged as necessary, should be undertaken with close monitoring and awareness of the significant risks.
Employer Association Responses to the Effects of Bargaining Decentralization inAustralia andItaly: Seeking Explanations from Organizational Theory
Authors: Sheldon Peter , Nacamulli Raoul , Paoletti Francesco , Morgan David E. 
Published: March 2014

AbstractThe literature has neglected to analyse employer associations as organizations facing potential environmental threats to their financial sustainability. We examine associations' responses to collective bargaining decentralization, a major, contemporary threat. Using a qualitative, comparative case approach, we examine eight associations — four each inAustralia andItaly — to develop a model of response types. Stronger decentralization effects increase associations' exposure to new and heightened competition, which in turn produces stronger association responses. These include prioritizing commercial over associational objectives. We analyse responses using strategic choice and resource dependence theories, finding that associations use both. However, the decision how to combine them reflects environmental conditions as well as choices linking organizational purpose and financial sustainability.
Can factors affecting complication rates for ureteric re‐implantation be predicted? Use of the modified Clavien classification system in a paediatric population
Authors: Suer Evren , Ozcan Cihat , Mermerkaya Murat , Gokce Mehmet Ilker , Gulpinar Omer , Telli Onur , Soygur Tarkan , Burgu Berk 
Published: March 2014

ObjectiveTo determine preoperative predictive factors of postoperative complications of ureteric re‐implantation in children by using the modified Clavien classification system (MCCS), which has been widely used for complication rating of surgical procedures.Patients and MethodsIn all, 383 children who underwent ureteric re‐implantation for vesico‐ureteric reflux (VUR) and obstructing megaureters between 2002 and 2011 were included in the study. Intravesical and extravesical ureteric re‐implantations were performed in 338 and 45 children, respectively. Complications were evaluated according to the MCCS. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to determine predictive factors affecting complication rates.ResultsIn all, 247 girls and 136 boys were studied. The mean (sd) age was 46 (25) months and the mean (sd) follow‐up was 49.4 (27.8) months. The mean (sd) hospitalisation time was 4.7 (1.6) days. Complications occurred in 76 (19.8%) children; 34 (8.9%) were MCCS grade I, 22 (5.7%) were grade II and 20 (5.2%) were grade III. Society of Fetal Urology (SFU) grade 3–4 hydronephrosis, obstructing megaureters, a tailoring‐tapering and folding procedure, refractory voiding dysfunction and a duplex system were statistically significant predictors of complications on univariate analysis. Prior injection history, paraureteric diverticula, stenting, gender, age, operation technique (intra vs extravesical) were not significant predictors of complications. In the multivariate analysis refractory voiding dysfunction, a tailoring‐tapering and folding procedure, obstructing megaureters (diameter of >9 mm) and a duplex system were statistically significant predictors of complications.ConclusionUreteric re‐implantation remains a valid option for the treatment of certain patients with VUR. Refractory voiding dysfunction, a tailoring‐tapering and folding procedure, obstructing megaureters (diameter of >9 mm) and associated duplex systems were the main predictive factors for postoperative complications. Use of a standardised complication grading system, such as the MCCS, should be encouraged to allow the valid comparison of complication rates between series.
Gas what: NO is not the only answer to sexual function
Authors: Yetik‐Anacak G , Sorrentino R , Linder A E , Murat N 
Published: March 2014

The ability to get and keep an erection is important to men for several reasons and the inability is known as erectile dysfunction (ED). ED has started to be accepted as an early indicator of systemic endothelial dysfunction and subsequently of cardiovascular diseases. The role of NO in endothelial relaxation and erectile function is well accepted. The discovery of NO as a small signalling gasotransmitter led to the investigation of the role of other endogenously derived gases, carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen sulphide (H2S) in physiological and pathophysiological conditions. The role of NO and CO in sexual function and dysfunction has been investigated more extensively and, recently, the involvement of H2S in erectile function has also been confirmed. In this review, we focus on the role of these three sister gasotransmitters in the physiology, pharmacology and pathophysiology of sexual function in man, specifically erectile function. We have also reviewed the role of soluble guanylyl cyclase/cGMP pathway as a common target of these gasotransmitters. Several studies have proposed alternative therapies targeting different mechanisms in addition to PDE‐5 inhibition for ED treatment, since some patients do not respond to these drugs. This review highlights complementary and possible coordinated roles for these mediators and treatments targeting these gasotransmitters in erectile function/ED.Linked ArticlesThis article is part of a themed section on Pharmacology of the Gasotransmitters. To view the other articles in this section visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2015.172.issue-6
Confronting risk: A case study of Aboriginal peoples' participation in environmental governance of uranium mining, Saskatchewan
Authors: Haalboom Bethany 
Published: March 2014

AbstractWhile the number of non‐regulatory environmental governance arrangements overseeing mining has been growing in Canada, there remains limited research critically examining Aboriginal peoples' experiences in these emerging institutions. This is especially notable with respect to the sharing of techno‐scientific information, often used as a means of enabling Aboriginal peoples' participation and engendering their trust. A qualitative case study of the Northern Saskatchewan Environmental Quality Committee oversight of uranium mining, this research explores how techno‐scientific information in the form of risk assessments was socially constructed and discursively employed by government and industry, and how Aboriginal participants responded. Findings illustrate that risk assessments were presented in ways that rendered development as controllable and inevitable, which facilitated dominant political economic agendas and capitalist practices. Aboriginal participants, however, introduced alternative interpretations of risk and sought to claim spaces within this governance institution through underscoring absent uncertainties, and asserting knowledges of global technological failures and local conditions that contradicted scientific reassurances. Aboriginal participants also highlighted the social injustices of development processes in Saskatchewan's north, which shaped their interpretations of risk, raising important questions about the value of these alternative governance institutions for Aboriginal peoples and their environments.
Growing old in resource communities: Exploring the links among voluntarism, aging, and community development
Authors: Skinner Mark W. , Joseph Alun E. , Hanlon Neil , Halseth Greg , Ryser Laura 
Published: March 2014

AbstractThis article addresses the implications of “resource frontier aging” with a particular emphasis on understanding the role of the voluntary sector in supporting older people living in resource hinterland regions, and in sustaining economic and social development in their communities. Informed by recent calls for greater attention to the diverse experiences of rural aging, individually and collectively, and drawing on previous research on voluntarism in aging rural communities and on community development in Canada's resource hinterland, we conceptualize voluntarism as a multifaceted process that both shapes and is shaped by the interactions between older people and aging places. We articulate an approach for interrogating initiatives that link voluntarism, aging, and community development together, and present findings from an exploratory analysis of local media from two resource towns in northern British Columbia to identify and describe the interrelationship between voluntary sector activities in support of community development and those in support of aging in place. The findings provide evidence of the multiple, nuanced, and reciprocal ways in which voluntarism creates and reinforces the connections between aging and community development, often via the leadership and participation of older residents. Avenues for further research aimed at developing an in‐depth understanding of voluntarism as a potentially transformative process in resource frontier communities are discussed.
The utility of the ISAC allergen array in the investigation of idiopathic anaphylaxis
Authors: Heaps A , Carter S , Selwood C , Moody M , Unsworth J , Deacock S , Sumar N , Bansal A , Hayman G , El-Shanawany T , Williams P , Kaminski E , Jolles S 
Published: March 2014

Summary
A diagnosis of idiopathic anaphylaxis following a detailed clinical assessment remains very challenging for patients and clinicians. Risk reduction strategies such as allergen avoidance are not possible. This study investigated whether the (ISAC) allergen array with 103 allergens would add diagnostic value in patients with idiopathic anaphylaxis. We extended the specific immunoglobulin (Ig)E testing in 110 patients with a diagnosis of idiopathic anaphylaxis from five UK specialist centres using ISAC arrays. These were divided into three groups: score I identified no new allergen sensitization beyond those known by previous assessment, score II identified new sensitizations which were not thought likely to explain the anaphylaxis and score III identified new sensitizations felt to have a high likelihood of being responsible for the anaphylaxis. A proportion (50%) of score III patients underwent clinical reassessment to substantiate the link to anaphylaxis in this group. The results show that 20% of the arrays were classified as score III with a high likelihood of identifying the cause of the anaphylaxis. A wide range of major allergens were identified, the most frequent being omega-5-gliadin and shrimp, together accounting for 45% of the previously unrecognized sensitizations. The ISAC array contributed to the diagnosis in 20% of patients with idiopathic anaphylaxis. It may offer additional information where a careful allergy history and follow-on testing have not revealed the cause of the anaphylaxis.
Cross‐Modality Effects of Prey Odour During the Intraspecific Interactions of a Mosquito‐Specialist Predator
Authors: Cross Fiona R. , Jackson Robert R. 
Published: March 2014

AbstractOne of the predictions from evolutionary game theory is that individuals will increase their willingness (i.e. become primed) to escalate aggression when they detect the presence of a limiting resource. Here, we test this prediction in the context of prey odour priming escalation decisions during vision‐based encounters by Evarcha culicivora. This East African jumping spider (Salticidae) feeds indirectly on vertebrate blood by actively choosing blood‐carrying female mosquitoes as preferred prey. Unlike many salticid species, it also expresses pronounced mutual mate choice. As predicted, we show here that, in the presence of odour from their preferred prey, both sexes of E. culicivora escalate during vision‐based same‐sex encounters. This is further evidence that the odour of blood‐carrying mosquitoes is salient to this salticid. For both sexes of E. culicivora, this particular prey may be a resource that matters in the context of intrasexual selection.
Responses to Predators Differ Between Native and Invasive Freshwater Turtles: Environmental Context and its Implications for Competition
Authors: Costa Zacharia J. 
Published: March 2014

AbstractOptimal escape theory predicts that animals facing a predation threat should react in a manner that balances perceived threats with the costs of escape. Flight distance, the distance at which animals flee in response to an approaching predator, is often used as a quantitative measure of animal risk assessment and is thus useful to examine predictions of optimal escape theory. However, applying this theory to a broader diversity of animals under more complex environmental conditions has been hampered by a paucity of data. In this study, I measure the flight distances of two freshwater turtles, the invasiveTrachemys scripta elegans, and the nativeEmys marmorata,in an urban California water body to examine how flight distance is affected by time of day, initial visibility to the approaching predator, and the presence of conspecifics. I found thatE. marmoratawas more sensitive to predation risk thanT. scriptaand would flee earlier (at a greater distance). Time of day and the presence of conspecifics had no effect onE. marmorata'sflight distance although visibility and the interaction between time and visibility did.Emys marmoratawould flee earlier when visible, and in the afternoon visible turtles would flee earlier than non‐visible turtles, but in the morning, visibility did not affect turtle flight distance. In contrast,T. scripta'sflight distance was not affected by any measured variables, although this may be due to a lack of statistical power given the low sample size. This study demonstrates that multiple environmental characteristics influence risk assessment in turtles, and implies that interspecific differences in responses to predation threats may lead to increased competition for thermal resources between native and invasive ectotherms. This is a likely mechanism contributing to the negative impacts ofT. scriptaon native turtle populations, especially in urban environments.
Interpreting the reasons for the choice and changing of two drug regimens in an observational cohort: comparison of a ritonavir‐boosted protease inhibitor‐based versus a nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor‐based first‐line regimen
Authors: Jarrin I , Hernández‐Novoa B , Alejos B , Santos I , Lopez‐Aldeguer J , Riera M , Gutiérrez F , Rubio R , Antela A , Blanco JR , Moreno S ,   the Cohort of the Spanish HIV Research Network (CoRIS)
Published: March 2014

ObjectivesWe compared reasons for the choice of regimen, time to and reasons for third drug modification, virological response and change in CD4 T‐cell counts in patients started on atazanavir/ritonavir (ATV/r)‐ vs. efavirenz (EFV)‐based first‐line regimens.MethodsWe included patients from the Cohort of the Spanish HIV Research Network (CoRIS), a multicentre cohort of HIV‐positive treatment‐naïve subjects, in the study. We used logistic regression to assess factors associated with choosing ATV/r vs. EFV, proportional hazards models on the subdistribution hazard to estimate subdistribution hazard ratios (sHRs) for third drug modification, logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (ORs) for virological response and linear regression to assess mean differences in CD4 T‐cell count increase from baseline.ResultsOf 2167 patients, 10.7% started on ATV/r. ATV/r was more likely than EFV to be prescribed in injecting drug users [adjusted OR 1.85; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03–3.33], in 2009–2010 (adjusted OR 1.63; 95% CI 1.08–2.47) and combined with abacavir plus lamivudine (adjusted OR 1.53; 95% CI 0.98–2.43). Multivariate analyses showed no differences, comparing ATV/r vs. EFV, in the risk of third drug modification (sHR 1.04; 95% CI 0.74–1.46) or in virological response (OR 0.81; 95% CI 0.46–1.41); differences in mean CD4 T‐cell count increase from baseline were at the limit of statistical significance (mean difference 29.8 cells/μL; 95% CI −4.1 to 63.6 cells/μL). In patients changing from EFV, 48% of changes were attributable to toxicity/adverse events, 16% to treatment failure/resistance, 3% to simplification, and 8 and 12%, respectively, to patients' and physicians' decisions; these percentages were 24, 6, 12, 14 and 24%, respectively, in those changing from ATV/r.ConclusionsATV/r‐ and EFV‐based regimens meet the requirements of both efficacy and safety for initial combination antiretroviral regimen, which relate to better durability.
Differences in methodological quality between positive and negative published clinical trials
Authors: Chiavetta Noelle M. , Martins Ana R.S. , Henriques Inês C.R. , Fregni Felipe 
Published: March 2014

AbstractAimComparison of methodological quality differences in nursing clinical trials with positive and negative findings.BackgroundThe growth of nursing publications and increased reliance on data to guide clinical care make publication quality assessment imperative. One major concern is the tendency for more studies with positive findings to be published, potentially resulting in the publication of lower quality trials.DesignSecondary analysis of published trials to compare studies with positive and negative findings in terms of clinical trial quality and sample size calculation methodology.Data SourcesTwenty articles each from three major nursing journals (Journal of Clinical Nursing, Journal of Advanced Nursing and International Journal of Nursing Studies) for the years 2010–2012. We assessed article quality in terms of Jadad scores, methods and total sample size.Implications for NursingThis article underscores the importance of nurses and nursing students having the ability to assess the quality of published trials, so that they can make appropriate judgments on the implementation of care for patients as the use of evidence‐based practice increases.ConclusionPotential differences in methodological quality between positive and negative trials may lead to positive trials with biased results, or discrimination against negative trials. The CONSORT is recommended, but use is still limited. Therefore, it is important to reinforce the use of these guidelines to supply readers with information on the quality of the published trials. The combination of authors publishing higher quality trials and deeper reader knowledge of quality assessment can have important clinical consequences.
Commentary: Self‐harm: a global health priority – reflections on Brunner et al. (2014)
Authors: Ougrin Dennis 
Published: March 2014

The accompanying cross‐sectional study by Brunner et al. (2014) investigates the prevalence and correlates of self‐injury in adolescents. It is one of the largest epidemiological studies of its kind published to date. Self‐injury by cutting is a strong independent predictor of suicide (Hawton et al., 2012), therefore, understanding the prevalence and psychosocial correlates of this behaviour is of great importance.
Efficacy of commercial formulations of entomopathogenic nematodes against tropical sod webworm, Herpetogramma phaeopteralis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)
Authors: Tofangsazi N. , Cherry R. H. , Arthurs S. P. 
Published: March 2014

AbstractLarge quantities of insecticides are used on warm season turfgrasses to combat pest infestations. To investigate the potential for microbial control, we screened commercially available entomopathogenic nematode products against Herpetogramma phaeopteralis Guenée, an economically injurious pest in the south‐eastern United States and Caribbean islands. All tested products, based on Steinernema carpocapsae, S. feltiae, Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, H. megidis and H. indica, were pathogenic to H. phaeopteralis larvae in the laboratory, but S. carpocapsae caused the highest mortality. Amongst nematode species, median lethal concentration (LC50) was not different for three different larval sizes (based on 95% CL) with the exception of H. indica, which had higher LC50 for small larvae. The number of infective juvenile stages (IJs) produced per White trap was significantly greater from larvae infected by H. bacteriophora and least for those infected by H. indica. A proprietary formulation of S. carpocapsae ‘Millenium®’ was chosen for further greenhouse experiments. Overall, the neonicotinoid insecticide clothianidin provided the best control, but greenhouse experiments also revealed that the label rate of Millenium (106 IJ/l at 2500 l/ha) reduced webworm populations by 83–93% and was as effective as clothianidin against larger‐size larvae. Our data suggest that commercial formulations of S. carpocapsae can be a good option for H. phaeopteralis biocontrol, but further field studies are warranted to confirm effectiveness under different environmental scenarios.