bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Consumers' willingness to pay using an experimental auction methodology: applications to brand equity
Authors: Li Yan Ming , Ellis Joan L. 
Published: June 2014

AbstractResearch has established a relationship between willingness to pay to price premium and brand equity, however, most studies used stated preference data, which are hypothetical situations. Although the experimental auction methodology has been well documented in the previous literature, its application in understanding brand equity has been minimal.The purpose of the study was to determine the relationship between brand equity and consumers' willingness to pay a price premium for branded apparel products using revealed preference methodology. In order to determine the relationship, the Becker‐Degroot‐Marshack experimental auction mechanism was used with the endow‐and‐upgrade approach followed with a survey. The survey included 10 multidimensional brand equity questions adopted from the Yoo and Donthu brand equity scale, demographics, previous brand experiences, importance of apparel product attributes and beliefs about brands. The experiment resulted in 100 usable observations. Brand equity was analysed using a composite score on the multidimensional brand equity measurement (Yoo and Donthu), willingness to pay a price premium was analysed using descriptive statistics and Tobit regression analysis was used to analyse the relationship between brand equity and the willingness to pay a price premium.Findings indicated that the overall brand equity score, a belief that there are more choices in branded merchandise and the importance of brand in making clothing purchase decisions had a modest positive and significant influence on the willingness to pay a price premium. The higher the brand equity, the higher the importance of brands in making clothing purchase decisions, and belief that there are more choices in branded merchandise, the higher the price premium a consumer was willing to pay.
Safety of medication use in primary care
Authors: Olaniyan Janice O , Ghaleb Maisoon , Dhillon Soraya , Robinson Paul 
Published: June 2014

Abstract

Background
Medication errors are one of the leading causes of harmin health care. Review and analysis of errors have often emphasized their preventable nature and potential for reoccurrence. Of the few error studies conducted in primary care to date, most have focused on evaluating individual parts of the medicines management system. Studying individual parts of the system does not provide a complete perspective and may further weaken the evidence and undermine interventions.

Aim and Objectives
The aim of this review is to estimate the scale of medication errors as a problem across the medicines management system in primary care. Objectives were:

Methods
A systematic search of the literature was performed in PubMed (MEDLINE), International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (IPA), Embase, PsycINFO, PASCAL, Science Direct, Scopus, Web of Knowledge, and CINAHL PLUS from 1999 to November, 2012. Bibliographies of relevant publications were searched for additional studies.

Key findings
Thirty-three studies estimating the incidence of medication errors and thirty-six studies evaluating the impact of error-prevention interventions in primary care were reviewed. This review demonstrated that medication errors are common, with error rates between &lt;1% and &gt;90%, depending on the part of the system studied, and the definitions and methods used. The prescribing stage is the most susceptible, and that the elderly (over 65 years), and children (under 18 years) are more likely to experience significant errors. Individual interventions demonstrated marginal improvements in medication safety when implemented on their own.

Conclusion
Targeting the more susceptible population groups and the most dangerous aspects of the system may be a more effective approach to error management and prevention. Co-implementation of existing interventions at points within the system may offer time- and cost-effective options to improving medication safety in primary care.
Impact of anticholinergic load of medications on the length of stay of cancer patients in hospice care
Authors: Gupte Komal P , Wu Wenchen 
Published: June 2014

Abstract

Objectives
An important goal of hospice care is to relieve pain and suffering of terminal cancer patients. Anticholinergic medications are effective in the symptom palliation among terminal cancer patients. However, use of these medications has been associated with increased risk of side effects, which might lead to premature mortality. Short lengths of stay in hospice care leave patients with a higher level of unmet needs. The study was conducted to examine the effect of increasing anticholinergic load on the length of stay of cancer patients in hospice care in the USA.

Methods
The National Home and Hospice Care Survey 2007 was used as the data source. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to investigate the risk of death among users of moderate and high anticholinergic load compared with users of low anticholinergic load in presence of other prognostic factors.

Key findings
Cancer patients on a moderate anticholinergic load had a 12.7% lower hazard of death (P = 0.0244), while those on a high anticholinergic load had a 15.6% lower hazard of death (P = 0.0071) as compared with those patients on a low anticholinergic load. Among other prognostic factors, non-elderly age group, male gender, white race, metropolitan hospice agency, non-profit hospice agency, severe activities of daily living dependency and cognitive impairment were significantly associated with a higher probability of death.

Conclusions
These results provide no evidence for increasing anticholinergic load increasing mortality in cancer patients using hospice care. Thus, high anticholinergic load might have conferred a protective effect on the patients because of better symptom control.
Treatment by testicular sperm extraction and intracytoplasmic sperm injection of 65 azoospermic patients with non‐mosaic Klinefelter syndrome with birth of 17 healthy children
Authors: Madureira C. , Cunha M. , Sousa M. , Neto A. P. , Pinho M. J. , Viana P. , Gonçalves A. , Silva J. , Teixeira da Silva J. , Oliveira C. , Ferraz L. , Dória S. , Carvalho F. , Barros A. 
Published: June 2014

SummaryThe aim of this work was to present the clinical and embryological outcomes of 65 azoospermic patients with non‐mosaic Klinefelter syndrome (KS), treated by testicular sperm extraction (TESE), followed by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), either with fresh or cryopreserved testicular spermatozoa. In total, spermatozoa were recovered in 25/65 (38.5%) of the cases. Of the 48 patients who choose to perform TESE followed by ICSI using fresh testicular spermatozoa (treatment TESE), spermatozoa was recovered in 19 patients (40%), with birth of 12 newborn. Of the 17 patients who choose to perform TESE followed by testicular sperm cryopreservation, spermatozoa were recovered in six patients (35%), with birth of one child. Of the patients who performed treatment TESE, nine went for a new cycle using cryopreserved spermatozoa. Of these, five patients had a previous failed treatment cycle (two patients, three newborn) and four with a previous success went for a new cycle (one patient, one newborn). Overall, the embryological and clinical rates were as follows: 52% of fertilization, 41% of blastocyst, 27% of implantation, 39% of live birth delivery and 47% of newborn. Of the 16 clinical pregnancies, 14 had a successful delivery (12 girls and 5 boys). The 17 newborns had a mean gestation time of 37.2 weeks (35.3% pre‐term) and a mean newborn weight of 2781.3 g (37.5% low weight). Comparisons between cycles with fresh and frozen‐thaw spermatozoa revealed higher fertilization and clinical pregnancy rates with fresh spermatozoa, with no differences regarding implantation or newborn rates. Of the 17 newborns, no abnormal karyotypes (n = 3) or numerical abnormalities in chromosomes 13, 18, 21, X and Y (n = 14) as evaluated by Multiplex Ligation–dependent Probe Amplification were observed. In conclusion, this study presents further data that reassures that men with KS have no increased risk of transmitting their genetic problem to the offspring.
Dielectric and Magnetodielectric Properties of R2NiMnO6 (R = Nd,Eu,Gd,Dy, and Y)
Authors: Kakarla Devi Chandrasekhar , Jyothinagaram Krishna Murthy , Das Amal Kumar , Adyam Venimadhav 
Published: June 2014

We have prepared polycrystalline R2NiMnO6 (R = Nd, Eu, Gd, Dy, and Y) samples by conventional solid‐state reaction and all the samples have shown monoclinic structure with P21/n space group. With the decrease in rare‐earth ionic size (<rR>), the <Ni–O–Mn> bond angle decreases, correspondingly a decrease in ferromagnetic (FM) Curie temperature is noticed. In the dielectric measurement, the dielectric anomaly shifts to high temperature with the decrease in the <rR> and shows no correlation with the FM Curie temperature and hints the absence of apparent magnetodielectric (MD) coupling. Appearance of multiple relaxations in the dielectric study suggests the electrical heterogeneity of the system. The dielectric/impedance analysis has revealed a close correlation between dc conductivity and the dielectrics; in fact, both dc resistivity and the grain relaxations follow the variable range hopping mechanism. The thermal activation of charge carriers at the grain boundary led to Maxwell–Wagner interfacial polarization. Finally, dielectric study under magnetic field showed no effect, it implies that not only the intrinsic MD is absent, but also the extrinsic MD due to the lack of magnetoresistance.
Genomic regions repeatedly involved in divergence among plant‐specialized pea aphid biotypes
Authors: Nouhaud P. , Peccoud J. , Mahéo F. , Mieuzet L. , Jaquiéry J. , Simon J.‐C. 
Published: June 2014

AbstractUnderstanding the genetic bases of biological diversification is a long‐standing goal in evolutionary biology. Here, we investigate whether replicated cases of adaptive divergence involve the same genomic regions in the pea aphid,Acyrthosiphon pisum,a large complex of genetically differentiated biotypes, each specialized on different species of legumes. A previous study identified genomic regions putatively involved in host‐plant adaptation and/or reproductive isolation by performing a hierarchical genome scan in three biotypes. This led to the identification of 11FSToutliers among 390 polymorphic microsatellite markers. In this study, the outlier status of these 11 loci was assessed in eight biotypes specialized on other host plants. Four of the 11 previously identified outliers showed greater genetic differentiation among these additional biotypes than expected under the null hypothesis of neutral evolution (α < 0.01). Whether these hotspots of genomic divergence result from adaptive events, intrinsic barriers or reduced recombination is discussed.
Oceanic barriers promote language diversification in the Japanese Islands
Authors: Lee S. , Hasegawa T. 
Published: June 2014

AbstractGood barriers make good languages. Scholars have long speculated that geographical barriers impede linguistic contact between speech communities and promote language diversification in a manner similar to the process of allopatric speciation. This hypothesis, however, has seldom been tested systematically and quantitatively. Here, we adopt methods from evolutionary biology and attempt to quantify the influence of oceanic barriers on the degree of lexical diversity in the Japanese Islands. Measuring the degree of beta diversity from basic vocabularies, we find that geographical proximity and, more importantly, isolation by surrounding ocean, independently explains a significant proportion of lexical variation across Japonic languages. Further analyses indicate that our results are neither a by‐product of using a distance matrix derived from a Bayesian language phylogeny nor an epiphenomenon of accelerated evolutionary rates in languages spoken by small communities. Moreover, we find that the effect of oceanic barriers is reproducible with the Ainu languages, indicating that our analytic approach as well as the results can be generalized beyond Japonic language family. The findings we report here are the first quantitative evidence that physical barriers formed by ocean can influence language diversification and points to an intriguing common mechanism between linguistic and biological evolution.
The tidepool shrimp, Palaemon ritteri Holmes, constitutes a novel host to the white spot syndrome virus
Authors: Sánchez‐Paz A , Terán‐Díaz B , Enríquez‐Espinoza T , Encinas‐Garcia T , Vázquez‐Sánchez I , Mendoza‐Cano F 
Published: June 2014

AbstractThe white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) is a lethal and contagious pathogen for penaeid shrimp and a growing number of other crustacean species. To date, there are no effective prophylactic or therapeutic treatments commercially available to interfere with the occurrence and spread of the disease. In addition, the significance of alternative vectors on the dispersal of this disease has been largely ignored and therefore the ecological dynamics of the WSSV is still poorly understood and difficult to ascertain. Thus, an important issue that should be considered in sanitary programmes and management strategies is the identification of species susceptible to infection by WSSV. The results obtained provide the first direct evidence of ongoing WSSV replication in experimentally infected specimens of the tidepool shrimp Palaemon ritteri. Viral replication was detected using a validated set of primers for the amplification by RT‐PCR of a 141 bp fragment of the transcript encoding the viral protein VP28. It is therefore conceivable that this shrimp may play a significant role in the dispersal of WSSV.
Development of physical fitness in children with intellectual disabilities
Authors: Hartman E. , Smith J. , Westendorp M. , Visscher C. 
Published: June 2014

AbstractBackgroundFew studies examined the development of physical fitness in children and youth with intellectual disabilities (ID), but the developmental patterns of physical fitness are largely unknown. The first aim was to examine physical fitness of primary school children with ID, aged 8–12, and compare the results with typically developing children in order to determine the performance level of children with ID. The second aim was to investigate the developmental trajectory of physical fitness in children with ID and the possible influence of gender and severity of cognitive impairment in a 4‐year during longitudinal study.MethodSeventy‐three children with borderline or mild ID (51 boys, 22 girls; age range 8–11 in the year of enrolment) were measured annually on running speed, aerobic endurance (cardiovascular endurance), explosive strength, handgrip strength and trunk strength. Physical fitness scores of 515 typically developing children (266 boys, 249 girls; age range 8–12) were collected for reference values.ResultsThe results indicated statistically significant differences (with moderate to large Effect Sizes) between children with ID and typically developing children in all ages, favouring the typically developing children, and showed that the gap remained stable across the ages or decreased with increasing age. Multilevel models showed that the children with ID developed statistically significant on all items of physical fitness between age 8 and age 12. There was no statistically significant effect of gender on physical fitness, and the developmental trajectories were similar for boys and girls. For children with borderline and mild ID the developmental trajectories were parallel, but children with mild ID scored statistically significant worse on running speed, explosive strength and handgrip strength.ConclusionsDespite statistically significant development of physical fitness in children with ID, their physical fitness levels should be stimulated. This should start already in young children (<8 years) and the children with the most severe cognitive impairments need special attention.
Speech outcome in complete unilateral cleft lip and palate – a comparison of three methods of the hard palate closure
Authors: Hortis‐Dzierzbicka M. , Radkowska E. , Stecko E. , Dudzinski L. , Fudalej P. S. 
Published: June 2014

SummaryThe aim of this study was to compare the speech in subjects with cleft lip and palate, in whom three methods of the hard palate closure were used. One hundred and thirty‐seven children (96 boys, 41 girls; mean age = 12 years, SD = 1·2) with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate (CUCLP) operated by a single surgeon with a one‐stage method were evaluated. The management of the cleft lip and soft palate was comparable in all subjects; for hard palate repair, three different methods were used: bilateral von Langenbeck closure (b‐vL group, n = 39), unilateral von Langenbeck closure (u‐vL group, n = 56) and vomerplasty (v‐p group, n = 42). Speech was assessed: (i) perceptually for the presence of a) hypernasality, b) compensatory articulations (CAs), c) audible nasal air emissions (ANE) and d) speech intelligibility; (ii) for the presence of compensatory facial grimacing, (iii) with clinical intra‐oral evaluation and (iv) with videonasendoscopy. A total rate of hypernasality requiring pharyngoplasty was 5·1%; total incidence post‐oral compensatory articulations (CAs) was 2·2%. The overall speech intelligibility was good in 84·7% of cases. Oronasal fistulas (ONFs) occurred in 15·7% b‐vL subjects, 7·1% u‐vL subjects and 50% v‐p subjects (P < 0·001). No statistically significant intergroup differences for hypernasality, CAs and intelligibility were found (P > 0·1). In conclusion, the speech after early one‐stage repair of CUCLP was satisfactory. The method of hard palate repair affected the incidence of ONFs, which, however, caused relatively mild and inconsistent speech errors.
The chemokine receptor‐CXCR2 plays a critical role in the invasion and metastases of oral squamous cell carcinoma in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Qian Yong , Wang Yu , Li Duan‐Shu , Zhu Yong‐Xue , Lu Zhong‐Wu , Ji Qing‐Hai , Yang Gong 
Published: June 2014

BackgroundOral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is one of the most common cancers in the world with about 50% survival rate over 5 years. OSCC has a highly invasive potency and frequently metastasizes to the cervical lymph nodes, which is the principle reason leading to poor prognosis. CXCR2, the receptor of CXC chemokines, has been reported to be involved in invasion and metastasis in multiple types of malignancy. However, the accurate role of CXCR2 in OSCC has been little noticed.MethodsIn this study, we determined the expression of CXCR2 in OSCC using immunohistochemical staining (IHC) and analyzed the association between the expression of CXCR2 and the biobehavior of OSCC. Then, we established stable OSCC cell lines with interference of CXCR2 and observed the effect of CXCR2 knockdown on cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and morphological changes in vitro and in vivo.ResultsCXCR2 was positively expressed in 55.3% of OSCC patients and was statistically associated with the high cervical lymph node metastasis in OSCC. CXCR2 silencing markedly inhibited migration and invasion of OSCC cells in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, CXCR2 silencing led to morphological changes and decreased lamellipodial structures in OSCC cells. However, CXCR2 silencing showed no effect on proliferation of OSCC cells in vitro and in vivo.ConclusionsCXCR2 plays a critical role in the invasion and metastases of OSCC. And it is probably by regulating actin cytoskeletal remodeling that CXCR2 takes part in the invasion and metastases of OSCC.
Fear of hypoglycemia in parents of children with type 1 diabetes
Authors: Hawkes Colin Patrick , McDarby Vincent , Cody Declan 
Published: June 2014

AimThe aim of this study is to determine if parental hypoglycaemia fear is associated with worse glycaemic control and increased resource utilisation and to identify risk factors for increased hypoglycaemia fear.MethodsParents of children with diabetes completed a modified Hypoglycaemia Fear Survey. Demographic data, phone contacts and mean glycosylated haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) were also recorded over a 1 year study period.ResultsA total of 106 parents participated. Mean patient age was 11.1 years, and duration of diabetes was 4.8 years. Fifty‐two per cent were male, and 48% were on insulin pump therapy. Fear of hypoglycaemia was highest among parents of 6‐ to 11‐year‐olds. Parents of children with HbA1c less than 7.5% had less hypoglycaemia fear. Previous seizures and increased frequency of phone calls to the diabetes team were not associated with increased fear.ConclusionFear of hypoglycaemia is associated with worse glycaemic control. It is highest among parents of 6‐ to 11‐year‐olds but is not affected by previous severe hypoglycaemia or associated with increased contact with the diabetes team.
The prevalence of the oral allergy syndrome and pollen‐food syndrome in an atopic paediatric population in south‐west Sydney
Authors: Brown Cassandra EB , Katelaris Constance H 
Published: June 2014

AimOral allergy syndrome (OAS) and pollen‐food syndrome (PFS) are regarded as uncommon manifestations of paediatric atopic disease. However, little Australian data exist. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of OAS in an atopic, paediatric population.MethodsThis cross‐sectional study assessed 163 patients aged 4–17 years from the Paediatric Allergy & Immunology Clinic at Campbelltown Hospital, which serves a population base >250 000 with approximately 28% under the age of 18 years. A questionnaire was administered and skin prick tests (SPTs) were performed utilising commercial extracts and fresh and frozen fruit samples. Frozen samples were created by reducing fresh fruit to a semi‐solid state and storing at −20 degrees Celsius for up to 6 months.ResultsWithin the studied population, the prevalence of OAS was 14.7%, PFS 4.9%, PFS in those with allergic rhinitis 6.25% and PFS in those with allergic rhinitis and pollen sensitisation 12.1%. All PFS‐implicated fruits were tropical fruits with watermelon the most common. The prevalence of OAS caused by food allergy was 13.6%, implicating peanut most frequently. The most common cause of OAS was immunoglobulin E‐mediated food allergy (57.9%). Only frozen samples of watermelon, pineapple and rockmelon produced results consistent with the ‘gold standard’ of fresh fruit SPT.ConclusionThis study suggests the prevalence of OAS and PFS are more common in paediatric populations than previously described, with tropical fruits predominantly implicated in PFS. Further research is required to determine whether frozen fruits are a reliable alternative to fresh fruit in SPT.