bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Hyponatraemia at hospital admission is a predictor of overall mortality
Authors: Balling L. , Gustafsson F. , Goetze J. P. , Dalsgaard M. , Nielsen H. , Boesgaard S. , Bay M. , Kirk V. , Nielsen O. W. , Køber L. , Iversen K. 
Published: November 2014

AbstractBackgroundHyponatraemia is a prognostic marker of increased mortality and morbidity in selected groups of hospitalised patients. The aim of the present study was to examine the prevalence and prognostic significance of hyponatraemia at hospital admission in an unselected population with a broad spectrum of medical and surgical diagnoses.MethodsConsecutive patients >40 years of age admitted to a general district hospital in Greater Copenhagen between 1 April 1998 and 31 March 1999. Median follow‐up time was 5.16 years (range 0–4372 days). Plasma sodium measurements were available in 2960 patients, and hyponatraemia defined as P‐Na+ <137 mmol/L at hospital admission was present in 1105 (37.3 %) patients.ResultsOne‐year mortality was higher for hyponatraemic patients than for normonatraemic patients: 27.5% versus 17.7%. Moreover, hyponatraemia was an independent predictor of short and long‐term all‐cause mortality after 1 year and after the entire observation period respectively: hazard ratio (HR) 1.6 (95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.4–1.9, P < 0.0001) and HR 1.4 (95 % CI 1.3–1.6, P < 0.0001). Patients with hyponatraemia had longer hospitalisations than patients with normonatraemia: 7.6 (±0.38) days vs 5.6 (±0.21) days, P < 0.001. There was no interaction between hyponatraemia at admission and any admission diagnoses (P > 0.05 for all interaction analyses).ConclusionHyponatraemia is associated with increased all‐cause mortality and longer admission length independently of diagnosis and clinical variables.
Acute effects of different degrees of ultra‐endurance exercise on systemic inflammatory responses
Authors: Comassi M. , Vitolo E. , Pratali L. , Del Turco S. , Dellanoce C. , Rossi C. , Santini E. , Solini A. 
Published: November 2014

AbstractBackgroundIntense physical stress might promote inflammatory responses, whereas a regular physical exercise has positive influence. Little is known on the acute metabolic and inflammatory responses to different levels of strenuous exercise in trained athletes.AimTo compare the short‐term effect of two different ultra‐endurance competitions on the inflammatory profile in male triathletes.MethodsWe studied 14 Ironman (IR) and 13 Half Ironman (HIR) before and after their own specific race. We assessed body composition and measured blood cells, lipids, iron metabolism and plasma levels of some acute‐phase cytokines and inflammatory markers.ResultsAfter the race, IR showed reduced total body water and fat‐free mass, not related with the duration of exercise, and increased white cells and platelets; high‐density lipoprotein levels also increased. IR, but not HIR, showed reduced iron levels, increased ferritin and transferrin, reduced % saturated transferrin. HIR showed higher basal interleukin (IL)‐6, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)‐α, IL‐10, IL‐1β than IR; however, the post‐performance rise was greater in IR. Irisin increased only in HIR and osteocalcin decreased in IR. In the whole study group, delta of white blood cells was directly related with delta of monocyte chemoattractant protein 1, and Δ ferritin was inversely related with Δosteocalcin.ConclusionsA single ultra‐endurance competition induces an inflammatory response depending on the duration of physical effort, with increased acute‐phase cytokines, and an altered iron metabolism. Irisin, whose biological meaning is still uncertain, seems to be associated with acute variations of some metabolic parameters.
Doping in sport: effects, harm and misconceptions
Authors: Birzniece V. 
Published: November 2014

AbstractDoping in sport is a widespread problem not just among elite athletes, but even more so in recreational sports. In scientific literature, major emphasis is placed on doping detection, whereas detrimental effects of doping agents on athletes' health are seldom discussed. Androgenic anabolic steroids are well known for their positive effects on muscle mass and strength. Human growth hormone also increases muscle mass, although the majority of that is an increase in extracellular fluid and not the functional muscle mass. In recreational athletes, growth hormone does not have major effect on muscle strength, power or aerobic capacity, but stimulates anaerobic exercise capacity. Erythropoietin administration increases oxygen‐carrying capacity of blood improving endurance measures, whereas systemic administration of beta‐adrenergic agonists may have positive effect on sprint capacity, and beta‐adrenergic antagonists reduce muscle tremor. Thus, there are certain drugs that can improve selective aspects of physical performance. However, most of the doping agents exert serious side‐effects, especially when used in combination, at high doses and for a long duration. The extent of long‐term health consequences is difficult to predict, but likely to be substantial, especially when gene doping is considered. This review summarises the main groups of doping agents used by athletes, with the main focus on their effects on athletic performance and adverse effects.
Trends in the incidence of intensive care unit invasive mechanical ventilation and subsequent 2‐year survival in very elderly New Zealanders
Authors: Tripp D. G. , Purdie G. , Hicks P. 
Published: November 2014

AbstractBackgroundThe number of elderly in the general population is growing. There are therefore implications for the provision of intensive care unit (ICU) care to elderly patients.AimOur aim was to determine the incidence of ICU invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV), long‐term outcomes of patients treated with IMV, and trends in these variables over a 10‐year period in New Zealand, with a focus on very elderly patients (aged 80 years and over).MethodsAnalysis of New Zealand public hospital discharge data from July 1999 to June 2010, with linked long‐term mortality data. Transfers or readmissions to different hospitals were linked using a national unique patient identifier.ResultsThere were 58 003 patients treated with IMV in a New Zealand ICU. Of these patients, 6.6% were very elderly. Population rates of ICU IMV declined or were static over all age groups. The 2‐year mortality rate ranged from 15% in patients aged 16–39 years to 52% in the very elderly. The 2‐year mortality rates for the very elderly were highest for acute medical patients (78%), followed by acute surgical admissions (46%) and elective admissions (35%). The 2‐year mortality rate for all patients declined over the study period, and declined or was static for all age groups and admission types. In the very elderly, the standardised mortality ratio of patients surviving at 1 year who survived their second year after admission, compared with the age‐matched general population, was lower than all other age groups.ConclusionFor very elderly patients over the period 1999–2009, the population rate of IMV was static and 2‐year mortality declined.
Toddlers’ Responses to Infants’ Negative Emotions
Authors: Nichols Sara R. , Svetlova Margarita , Brownell Celia A. 
Published: November 2014

Early developments in toddlers’ responses to adults’ distress have been extensively examined, but less work has been directed to young children's responses to other children in distress. In the current study, we examined 12‐, 18‐, and 24‐month‐old children's (N = 71) behavioral and affective responses to a crying infant (doll) present in the room with the child. A comparison condition included a contented, neutral infant to contrast with the crying infant so as to disambiguate social interest from distress‐specific responding. Results showed that 12‐month‐olds were neither particularly interested in nor concerned about the infant, although they did discriminate between conditions. In contrast, 18‐ and 24‐month‐olds were socially interested and attentive to the infant, but 24‐month‐olds exhibited greater affective concern to the crying infant than did 18‐month‐olds. Children at all three ages were also mildly distressed themselves by the infant's crying, and this did not decline over the second year. Both girls and children without siblings were more interested in the infant; no effects were found for gender, daycare experience, or siblings on affective concern.
The Potential for Utilizing the Seed Crop Amaranth (Amaranthusspp.) in East Africa as an Alternative Crop to Support Food Security and Climate Change Mitigation
Authors: Alemayehu F. Reta , Bendevis M. A. , Jacobsen S.‐E. 
Published: November 2014

AbstractThe projected growth in global food demand has resulted in increased attention towards underutilized crops with the potential to improve global food security and ability to mitigate adverse effects of climate changes. Changing consumer demands in favour of more nutritiously balanced and organically grown crops have added to the interest in species such as amaranth. Promoting the consumption and cultivation of amaranth could be valuable due to its unique nutrient composition and inherent tolerance of drought and other stress factors. Due to current and predicted effects of climate changes, these attributes are becoming increasingly important. Amaranth is a source of high quality protein, as well as dietary fibre and lipids rich in unsaturated fatty acids. The seeds contain desirable levels of minerals, vitamins for human diets, in addition to other bioactive components such as phytosterols, squalene, fagopyritols, saponins and polyphenols. Amaranth is currently in demand by specific consumer groups, such as high‐performance athletes, malnourished children, and people suffering from diabetes and coeliac disease. Even so, there are few detailed analyses available concerning the potential for using amaranth to improve and support agricultural productivity in developing countries. The present review has assessed the promotion and improvement of amaranth production in East Africa to hold subtstantial potential for benefitting small‐holder farmers in Africa, by providing a stable source of income and food for subsistence farmers, while also mitigating the impact of climate change through the prospect of supporting the establishment of food and nutritional security.
Heterozygosity at a single locus explains a large proportion of variation in two fitness‐related traits in great tits: a general or a local effect?
Authors: García‐Navas V. , Cáliz‐Campal C. , Ferrer E. S. , Sanz J. J. , Ortego J. 
Published: November 2014

AbstractIn natural populations, mating between relatives can have important fitness consequences due to the negative effects of reduced heterozygosity. Parental level of inbreeding or heterozygosity has been also found to influence the performance of offspring, via direct and indirect parental effects that are independent of the progeny own level of genetic diversity. In this study, we first analysed the effects of parental heterozygosity and relatedness (i.e. an estimate of offspring genetic diversity) on four traits related to offspring viability in great tits (Parus major) using 15 microsatellite markers. Second, we tested whether significant heterozygosity–fitness correlations (HFCs) were due to ‘local’ (i.e. linkage to genes influencing fitness) and/or ‘general’ (genome‐wide heterozygosity) effects. We found a significant negative relationship between parental genetic relatedness and hatching success, and maternal heterozygosity was positively associated with offspring body size. The characteristics of the studied populations (recent admixture, polygynous matings) together with the fact that we found evidence for identity disequilibrium across our set of neutral markers suggest that HFCs may have resulted from genome‐wide inbreeding depression. However, one locus (Ase18) had disproportionately large effects on the observed HFCs: heterozygosity at this locus had significant positive effects on hatching success and offspring size. It suggests that this marker may lie near to a functional locus under selection (i.e. a local effect) or, alternatively, heterozygosity at this locus might be correlated to heterozygosity across the genome due to the extensive ID found in our populations (i.e. a general effect). Collectively, our results lend support to both the general and local effect hypotheses and reinforce the view that HFCs lie on a continuum from inbreeding depression to those strictly due to linkage between marker loci and genes under selection.
The need for evidence‐based public health response in disasters
Authors: Mahapatra Prasanta 
Published: November 2014

AbstractAimBroad outline of this paper was presented at the Evidence Aid Symposium, on 20 Sep 2014, at Hyderabad, India, before the 22nd Cochrane Colloquium.MethodsSurvey of the field and review of literature.ResultsResponse to disasters is usually vulnerable to myths and misconceptions. Effective healthcare response requires evidence and information to meet various and often unpredictable eventualities. The knowledge base should facilitate rapid assessment of adverse health outcomes, availability healthcare infrastructure, appropriate organizational strategies, and selection of feasible medical interventions to deal with any given disaster. Most rapid surveys have to adopt some stratification and a cluster sampling design for representativeness. Qualitative research methods are useful to study organizational challenges. Adequate and accurate description of the context is important for interpretation of organization behavior studies. Testing efficacy of medical interventions by randomized trials is usually difficult, unless feasible study designs are planned in advance and ready for execution at short notice. A lot of disaster healthcare research literature is based on surveys and case studies, as these are more feasible. Hence, systematic reviews ought to rate the level of evidence from qualitative studies and adequately summarize the context of case studies.ConclusionsResearch on health response to disaster has picked up momentum only recently in the 21st century. There is also a need to develop disaster healthcare research capacities to address regional vulnerabilities. Generating evidence is not enough. Concerted societal action is needed to sensitize, train, and equip adequate human resources to fill in various key emergency medical and public health roles when disaster strikes.
Minimum initial service package (MISP) for sexual and reproductive health in disasters
Authors: Lisam Suchitra 
Published: November 2014

ABSTRACTBackgroundThis paper is based on a presentation given at the Evidence Aid Symposium, on 20 September 2014, at Hyderabad, India. The paper provides background about how the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) got conceived as a humanitarian health response that adopts human right approach, based on core principles driven by needs of adolescent girls and women, and having respect for their values, ethics and morals.MethodologyGood practices across nations documented by Inter‐Agency Working Groups (IAWGs) on Reproductive Health in Humanitarian Crisis has supported the provision of essential SRH care services to adolescent girls and women in humanitarian crisis and in disasters. Secondary desk review is used to document the lessons learnt and good practices followed and documents for SRH.ObjectiveThese essential SRH care services are to be provided as “Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP)” for implementation at the outset of disaster. The Sphere Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response incorporated the MISP for SRH as a minimum standard of care in disaster response with a goal to reduce mortality, morbidity and disability among populations affected by crises, particularly women and girls. Disaster prone countries are expected to roll out MISP to improve humanitarian response and emergency preparedness systems.ResultThe East Europe and Central Asia (EECA) region including India have rolled out MISP starting from 2011 (EECA) and from 2013‐2014 onwards in India across cities such as Chennai, Patna, Bhubaneshwar, Kolkata, Faridabad and Calcutta. Across India, through these national and state level trainings, nearly 600 people from NGOs, institutions, and government agencies were developed as national level trainers and resource persons for MISP who could advocate for RH in emergencies, apply core techniques provided in the MISP, apply coordination skills for the implementation of MISP and develop an action plan to integrate RH and Gender Based Violence (GBV) into Disaster Management Plans of respective agencies.ConclusionThe way forward includes focusing on MISP distance learning module, integration of MISP in Health action plans, and integration into national disaster preparedness and contingency planning of respective agencies and departments and building capacity at various levels.
Effects of epidural neostigmine and clonidine in labor analgesia: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Zhang Ning , Xu Ming‐jun 
Published: November 2014

AbstractAimTo evaluate the effect and quality of epidural neostigmine and clonidine added to initial spinal analgesia in labor analgesia.MethodsA systematic search was conducted in the Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library and China National Knowledge Infrastructure electronic databases. Case–control studies reporting epidural administration of neostigmine and clonidine for labor analgesia were retrieved. For continuous variables, mean differences (MD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated; for binary classification variables, odds ratio (OR) and risk ratios (RR) with their 95% CI were analyzed.ResultsA total of four case–control studies, including 280 parturients, were identified in this meta‐analysis. The results showed that epidural clonidine and neostigmine significantly prolonged initial analgesia (MD = 37.79, 95% CI = 9.37–66.21, P = 0.0.009) and reduced hourly local anesthetics and opioid administration (MD = −5.49, 95% CI = −6.78, −4.21, P < 0.0001). There was no significant difference in total duration of labor, mode of delivery (cesarean section rate or instrumental delivery rate) and Apgar scores of the neonates in the two groups.ConclusionEpidural administration of neostigmine and clonidine, following the spinal injection of local anesthetic, has a stronger analgesic effect in managing labor pain and reduces hourly anesthetic consumption. No obvious adverse reactions were found.
Embolization for post‐partum rupture of ovarian artery aneurysm: Case report and review
Authors: Sakaguchi Isao , Ohba Takashi , Ikeda Osamu , Yamashita Yasuyuki , Katabuchi Hidetaka 
Published: November 2014

AbstractSpontaneous rupture of an ovarian artery aneurysm most commonly presents with abdominal pain in a multiparous woman in the early post‐partum period. Aneurysms of the ovarian artery have been reported in the published work very infrequently. In our case, a 31‐year‐old multiparous woman experienced sudden left lower quadrant abdominal pain on the second post‐partum day. Angiography showed rupture of a left ovarian artery aneurysm, which was successfully embolized using gelatin sponge particles. The patient resumed menstruation 3 months after the embolization and concurrently conceived, ultimately giving birth at term without complications. Interventional radiology appears to be a highly safe and effective technique for diagnosis and management of a ruptured ovarian artery aneurysm with minimal risk of impairing subsequent fertility.
Annual report of the Committee on Gynecologic Oncology, the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Authors: Yamagami Wataru , Aoki Daisuke 
Published: November 2014

AbstractThe Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology collects and analyzes annual data on gynecologic cancers from member institutions. Here we present the Patient Annual Report for 2012 and the Treatment Annual Report for 2006. Data on 7028 patients with cervical cancer, 8217 with endometrial cancer, 5140 with ovarian cancer and 1725 with ovarian borderline tumor for whom treatment was initiated in 2012 were summarized in the Patient Annual Report. Data on the prognosis of 2699 patients with cervical cancer, 3243 with endometrial cancer and 1898 with ovarian cancer for whom treatment was initiated in 2006 were analyzed in the Treatment Annual Report. In the Patient Annual Report for 2012, stage I accounted for 55.4%, stage II for 23.0%, stage III for 11.0% and stage IV for 10.6% of all patients with cervical cancer. Stage I accounted for 72.2%, stage II for 7.0%, stage III for 13.4% and stage IV for 7.3% of all patients with endometrial cancer. Stage I accounted for 43.1%, stage II for 9.2%, stage III for 29.7% and stage IV for 7.2% of all patients with ovarian cancer. In the Treatment Annual Report for 2006, the 5‐year overall survival rates for patients with cervical cancer were 92.9% for stage I, 74.6% for stage II, 55.3% for stage III and 24.3% for stage IV. The equivalent rates for patients with endometrial cancer were 96.3%, 92.7%, 80.6% and 35.8%, respectively; and those for patients with ovarian surface epithelial–stromal tumors were 90.6%, 82.9%, 48.7% and 40.9%, respectively.
Potential proton beam therapy for recurrent endometrial cancer in the vagina
Authors: Yanazume Shintaro , Arimura Takeshi , Kobayashi Hiroaki , Douchi Tsutomu 
Published: November 2014

AbstractProton beam radiotherapy mainly has been used in the gynecological field in patients with cervical cancer. The efficacy of proton beam therapy in patients with recurrent endometrial cancer has not yet been determined. A 77‐year‐old endometrial cancer patient presented with recurrence in the vagina without distant metastasis following hysterectomy. A hard mass measuring 6 cm originated from the apex of the vagina, surrounded the vaginal cavity, and infiltrated the proximal and distal vagina. The patient received proton beam radiotherapy using a less invasive particle treatment system while minimizing the dose to the surrounding normal tissues. The dose to the planning target volume was 74 Gy (relative biological effectiveness) with 37 fractions. The patient was treated with 150–210‐MeV proton beams for 53 days. Proton beam therapy led to the disappearance of tumors without any complications except for grade 1 cystitis although evidence of further complications is not available past our 6‐month follow‐up period. Proton beam therapy may become a useful treatment modality for recurrent endometrial cancer as well as cervical uterine cancer.