bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A Comparative Study of Contrasting Surgical Residency Programs
Authors: Singh Pritam , Aggarwal Rajesh , Hashimoto Daniel A. , Williams Noel N. , Darzi Ara 
Published: April 2014

AbstractBackgroundPostgraduate training is completed in a 5‐year surgical residency program in the USA, compared with 10 years in the UK. The UK Joint Committee on Surgical Training (JCST) has described quality indicators for surgical training. Similar indicators can be inferred from the American Board of Surgery and Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. This exploratory study compares postgraduate surgical training between two regions following their respective national programs.MethodsA questionnaire was developed based on JCST quality indicators. This was distributed electronically to all general surgical residents in the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) (N = 64) and North and South West Thames general surgical registrars in London (N = 182).ResultsA total of 76 residents (31 %) completed the questionnaire and all data presented are self‐reported. When residents operate electively, an attending is scrubbed for 57 % of cases in London versus 83 % at UPenn (p < 0.001). During emergency surgery, residents operate without an attending in the operating room (OR) for 60 % of cases in London versus 2 % in UPenn (p < 0.001). London versus UPenn residents have a mean 3.6 versus 5.0 (p < 0.001) operating sessions and 0.7 versus 2.3 (p < 0.001) teaching hours per week. In London, 68 % of residents have regular gastrointestinal endoscopy sessions compared with 39 % at UPenn (p = 0.036).ConclusionsUPenn residents receive more supervised operating opportunities and scheduled teaching than their London counterparts. However, they have less independent operating experience and less exposure to gastrointestinal endoscopy training.
Habitat and microsite influence demography of two herbs in intact and degraded scrub
Authors: Stephens Elizabeth L. , Tye Matthew R. , Quintana‐Ascencio Pedro F. 
Published: April 2014

AbstractIdentifying environmental factors associated with vital rate variation is critical to predict population consequences of environmental perturbation. We used matrix models to explore effects of habitat and microsite on demography of two widespread herbs, Chamaecrista fasciculata (partridge pea) and Balduina angustifolia (yellow buttons). We evaluated models simulating population dynamics in common microsites (shrub, litter, bare sand) within two habitats (intact, degraded Florida scrub) using data on experimental populations initiated by sowing seeds, and natural seed production. Models included four stages (seed bank, small vegetative, large vegetative, reproductive) and three vital rates (survival, growth, fecundity), summarized in sixteen transitions. We conducted life table response experiments to assess contributions of each habitat and microsite to population growth rates. We found that (1) C. fasciculata had greatest population growth in degraded habitat and litter microsites, (2) B. angustifolia had similar population growth between habitats and greatest in bare sand microsites, (3) advancing growth transitions of C. fasciculata had greatest elasticity on population growth in degraded habitat, shrub, and litter, as did seed survival in intact habitat and bare sand, (4) seed survival and advancing growth transitions of B. angustifolia had greatest elasticity on population growth in both habitats, as did seed survival in shrub and litter, and advancing growth in bare sand. Greater population growth of C. fasciculata in degraded scrub is probably explained by release from belowground competition; B. angustifolia may be most affected by competition with shrubs. Microsites in intact scrub were not ecologically equivalent to those in degraded scrub emphasizing that intact scrub is ecologically complex and critical to preserve.
Molecular approach for the rapid detection of Bacillus and Pseudomonas genera—dominant antagonistic groups—from diverse ecological niches using colony multiplex PCR
Authors: Nair Anusree V , Pradeep M A , Vijayan K K 
Published: April 2014

Abstract
Bacillus and Pseudomonas are the dominant groups of bacteria known for their antagonistic potential against many plant and animal pathogens. Presently, exploration of these genera with antagonistic property for disease management of aquaculture system is gaining more importance to overcome the use of antibiotics and related resistance issues. Rapid screening and identification of these genera from diverse bacterial populations by conventional methods is laborious, cost-intensive, and time-consuming. To overcome these limiting factors, in the present study, a colony multiplex PCR (cmPCR) method was developed and evaluated for the rapid detection of Bacillus and Pseudomonas. The technique amplifies the partial 16S rRNA gene of Bacillus and Pseudomonas with a product size of ~1,100 and ~375 bp, respectively, using single forward (BSF2) and two reverse primers (PAGSR and BK1R). Reliability of the cmPCR method was confirmed by screening 472 isolates obtained from ten different eco-stations, of which 133 isolates belonged to Bacillus and 32 to Pseudomonas. The cmPCR method also helped to identify six different Pseudomonas spp. and 14 different Bacillus spp. from environmental samples. Of the total 472 isolates studied, 46 showed antagonistic activity, among which 63 % were Bacillus and 17.4 % were Pseudomonas. Thus, the newly developed molecular approach provides a quick, sensitive, and potential screening tool to detect novel, antagonistically important Bacillus and Pseudomonas genera for their use in aquaculture. Further, it can also act as a taxonomic tool to understand the distribution of these genera from wide ecological niches and their exploitation for diverse biotechnological applications.
Taking stock: A multistakeholder perspective on improving the delivery of care and the development of treatments for Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Bradley Patrick , Akehurst Ron , Ballard Clive , Banerjee Sube , Blennow Kaj , Bremner Jennifer , Broich Karl , Cummings Jeffrey , Dening Karen , Dubois Bruno , Klipper Wiebke , Leibman Chris , Mantua Valentina , Molinuevo José Luis , Morgan Susan , Muscolo Luisa A.A. , Nicolas François , Pani Luca , Robinson Louise , Siviero Paolo , van Dam Julius , VanEmelen Jan , Wimo Anders , Wortmann Marc , Goh Lindee 
Published: April 2014

AbstractHealth‐care stakeholders increasingly recognize that the scientific and economic challenges associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) are simply too great for individual stakeholder groups to address solely from within their own silos. In the necessary spirit of collaboration, we present in this perspective a set of multicountry multistakeholder recommendations to improve the organization of existing AD and dementia care and the development of new treatments. In brief, the five recommendations are (1) health‐care systems must make choices regarding the patient populations to be diagnosed and treated, (2) health‐care systems should use an evidence‐based standard of care, (3) increased collaboration between public and private institutions is needed to enhance research, (4) reimbursement end points need to be agreed on and validated, and (5) innovative business models should be used to spur the introduction of new medicines.
An empirically derived composite cognitive test score with improved power to track and evaluate treatments for preclinical Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Langbaum Jessica B. , Hendrix Suzanne B. , Ayutyanont Napatkamon , Chen Kewei , Fleisher Adam S. , Shah Raj C. , Barnes Lisa L. , Bennett David A. , Tariot Pierre N. , Reiman Eric M. 
Published: April 2014

AbstractBackgroundThere is growing interest in the evaluation of preclinical Alzheimer's disease (AD) treatments. As a result, there is a need to identify a cognitive composite that is sensitive to track preclinical AD decline to be used as a primary endpoint in treatment trials.MethodsLongitudinal data from initially cognitively normal, 70‐ to 85‐year‐old participants in three cohort studies of aging and dementia from the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center were examined to empirically define a composite cognitive endpoint that is sensitive to detect and track cognitive decline before the onset of cognitive impairment. The mean‐to‐standard deviation ratios (MSDRs) of change over time were calculated in a search for the optimal combination of cognitive tests/subtests drawn from the neuropsychological battery in cognitively normal participants who subsequently progressed to clinical stages of AD during 2‐ and 5‐year periods, using data from those who remained unimpaired during the same period to correct for aging and practice effects. Combinations that performed well were then evaluated for representation of relevant cognitive domains, robustness across individual years before diagnosis, and occurrence of selected items within top performing combinations.ResultsThe optimal composite cognitive test score comprised seven cognitive tests/subtests with an MSDR = 0.964. By comparison, the most sensitive individual test score was Logical Memory Delayed Recall with an MSDR = 0.64.ConclusionsWe have identified a composite cognitive test score representing multiple cognitive domains that has improved power compared with the most sensitive single test item to track preclinical AD decline and evaluate preclinical AD treatments. We are confirming the power of the composite in independent cohorts and with other analytical approaches, which may result in refinements, have designated it as the primary endpoint in the Alzheimer's Prevention Initiative's preclinical treatment trials for individuals at high imminent risk for developing symptoms due to late‐onset AD.
Some quantitative characters used in the identification of Taenia hydatigena, T. ovis, T. pisiformis and T. multiceps adult worms, and T. multiceps metacestodes
Authors: Edwards G. T. , Herbert I. V. 
Published: April 2014

AbstractMeasurements were made of gravid worm lengths, scolex diameter, rostellum diameter, sucker diameter, and large and small rostellar hooks of adult Taenia hydatigena, T. multiceps, T. ovis and T. pisiformis obtained from dogs in North Wales. Values recorded agreed closely with published values. None of these characters could be used to differentiate reliably between the species except that, of the worms examined, those with large rostellar hooks greater than 228 μim were T. pisiformis and those with large hooks less than 168 μm were T. multiceps. The range of hook lengths of the different species overlapped considerably.Reliable identification required examination of mature proglottis morphology of specimens which were relaxed before fixation. Relaxed mature proglottides often showed a characteristic shape.Lengths of rostellar hooks of scolices from T. multiceps coenuri followed the same frequency distribution as adult worm hooks. A strong correlation was shown between coenurus volume and the number of scolices on the coenurus membrane, with a poor correlation between coenurus age and volume.
Depression and Neighborhood Violence among Children and Early Adolescents in Medellin, Colombia
Authors: Velez-Gomez Paulina , Restrepo-Ochoa Diego Alveiro , Berbesi-Fernandez Dedsy , Trejos-Castillo Elizabeth 
Published: April 2014

AbstractViolence is considered one of the most important public health problems among Latino countries. In Colombia, approximately 41% of Medellin’s inhabitants have witnessed a homicide, 75% have witnessed an aggressive incident, and 40% have been victims of other types of violent incidents. Despite increased national/international attention paid to the effects of neighborhood violence exposure on childhood depression, little is still known about this phenomenon in non-clinical samples. This study examined neighborhood violence exposure and depression (negative mood, interpersonal problems, ineffectiveness, anhedonia, and negative self-esteem) among N = 320 8–12 years old youth. Data were collected from public schools in Medellin during 2009. Kovacs’ Children’s Depression Inventory was used to assess depression; neighborhood violence exposure was measured using Medellin’s Human Rights report on high-low violence rates neighborhoods where participants lived and/or attended school. Results show that 26 children reported depressive symptoms (a prevalence of 8.9 % in the total sample). Among early adolescents (boys and girls), exposure to higher levels of violence was associated with greater ineffectiveness. Gender did not moderate the relationship between violence exposure and depression subscales. Results raise awareness about the importance to further exploring other factors related to neighborhood violence exposure and depression (e.g., developmental stage, gender).
The sublinear problem for the 1-homogeneous 𝑝-Laplacian
Authors: Martínez-Aparicio Pedro , Pérez-Llanos Mayte , Rossi Julio 
Published: April 2014

In this paper we prove the existence and uniqueness of a positive viscosity solution of the

1
1

-homogeneous

p
p

-Laplacian with a sublinear right-hand side; that is,

−

|

D
u

|

2
−
p

div

(

|

D
u

|

p
−
2

D
u
)
=
λ

u
q

-|D u|^{2-p}\textrm {div}\:(|D u|^{p-2}Du)=\lambda u^q

in

Ω
\Omega

,

u
=
0

u=0

on

∂
Ω

\partial \Omega

, where

Ω
\Omega

is a bounded starshaped domain,

λ
>
0

\lambda >0

,

p
>
2

p>2

and

0
>
q
>
1

0>q>1

.
Density‐dependent intraspecific aggression regulates survival in northern Yellowstone wolves (Canis lupus)
Authors: Cubaynes Sarah , MacNulty Daniel R. , Stahler Daniel R. , Quimby Kira A. , Smith Douglas W. , Coulson Tim 
Published: April 2014

Summary

Understanding the population dynamics of top‐predators is essential to assess their impact on ecosystems and to guide their management. Key to this understanding is identifying the mechanisms regulating vital rates.

Determining the influence of density on survival is necessary to understand the extent to which human‐caused mortality is compensatory or additive. In wolves (Canis lupus), empirical evidence for density‐dependent survival is lacking. Dispersal is considered the principal way in which wolves adjust their numbers to prey supply or compensate for human exploitation. However, studies to date have primarily focused on exploited wolf populations, in which density‐dependent mechanisms are likely weak due to artificially low wolf densities.

Using 13 years of data on 280 collared wolves in Yellowstone National Park, we assessed the effect of wolf density, prey abundance and population structure, as well as winter severity, on age‐specific survival in two areas (prey‐rich vs. prey‐poor) of the national park. We further analysed cause‐specific mortality and explored the factors driving intraspecific aggression in the prey‐rich northern area of the park.

Overall, survival rates decreased during the study. In northern Yellowstone, density dependence regulated adult survival through an increase in intraspecific aggression, independent of prey availability. In the interior of the park, adult survival was less variable and density‐independent, despite reduced prey availability. There was no effect of prey population structure in northern Yellowstone, or of winter severity in either area. Survival was similar among yearlings and adults, but lower for adults older than 6 years.

Our results indicate that density‐dependent intraspecific aggression is a major driver of adult wolf survival in northern Yellowstone, suggesting intrinsic density‐dependent mechanisms have the potential to regulate wolf populations at high ungulate densities. When low prey availability or high removal rates maintain wolves at lower densities, limited inter‐pack interactions may prevent density‐dependent survival, consistent with our findings in the interior of the park.
‘Bourdieu’, medical elites and ‘social class’: a qualitative study of ‘desert island’ doctors
Authors: McDonald Ruth 
Published: April 2014

AbstractSociologists of professions draw on Weberian theories of closure. However they have tended to ignore Bourdieu's work, which rejects Weberian notions of class and status groups as distinct ideal types and sees these concepts as inextricably linked. Bourdieu emphasises the importance of a class‐based habitus which generates orientations, inclinations and dispositions that organise practices and the perception of practice. For Bourdieu, because individuals perceive one another primarily through the status that attaches to their practices (through a symbolic veil of honour) they fail to perceive the real basis of these practices: the forms of capital that underlie the different habitus and enable their realisation. This article draws on interviews with 17 elite doctors appearing on a national (UK) radio show during which they choose eight discs to take to a desert island. According to Bourdieu, ‘nothing more clearly affirms one's “class”, nothing more infallibly classifies, than one's taste in music’. An analysis of the doctors' musical tastes and their mode of acquisition (largely, for these elites, via their family and education at independent schools), as well as other insights into their cultural capital reveals the importance of linking class and status when exploring professional status and prestige.
Microbiological quality of artisanal Sepet cheese
Authors: Ercan Duygu , Korel Figen , Orşahin Hande 
Published: April 2014

Microbial diversity in milk and in cheese itself affects the biochemical and sensory characteristics of artisanal cheeses. In this study, the microflora of Sepet cheese, which is a traditional artisanal cheese in Turkey, was investigated. Average lactococci, lactobacilli, enterococci, yeast, mould, coliform, psychrotrophic and total aerobic bacteria, presumptive Staphylococcus aureus counts were; 7.31 ± 1.08, 7.19 ± 1.02, 6.84 ± 0.92, 3.19 ± 1.40, 0.84 ± 0.89, 2.18 ± 1.81, 4.92 ± 1.15, 7.53 ± 1.13 and 1.25 ± 1.70 log cfu/g, respectively. Staphylococci, coliform and mould counts were less than 1.00 log cfu/g at the end of ripening, which was at around 6–8 °C for 3 months. According to phenotypic and genotypic identifications, isolates were closely related to Lactobacillus plantarum, Weisella confusa, Weisella paramesenteroides, Pediococcus pentasaceous, Enterococcus casseliflavus, Enterococcus durans and Enterococcus faceium. This study provides baseline data on the microflora of traditional artisanal Sepet cheese, which is a prerequisite for a successful scale up to industrial production.
Electrocardiogram Patterns during Hemodynamic Instability in Patients with Acute Pulmonary Embolism
Authors: Zhan Zhong‐qun , Wang Chong‐quan , Nikus Kjell C. , He Chao‐rong , Wang Jin , Mao Shan , Dong Xiong‐jian 
Published: April 2014

BackgroundWe have previously described new electrocardiogram (ECG) findings for massive pulmonary embolism, namely ST‐segment elevation in lead aVR with ST‐segment depression in leads I and V4–V6. However, the ECG patterns of patients with acute pulmonary embolism during hemodynamic instability are not fully described.MethodsWe compared the differences between the ECG at baseline and after deterioration during hemodynamic instability in twenty patients with acute pulmonary embolism.ResultsCompared with the ECG at baseline, three ischemic ECG patterns were found during clinical deterioration with hemodynamic instability: ST‐segment elevation in lead aVR with concomitant ST‐segment depression in leads I and V4–V6, ST‐segment elevation in leads V1–V3/V4, and ST‐segment elevation in leads III and/or V1/V2 with concomitant ST‐segment depression in leads V4/V5–V6. Ischemic ECG patterns with concomitant S1Q3 and/or abnormal QRS morphology in lead V1 were more common (90%) during hemodynamic instability than at baseline (5%) (P = 0.001).ConclusionsHemodynamic instability in acute pulmonary embolism is reflected by signs of myocardial ischemia combined with the right ventricular strain pattern in the 12‐lead ECG
Removal of Urea in a Wearable Dialysis Device: A Reappraisal of Electro‐Oxidation
Authors: Wester Maarten , Simonis Frank , Lachkar Nadia , Wodzig Will K. , Meuwissen Frank J. , Kooman Jeroen P. , Boer Walther H. , Joles Jaap A. , Gerritsen Karin G. 
Published: April 2014

AbstractA major challenge for a wearable dialysis device is removal of urea, as urea is difficult to adsorb while daily production is very high. Electro‐oxidation (EO) seems attractive because electrodes are durable, small, and inexpensive. We studied the efficacy of urea oxidation, generation of chlorine by‐products, and their removal by activated carbon (AC). EO units were designed. Three electrode materials (platinum, ruthenium oxide, and graphite) were compared in single pass experiments using urea in saline solution. Chlorine removal by AC in series with EO by graphite electrodes was tested. Finally, urea‐spiked bovine blood was dialyzed and dialysate was recirculated in a dialysate circuit with AC in series with an EO unit containing graphite electrodes. Platinum electrodes degraded more urea (21 ± 2 mmol/h) than ruthenium oxide (13 ± 2 mmol/h) or graphite electrodes (13 ± 1 mmol/h). Chlorine generation was much lower with graphite (13 ± 4 mg/h) than with platinum (231 ± 22 mg/h) or ruthenium oxide electrodes (129 ± 12 mg/h). Platinum and ruthenium oxide electrodes released platinum (4.1 [3.9–8.1] umol/h) and ruthenium (83 [77–107] nmol/h), respectively. AC potently reduced dialysate chlorine levels to <0.10 mg/L. Urea was removed from blood by EO at constant rate (9.5 ± 1.0 mmol/h). EO by graphite electrodes combined with AC shows promising urea removal and chlorine release complying with Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation standards, and may be worth further exploring for dialysate regeneration in a wearable system.
Systematic review with network meta‐analysis: the efficacy of anti‐TNF agents for the treatment of Crohn's disease
Authors: Stidham R. W. , Lee T. C. H. , Higgins P. D. R. , Deshpande A. R. , Sussman D. A. , Singal A. G. , Elmunzer B. J. , Saini S. D. , Vijan S. , Waljee A. K. 
Published: April 2014

SummaryBackgroundAnti‐tumour necrosis factor‐alpha agents (anti‐TNF) are effective therapies for the treatment of Crohn's disease (CD), but their comparative efficacy is unknown.AimTo perform a network meta‐analysis comparing the efficacy of anti‐TNF therapies in CD.MethodsAfter screening 506 studies, reviewers extracted information on 10 studies. Traditional meta‐analysis (TMA) was used to compare each anti‐TNF agent to placebo. Bayesian network meta‐analysis (NMA) was performed to compare the effects of anti‐TNF agents to placebo. In addition, sample sizes for comparative efficacy trials were calculated.ResultsCompared to placebo, TMA revealed that anti‐TNF agents result in a higher likelihood of induction of remission and response (RR: 1.66, 95% CI: 1.17–2.36 and RR: 1.43, 95% CI: 1.17–1.73, respectively) as well as maintenance of remission and response (RR: 1.78, 95% CI: 1.51–2.09 and RR: 1.68, 95% CI: 1.46–1.93, respectively). NMA found nonsignificant trends between infliximab and adalimumab or certolizumab pegol. Among subcutaneous therapies, NMA demonstrated superiority of adalimumab to certolizumab pegol for induction of remission (RR: 2.93, 95% CrI: 1.21–7.75). Sample size calculations suggest that adequately powered head‐to‐head comparative efficacy trials would require greater than 3000 patients.ConclusionsAll anti‐TNF agents are effective for induction and maintenance of response and remission in the treatment of CD. Although adalimumab is superior to certolizumab pegol for induction of remission, there is no evidence of clinical superiority among anti‐TNF agents. Head‐to‐head trials among the anti‐TNF agents are impractical in terms of size and cost.