bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Insulin Dosage Preparation and Administration: Prefilled Pens versus Syringes
Authors: Rollins Brett M , Lee Diana C , Silva Matthew A 
Published: April 2015

ABSTRACTBackgroundInsulin delivery systems are continually evolving and today syringes or prefilled pens predominate. An efficient insulin delivery system may recover time, improve safety and reduce healthcare costs.AimTo quantify the time required to prepare and administer insulin doses using prefilled pens or syringes.MethodAn insulin delivery simulating protocol was followed. Insulin preparation and administration was timed from the receipt of the medication order until the end of administration. A 2:1 syringe to pen allocation ratio was used; syringes were the control. Two operators were each assigned 58 pen and 116 syringe doses; total of 348 insulin doses.ResultsRandomisation distributed doses uniformly by device and operator. The mean (SD) dose delivered by syringe was 30.4 ± 17 units and 30.3 ± 17.7 units by pen (p = 1.0). Mean dose (p = 0.3) and administration time (p = 0.6) between operators were also similar. Mean administration time for doses delivered by syringe was 71 ± 10.9 seconds and 52.1 ± 9 seconds by pen. Mean time difference between devices was 18.9 seconds (95%CI 17–21; p ≤ 0.0001). Operators prepared and administered doses more quickly over time.ConclusionThere was a 27% reduction in preparation and administration time when prefilled insulin pens were used. A consistent training effect occurred, which was similar between operators and independent of volume. As product features and operator training influence insulin delivery efficiency, institutions should consider these factors along with efficacy, safety and acquisition costs when selecting prefilled pens or syringes.
Australian Pharmacists' understanding of their Continuing Professional Development Obligations
Authors: Thompson Wendy , Nissen Lisa M 
Published: April 2015

ABSTRACTBackgroundAdoption of mandatory continuing professional development (CPD) for pharmacists in Australia is relatively new. Difficulties have been reported with the introduction of CPD frameworks in other countries. There is limited information on how Australian pharmacists have engaged with the CPD requirements for registration.AimTo explore Australian pharmacists' understanding and engagement with the CPD requirements for renewal of registration.MethodThe Pharmacy Board of Australia's CPD requirements for registration was used to design an online survey to explore the level of understanding and engagement Australian pharmacists have with the CPD framework.Results278 pharmacists responded to the survey − 66% were female, 30% were male and 4% did not disclose their gender. 63% of respondents noted that it would not be difficult to acquire 40 CPD credits annually. Respondents identified that Group 1 activities were a preferred way of acquiring CPD credits. Majority of pharmacists (91%) believed that they knew the CPD requirements for registration and 77% noted that there had been sufficient guidance provided. Despite this, 26% of participants had never used self‐directed learning plans and 38% did not know how to undertake self‐directed learning. 76% of participants were under the common misconception that CPD is synonymous with continuing education.ConclusionThe majority of pharmacists believe they understand and can engage in the acquisition of CPD credits for renewal of registration. Some aspects of the CPD framework was not understood, such as how it aims to develop a pharmacist's practice. This aspect of the CPD framework will need to be further developed.
Mitomycin‐C‐Induced Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura
Authors: Crosara Sandra LR , Qumari Sunita , Wall Geoffrey C , Belz Mark M 
Published: April 2015

ABSTRACTBackgroundAlthough mitomycin‐C has been supplanted by other chemotherapeutic drugs, it is still the drug of choice for anus squamous cell carcinoma. Mitomycin‐C has rarely been reported to cause thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura with or without haemolytic uraemic syndrome (TTP/HUS).AimTo report a case of probable mitomycin‐C‐induced TTP with associated acute renal failure and severe hypertension.Clinical detailsA 60‐year‐old Caucasian female was diagnosed with anus squamous cell carcinoma and started on mitomycin‐C, fluorouracil and targeted radiation therapy. After completing this regimen, the patient developed acute kidney injury, thrombocytopenia and hypertension. Kidney biopsy revealed diffuse endocapillary cell proliferation and one glomerulus contained multiple hyaline thrombi with basement membrane double contours. Focal subendothelial and intramural fragmented erythrocytes were present; all of which suggested TTP. The patient was started on high‐dose corticosteroids followed by plasmapheresis.OutcomesThe patient's blood pressure, and platelets returned to baseline levels, while her renal function improved partially.ConclusionTTP is a rare but serious adverse effect associated with mitomycin‐C. Discontinuing mitomycin‐C does not resolve TTP; a variety of treatments are required, such as corticosteroids, plasmapheresis, chemotherapeutic drugs and rituximab.
Non‐Medical Use of Prescription Drugs among Clients Admitted to an Acute Psychiatric Unit
Authors: Chan Thong Wing , Alderman Christopher P , Bell J Simon , Ilomäki Jenni 
Published: April 2015

ABSTRACTBackgroundNon‐medical use of prescription drugs (NMPD) is when prescription drugs are used in a manner other than for the reason or duration prescribed.AimTo explore NMPD among clients admitted to an acute psychiatric unit.MethodA prospective observational study was conducted of all clients aged ≥ 18 years admitted to an acute psychiatric unit from 2 July to 2 September 2012. NMPD definition was based on the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime criteria. Clinical and demographic data were extracted from medical records. Descriptive statistics were used to compare the characteristics of clients with and without NMPD.ResultsOf the 76 eligible clients, 19 (25%) had evidence of NMPD. NMPD was associated with age < 65 years (p = 0.03), consumption of > 4 standard alcoholic drinks per day (p = 0.02), smoker (p = 0.02) and admission for a psychological reason with suicidal ideation (p = 0.03). There was no significant association between NMPD and gender or illicit drug use. Clients with NMPD had higher symptom severity scores at discharge (p = 0.01) and shorter durations of hospital stay than clients without NMPD (p < 0.001).ConclusionNMPD was prevalent among clients admitted to an acute psychiatric unit. Clients with NMPD had a shorter hospital stay than those without NMPD. Clinicians and policy makers need to implement strategies to minimise NMPD.
Over‐Anticoagulation in Elderly Warfarinised Patients
Authors: Tran Winnie , Alderman Christopher P 
Published: April 2015

ABSTRACTAimTo identify factors that contribute to over‐anticoagulation in elderly warfarinised patients and to review the management of over‐anticoagulation.MethodA prospective cohort audit was conducted over 6 months (1 February to 31 July 2011) at a teaching hospital. Inpatients with an international normalised ratio (INR) > 4 were identified via a daily automated pathology screening report. Medical notes and drug charts of eligible patients were reviewed and data (medical history, drug history, warfarin regimen, INR results, clinical events, management of over‐anticoagulation) were compiled.Results62 patients prescribed warfarin were identified as experiencing over‐anticoagulation. 32 (52%) patients had INRs > 4 and 12/32 (38%) patients had documented bleeding of clinical significance. Most patients had 2, 3 or 4 risk factors for over‐anticoagulation. Prevalent risk factors were: age > 65 years (92%), co‐prescribing warfarin with interacting medications (76%) and renal insufficiency (21%). Co‐prescribed medications that interact or potentiate the effects of warfarin included antibiotics (47%) and non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (21%). Most patients with INRs > 4 were managed by withholding warfarin and administering a small dose of vitamin K.ConclusionWarfarin over‐anticoagulation was prevalent among elderly patients and those prescribed interacting medications. A conservative approach to the management of over‐anticoagulation was appropriate for most cases.
Bioactive compounds in pindo palm (Butia capitata) juice and in pomace resulting of the extraction process
Authors: Jachna Tiphaine J , Hermes Vanessa S , Flôres Simone H , Rios Alessandro O 
Published: April 2015

AbstractBACKGROUNDPindo palm (Butia capitata, Becc. 1916) is a tropical fruit native to South America and is relatively rich in bioactive compounds. It is often consumed as juice. The aim of this study was, first, to identify the degradation of these compounds by pasteurization and by cold storage (4 °C) of pindo palm juice. Physicochemical properties and concentrations of phenolic compounds, carotenoids and vitamin C have been evaluated on fresh and pasteurized juices. Moreover, another objective was to characterize the nutritional composition and the bioactive compounds of pindo palm pomace, the by‐product of juice processing.RESULTSThe results demonstrated a degradation of carotenoids with pasteurization and a degradation of vitamin C with both pasteurization and cold storage of juices. Furthermore, the evaluation of pindo palm pomace showed that it is relatively rich in total phenols (20.06 g gallic acid equivalents kg−1 dry matter) and in β‐carotene (0.22 g kg−1 dry matter).CONCLUSIONThus, from the nutrition viewpoint, it does not seem interesting to pasteurize juice. On the other hand, extraction of carotenoids and phenolic compounds from the pomace appears to be a relevant process. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry
Distributed capillary adiabatic tissue homogeneity model in parametric multi‐channel blind AIF estimation using DCE‐MRI
Authors: Kratochvíla Jiří , Jiřík Radovan , Bartoš Michal , Standara Michal , Starčuk Zenon , Taxt Torfinn 
Published: April 2015

PurposeOne of the main challenges in quantitative dynamic contrast‐enhanced (DCE) MRI is estimation of the arterial input function (AIF). Usually, the signal from a single artery (ignoring contrast dispersion, partial volume effects and flow artifacts) or a population average of such signals (also ignoring variability between patients) is used.MethodsMulti‐channel blind deconvolution is an alternative approach avoiding most of these problems. The AIF is estimated directly from the measured tracer concentration curves in several tissues. This contribution extends the published methods of multi‐channel blind deconvolution by applying a more realistic model of the impulse residue function, the distributed capillary adiabatic tissue homogeneity model (DCATH). In addition, an alternative AIF model is used and several AIF‐scaling methods are tested.ResultsThe proposed method is evaluated on synthetic data with respect to the number of tissue regions and to the signal‐to‐noise ratio. Evaluation on clinical data (renal cell carcinoma patients before and after the beginning of the treatment) gave consistent results. An initial evaluation on clinical data indicates more reliable and less noise sensitive perfusion parameter estimates.ConclusionBlind multi‐channel deconvolution using the DCATH model might be a method of choice for AIF estimation in a clinical setup. Magn Reson Med 75:1355–1365, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Indirect Evidence of Falconry in Medieval Poland as Inferred from Published Zooarchaeological Studies
Authors: Bochenski Z. M. , Tomek T. , Wertz K. , Wojenka M. 
Published: April 2015

AbstractAlthough written sources indicate that falconry or hawking was very popular already in early medieval Poland, there is no hard zooarchaeological evidence that would support it. So far, only two studies based on animal remains suggested hawking in medieval Poland. The purpose of this study was to examine all published zooarchaeological reports from all archaeological sites in Poland and check for possible clues of hawking. Altogether, 281 remains of 12 species of diurnal birds of prey were recorded from 38 sites (49 time‐site units) in Poland beginning from the Middle Ages onward. The most frequently found was the goshawk Accipiter gentilis followed by the white‐tailed eagle Haliaeetus albicilla and the sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus. Clues of possible hawking include high status of sites, occurrence of species used in falconry outside their natural ranges, preponderance of females, the presence of sub‐adult specimens and others. It is suggested that surface damage observed on prey bones done by the hawks' beaks and claws may be an extra evidence of hawking. The present study strongly supports the notion that hawking was a very popular activity in medieval Poland. In the future, medieval bone assemblages should always be checked for clues of hawking. The present study may also be used as a source of raw data for other analyses because it includes detailed information on birds of prey from all zooarchaeological reports published so far in Poland. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Fast, Precise, Objective: 3D Surface Analysis of Small Metal Parts
Authors: Stiefenhöfer Peter 
Published: April 2015

AbstractThe inspection of minute components with different surface features imposes stringent requirements on the employed test method. A new inspection system demonstrates that errors with the integrated imaging system can be detected reliably and evaluated to a professional standard, even on complex objects: By cutting the incidence of ‘pseudo scrap’ to below two percent, this 3D technology is vastly superior to conventional vision solutions.
New Dimensions in Beam Expansion
Authors: Fuchs Ulrike 
Published: April 2015

AbstractMonolithic beam expansion elements, which can be used as a cascade and achieve construction lengths much smaller than those of conventional systems are presented. Furthermore, this system is diffraction‐limited, and offers a high level of flexibility and continuous extensibility using new elements. The compensation for wavefront errors and divergence introduced by changing the wavelength away from the design wavelength is achieved by employing a new add‐on element, which enables the use of monolithic beam expanders from 500 nm to 1600 nm.
New insulins for diabetes
Authors: Seewoodhary Jason , Wong Stephen Phooi Yew 
Published: April 2015

AbstractDiabetes treatments have come a long way, but continual efforts are needed to make the disease easier to manage and more affordable. Nearly half a million patients in the UK are prescribed insulin; however, despite insulin's increasing use, current licensed insulin products incur significant barriers, which have fuelled the need to develop novel insulins and drug delivery methods.This review will critically consider the role of new insulin preparations and delivery methods, such as Technosphere insulin, buccal spray insulin, very‐long acting insulins, new insulin combinations, and ultra‐fast acting insulin that aim to surmount these hurdles. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Pesticides and human diabetes: a pilot project to explore a possible link
Authors: Swaminathan K , Thangavel G 
Published: April 2015

AbstractAn increasing number of studies show an association between environmental pollutants – especially organophosphorous pesticides – and the development of insulin resistance and hyperglycaemia. Our aim was to explore this hypothesis in farming communities around the city of Madurai, India.Local Ethics Committee approval was obtained. In all, 260 participants more than 18 years of age from farming villages around Madurai were evaluated based on three categories of pesticide exposure.The crude odds ratio for farmers mixing and spraying pesticides to have diabetes compared to the minimal exposure category was 2.07 (95% CI 1.01–4.24). After adjusting for sex and BMI, the odds ratio was 2.302 (95% CI 1.082–4.896).There seems to be a moderate association between pesticide exposure and diabetes. A good study design and good control of confounding factors will testify to this association. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons.
Effect of baking and fermentation on the stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios of grain‐based food
Authors: Bostic Joshua N. , Palafox Sherilyn J. , Rottmueller Marina E. , Jahren A. Hope 
Published: April 2015

RationaleIsotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) is used extensively to reconstruct general attributes of prehistoric and modern diets in both humans and animals. In order to apply these methods to the accurate determination of specific intakes of foods/nutrients of interest, the isotopic signature of individually consumed foods must be constrained. For example, 86% of the calories consumed in the USA are derived from processed and prepared foods, but the relationship between the stable isotope composition of raw ingredients and the resulting products has not been characterized.MethodsTo examine the effect of common cooking techniques on the stable isotope composition of grain‐based food items, we prepared yeast buns and sugar cookies from standardized recipes and measured bulk δ13C and δ15N values of samples collected throughout a 75 min fermentation process (buns) and before and after baking at 190°C (buns and cookies). Simple isotope mixing models were used to determine if the isotopic signatures of 13 multi‐ingredient foods could be estimated from the isotopic signatures of their constituent raw ingredients.ResultsNo variations in δ13C or δ15N values were detected between pre‐ and post‐baked yeast buns (pre: –24.78‰/2.61‰, post: –24.75‰/2.74‰), beet‐sugar cookies (pre: –24.48‰/3.84‰, post: –24.47‰/3.57‰), and cane‐sugar cookies (pre: –19.07‰/2.97‰, post: –19.02‰/3.21‰), or throughout a 75 min fermentation process in yeast buns. Using isotopic mass balance equations, the δ13C/δ15N values of multi‐ingredient foods were estimated from the isotopic composition of constituent raw ingredients to within 0.14 ± 0.13‰/0.24 ± 0.17‰ for gravimetrically measured recipes and 0.40 ± 0.38‰/0.58 ± 0.53‰ for volumetrically measured recipes.ConclusionsTwo common food preparation techniques, baking and fermentation, do not substantially affect the carbon or nitrogen isotopic signature of grain‐based foods. Mass‐balance equations can be used to accurately estimate the isotopic signature of multi‐ingredient food items for which quantitative ingredient information is available. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Untargeted analysis of sesquiterpene pyridine alkaloids from the dried roots of Tripterygium wilfordii using high‐performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry
Authors: Cai Tian , Luo Ying‐Gang , Zhou Min , Wang Dan , Wu Zhi‐Jun , Fang Dong‐Mei , Zhang Guo‐Lin 
Published: April 2015

RationaleSesquiterpene pyridine alkaloids are a large group of highly oxygenated sesquiterpenoids that have attracted attention in the fields of medicine because of their significant biological activities.MethodsReference compounds including 14 sesquiterpene pyridine alkaloids and one dihydroagarofuran ester were analyzed by collision‐induced dissociation tandem mass spectrometry (CID‐MS/MS). A high‐performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization (HPLC/ESI)‐MS/MS method at two collision energies was adopted to investigate the botanical extracts of Tripterygium wilfordii.ResultsFor 15 reference compounds, in the high mass range, the product ions were formed by the loss of side chains or H2O. In the low mass range, the high‐abundance product ions at m/z 206, 204, or 194 were the characteristic ions of the pyridine moiety. The characteristic product ion at m/z 310 was formed through an ion–neutral complex intermediate. Fifty‐four sesquiterpenoid derivatives, including 50 sesquiterpene pyridine alkaloids, were identified or tentatively characterized in botanical extracts of T. wilfordii based on their elemental constituents, characteristic fragmentation patterns, and the major product ion profiles of the reference compounds ascertained with HPLC/ESI‐MS/MS at two collision energies. It seems that isocratic energy was appropriate for the untargeted analysis of compounds with molecular weights exceeding 800 Da, whereas a linear gradient energy vs molecular weight was suitable for those compounds with molecular weights below 800 Da.ConclusionsThe HPLC/ESI‐MS/MS method, combining characteristic fragmentation patterns and the profiles of the product ions generated at different collision energies, is an effective technique for characterizing untargeted compounds. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Vascular endothelial growth factors: multitasking functionality in metabolism, health and disease
Authors: Smith Gina A. , Fearnley Gareth W. , Harrison Michael A. , Tomlinson Darren C. , Wheatcroft Stephen B. , Ponnambalam Sreenivasan 
Published: April 2015

AbstractVascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs) bind to VEGF receptor tyrosine kinases (VEGFRs). The VEGF and VEGFR gene products regulate diverse regulatory pathways in mammalian development, health and disease. The interaction between a particular VEGF and its cognate VEGFR activates multiple signal transduction pathways which regulate different cellular responses including metabolism, gene expression, proliferation, migration, and survival. The family of VEGF isoforms regulate vascular physiology and promote tissue homeostasis. VEGF dysfunction is implicated in major chronic disease states including atherosclerosis, diabetes, and cancer. More recent studies implicate a strong link between response to VEGF and regulation of vascular metabolism. Understanding how this family of multitasking cytokines regulates cell and animal function has implications for treating many different diseases.
Positive effects of roads on small mammals: a test of the predation release hypothesis
Authors: Downing Richard J. , Rytwinski Trina , Fahrig Lenore 
Published: April 2015

AbstractSome authors have hypothesized that observed increases in small mammal populations with increasing road density (after controlling for habitat effects) are due to predation release. Predation could be reduced in areas with high road density because of negative effects of roads on predator numbers and/or hunting activity. However, there are no studies testing the relationship between road density and predation rate on small mammals. Based on the predation release hypothesis, we predicted that white‐footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) individuals placed in sites with higher surrounding paved road density and/or closer to a paved road would experience fewer predation attempts thanP. leucopusindividuals placed in sites with lower surrounding paved road density and/or farther from a paved road. We recorded predation attempts onP. leucopusplaced in wire mesh enclosures, using motion‐triggered cameras, at 28 sites ranging widely in surrounding road density. There was no overall decline in predation attempts with increasing paved road density, or increase in predation attempts with increasing distance to the nearest paved roads. However, we cannot rule out the predation release hypothesis for larger mammalian predators, as they were not well sampled in our study. For predatory birds, we found weak evidence in support of the predation release hypothesis, but this conclusion is very tentative, as we only recorded three predation attempts by birds. We suggest that the predation release hypothesis for positive road effects on small mammals merits further investigation, using methods tailored to the particular predators most likely to impact small mammal populations.