bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Colony‐Stimulating Factor Use and Impact on Febrile Neutropenia Among Patients with Newly Diagnosed Breast, Colorectal, or Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer Who Were Receiving Chemotherapy
Authors: McCune Jeannine S. , Sullivan Sean D. , Blough David K. , Clarke Lauren , McDermott Cara , Malin Jennifer , Ramsey Scott 
Published: September 2012

Study ObjectiveTo determine the impact of primary prophylactic colony‐stimulating factor (CSF) use on febrile neutropenia in a large patient population receiving contemporary chemotherapy regimens to treat breast cancer, colorectal cancer, or non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).DesignRetrospective claims analysis.Data SourcesThe Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)‐Puget Sound cancer registry and insurance claims records.PatientsA total of 2728 patients aged 25 years or older who received a diagnosis of breast cancer (998 patients), colorectal cancer (688 patients), or NSCLC (1042 patients) between January 1, 2002, and December 31, 2005, and received chemotherapy.Measurements and Main ResultsInitial chemotherapy regimen, CSF use (filgrastim or pegfilgrastim), and febrile neutropenia events were evaluated after the first chemotherapy administration. Subsequently, febrile neutropenia rates in patients receiving primary prophylactic CSF were compared with febrile neutropenia rates in patients receiving CSF in settings other than primary prophylaxis or not at all. The impact of primary prophylactic CSF could not be assessed for patients with colorectal cancer or NSCLC because only 1 and 18 febrile neutropenia events, respectively, occurred in those receiving primary prophylactic CSF. Of the 998 patients with breast cancer, 72 (7.2%) experienced febrile neutropenia, 28 of whom received primary prophylactic CSF. In the patients with breast cancer, we observed that primary prophylactic CSF use was associated with reduced febrile neutropenia rates; however, the analysis may have been confounded by unmeasured factors associated with febrile neutropenia.ConclusionThe impact of primary prophylactic CSFs on febrile neutropenia rates could not be demonstrated. Given the substantive cost of CSFs to pharmacy budgets, there are numerous opportunities for pharmacists to optimize CSF use. Research studies are needed to evaluate if guideline‐directed prescribing of primary prophylactic CSFs can improve clinical outcomes.
Dapagliflozin: A Novel Sodium‐Glucose Cotransporter Type 2 Inhibitor for the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Shah Niren K. , Deeb Wasim E. , Choksi Rushab , Epstein Benjamin J. 
Published: September 2012

The prevalence of diabetes mellitus has grown to staggering numbers, and its incidence is expected to rise in the next 2 decades. The need for novel approaches to treat hyperglycemia cannot be ignored. Current agents have been shown to modestly improve glycemia and in some cases prevent complications of diabetes, but they become less effective over time and are often accompanied by undesirable adverse effects. Dapagliflozin is the lead agent in a new class of oral antidiabetic agents known as sodium‐glucose cotransporter type 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, which represent a novel approach to the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus. By selectively and reversibly blocking the SGLT2 receptor, dapagliflozin prevents the reabsorption of glucose at the renal proximal tubule. Phase II and III clinical trials have demonstrated that dapagliflozin is a safe and effective method for treating type 2 diabetes. Dapagliflozin produces a sustained, dose‐dependent reduction in plasma glucose levels while simultaneously improving insulin secretion and sensitivity. Over 12–24 weeks, reductions in hemoglobin A1c ranged from 0.54–0.89% when dapagliflozin was administered once/day (either as monotherapy or add‐on therapy to oral antidiabetic drugs with or without insulin) to patients with type 2 diabetes. Therapy with dapagliflozin also results in a mild osmotic‐diuretic effect that may account for decreases in total body weight (~2–3 kg) and blood pressure (systolic 2–5 mm Hg, diastolic 1.5–3 mm Hg), and increases in hematocrit (1–2%). Dapagliflozin has a favorable safety profile, with the rates of hypoglycemia similar to those of placebo. Genital and urinary tract infections were more commonly reported in patients taking dapagliflozin (2–13%) than those taking placebo (0–8%). Dapagliflozin does not appear to cause electrolyte disturbances, hepatotoxicity, or nephrotoxicity. Results from clinical trials have been promising, and well‐designed clinical programs that address the long‐term safety and efficacy of dapagliflozin are under way.
Fanconi's Syndrome and Nephrogenic Diabetes Insipidus in an Adult Treated with Ifosfamide
Authors: Ingemi Amanda I. , Bota Vasile M. , Peguero Anyeri , Charpentier Margaret 
Published: September 2012

Fanconi's syndrome is a serious condition characterized by type II proximal renal tubular dysfunction, with urinary loss of glucose, amino acids, phosphate, bicarbonate, and potassium. Ifosfamide‐induced Fanconi's syndrome is reported in about 1.4–5% of children being treated for solid tumors, yet only a few cases have been reported in adults. We describe a 54‐year‐old man who came to the hospital with symptoms of neutropenic fever 4 days after his fourth cycle of ifosfamide and doxorubicin treatment for recurrent sarcoma with metastases to the lung. During admission, he was noted to have severe renal tubular dysfunction; ifosfamide‐induced nephrogenic diabetes insipidus and Fanconi's syndrome were suspected. He received supportive therapy that resulted in incomplete resolution of signs and symptoms. The patient was discharged after a 5‐day hospital stay when his white blood cell count increased from 0.1–2.5 × 103/mm3 and his fever had resolved. Use of the Naranjo adverse drug reaction probability scale indicated a probable relationship (score of 7) between the patient's development of diabetes insipidus and Fanconi's syndrome and his use of ifosfamide. This dual diagnosis of diabetes insipidus and Fanconi's syndrome in an adult makes this case unusual, as well as therapeutically challenging. We conducted a review of the existing literature regarding ifosfamide‐induced Fanconi's syndrome and describe the proposed mechanisms and therapeutic options. This case suggests that patients treated with ifosfamide should be monitored closely for renal function to identify, and perhaps prevent, these rare adverse events. Preliminary animal models show promise for adding N‐acetylcysteine to ifosfamide treatment, but more research is necessary before using this drug as a therapeutic option.
Liraglutide‐Induced Acute Kidney Injury
Authors: Kaakeh Yaman , Kanjee Sanna , Boone Kevin , Sutton James 
Published: September 2012

Published case reports have documented the relationship between exenatide use and acute kidney injury. However, to our knowledge, no cases of this adverse effect with liraglutide, another glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonist approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus, have been reported. We describe a 53‐year‐old Caucasian woman who came to a community hospital with severe and progressively worsening gastrointestinal symptoms for several weeks, leading to dehydration and development of acute kidney injury. Laboratory results showed an increase in her serum creatinine concentration to 22.8 mg/dl and blood urea nitrogen to 150 mg/dl; she also had lost 8.9 kg in the previous month. One month earlier, the patient had begun liraglutide 1.8 mg/day subcutaneously for uncontrolled type 2 diabetes. Use of the Naranjo adverse drug reaction probability scale indicated a possible relationship (score of 3) between the patient's development of acute kidney injury and liraglutide. Renal biopsy and laboratory testing were helpful in ruling out other potential causes of renal failure and adverse drug reactions due to other drugs such as ciprofloxacin and quinapril. After the reports of the renal biopsy were obtained, liraglutide was determined to be a likely cause of acute tubular necrosis. The patient was successfully treated with discontinuation of liraglutide, volume repletion, and hemodialysis. To our knowledge, this is the first documented case of liraglutide‐induced acute tubular necrosis. Clinicians should be aware of this possible complication and closely follow liraglutide's dosage titration recommendations in the package insert. Patients should also be educated about the need to report unusual or prolonged gastrointestinal symptoms.
Prasugrel as a Safe Alternative for Clopidogrel‐Induced Polyarthralgias
Authors: Coulter Chad J. , Montandon Shari V. 
Published: September 2012

Clopidogrel is an oral thienopyridine that has been shown to reduce the risk of vascular death in patients with acute coronary syndrome, ischemic stroke, and peripheral vascular disease. The drug is associated with rare adverse effects such as thrombotic thrombocytopenia purpura, acute hepatotoxicity, and neutropenia. Only six cases have been reported that link acute arthritis with the use of clopidogrel. We describe a 64‐year‐old Caucasian man with sudden onset of severe arthritis, erythema, and swelling after starting clopidogrel therapy; he had no history of arthralgias while taking prasugrel during the previous 8 months. The patient was hospitalized for 3 days, and after cessation of clopidogrel therapy and conservative management, he improved dramatically, showing resolution of his joint erythema and swelling. The patient started prasugrel therapy at discharge, and no arthritic development was noted 8 weeks later. Although clopidogrel is commonly well tolerated, this case report demonstrates that clinicians should be aware that acute arthritis may be a possible adverse effect of clopidogrel. Additionally, polyarthralgias may not be a class effect of thienopyridines; patients who experience acute arthralgias during clopidogrel therapy may not experience similar adverse effects with prasugrel.
Moving Across Boundaries: Migration in South Africa, 1950–2000
Authors: Reed Holly E. 
Published: September 2012

Abstract
Existing knowledge about historical patterns of black internal migration in South Africa is incomplete, primarily because of the lack of good life course studies as well as the apartheid government’s suppression and censoring of data. This article provides a comprehensive picture of historical internal migration patterns with an analysis of a unique individual retrospective life history data set. This sample of the black population, collected in 2000, is the only known nationally representative life history data for South Africa; it includes all residential moves for each individual during his/her lifetime. Various mobility outcomes are analyzed: moves within/across provinces, moves within/across rural and urban areas, forced moves, moves with a nuclear family, and individual moves. The results indicate that migration significantly increased among black South Africans during the last half of the twentieth century, and that this increase began before the Pass Laws were repealed in 1986 and well before the official end of apartheid in 1991 or the first free election in 1994. The timing of this increase in migration rates suggests that migration in defiance of the Pass Laws (albeit a dangerous and desperate proposition) was a way of life for many black South Africans.
Butyrylcholinesterase as a prognostic marker: a review of the literature
Authors: Santarpia Lidia , Grandone Ilenia , Contaldo Franco , Pasanisi Fabrizio 
Published: September 2012

BackgroundButyrylcholinesterase (BChE) is an α‐glycoprotein synthesized in the liver. Its serum level decreases in many clinical conditions such as acute and chronic liver damage, inflammation, injury and infections, and malnutrition.Methods and resultsThis review collects the main evidence on the emerging role of butyrylcholinesterase as a prognostic marker of liver and nonliver diseases as well as a marker of protein‐energy malnutrition and obesity. In fact, serum concentrations and BChE activity seem to accurately reflect the availability of amino acidic substrates and/or derangement in protein synthesis due to hepatocellular damage. In cancer, with or without liver impairment, serum BChE levels serve as an accurate functional and prognostic indicator, useful for monitoring clinical and therapeutic interventions according to patients’ prognosis. In the absence of inflammation, BChE could also serve as an index of the effectiveness of nutritional support.ConclusionsSerum BChE assessment should be included in routine clinical diagnostic procedures to evaluate patient clinical conditions, in particular in cases of inflammation and/or protein‐energy malnutrition.
Adapting maize crop to climate change
Authors: Tokatlidis Ioannis S. 
Published: September 2012

AbstractGlobal weather changes compel agriculture to be adequately productive under diverse and marginal conditions. In maize, modern hybrids fail to meet this requirement. Although breeding has achieved spectacular progress in grain yield per area through improved tolerance to stresses, including intense crowding, yields at low plant population densities remain almost unchanged. Stagnated plant yield potential renders hybrids unable to take advantage of resource abundance at lower populations, designating them population dependent. Consequently, the optimum population varies greatly across environments. Generally, the due population increases as the environmental yield potential gets higher. As a remedy, relatively low populations are recommended for low-input conditions leading to inappropriate population in occasional adequacy of resources and considerable yield loss. For example, for a rain-fed hybrid tested at one location across 11 seasons, crop yield potential and optimum population on the basis of the quadratic yield-plateau model varied from 1,890 to 8,980 kg/ha and 4.56 to 10.2 plants/m2, respectively, while 100 % yield loss is computed in the driest season if the optimum population for the most favorable season is used. The article reviews the consequences in terms of crop sustainability under widely diverse environments imposed by climatic changes and proposes crop management strategies to address the situation. The major points are: (1) variable-yielding environments require variable optimum populations, (2) population dependence is an insurmountable barrier in making a decision on plant population, (3) farmers suffer from considerable yield and income loss, (4) estimating the less population-dependent hybrids among the currently cultivated ones is a major challenge for agronomists, and (5) the development of population-neutral hybrids is a fundamental challenge for maize breeding. Honeycomb breeding is a valuable tool to pursue this goal since it places particular emphasis on the so-far stagnated plant yield potential that is essential for population-neutral hybrid development.
Microsatellite loci over a thirty-three year period for a malaria parasite (Plasmodium mexicanum): bottleneck in effective population size and effect on allele frequencies
Authors: SCHALL J. J. , ST. DENIS K. M. 
Published: September 2012

SUMMARYChanges in population allele frequencies may be driven by several forces, including selection and drift, and are revealed only by sampling over many generations. Such studies, however, are rare for protist parasites. Microsatellite allele frequencies for 4 loci were followed in a population ofPlasmodium mexicanum, a malaria parasite of lizards in California USA at 1 site from 1978 to 2010. Rapid turnover of the lizards indicates the parasite was studied for a minimum of 33 transmission cycles and possibly twice that number. Sample sizes ranged from 841 to 956 scored parasite clones per locus. DNA was extracted from frozen dried blood and blood removed from stained blood smears from the earliest years, and a verification study demonstrated DNA from the blood smears provided valid genetic data. Parasite prevalence and effective population size (Ne) dropped after 2000, remaining lower for the next decade. For 2 loci, allele frequencies appeared stable for the first 2 decades of the study, but changed more rapidly after the decline in prevalence. Allele frequencies changed more gradually for the other 2 loci. Genetic drift could account for changes in allele frequencies, especially after the drop in prevalence and Ne, but the force of selection could also have driven the observed patterns.
Epidemiological perspectives on West Nile virus surveillance in wild birds in Great Britain
Authors: BRUGMAN V. A. , HORTON D. L. , PHIPPS L. P. , JOHNSON N. , COOK A. J. C. , FOOKS A. R. , BREED A. C. 
Published: September 2012

SUMMARYWest Nile virus (WNV) is a zoonotic arthropod-borne pathogen with continued geographical expansion in Europe. We present and evaluate data on the temporal, spatial and bird species focus of the WNV surveillance programme in dead wild birds in Great Britain (2002–2009). During this period all bird samples tested negative for WNV. Eighty-two per cent of the 2072 submissions occurred during the peak period of vector activity with 53% tested during April–July before human and equine infection would be expected. Samples were received from every county, but there was significant geographical clustering (nearest neighbour index=0·23,P<0·001). Over 240 species were represented, with surveillance more likely to detect WNV in resident bird species (92% of submissions) than migrants (8%). Evidence indicates that widespread avian mortality is not generally a reported feature of WNV in Europe and hence additional activities other than dead bird surveillance may maximize the ability to detect WNV circulation before the onset of human and equine infections.
Annotating answer-set programs in Lana
Authors: DE VOS MARINA , KISA DOĞA GIZEM , OETSCH JOHANNES , PÜHRER JÖRG , TOMPITS HANS 
Published: September 2012

AbstractWhile past research in answer-set programming (ASP) mainly focused on theory, ASP solver technology, and applications, the present work situates itself in the context of a quite recent research trend: development support for ASP. In particular, we propose to augment answer-set programs with additional meta-information formulated in a dedicated annotation language, called Lana. This language allows the grouping of rules into coherent blocks and to specify language signatures, types, pre- and postconditions, as well as unit tests for such blocks. While these annotations are invisible to an ASP solver, as they take the form of program comments, they can be interpreted by tools for documentation, testing, and verification purposes, as well as to eliminate sources of common programming errors by realising syntax checking or code completion features. To demonstrate its versatility, we introduce two such tools, viz. (i) ASPDoc, for generating an HTML documentation for a program based on the annotated information, and (ii) ASPUnit, for running and monitoring unit tests on program blocks. Lana is also exploited in the SeaLion system, an integrated development environment for ASP based on Eclipse.
Module theorem for the general theory of stable models
Authors: BABB JOSEPH , LEE JOOHYUNG 
Published: September 2012

AbstractThe module theorem by Janhunen et al. demonstrates how to provide a modular structure in answer set programming, where each module has a well-defined input/output interface which can be used to establish the compositionality of answer sets. The theorem is useful in the analysis of answer set programs, and is a basis of incremental grounding and reactive answer set programming. We extend the module theorem to the general theory of stable models by Ferraris et al. The generalization applies to non-ground logic programs allowing useful constructs in answer set programming, such as choice rules, the count aggregate, and nested expressions. Our extension is based on relating the module theorem to the symmetric splitting theorem by Ferraris et al. Based on this result, we reformulate and extend the theory of incremental answer set computation to a more general class of programs.
Diagrammatic confluence for Constraint Handling Rules
Authors: HAEMMERLÉ RÉMY 
Published: September 2012

AbstractConfluence is a fundamental property of Constraint Handling Rules (CHR) since, as in other rewriting formalisms, it guarantees that the computations are not dependent on rule application order, and also because it implies the logical consistency of the program declarative view. In this paper we are concerned with proving the confluence of non-terminating CHR programs. For this purpose, we derive from van Oostrom's decreasing diagrams method a novel criterion on CHR critical pairs that generalizes all preexisting criteria. We subsequently improve on a result on the modularity of CHR confluence, which permits modular combinations of possibly non-terminating confluent programs, without loss of confluence.
Assessing BAILII in 2012
Authors: Fellows Cynthia S. , Leith Philip , Ury Joe 
Published: September 2012

AbstractCynthia Fellows, Philip Leith and Joe Ury report on the survey responses to a usage and attitudinal project carried out in early 2012 by the British and Irish Legal Information Institute (BAILII). There were 3,274 survey participants and their responses demonstrate substantial support for BAILII as an open access mechanism, a technically competent dissemination tool and a useful resource for lawyers and non-lawyers alike. Such positive response, we suggest, indicates that BAILII's resources are now threaded through the fabric of UK digital legal information, strengthening the ability of all citizens to access and become better informed about the laws of the land.
LawSync: Navigating the ‘Blue Oceans’ Within the ‘Emerging’ Legal Services Markets
Authors: Smith Pete , Whittle Richard , Griffith Peter 
Published: September 2012

AbstractChange, it is said, is the only constant. Whilst it cannot be avoided, the worlds of legal education and legal services have arguably enjoyed an extended period where the impact of change has been comparatively minimal. Today, these worlds face significant changes due to a combination of market and regulatory forces. True, such changes are likely to be accompanied by challenges but with these challenges come opportunities. There is no reason why Law Schools and Law students cannot help to shape these changes and benefit from them. Peter Smith, Richard Whittle and Peter Griffith discuss LawSync™, a project that seeks to enable such influence and attract such benefits at Sheffield Hallam University. See http://www.lawsync.com and http://twitter.com/lawsync for more details.
E-learning and the Legal Foundations Course: It's (a bit of) a Revolution!
Authors: Fishleigh Jackie 
Published: September 2012

AbstractIn this article, Jackie Fishleigh reflects on her first taste of e-learning whilst undertaking the revamped Legal Foundations Course. She explains how the course now works and compares it to the original version she took 20 years ago. She also looks at the views on e-learning expressed by Professor Richard Susskind and educationalist, Alan Clarke. The advantages and disadvantages are explored, together with the characteristics of a successful e-learner. The article aims to be informative and entertaining.
Mass loss and fate of the most massive stars
Authors: Vink Jorick S. 
Published: September 2012

AbstractThe fate of massive stars up to 300M⊙ is highly uncertain. Do these objects produce pair-instability explosions, or normal Type Ic supernovae? In order to address these questions, we need to know their mass-loss rates during their lives. Here we present mass-loss predictions for very massive stars (VMS) in the range of 60-300M⊙. We use a novel method that simultaneously predicts the wind terminal velocities v∞ and mass-loss rate Ṁ as a function of the stellar parameters: (i) luminosity/mass Γ, (ii) metallicity Z, and (iii) effective temperature Teff. Using our results, we evaluate the likely outcomes for the most massive stars.