bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The effect of weekly short message service communication on patient retention in care in the first year after HIV diagnosis: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial (WelTel Retain)
Authors: van der Kop Mia L , Ojakaa David I , Patel Anik , Thabane Lehana , Kinagwi Koki , Ekström Anna Mia , Smillie Kirsten , Karanja Sarah , Awiti Patricia , Mills Edward , Marra Carlo , Kyomuhangi Lennie Bazira , Lester Richard T 
Published: June 2013

IntroductionInterventions to improve retention in care after HIV diagnosis are necessary to optimise the timely initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) and HIV/AIDS control outcomes. Widespread mobile phone use presents new opportunities to engage patients in care. A randomised controlled trial (RCT), WelTel Kenya1, demonstrated that weekly text messages led to improved ART adherence and viral load suppression among those initiating ART. The aim of this study was to determine whether the WelTel intervention is an effective and cost-effective method of improving retention in care in the first year of care following HIV diagnosis.Methods and analysisWelTel Retain is an open, parallel group RCT that will be conducted at the Kibera Community Health Centre in Nairobi, Kenya. Over a 1-year period, we aim to recruit 686 individuals newly diagnosed with HIV who will be randomly allocated to an intervention or control arm (standard care) at a 1:1 ratio. Intervention arm participants will receive the weekly WelTel SMS ‘check-in’ to which they will be instructed to respond within 48 h. An HIV clinician will follow-up and triage any problems that are identified. Participants will be followed for 1 year, with a primary endpoint of retention in care at 12 months. Secondary outcomes include retention in stage 1 HIV care (patients return to the clinic to receive their first CD4 results) and timely ART initiation. Cost-effectiveness will be analysed through decision-analytic modelling.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval has been obtained from the University of British Columbia and the African Medical and Research Foundation. This trial will test the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the WelTel intervention to engage patients during the first year of HIV care. Trial results and economic evaluation will help inform policy and practice on the use of WelTel in the early stages of HIV care.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.govNCT01630304.
The developmental origins of ageing: study protocol for the Dutch famine birth cohort study on ageing
Authors: de Rooij Susanne R , Roseboom Tessa J 
Published: June 2013

IntroductionEvidence from animal studies suggest that the rate of ageing may be influenced not only by genetic and lifestyle factors, but also by the prenatal environment. We have previously shown that people who were exposed to famine during early gestation performed worse on a selective attention task, which may be a first sign of cognitive decline, and were on average 3 years younger at the time of coronary artery disease diagnosis. Women in this group seem to die at a younger age. We hypothesise that an accelerated ageing process, set in motion by the poor prenatal environment, underlies these findings.Methods and analysisThe Dutch Famine Birth Cohort consists of 2414 men and women born in Amsterdam as term singletons around the time of the Dutch famine. In a subsample of 150 cohort members, who now are about 68 years of age, we are currently measuring cognitive decline and the incidence of white matter hyperintensities and cerebral microbleeds (through MRI), incidence of fractures, grip strength and physical performance, visual acuity and incidence of cataract operations. In this same subgroup, we will assess telomere length, oxidative stress and inflammatory status as potential underlying mechanisms. Furthermore, in the entire cohort, we will assess mortality as well as hospital admissions for age-related diseases up to the age of 68 years.Ethics and disseminationThe study was approved by the local medical ethics committee (Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam) and is being carried out in agreement with the Declaration of Helsinki. All participants give written informed consent. Study findings will be widely disseminated to the scientific public as well as to the medical society and general public.
The effects of a multisite aerobic exercise intervention on asthma morbidity in sedentary adults with asthma: the Ex-asthma study randomised controlled trial protocol
Authors: Bacon Simon L , Lavoie Kim L , Bourbeau Jean , Ernst Pierre , Maghni Karim , Gautrin Denyse , Labrecque Manon , Pepin Veronique , Pedersen Bente Klarlund 
Published: June 2013

ObjectiveAerobic exercise can improve cardiovascular fitness and does not seem to be detrimental to patients with asthma, though its role in changing asthma control and inflammatory profiles is unclear. The main hypothesis of the current randomised controlled trial is that aerobic exercise will be superior to usual care in improving asthma control. Key secondary outcomes are asthma quality of life and inflammatory profiles.DesignA total of 104 sedentary adults with physician-diagnosed asthma will be recruited. Eligible participants will undergo a series of baseline assessments including: the asthma control questionnaire; the asthma quality-of-life questionnaire and the inflammatory profile (assessed from both the blood and sputum samples). On completion of the assessments, participants will be randomised (1:1 allocation) to either 12-weeks of usual care or usual care plus aerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise will consist of three supervised training sessions per week. Each session will consist of taking a short-acting bronchodilator, 10 min of warm-up, 40 min of aerobic exercise (50–75% of heart rate reserve for weeks 1–4, then 70–85% for weeks 5–12) and a 10 min cool-down. Within 1 week of completion, participants will be reassessed (same battery as at baseline). Analyses will assess the difference between the two intervention arms on postintervention levels of asthma control, quality of life and inflammation, adjusting for age, baseline inhaled corticosteroid prescription, body weight change and pretreatment dependent variable level. Missing data will be handled using standard multiple imputation techniques.Ethics and disseminationThe study has been approved by all relevant research ethics boards. Written consent will be obtained from all participants who will be able to withdraw at any time.ResultsThe result will be disseminated to three groups of stakeholder groups: (1) the scientific and professional community; (2) the research participants and (3) the general public.Registration Details ClinicalTrials.gov IdentifierNCT00953342
A retrospective review of the palliative surgical management of malignant pleural effusions
Authors: Bell David , Wright Gavin 
Published: June 2013

BackgroundA malignant pleural effusion (MPE) can be associated with debilitating dyspnoea. Determining optimal surgical management involves balancing the quality of palliation, degree of short-term dysfunction and expected duration of patient survival.ObjectiveTo examine differences in postoperative survival after different surgical approaches to MPEs and to analyse the relationship between primary tumour site and duration of postoperative survival.Design, setting and subjectsData from patients who underwent implantation of a tunnelled pleural catheter, video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) pleurodesis or decortication at a thoracic surgical service from February 2001 to October 2010 were retrospectively reviewed.Measurements and results291 procedures were performed in 283 patients. The three most common primary malignancies were non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (n=69), breast (n=62) and mesothelioma (n=49). Median postoperative survival was 184 days for NSCLC patients, 221 days for breast cancer patients and 595 days for mesothelioma patients. Tunnelled pleural catheters were implanted in 33 patients with a median survival of 92 days. VATS pleurodeses were performed in 224 patients with a median survival of 227 days. Decortications were performed in 26 patients with a median survival of 379 days.ConclusionsResults reflect that procedures can be successfully matched to projected survival, although prognosis is not informed by primary tumour site, age or sex. Further to this, results are consistent with the policy that the procedures resulting in the shortest hospital stay and lowest peri-operative morbidity should be reserved for patients with the shortest predicted survival.
Is home-based palliative care cost-effective? An economic evaluation of the Palliative Care Extended Packages at Home (PEACH) pilot
Authors: McCaffrey Nikki , Agar Meera , Harlum Janeane , Karnon Jonathon , Currow David , Eckermann Simon 
Published: June 2013

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of a home-based palliative care model relative to usual care in expediting discharge or enabling patients to remain at home.DesignEconomic evaluation of a pilot randomised controlled trial with 28 days follow-up.MethodsMean costs and effectiveness were calculated for the Palliative Care Extended Packages at Home (PEACH) and usual care arms including: days at home; place of death; PEACH intervention costs; specialist palliative care service use; acute hospital and palliative care unit inpatient stays; and outpatient visits.ResultsPEACH mean intervention costs per patient ($3489) were largely offset by lower mean inpatient care costs ($2450) and in this arm, participants were at home for one additional day on average. Consequently, PEACH is cost-effective relative to usual care when the threshold value for one extra day at home exceeds $1068, or $2547 if only within-study days of hospital admission are costed. All estimates are high uncertainty.ConclusionsThe results of this small pilot study point to the potential of PEACH as a cost-effective end-of-life care model relative to usual care. Findings support the feasibility of conducting a definitive, fully powered study with longer follow-up and comprehensive economic evaluation.
Sports facilities in Madrid explain the relationship between neighbourhood economic context and physical inactivity in older people, but not in younger adults: a case study
Authors: Pascual Cruz , Regidor Enrique , Álvarez-del Arco Débora , Alejos Belén , Santos Juana M , Calle María E , Martínez David 
Published: June 2013

BackgroundNeighbourhood characteristics may contribute to differences in physical inactivity.PurposeTo evaluate whether the availability of sports facilities helps explain the differences in physical inactivity according to the economic context of the neighbourhood.Methods6607 participants representative of the population aged 16–74 years, resident in Madrid (Spain) in 2005, were analysed. Using ORs calculated by multilevel logistic regression, the association between per capita income of the neighbourhood of residence and physical inactivity was estimated, after adjusting for age, population density, individual socioeconomic characteristics and the availability of green spaces. The analysis was repeated after further adjustment for the availability of sports facilities to determine if this reduced the magnitude of the association.ResultsResidents in the neighbourhoods with the lowest per capita income had the highest OR for the prevalence of physical inactivity. In participants aged 16–49 years, after adjusting for the availability of sports facilities, the magnitude of the OR in the poorest neighbourhoods with respect to the richest neighbourhoods increased in men (from 2.22 to 2.35) and declined by 13% in women (from 2.13 to 1.98). In contrast, in the population aged 50–74 years, this adjustment reduced the magnitude of the OR by 21% in men (from 2.00 to 1.80) and by 53% in women (from 2.03 to 1.48).ConclusionsThe poorest neighbourhoods show the highest prevalence of physical inactivity. The availability of sports facilities explains an important part of this excess prevalence in participants aged 50–74 years, but not in younger individuals.
Use of emergency contraceptive pills among female sex workers in Swaziland
Authors: Yam Eileen A , Mnisi Zandile , Maziya Sibusiso , Kennedy Caitlin , Baral Stefan 
Published: June 2013

ObjectivesFemale sex workers (FSW) often have unprotected sex. Emergency contraceptive pills (ECP) are an important back-up method to prevent unwanted pregnancy among FSW. We examine ECP use among FSW in Swaziland.MethodsUsing data from a 2011 respondent-driven sampling survey of 325 Swazi FSW, we explored the association between individual characteristics and ever having used ECP.ResultsIn weighted analyses, 27.5% of FSW had ever used ECP. Most (77.8%) had ever been pregnant, among whom 48.7% had had an unwanted pregnancy and 11.7% had had an abortion. Nearly half (47.5%) had experienced condom failure in the past month. Significant independent correlates of ECP use were younger age, higher education, higher income, having two or more children, and never having been married.ConclusionsFSW who are older or of lower socioeconomic status may not have adequate access to ECP. By better addressing these women's family planning needs, the dual goals of preventing unwanted pregnancy and preventing vertical transmission of HIV can be achieved.
Herpes simplex virus type 2 cross-sectional seroprevalence and the estimated rate of neonatal infections among a cohort of rural Malawian female adolescents
Authors: Sudfeld Christopher R , Hewett Paul C , Abuelezam Nadia N , Chalasani Satvika , Soler-Hampejsek Erica , Kelly Christine A , Mensch Barbara S 
Published: June 2013

ObjectiveTo assess herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) seroprevalence among rural Malawian adolescent women and estimate the number of neonatal herpes infections among infants of these adolescents.MethodsA longitudinal cohort study of adolescents (14–16 years at entry) residing in rural Malawi was initiated in 2007 with annual observation. HSV-2 testing was introduced in 2010. In this study, we (1) determined, using cross-sectional analysis, risk factors for positive serostatus, (2) adjusted for non-response bias with imputation methods and (3) estimated the incidence of neonatal herpes infection using mathematical models.ResultsA total of 1195 female adolescents (age 17–20 years) were interviewed in 2010, with an observed HSV-2 seroprevalence of 15.2% among the 955 women tested. From a multivariate analysis, risk factors for HSV-2 seropositivity include older age (p=0.037), moving from the baseline village (p=0.020) and report of sexual activity with increasing number of partners (p<0.021). Adjusting for non-response bias, the estimated HSV-2 seroprevalence among the total female cohort (composed of all women interviewed in 2007) was 18.0% (95% CI 16.0% to 20.2%). HSV-2 seropositivity was estimated to be 25.6% (95% CI 19.6% to 32.5%) for women who refused to provide a blood sample. The estimated number of neonatal herpes infections among the total female cohort was 71.8 (95% CI 57.3 to 86.3) per 100 000 live births.ConclusionsThe risk of HSV-2 seroconversion is high during adolescence, when childbearing is beginning, among rural Malawian women. Research on interventions to reduce horizontal and vertical HSV-2 transmission during adolescence in resource-limited settings is needed.
Metamorphic grade of source rocks revealed by chemical fingerprints of detrital amphibole and garnet
Authors: Andò Sergio , Morton Andrew , Garzanti Eduardo 
Published: June 2013

Abstract

Amphibole and garnet are among the most widespread heavy minerals in orogenic sediments. Their chemical composition and optical properties vary markedly and systematically with temperature and pressure conditions during growth, and thus provide important information on the metamorphic evolution of source areas that is crucial in palaeotectonic and palaeogeodynamic reconstructions. This study investigates the chemical composition of detrital amphiboles and garnets derived from parent rocks of progressively increasing metamorphic grade through a well-studied composite section across the Central and Southern Alps, including the granulite-facies core of the Late Palaeozoic orogen exposed in the Ivrea–Verbano Zone and the amphibolite-facies core of the Cenozoic orogen exposed in the Lepontine Dome. We specifically focus on metamorphic grade because it represents the best proxy for tectono-stratigraphic crustal level, and hence degree of unroofing of source areas. In river sands collected between metamorphic isograds corresponding to crystallization temperatures ranging from
c.
500 °C to
c.
850 °C, TiO
2
gradually increases in detrital amphibole while its colour progressively changes from blue-green in the lower amphibolite-facies where actinolite, hornblende and tschermakite are most abundant, to brown in the granulite facies where pargasite is dominant. Detrital garnets display moderate gradual changes across the amphibolite-facies Lepontine Dome, where low-Mg ‘type B’ garnets predominate. Almandine-spessartine is spatially associated with abundance of pegmatites while entering the zone of anatexis (Southern Steep Belt), where grossular or grossular-andradite-spessartine are occasionally found. A sharp change occurs while reaching granulite-facies in the Ivrea–Verbano Zone, where high-Mn garnets disappear and ‘type A’ almandine-pyrope (from ‘stronalite’ metasediments) and ‘type C’ almandine-pyrope-grossular (from metagabbros of the Mafic Complex) predominate. Also redefined in this article are a series of numerical indices based on amphibole colour and relative abundances of diverse key minerals (chloritoid, staurolite, andalusite, kyanite, fibrolitic and prismatic sillimanite), useful to accurately assess the average metamorphic grade of meta-igneous and metasedimentary source rocks.

Supplementary material:

Chemical composition of detrital amphiboles and garnets and full information on the location and mineralogical composition of studied samples is available at
http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/SUP18618
.
EGF Receptor Activates MET through MAPK to Enhance Non–Small Cell Lung Carcinoma Invasion and Brain Metastasis
Authors: Breindel Jerrica L. , Haskins Jonathan W. , Cowell Elizabeth P. , Zhao Minghui , Nguyen Don X. , Stern David F. 
Published: June 2013

Abstract
MET amplification as a mechanism of acquired resistance to EGF receptor (EGFR)-targeted therapies in non–small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) led to investigation of novel combinations of EGFR and MET kinase inhibitors. However, promiscuous interactions between MET and ERBB family members have made it difficult to evaluate the effects of MET on EGFR signaling, both independent of drug treatment and in the context of drug resistance. We addressed this issue by establishing a 32D model cell system wherein ERBBs or MET are expressed alone and in combination. Using this model, we determined that EGFR signaling is sufficient to induce MET phosphorylation, although MET activation is enhanced by coexpression of ERBB3. EGFR–MET cross-talk was not direct, but occurred by a combined regulation of MET levels and intermediary signaling through mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK). In NSCLCs harboring either wild-type or mutant EGFR, inhibiting EGFR or MAPK reduced MET activation and protein levels. Furthermore, MET signaling promoted EGFR-driven migration and invasion. Finally, EGFR–MET signaling was enhanced in a highly metastatic EGFR-mutant cell subpopulation, compared with the indolent parental line, and MET attenuation decreased the incidence of brain metastasis. Overall, our results establish that EGFR–MET signaling is critical for aggressive behavior of NSCLCs and rationalize its continued investigation as a therapeutic target for tumors harboring both wild-type and mutant EGFR at early stages of progression. Cancer Res; 73(16); 5053–65. ©2013 AACR.
Targeting Transmembrane TNF-α Suppresses Breast Cancer Growth
Authors: Yu Mingxia , Zhou Xiaoxi , Niu Lin , Lin Guohong , Huang Jin , Zhou Wenjing , Gan Hui , Wang Jing , Jiang Xiaodan , Yin Bingjiao , Li Zhuoya 
Published: June 2013

Abstract
TNF antagonists may offer therapeutic potential in solid tumors, but patients who have high serum levels of TNF-α fail to respond to infliximab, suggesting consumption of the circulating antibody and loss of transmembrane TNF-α (tmTNF-α) on tumors by ectodomain shedding. Addressing this possibility, we developed a monoclonal antibody (mAb) that binds both full-length tmTNF-α and its N-terminal truncated fragment on the membrane after tmTNF-α processing but does not cross-react with soluble TNF-α. We documented high levels of tmTNF-α expression in primary breast cancers, lower levels in atypical hyperplasia or hyperplasia, but undetectable levels in normal breast tissue, consistent with the notion that tmTNF-α is a potential therapeutic target. Evaluations in vitro and in vivo further supported this assertion. tmTNF-α mAb triggered antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity against tmTNF-α–expressing cells but not to tmTNF-α–negative cells. In tumor-bearing mice, tmTNF-α mAb delayed tumor growth, eliciting complete tumor regressions in some mice. Moreover, tmTNF-α mAb inhibited metastasis and expression of CD44v6, a prometastatic molecule. However, the antibody did not activate tmTNF-α–mediated reverse signaling, which facilitates tumor survival and resistance to apoptosis, but instead inhibited NF-κB activation and Bcl-2 expression by decreasing tmTNF-α–positive cells. Overall, our results established that tmTNF-α mAb exerts effective antitumor activities and offers a promising candidate to treat tmTNF-α–positive tumors, particularly in patients that are nonresponders to TNF antagonists. Cancer Res; 73(13); 4061–74. ©2013 AACR.
Optimal Targeting of HER2–PI3K Signaling in Breast Cancer: Mechanistic Insights and Clinical Implications
Authors: Rexer Brent N. , Arteaga Carlos L. 
Published: June 2013

Abstract
The combination of a PI3K inhibitor with trastuzumab has been shown to be effective at overcoming trastuzumab resistance in models of HER2+ breast cancer by inhibiting HER2–PI3K–FOXO–survivin signaling. In this review the potential clinical implications of these findings are discussed. Cancer Res; 73(13); 3817–20. ©2013 AACR.
Trial Designs for Personalizing Cancer Care: A Systematic Review and Classification
Authors: Tajik Parvin , Zwinderman Aleiko H. , Mol Ben W. , Bossuyt Patrick M. 
Published: June 2013

AbstractThere is an increasing interest in the evaluation of prognostic and predictive biomarkers for personalizing cancer care. The literature on the trial designs for evaluation of these markers is diverse and there is no consensus in the classification or nomenclature. We set this study to review the literature systematically, to identify the proposed trial designs, and to develop a classification scheme. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Methodology Register, and MathSciNet up to January 2013 for articles describing these trial designs. In each eligible article, we identified the trial designs presented and extracted the term used for labeling the design, components of patient flow (marker status of eligible participants, intervention, and comparator), study questions, and analysis plan. Our search strategy resulted in 88 eligible articles, wherein 315 labels had been used by authors in presenting trial designs; 134 of these were unique. By analyzing patient flow components, we could classify the 134 unique design labels into four basic patient flow categories, which we labeled with the most frequently used term: single-arm, enrichment, randomize-all, and biomarker-strategy designs. A fifth category consists of combinations of the other four patient flow categories. Our review showed that a considerable number of labels has been proposed for trial designs evaluating prognostic and predictive biomarkers which, based on patient flow elements, can be classified into five basic categories. The classification system proposed here could help clinicians and researchers in designing and interpreting trials evaluating predictive biomarkers, and could reduce confusion in labeling and reporting. Clin Cancer Res; 19(17); 4578–88. ©2013 AACR.