bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Using age, triage score, and disposition data from emergency department electronic records to improve Influenza-like illness surveillance
Authors: Savard Noémie , Bédard Lucie , Allard Robert , Buckeridge David L 
Published: February 2015

Abstract
Objective Markers of illness severity are increasingly captured in emergency department (ED) electronic systems, but their value for surveillance is not known. We assessed the value of age, triage score, and disposition data from ED electronic records for predicting influenza-related hospitalizations.
Materials and Methods From June 2006 to January 2011, weekly counts of pneumonia and influenza (P&I) hospitalizations from five Montreal hospitals were modeled using negative binomial regression. Over lead times of 0–5 weeks, we assessed the predictive ability of weekly counts of 1) total ED visits, 2) ED visits with influenza-like illness (ILI), and 3) ED visits with ILI stratified by age, triage score, or disposition. Models were adjusted for secular trends, seasonality, and autocorrelation. Model fit was assessed using Akaike information criterion, and predictive accuracy using the mean absolute scaled error (MASE).
Results Predictive accuracy for P&I hospitalizations during non-pandemic years was improved when models included visits from patients ≥65 years old and visits resulting in admission/transfer/death (MASE of 0.64, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.54–0.80) compared to overall ILI visits (0.89, 95% CI 0.69–1.10). During the H1N1 pandemic year, including visits from patients &lt;18 years old, visits with high priority triage scores, or visits resulting in admission/transfer/death resulted in the best model fit.
Discussion Age and disposition data improved model fit and moderately reduced the prediction error for P&I hospitalizations; triage score improved model fit only during the pandemic year.
Conclusion Incorporation of age and severity measures available in ED records can improve ILI surveillance algorithms.
Parameterizing time in electronic health record studies
Authors: Hripcsak George , Albers David J , Perotte Adler 
Published: February 2015

Abstract
Background Fields like nonlinear physics offer methods for analyzing time series, but many methods require that the time series be stationary—no change in properties over time.
Objective Medicine is far from stationary, but the challenge may be able to be ameliorated by reparameterizing time because clinicians tend to measure patients more frequently when they are ill and are more likely to vary.
Methods We compared time parameterizations, measuring variability of rate of change and magnitude of change, and looking for homogeneity of bins of temporal separation between pairs of time points. We studied four common laboratory tests drawn from 25 years of electronic health records on 4 million patients.
Results We found that sequence time—that is, simply counting the number of measurements from some start—produced more stationary time series, better explained the variation in values, and had more homogeneous bins than either traditional clock time or a recently proposed intermediate parameterization. Sequence time produced more accurate predictions in a single Gaussian process model experiment.
Conclusions Of the three parameterizations, sequence time appeared to produce the most stationary series, possibly because clinicians adjust their sampling to the acuity of the patient. Parameterizing by sequence time may be applicable to association and clustering experiments on electronic health record data. A limitation of this study is that laboratory data were derived from only one institution. Sequence time appears to be an important potential parameterization.
The effect of non-Gaussianity on error predictions for the Epoch of Reionization (EoR) 21-cm power spectrum
Authors: Mondal Rajesh , Bharadwaj Somnath , Majumdar Suman , Bera Apurba , Acharyya Ayan 
Published: February 2015

Abstract
The Epoch of Reionization (EoR) 21-cm signal is expected to become increasingly non-Gaussian as reionization proceeds. We have used seminumerical simulations to study how this affects the error predictions for the EoR 21-cm power spectrum. We expect ${\rm SNR}=\sqrt{N_k}$ for a Gaussian random field where Nk is the number of Fourier modes in each k bin. We find that non-Gaussianity is important at high SNR where it imposes an upper limit [SNR]l. For a fixed volume V, it is not possible to achieve SNR &gt; [SNR]l even if Nk is increased. The value of [SNR]l falls as reionization proceeds, dropping from ∼500 at $\bar{x}_{{\rm H\,{\small {i}}}}= 0.8{\rm -}0.9$ to ∼10 at $\bar{x}_{{\rm H\,{\small {i}}}}= 0.15$ for a [150.08 Mpc]3 simulation. We show that it is possible to interpret [SNR]l in terms of the trispectrum, and we expect $[{\rm SNR}]_l \propto \sqrt{V}$ if the volume is increased. For SNR ≪ [SNR]l we find ${\rm SNR}= \sqrt{N_k}/A$ with A ∼ 0.95–1.75, roughly consistent with the Gaussian prediction. We present a fitting formula for the SNR as a function of Nk, with two parameters A and [SNR]l that have to be determined using simulations. Our results are relevant for predicting the sensitivity of different instruments to measure the EoR 21-cm power spectrum, which till date have been largely based on the Gaussian assumption.
Probing the precise location of the radio core in the TeV blazar Mrk 501 with VERA at 43 GHz
Authors: Koyama Shoko , Kino Motoki , Doi Akihiro , Niinuma Kotaro , Hada Kazuhiro , Nagai Hiroshi , Honma Mareki , Akiyama Kazunori , Giroletti Marcello , Giovannini Gabriele , Orienti Monica , Isobe Naoki , Kataoka Jun , Paneque David , Kobayashi Hideyuki , Asada Keiichi 
Published: February 2015

Abstract
We investigate the position of the radio core in a blazar by multi-epoch astrometric observations at 43 GHz. Using the VLBI Exploration of Radio Astrometry (VERA), we have conducted four adjacent observations in 2011 February and another four in 2011 October, and succeeded in measuring the position of the radio core in the TeV blazar Mrk 501 relative to a distant compact quasar NRAO 512. During our observations, we find that (1) there is no positional change within ∼0.2 mas or ∼2.0 pc de-projected with ±1 σ error for the weighted-mean phase-referenced positions of the Mrk 501 core relative to NRAO 512 over four adjacent days, and (2) there is an indication of position change for the 3C 345 core relative to NRAO 512. By applying our results to the standard internal shock model for blazars, we constrain the bulk Lorenz factors of the ejecta.
Favorable Outcome of Hurthle Cell Carcinoma of the Thyroid Treated With Total Thyroidectomy, Radioiodine, and Selective Use of External-Beam Radiotherapy
Authors: Zavitsanos Peter , Amdur Robert J. , Drew Peter A. , Cusi Kenneth , Werning John W. , Morris Christopher G. 
Published: February 2015

Objectives:
There is controversy about the prognosis of Hurthle cell carcinoma of the thyroid. The purpose of this project is to report the outcome of a well-defined group of patients treated at a single institution in the modern era.

Methods:
Sixteen patients met the following inclusion criteria: Treatment with curative intent at our institution between January 1, 1997, and December 31, 2010. Primary treatment with total thyroidectomy with or without neck dissection. Age >18 years at the time of thyroidectomy. Confirmation by a pathologist of the diagnosis of a primary Hurthle cell carcinoma of the thyroid based on ≥75% Hurthle cells with extension through the tumor capsule. No areas of poorly differentiated (insular) or undifferentiated (anaplastic) carcinoma. Stage T1-3, NX-1b, M0. All patients received radioiodine immediately after thyroidectomy (remnant ablation, n=14) or as adjuvant for a recurrence (n=2). External-beam radiotherapy to the neck as adjuvant therapy after thyroidectomy was used in 2 patients and after resection of a neck recurrence in 1 patient.

Results:
Five-year actuarial rates with a median 6 years of follow up on surviving patients were as follows:
Overall and cancer-specific survival: 92% (1 death from Hurthle cell carcinoma). Relapse-free survival (no visible tumor and unstimulated thyroglobulin ≤1.0): 65%.

Conclusions:
Our experience suggests that the outcome of Hurthle cell carcinoma of the thyroid is favorable in adults with stage T1-3 NX-1b M0 disease who are managed with total thyroidectomy, radioiodine, and—in selected cases—external-beam radiotherapy. We do not have the ability to compare our results to other management strategies.
Radiotherapy for Brain Metastases From Renal Cell Carcinoma in the Targeted Therapy Era
Authors: Bates James E. , Youn Paul , Peterson Carl R. , Usuki Kenneth Y. , Walter Kevin A. , Okunieff Paul , Milano Michael T. 
Published: February 2015

Objectives:
Radiotherapy remains the standard approach for brain metastases from renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Kinase inhibitors (KI) have become standard of care for metastatic RCC. They also increase the radiosensitivity of various tumor types in preclinical models. Data are lacking regarding the effect of KIs among RCC patients undergoing radiotherapy for brain metastases. We report our experience of radiotherapy for brain metastatic RCC in the era of targeted therapy and analyzed effects of concurrent KI therapy.

Methods:
We retrospectively analyzed 25 consecutive patients who received radiotherapy for brain metastases from RCC with whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT), stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), or both. Kaplan-Meier rates of overall survival (OS) and brain progression-free survival (BPFS) were calculated and univariate analyses performed.

Results:
Lower diagnosis-specific graded prognostic assessment (DS-GPA) score and multiple intracranial metastases were associated with decreased OS and BPFS on univariate analysis; DS-GPA is also a prognostic factor on multivariate analysis. There was no significant difference in OS or BPFS for SRS compared with WBRT or WBRT and SRS combined. The concurrent use of KI was not associated with any change in OS or BPFS.

Conclusions:
This hypothesis-generating analysis suggests among patients with brain metastatic RCC treated with the most current therapies, those selected to undergo SRS did not experience significantly different survival or control outcomes than those selected to undergo WBRT. From our experience to date, limited in patient numbers, there seems to be neither harm nor benefit in using concurrent KI therapy during radiotherapy. Given that most patients progress systemically, we would recommend considering KI use during brain radiotherapy in these patients.
Activation of Symbiosis Signaling by Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi in Legumes and Rice
Authors: Sun Jongho , Miller J. Benjamin , Granqvist Emma , Wiley-Kalil Audrey , Gobbato Enrico , Maillet Fabienne , Cottaz Sylvain , Samain Eric , Venkateshwaran Muthusubramanian , Fort Sébastien , Morris Richard J. , Ané Jean-Michel , Dénarié Jean , Oldroyd Giles E.D. 
Published: February 2015

Abstract
Establishment of arbuscular mycorrhizal interactions involves plant recognition of diffusible signals from the fungus, including lipochitooligosaccharides (LCOs) and chitooligosaccharides (COs). Nitrogen-fixing rhizobial bacteria that associate with leguminous plants also signal to their hosts via LCOs, the so-called Nod factors. Here, we have assessed the induction of symbiotic signaling by the arbuscular mycorrhizal (Myc) fungal-produced LCOs and COs in legumes and rice (Oryza sativa). We show that Myc-LCOs and tetra-acetyl chitotetraose (CO4) activate the common symbiosis signaling pathway, with resultant calcium oscillations in root epidermal cells of Medicago truncatula and Lotus japonicus. The nature of the calcium oscillations is similar for LCOs produced by rhizobial bacteria and by mycorrhizal fungi; however, Myc-LCOs activate distinct gene expression. Calcium oscillations were activated in rice atrichoblasts by CO4, but not the Myc-LCOs, whereas a mix of CO4 and Myc-LCOs activated calcium oscillations in rice trichoblasts. In contrast, stimulation of lateral root emergence occurred following treatment with Myc-LCOs, but not CO4, in M. truncatula, whereas both Myc-LCOs and CO4 were active in rice. Our work indicates that legumes and non-legumes differ in their perception of Myc-LCO and CO signals, suggesting that different plant species respond to different components in the mix of signals produced by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.
Value management and innovation
Authors: Jay C.I. , Bowen P.A. 
Published: March 2015

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to provide a holistic and comprehensive historical perspective of the evolution of value management, and to illustrate the impact that value analysis can have on innovation within organizations.

Design/methodology/approach
– A review of published material from credible sources describing the evolution of the value management methodology, and a desktop analysis of 35 documented value management case studies illustrating the role of value management in innovation.

Findings
– Published descriptions of the evolution of value management are incomplete and fragmented. A holistic and comprehensive historical perspective of value management as a value-adding methodology is provided. Mapped against a model for innovation, value management is shown to contribute substantially to innovation within organizations across a variety of contexts. Value management is currently evolving into a powerful approach to strategic planning.

Practical implications
– This paper illustrates the contribution of value management to innovation across a variety of industries and contexts.

Originality/value
– The paper provides a holistic and comprehensive historical perspective of the evolution of value management as a methodology, and demonstrates by mapping selected case studies onto a model of innovation impact, that the method is a powerful and versatile approach to obtaining innovative solutions to organizational problems.
Emergence of carbapenem non‐susceptible multidrug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii strains of clonal complexes 103B and 92B harboring OXA‐type carbapenemases and metallo‐β‐lactamases in Southern India
Authors: Saranathan Rajagopalan , Vasanth Vaidyanathan , Vasanth Thamodharan , Shabareesh Pidathala Raghavendra Venkata , Shashikala P. , Devi Chandrakesan Sheela , Kalaivani Ramakrishnan , Asir Johny , Sudhakar Pagal , Prashanth K 
Published: February 2015

ABSTRACTThe molecular epidemiology and carbapenem resistance mechanisms of clinical isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii obtained from a south Indian tertiary care hospital were investigated by repetitive extragenic palindromic sequence PCR (REP‐PCR) and multi‐locus sequence typing (MLST). Analysis of resistant determinants was achieved by PCR screening for the presence of genes encoding OXA‐carbapenemases, metallo‐β‐lactamases (MBLs) and efflux pumps. REP‐PCR generated around eight clusters of high heterogeneity; of these, two major clusters (I and V) appeared to be clonal in origin. Analysis of representative isolates from different clusters by MLST revealed that most of the isolates belonged to sequence type 103 of CC103B. Second most prevalent ST belonged to clonal complex (CC) 92B which is also referred to as international clone II. Most of the isolates were multi‐drug resistant, being susceptible only to polymyxin‐B and newer quinolones. Class D β‐lactamases such as blaOXA‐51‐like (100%), blaOXA‐23‐like (56.8%) and blaOXA‐24‐like (14.8%) were found to be predominant, followed by a class B β‐lactamase, namely blaIMP‐1 (40.7%); none of the isolates had blaOXA‐58 like, blaNDM‐1 or blaSIM‐1. Genes of efflux‐pump adeABC were predominant, most of isolates being biofilm producers that were PCR‐positive for autoinducer synthase gene (>94%). Carbapenem non‐susceptible isolates were highly diverse and present throughout the hospital irrespective of type of ward or intensive care unit. Although previous reports have documented diverse resistant mechanisms in A. baumannii, production of MBL and OXA‐type of carbapenamases were found to be the predominant mechanism(s) of carbapenem resistance identified in strains isolated from Southern India.
Parasitoid wasps indirectly suppress seed production by stimulating consumption rates of their seed‐feeding hosts
Authors: Xi Xinqiang , Eisenhauer Nico , Sun Shucun 
Published: February 2015

Summary

In parasitoid–herbivore–plant food chains, parasitoids may be simultaneously linked with both herbivore hosts and plants, as occurs when herbivores attacked by parasitoids continue to consume plants although they are destined to die. This peculiar property may cause parasitoids to confer a differential trophic cascading effect on plants than that known for typical predators.

We hypothesized that larval koinobiont parasitoids would confer an immediate negative effect on plant seed production by stimulating consumption of their seed‐predator hosts. We tested this hypothesis in an alpine parasitic food chain of plant seeds, pre‐dispersal seed predators (tephritid fly larvae) and koinobiont parasitoids using field observations, a field experiment and a microcosm study.

We first compared observed seed production in (i) non‐infected capitula, (ii) capitula infected only by seed predators (tephritid flies) and (iii) capitula infected by both seed predators and their parasitoids in five Asteraceae species. Consistent with our hypothesis, seed loss in the capitula with both seed predators and parasitoids was significantly greater than in the capitula infested only by seed predators.

This effect was replicated in a controlled field experiment focusing on the most common parasitoid–seed predator–plant interaction chain in our system, in which confounding factors (e.g. density and phenology) were excluded. Here, we show that parasitoids indirectly decreased plant seed production by changing the behaviour of seed predators.

In a microcosm study, we show that larval parasitoids significantly extended the growth period and increased the terminal size of their host tephritid maggots. Thus, parasitoids suppressed plant seed production by stimulating the growth and consumption of the fly maggots.

In contrast to the typical predator‐induced trophic cascade, we highlight the significance of parasitoids indirectly decreasing plant fitness by stimulating consumption by seed predators. Future studies on trophic interactions should consider the net effect of both increased consumption by seed predators and their death after development of parasitoids.
Expanding the conceptual toolkit of organ gifting
Authors: M. Shaw Rhonda 
Published: February 2015

AbstractIn jurisdictions where the sale of body tissue and organs is illegal, organ transplantation is often spoken of as a gift of life. In the social sciences and bioethics this concept has been subject to critique over the course of the last two decades for failing to reflect the complexities of organ and tissue exchange. I suggest that a new ethical model of organ donation and transplantation is needed to capture the range of experiences in this domain. The proposed model is both analytical and empirically oriented, and draws on research findings linking a series of qualitative sociological studies undertaken in New Zealand between 2007 and 2013. The studies were based on document analysis, field notes and 127 semi‐structured in‐depth interviews with people from different cultural and constituent groups directly involved in organ transfer processes. The aim of the article is to contribute to sociological knowledge about organ exchange and to expand the conceptual toolkit of organ donation to include the unconditional gift, the gift relation, gift exchange, body project, and body work. The rationale for the proposed model is to provide an explanatory framework for organ donors and transplant recipients and to assist the development of ethical guidelines and health policy discourse.
Hydrocarbon Generation and Expulsion of the Upper Triassic T3x5 Source Rocks in the Western Sichuan Depression: Assessment for Unconventional Natural Gas
Authors: Yingchun GUO , Yan SONG , Xiongqi PANG , Youwei WANG , Kerning YANG , Boyuan LI 
Published: March 2015

AbstractTight‐sand gas in the Jurassic and shale gas within the fifth member of Xujiahe Formation (T3x5) in the Western Sichuan Basin (WSD) are currently regarded as the most prolific emerging unconventional gas plays in China. This study conducted a conventional evaluation of T3x5 source rocks in the WSD, and investigated their hydrocarbon generation and expulsion characteristics, including intensity, efficiency and amount. The results show that, the T3x5 source rocks are thick (generally >200 m), and have a high total organic content (TOC), ranging from 2.5 to 4.5 wt%. It is thus indivative of a great hydrocarbon generation potential when they underwent high thermal evolution (Ro>1.2%) in the area. In addition, an improved method of hydrocarbon generation potential is applied, indicating that the source rocks reached a hydrocarbon expulsion threshold with vitrinite reflectance (Ro) reaching 1.06%, and that the comprehensive hydrocarbon expulsion efficiency is about 60%. The amount of hydrocarbon generation and expulsion from T3x5 source rocks is 3.14×1010 t and 1.86×1010 t, respectively, with a residual amount of 1.28×1010 t within them. Continuous‐type tight‐sand gas is predicted to have developed in the Jurassic in the Chengdu Sag of the WSD because of the good source‐reservoir configuration; the Jurassic sandstone reservoirs are tight, and the gas expelled from the T3x5 source rocks migrates for very short distances vertically and horizontally. The amount of gas accumulation in the Jurassic reservoirs derived from T3x5 source rocks is up to 9.3×108 t. Geological resources of shale gas are up to 1.05×1010 t. Small differences between the amounts calculated by the volumetric method and those obtained by hydrocarbon generation potential method may be due to other gas accumulations present within interbedded sands associated with gas shales.
Human leukocyte antigen (HLA)‐G gene polymorphism in patients with non‐small cell lung cancer
Authors: Kowal Aneta , Wiśniewski Andrzej , Kuśnierczyk Piotr , Jankowska Renata 
Published: February 2015

AbstractBackgroundLung cancer represents the highest morbidity and mortality caused by neoplasms in the world; therefore researchers continue to search for new tools to diagnose and treat the disease. The aim of the study was to establish the role of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in the promoter region of the human leukocyte antigen (HLA)‐G gene in patients with non‐small cell lung cancer.MethodsWe enrolled 143 patients with a mean age of 63 years, diagnosed with non‐small cell lung cancer, in the study. Adenocarcinomas made up 33% of the cases. Patients in stage III or IV of the tumor node metastasis staging system made up 59%. Two polymorphic sites in the promoter region of the HLA‐G gene were genotyped (−725C>G>T and −716T>G).ResultsAll genotyped SNPs were in Hardy‐Weinberg equilibrium. No proof of a relationship between genotype −725C>G>T or −716T>G and the risk of lung cancer compared with healthy volunteers from the literature was found. We also found no correlation between the two SNPs and survival time, histological type of cancer, T stage, the presence of remote metastases or performance status according to the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) scale. The only association we found was genotype −725C>G>T and the degree of lymph node metastases (N stage).ConclusionsSNPs of the promoter of the HLA‐G gene may have an impact on the development of lymph node metastases. In the study we did not prove a relationship between the examined SNPs and the course of the disease because of the small patient groups studied.