bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
What Are the Characteristics That Explain Hospital Quality? A Longitudinal Pridit Approach
Authors: Lieberthal Robert D. , Comer Dominique M. 
Published: October 2013

AbstractHealth outcomes vary substantially between high‐ and low‐quality institutions, meaning the difference between life and death in some cases. The prior literature has identified a number of variables that can be used to determine hospital quality, but methodologies for combining variables into an overall measure of hospital quality are not well developed. This analysis builds on the prior investigation of hospital quality by evaluating a method originally developed for the detection of health‐care fraud, Pridit, in the context of determining hospital quality. We developed a theoretical model to justify the application of Pridit to the hospital quality setting and then applied the Pridit method to a national, multiyear data set on U.S. hospital quality variables and outcomes. The results demonstrate how the Pridit method can be used predictively, in order to predict future health outcomes based on currently available quality measures. These results inform the use of Pridit, and other unsupervised learning methods, in fraud detection and other settings where valid and reliable outcomes variables are difficult to obtain. The empirical results obtained in this study may also be of use to health insurers and policymakers who aim to improve quality in the hospital setting.
Using Panel Data for Partial Identification of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Prevalence When Infection Status is Missing Not at Random
Authors: Arpino Bruno , De Cao Elisabetta , Peracchi Franco 
Published: October 2013

SummaryPopulation-based surveys are often considered the ‘gold standard’ to estimate the prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) but typically suffer from serious missing data problems. This causes considerable uncertainty about HIV prevalence. Following the partial identification approach, we produce worst-case bounds for HIV prevalence. We then exploit the availability of panel data and the absorbing nature of HIV infection to narrow the width of these bounds. Applied to panel data from rural Malawi, our approach considerably reduces the width of the worst-case bounds. It also allows us to check the credibility of the additional assumptions that are imposed by methods that point-identify HIV prevalence.
An Approach to Perform Expert Elicitation for Engineering Design Risk Analysis: Methodology and Experimental Results
Authors: Babuscia Alessandra , Cheung Kar-Ming 
Published: October 2013

SummaryExpert elicitation is increasingly applied to different research areas. Multiple approaches have been implemented, but the development of methods to quantify experts' biases and calibration represents a challenge. As a result, the integration of multiple and often conflicting opinions can be demanding, owing to the complexity of properly weighting experts' contributions. We propose an approach to address this problem when probability densities for seed calibration variables are not available. The methodology generates an expert score that is employed to aggregate multiple-expert assessments. The approach has been experimentally applied to engineering design risk analysis. Results indicate that the approach improves the quality of the estimations. The weighted aggregations of experts' estimates based on the experts' scores achieve better results than the corresponding aggregations based on experts' opinions equally weighted.
Regional Variation in Relative Survival—Quantifying the Effects of the Competing Risks of Death by Using a Cure Fraction Model with Random Effects
Authors: Seppä Karri , Hakulinen Timo , Läärä Esa 
Published: October 2013

SummaryWe extend a mixture cure fraction model with random effects to allow estimation of relative survival of cancer patients by region in a country with a parsimonious number of parameters. The heterogeneity in the expected survival was taken into account such that the expected mortality rate was considered as a random quantity varying across regions. Two sets of random effects were used to describe regional variation, both in the cure fraction and in the relative survival of the non-cured patients. This hierarchical model was fitted in a Bayesian framework to the follow-up data of Finnish colon cancer patients diagnosed in 1975–2004. The public health importance of the regional differences was described by the extra survival time and avoidable deaths that could be gained, if the regional variation were eliminated and all the hospital districts in Finland achieved the most favourable level of relative survival. The differences in relative survival between the districts were quite small during the three decades. If all the districts had achieved the most favourable level of relative survival, the mean survival times of the female patients diagnosed in 1975–1984, 1985–1994 and 1995–2004 would have increased by 5%, 4% and 2% respectively.
Statistical Inference and Computational Efficiency for Spatial Infectious Disease Models with Plantation Data
Authors: Brown Patrick E. , Chimard Florencia , Remorov Alexander , Rosenthal Jeffrey S. , Wang Xin 
Published: October 2013

SummaryThe paper considers data from an aphid infestation on a sugar cane plantation and illustrates the use of an individual level infectious disease model for making inference on the biological process underlying these data. The data are interval censored, and the practical issues involved with the use of Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithms with models of this sort are explored and developed. As inference for spatial infectious disease models is complex and computationally demanding, emphasis is put on a minimal parsimonious model and speed of code execution. With careful coding we can obtain highly efficient Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithms based on a simple random-walk Metropolis-within-Gibbs routine. An assessment of model fit is provided by comparing the predicted numbers of weekly infections from the data to the trajectories of epidemics simulated from the posterior distributions of model parameters. This assessment shows that the data have periods where the epidemic proceeds more slowly and more quickly than the (temporally homogeneous) model predicts.
Where's the Farmer? Limiting Liability in Midwestern Industrial Hog Production
Authors: Ashwood Loka , Diamond Danielle , Thu Kendall 
Published: October 2013

AbstractScholars largely assume that hog production is following the same industrialization process as the integrated poultry industry. Since the collapse of hog farming in the 1990s, academics have anticipated that producers will eventually become trapped in contracts that leave the integrator with full control over the production process. Embedded in this prediction is an assumption that hog farmers respond to these productive pressures individually. Our analysis of the Carthage Management System suggests a different path for the hog commodity chain. The Carthage Management System is a conglomeration of business management firms that bring finishing hog farmers together to form limited liability corporations (LLCs) in the breed‐to‐wean stage of hog production. We use a sociology of agrifood framework to suggest that the nuances of hog production encourage the use of what we call folding corporations to limit liability in ways that profoundly transform the family farm. Corporations and individual hog farmers alike employ this creative LLC structure to deflect responsibility for the risks of hog production. We identify how folding corporations externalize the costs of production onto rural communities. Additional research is needed to better understand unfolding farmer identities, legal protections for farmers, how widespread organizational structures like Carthage Management System are, and their consequences for rural communities and the industrialization process.
Health and relationships with leisure time activities in Swedish children aged 2–17 years
Authors: Berntsson Leeni T. , Ringsberg Karin C. 
Published: October 2013

BackgroundThree cross‐sectional time series studies, randomised and stratified for age and gender, were performed on children aged 2–17, studying their health and well‐being. The studies were performed in the Nordic countries in 1984, 1996 and 2011. Long‐term illness (LTI) and psychosomatic complaints (PSC) increased during the period. Data were collected from mailed questionnaires.MethodsData of 1461 Swedish children from 2011 were used and compared with data from 1984 and 1996. Relationships between the health indicators (the absence of LTI, 13 diagnoses, the absence of PSC, six symptoms, six items of well‐being) and 12 activities were analysed.ResultsA total of 83.2% of the children were healthy and 16.8% had at least one LTI, boys 19.1% and girls 14.5%. PSC increased from 18.6% in 1996 to 23.1% in 2011. The distribution was higher in girls. Girls were more active than boys during leisure time. ‘Reading books’, ‘visiting friends’, ‘listening to music’ and ‘activity in organisations’ were related to an absence of PSC, LTI and well‐being. ‘Surfing/blogging on the Internet’ was negatively related to LTI, PSC and well‐being. Multiple regression showed that that ‘visits or is visited by friends’ was related with a low probability for LTI and also with a high probability for well‐being. In the logistic regression analyses, the following variables were seen as promoting health most: ‘visits or is visited by friends’ and ‘is active in organizations’ for children aged 2–17 years, especially for boys and well‐being.ConclusionsThe health of Swedish children declined between 1984 and 2011. Positive relationships were found between some activities and health as well as other activities related to ill health. The results suggest an increased focus on the activities that have positive relationships with health in order to promote health among children.
Balloon Cinch Deformity during Angioplasty Procedures: An Indication for Impending Rupture
Authors: Salman Loay , Castro Hector , Vazquez‐Padron Roberto I. , Monrroy Mauricio , Abdelwahed Yehia , Rizvi Abid , Duque Juan , Akmal Muhammad Usman Talha , Merrill Donna , Nayer Ali , Asif Arif 
Published: October 2013

AbstractPercutaneous transluminal balloon angioplasty (PTA) is a commonly performed procedure for hemodialysis vascular access dysfunction including thrombosis. While PTA is generally safe, balloon rupture during the procedure is a potential complication. Because such a rupture can cause damage to the blood vessel, indication of an imminent balloon rupture might help avoid such a complication. This analysis reports on six PTA procedures that were complicated by balloon rupture. All cases demonstrated terminal (caudal/cranial) cinch deformation. There was a loss of sharp terminal tapering and its replacement with banana silhouette before the balloon rupture. Importantly, the contour deformation and balloon rupture occurred at a pressure that was lower than the rated burst pressure. The cinch deformity can be used as an indication for impending balloon rupture. We suggest deflation of balloons that demonstrate shape deformations to avoid vascular injury.
Percutaneous and Surgical Insertion of Peritoneal Catheter in Patients Starting in Chronic Dialysis Therapy: A Comparative Study
Authors: Chula Domingos Candiota , Campos Rodrigo Peixoto , de Alcântara Márcia Tokunaga , Riella Miguel Carlos , Nascimento Marcelo Mazza do 
Published: October 2013

AbstractPercutaneous peritoneal catheter insertion can be performed by trained nephrologists. The objective of this study was to compare the outcome of peritoneal dialysis (PD) catheters percutaneous inserted with the traditional surgical technique. One hundred twenty‐one PD catheters were placed in 121 stage‐5 Chronic kidney disease patients using three techniques: percutaneous insertion (Group P, n = 53), percutaneous insertion guided by radioscopy (Group R, n = 26), and surgical insertion (Group S, n = 42). The mean age of the whole cohort was 57 ± 16 years and 54% were male. Patients and catheter outcomes were followed up prospectively for 19 months. Gender, age, body mass index, previous abdominal surgeries, and the prevalence of diabetes mellitus were not significantly different among the groups as well as the incidence of bleeding and the presence of catheter dysfunction. In addition, the incidence of exit‐site infections and peritonitis was not significantly different among the groups. Finally, the survival catheter rate was not significantly different by the end of the follow‐up of 19 months (70% in P group, 85% in R, and 70% in S group (log rank = 0.88, p = 0.95). The outcome of percutaneous implanted catheters, which were inserted by a trained nephrologist, did not demonstrate to be inferior as compared with the traditional surgical approach.
Hemodialysis for the Treatment of Severe Accidental Hypothermia
Authors: Singh Tripti , Hallows Kenneth R. 
Published: October 2013

AbstractSevere hypothermia is defined as a core body temperature <28°C and is associated with in‐hospital mortality rates of 50% or higher. Delays in rewarming and slower rates of rewarming are the most important prognostic factors associated with increased mortality. Arrhythmias are the most common cause of mortality in patients with severe accidental hypothermia. Electrolyte abnormalities such as hyperkalemia and hypocalcemia that may worsen when patients are rewarmed contribute to the risk of arrhythmias. Cardiopulmonary bypass (CBP) is considered the treatment of choice for active internal rewarming of patients with severe hypothermia, but it is not always available and is time consuming to initiate. We describe a case where hemodialysis (HD) was used to treat accidental hypothermia in a patient with an initial temperature of 23.5°C. Average rewarming rates of 1.5°C/hour were achieved. The advantages of HD when compared with CBP are that it is (1) more widely and readily available, (2) less invasive, (3) less expensive, and (4) can correct associated acidosis and electrolyte abnormalities commonly seen in patients with severe hypothermia.
Fc gamma Receptor IIa‐H131R Polymorphism and Malaria Susceptibility in Sympatric Ethnic Groups, Fulani and Dogon of Mali
Authors: Maiga B. , Dolo A. , Touré O. , Dara V. , Tapily A. , Campino S. , Sepulveda N. , Corran P. , Rockett K. , Clark T. G. , Troye Blomberg M. , Doumbo O. K. 
Published: October 2013

AbstractIt has been previously shown that there are some interethnic differences in susceptibility to malaria between two sympatric ethnic groups of Mali, the Fulani and the Dogon. The lower susceptibility to Plasmodium falciparum malaria seen in the Fulani has not been fully explained by genetic polymorphisms previously known to be associated with malaria resistance, including haemoglobin S (HbS), haemoglobin C (HbC), alpha‐thalassaemia and glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency. Given the observed differences in the distribution of FcγRIIa allotypes among different ethnic groups and with malaria susceptibility that have been reported, we analysed the rs1801274‐R131H polymorphism in the FcγRIIa gene in a study of Dogon and Fulani in Mali (n = 939). We confirm that the Fulani have less parasite densities, less parasite prevalence, more spleen enlargement and higher levels of total IgG antibodies (anti‐CSP, anti‐AMA1, anti‐MSP1 and anti‐MSP2) and more total IgE (P < 0.05) compared with the Dogon ethnic group. Furthermore, the Fulani exhibit higher frequencies of the blood group O (56.5%) compared with the Dogon (43.5%) (P < 0.001). With regard to the FcγRIIa polymorphism and allele frequency, the Fulani group have a higher frequency of the H allele (Fulani 0.474, Dogon 0.341, P < 0.0001), which was associated with greater total IgE production (P = 0.004). Our findings show that the FcγRIIa polymorphism might have an implication in the relative protection seen in the Fulani tribe, with confirmatory studies required in other malaria endemic settings.
Clarifying the Role of Psychological Pain in the Risks of Suicidal Ideation and Suicidal Acts among Patients with Major Depressive Episodes
Authors: Li Huanhuan , Xie Weizhen , Luo Xinwei , Fu Rong , Shi Chuan , Ying Xiangyu , Wang Ning , Yin Qifeng , Wang Xiang 
Published: October 2013

The role of psychological pain in the risk of suicide was explored using a three‐dimensional psychological pain model (pain arousal, painful feelings, pain avoidance). The sample consisted of 111 outpatients with major depressive episodes, including 28 individuals with suicidal histories. They completed the Chinese version of the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSI), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Psychache Scale, and the three‐dimensional Psychological Pain Scale (TDPPS). A structured clinical interview was conducted to assess the history of suicidal acts. Significant correlations were found among BDI, BSI, and TDPPS scores (p < .01). Stepwise regression analyses showed that only pain avoidance scores significantly predicted suicide ideation at one's worst point (β = .79,p < .001) and suicidal acts (β = .46,p < .001). Pain avoidance was also a better predictor of current suicidal ideation (β = .37,p = .001) than were BDI scores (β = .31,p < .01). Increased levels of pain avoidance during a major depressive episode may be a dominant component of the motivation for suicide. Future clinical assessments for populations at high risk of suicide should include measures of psychological pain to reduce the incidence of suicide.
Six‐Month Trajectory of Suicidal Ideation in Adolescents with Borderline Personality Disorder
Authors: Selby Edward A. , Yen Shirley 
Published: October 2013

Few studies have longitudinally examined suicidal ideation in those with adolescent‐onset borderline personality disorder (BPD). The current study aimed to examine the trajectory of suicidal ideation in adolescents with BPD longitudinally over 6 months, with follow‐ups at 2, 4, and 6 months posthospitalization for elevated suicide risk. Results indicated that the BPD group exhibited a greater decrease in suicidal ideation in the months following hospitalization than those without a BPD diagnosis. The findings of this study indicated that suicidal ideation in adolescents with BPD is not stable, and although ideation may decrease quickly after hospitalization, regular assessment of ideation is recommended.
Systematics of the New Caledonian endemic genus TaophilaHeller (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae, Eumolpinae) combining morphological, molecular and ecological data, with description of two new species
Authors: GÓMEZ‐ZURITA JESÚS , CARDOSO ANABELA 
Published: October 2013

AbstractThe genus Taophila Heller, 1916 was considered a monotypic taxon until the recent addition of 11 new species. We examined the recent revision of this genus to evaluate these new taxonomic considerations in the light of molecular data for a sample of 85 individuals in 8 out of 12 Taophila species, and to provide characters for a phylogenetic systematic analysis of the genus. These data include two mitochondrial DNA markers (cox1 and rrnS) and one nuclear DNA marker (wingless) to infer the species phylogeny, and one gene from the chloroplastic DNA (psbA‐trnH) of putatively ingested plant tissue for diet inference. Molecular data support the monophyly of the species studied, except for T. subsericea Heller, 1916, which possibly represents an ancient genetic polymorphism. The molecular phylogeny and a reassessment of morphological characters are used to propose several taxonomic changes that will achieve stable systematics in Taophila, including: (i) description of two new species, T. aphrodita sp.n. and T. gaea sp.n., both related to T. mars Samuelson, 2010; (ii) removal of T. cancellata Samuelson, 2010 from Taophila and its new combination with Dematochroma Baly, 1864; (iii) proposal of two new subgenera in Taophila to reflect deep phylogenetic divergence and profound morphological discrepancies with the anatomy of the generic type and relatives, Jolivetiana subgen.n. (type: Taophila mantillerii Jolivet, Verma & Mille, 2007) and Lapita subgen.n. (type: Taophila mars Samuelson, 2010). The analysis of putative diet sequences retrieved from all the species available for analysis show widespread associations with ferns and legumes, which can be traced back to the hypothetical common ancestor of Taophila, and an apparent generalist diet for the species in Lapita subgen.n.This published work has been register in ZooBank, http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:05F9C680‐3325‐409E‐A881‐C8A5AE1D136F.
Minor H antigen matches and mismatches are equally distributed among recipients with or without complications after HLA identical sibling renal transplantation
Authors: Dierselhuis M. P. , Spierings E. , Drabbels J. , Hendriks M. , Alaez C. , Alberú J. , Alvarez M. B. , Burlingham W. , Campos E. , Christiaans M. , Claas F. , Fasano M. E. , Gerbase‐DeLima M. , Gervais T. , Gorodezky C. , Larriba J. , Lardy N. M. , Latinne D. , Morales‐Buenrostro L.‐E. , Moreno M. J. , Oguz F. , Opelz G. , Sergeant R. , Tambutti M. , Teper S. , Tilanus M. , Turkmen A. , Warrens A. N. , Weimar W. , Goulmy E. 
Published: October 2013

AbstractStudies of the effect of minor H antigen mismatching on the outcome of renal transplantation are scarce and concern mainly single center studies. The International Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics Workshops (IHIW) provide a collaborative platform to execute crucial large studies. In collaboration with 16 laboratories of the IHIW, the role of 15 autosomal, 10 Y‐chromosome encoded minor H antigens and 3 CD31 polymorphisms, was investigated in relation to the incidence of renal graft rejection and graft loss in 444 human leukocyte antigens (HLA)‐identical sibling renal transplantations. Recipient and donor DNA samples were genotyped for the minor H antigens HA‐1, HA‐2, HA‐3, HA‐8, HB‐1, ACC‐1, ACC‐2, SP110, PANE1, UGT2B17, C19Orf48, LB‐ECGF‐1, CTSH, LRH‐1, LB‐ADIR and HY. The correlation between minor H antigen mismatch and the primary outcome graft rejection or graft loss was statistically analyzed. The incidence of rejection was very low and no correlation was observed between one or more minor H antigen mismatch(es) and a rejection episode (n = 36), of which only eight resulted in graft loss. In summary, in our study cohort of 444 renal transplants, mismatching for neither autosomal nor HY minor H antigens correlate with rejection episodes or with graft loss.
Hydrothermal overprint on Cenozoic sediments in the Quadrilátero Ferrífero of Minas Gerais: implications for precious metals in cratonic terrains
Authors: Cabral Alexandre Raphael , Koglin Nikola 
Published: October 2013

AbstractCenozoic sediments deposited in graben‐like basins in the Quadrilátero Ferrífero, southern São Francisco craton, Brazil, have anomalous contents of Hg and Sb. Two localities have been studied: the topaz deposit of Antônio Pereira, and the remains of the old opencast workings at Cata Preta, one of the earliest Au mines of Minas Gerais that dates back to about 1690. At Cata Preta, a brecciated wad‐like rock exhibits geochemical fingerprints that point to fractionation of Pt and Pd from Ag. This metal fractionation, reflected in the Au ingots produced in the region, genetically links Cata Preta to the near‐surface bonanza ore of Serra Pelada, which formed as a result of a Late‐Cretaceous hydrothermal overprint in the Amazon craton. Here, we propose that anorogenic hydrothermal activity in cratonic terrains prepared the ground for the enrichment in precious metals that gave rise to two of the most important Au rushes in Brazilian history.