bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The management of ureteric stones in the Accident and Emergency department
Authors: Dawson Kirsty , Dawson Lindsay 
Published: November 2013

AbstractUreteric stones is a common cause for attendance to the A&E department. Active or conservative management is delivered dependent on the relevant history, clinical condition, and investigation results. The majority of patients can be treated conservatively and do not require admission. However, some cases of ureteric stones present as a urological emergency if, for example, there is an infected obstructed system. An initial audit over a two month period of A&E admissions with radiologically proven ureteric stones demonstrated there was no easily accessible, specific criteria used to guide which patients were admitted and which patients were discharged from A&E. Therefore, an admission criteria and discharge proforma was developed and implemented in the A&E department to ensure patients were appropriately discharged if they could be managed conservatively and appropriately admitted if they potentially required further observation and intervention. A repeat audit using the same methods and criteria was carried out and demonstrated fewer unnecessary admissions and fewer inappropriate discharges.
Chromogenic in situ hybridisation (CISH) is a powerful method to detect ALK-positive non-small cell lung carcinomas
Authors: Wagner F , Streubel A , Roth A , Stephan-Falkenau S , Mairinger T 
Published: November 2013

AimWe assessed the potential of a chromogenic in situ hybridisation (CISH) assay in comparison with quantitative reverse transcription (RT)-PCR (qPCR) to detect anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) break apart-positive lung carcinomas.MethodsDual-colour CISH using a break apart probe for the ALK gene on 2p23 was performed with 181 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue and agar block sections from 175 cases of non-small cell lung carcinomas (NSCLC). Stained slides were analysed with a standard bright-field microscope at 1000× magnification by counting signals from 60 non-overlapping nuclei from three different tumour areas. Samples with ≥15% of positive nuclei were judged as ALK break apart-positive. All samples were simultaneously analysed by qPCR for EML4-ALK to validate CISH results, and positive samples were subject to Sanger sequencing.ResultsCISH was successful with 173 of 181 hybridised samples (96%), and seven ALK break apart-positive cases were detected. CISH signals were specific and distinct for both colours. All positive cases were confirmed by qPCR and Sanger sequencing, and concordance between CISH and qPCR was 100%. Nearly all samples (9/10) which failed by qPCR were accessible to CISH analysis.ConclusionsCISH is a very reliable, convenient and inexpensive method to detect ALK-positive NSCLC. CISH success rate is comparably high as with qPCR, and it detects all ALK break apart events in a single assay. It is of special value when RNA quality is poor, or when small biopsies with a very limited amount of tumour cells have to be analysed.
Dual contraceptive use among adolescents and young adults: correlates and implications for condom use and sexually transmitted infection outcomes
Authors: Hood Julia E , Hogben Matthew , Chartier Maggie , Bolan Gail , Bauer Heidi 
Published: November 2013

BackgroundSimultaneous condom and hormonal contraception usage (‘dual method use’) maximises protection against pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection (STI), although there is concern that promotion of this strategy could result in diminished condom use and inadvertently increase STI risk. In this study, we (1) assessed how the use of dual methods, versus condoms alone, related to STI and consistency of condom use and (2) described the correlates of dual use.MethodsA sample of 1450 young people aged 12–25 years were surveyed and screened for chlamydia and gonorrhoea at non-clinical sites in two high morbidity Californian counties in 2002–2003. Differences in STI prevalence and reported consistency of condom use were assessed for ‘condom only’ and ‘dual method’ users. Correlates of dual use were analysed via multivariate polytomous logistic regression.ResultsCondom only and dual method users did not significantly differ in terms of STI prevalence or reported consistency of condom use. Sex, age, race and relationship tenure were significant correlates of dual use.DiscussionIn these observational data, dual method use did not detrimentally affect STI risk. If interpreted alongside each subgroups’ risk patterns for STI and unplanned pregnancy, the correlates of dual use can inform STI and pregnancy prevention interventions.
Can Immunity to Breast Cancer Eliminate Residual Micrometastases?
Authors: Disis Mary L. , Stanton Sasha E. 
Published: December 2013

Abstract
An effective immune response has the potential for breast cancer sterilization with marked reduction in the potential for disease relapse. Adaptive type I immune cells uniquely have the capability of (i) cytotoxic T-cell activation and proliferation until all antigen expressing cells are eradicated, (ii) traversing endothelial barriers to penetrate tumor deposits wherever they occur, and (iii) immunologic memory, which allows the persistence of destructive immunity over the years it may take for breast cancer micrometastases to become clinically evident. Numerous recent investigations suggest that some breast cancers stimulate the type of immunity that results in a decreased risk of relapse. Moreover, the endogenous type I tumor microenvironment or type I immunity induced by drugs or biologic agents may improve response to standard therapies, further lowering the probability of disease recurrence. Clin Cancer Res; 19(23); 6398–403. ©2013 AACR.
CNS Metastases in Breast Cancer: Old Challenge, New Frontiers
Authors: Lin Nancy U. , Amiri-Kordestani Laleh , Palmieri Diane , Liewehr David J. , Steeg Patricia S. 
Published: December 2013

AbstractDespite major therapeutic advances in the management of patients with breast cancer, central nervous system (CNS) metastases remain an intractable problem, particularly in patients with metastatic HER2-positive and triple-negative breast cancer. As systemic therapies to treat extracranial disease improve, some patients are surviving longer, and the frequency of CNS involvement seems to be increasing. Furthermore, in the early-stage setting, the CNS remains a potential sanctuary site for relapse. This review highlights advances in the development of biologically relevant preclinical models, including the development of brain-tropic cell lines for testing of agents to prevent and treat brain metastases, and summarizes our current understanding of the biology of CNS relapse. From a clinical perspective, a variety of therapeutic approaches are discussed, including methods to improve drug delivery, novel cytotoxic agents, and targeted therapies. Challenges in current trial design and endpoints are reviewed. Finally, we discuss promising new directions, including novel trial designs, correlative imaging techniques, and enhanced translational opportunities. Clin Cancer Res; 19(23); 6404–18. ©2013 AACR.
Neoadjuvant Therapy as a Platform for Drug Development and Approval in Breast Cancer
Authors: Bardia Aditya , Baselga José 
Published: December 2013

Abstract
The traditional drug development process in breast cancer based on large phase III studies has serious limitations and needs a major overhaul. Searching for new approaches, the testing of novel agents in the preoperative (neoadjuvant) setting approach offers a potentially rapid and efficient strategy for drug development utilizing pathologic complete response (path CR), a surrogate marker for survival, as the primary endpoint. In addition, neoadjuvant studies allow the assessment of drug effects on the target (pharmacodynamic response) and the development of predictive biomarkers of response. Molecular profiling of the residual tumor in the surgical specimen may also provide insights into actionable mechanisms of resistance. Recognizing the potential of neoadjuvant trials for drug development, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced consideration of neoadjuvant trials for accelerated drug approval in early breast cancer, particularly for tumors with high risk of recurrence and unfavorable prognosis, and provided accelerated approval to neoadjuvant pertuzumab in September 2013. The FDA has emphasized that while improvement in path CR could be utilized for “accelerated” approval, improvement in survival will still need to be demonstrated for “regular” approval. Key considerations in conduct of such neoadjuvant drug development trials include (i) study design such as utilization of biomarker stratified design to evaluate a biomarker that could enrich response, (ii) definition of path CR, (iii) distribution of factors that influence path CR between the treatment arms, (iv) prespecified plan for follow-up to obtain data on survival, and (v) safety as it involves a patient population with curable disease. In the years to come, we anticipate an increase in the number of neoadjuvant trials testing novel therapies that hopefully will open a new path in bringing efficacious new therapies to patients with breast cancer. Clin Cancer Res; 19(23); 6360–70. ©2013 AACR.
Progress in Breast Cancer: Overview
Authors: Arteaga Carlos L. 
Published: December 2013

Abstract
This edition of CCR Focus titled Research in Breast Cancer: Frontiers in Genomics, Biology, and Clinical Investigation reviews six topics that cover areas of translational research of high impact in breast cancer. These topics represent areas of breast cancer research where significant progress has occurred but also where very important challenges remain. The papers in this CCR Focus section are contributed by experts in the respective areas of investigation. Herein, key aspects of these contributions and the research directions they propose are reviewed. Clin Cancer Res; 19(23); 6353–9. ©2013 AACR.
Land Surface Heterogeneity Signature in Tornado Climatology? An Illustrative Analysis over Indiana, 1950–2012*
Authors: Kellner Olivia , Niyogi Dev 
Published: December 2013

Abstract
Land surface heterogeneity affects mesoscale interactions, including the evolution of severe convection. However, its contribution to tornadogenesis is not well known. Indiana is selected as an example to present an assessment of documented tornadoes and land surface heterogeneity to better understand the spatial distribution of tornadoes. This assessment is developed using a GIS framework taking data from 1950 to 2012 and investigates the following topics: temporal analysis, effect of ENSO, antecedent rainfall linkages, population density, land use/land cover, and topography, placing them in the context of land surface heterogeneity.
Spatial analysis of tornado touchdown locations reveals several spatial relationships with regard to cities, population density, land-use classification, and topography. A total of 61% of F0–F5 tornadoes and 43% of F0–F5 tornadoes in Indiana have touched down within 1 km of urban land use and land area classified as forest, respectively, suggesting the possible role of land-use surface roughness on tornado occurrences. The correlation of tornado touchdown points to population density suggests a moderate to strong relationship. A temporal analysis of tornado days shows favored time of day, months, seasons, and active tornado years. Tornado days for 1950–2012 are compared to antecedent rainfall and ENSO phases, which both show no discernible relationship with the average number of annual tornado days. Analysis of tornado touchdowns and topography does not indicate any strong relationship between tornado touchdowns and elevation. Results suggest a possible signature of land surface heterogeneity—particularly that around urban and forested land cover—in tornado climatology.
Severe-Thunderstorm Reanalysis Environments and Collocated Radiosonde Observations
Authors: Gensini Victor A. , Mote Thomas L. , Brooks Harold E. 
Published: December 2013

AbstractThis research compares reanalysis-derived proxy soundings from the North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR) with collocated observed radiosonde data across the central and eastern United States during the period 2000–11: 23 important parameters used for forecasting severe convection are examined. Kinematic variables such as 0–6-km bulk wind shear are best represented by this reanalysis, whereas thermodynamic variables such as convective available potential energy exhibit regional biases and are generally overestimated by the reanalysis. For thermodynamic parameters, parcel-ascent choice is an important consideration because of large differences in reanalysis low-level moisture fields versus observed ones. Results herein provide researchers with potential strengths and limitations of using NARR data for the purposes of depicting climatological information for hazardous convective weather and initializing model simulations. Similar studies should be considered for other reanalysis datasets.
The Role of Subtropical Irreversible PV Mixing in the Zonal Mean Circulation Response to Global Warming–Like Thermal Forcing
Authors: Lu Jian , Sun Lantao , Wu Yutian , Chen Gang 
Published: December 2013

Abstract
The atmospheric circulation response to the global warming–like tropical upper tropospheric heating is revisited using a dry atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) in light of new diagnostics based on the concept of finite-amplitude wave activity (FAWA) on equivalent latitude. For a given tropical heating profile, the linear Wentzel–Kramers–Brillouin (WKB) wave refraction analysis sometimes gives a very different and even opposite prediction of the eddy momentum flux response to that of the actual full model simulation, exposing the limitation of the traditional linear approach in understanding the full dynamics of the atmospheric response under global warming. The implementation of the FAWA diagnostics reveals that in response to the upper tropospheric heating, effective diffusivity—a measure of the mixing efficiency—increases and advances upward and poleward in the subtropics and the resultant enhancement and the poleward encroachment of eddy potential vorticity mixing leads to a poleward displaced potential vorticity (PV) gradient peak in the upper troposphere. The anomalous eddy PV flux, in balance with the PV dissipation, gives rise to a poleward shift in the eddy-driven jet and eddy-driven mean meridional circulation. Sensitivity experiments show that these irreversible dissipation processes in the upper troposphere are robust, regardless of the width of the tropical heating.
ASEAN–India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and its Impact on India
Authors: Ratna Rajan Sudesh , Kallummal Murali 
Published: December 2013

The ASEAN–India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) has brought opportunities as well as challenges to the Indian industry since it came into force on 1 January 2010. There is no clear-cut estimates about the gains which will come to India especially in the sectors of agriculture, plantation and fisheries. However, some of the sectors which are labour intensive or unorganized will be facing bigger challenges.  This article attempts to examine the impact of FTA where the tariff is either reduced or eliminated on some of the agricultural products like fisheries, tea and coffee, which have been projected as sensitive for India. The commitment of India and ASEAN under the FTA is analyzed along with the trade and tariff data. While doing so the article looks at some of the empirical evidence to examine the impact of India’s unilateral tariff liberalization in the Post-Uruguay Round by taking into consideration India’s imports, domestic production, etc. These results are then extrapolated to examine the impact of tariff liberalization on the domestic economy in view of India’s commitment in the ASEAN–India FTA.  The study is divided into three parts. The first part deals with the history of India–ASEAN relationship and highlights the features of India–ASEAN FTA. The second part does a case study of fisheries, tea and coffee with regard to FTA and likely impact on India. The final part gives a broad conclusion of the study.  The study first looks at the bilateral trade data and then highlights the salient features of India–ASEAN FTA. It then reviews some of the literary works that have been carried out in this regard. The study thereafter looks at the historical trends of production, prices, trade values and tariffs on identified items at a national level as well as the items in India’s tariff liberalization programme (TLP). In the next section, while identifying the position, it also examines the position of these items in ASEAN’s TLP so as to assess whether Indian producers will get equal opportunities for preferential market access there or not. A comparison of the unit value price of Indian producers as well ASEAN members has been made to look at their respective competitiveness not only in the international markets but in each others’ market as well. The study gives its finding at the end summarizing the threats and the opportunities for Indian producers.
Do simple warning signs enhance the use of stairs?
Authors: Aksay Ebubekir 
Published: November 2013

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the use of stairways/moving stairways in shopping malls and examine the extent to which simple warning signs determined whether people took the stairs. Design: Large posters that could readily be seen by mall visitors were situated between the stairs and moving stairways in shopping malls. Setting: A total of 30,026 people who visited the shopping mall over an 11 week period were chosen consecutively for this study. Method: Thirty-three counting operations (2 h/day) were undertaken using two positive posters and one negative poster on different days of the week. In the process of counting, four groups were examined: children, adults aged <55 years, adults aged ≥55 years, and overweight individuals. General observations conducted during the first 2-week period, and the 5th, 8th, and 11th weeks served as control periods. Results: When posters were not shown, rates of stair use were lower among individuals in all age groups, but the ratio of stairway to moving stairway use tripled when positive-direction posters were displayed. Similarly, negative-direction posters decreased the ratio of stair to moving stairway use. Positive-direction posters were strongly associated with stairway use ( p = 0.001). Conclusion: This study showed that the use of stairs decreased when no poster was displayed, while positive posters increased stair use and negative posters decreased this behaviour. Individual preference, together with the comfort brought by moving stair technology, consciously or unconsciously causes individuals to avoid activities they can perform during the day.
A telerehabilitation intervention for patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: a randomized controlled pilot trial
Authors: Tabak Monique , Vollenbroek-Hutten Miriam MR , van der Valk Paul DLPM , van der Palen Job , Hermens Hermie J 
Published: November 2013

Objective: First, to investigate the effects of a telerehabilitation intervention on health status and activity level of patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), compared to usual care. Second, to investigate how patients comply with the intervention and whether compliance is related to treatment outcomes. Design: a randomized controlled pilot trial Subjects: Thirty-four patients diagnosed with COPD. Intervention: The telerehabilitation application consists of an activity coach (3D-accelerometer with smartphone) for ambulant activity registration and real-time feedback, complemented by a web portal with a symptom diary for self-treatment of exacerbations. The intervention group used the application for 4 weeks. The control group received usual care. Main measures: Activity level measured by a pedometer (in steps/day), health status by the Clinical COPD Questionnaire at baseline and after intervention. Compliance was expressed as the time the activity coach was worn. Results: Fourteen intervention and 16 control patients completed the study. Activity level (steps/day) was not significantly affected by the intervention over time. There was a non-significant difference in improvement in health status between the intervention (−0.34±0.55) and control group (0.02±0.57, p=0.10). Health status significantly improved within the intervention group (p=0.05). The activity coach was used more than prescribed (108%) and compliance was related to the increase in activity level for the first two feedback weeks (r=0.62, p=0.03). Conclusions: This pilot study shows the potential of the telerehabilitation intervention: compliance with the activity coach was high, which directly related to an improvement in activity levels.
When do people with dementia die peacefully? An analysis of data collected prospectively in long-term care settings
Authors: De Roo Maaike L , van der Steen Jenny T , Galindo Garre Francisca , Van Den Noortgate Nele , Onwuteaka-Philipsen Bregje D , Deliens Luc , Francke Anneke L ,   on behalf of EURO IMPACT, Lieve Van den Block , Koen Meeussen , Joachim Cohen , Koen Pardon , Anneke Francke , Bregje Onwuteaka-Philipsen , Roeline Pasman , Luc Deliens , Richard Harding , Higginson Irene J , Sarah Brearley , Sheila Payne , Stein Kaasa , Augusto Caraceni , Massimo Costantini , Guido Miccinesi , Sophie Pautex , Karen Linden 
Published: November 2013

Background: Little is known about dying peacefully with dementia in long-term care facilities. Dying peacefully may be influenced by characteristics of the palliative care provided and characteristics of the long-term care setting. If so, dying peacefully may serve as a quality indicator for palliative care in dementia. Aim: This study aims to describe whether residents with dementia in Dutch long-term care facilities die peacefully and to assess which characteristics of the resident, the palliative care provided and the facilities are associated with dying peacefully. Design and Setting: We analysed existing data from the Dutch End of Life in Dementia study, collected between January 2007 and July 2010 in 34 long-term care facilities in the Netherlands. We used descriptive statistics and Generalised Estimating Equation models. Results: The sample consisted of 233 residents with dementia. Family members indicated that the resident died peacefully in 56% of cases. This percentage ranged from 17% to 80% across facilities. Residents were more likely to die peacefully if they had an optimistic attitude, if family found that there were enough nurses available and if residents died in facilities with a moderate (versus no) perceived influence of religious affiliation on end-of-life decision-making policies. Conclusions: Only half of the residents with dementia in Dutch long-term care facilities die peacefully, as perceived by relatives. In addition to residents’ optimistic attitude, facility characteristics are associated with dying peacefully, which suggests that ‘the percentage of relatives who indicate that the patient died peacefully’ can function as a quality indicator.