bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Prevalence and clinical significance of low‐avidity HPA‐1a antibodies in women exposed to HPA‐1a during pregnancy
Authors: Peterson Julie A. , Kanack Adam , Nayak Dhirendra , Bougie Daniel W. , McFarland Janice G. , Curtis Brian R. , Aster Richard H. 
Published: September 2012

BACKGROUND: Recent studies suggest that HPA‐1a–specific, low‐avidity maternal antibodies not detectable by conventional methods can cause neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (NAIT). We performed studies to further define the incidence and clinical significance of this type of antibody.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Surface plasmon resonance analysis was used to detect low‐avidity antibodies in HPA‐1a–negative, “antibody‐negative” mothers of suspected NAIT cases. The ability of antibodies detected to promote immune destruction of human platelets (PLTs) was examined in a newly developed NOD/SCID mouse model.RESULTS: Among 3478 suspected cases of NAIT, 677 HPA‐1a–negative mothers were identified. HPA‐1a–specific antibodies were detected by conventional antibody testing in 616 cases (91%). Low‐avidity HPA‐1a–specific antibodies were identified in 18 of the remaining 61 cases (9%). Clinical follow‐up on 13 cases showed that eight were referred because of suspected NAIT and five because the mother's sister had previously had an infant with NAIT. Only six infants born to the 13 sensitized mothers had clinically significant thrombocytopenia at birth. Three of four low‐avidity antibodies tested in the mouse caused accelerated clearance of HPA‐1a/a but not HPA‐1b/b PLTs. Only 3 of 12 mothers with low‐avidity HPA‐1a antibodies were positive for HLA‐DRB3*0101.CONCLUSIONS: The findings confirm previous reports that low‐avidity HPA‐1a antibodies can cause NAIT but show that the presence of such an antibody does not predict that an infant will be affected. The low incidence of HLA‐DRB3*0101 in this cohort (p < 0.0001) suggests that women negative for DRB3*0101 may be predisposed to produce low‐avidity HPA‐1a antibodies.
Incremental Value of Perfusion over Wall‐Motion Abnormalities with the Use of Dobutamine–Atropine Stress Myocardial Contrast Echocardiography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Detecting Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Falcão Sandra Nivea dos Reis Saraiva , Rochitte Carlos Eduardo , Junior Wilson Mathias , Quaglia Luiz , Lemos Pedro Alves , Sbano João César Nunes , Ramires José Antonio Franchini , Filho Roberto Kalil , Tsutsui Jeane Mike 
Published: September 2012

BackgroundRecently, multimodality imaging has been demonstrated to improve the sensitivity of dobutamine stress for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD). Objective: We sought to determine the additional value of myocardial perfusion (MP) over wall‐motion (WM) analysis for detecting CAD, using real time myocardial contrast echocardiography (RTMCE) and cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR), in the same group of patients.MethodsWe studied 42 patients who underwent RTMCE and CMR during high‐dose dobutamine stress with early injection of atropine.ResultsNo difference was observed in the diagnostic accuracy of RTMCE and CMR for detecting angiographically significant CAD when considering WM analysis alone (73% [95% CI, 65–81] and 78% [95% CI, 70–84], respectively; P = NS) or combined analysis of WM and MP (80% [95% CI, 73–97] and 83% [95% CI, 77–90], respectively; P = NS). Combined analysis of WM and MP had higher sensitivity than the analysis of WM alone by RTMCE (88% [95% CI, 75–100] vs. 72% [95% CI, 54–90]) and by CMR (92% [95% CI, 81–100] vs. 80% [95% CI, 64–96]) with no differences in specificity. The association of abnormal WM and MP abnormalities during high‐dose dobutamine–atropine stress had additional value for detecting CAD over the analysis of WM alone, both by RTMCE (χ2 = 16.16–24.13; P = 0.005) and CMR (χ2 = 12.73–27.41; P = 0.001).ConclusionRTMCE and CMR using the same dobutamine–atropine stress protocol had comparable diagnostic accuracies for the detection of angiographically significant CAD. MP imaging had additional value over WM analysis for the diagnosis of CAD, both at RTMCE and CMR.
Dynamic Migration of a Mobile Plaque from the Brachiocephalic Artery Detected by Ultrasonography
Authors: Watari Mari , Nakajima Makoto , Nishitomi‐Izumida Megumi , Inatomi Yuichiro , Yonehara Toshiro , Hirano Teruyuki 
Published: September 2012

Mini‐AbstractA 72‐year‐old woman with a history of radiation therapy on the right neck and thorax developed multiple brain embolism. Transthoracic ultrasonography demonstrated a mobile plaque attached to the beginning of the brachiocephalic artery. Over a week, we detected the plaque that had migrated to the beginning of the left external carotid artery without any neurological symptoms. Ultrasonography was very useful to observe the course of the mobile plaque.
Estimating Open Population Site Occupancy from Presence–Absence Data Lacking the Robust Design
Authors: Dail D. , Madsen L. 
Published: September 2012

SummaryMany animal monitoring studies seek to estimate the proportion of a study area occupied by a target population. The study area is divided into spatially distinct sites where the detected presence or absence of the population is recorded, and this is repeated in time for multiple seasons. However, when occupied sites are detected with probabilityp< 1, the lack of a detection does not imply lack of occupancy. MacKenzie et al. (2003,Ecology84, 2200–2207) developed a multiseason model for estimating seasonal site occupancy (ψt) while accounting for unknownp. Their model performs well when observations are collected according to the robust design, where multiple sampling occasions occur during each season; the repeated sampling aids in the estimationp. However, their model does not perform as well when the robust design is lacking. In this paper, we propose an alternative likelihood model that yields improved seasonal estimates ofpand Ψtin the absence of the robust design. We construct the marginal likelihood of the observed data by conditioning on, and summing out, the latent number of occupied sites during each season. A simulation study shows that in cases without the robust design, the proposed model estimatespwith less bias than the MacKenzie et al. model and hence improves the estimates of Ψt. We apply both models to a data set consisting of repeated presence–absence observations of American robins (Turdus migratorius) with yearly survey periods. The two models are compared to a third estimator available when the repeated counts (from the same study) are considered, with the proposed model yielding estimates of Ψtclosest to estimates from the point count model.
Testing for Homogeneity of Multivariate Dispersions Using Dissimilarity Measures
Authors: Gijbels Irène , Omelka Marek 
Published: September 2012

SummaryTesting homogeneity of dispersions may be of its own scientific interest as well as an important auxiliary step verifying assumptions of a main analysis. The problem is that many biological and ecological data are highly skewed and zero‐inflated. Also the number of variables often exceeds the sample size. Thus data analysts often do not rely on parametric assumptions, but use a particular dissimilarity measure to calculate a matrix of pairwise differences. This matrix is then the basis for further statistical inference. Anderson (2006) proposed a distance‐based test of homogeneity of multivariate dispersions for a one‐way ANOVA design, for which a matrix of pairwise dissimilarities can be taken as an input. The key idea, like in Levene's test, is to replace each observation with its distance to an estimated group center. In this paper we suggest an alternative approach that is based on the means of within‐group distances and does not require group centre calculations to obtain the test statistic. We show that this approach can have theoretical as well as practical advantages. A permutation procedure that gives type I error close to the prescribed value even in small samples is described.
Corrected Confidence Bands for Functional Data Using Principal Components
Authors: Goldsmith J. , Greven S. , Crainiceanu C. 
Published: September 2012

SummaryFunctional principal components (FPC) analysis is widely used to decompose and express functional observations. Curve estimates implicitly condition on basis functions and other quantities derived from FPC decompositions; however these objects are unknown in practice. In this article, we propose a method for obtaining correct curve estimates by accounting for uncertainty in FPC decompositions. Additionally, pointwise and simultaneous confidence intervals that account for both model‐ and decomposition‐based variability are constructed. Standard mixed model representations of functional expansions are used to construct curve estimates and variances conditional on a specific decomposition. Iterated expectation and variance formulas combine model‐based conditional estimates across the distribution of decompositions. A bootstrap procedure is implemented to understand the uncertainty in principal component decomposition quantities. Our method compares favorably to competing approaches in simulation studies that include both densely and sparsely observed functions. We apply our method to sparse observations of CD4 cell counts and to dense white‐matter tract profiles. Code for the analyses and simulations is publicly available, and our method is implemented in the R package refund on CRAN.
Grain Size‐Dependent Properties of Dense Nanocrystalline Barium Titanate Ceramics
Authors: Curecheriu Lavinia , Balmus Sorin‐Bogdan , Buscaglia Maria Teresa , Buscaglia Vincenzo , Ianculescu Adelina , Mitoseriu Liliana 
Published: September 2012

The grain size influence on the dielectric relaxation and nonlinear dielectric properties of BaTiO3 ceramics with grain size in the range of (92÷936) nm densified by Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) from ultrafine powders were investigated. The progressive reduction of the Curie temperature and of the effective permittivity results from a combination of intrinsic size effects and low‐permittivity grain boundary layer. A model of dielectric cylindrical cavities was employed in order to calculate intrinsic effective permittivity values in GHz range. An interesting feature is the presence of a thermally activated Debye‐like relaxation in the ferroelectric state of ceramics with grain size above 300 nm, with activation energies of 0.45–0.49 eV, which seems to be related to the domain walls forced motion under the applied field. By diminishing grain size, a progressive reduction of the ferroelectric nonlinear character was obtained, reaching a macroscopic non‐switching character and a linear permittivity versus field dependence for the finest ceramics (grain size of 90–100 nm) until very high values of the applied field. The observed behavior supports the idea of frozen polarization induced by pinning centers as due to a large number of grain boundaries and charged defects in the fine structures.
Validity and reproducibility of an iodine‐specific food frequency questionnaire to estimate dietary iodine intake in older Australians
Authors: TAN Li‐Min , CHARLTON Karen E. , TAN Sze‐Yen , MA Gary , BATTERHAM Marijka 
Published: September 2012

AbstractAim: Iodine deficiency, which has adverse effects on health has re‐emerged in Australia. The present study aimed to develop and validate a novel iodine‐specific food frequency questionnaire for use in older Australians.Methods: A 49‐item food frequency questionnaire that included iodine‐rich foods was constructed and administered in 84 men and women aged 60–95 years with normal cognitive function. Dietary iodine intake assessed by the food frequency questionnaire was validated against three repeated 24‐hour dietary recalls. Urinary spot iodine concentrations were selected as iodine intake biomarker. Agreement between the two dietary methods was determined using a Bland–Altman plot and intra‐class coefficients. Correlations between dietary and urinary iodine were assessed. Forty‐three participants repeated the questionnaire after 9 months for reproducibility.Results: Mean iodine intake measured by the food frequency questionnaire and 24‐hour dietary recalls did not differ significantly (P= 0.870). The two methods were moderately correlated (r = 0.377;P< 0.05) and the Bland–Altman plots demonstrated an acceptable level of agreement (P= 0.870). Despite an association (r = 0.230;P< 0.05) between urinary iodine concentrations and 24‐hour dietary recalls, the food frequency questionnaire was not associated with urinary iodine concentration (r = 0.094;P= 0.40). The method of triads showed coefficients of 0.238 (urinary iodine), 0.953(food frequency questionnaire), 0.396 (24‐hour dietary recall) with the unknown true value.Conclusion: A short food frequency questionnaire to assess habitual dietary iodine intake in older Australians has been shown to be valid at the group level with regard to categorising individuals according to their habitual iodine intake. Reproducibility of the food frequency questionnaire remains to be demonstrated.
Shortfall in the consumption of dairy foods in Australian children's diets: Addressing health implications and practical approaches
Authors: SPENCE Lisa A. 
Published: September 2012

AbstractAim:  This paper provides an overview of the consumption of dairy foods by Australian children and their contribution to nutrient intake, diet quality and optimal health. Practical approaches to meet the recommended intake of dairy foods are also presented.Methods:  A computerised search was conducted of English language papers on PubMed. Additional papers were identified by searching references in relevant papers and book chapters.Results:  A high proportion of Australian children do not meet the dietary requirements for calcium or the recommended intake of dairy foods. The consumption of dairy foods is critical for meeting calcium requirements while providing significant amounts of other nutrients. Studies demonstrate that dairy food consumption is important for growth, building peak bone mass and prevention of osteoporosis and bone fracture. While there is evidence that dairy food consumption may play a role in other diseases, that is, obesity and hypertension, there are limited studies in children. Various barriers may limit intake thus effective behavioural interventions need to be developed.Conclusions:  Diets including recommended amounts of dairy foods can help maximize peak bone mass, minimize bone loss and promote overall health. Dieticians are integral in educating children and their parents and caregivers who are key in encouraging children to consume recommended amounts of dairy foods.
Label reading nutrient criteria: A survey of Australian nutrition professionals
Authors: PRATT Iain Stephen , MUHLMANN Loren , ERICKSON Hayley 
Published: September 2012

AbstractAim:  The aims of the present study were (i) to identify the format of resources that nutrition professionals use to educate consumers about reading nutrition information panels; (ii) to identify the most common nutrient criteria; and (iii) to assess the suitability of the nutrient criteria by assessing them against foods commonly eaten in Australia, from products in NUTTAB 2006.Methods:  An online 13‐question survey, asking about resources and nutrient criteria used, was distributed by email by the Dietitians Association of Australia. A total of 240 surveys were completed. The most common nutrient criteria were identified and tested against common foods in the NUTTAB 2006 database to make an assessment on suitability.Results:  The most common resource format was diet sheet, and the most common criterion for each nutrient was: energy <600 kJ/snack food, total fat <10 g/100 g, saturated fat <3 g/100 g, sugar <10 g/100 g, fibre >3 g/serve and sodium <120 mg/100 g. One‐third of common foods in Australia met all four of the ‘per 100 g’ nutrient criteria.Conclusions:  The majority of respondents had a set of nutrient criteria for educating consumers about reading and understanding nutrition information panels. The most common nutrient criteria allowed sufficient number of foods to choose from, suggesting that the four most common ‘per 100 g’ nutrient criteria are suitable for use with consumers.
Testing the boundaries of recommended carbohydrate intakes: Macronutrient exchanges, carbohydrate quality and nutritional adequacy
Authors: SHRAPNEL Bill 
Published: September 2012

AbstractAim:  The aim of this study was to explore the relationships between dietary carbohydrate, other macronutrients, carbohydrate quality and nutritional adequacy in the diets of free‐living Australian teenagers, and to consider the implications for total carbohydrate recommendations.Methods:  Using the Children's Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (2007) database, the nutrient intakes of boys and girls aged 14–16 years were assessed by quintile of carbohydrate intake.Results:  Carbohydrate intake was inversely associated with intakes of saturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, long‐chain omega 3, monounsaturated fat and protein (for each association, P for trend <0.001). Carbohydrate intake was associated with increased intake of fibre in boys (P for trend <0.05) but not girls, the association being nonlinear. As carbohydrate intake increased, the densities of fibre, vitamin C, folate, thiamin and β‐carotene declined and the density of sugar increased, implying a decline in carbohydrate quality. Nutritional adequacy was generally compatible with a wide range of carbohydrate intakes.Conclusions:  In combination, the exchanges of carbohydrate for polyunsaturated fat, long‐chain omega 3, monounsaturated fat and protein would be expected to increase coronary disease risk via several mechanisms. This implies that there may be a progressive increase in coronary risk as carbohydrate intakes increase across the Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range (AMDR), as the exchange of carbohydrate for saturated fat is now considered to be neutral for coronary risk. There is a case for lowering the upper and lower boundaries of the AMDR for carbohydrate intake as a strategy for chronic disease prevention. Lower boundaries would be unlikely to increase the risk for obesity or nutrient inadequacy.
Availability of Emergency Contraception in Rural and Urban Pharmacies in Kansas
Authors: Samson Fernand D. , Loren Rebecca , Downing Nicki , Schroeppel Sarah , Kelly Patricia J. , Ramaswamy Megha 
Published: September 2012

AbstractPurpose: Determine availability of emergency contraception (EC) at rural and urban pharmacies in Kansas.Methods: A sample of 201 Kansas pharmacies was selected using a random integer generator. We measured ability to dispense EC within 24 hours and whether it was in stock at the time of the survey call. We examined EC availability based on geographic differences and pharmacy type.Findings: Of the sample, 186 pharmacists agreed to be interviewed. Of these, 19% (n = 36) were unable to provide EC within 24 hours. There were essentially no differences in availability of EC between rural (75% could dispense in 24 hours) and urban pharmacies (85% could dispense in 24 hours) (P= .105). Corporate pharmacies were more likely to be able to provide EC within 24 hours compared to independent pharmacies (OR = 3.79, CI 1.71‐8.43). Thirty‐one percent (n = 57) of pharmacists did not carry EC at the time of the survey call. With this sample, urban pharmacies were more than twice as likely to report carrying EC compared to rural pharmacies (OR = 2.47, CI 1.31‐4.68), and corporate pharmacies were also more likely to report carrying EC compared to independent pharmacies (OR = 7.77, CI 3.72‐16.21).Conclusions: In a sample of Kansas pharmacies, there were no differences between rural and urban pharmacies in 24‐hour EC availability; however, there were differences in those who stocked EC at the time of the survey call. Corporate pharmacies were more likely to dispense EC within 24 hours and have it in stock compared to independent pharmacies, suggesting differences in availability of EC.
Rural‐Urban Differences in Consumer Governance at Community Health Centers
Authors: Wright Brad 
Published: September 2012

AbstractContext: Community health centers (CHCs) are primary care clinics that serve mostly low‐income patients in rural and urban areas. They are required to be governed by a consumer majority. What little is known about the structure and function of these boards in practice suggests that CHC boards in rural areas may look and act differently from CHC boards in urban areas.Purpose: To identify differences in the structure and function of consumer governance at CHCs in rural and urban areas.Methods: Semistructured telephone interviews were conducted with 30 CHC board members from 14 different states. Questions focused on board members’ perceptions of board composition and the role of consumers on the board.Findings: CHCs in rural areas are more likely to have representative boards, are better able to convey confidence in the organization, and are better able to assess community needs than CHCs in urban areas. However, CHCs in rural areas often have problems achieving objective decision‐making, and they may have fewer means for objectively evaluating quality of care due to the lack of patient board member anonymity.Conclusions: Consumer governance is implemented differently in rural and urban communities, and the advantages and disadvantages in each setting are unique.
Understanding and Addressing Barriers to Implementation of Environmental and Policy Interventions to Support Physical Activity and Healthy Eating in Rural Communities
Authors: Barnidge Ellen K. , Radvanyi Catherine , Duggan Kathleen , Motton Freda , Wiggs Imogene , Baker Elizabeth A. , Brownson Ross C. 
Published: September 2012

AbstractPurpose: Rural residents are at greater risk of obesity than urban and suburban residents. Failure to meet physical activity and healthy eating recommendations play a role. Emerging evidence shows the effectiveness of environmental and policy interventions to promote physical activity and healthy eating. Yet most of the evidence comes from urban and suburban communities. The objectives of this study were to (1) identify types of environmental and policy interventions being implemented in rural communities to promote physical activity or healthy eating, (2) identify barriers to the implementation of environmental or policy interventions, and (3) identify strategies rural communities have employed to overcome these barriers.Methods: Key informant interviews with public health professionals working in rural areas in the United States were conducted in 2010. A purposive sample included 15 practitioners engaged in planning, implementing, or evaluating environmental or policy interventions to promote physical activity or healthy eating.Findings: Our findings reveal that barriers in rural communities include cultural differences, population size, limited human capital, and difficulty demonstrating the connection between social and economic policy and health outcomes. Key informants identified a number of strategies to overcome these barriers such as developing broad‐based partnerships and building on the existing infrastructure.Conclusion: Recent evidence suggests that environmental and policy interventions have potential to promote physical activity and healthy eating at the population level. To realize positive outcomes, it is important to provide opportunities to implement these types of interventions and document their effectiveness in rural communities.