bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Parents' perception of pediatric cancer centers in Japan
Authors: Sakaguchi Sachi , Oda Megumi , Shinkoda Yuichi , Manabe Atsushi 
Published: November 2013

AbstractBackgroundIn Japan, more than 160 hospitals provide care for approximately 2500 pediatric patients diagnosed with cancer each year. Not all hospitals, however, are fully capable of providing state‐of‐the‐art care due to a lack of experienced personnel or up‐to‐date facilities. The aim of this study was to solicit parents' experiences during their children's cancer treatment and opinions about the centralization of medical resources to core pediatric cancer centers.MethodsA structured questionnaire was sent to parents of children who had received cancer treatment.ResultsEighty‐two questionnaires were completed and analyzed. Parents reported a need for improved psychological support for their children and family members as well as accommodation for families during cancer therapy. Most parents had positive opinions about the centralization of medical resources to core centers but were concerned about the accessibility of the centers and increasing burdens placed on families living in remote areas.ConclusionThe demand for psychological care for families during children's cancer treatment is highlighted. Improved accommodation and greater financial and social support for families living in remote areas should be preconditions for the future centralization of core pediatric cancer centers.
Epilepsy and West syndrome in neonates with hypoxic–ischemic encephalopathy
Authors: Inoue Takeshi , Shimizu Masaki , Hamano Shin‐ichiro , Murakami Nobuyuki , Nagai Toshiro , Sakuta Ryoichi 
Published: November 2013

AbstractBackgroundPerinatal hypoxic–ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) has been linked to the development of late‐onset seizures. The aim of the present study was to determine the incidence of epilepsy and West syndrome in children with perinatal HIE and identify factors associated with the development of postnatal seizure disorders.MethodsWe retrospectively enrolled 208 term and late‐preterm infants diagnosed with perinatal HIE from April 2000 to March 2009 at Saitama Children's Medical Center. Children with obvious multiple anomalies and known chromosomal abnormalities were excluded. A questionnaire was distributed to parents to determine seizure‐related outcomes. Medical records were retrospectively reviewed and relevant clinical parameters were analyzed.ResultsIn total, 162 questionnaires were answered (77.9%). Of the 162 subjects, 26 (16.0%) developed epilepsy, and eight subjects (4.9%) were diagnosed with West syndrome. Neonatal seizures occurred in 72 subjects (44.4%). The incidence of epilepsy and West syndrome was significantly higher in infants who experienced neonatal seizures than in those without seizure history. A total of 82 subjects were diagnosed with moderate (n = 52) or severe HIE (n = 30), of whom 57 subjects (69.5%) received therapeutic hypothermia. The incidence of epilepsy was significantly lower in these treated subjects. In addition, subjects with moderate or severe HIE were significantly more likely to develop late‐onset epilepsy and West syndrome than those with mild HIE.ConclusionsThe severity of perinatal HIE and neonatal seizures is a potential risk factor for the development of late‐onset seizures. Therapeutic hypothermia may reduce the risk of the development of epilepsy in such cases.
Success with plasmapheresis treatment for recurrent focal segmental glomerulosclerosis in pediatric renal transplant recipients
Authors: Straatmann Caroline , Kallash Mahmoud , Killackey Mary , Iorember Franca , Aviles Diego , Bamgbola Oluwatoyin , Carson Thomas , Florman Sander , Vehaskari Matti V. 
Published: November 2013

AbstractFSGS recurs in approximately 30% of transplanted kidneys and may lead to graft loss. We retrospectively examined the efficacy of early and intensive PP without additional IS in pediatric kidney transplant patients with recurrent FSGS at our center. Seven of 24 patients (29%) had nephrotic proteinuria and histologic evidence of FSGS recurrence within 1–5 days post‐transplantation. PP was initiated early after transplantation and initially performed daily until sustained decline in proteinuria. PP frequency was then individually tapered according to proteinuria. Recurrent FSGS in all seven patients responded to a four‐ to 32‐wk course of PP. Two of seven patients had a second recurrence of FSGS, and both recurrences remitted after an additional 3–6 wk of PP. Median observation period was 4.5 yr (0.8–16.3 yr). Complete remission of recurrent FSGS has been sustained in all seven patients, and all patients have stable graft function with recent plasma creatinine <1.5 mg/dL in six of seven patients. Most recent urine protein/creatinine is 0.13–0.61 mg/mg in six of seven patients. One patient has heavy proteinuria secondary to chronic allograft nephropathy 16 yr post‐transplant. Intensive and prolonged PP, when initiated early in the post‐operative period, is effective in treating recurrent FSGS and preventing graft loss without the use of additional immunosuppressants.
Plasmapheresis‐resistant acute humoral rejection successfully treated with anti‐C5 antibody
Authors: Ghirardo Giulia , Benetti Elisa , Poli Francesca , Vidal Enrico , Della Vella Manuela , Cozzi Emanuele , Murer Luisa 
Published: November 2013

AbstractEven if kidney graft survival has improved during the last decades, sensitized pediatric patients are an emerging problem. We describe a 17‐yr‐old male who lost his first graft due to chronic rejection becoming hyperimmunized (CDC PRA 99.61%). A desensitization protocol based on high‐dose IVIG, PP, and two Mabthera® infusions was performed with minor response (CDC PRA post‐desensitization 80%). One month after his second non‐living transplant, he developed a biopsy‐proven AMR; post‐transplant immunological monitoring showed the presence of donor‐specific anti‐DQ5 antibodies (DSA, MFI 20.000). He received methylprednisolone pulses and 45 PP sessions without clinical response; eculizumab was then used to salvage a kidney undergoing severe PP‐resistant rejection. A biopsy performed after the fourth eculizumab infusion showed complete resolution of AMR. Eculizumab infusions were then continued for the first year post‐transplantation. Two yr after transplantation, graft function is stable. Anti‐C5 therapy may represent an effective therapeutic option in pediatric patients with PP‐resistant AMR.
Factors Associated with Smokeless Tobacco Use and Dual Use among Blue Collar Workers
Authors: Noonan Devon , Duffy Sonia A. 
Published: November 2013

AbstractObjectivesTo examine demographic and substance use factors associated with exclusive smokeless tobacco use (SLT) and dual use of both cigarettes and SLT among blue‐collar workers.Design and SampleThis cross‐sectional study used data from the United States 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The sample (n = 5,392) was restricted to respondents who were classified as blue collar workers by self‐report primary job title.MeasuresVarious demographic variables, tobacco use and other substance use variables were examined.ResultsRespondents in this blue collar sample were 87% male and 64% Non‐Hispanic White. An estimated 9.5% (SE = 0.6) of respondents were current SLT users; 5.3% (SE = 0.4) were current exclusive SLT users, and 4.2% (SE = 0.4) were current dual users of both SLT and cigarettes. Factors related to exclusive SLT use were gender, marital status, age, race/ethnicity, type of blue‐collar occupation, current binge drinking, and current marijuana use. Significant factors related to dual use were gender, marital status, age, race/ethnicity, type of blue‐collar occupation, current cigar smoking, current binge drinking, and current illicit drug use.ConclusionsRates of SLT use and dual use are high among U.S. blue‐collar workers, indicating a need for targeted, workplace cessation interventions. These interventions may also serve as a gateway for addressing other substance use behaviors in this population.
Coffee rust genome measured using flow cytometry: does size matter?
Authors: Carvalho G. M. A. , Carvalho C. R. , Barreto R. W. , Evans H. C. 
Published: November 2013

The genome size of most rust species is unknown due, in part, to technical constraints, especially the difficulty in accessing spores to extract the nuclei for cytometry. Using the urediniospores of coffee rust, Hemileia vastatrix, an improved methodology involving flow cytometry was developed for accurate measurement of the nuclear genome size. The results revealed that the genome of this primitive rust fungus is unusually large – measuring 1C‐value = 0·75 pg (733·5 Mb) – significantly bigger than other species quantified thus far in the more advanced rust lineages. The evolutionary consequences and the potential ecological constraints of this large genome size are discussed in relation to the epidemiology of coffee rust.
The Influence of Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms During Pregnancy on Birth Size
Authors: Broekman Birit F. P. , Chan Yiong‐Huak , Chong Yap‐Seng , Kwek Kenneth , Sung Sharon Cohan , Haley Charlotte Louise , Chen Helen , Chee Cornelia , Rifkin‐Graboi Anne , Gluckman Peter D. , Meaney Michael J. , Saw Seang‐Mei ,   GUSTO Research Group
Published: November 2013

AbstractBackgroundMental health problems during pregnancy can influence fetal growth. However, studies examining the influence of maternal mental health across the normal range of birth outcomes are uncommon. This study examined the associations between symptoms of maternal depression and anxiety during pregnancy on birth size among term Asian infants.MethodsOne thousand forty‐eight Asian pregnant women from a cohort Growing Up in Singapore Towards Healthy Outcomes were recruited between 2009 to 2010 at two Singaporean maternity hospitals. At 26 weeks gestation, depressive symptoms were measured with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI‐II), and anxiety was measured with the Spielberger State‐Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Health personnel recorded birthweight, birthlength, gestational age, and head circumference at birth.ResultsNine hundred forty‐six women who delivered term infants had complete data. For this sample, the mean birthweight was 3146.6 g [standard deviation (SD) 399.0], the mean birthlength was 48.9 cm (SD 2.0). After controlling for several potential confounders, there was a significant negative association between STAI and birthlength [β = −0.248, confidence interval (CI) [−0.382, −0.115], P < 0.001] and a small negative association between EPDS and birthlength (β = −0.169, CI [−0.305, −0.033], P = 0.02). No associations were found between scores on the EPDS, BDI‐II, and STAI with birthweight or head circumference.ConclusionsOur preliminary data suggest that among term infants, anxiety and depressive symptoms are not associated with birthweight, while anxiety and depressive symptoms are associated with a shorter birthlength.
Comparison of clinical characteristics and prognostic factors of combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema versus idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis alone
Authors: Sugino Keishi , Ishida Fumiaki , Kikuchi Naoshi , Hirota Nao , Sano Go , Sato Keita , Isobe Kazutoshi , Sakamoto Susumu , Takai Yujiro , Homma Sakae 
Published: November 2013

AbstractBackground and objectiveThe results of studies examining the outcome and the factors predicting prognosis in combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE) have so far been contradictory. Our objective was to determine prognosis and the prognostic factors for CPFE.MethodsOf 108 consecutive idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients admitted to our hospital, 46 were diagnosed as having CPFE and 62 patients diagnosed as having IPF alone. We retrospectively compared the clinical features between these two groups.ResultsAnnual increase in estimated systolic pulmonary arterial pressure (esPAP) was significantly greater in CPFE patients, and survival time was significantly lower. Moreover, the prognosis was unfavourable regardless of the presence of lung cancer. The multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression model showed that predictive factors were an increase in the modified Medical Research Council dyspnoea score and esPAP ≥ 30.4 mm Hg. We classified patients into the following four groups: CPFE with high esPAP (esPAP ≥ 30.4 mm Hg), CPFE with normal esPAP (esPAP < 30.4 mm Hg), IPF alone with high esPAP and IPF alone with normal esPAP. Survival in the CPFE with high esPAP group was significantly worse than that in the other three subgroups. Furthermore, CPFE with the paraseptal type of emphysema and high esPAP had the worst prognosis.ConclusionsThis study demonstrated that the prognosis of CPFE is significantly worse than that of IPF alone. In particular, CPFE with paraseptal emphysema associated with high esPAP has an extremely poor prognosis.
Models for the analysis of repeated continuous outcome measures in clinical trials
Authors: De Livera Alysha M. , Zaloumis Sophie , Simpson Julie A. 
Published: November 2013

AbstractRepeated continuous outcome measures are common in clinical trials. In this tutorial style paper, using data collected from a trial evaluating an intervention for managing asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, we demonstrate ways of statistically analysing such data to answer frequently encountered clinical research questions. We illustrate the use of linear mixed effects modelling in doing so and discuss its advantages over several other commonly used approaches. The methods described in this paper can easily be carried out using standard statistical software.
The Symbiotic Ideology: Stewardship, Husbandry, and Dominion in Beef Production
Authors: Ellis Colter 
Published: November 2013

AbstractSocial studies of agriculture tend to overlook the micro and symbolic interactions that structure relationships among agriculturalists, the environment, and animals raised as commodities. In this study, I use ethnographic methods and in‐depth interviews with conventional beef producers to understand their perceptions of the environment and the nonhuman animals they raise. Central themes in this setting are the ethics of stewardship and husbandry. I seek to understand how these values are constructed and used interactionally. I argue that stewardship and husbandry help describe a process of co‐constitution that binds together ranchers, cattle, and the natural environment. The analysis engages actor‐network theory by emphasizing nonhuman activeness and draws from symbolic interaction and cultural sociology to show how people interpret the actions of nonhumans. The findings show that ranchers frame their relationships with cattle and the environment as symbiotic and work to understand the interests of the nonhuman as complementary to production. I introduce the termsymbiotic ideologyto show the way this approach mystifies power dynamics embedded in the ethic of dominion.
Tidal signature recorded in burrow fill
Authors: Wetzel Andreas , Carmona Noelia , Ponce Juan 
Published: November 2013

AbstractThe arrangement of sediment couplets preserved in Thalassinoides shafts suggests that tides regulated the passive filling of these trace fossils and, thus, represent tubular tidalites. The thickness variation in individual layers and couplets implies a mixed diurnal, semi‐diurnal tidal signature where packages of either thick‐layered or thin‐layered couplets alternate. Calcarenitic sediment accumulated when tidal current velocity was too high to allow deposition of mud, whereas a marly mud layer is interpreted to have formed during more tranquil times of a tidal cycle (in particular, low‐tide slack water). The tidal record within the burrows covers a few weeks and the corresponding spring–neap cycles. The fill of the Thalassinoides shafts is the only known record to decipher the tidal signature from otherwise totally bioturbated sediments. These deposits accumulated in a lower‐shoreface to upper‐offshore setting during the late Miocene on a shallow shelf extending from the Atlantic Ocean to the west into northern Patagonia. The fill of all investigated burrows started around spring tide and, thus, the behaviour of the burrow producers – probably crustaceans – is speculated to have been affected by tides or the high water level because all studied burrows became abandoned around the same period of a tidal cycle.
Illuminating a Resilient Rural Culture in Twentieth Century Y Fro Gymraeg Using Bourdieu's Bearn
Authors: Baker Sally , Brown Brian J. , Williams Emyr 
Published: November 2013

AbstractThis article uses Bourdieu's analysis of peasant life in the Bearn to illuminate a changing but resilient rural culture in mid‐twentieth century Wales. Rather than finding their culture and language eroded by economic and social change, Welsh speaking participants in this biographical study used the education system to build upon their existing cultural capital previously cultivated through religious and informal civic institutions. A distinctive habitus enabled exchange of locally acquired cultural capital for the symbolic capital of qualifications, in the face of declines in the farming and quarrying industries and consequent loss of employment opportunities. Anglicising influences of upward social mobility were counteracted by Welsh language activism, combined with a sense that Wales was heir to a tradition of Bards and scholars. This helped maintain the illusio that ‘Welsh culture’ was a game worth playing. Unlike peasant life in the Bearn, this story is of transformation rather than demise.
Experimental and numerical analysis of soft tissue stiffness measurement using manual indentation device – significance of indentation geometry and soft tissue thickness
Authors: Iivarinen J. T. , Korhonen R. K. , Jurvelin J. S. 
Published: November 2013

BackgroundIndentation techniques haves been applied to measure stiffness of human soft tissues. Tissue properties and geometry of the indentation instrument control the measured response.MethodsMechanical roles of different soft tissues were characterized to understand the performance of the indentation instrument. An optimal instrument design was investigated. Experimental indentations in forearm of human subjects (N = 11) were conducted. Based on peripheral quantitative computed tomography imaging, a finite element (FE) model for indentation was created. The model response was matched with the experimental data.ResultsOptimized values for the elastic modulus of skin and adipose tissue were 130.2 and 2.5 kPa, respectively. The simulated indentation response was 3.9 ± 1.2 (mean ± SD) and 4.9 ± 2.0 times more sensitive to changes in the elastic modulus of the skin than to changes in the elastic modulus of adipose tissue and muscle, respectively. Skin thickness affected sensitivity of the instrument to detect changes in stiffness of the underlying tissues.ConclusionFinite element modeling provides a feasible method to quantitatively evaluate the geometrical aspects and the sensitivity of an indentation measurement device. Systematically, the skin predominantly controlled the indentation response regardless of the indenter geometry or variations in the volume of different soft tissues.
Oblique oceanic opening and passive margin irregularity, as inherited in the Zagros fold‐and‐thrust belt
Authors: Navabpour Payman , Barrier Eric , McQuillan Harry 
Published: November 2013

AbstractThe Zagros fold‐and‐thrust belt of SW Iran represents deformation of the former Arabian passive margin since Permian–Triassic opening of the Neo‐Tethys ocean. The Zagros belt is characterized by a present‐day structural salient‐recess setting inherited from past marginal embayment‐promontory geometry, which was involved in discontinuous ophiolite obduction and diachronous continental collision. We examine outcrop‐scale Mesozoic extensional brittle tectonics, preserved as syn‐depositional normal faults within the folded strata, in terms of stress tensor inversion. The result is then integrated with belt‐scale isopach, seismic and topographical data to delineate the geometry of a major irregularity along the passive margin originating from oblique oceanic opening. The implication of this configuration within the tectonic framework of oceanic closure is discussed.
Dam‐to‐offspring transmission and persistence ofStaphylococcus pseudintermediusclones within dog families
Authors: Paul Narayan C. , Damborg Peter , Guardabassi Luca 
Published: November 2013

BackgroundStaphylococcus pseudintermediusis an opportunistic pathogen that causes mainly skin infections in dogs. Although vertical transmission ofS. pseudintermediusstrains from dam to offspring has been reported, the persistence of the dam's strains in offspring over long periods of time is virtually unknown.Hypothesis/ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to investigate to what extentS. pseudintermediusclones resident on the dam may be transmitted to and persist in offspring.AnimalsA total of 18 dogs and 50 of their offspring, which had been separated from their mother for between 1 month and 9 years, were enrolled in the study.MethodsMouth and perineal swabs taken from all dogs were subjected to selective enrichment and plating on blood agar. PresumptiveS. pseudintermediuscolonies were confirmed by a species‐specificPCRand typed by pulsed‐field gel electrophoresis.ResultsStaphylococcus pseudintermediuswas isolated from both the dam and at least one offspring in 12 of the 18 dog families. Pulsed‐field gel electrophoresis confirmed carriage of indistinguishable or closely related strains in the dam and offspring within four families, despite the fact that they had lived separately for between 2 and 48 months before sampling.Conclusions and clinical importanceOur results indicate thatS. pseudintermediusclones that are transmitted from the dam to the puppies around birth may persist in the offspring for long periods of time. The study contributes to the current understanding of the mechanisms of spread ofS. pseudintermediusin dogs and highlights the need for research to elucidate the role of bacterial and host genetic factors in colonization.
Phage and MLVA Typing of Salmonella Enteritidis Isolated from Layers and Humans in Belgium from 2000–2010, A Period in which Vaccination of Laying Hens was Introduced
Authors: Dewaele I. , Heyndrickx M. , Rasschaert G. , Bertrand S. , Wildemauwe C. , Wattiau P. , Imberechts H. , Herman L. , Ducatelle R. , Van Weyenberg S. , De Reu K. 
Published: November 2013

SummaryThe aim of the study was to characterize isolates of Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (S. Enteritidis) obtained from humans and layer farms in Belgium collected during 2000–2010. Three periods were compared, namely (i) before implementation of vaccination (2000–2004), (ii) during voluntary vaccination (2005–2006) and (iii) during implementation of the national control program (NCP) for Salmonella including mandatory vaccination against S. Enteritidis (2007–2010). The characteristics compared across time periods were distributions of phage type and multiple‐locus variable number tandem‐repeat assay (MLVA). While PT4 and PT21 were predominantly isolated in Belgium in layers and humans before 2007, a significant reduction of those PTs was observed in both populations in the period 2007–2010. The relative proportion of PT4b, PT21c and PT6c was found to have increased considerably in the layer population since 2007. In the human population, PT8, PT1 and the group of ‘other’ PTs were more frequently isolated compared to the previous periods. When comparing the proportion of the predominant MLVA types Q2 and U2, no significant difference was found between the layer and human population in the three periods and between periods within each category (layer and human). A significant difference in isolate distribution among MLVA clusters I and II was found between human and layer isolates recovered during Period 3 and in the human population between Period 1 and 3. Results suggest that the association between S. Enteritidis in layers and the occurrence of the pathogen in humans changed since implementation of the NCP in 2007.