bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Assessment of the quality of reporting for treatment components in Cochrane reviews of acupuncture
Authors: Kim Kun Hyung , Kang Jung Won , Lee Myeong Soo , Lee Jae-Dong 
Published: October 2014

ObjectivesHigh-quality reporting of treatment details can aid replication of study results in real-world clinical practice. The Standards for Reporting Interventions in Clinical Trials of Acupuncture (STRICTA) is a reporting guideline for key elements of acupuncture interventions in clinical trials. This study used STRICTA to investigate whether Cochrane reviews of acupuncture adequately report important treatment details.DesignSystematic reviewMethodsCochrane reviews of acupuncture were identified fromThe Cochrane Library(issue 7, 2012). Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) included in the reviews and published after 2005 were obtained. Using STRICTA, we extracted acupuncture-related information from the Cochrane reviews and the RCTs. The characteristics of the included studies’ table were the major source of intervention information from Cochrane reviews. Reporting quality of acupuncture interventions in Cochrane reviews was assessed and compared with the respective RCTs.Results25 Cochrane reviews of acupuncture and 92 RCTs met the selection criteria. Cochrane reviews were 16% less likely to report the acupuncture-related items of STRICTA than RCTs (risk ratio 0.84, 95% CI 0.79 to 0.88, I2=8%). Information was significantly better reported for 10 of the 15 treatment-group items of STRICTA in RCTs than in Cochrane reviews (p<0.05), while four items did so without statistical significance. One item related to practitioner background was significantly better reported in Cochrane reviews.ConclusionsReporting quality of treatment details in Cochrane reviews of acupuncture was insufficient with regard to STRICTA, even though such information was readily reported in RCTs. The overall quality of reporting of the RCTs, while better than the reviews, was also often suboptimal. Use of STRICTA guideline during the review process is recommended to adequately report the key treatment components in Cochrane reviews of acupuncture. The potential impact of STRICTA to the replicability and utilisation of reviews in future research and practice needs to be investigated.
Long-term mortality after community-acquired sepsis: a longitudinal population-based cohort study
Authors: Wang Henry E , Szychowski Jeff M , Griffin Russell , Safford Monika M , Shapiro Nathan I , Howard George 
Published: October 2014

ObjectivePrior studies have concentrated on the acute short-term outcomes of sepsis, with little focus on its long-term consequences. The objective of this study was to characterise long-term mortality following a sepsis event.DesignPopulation-based data from the 30 239 community-dwelling individuals in the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) cohort.SettingUSA.ParticipantsCommunity-dwelling adults ≥45 years of age. Sepsis was defined as hospitalisation or emergency department treatment for a serious infection with the presence of ≥2 systemic inflammatory response syndrome criteria.Outcomes6-year all-cause mortality. The analysis utilised a time-varying Cox model adjusted for participant's age, demographic factors, health behaviours and chronic medical conditions.ResultsThe participants were observed for a median of 6.1 years (IQR 4.5–7.1). During this period, 975 individuals experienced a sepsis event. Sepsis hospital mortality was 8.9%. One-year, 2-year and 5-year all-cause mortality among individuals with sepsis were 23%, 28.8% and 43.8%, respectively, compared with death rates of 1%, 2.6% and 8.3% among those who never developed sepsis. On multivariable analysis, the association of sepsis with increased all-cause mortality persisted for up to 5 years, after adjustment for confounders; year 0.00–1.00, adjusted HR (aHR) 13.07 (95% CI 10.63 to 16.06); year 1.01–2.00 aHR 2.64 (1.85 to 3.77); year 2.01–3.00 aHR 2.18 (1.43 to 3.33); year 3.01–4.00 aHR 1.97 (1.19 to 3.25); year 4.01–5.00 aHR 2.08 (1.14 to 3.79); year 5.01+ aHR 1.41 (0.67 to 2.98).ConclusionsIndividuals with sepsis exhibited increased rates of death for up to 5 years after the illness event, even after accounting for comorbidities. Sepsis is independently associated with increased risk of mortality well after hospital treatment.
The Great Recession, unemployment and suicide
Authors: Norström Thor , Grönqvist Hans 
Published: October 2014

BackgroundHow have suicide rates responded to the marked increase in unemployment spurred by the Great Recession? Our paper puts this issue into a wider perspective by assessing (1) whether the unemployment-suicide link is modified by the degree of unemployment protection, and (2) whether the effect on suicide of the present crisis differs from the effects of previous economic downturns.MethodsWe analysed the unemployment-suicide link using time-series data for 30 countries spanning the period 1960–2012. Separate fixed-effects models were estimated for each of five welfare state regimes with different levels of unemployment protection (Eastern, Southern, Anglo-Saxon, Bismarckian and Scandinavian). We included an interaction term to capture the possible excess effect of unemployment during the Great Recession.ResultsThe largest unemployment increases occurred in the welfare state regimes with the least generous unemployment protection. The unemployment effect on male suicides was statistically significant in all welfare regimes, except the Scandinavian one. The effect on female suicides was significant only in the eastern European country group. There was a significant gradient in the effects, being stronger the less generous the unemployment protection. The interaction term capturing the possible excess effect of unemployment during the financial crisis was not significant.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that the more generous the unemployment protection the weaker the detrimental impact on suicide of the increasing unemployment during the Great Recession.
Effect of vaginal and cervical deposition of semen on the fertility of sheep inseminated with frozen‐thawed semen
Authors: Paulenz H. , SÖderquist L. , Ådnøy T. , Nordstoga A. B. , Andersen Berg K. 
Published: October 2014

The effect of vaginal and cervical deposition of frozen‐thawed semen on the fertility of sheep was tested in a field trial in which 543 Norwegian crossbred ewes aged between six months and five‐and‐a‐half years from 10 farms were inseminated after natural oestrus. Cervical insemination with 200 × 106 spermatozoa resulted in 25‐day non‐return and lambing rates of 75·4 and 72·7 per cent, respectively, and vaginal insemination gave rates of 71·3 and 67·4 per cent; the cervical inseminations produced significantly higher lambing rates (P=0·04). There were significant differences between the lambing rates for different rams (P=0·006) and different farmers (P=0·003), and there was a significant interaction between farmer and deposition site (P=0·03). After vaginal insemination fertility was encouragingly high, but the results varied with the farmer, and different flock and management conditions.
Serological evidence of Leptospira interrogans serovar Bratislava infection and its association with abortions in cattle in northern Spain
Authors: Atxaerandio R. , Aduriz G. , Ziluaga I. , Esteban J. I. , Maranda L. , Mainar‐Jaime R. C. 
Published: October 2014

A cross‐sectional study was carried out in the Basque Country of Spain to determine the seroprevalence of 10 Leptospira serovars in a population of dairy cattle with poor fertility, and a case‐control study was carried out in another northern area to investigate the role of Leptospira interrogans serovar Bratislava in abortions. L Bratislava was the most prevalent serovar in the cross‐sectional study, with 25·4 per cent of the cows testing positive in the microagglutination test when a cut‐off of 1:10 or higher was applied, followed by Leptospira Hardjo (8·2 per cent), Leptospira Pomona (7·7 per cent), Leptospira Autumnalis (0·7 per cent) and Leptospira Copenhageni (0·1 per cent). In the case‐control study the seroprevalence of L Bratislava was significantly higher among the cows which had aborted when a titre of 1:300 or more was used as a cut‐off (9·7 per cent v 3·4 per cent, P=0·008); 69 per cent of the L Bratislava‐infected cows that had aborted apparently aborted as a result of the infection.
Investigations of D‐lactate metabolism and the clinical signs of D‐lactataemia in calves
Authors: Lorenz I. , Gentile A. , Klee W. 
Published: October 2014

Five clinically healthy calves received an intravenous injection of 25 g sodium D‐lactate (223 mmol) in 100 ml sterile water and five control calves were given the same volume of 0·9 per cent sodium chloride. Two clinical examiners who were blinded to the status (test or control) of the calves observed that between eight and 40 minutes after the injections the calves that had received sodium‐D‐lactate could be distinguished with certainty from the control calves on the basis of their clinical signs, for example, an impaired palpebral reflex, somnolence and a staggering gait. One‐compartment and two‐compartment analyses of the changes in the plasma concentration of D‐lactate, and its renal clearance, indicated that the calves metabolised considerable amounts of D‐lactate.
Clinical findings and treatment of 30 cattle with botulism
Authors: Braun U. , Feige K. , Schweizer G. , Pospischil A. 
Published: October 2014

The clinical signs, the results of haematological and biochemical analyses and the treatment of 30 cattle with botulism are described, and the signs of the 13 cattle that survived are compared with those of the 17 that were euthanased owing to the disease. The cattle originated from 11 farms that had experienced an outbreak of botulism. The most important clinical sign in all the cattle was a reduction in the strength of the tongue; excessive salivation and difficulty in swallowing were observed in 20 of the animals, and the ears of 15 of them drooped. In 21 of the cattle, reaction to pricking of the head and body with a hypodermic needle was either absent or slight. Twelve of the animals had an unsteady, slow, difficult gait, and nine were unable to stand. A significantly higher proportion of the cattle which were euthanased had marked changes in behaviour and condition, anorexia, severely reduced skin turgor, weak tongues, a low rectal temperature, a high heart rate and a low blood pH; 11 were euthanased immediately after a clinical examination and six were euthanased one to five days after the initiation of treatment because their condition had deteriorated. Thirteen of the animals were treated for three to 23 days and were healthy when they were discharged. The treatment consisted of an intravenous infusion of 10 to 20 litres of glucose saline per day and the daily administration of fresh ruminal juice. Follow‐up by telephone several months later revealed that all 13 animals had recovered completely.
Efficacy of in‐feed medication with tylosin for the treatment and control of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae infections
Authors: Vicca J. , Maes D. , Jonker L. , de Kruif A. , Haesebrouck F. 
Published: October 2014

The efficacy of in‐feed medication with tylosin for the treatment of enzootic pneumonia was examined in an experimental Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae infection model. One group of 10 conventional M hyopneumoniae ‐free pigs was inoculated intratracheally with a highly virulent field isolate of M hyopneumoniae; a second group of 10 pigs was inoculated in the same way and after 12 days was given tylosin at 100 mg/kg feed for 21 days; a third group of 10 pigs was inoculated with sterile culture medium, and these pigs were not given tylosin. The pigs were examined daily for clinical signs and each pig was given a respiratory disease score. Thirty‐three days after they had been infected the pigs were euthanased, the lung lesions were quantified and samples of lung were processed for immunofluorescence testing for M hyopneumoniae. The mean (sd) respiratory disease and lung lesion scores were significantly higher (P<0·05) in both the infected groups than in the uninfected group. Between 23 and 33 days after infection the mean respiratory disease score of the pigs treated with tylosin was 0·54 (0·22), significantly (P<0·05) lower than that of the infected pigs which were left untreated, 1·54 (0·46); similarly, their average lung lesion score, 1·72 (1·20), was significantly lower than that of the untreated pigs, 5·27 (3·85).
Investigation of a simplified artificial lighting programme to improve the fertility of sows in commercial piggeries
Authors: Tast A. , Hälli O. , Virolainen J. V. , Oravainen J. , Heinonen M. , Peltoniemi O. A. T. 
Published: October 2014

Two artificial lighting regimens were studied in a commercial unit of 800 sows. The aim was to develop a simplified lighting regimen to overdrive the effects of season on reproduction. A long‐day group had a constant 16 hours light and eight hours dark photoperiod in all units during a production cycle. A short‐day group had eight hours of light and 16 hours darkness in a farrowing unit for four weeks and in a mating unit for four weeks. After one month of pregnancy the short‐day group was transferred to 16 hours light and eight hours dark for the rest of the dry‐sow period. Production data were collected for eight months, and the farrowing rate, weaning to oestrus interval, culling rate for fertility problems and the number of live‐born piglets were analysed. Seasonal infertility, which had previously affected the herd, was not detected in either group during the follow‐up period. The farrowing rate was 90 per cent for both groups. The median weaning to oestrus interval was five days in both lighting regimens with ranges from four to 74 days in the short‐day group and three to 55 days in the long‐day group. The long‐day programme had a positive effect on the weaning to oestrus interval. When the sows were classified as either ‘normal’, with a weaning to oestrus interval of up to 10 days, or ‘problem’ animals, with a weaning to oestrus interval of over 10 days, the short‐day programme also had a positive effect. The culling rate for fertility problems was 2·4 per cent for the short‐day group and 3·2 per cent for the long‐day group (P=0·027). The only significant predictor for the number of live‐born piglets was parity (P=0·027).
Long‐term effects of meloxicam in the treatment of respiratory disease in fattening cattle
Authors: Friton G. M. , Cajal C. , Ramirez‐Romero R. 
Published: October 2014

The long‐term effects of a single dose of meloxicam (Metacam 20mg/ml; Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica) in conjunction with antibiotic therapy in cattle with clinical signs of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) was evaluated in a blind, controlled, randomised study. Two hundred animals with clinical signs of BRD received a single subcutaneous injection of 20 mg/kg oxytetracycline; 100 of them also received a subcutaneous injection of 0·5 mg/kg meloxicam, and the other 100 received an injection of isotonic saline. The animals were weighed before they were treated and seven, 35, 70 and 105 days later, and finally before they were slaughtered. The mean bodyweight of the meloxicam‐treated animals was significantly higher from day 70 until slaughter, and the mean average daily weight gain until slaughter and the mean carcase weight of the animals treated with meloxicam were significantly higher. In the animals with lung lesions, significantly less lung tissue was affected in those that had been treated with meloxicam.
Treatment of 10 dogs with discospondylitis by fluoroscopy‐guided percutaneous discectomy
Authors: Kinzel S. , Koch J. , Stopinski T. , Afify M. , Kupper W. , Buecker A. , Krombach G. 
Published: October 2014

Ten dogs suffering from discospondylitis were treated by percutaneous discectomy and local and systemic antibiotic therapy. With fluoroscopic guidance, a cylinder 5 mm in diameter was removed from the centre of the intervertebral space, yielding a fenestration and decompressing the disc without producing any spinal instability. The causative bacteria were identified in nine of the 10 biopsy specimens, but in only three urine cultures and four blood cultures. In two cases, the antibiotics used initially had to be changed owing to the organisms' antibiotic resistance. The clinical signs of the dogs improved markedly after two to nine days (mean 4·2 days) and had resolved completely after five to 14 days (mean 9·1 days). In all the cases the disease could be classified histologically as either acute or chronic, and the disease was classified as chronic in one dog. No side effects were observed.
Comparison of sodium bicarbonate and carbicarb for the treatment of metabolic acidosis in newborn calves
Authors: Bleul U. , Bachofner C. , Stocker H. , Hässig M. , Braun U. 
Published: October 2014

Carbicarb (an equimolar mixture of sodium bicarbonate and sodium carbonate) was compared with sodium bicarbonate alone for the treatment of acidosis in newborn calves: 25 of 49 calves with a blood pH at birth of less than 7·2 and a base deficit of less than −3 mmol/litre were treated intravenously with sodium bicarbonate and 24 were treated with carbicarb. The doses were calculated on the basis of the base deficit in a blood sample taken 10 minutes after birth, and further blood samples were taken immediately after the treatment and 30 and 60 minutes after the treatment for the determination of acid‐base status, blood gases and haematological and biochemical variables. Both treatments resulted in a significant increase in blood pH, but there was no difference between them. The mean (sd) blood pH before treatment was 7·09 (0·02) and after treatment it was 7·28 (0·01). There was no increase in the partial pressure of carbon dioxide after treatment with either sodium bicarbonate or carbicarb. Both treatments were associated with an increase in sodium concentration and decreases in the total erythrocyte count, haematocrit and haemoglobin concentration.
Outbreaks of infectious keratoconjunctivitis in alpine chamois and ibex in Switzerland between 2001 and 2003
Authors: Tschopp R. , Frey J. , Zimmermann L. , Giacometti M. 
Published: October 2014

Five outbreaks of infectious keratoconjunctivitis (IKC) affecting alpine chamois and ibex in the western and central Swiss Alps were recorded in 2001 to 2003. Mycoplasma conjunctivae was identified from conjunctival swabs by means of a nested PCR in 27 of the 28 chamois tested. The outbreaks occurred in an area covering 1590 km2. Deep valleys acted as a barrier to the spread of the disease. A total of 409 chamois and 33 ibex with clinical signs of IKC were reported. Most of the chamois were shot, primarily because they were blind or in poor general body condition. Almost a quarter were observed alive, and 16·9 per cent died as a result of IKC. Many of the affected animals were juveniles, and more females than males died of IKC. The disease was more common during the summer and autumn. The chamois affected by IKC were found at altitudes between 550 and 3200 m. The estimated overall mortality was less than 5 per cent, but more than 20 per cent may have died locally. Ibex affected by IKC were recorded in only two outbreaks. In six places, ibex with clinical signs of IKC were found before the first affected chamois appeared in the same area.
Epidemiological study of the characteristics of veterinarians who pursue a research career: part I
Authors: Murray J. K. , French N. P. , Fitzpatrick J. L. , Pinchbeck G. L. 
Published: October 2014

This retrospective, matched case‐control study compared the characteristics of veterinary surgeons employed in veterinary research with those who had never held a research post. The cases were randomly selected from graduates of veterinary schools in Great Britain or Ireland who were employed at universities or institutes that conduct research and who played a major role in veterinary research projects during 2001 to 2003. The controls were veterinary surgeons who had not held any post that was primarily a research post since they graduated. The cases and controls were matched by year of graduation and data were obtained for 173 matched sets. Graduates who were significantly (P<0·05) more likely to have a career involving research included male graduates, graduates who had completed a summer studentship, graduates who had completed an internship, residency or houseman’s programme, graduates who held a veterinary diploma, and graduates who had intended to pursue a career in research or academia when they graduated from veterinary school. A career involving research was significantly (P<0·05) more likely to be associated with full‐time employment and a lower salary than a career that did not involve research.
Topical treatment of non‐healing corneal epithelial ulcers in dogs with aminocaproic acid
Authors: Regnier A. , Cazalot G. , Cantaloube B. 
Published: October 2014

The potential efficacy of topical epsilon‐aminocaproic acid, an antiplasmin agent, in the treatment of persistent corneal epithelial defects was evaluated in a study of the medical records of 44 dogs, in which 51 eyes had been diagnosed with a corneal epithelial defect lasting more than 10 days, with no apparent underlying cause. At an initial examination all the affected eyes had had non‐adherent epithelium removed. Thirty‐four of the eyes in 28 dogs examined between January 2000 and March 2003 were also treated by the topical application of a solution of 35·7 mg/ml ophthalmic aminocaproic acid three times a day; the other 17 eyes in 16 dogs treated between October 1997 and March 1999 had received only topical treatment with gentamicin in addition to the debridement. Both groups were assessed clinically at weekly intervals for a maximum of three weeks. The two groups had approximately the same breed distribution, and there were no statistically significant differences between them in terms of their age, sex, affected side or duration of the corneal erosions. After three weeks, 32 of the 34 eyes treated with aminocaproic acid (94·1 per cent) had been cured, compared with seven of the 17 eyes treated with gentamicin (41·2 per cent) (P=0·0001). No adverse drug reactions were reported.
Reproducibility of a commercial in vitro allergen‐specific assay for immunoglobulin E in dogs
Authors: Patterson A. P. , Schaeffer D. J. , Campbell K. L. 
Published: October 2014

Samples of serum taken from 42 dogs with clinical signs and histories indicating pruritic skin disease and/or diseases of the ear were tested in a commercial allergen‐specific assay for immunoglobulin E. Dogs which had been treated with glucocorticoids and/or antihistamines were not excluded. The samples were separated into two equal aliquots, given different randomised numbers, and analysed in two batches on two separate days. The laboratory was blinded to the identification numbers and the history of each dog, but knew the purpose of the study. The results for 48 allergens were expressed in modified absorbance units (MAU). The overall median MAU was 29. For each allergen the mean difference between the MAU values of the paired duplicates was determined and the difference was compared to zero by a paired t test. The number of means that were not 0 (P<0·05) in each allergen group were: seven of 10 grasses, seven of nine weeds, two of 13 trees, six of 10 fungi, and three of six environmental allergens. A single 2 × 2 table for the 48 allergens was created with MAU ≥60 defined as ‘positive’ and <60 as ‘negative’. There were 116 of 188 (62 per cent) pairs that were reproducibly ‘positive’ and 1756 of 1828 (96 per cent) pairs that were reproducibly ‘negative’.