bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The care and keeping of vascular access for home hemodialysis patients
Authors: Faratro Rose , Jeffries Janine , Nesrallah Gihad E. , MacRae Jennifer M. 
Published: April 2015

AbstractCreating and maintaining a healthy vascular access is a critical factor in successful home hemodialysis (HD). This article aims to serve as a “how‐to manual” regarding vascular access issues for both patients and health‐care providers in a home HD program. This document outlines cannulation options for patients with arteriovenous access and describes troubleshooting techniques for potential complications; strategies are suggested to help patients overcome fear of cannulation and address problems associated with difficult cannulation. Technical aspects of central venous catheter care, as well as a guide to troubleshooting catheter complications, are covered in detail. Monitoring for access‐related complications of stenosis, infection, and thrombosis is a key part of every home HD program. Key performance and quality indicators are important mechanisms to ensure patient safety in home HD and should be used during routine clinic visits.
Patient safety in home hemodialysis: Quality assurance and serious adverse events in the home setting
Authors: Pauly Robert P. , Eastwood Deborah O. , Marshall Mark R. 
Published: April 2015

AbstractInterest in home hemodialysis (HD) is high because of the reported benefits and its excellent safety record. However, the potential for serious adverse events (AEs) exists when patients perform HD in their homes without supervision. We review the epidemiology of dialysis‐related emergencies during home HD, and present a conceptual and practical framework for the prevention and management of serious AEs for those patients performing home HD. In addition, we describe a formal monitored and iterative quality assurance program, and make suggestions for the future development of safety strategies to mitigate the risk of AEs in home HD.
Credit Scoring and Loan Default
Authors: Sengupta Rajdeep , Bhardwaj Geetesh 
Published: April 2015

AbstractA metric of credit score performance is developed to study the usage and performance of credit scoring in the loan origination process. We examine the performance of originationFICOscores as measures ofex anteborrower creditworthiness using loan‐level data onex postperformance of subprime mortgages. Parametric and nonparametric estimates of credit score performance reveal different trends, especially on originations with low credit scores. The data suggest a trend of increased emphasis on higher credit scores accompanying a trend of increased riskiness in other origination attributes. Over time, this increased emphasis on credit scoring coincided with deterioration inFICOperformance largely because of the fact that higher credit score originations of later cohorts were more likely to have riskier attributes. However, controlling for other attributes on originations and changes in economic conditions, we find that, as measures of borrower ranking,FICOperformance on subprime loans over the years remains fairly stable.
The impact of computer‐based instruction on the development of EFL learners' writing skills
Authors: Zaini A. , Mazdayasna G. 
Published: April 2015

AbstractThe current study investigated the application and effectiveness of computer assisted language learning (CALL) in teaching academic writing to Iranian EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learners by means of Microsoft Word Office. To this end, 44 sophomore intermediate university students majoring in English Language and Literature at an Iranian university who had enrolled in a course called Advanced Writing were randomly divided into two groups. As a pre‐test, a pen‐and‐paper writing task was given to both groups at the beginning of the semester. The control group including 24 male and female students was taught based on traditional approach while the experimental group including 20 male and female students was taught based on CALL. At the end of one semester, a pen‐and‐paper writing task was given to both groups. The results of the post‐test revealed that the students who were exposed to computer‐based instruction outperformed their counterparts in terms of using appropriate articles, tense, plural forms and spelling. Moreover, the students in the experimental group produced paragraphs of higher quality. The findings of this study confirmed the efficacy of computer‐based instruction in the development of EFL learners' writing skills.
Life‐history traits of Encarsia guadeloupae, a natural enemy of the invasive spiralling whitefly Aleurodicus dispersus
Authors: Mollot G. , Borowiec N. , Duyck P.‐F. , Glénac S. , Quilici S. 
Published: April 2015

AbstractOn south‐west Indian Ocean islands, many crops and ornamental plants are threatened by the spiralling whitefly Aleurodicus dispersus (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), which is a polyphagous pest that is native to the Caribbean region. Aleurodicus dispersus causes economic damage to various crops on all the islands in the south‐west Indian Ocean. The hymenopteran parasitoid Encarsia guadeloupae (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) is a natural enemy of A. dispersus on the Caribbean islands. In this study, we assessed the geographical distribution of the parasitoid in La Réunion, an island in the south‐west Indian Ocean where the parasitoid was first observed in 2004. We also investigated its main life‐history traits. Field surveys indicated that the parasitoid is widespread in most of the low‐lying areas of the island and exhibits high parasitism rates on A. dispersus populations. At 25°C, E. guadeloupae adults had a mean longevity of 33.6 days, and its pre‐imaginal development required 23 days. The lower temperature threshold and thermal constant were estimated to be 7.9°C and 132 degree‐days, respectively. Females of E. guadeloupae preferred to deposit eggs in early rather than in late instars of A. dispersus, and oviposition rates were highest in the second larval instar. Females of E. guadeloupae were able to oviposit in larvae of other species of whiteflies found in La Réunion (Bemisia tabaci and Dialeurolonga simplex), although subsequent development of the parasitoid was not monitored. Finally, we discuss the potential use of E. guadeloupae for the control of whitefly populations on islands in the south‐west Indian Ocean.
Neurometabolic coupling between neural activity, glucose, and lactate in activated visual cortex
Authors: Li Baowang , Freeman Ralph D. 
Published: April 2015

AbstractNeural activity is closely coupled with energy metabolism but details of the association remain to be identified. One basic area involves the relationships between neural activity and the main supportive substrates of glucose and lactate. This is of fundamental significance for the interpretation of non‐invasive neural imaging. Here, we use microelectrodes with high spatial and temporal resolution to determine simultaneous co‐localized changes in glucose, lactate, and neural activity during visual activation of the cerebral cortex in the cat. Tissue glucose and lactate concentration levels are measured with electrochemical microelectrodes while neural spiking activity and local field potentials are sampled by a microelectrode. These measurements are performed simultaneously while neurons are activated by visual stimuli of different contrast levels, orientations, and sizes. We find immediate decreases in tissue glucose concentration and simultaneous increases in lactate during neural activation. Both glucose and lactate signals return to their baseline levels instantly as neurons cease firing. No sustained changes or initial dips in glucose or lactate signals are elicited by visual stimulation. However, co‐localized measurements of cerebral blood flow and neural activity demonstrate a clear delay in the cerebral blood flow signal such that it does not correlate temporally with the neural response. These results provide direct real‐time evidence regarding the coupling between co‐localized energy metabolism and neural activity during physiological stimulation. They are also relevant to a current question regarding the role of lactate in energy metabolism in the brain during neural activation.
imageDynamic changes in energy metabolites can be measured directly with high spatial and temporal resolution by use of enzyme‐based microelectrodes. Here, to examine neuro‐metabolic coupling during brain activation, we use combined microelectrodes to simultaneously measure extracellular glucose, lactate, and neural responses in the primary visual cortex to visual stimulation. We demonstrate rapid decreases in glucose and increases in lactate during neural activation. Changes in glucose and lactate signals are transient and closely coupled with neuronal firing.
Personality Predicts Health Declines Through Stressful Life Events During Late Mid‐Life
Authors: Iacovino Juliette M. , Bogdan Ryan , Oltmanns Thomas F. 
Published: April 2015

AbstractPersonality predicts the occurrence of dependent stressful life events (SLE; i.e., events reliant, at least in part, on an individual's behavior). This process, termed stress generation, contributes to psychiatric outcomes, but its role in physical health is unknown. Data were included from 998 participants (aged 55–64) in the St. Louis Personality and Aging Network (SPAN) study. Assessments occurred every 6 months for 18 months. Neuroticism, impulsivity, and agreeableness were measured with the Revised NEO Personality Inventory. Dependent (e.g., divorce) and independent (e.g., family death) SLE occurring within 6 months following baseline were assessed with the List of Threatening Experiences and confirmed by interviews. Health problems occurring within a year after SLE were the outcome. Analyses examined whether neuroticism, impulsivity, and agreeableness indirectly predict the onset of new health problems through exposure to dependent SLE. Each personality trait was associated with dependent, but not independent, SLE. Only dependent SLE predicted new health problems. Each personality trait indirectly predicted the onset of new health problems through dependent SLE. Findings suggest that personality‐driven stress generation influences physical health during late mid‐life. Addressing personality in interventions may reduce the occurrence of SLE, in turn decreasing health risks.
The Kind of Student You Were in Elementary School Predicts Mortality
Authors: Spengler Marion , Roberts Brent W. , Lüdtke Oliver , Martin Romain , Brunner Martin 
Published: April 2015

AbstractWe examined the association of self‐reported and teacher‐rated student characteristics assessed at the end of primary school with all‐cause mortality assessed through age 52. Data stem from a representative sample of students from Luxembourg assessed in 1968 (N = 2,543; M = 11.9 years, SD = 0.6; 49.9% female; N = 166 participants died). Results from logistic regression analyses showed that the self‐reported responsible student scale (OR = .81; CI = [.70; .95]) and the teacher rating of studiousness (OR = .80; CI = [.67; .96]) were predictive for all‐cause mortality even after controlling for IQ, parental SES, and sex. These findings indicate that both observer–rated and self–reported student behaviors are important life‐course predictors for mortality and are perhaps more important than childhood IQ.
Dental service utilization and neighborhood characteristics in young adults in the United States: a multilevel approach
Authors: Okunseri Christopher , Garcia Raul I. , Okunseri Elaye , Visotcky Alexis , Szabo Aniko 
Published: April 2015

AbstractObjectiveTo investigate the association between neighborhood level factors and dental visits in young adults in the United States after adjusting for individual level factors.MethodsThe National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health Wave 1 (1994‐1995) to Wave III (2001‐2002) was analyzed. The primary outcome of having had at least one dental visit in the previous 12 months was analyzed via a multilevel random‐effects logistic model accounting for geographic clustering in Wave III and survey design clustering from Wave I. Neighborhood level covariates were defined at the census tract level.ResultsOverall rate of dental visits was 57 percent, highest among 18‐20 year olds (65 percent) and lowest in 23‐26 year olds (52 percent). Increased proportion of African‐Americans (≤5 percent to ≥20 percent) and Hispanics (≤5 percent to ≥20 percent) in a neighborhood corresponded with a decrease in dental visits (60 percent versus 52 percent) and (58 percent versus 51 percent), respectively. Neighborhoods with a high proportion of college‐educated residents had a higher percentage of dental visits. Similar differences were found when comparing the lowest and highest tertiles defined by poverty level and unemployment with dental visits. Neighborhood education was significantly associated with dental service utilization after adjustment for individual level factors and dental utilization in adolescence (Waves I and II) in the random effects model.ConclusionsThis study demonstrates that the education level of residents within a neighborhood was associated with dental service utilization in young adults in the United States.
Consequences of maternal effects on offspring size, growth and survival in the desert tortoise
Authors: Nafus M. G. , Todd B. D. , Buhlmann K. A. , Tuberville T. D. 
Published: April 2015

AbstractMaternal body size can have notable consequences on reproductive success. For example, fecundity often increases with body size. Less is known, however, about the relationship between maternal size and factors affecting offspring fitness, including size, growth and survival. Here, we examined the relationship between hatchling and maternal body size in the Mojave Desert tortoise Gopherus agassizii. We further examined the relationships between survival and growth after 1 year and size at hatching. We found that larger females tended to produce larger offspring; post‐hatching growth and survival also correlated positively with size at hatching. Our results suggest that, in desert tortoises, maternal body size may indirectly influence offspring fitness via growth and survival for at least the first year of life. Such an advantage early in life may confer long‐term benefits for individuals, especially in species thought to have high juvenile mortality or that inhabit highly variable environments.
The Role of Individual Differences in the Study Abroad Context: Cognitive Capacity and Language Development During Short‐Term Intensive Language Exposure
Authors: Grey Sarah , Cox Jessica G. , Serafini Ellen J. , Sanz Cristina 
Published: April 2015

ABSTRACTWhile research suggests that study abroad (SA) benefits second language (L2) oral fluency, its benefits for other domains are less clear, especially for shorterterm programs, which are becoming more common. Additionally, studies investigating the relationship between cognitive capacity and benefits of SA report inconsistent patterns. In light of these gaps, this study investigated whether a 5‐week intensive language experience abroad benefits L2 lexical and grammatical development and whether development is related to learners' cognitive capacity. Twenty‐six L1 English–advanced L2 Spanish participants in a SA program in Spain completed pre‐/post‐SA grammaticality judgment (GJT) and lexical decision tasks (LDT). On the GJT, results showed higher accuracy and decreasing reaction times (RTs); specifically, accuracy increased on word order and number agreement items but not on gender agreement. RTs did not decrease for any of the three targets individually. For the LDT, performance on nonwords, but not words, showed improvement while RTs for both words and nonwords decreased. Overall, these gains following short‐term experience abroad were independent of variation in cognitive capacity. This study makes a unique contribution toward understanding the roles of L2 proficiency, context, and individual differences in morphosyntactic and lexical development.
Paraneoplastic neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder manifesting as intractable nausea and acute cerebellar ataxia associated with lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Kobata Masako , Okada Kazumasa , Hashimoto Tomoyo , Matsuyama Atsuji , Uchibori Ayumi , Takahashi Toshiyuki , Adachi Hiroaki 
Published: April 2015

AbstractWe report a 65‐year‐old woman with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder manifesting acute cerebellar ataxia, and intractable nausea and vomiting. She tested positive for anti‐aquaporin 4 antibodies and had a lung adenocarcinoma simultaneously. She underwent partial pulmonary resection, and tumor cells of the lung adenocarcinoma were stained with an anti‐aquaporin 4 antibody. By administering intravenous methyl prednisolone and plasma exchange, aquaporin 4 antibody titer was reduced, and neurological deficits and the lesion status on magnetic resonance imaging markedly improved. Paraneoplastic neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder in conjunction with lung adenocarcinoma was a reasonable diagnosis.
Measurement of peak esophageal luminal cross‐sectional area utilizing nadir intraluminal impedance
Authors: Zifan A. , Ledgerwood‐Lee M. , Mittal R. K. 
Published: April 2015

AbstractBackgroundMultichannel intraluminal impedance (MII) is currently used to monitor gastroesophageal reflux and esophageal bolus clearance. We describe a novel methodology to measure maximal luminal cross‐sectional area (CSA) during bolus transport from MII measurements.MethodsStudies were conducted in‐vitro (test tubes) and in‐vivo (healthy subjects). Concurrent MII, high resolution manometry, and intraluminal ultrasound (US) images were recorded 7‐cm above the lower esophageal sphincter. Swallows with two concentrations of saline, 0.1 and 0.5 N, of bolus volumes 5, 10, and 15 cc were performed. The CSA was estimated by solving two algebraic Ohm's law equations, resulting from the two saline solutions. The CSA calculated from impedance method was compared with the CSA measured from the intraluminal US images.Key ResultsThe CSA measured in duplicate from B‐mode US images showed a mean difference between the two manual delineations to be near zero, and the repeatability coefficient was within 7.7% of the mean of the two CSA measurements. The calculated CSA from the impedance measurements strongly correlated with the US measured CSA (R2 ≅ 0.98). A detailed statistical analysis of the impedance and US measured CSA data indicated that the 95% limits of agreement between the two methods ranged from −9.1 to 13 mm2. The root mean square error of the two measurements was 4.8% of the mean US‐measured CSA.Conclusions & InferencesWe describe a novel methodology to measure peak esophageal luminal CSA from the nadir impedance during peristalsis. Further studies are needed to determine if it is possible to measure patterns of luminal distension during peristalsis across the entire length of the esophagus from the MII recordings.
Fatal rituximab‐associated lung injury syndrome in a patient treated with rituximab for recurrence of post‐transplant nephrotic syndrome
Authors: Grenda Ryszard , Jarmużek Wioletta , Rubik Jacek , Migdał Marek , Pronicki Maciej 
Published: April 2015

AbstractRituximab (anti‐B CD20 ab.) in recently widely used in renal transplantation. Case history: A 10‐yr‐old patient with end‐stage renal failure due to multidrug‐resistant NS was transplanted with renal graft from deceased donor and presented immediate recurrence of NS. PF was started on day 3 and patient received MP pulses, however with no effect. Rituximab (4 × 375 mg/m2) was administered. Chest radiographs taken at that time were normal. Partial remission was achieved and the patient was discharged in good condition. Sequential recurrence appeared two wk afterward. Twelve sessions of PF were performed and six pulses of MP were given, effecting a partial remission. Three months after the last dose of rituximab, patient was admitted with increasing respiratory failure, requiring mechanical ventilation. Infectious background, including CMV, BKV, mycoplasma, and pneumocystis, was not confirmed. The patient was treated with MP pulses, IVIG, and a variety of antibiotics. Ground‐glass opacity was confirmed on lung CT images. Respiratory failure worsened, despite aggressive ventilation and patient passed away after three wk at ICU. A destruction of alveolar epithelium and extended pulmonary fibrosis was confirmed in the autopsy report. The case represents a fatal RALI.
Apple scab: numerical optimization of a new thermal time scale and application for modelling ascospore release in southern France
Authors: Roubal C. , Nicot P. C. 
Published: April 2015

Adequate protection of apple trees during the primary contamination period is a cornerstone for management of apple scab. Correct timing of spring treatments is fundamental and thus, much effort has been devoted to forecasting ascospore release by Venturia inaequalis. Most models rely on degree‐day accumulation starting from a biofix date established yearly on the basis of biological observations. Here, the potential of using a single calendar date as a biofix and new types of time scales were explored, with the help of numerical optimization with field‐collected data. Using data acquired between 1996 and 2008, the daily rate of development for V. inaequalis primary inoculum was assessed by fitting generic time scale functions, a method that requires the smallest number of assumptions about the effect of temperature on the biological phenomenon. An optimal calendar biofix was established for Provence and use of non‐linear functions relating pseudothecial development rate to temperature for accumulating thermal time was compared with the usual linear response in standard degree‐day models. A model was then constructed using four additional years of data for validation. The predictive value of the model was further improved by adjusting the time scale with ‘accelerating rules’ to take into account the positive influence of rainy days on pseudothecial maturation prior to ascospore release. However, ‘halting rules’ inserted in the time scale to account for dry days during the ascospore release period strongly reduced the predictive value of the model for southern France, suggesting the possible occurrence of strains adapted to dry conditions.